Legendary Superstar

A few days later, Minjae had been busy with everything related to the apartment.

Even though his schedule was starting to get packed again because of the drama, he still found time every day to take care of what needed to be done. Sometimes it was early in the morning before filming, and other times it was late at night after he got home.

First, he went back to the building and met the landlord to sign the final contract. Donghyun helped him review everything before that, so he felt more confident. They checked the rent, the maintenance fees, the building rules—just to make sure there wouldn't be any problems later on.

After that, he worked on changing the utilities. He made calls for the electricity, water, internet, and gas. He even wrote notes down in a small notebook so he wouldn't forget anything. It was tiring, but he was glad to be handling it by himself.

One afternoon, he visited a furniture store nearby. He walked around slowly, just looking for now. He didn't want to buy everything at once. He was only thinking about the important things: a bed, a table, a couch, maybe a bookshelf.

By the end of the week, everything was settled. The documents were done, and he finally had the keys on his hands.

Donghyun met up with him again just as he finished filming one day. He gave Minjae a proud smile and clapped him on the back.

"Congrats, Minjae," Donghyun said. "You finally have your own place."

Minjae looked down at the keys in his hand and smiled softly.

"Yeah. It feels nice," he said. "It doesn't feel scary now. Just… peaceful."

Donghyun nodded. "You deserve it, Minjae."

When Minjae stepped into the apartment again, this time as the official owner, he looked around at the empty space. The sunlight was coming through the windows. There were no things inside yet, except for the basic things like a stove, refrigerator, and more, but it already felt warm.

Minjae took a deep breath. He stood quietly for a moment and smiled again.

Minjae walked over to the kitchen counter and placed the keys down gently. Then, he took out his phone, opened his banking app, and stared at the numbers.

He had been putting this off for days. Part of him didn't want to know. But now that the apartment was his and the essentials had been bought, he had to face it.

He tapped into the savings tab and looked at the remaining balance.

Minjae sighed.

Originally, after his variety show appearance, his campaign with Lux&Co., and the talent fee from The Star's Secret, he had a decent amount saved up. Enough to comfortably live and survive for a year without worry.

But that was before he signed the lease. Before he paid the deposit. Before the countless fees, utility connections, and all the furniture that quickly added up to the cost, like a bed, sofa, washing machine, shelves, curtains, and more.

Now?

He did a quick mental calculation.

At best, he could stretch what he had left for about two or three more months. That is, if he didn't buy anything else and kept his expenses normal.

"Ah…" Minjae leaned back against the counter and rubbed the back of his neck. "This is real now."

The apartment was his, yes. And it felt good. But it also meant one thing clearly. He needed another project soon.

There were no confirmed roles yet for him. He had gotten a few offers already, but his agency hadn't locked anything in yet. He couldn't just sit and wait.

He pushed off the counter and walked to the center of the room, the wooden floor creaking faintly under his steps. The light coming through the window was softer now.

Minjae looked around again. The apartment was empty, but it wasn't lifeless.

It just needed time and more work. And he was determined to do that.

He pulled out his phone again, opened his messages, and sent a quick text to Donghyun.

[Minjae:] Hyung, when you're back tomorrow, can we talk about something? I think I need a new project soon.

Then he slipped the phone back in his pocket and sat on the floor, letting out a quiet chuckle.

"So this is what adulting feels like," he muttered to himself.

That morning, Minjae didn't have any filming schedule. It was just a free day that he could use however he wanted. So instead of sleeping in, he chose to clean his apartment.

But first, he stopped by a convenience store nearby, grabbed a sandwich and a canned coffee, and made his way up to his floor.

When he stepped inside, Minjae kicked off his shoes, and just sat on the floor to eat. After eating, he determinedly stood up and looked around

"Alright," he muttered, looking around. "Let's clean this place up a bit."

He started with the windows. He wiped down the glass and opened them wide to let fresh air in. Then he grabbed a broom and swept the floors, moving room to room. Dust had collected from the few days it had been empty, but it didn't take long for him to get everything looking clean.

He even took time to wipe down the countertops in the kitchen. When that was done, he used a damp cloth to go over the shelves and baseboards. He wasn't usually this tidy, but maybe it was the fact that he was still excited from owning the place.

By the time it was almost noon, he had gone over every corner of the apartment once. The place felt fresh and brighter, even with nothing inside yet.

Then suddenly, just as lunchtime arrived, a knock came on the door.

He checked the peephole before opening it. Two delivery men stood there with a clipboard and boxes behind them.

"Delivery for Nam Minjae?"

"Yes, that's me." Minjae quickly opened his door for the two. His heart thumped louder, getting more excited.

"It's a furniture delivery. We'll bring them in for you."

Minjae stepped aside as the workers brought in box after box. There were bedframe, mattress, a small sofa, a small dining table, chairs, and some shelves. He had chosen everything with care. Nothing was too expensive, but still, they were sturdy and looked nice.

Once they left, he looked around the living room. Boxes were stacked neatly, and the furniture pieces were still wrapped up.

He exhaled and stretched his arms.

"Okay… let's do this."

For the next few hours, he moved nonstop. He started with the bed frame, carefully following the instructions and piecing it together step by step. Then the mattress. Then the couch, which thankfully didn't require much work.

He wiped everything down after unboxing it, made sure nothing was damaged, and started arranging things where he imagined they'd look best.

By mid-afternoon, the floor was covered with plastic wrap and torn cardboard. And slowly, the empty apartment was now having furniture inside.

A real bed was now standing in the corner of his own room. The small table and chairs were set near the kitchen. The couch faced the wall where he was planning to mount a TV later on.

Minjae stood in the center of it all. He was a little tired, his shirt clinging to him already, and his forehead had droplets of sweat on them.

Still, It wasn't finished yet. He still needed curtains, rugs, a few decorations.

He stepped back toward the door, looked around one more time, and whispered to himself, "Yeah. This feels right."

Now that he was finally done, Minjae started cleaning up. He gathered all the plastic wrappers and flattened the cardboard boxes. After all, there was no one else to do it but him.

After cleaning, Minjae took a final glance at his newly furnished apartment. It was still bare compared to other places, but it was starting to feel like a home.

Still, there were things he needed to bring in like his clothes, his old kitchenwares, and a few personal items that he had bought ober the past few years.

His lease on the old studio apartment wouldn't end until the end of the month, so technically, he still had time. But Minjae didn't want to delay anything.

So that afternoon, he headed back to his old place.

It was only a short drive away, but as soon as he stepped inside the studio, he felt the difference right away. The space was smaller than he remembered. The ceiling was lower, and the light was dimmer.

He dropped his bag and opened his closet. Slowly, he began taking out his clothes and folding them into a suitcase.

After finishing the clothes, he moved to the kitchen. He grabbed the pots and pans he had bought years ago, along with some plates and bowls, a rice cooker, and the few mugs he owned.

"This place… I've been here for so long," Minaje can't help but murmur as he go around.

It was the apartment where he lived when no one knew his name. Where the original Minjae stayed up, dreaming that one day, someone would finally recognize his name.

And now, things were changing.

Minjae looked down at the bag of clothes at his feet and smiled faintly.

"I guess it's really time to move on."