Chapter 7
April 1st, and Mo Eunje could barely pry his eyes open. He splashed water on his face and was immediately dragged out the door by Tae Igyeol. Song Yeonhwa had plans in the afternoon, so they’d agreed to tour potential homes in the morning and grab lunch together. At Mo Eunje’s request, they were focusing on places within reasonable distance of Tae Igyeol’s apartment.
“Hey. Wake up. We’re here.”
Mo Eunje, who’d been nodding off in the passenger seat, jolted upright as the car stopped. He bolted inside Song Yeonhwa’s real estate office, where the staff were just trickling in at 9 AM. With his usual easy grin, he greeted them and made a beeline for the back office—the president’s room.
“Auntie!”
“Eunje!”
They called out to each other like long-lost relatives, arms wide, and embraced warmly. It had only been five or six weeks since Song Yeonhwa and her husband had visited Mo Eunje’s place for dinner and drinks, but they acted as if it had been years. The vibe was nothing like when Tae Igyeol greeted Mo Eunje’s mother, Han Seola.
“How do you get even prettier every time I see you, Auntie?”
“Oh, you little charmer! Your April Fools’ prank almost had me filing for divorce this morning, but seeing you has already cheered me up!”
“Wait, today’s April Fools’ Day? I should’ve prepared a proposal if I’d known.”
Mo Eunje teased. Song Yeonhwa’s husband—and Tae Igyeol’s father—Tae Hyunseok, CEO of Taeyang Actors, was infamous for his mischief. When their families gathered, no one could outdo his antics. As kids, Mo Eunje and Tae Igyeol had idolized him, but as adults, they avoided him like the plague.
“If Eunje proposed to me, I’d sign those papers on the spot.”
“……Uncle must’ve really outdone himself this time.”
“Don’t even ask. I was terrified he’d pull the same stunt in front of the actors at the company.”
“But seriously, Auntie, you do look prettier.”
Mo Eunje swiftly changed the subject, knowing full well that if he probed about Tae Hyunseok’s prank, they’d be stuck gossiping for an hour.
“Does it show? I got a little Botox and filler on the last day of your dad’s final clinic visit.”
“Let me see. Botox and filler alone can’t explain this glow. Hmm……”
Mo Eunje examined Song Yeonhwa’s face like a dermatologist, gently tilting her chin and studying her from every angle. She played along, smiling as she turned her face left and right, her eyes sparkling.
“Your skin has this radiant glow—did you get laser treatment? Or maybe a hydration injection?”
“Who said you’re not a dermatologist’s son? You’ve got an eye for this!”
“I’ve got a knack for spotting these things. Actually, I can see something else, but for Auntie’s privacy, I’ll pretend I don’t notice.”
“Oh, you! Eunje, you’ve got such tact—sparing me the embarrassment.”
Song Yeonhwa laughed and patted Mo Eunje’s back lightly. The corners of her eyes crinkled slightly, forming delicate, natural lines—not overdone, just beautifully settled.
Given Song Yeonhwa’s personality, the fact that she wasn’t outright mentioning it and was subtly trying to move past it meant she wanted him to play along. The glasses she rarely wore were a dead giveaway—she was hiding until everything fully healed.
Just then, a knock echoed—tap tap. They turned to see Tae Igyeol leaning against the already open doorway, pretending to knock out of politeness.
“We’re supposed to be looking at houses. Aren’t we going?”
His tone and expression screamed I can’t be bothered.
“Weren’t you not coming?”
“……Mom, did you get double eyelid surgery?”
“Mind your manners.”
Mo Eunje quickly sidled up to Tae Igyeol and elbowed him, mouthing shut up. Tae Igyeol couldn’t believe how clueless he was about his own mother compared to someone else’s son.
“What? It’s obvious she got double eyelid surgery.”
“Hey, it’s not double eyelid surgery. As people age, their eyelids sag, which can narrow their vision and cause discomfort. That’s why she had to get upper blepharoplasty to fix it.”
“Whatever you call it, if she didn’t have double eyelids before and now she does, it’s double eyelid surgery.”
“No, it’s not. She got upper blepharoplasty to fix her sagging eyelids, and while she was at it, she had them tweak her eyelids and adjust her eye shape a little.”
