—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
– You’re as beautiful as the moon, Hana. Your face fits perfectly inside it.
– Hana, I’m turning forty soon. I should start thinking about marriage.
– Hana, all you have to do is show up. Oppa’s taken care of everything.
– Are you worried about my age? I might be older, but my body’s still in its early thirties.
“Argh! Stop! Stop it!!!”
I slammed my head against the desk, unable to take it anymore.
“Why did I have to possess this body?! I’ve only possessed handsome, young guys before!”
“Overweight? Who cares! I can lose it! Older? That’s fine, it happens.”
But…
“But this kind of personality is too much! You damn pigeon!”
I screamed at the heavens, cursing the god I knew couldn’t hear me.
Come to think of it, this situation was worse than being at the mercy of Namgung So-yeon.
After thirty minutes of raging in the study, I finally ran out of steam.
Old age had its drawbacks.
I rested my chin on the desk, trying to cool down.
“I should just die,” I muttered.
A simple solution after much deliberation.
“Live with this kind of embarrassing past? Never. Absolutely not.”
But then, a small voice, the voice of my true self, whispered from deep within.
– But you’re a landlord.
– You have more money than you’ve ever dreamed of.
– You don’t have a job. You can do whatever you want.
The sweet, tempting whispers of the devil.
It was a simple choice.
[Live as a pathetic 40-year-old landlord vs. Live as a handsome 20- or 30-something]
“…Ugh, fine. The first one, obviously…”
It wasn’t even a contest.
The allure of being a landlord was too strong.
And what good was being handsome if I just ended up getting stabbed to death again?
Maybe it was better to just live out this life peacefully.
I was tired of being tossed around like a ragdoll.
“Okay. Think positive. Think positive.”
This embarrassing past, my only apparent flaw, could be seen as a minor inconvenience if I looked at it from a different perspective.
It was just a middle-aged man’s one-sided infatuation, nothing serious.
It didn’t seem like the relationship had progressed beyond that.
I had been rejected plenty of times in my original world.
This was just… a similar experience.
The realization that nothing had changed, that I was still the same loser I had always been, made me feel even more pathetic.
Ah, wait. Let me wipe my tears for a sec.
“Okay. No more unhealthy habits! Time for a fresh start. A new beginning. I can do this! Go, In-ho! Fighting!”
I would quit everything.
Drinking, smoking, and camgirls.
That would be a good start to a healthier lifestyle.
And I had plenty of money to support it.
I would make the most of this life.
Growl
My stomach growled loudly as I stood up from the desk, filled with newfound resolve.
“I’m starving.”
There didn’t seem to be any food in the apartment, so I decided to eat out.
And maybe get some hangover soup while I was at it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
My first meal in this new dimension was sundaeguk, Korean blood sausage soup.
I didn’t know how much I had drunk the previous night, but my stomach felt empty and queasy.
“Haaah…”
I took a large spoonful and blew on it to cool it down.
Whoever invented this soup deserved an award.
It was cheap, filling, and delicious.
The warmth spreading through my stomach and the savory flavor of the broth momentarily made me forget my troubles.
Just for a moment.
– Nae naiga eottaeseo~ nae naiga eottaeseo~ [What’s wrong with my age~ What’s wrong with my age~]
My ridiculously outdated ringtone blared.
I really needed a new phone.
I glanced at the caller ID and swallowed the spoonful of soup.
“Hello?”
– Hyung-nim, I have something to discuss regarding Myungsung Building. Are you home?
“I’m at the sundaeguk place near my apartment. Come here.”
– Yes, hyung-nim. I’ll be right there.
He hung up, and a few minutes later, Yoo Ho-chul arrived.
Mid-thirties.
Respectful.
The guy who handled all the dirty work for my business.
I wasn’t sure how we knew each other, but judging by our messages, we had a long history.
In other words, he was probably trustworthy.
He sat down across from me, his hair cropped short in a military-style cut.
“It’s rare to see you eating sundaeguk,” he said, fanning himself with his hand.
“I had a bit too much to drink last night,” I replied, dumping half a bowl of rice into my soup.
“But hyung-nim, you always said you hated sundaeguk because of the pork smell.”
He took a large gulp of water.
“I don’t know. Maybe my tastes are changing with age.”
