With a click, the door swung open, and a man stepped inside. He was the owner of the building—Myung Chi-won.
His face was lined with deep wrinkles, framed by a full head of silver hair. An elderly man, well past seventy.
Tap. Tap.
A young man, Lee Jin-ho, approached the entrance with a respectful bow.
"You're here, sir."
"Yes. Have you had breakfast?"
As Myung Chi-won stepped further inside, Jin-ho replied with a polite smile.
"Of course, we have. What about you, sir? Have you eaten?"
"What do you think? At this hour, how could I not?" He chuckled. "I didn't come too early, did I?"
"Not at all. Please, come in. The kitchen is warm. Would you like some tea?"
"Do you have coffee?"
"Of course. You like instant coffee, don't you?"
"Hah, you know me well."
Seated at the dining table, Myung Chi-won glanced around the house with a somewhat uneasy expression.
'Why is he here?'
Lee Si-woo couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping up on him.
And why wouldn't he?
The lease agreement for the building had only a month left before expiration. Yet, he wasn't too worried.
For years, their contract had been extended naturally without issue. There was a strong bond of trust between them.
But now?
A sudden visit.
Early in the morning.
Something about it didn't sit right.
Si-woo had originally planned to eat breakfast and head straight to the Pyeongtaek Gate. But now, he decided to stay.
He needed to find out why Myung Chi-won had come.
With that in mind, he stepped into his room, placed his hunter gear bag on the desk, then opened the door and walked back into the living room.
Click. Click.
Meanwhile, Do Min-jun, captivated by the modern marvel of television, was flipping through channels with a remote in hand.
"I'm heading out first."
Si-yeon, who had an early shift at her part-time job, hurriedly left the house.
'Hmm.'
Si-woo shook his head and made his way to the kitchen, sliding into a seat at the table.
"Aha. So, you became a Hunter, did you?"
The conversation between Jin-ho and Myung Chi-won took a turn toward Si-woo.
"Yes, sir."
"That's great. Really great. Hunters make good money, don't they?"
Money.
Si-woo tensed. Why was the old man bringing up money first thing in the morning?
"I'm still just an E-rank Hunter. And on top of that, I have a fear of monsters, so I only take on Tier-3 Gates."
"That so?"
At Si-woo's words, Myung Chi-won's expression shifted slightly.
Something was off.
And it wasn't just Si-woo who noticed—Jin-ho, too, seemed to sense the weight in the air.
After a brief pause, the old man let out a sigh and shook his head.
"Well, no point in dragging this out. I'll just come out and say it."
Taking a sip of his coffee, Myung Chi-won continued.
"Jin-ho, as you know, my only grandson is getting married soon."
"Yes, I remember. This fall, right?"
"That's right. But, well… turns out, weddings are expensive."
With an awkward chuckle, he tapped the table with his fingers.
Jin-ho narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Are you asking us to increase the deposit?"
"Well, uh… yes."
"How much?"
"Five thousand."
"…What?"
"Excuse me?"
Jin-ho and Si-woo both stared at him in shock.
A bolt from the blue.
Who walks in unannounced and suddenly asks for a five-thousand-dollar increase in deposit?
"…Sigh."
Jin-ho exhaled deeply, concern evident in his eyes.
"Sir, a five-thousand increase… Isn't that a bit too much, all of a sudden?"
The old man hesitated.
"I know. But I don't have a choice. I have my own circumstances, don't I?" He glanced at them before quickly adding, "If you increase the deposit, I'll lower the rent by a hundred dollars."
"That's not the issue. The problem is, we don't have five thousand dollars just lying around."
"You still have a month to figure it out, don't you?"
"That's not nearly enough time. Besides, isn't that too steep an increase for a place like this?"
"Well… Normally, I'd agree."
"…Excuse me?"
"The real estate office came by the other day. Seems they caught wind that I need money."
"…And?"
"They offered to lease the place for an increased deposit of ten thousand."
"…Ten thousand?"
"Yeah. That's what they're willing to put down."
"…Wow."
"…That's crazy."
Si-woo shook his head.
Of course, he had always known they had been getting a good deal on the place thanks to Myung Chi-won.
The location was excellent—close to a main road, and the first floor was spacious enough to be a kendo dojo.
But ten thousand?
'Well… deposit money isn't exactly lost money.'
If someone was serious about running a business, they might see it as an investment.
A heavy silence filled the room.
"…Sigh."
Myung Chi-won exhaled deeply before speaking again.
"The truth is, I've received similar offers before. But back then, I wasn't in urgent need of money, and their offers weren't high enough to tempt me."
He emptied his coffee cup before continuing.
"You know how much I care about you, Jin-ho."
"I do. You've been incredibly generous to us over the years."
"Right. But this time, I'm in a tight spot. And even then, I'm not being greedy—I'm only asking for what I need."
Jin-ho nodded slowly.
He understood now.
If Myung Chi-won were truly greedy, he could've just given them an ultimatum and gone with the higher offer.
Instead, he was giving them a chance.
Five thousand.
It made sense.
As the old man rose from his seat, both Jin-ho and Si-woo instinctively followed.
"…No need to see me out."
He sighed, glancing between them.
"Sorry for bringing this up first thing in the morning."
"No, sir. If anything, I should be the one apologizing."
"Hah. Money really does complicate things."
With that, he turned and stepped outside.
Creak.
The door swung shut behind him.
As he walked away, his face remained unsettled.
From inside a parked car, a man watched him go.
"So, he's out."
The man, Na Sang-ho, a real estate agent, pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
Ring… ring…
Outside, Myung Chi-won's phone vibrated in his pocket.
(Hello?)
"It's me, Mr. Myung. Na Sang-ho, from the agency."
(Oh? Na? What's the matter?)
"Have you made a decision?"
A long pause.
Then, with a hesitant voice, Myung Chi-won finally spoke.
(That tenant you mentioned… Do they seem desperate to move in?)
Na Sang-ho smirked.
'So, he really is in a bind.'
With a deliberate pause, he replied,
"Well, you know how business is. People don't wait forever."
(…Try to buy me some time, will you?)