Chapter 53: Moving

Although living in Lee Soo-mi's house was very comfortable, and over the six months, he had developed a simple yet deep bond with Lee Soo-mi and her daughter, Lee Yun-jae had now signed with LOEN, which meant he would eventually have to move. Moreover, the constant disturbance from talent scouts also prompted Lee Yun-jae to consider moving earlier.

Three days later, Lee Yun-jae found time to visit the housing rental center in Blackstone Village. Unlike ordinary real estate agencies, this center had more comprehensive information, covering the entire Gangnam District, and was more formal and secure.

Under the introduction of the staff, Lee Yun-jae initially selected three places. The first was a high-end residential area in Samseong-dong, which was close to the company but had extremely high rent, almost matching the rent of his studio. The second was a more affordable and well-maintained neighborhood in Samsan-dong, but its main drawback was its distance from LOEN.

Ultimately, Lee Yun-jae chose the third option, a single-person apartment complex in Cheonho-dong. Each apartment was uniquely decorated, suitable for high-income white-collar workers, with an area of about 100 square meters. The neighbors were all high-quality white-collar workers who wouldn't pay much attention to celebrities like Lee Yun-jae, at most occasionally asking for an autograph. Another reason Lee Yun-jae decided to rent here was the excellent environment and high security of the apartment complex, which was very important for a celebrity.

"Sir, you have a good eye! This single-person apartment is perfect for a capable single person like you. Moreover, many artists from talent agencies also live here, so if you're lucky, you might have an artist as a neighbor!" The staff member threw out an attractive topic, as living next to an artist was something many people dreamed of.

Lee Yun-jae smiled faintly. He actually preferred to keep a distance from other artists. Constantly bumping into each other could lead to rumors, which would be bad for his image. Artists who spread rumors were usually either very famous or trying to become famous through rumors. As Lee Yun-jae was just starting out, a good image was crucial for him.

Accompanied by the staff, Lee Yun-jae went to the single-person apartment complex that day. There was a fountain at the entrance, and security guards were stationed there 24/7. The staff member led Lee Yun-jae to the apartment for rent.

The apartment was on the 13th floor of the second building to the right of the main gate, close to the road. From the back balcony, one could see the bustling street below.

Choosing a rental place also depends on a good first impression. If he liked it at first sight, even if the rent was a bit higher, Lee Yun-jae would rent it. But even if the place was good, if he didn't like it, he wouldn't rent it no matter how cheap it was. This apartment clearly fell into the former category.

"Sir, as you can see, the entrance is quite spacious, so during the renovation, a whole wall of wooden cabinets was installed on the left side of the entrance. It's very convenient for storing things of different sizes. You can put your clothes, shoes, bags, and daily tools here," the staff member explained enthusiastically, having done thorough preparation.

After walking through a five-meter-long foyer, on the left was a photo wall, and on the right was a dining area that blended seamlessly with the living room. The main color was white, with natural wood and gray accents, creating a refined and elegant atmosphere. The living room was spacious, with a gray sofa, a wall-mounted LCD TV, and a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, giving it a dreamy feel. Walking a few more steps from the living room, there was a large floor-to-ceiling window. When Lee Yun-jae pulled the curtains, he could see the bustling traffic below, with a wide view.

On either side of the LCD TV were two rooms. The one on the right was the master bedroom. Upon entering, he saw a plush carpet on the floor, and a door on the right led to an en-suite bathroom. The bathroom was spacious, with a large bathtub. In the upper left corner of the bedroom was a round, triangular computer desk, a double bed, and a uniquely designed crystal chandelier above the bed, casting a soft, warm yellow light that was very comfortable.

"How about it, sir? Are you satisfied with this apartment? Although 100 square meters might seem a bit large for you, it's always better to have more space. There's also a smaller guest room next to the master bedroom. Would you like to see it?"

Lee Yun-jae shook his head and said, "No need, I'll take this one. When can we sign the contract?"

The staff member's face lit up. The rent for this single-person apartment was not cheap, and although her commission was not high, it was enough for several other deals.

They sat down in the living room, and the staff member took out a document from her bag and handed it to Lee Yun-jae, saying, "The rent here is 900,000 KRW per month. According to the contract, you need to pay three months' rent and six months' deposit, totaling 8.1 million KRW!"

Without hesitation, Lee Yun-jae signed the contract and wrote her a cash check.

