The Regressed Chaebol Grandson Finds It Hard to Forgive - Chapter 33

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 33 — Such a Customer!

“What group is Tae-woong’s family with?”
……
“Your father’s an executive at a company, they say……. His family doesn’t seem ordinary at all.”

Ha Tae-woong had said his father was an executive at a small company.

But Han So-eun didn’t take him at face value.

Her intuition was certain—he was hiding something.

‘Ha as a surname……. Surely not!!’

The Ha Ryun Group—ranked in South Korea’s top ten conglomerates!
There was no other family bearing the Ha surname among the group’s inner circle.

But the youngest of the Ha family was currently a university student.

“I don’t know.”

Lee Hyo-joo, her gaze fixed on the window to hide her tangled thoughts, offered a single terse reply.
She genuinely knew nothing about Ha Tae-woong.

Well, there was one thing.
Ha Tae-woong was a loser.

A loser she’d never given a moment’s thought to until now.

“You don’t know?”
“We’re not as close as you think, Mother.”

She was being honest, and it was the truth.

“But you said he was a friend.”
……

Her mother was right.
Lee Hyo-joo had no comeback and fell silent.

“Are you two getting to know each other now?”
“Yeah.”
“Is that so?”

The two were in a car on their way home after finishing the meal with Ha Tae-woong.

During the drive, Han So-eun asked her daughter numerous questions.

“That boy has good manners. The way he speaks is refined. He has presence, too.”

Han So-eun didn’t forget to offer her praise again.

He was the young man she’d been most impressed with in recent memory.

‘Refined? Presence?’

Lee Hyo-joo found it absurd.
At school, rumors about Ha Tae-woong as a “mad dog” had already started circulating days ago.

He certainly had seemed different at school.

“He knows so much. He’s the same age as you, but he’s so knowledgeable.”

Han So-eun spoke of the conversations she’d had with Ha Tae-woong at the Italian Restaurant.

They’d discussed everything from real estate to cultural and social matters at large with complete ease.

Economic terminology that even Lee Hyo-joo hadn’t known had passed between them.

They’d even touched on world politics at various points.

Han So-eun, having engaged directly in the conversation, was herself quite impressed by Ha Tae-woong’s knowledge.

Lee Hyo-joo, observing it all, could only keep her mouth shut.

“Why don’t you invite him to the house sometime?”
“I-invite him?”

Lee Hyo-joo was greatly taken aback by her mother’s words.

It had never happened before—not once.

Though she seemed broad-minded, her mother calculated things quickly.

Excluding Lee Hyo-joo’s own clothing, she’d spent nearly 10 million won exclusively on Ha Tae-woong.

It was all part of her investment strategy toward him.

That much she understood, but an invitation to their home?

Lee Hyo-joo was confused.
If the kids at school found out, there’d be chaos.

She’d maintained an aloof attitude throughout her school life, keeping her distance from the other students.

Her, associating with a loser?

The gossips would blow it completely out of proportion.

“Be friendly with him at school. That boy has something.”
……

Her mother had fallen for Ha Tae-woong.
She’d apparently seen something in him that Lee Hyo-joo had missed.

“All right.”

Lee Hyo-joo turned her attention to the scenery passing by the window.
Ha Tae-woong—who brought a strange sort of vitality to her otherwise tedious school life.

Today, he’d certainly left an impression.

* * *

“Monthly lease? A fully furnished unit available for immediate move-in?”
“Yes.”
……

A large real estate office located near Latte Signiel.

At the young man’s words, other employees who’d been handling different tasks turned to look.

Monthly rents at Signiel were quite steep.

The standard range was a security deposit of 300 million won with monthly rent between 20 and 30 million.

A seemingly young man was looking for that kind of rent.

“You don’t have anything available?”
“W-we do have something.”

He clearly had starting capital—his confidence was nothing to scoff at.

Sometimes trouble-makers came in joking around just to rattle the staff.
But this young man had a different air about him.

Especially the ease with which he carried himself.

‘Big money!’

The head of the real estate office stood up from her desk.

She dealt exclusively with premium properties in Jamsil.
She had an uncanny ability to sniff out money.

The way she looked at the young man now was far from ordinary.

She’d already caught the whiff of serious cash coming off him.

Just a glance at his luxury watch, luxury shoes, and the wallet he’d placed on the table was enough to give her an estimate.

“As it happens, we’ve just had something excellent come on the market. It’s on the 57th floor—a rare 90E-type unit. Unlike the other rooms, this one is rectangular with an excellent view.”

A radiant smile bloomed across the office head’s face.

“It’s available for immediate occupancy, yes?”
“Of course. You can move in immediately upon depositing the security amount.”

In recent times, existing Signiel residents had been moving out frequently.

This was a shift that followed the supply of ultra-luxury redevelopment apartments and villas in areas immediately adjacent to Gangnam.

The prestige that Signiel had once monopolized was slowly fading.

“Do you have interior photos?”
“Yes.”
“Show me them, please.”
“Here.”

The property photos displayed on the real estate office computer.
They were cleanly edited and looked appealing.

