"I appreciate you helping with the housework, but you don't have to work so hard," Park Jin-ho said. "We can just eat out for meals, and we only need to clean and do laundry once a week."
"But I still want to be helpful…"
"Don't force yourself. We'll be fine living like we normally do. You will need some spending money, though, so I'll give you my card."
Park Jin-ho pulled a credit card from his wallet.
"There's 50 million won on it. It should be plenty for living expenses, but don't be reckless."
"Wow. Th-thank you, hyung."
Although he handed over the card, Park Jin-ho wasn't worried. He knew his brother wasn't the type to spend frivolously. Park Si-woo always saved his money diligently.
Even if I do nothing, he'll still end up taking charge of all the chores by the 99th round. It will be the same this time.
Thanks to his brother, he never had to worry about housekeeping.
Park Jin-ho checked his coin account.
The 14 billion won he had invested a few days ago had already grown to 16 billion.
A two-billion-won profit for doing nothing at all.
I should buy a lottery ticket this weekend, just like last time. One hundred tickets, all with the same numbers.
He knew, with absolute certainty, that he would win first place, netting him nearly 15 billion won. It would cause a stir, of course, but he needed the cash immediately and couldn't care less about the attention.
For the next month, I'll focus on accumulating funds.
A deep, satisfied smile spread across Park Jin-ho’s face.
The day after they moved in, Park Jin-ho watched his younger brother with a puzzled expression. Park Si-woo was dressed in outdoor clothes, even though it was still early morning.
"I ordered some rice cakes, so I'm going to go pick them up."
"Rice cakes?"
This hadn't happened before. Park Jin-ho frowned.
"It’s tradition to give rice cakes to your neighbors when you move in, right? I figured it would help us make a good impression…"
Park Jin-ho instantly understood his brother’s intentions.
He wants to get on the neighbors’ good side.
At the very least, offering them rice cakes would keep anyone from thinking they were rude or uncultured. Park Si-woo must have come up with this on his own after trying to think of a way he could contribute. Raising our reputation can't hurt, Park Jin-ho thought.
Unlike his brother, Park Jin-ho had never cared for the opinions of others.
"Giving rice cakes to the neighbors… that's a great idea."
"Really? I thought since we'll probably run into them in the elevator, we could mention eating rice cakes together. It would make things less awkward and also…"
Park Si-woo’s words tumbled out excitedly, clearly pleased by his older brother’s approval.
Park Jin-ho watched him with a contented smile.
"I can take the rice cakes and hand them out, so you can stay home, hyung."
"No, it’s better if we both go and greet them."
I can't just leave it all to him.
Besides, Park Jin-ho didn't have anything better to do.
"Let's go get them."
The brothers went from door to door, delivering the small gifts. They had planned to visit every apartment in the building and were surprised to find their neighbors were a mix of all ages.
They pressed the first doorbell and a voice crackled through the intercom.
"Hello, we’re the new neighbors who moved in yesterday."
A moment later, the door opened to reveal a well-dressed, middle-aged woman.
Park Si-woo bowed his head politely.
"Hello, we moved into apartment 4302. We look forward to being your neighbors."
"Oh, how lovely to meet you. You two must be brothers."
"Yes, this is my older brother."
Park Jin-ho offered a slight bow, which the woman returned. She carried herself with a quiet grace that spoke of wealth.
Park Si-woo quickly presented the plate of freshly made rice cakes.
"Please have some. We just picked them up this morning, so they're still warm."
"Oh my, thank you. I’ll enjoy these."
A warm smile graced the woman’s face.
The brothers felt a small sense of pride at having made a good first impression.
"Let's go to the next house, little brother."
They moved to the apartment next door and rang the bell.
A few apartments didn’t answer, but most residents were home in the morning.
"We're your new neighbors. Please have some rice cakes."
Everyone they met accepted the gift with thanks. Seeing the warm reception at each door was gratifying.
Finally, they made their way to the top floor.
"This is the penthouse. It takes up both the 44th and 45th floors."
"Wow… then whoever lives here must be incredibly rich."
"I don't know the details, but I heard it's home to corporate heads and celebrities."
As his brother spoke, Park Si-woo pressed the doorbell.
There was no response. The apartment seemed empty.
Park Si-woo pressed the button again, but still, nothing.
"I guess no one's home. Let's go, hyung."
Just as they were about to turn and leave, the door swung open.
Park Si-woo froze, his eyes wide in disbelief.
A woman with a face so perfect she seemed otherworldly stood there, her eyes wide and startled like a rabbit's. Beside her, a tall man in an immaculate suit was frowning at them.
"Who are you? Fans?" the man asked sharply.
"Huh? Uh, no, we're the new residents who moved in downstairs."
The man's gaze fell to the plate of rice cakes in Park Si-woo's hands. His scowl deepened.
"Please, have some rice cakes…"
"That's not necessary. She doesn't eat things like that. Get inside," the man said, holding the door open for the woman. She spared them one last, fleeting glance before disappearing inside.
The front door clicked shut, leaving the brothers standing in the silent hallway.
"What was that about? How rude," Park Jin-ho muttered, glancing to his side.
His younger brother was staring at the closed door, his expression one of pure shock.
"That's the kind of person who lives in a penthouse. Don't let it bother you, Si-woo-ah."
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Hyung, did you see her? That was amazing…"
"What are you talking about?" Park Jin-ho asked, though he already knew the answer. "You saw her too, right? Seo Ji-woo."
He replied with a look of complete indifference.