“Come on, hyung-nim. You always said you were still in your prime. You said you could still keep up with the twenty-year-olds.”
He chuckled good-naturedly.
“Just drop it,” I muttered.
Another entry for the list of embarrassing moments.
He started talking about the weather, the tenants, and other trivial matters.
I listened half-heartedly, focusing on my food.
Wait, had he eaten?
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
I interrupted his rambling.
“Have you eaten?”
“Uh, no, not yet.”
It was late afternoon, well past lunchtime.
His stomach growled loudly.
I couldn’t ignore it.
“Let’s eat together. My treat.”
“Really? Together?”
He looked surprised.
“Did I say something weird?”
“No, it’s just… it’s been a while since you’ve treated me to a meal. Haha.”
He scratched his cheek, embarrassed.
I chuckled.
“It’s just sundaeguk. It’s not that expensive. Hey! One more bowl of sundaeguk, please!”
The soup arrived, and Ho-chul thanked me profusely, almost to the point of tears.
Had the previous owner been that stingy?
He devoured the soup as if he hadn’t eaten in days, quickly catching up to me.
“Hey… isn’t it hot?”
“Ah… hoo… it’s fine.”
He kept blowing on the soup, but I wasn’t convinced he was okay.
He ate like a man possessed, putting on a one-man eating show.
‘Wow… he’s practically inhaling it… humans are amazing.’
Once he had finished his impressive feat, I wiped my mouth with a napkin.
“You said you had something to discuss?”
“Yes. About the sixth floor of Myungsung Building.”
He sat up straight, patting his full stomach.
“The sixth floor of Myungsung Building?”
What about it?
Seeing my blank expression, he elaborated.
“The gym that forfeited their deposit last month.”
A typical landlord-tenant dispute, it seemed.
“And?”
“Well, they couldn’t pay this month’s rent. So I told them to clear out. But they begged and begged, asking if you could give them a break.”
“Hmm… really? Has this happened before?”
“No. You’ve never made any exceptions. You always said you weren’t running a charity.”
That was a rather harsh way to put it.
I took a sip of water and checked my phone.
Let’s see… Myungsung Building… it was closer than I thought.
Within walking distance.
“If the sixth floor is vacant, do we have anyone lined up to move in?”
“We’ll have to put out listings. But you know, that building doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic, so it might take a while to find a new tenant.”
I shifted in my seat, my crossed legs starting to feel numb. My stomach got in the way.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
I kept my eyes on my phone.
“Let’s keep the gym.”
“Huh? Why? I checked it out. It’s completely empty. I doubt they’ll be able to pay the back rent, even if we give them more time.”
“It’s not about the money. Let’s keep it as an amenity.”
“An amenity?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking about working out. I’ve gained some weight. It would be convenient to have a gym nearby.”
“That’s true. But wouldn’t it be better to just sign up for a different gym that’s closer?”
“Let’s just use what we have. Why go somewhere else when we have a gym in our own building? Go ask them if they can train me for free. In exchange, I’ll waive the rent for now.”
“Uh… I’ll ask. I think they’ll agree.”
I paid for the meal and stood up.
Yoo Ho-chul nodded slowly.
“I’ll head over to Myungsung Building now.”
“Yeah, oh, right! Make sure to package it well when you talk to them. Don’t say something obnoxious like ‘we’ll do it for free’ or anything.”
I didn’t have the nerve to just demand free personal training in exchange for waiving the rent.
I left it to Ho-chul to smooth things over.
He patted his chest reassuringly and hurried off.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Garam Fitness Center.
Choi Ga-ram, the owner, looked puzzled when Ho-chul returned so soon.
The upbeat music playing in the empty gym felt like a cruel joke, a constant reminder of her failing business.
She sat at the desk, her faded yellow hair pulled back in a ponytail.
She had pleaded with Ho-chul, clinging to any shred of hope… could it be that the landlord had taken pity on her?
She tried to temper her expectations, but the gears of optimism had already started turning.
Ho-chul, wearing his usual friendly smile, delivered the landlord’s response.
Ga-ram listened, tilting her head in disbelief.
“Uh… first of all, thank you for considering my request. But… did I hear you correctly? Did the… landlord…?”
“Yes! My Hyung is very interested in you (fitness center) and he said he hopes you stay around for a long time.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
