* * *
[Web Notification]
[Janghan University Admissions Office
Congratulations on your regular admission to Janghan University for the year 20XX.
Click the link below to view a congratulatory message from the university president.
Once again, congratulations on your acceptance!
▶http://20XXjanghanuniversityadmission.kr]
11:10 AM
Jeongseo read the message several times before his face finally lit up.
He turned to Seobok and shouted,
“I got in!”
Even though he had always been confident, a lingering sense of unease had never left him.
But now, any trace of doubt vanished from his heart.
Seeing his excitement, Seobok barked and wagged his tail furiously.
People passing by glanced at them, but Jeongseo couldn’t care less.
He had to tell everyone right away.
He took a screenshot of the message and sent it out.
[❤ Our Family ❤]
[(Photo)] 11:11 AM
[Mom: (Celebratory emoji)] 11:12 AM
[Mom: Congratulations, my baby~~~~] 11:12 AM
[Hehehe, thanks, Mom!] 11:12 AM
[Mom: So proud of you~~~~~~^^] 11:12 AM
[Mom: Should we eat out tonight? Does Kanghyun have time?] 11:13 AM
[I’d love to!] 11:13 AM
[Hyung: Whoa] 11:16 AM
[Hyung: Congrats, baby. You worked so hard. I’ll check about dinner later.] 11:16 AM
Of course, he also sent the same photo to Yoontae and Hayan.
[Top 1st, 2nd, and 27th of Our Class]
[(Photo)] 11:13 AM
[Pyo Yoontae: Oh] 11:13 AM
[Pyo Yoontae: You made it. Congrats, Jeongseo.] 11:13 AM
[Pyo Yoontae: (Confetti-throwing black cat emoji)] 11:14 AM
[Yeah, hehe, thanks!] 11:14 AM
[Pyo Yoontae: What do you want to eat tomorrow? We should celebrate.] 11:14 AM
[Hmm… Anything with meat is fine by me.] 11:14 AM
[Pyo Yoontae: Alright, let’s decide when we meet.] 11:15 AM
[Sounds good.] 11:15 AM
[Hayan: Oh] 11:16 AM
[Hayan: ㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊㅊ] 11:16 AM
[Hayan: Congrats.] 11:16 AM
[Yeah!! Thanks!!! Hahaha] 11:16 AM
[When are you moving to Seoul, Hayan?] 11:17 AM
[Hayan: I’m moving into the dorms, so late February. Why?] 11:17 AM
[Ah, let’s meet up then.] 11:17 AM
[Pyo Yoontae: Jeongseo is openly planning to cheat right in front of me. Take me with you.] 11:17 AM
[Hayan: (Replying to Jeongseo: Ah, let’s meet up then.) Yeah, sure.] 11:18 AM
Later that day, even his dad messaged him with congratulations and a generous amount of allowance money.
Jeongseo couldn’t stop smiling the entire day.
°❀•°❀°•❀°
“I’m thinking about dorms, but I’ve never lived with someone before, so I don’t know if I’d be okay with it. Plus, my brother said if I get stuck with a weird roommate, it’s going to be hell, so I’m still debating.”
Inside a quiet private café—not too crowded for a place in Seoul—Jeongseo stirred his Java Chip Frappé as he shared his recent worries with Pyo Yoontae.
Yoontae took a sip of his hot latte, his gaze steady on Jeongseo.
“I also thought about commuting, but my house and the school are practically on opposite ends of the city. On top of that, I’d have to transfer buses, and one of them comes only every thirty minutes!”
“That’s a disaster if you miss it.”
“Right? I checked the class schedule, and most first-year courses start in the morning, so I think dorms or renting my own place would be better. Are you commuting from home, Yoontae?”
Jeongseo took a sip of his Frappé, the rich chocolate flavor coating his tongue and lifting his mood.
As he waited for Yoontae’s response, he made a mental note of the café’s name.
He had to come back here again.
“No, I’m planning to rent a place. My home isn’t exactly close either.”
“Really? But I thought your house wasn’t that far from campus?”
He had never been to Pyo Yoontae’s family home before, but he had a rough idea of where it was.
Since it wasn’t too far from Korea University, Jeongseo had assumed Yoontae commuted from home, which made him tilt his head in curiosity.
Yoontae lightly tapped the armrest of his chair with his fingers before switching the way his legs were crossed.
Because the café’s table was relatively low, every movement of the broad-shouldered Yoontae was clearly visible.