"Sir, here are your keys. This apartment is now yours, and you can move in at any time! If you have any problems, feel free to call me!" The staff member handed him her business card and the keys.

Lee Yun-jae took them and pointed to the kitchen, saying, "I want to install an oven there. Can you help me with that?"

"Of course!" the staff member agreed readily.

Thus, after six months, Lee Yun-jae was finally moving. That day, he first arranged for the rental center to move his bread machine from the café to the new apartment. He then went to pack his belongings and say goodbye to the Lee family.

"Oppa, are you really leaving?" Kim Min-ji said with a hint of sadness.

Lee Yun-jae patted her head and smiled, "Don't be so sad. We'll still see each other... You've already signed with SidusHQ, so we might meet on stage someday... Good luck!"

"Okay!" Kim Min-ji nodded vigorously.

Lee Yun-jae's belongings were simple: one suitcase, a backpack, a computer, and a guitar. When he left the Lee family's house, it was already dark. He looked back at the red-brick villa where he had lived for six months, leaving it behind as he slowly disappeared into the night.

At 7 PM, Lee Yun-jae finally arrived at his new home. The rental center was reliable; when he entered the apartment, he immediately saw the familiar bread machine. Over the six months, he had developed a love for baking, and not doing it for a few days had made him feel restless. The café was already for sale, but he had brought the bread machine back.

After unpacking his luggage, it was already 8 PM, but Lee Yun-jae couldn't rest yet. He had two important things to do that day: first, go to the supermarket to buy necessities, and second, visit his neighbors. In Korea, there is a custom that when you move to a new place, the first thing you do is visit your neighbors and bring them rice cakes. As the saying goes, "Distant relatives are not as helpful as close neighbors," so building a good relationship with your neighbors is important.

There was a supermarket near the apartment complex. Lee Yun-jae bought toiletries, groceries, and other essentials. He initially thought about buying rice cakes but then decided to make a cake instead, as he had the skills. So, he bought eggs, cream cheese, granulated sugar, low-gluten flour, yogurt, milk, and strawberries.

Originally, Lee Yun-jae wanted to make his signature blueberry mousse cake, but it would take several hours, and it was already 8:30 PM. So, he decided to make a ribbon strawberry cheese cake, which only took 45 minutes.

Back at his new place, Lee Yun-jae eagerly got to work. He preheated the oven, whipped the cream, crushed chocolate cookies in a plastic bag, mixed them with the cream, and spread them in the mold, pressing them flat with a flat-bottomed container and placing them in the refrigerator to chill. Next, he mixed yogurt, egg yolks, and cream cheese, poured the mixture into the mold, and placed it in the preheated oven. After half an hour, the apartment was filled with a delicious aroma.

After the base was done, he took out the baked cake and placed it on the base, arranging fresh strawberries on top and sprinkling some white chocolate powder. The ribbon strawberry cheese cake was complete.

He then cut the cake into small, even pieces, each with two strawberries, making them look fresh and inviting. The color and aroma were so appealing that it made one's mouth water. He then placed the pieces into prepared paper boxes.

There were too many residents in the apartment complex for Lee Yun-jae to visit each one, so he only prepared cakes for the neighbors directly across, above, and below him.

First, he went to the door across from his. A child opened the door, followed by a woman, and a man was watching TV inside. It was clearly a newly married couple. Lee Yun-jae gave them two pieces of cake, and they accepted it happily, appearing to be very friendly and warm.

Next, he went up to two more apartments and then down to the 12th floor via the safety stairs. After visiting 1201, he knocked on the door of 1202.

"Who is it?"

A clear, pleasant female voice came from inside. Lee Yun-jae was slightly taken aback and said, "Sorry to disturb you. I'm the new neighbor from upstairs, just coming to say hello!"

Click... The door opened, and a girl in a simple long T-shirt with black and yellow curly hair tied up appeared. Lee Yun-jae glanced at her; she was about his age, 1.65 meters tall, with a mixed-race, exotic face, and beautiful, long hair.

Ding dong... At that moment, the elevator on the 12th floor dinged, and a girl, looking tired, stepped out. She leaned against the wall and saw Lee Yun-jae's back and the girl facing him.

"Sis... Do we have a guest?"

The collection and recommendations are not satisfactory... Over 200,000 words, and the collection hasn't even reached 1,000... Sigh...

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