62

<Episode 62>

"Oppa, can I really accept it?"

"Um... Oppa, where are we going now?" She asked as they left the school gate.

Her heart still racing with excitement, Sin Sarang's fingertips trembled with the thrill.

Cha Seonwoo, driving safely, replied without turning his head from the driver's seat, "Huh? No specific destination, just a leisurely place to talk?"

"...I see. You mentioned you'd give something over KakaoTalk... What else is left?"

"Oh, that. Well, since there's no one else to hear in the car, I guess I can tell you now."

Scratching his temple, he continued, "Actually, profits from the NFT videos sold to VIPs came in. It amounted to a total of 35 million won."

"T-Thirty-fi─?!"

She nearly choked. Her bank account was already swollen, and now there was more settlement money remaining.

It was an amount not to be ignored.

Sin Sarang squeezed her eyelids shut and shook her head firmly.

"I-I can't accept it. It's too much!"

"Huh? No, of course, it's your share, and you should receive it for the settlement to be complete."

"I don't want to. You didn't contribute anything, Oppa! You should take it…."

"I'm fine. Thanks to Sarang, the pilot broadcast was well promoted, and I had a good experience, so I was willing to give it all up."

"But I'm not okay! It's too weird since you're only looking out for me excessively…."

"No, really, it's okay. ...If I take it, the jinx might strike... "

"Jinx?"

When she asked, he just waved his hand over the steering wheel.

"It's nothing. Anyway, since it's Sarang's share, let's just accept it all and finish cleanly."

"No!"

"It's not 'no,' I'll just transfer it to the account you gave me before~♪"

"If you give more, I'll get angry!"

"Um... it's not like I embezzled money, and I gave you the promised amount, so it would be awkward if you got mad…."

It was a strange fight.

They were both roaring that they wouldn't accept the money.

Even the slightest hint of a serious fight loomed if they actually sent the money.

Sin Sarang came to deliver the final settlement news to Cha Seonwoo and to settle the relationship.

She didn't expect such a sudden turn of events.

It couldn't be eaten due to the mission of the jinx.

Also, although it was her first time, she felt uncomfortable taking advantage of his poverty, so she provided for his convenience, but perhaps it was too much.

As he pondered over it, an idea flashed in his mind.

"Oh, if you can't accept money, how about a gift?"

"Huh?"

At Cha Seonwoo's question, Sin Sarang blinked cutely.

They went straight to the department store.

Parking the sports car in the underground parking lot, they took the elevator up, and the vast ceiling of the central hall greeted them.

It was a quiet time on a weekday during lunchtime.

"Wow…."

As soon as they entered, Sin Sarang gripped Cha Seonwoo's clothes tightly, as if to not stray from the vast space.

She looked around like a girl who had just arrived from the countryside, circling around the chandeliers on the ceiling.

In the luxurious and sophisticated space, she was captivated as if she had placed stars in her eyes.

An undeniable rustic joy.

With a barrage of admiration, there was nothing he could do but watch beside her.

"Is it your first time in a department store?"

"What!? Y-Yes, of course I know! ...Um, at least conceptually. Although I've seen a lot while passing by, it's my first time actually being here…."

Summer vacation was said to be great for outings, so sometimes I thought about going out to enjoy the air conditioning, but the distance was far, so it cost a lot for transportation. Therefore, I opted for places like the library or the bank, which were within walking distance, but there was also a reason why I didn't want to feel miserable. While other peers were happily shopping and having fun, she found it utterly dismal to spend her time solving problem sets or doing nothing but sitting in the air conditioning. It was one of the pitiful stories of her family's decline due to poverty.

"Hmm." Cha Seonwoo didn't probe further, sensing it was a sensitive topic. He simply tossed a log into the fire quietly. "Today, I'll accompany you as much as you want, so feel free to look around. If there's anything you want to get in between, just let me know."

"As much as I want…!" Sin Sarang clenched her fist. She had to refuse. Though she shouted that out in her mind, her sweaty palms contradicted her words as they clenched and unclenched on her denim pants. Stopping here was akin to subjecting a child with a ticket to an amusement park from riding any rides. For someone like Sin Sarang, who had lived her life naively and simply for twenty years, there was a suppressed desire. The spark had ignited since they left university together.

"Um... in that case, maybe just browsing a little…?"

"It doesn't matter. Well, shall we start from the top and take our time?"

"Yes!" Feeling a surge of desire as if her blood was boiling, Sin Sarang took the lead, grabbing onto Cha Seonwoo's clothes. The department store, a place she had never visited before, was like a theme park to her. They took photos at a famous café that wasn't often seen in Korea, tried various parfaits filled with abundant fruits, and looked at stuffed bear dolls that she had always been interested in. They put their faces into a board with a panther drawn on it, and thanks to Cha Seonwoo, who didn't let go easily, they burst into laughter. They also killed zombies with guns at the game corner and bought two books on general knowledge that she had wanted to read for a long time. Of course, they split the bill evenly. She had paid her share dutifully. Even when Cha Seonwoo tried to persuade her that he had an obligation to give her the money, she refused adamantly, feeling burdened by the assets.

"Your stubbornness is something else, Sarangie..."

"It's because you should just take it, Oppa!"

"Even if I take it, it might cause problems in various ways…"

Sin Sarang's resolute stubbornness was enough to make Cha Seonwoo bite his tongue. In any case, they finally descended on the escalator.

Although everything so far had been fun, the highlight was yet to come. Indeed, for women, the highlight of a department store was women's fashion. "It's so pretty…." It was a popular brand store for women in their twenties. Although it was already the end of autumn, a thin black button-up dress caught her eye. It came just below the knees, so it wasn't too revealing, and it was even designed as a set with a beret, which was cute. They circled the store a few times, but she ultimately stopped at this dress. Watching from the side, