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Chapter 5
“One thing?”
“Yes. Earlier, the chairman also mentioned a child named ‘Seo Cheongsong,’ four years younger than Seo Sing-a.”
“I remember.”
“Then this is worth verifying.”
His gesture was polite, but carried quiet confidence.
Following the team leader’s hand, the man opened the file. The first page was a family registry document. Then photographs spilled out along with it.
At the same moment of confirmation, a faint smile spread across his face.
“…You said she was thirty.”
A soft laugh escaped him.
So it was a lie.
♧
1996 — December, Bundang, Jeongja-dong, Gyeonggi Province
After the scorching summer heat and autumn typhoons had passed, H.O.T had debuted that fall.
And now, in December of winter.
Jeongja-dong, Bundang District, Seongnam City.
A wealthy neighborhood that would later reach prices of 70 million won per pyeong at its peak.
As one of Korea’s first-generation planned cities, it was a symbolic representative of new towns—so solid that even in 2026, when new developments were everywhere, it still held its prestige like an unbreakable fortress.
And today, the Seo family of four had successfully moved in.
Applause! Clap clap clap!
Well—technically not purchased. Of course it was a jeonse (long-term lease).
Even though I had mild PTSD as a former victim of rental fraud in another life, I wasn’t someone who distrusted the system itself.
This was the 1990s—an era of trust and loyalty.
And as a regressor, there was no way I’d do something reckless like buying property right now.
Next year, the IMF crisis would flood the country with real estate at bargain prices.
I honestly couldn’t sleep at night worrying my parents might insist on buying instead of renting.
If that happened, I was ready to abandon my role as a pure filial daughter and go full Nostradamus on national television if necessary.
Fortunately, my young parents—lacking boldness—chose the cautious path and signed a jeonse contract.
I’ve bought us 13 years of not being broke.
A 1 trillion won goal… honestly, isn’t it doable?
My confidence rose, and the world suddenly looked brighter.
I happily looked around our new home.
Kyaaa! …Ahh, new house smell!
If I suggested “bake-out,” they’d probably think their daughter was possessed by foreign spirits.
The house was literally new.
The landlord had never even lived in it and put it up for lease immediately—meaning we were the first residents.
It was an investment property, but fully finished inside, so even from my regressor perspective from the 21st century, there was nothing to fix.
No cherry-colored moldings typical of the 90s. No patterned wallpaper.
I gazed in awe at the clean, cream-colored walls with no stripes at all.
It was also only one to two years old—practically new construction—and the flagship apartment of this time.
This price… for this apartment?
If I hadn’t seen the signed contract, I would’ve suspected my mother got scammed somewhere.
How did we get this lucky?
In my original plan, I would’ve secured a foothold in this area only after getting a commercial deal with Yoon Ire.
But whether it was my parents’ luck or mine, I had entered Jeongja-dong in one shot.
While movers bustled around, I walked over toward my mother, who was whispering with the real estate agent’s wife.
They’d been suspiciously chatting for a while.
“Listen carefully. You were really lucky. Don’t ever tell anyone how much you paid. People will definitely talk behind your back.”
“…?”
Wait. That’s exactly the kind of thing you’re supposed to talk about.
My face stiffened, and my mother looked just as uneasy.
“Are you serious?”
“Look at the neighbors. Most of them came down from Gangnam. People would kill for a place like this at that deposit price.”
“I’m going to cry if this is a scam.”
“What?”
“If you’re tricking people from the provinces! I will seriously cry! I’ll pitch a tent outside your office and cry!”
“You’re threatening me while raising two kids?—Oh my! Is this your daughter? She’s so pretty! Like a Western doll! She could even become Miss Korea!”
“That’s because she looks like me! Don’t change the subject!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine! I swear on my name there’s no problem! It’s clean! Normally this place wouldn’t even have been shown to you, but the owner suddenly dropped the price for some reason, and you just got lucky!”
“The owner? He seemed nice though?”
“Oh, that white-haired man? No, no! He’s not the owner—he’s just the caretaker. Like a steward. The real owner is someone else.”
“Then shouldn’t we meet and thank the owner?”
“No need. People like that aren’t easy to meet.”
“I see?”
“Anyway, I should go. I left the shop too long. Good luck settling in!”
“If you’re lying, I’ll remember this!”
Laughing, the real estate lady quickly left.
My mother watched her back thoughtfully—was she actually thinking something?