“It’s fully equipped with built-in refrigerator, dryer, washer, and everything. You just need to bring yourself.”
“That sounds good.”
“Would you like to go see it?”

The property looked quite decent to the office head’s eye.
Seeing it in person would surely captivate him into signing the contract on the spot.

“No.”
“I beg your pardon??”

‘What is this, a joke?’

His rejection, delivered with an expression ill-suited to games, momentarily flustered the office head.

“Let’s sign the contract right away. I’m rather busy.”
“Ah, yes? You don’t need to verify anything?”
“No.”
……Yes.

The office head had never seen a customer like this before.

She looked him over once more with an astonished gaze.

“What documents do you need?”
“Nothing special. Just a resident registration card. The registered copy is just for confirmation—we don’t technically need it as a document. As for the contract, the owner has granted me authorization, so I can handle it.”
“That works out well.”

The prospective tenant immediately produced his resident registration card.

‘Ha Tae-woong. What? Nineteen years old?’

Among all the customers who’d come to this office over the years to lease luxury housing, none had been so young.

“Your guardian, or perhaps your parents…….”
“Are they necessary?”
“Ah, no, of course not. But with a security deposit alone at 300 million and monthly rent at 20 million……. Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

The real estate office head gestured dismissively while unable to hide her bewilderment.

There was no legal issue with the visitor drafting the contract himself.

It was a legal adult signing a lease for his own residence.

Yet the matter of a 300 million won security deposit and 20 million won monthly rent.
It was hardly a trivial sum.

‘Already self-made? ……Or inheritance?’

The office head narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Ha Tae-woong with caution.

Monthly rent in the tens of millions at Signiel, renting alone?
At his age, this was unheard of.

‘Is he an actor? But I don’t recognize his face…….’

A few young celebrities did reside at Signiel.

But even accounting for rookie actors, this young man’s face was unfamiliar to her.

“Can we transfer the address registration?”
“Of course. If you have a Public Certificate, you can register immediately through Government24.”
“Print out the paperwork. I’ll sign it……and then I need to head somewhere.”
“Yes? Right away!!”

Honestly, visitors like this were always welcome.

Most times, customers came, looked around, and left without contracting.

But this one—a gem of a client who put in no effort and delivered a hefty commission without fuss.

“And one more thing—please call me immediately if any super penthouse listings come on the market.”
“A p-penthouse??”

* * *

Time is gold.

Now I understood the meaning of that phrase exactly.

Just today alone, time had slipped away in a blur.

Bought a car, bought clothes, found a place to live.

It took only half a day to finish everything.

The accumulated know-how of my past difficult life came together and crystallized into action.

When I had no money, there was too much to deliberate over.
But now, sufficient capital minimized time spent deciding.

This was the true meaning behind the upper class’s equating of time with money.

I’d found the optimized balance between time and capital allocation for sustained wealth.

Looking back at my past life, I’d relied on public transit because of money.
I’d scrimped on petty change and hunted for bargains at markets.

In contrast, the wealthy use private jets to save time.

If I’d lacked any social experience, I might have struggled to set priorities.

“Lee Hyo-joo must have a headache.”

Meeting Lee Hyo-joo outside school.
Till the end, she never revealed my loser status.

Thanks to that, I received free golf clothes and equipment as gifts without prejudice.

Shopping with the two of them, I indirectly experienced their own shopping expertise.

“Gu Hye-jin, thank you.”

My ex-girlfriend before regression, Gu Hye-jin, had also loved Italian restaurants.

It had felt awkward, but the Table Manners I’d picked up back then came naturally to the surface.

Lee Hyo-joo’s mother had watched me closely.
Her favorability rating was quite high.

In conversations with her, I’d sprinkled in knowledge from my past life, mixing lived experience with learning.

We discussed a wide range of topics—shifting global affairs, political issues.

Lee Hyo-joo’s mother kept exclaiming with delight.

“O Yang Group, Do A Daily News—not bad.”

In my past timeline at this point in life, I’d never even exchanged words with Lee Hyo-joo.
If that single life had been the end, I would have felt robbed.

This regressed life is clearly different.

I’d earned some points with Lee Hyo-joo’s mother for the future I was about to face.

Over time, O Yang Group and Do A Daily News would prove different from ordinary conglomerates.

Their history was as long as Hyundai, Ilsung, and Ha Ryun Group.

“You’ll become very curious. Hehe.”

Regarding my parents, I’d told the truth (?).

My father was currently director of a joint company with a close friend.

I’d satisfied Lee Hyo-joo’s mother’s curiosity by giving her one piece of information, as she seemed keen to learn more about me.

I maintained an air of mystery, drawing her interest to its height.

Screeeech.

After settling my residence, I headed to one place to handle the most important task.

It was the most important thing I had to accomplish today.

The car came to a halt in front of a security barrier.

“What business do you have here?”

A security guard peered out of his booth, asking my purpose.

This building was off-limits to unregistered external vehicles from the start.

A sign came into view from where I could see.

Jo & Jang!

This was a premier legal services firm in South Korea.

Jo & Jang Law Office!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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