“So, in other words, it’s double eyelid surgery. Ugh!”
Song Yeonhwa strode over and smacked Tae Igyeol’s back so hard Mo Eunje thought he felt the sting himself.
“If only our son had half your tact, Eunje. Does he have to embarrass his mother like this to feel better?”
“What’s wrong with double eyelid surgery? I heard they don’t even do surgical double eyelids these days.”
“When did you get it, Auntie? It doesn’t show at all. You really do look so pretty.”
Mo Eunje jumped in, afraid Tae Igyeol would get hit again. Tae Igyeol rubbed his back, wincing, and Mo Eunje subtly reached out to massage the spot with his palm.
“About a month ago.”
“Wow. Aunt Seola’s skills are amazing. It’s only been a month, and there’s no swelling or anything—how is it this natural?”
“Give me some credit. It’s not your mom’s skill—it’s my skin elasticity. Even with the same doctor, results vary depending on skin tissue and elasticity.”
“She did say I have a face that takes well to cosmetic procedures.”
Song Yeonhwa laughed along, and Mo Eunje seized the moment to steer the conversation elsewhere. But Tae Igyeol had other plans.
“What are you talking about? Auntie fixed up all the actors in Dad’s company, and none of them show any signs of surgery—they all look natural. Their vibes and images are totally different. That alone proves Aunt Seola’s skills.”
Tae Igyeol was usually more tactful than this, but today, his social radar was completely off.
“……Eunje, let’s go without him.”
Song Yeonhwa shot Tae Igyeol a disapproving look and linked arms with Mo Eunje. Mo Eunje wanted to protest, but it was too late. Tae Igyeol seized the golden opportunity.
“That’s a great idea. You two have a nice date.”
With a smirk, Tae Igyeol turned his back. They were supposed to look at houses and then head to the department store to buy Ban Hajun’s birthday gift. Mo Eunje had practically begged and pleaded with Tae Igyeol to come last night, and now it was ruined. The crisp whistle Tae Igyeol let out as he walked away grew fainter and fainter.
***
Song Yeonhwa had carefully selected five properties: two officetels and three villas. All were newly constructed, spotless, and within a 20-minute walk from Tae Igyeol’s place at Ritz Ville at most. But none of them felt right to Mo Eunje.
The first officetel was a fully optioned duplex two-room, but the stairs seemed inconvenient, and unless he put the bed upstairs, the space felt impractical. The second officetel was a fully optioned two-room, but the living room was so cramped it was practically nonexistent.
The villas were no better. All were two-room units, but the third villa had built-ins as standard options, yet it was too small with almost no storage. The fourth villa was completely empty—no options at all—so he’d have to buy everything from a fridge to a washing machine to a microwave. The fifth villa was the largest, with a separate balcony and terrace, and was actually quite nice, but it was the farthest from Tae Igyeol’s place.
“You don’t have to decide today, so take your time to think about it.”
“I feel bad that none of the places you carefully picked out appeal to me.”
“Oh, you. Why apologize for that? This is just an excuse to see your face.”
“I’m glad to see you too, Auntie, but it’s making me realize how hard it is to find a place.”
Mo Eunje knew how busy Song Yeonhwa was, so he wanted to decide today if possible, but nothing felt right.
“That’s how it is. If one thing’s good, another’s not, and vice versa. I picked the best options within your mom’s budget, but I’ve been out of the monthly rental and jeonse market for a while, so I had to rely on other agencies. They said there are more new constructions finishing in the next two or three months, so you could wait and see.”
Even though this was his first time living independently, Mo Eunje wanted a place he truly loved, even if he had to move after two years. So far, only one place came to mind.
“Auntie, by any chance, is there a vacancy in the villa where Igyeol lives?”
“Ritz Ville? I actually started with that place and checked the contracts, but all six units have about a year left on their leases. The soonest one available is unit 202, but that’s not until March next year.”
“Still a while to go.”
It would’ve been convenient to live in the same building, even on a different floor, since it would make it easier to visit Tae Igyeol’s place. Mo Eunje sighed. He’d have to find another place for a year and then quickly snag a unit at Ritz Ville when one became available.
“Eunje, why don’t you just live with Igyeol?”