“It’s true, but living alone is more convenient. Besides, my mom has moved in with my maternal family now.”
“Is your mother staying in Dangang for good?”
“It’s her hometown, so she says she feels comfortable there.”
“I see…”
So that meant only Yoontae’s house at the training center was left empty.
Jeongseo belatedly regretted not visiting it one last time.
He hadn’t gone often, but it seemed he had grown attached to the place.
“So, are you looking for a new place now?”
Jeongseo hummed absentmindedly and fiddled with the dark green beanie on his head.
It was a birthday gift from Yoontae, meant for him to wear when shedding.
His hair had already turned brown, but he liked the beanie so much that he continued wearing it.
“I’ve been browsing through listings online, but if a place looks nice, it’s too expensive. And if I lower my budget, all I find are semi-basements or absurdly tiny one-room apartments… It’s a headache… All the good places are already taken.”
His mom had told him not to worry about money and just pick a decent place, but Jeongseo couldn’t do that.
His parents were already covering his tuition; he didn’t want to burden them with more.
He wanted to manage within the savings he had set aside.
He had received a decent amount of money upon graduation, and he had also been saving up money given to him during holidays and birthdays, so he thought he’d be fine.
But there was one thing he had overlooked—Seoul’s real estate prices were ridiculously high.
Even tiny one-room apartments were going for billions in deposit money.
Just thinking about it gave Jeongseo a headache.
“I think I’ll have to ask my mom for a little help.”
“What’s more important to you, a place close to school or one in better condition?”
The sudden question caught him off guard, but Jeongseo liked these kinds of questions.
“How close, and what’s the condition of the room?”
“…Well, it’s a one-minute walk from school, but it’s on the first floor, so small that you can’t even fit a bed, and it has no balcony.”
He had seen listings like that.
He didn’t think size mattered much, but the moment he saw that type of place, he immediately thought, ‘I absolutely do not want to live here.’
“What if the condition is good?”
“It’s a 20-minute walk to school, but it’s on the fourth floor, has two rooms, a balcony, and an elevator.”
…Wasn’t this completely unbalanced?
Was it just him, or was the second option obviously the better choice?
Jeongseo stared at Yoontae before furrowing his brows, trying to think through the question properly.
Right—this was similar to choosing between a tiny semi-basement near school and commuting from his family home.
After thinking for a while, he finally gave his answer.
“Close is nice, but… I think the room is more important.”
“Really?”
He might have to live there for at least a year, maybe even up to four.
If the place was that cramped, he would hate going home.
Thanks to Yoontae’s question, Jeongseo realized what he actually wanted.
He didn’t notice the faint smile forming on Yoontae’s lips as he suddenly blurted out—
“I should just commute from home after all!”
“But I know a—”
Their voices overlapped, and Yoontae frowned slightly.
Commuting from home wasn’t even an option, so where had that idea come from?
He had deliberately brought it up as a hint.
“Your house is even farther.”
“Well, yeah, but the second option you mentioned is way better! So I started thinking about home again and reconsidered.”
“…You’re really dense, you know that?”
“What?”
He had carefully balanced the question, so why was he suddenly being insulted?
Jeongseo glared at Yoontae with narrowed eyes, only for Yoontae to let out a deep sigh.
“A friend of mine is urgently putting their officetel up for rent. It’s about a 20-minute walk from Jeonghan University.”
Jeongseo tilted his head slowly in confusion, staying silent for a moment before finally catching on.
He smacked the armrest of his chair.
“Oh! You mean for me to move in?”
“Yes, Jeongseo.”
“But isn’t an officetel expensive? Every listing I’ve seen has been ridiculously overpriced…”
And if it had two rooms, it must be even pricier.
He liked the idea of a 20-minute walk, but he was already feeling disappointed at how unaffordable it would be.
Just then, Yoontae fiddled with his phone before sliding it across the table.
“Just take a look first.”
On the screen was a phone number, presumably the owner’s.
It was probably expensive, but since Yoontae was insisting, Jeongseo decided to check it out.
✽✽✽
“…So, you’re saying this isn’t the deposit, but the full lease price…?”
Jeongseo stared at the owner, unable to believe his ears.
The woman, who had short hair and a tall frame, smiled warmly.
“Yes, 30 million won. Is that too expensive?”
“Uh… no…”
His bewildered gaze swept over the officetel, which had two rooms and a living room.
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
Maybe it wasn’t that the listings online were overpriced… maybe he had been getting scammed.
* * *