Nope. She immediately turned to me.
“What do you think, daughter? Doesn’t this feel a bit suspicious?”
Only now?
I was already on the verge of losing my mind.
A代理 signer? Not even the owner signed the contract?!
Isn’t this a scam?!
“Mom! Bring me the contract! Hurry!”
“I don’t have it! Your dad does! Huh? Is there really a problem?!”
Why are you asking me that?! I’m six years old!
“Did you check the owner’s name? It’s written on the contract! Did you see the ID number?”
“Yes! Of course! It was… Je Ham-yeon! I couldn’t memorize the ID number but—”
“Stop memorizing it!”
Je-something.
Not a common surname.
Calm down.
In the 90s, rental scams like this weren’t common.
I suppressed my 30-year-old fraud victim instincts screaming to check registry documents, liens, and address registrations.
Instead, I forced a trembling smile and told them to find my father.
“Dad! Where’s Dad! Go check with Dad! Hurry!”
“….”
Was my mom always like this when I was actually six?
Or am I just failing at pretending to be six?
Leaving the panicking Mrs. Bang Suk-young behind, I trudged over to my father.
After carefully acting like a six-year-old and verifying things in roundabout ways, I managed to reassure the movers that I wasn’t “possessed,” just “a very sharp kid,” and by the time things settled…
It was already 4 p.m.
Tired… I’m exhausted…
My mental stamina was completely drained.
Unlike my miserable state, my mother—having outsourced all worries to her husband and daughter—looked bright and cheerful.
She asked if I was done talking to Dad, then happily handed me a plate.
“You’re back, sweetheart~? Help Mommy!”
“…Again?”
“Good girl! My daughter is the best. This is moving rice cake. Please take it to the upstairs neighbor, okay? And greet them nicely. Don’t forget your gloves—it’s cold outside.”
I looked at the chaotic kitchen and reluctantly accepted.
On the way out, I also glared at my younger brother Seo Cheongsong, peacefully sucking on a pacifier like he had no worries in the world.
Hurry up and grow already…
♧
Outside — Winter in the 20th century
“Brrr… it’s freezing…”
Winter in the 20th century was genuinely cold. Global warming wasn’t as severe yet.
The moment I stepped outside, my cheeks froze.
Holding the rice cake plate, I hurried up the stairs.
My twin pigtails—braided by my mom like Sailor Moon—swung as I walked.
The 90s were the last era when neighbors lived like family.
After the IMF crisis, dual-income households and individualism would rise, but for now, people left their doors open and interacted freely.
Neighbors’ children were treated like family.
“Unit 1001…”
Even though it was our moving day, this door was wide open too.
I peeked at the unit number and called out loudly.
“Knock knock! Hello? Anyone home?”
Within seconds, multiple footsteps approached.
Wait.
Multiple?
“Whoa! It’s a girl!”
“Who’s she? I’ve never seen her before!”
“Did she come to the wrong house?”
“Hey! Jeong Hyeon-gyo! Who is she?!”
A group of boys—around seven or eight years old—gathered.
Their chatter filled the air like a swarm of bees, all eyes turning toward me.
“…Huh?”
From among the noisy boys, one calm voice stood out like a star.
A boy stepped forward and met my eye level calmly.
“Hi. Who are you looking for?”
At that moment, I froze completely.
Because—
I’m terrible at one-on-one AND groups are worse…
Even if they were kids, being stared at by more than ten people was overwhelming for an introvert.
I forced out a voice.
“Rice cake…”
“Oh, unit 901?”
The boy smiled gently.
His face was neat, but oddly… too composed for a child.
Why was this kid so calm?
“My mom told me to help out anyway, so I was about to go down. Want to go together? What’s your name? I’m Jeong Hyeon-gyo.”
“Ooooh~ Jeong Hyeon-gyo~!”
“We want to come too!”
“Hey, pigtails! Can we come?”
“….”
Please stop acting familiar…
Their tone was so unfamiliar after six years that it felt weirdly unsettling.
Had kids always sounded like this?
And then—
“[Unit 901? You mean the one right below us?]”
…English?
Before I could react—
A playful voice cut through the air, and a boy suddenly slung an arm around his friends and leaned toward me with a grin.
“[This is interesting. That’s my uncle’s house!]”
……Huh?
My eyes widened.
Because—
Oh my god.
I know this person!!!!
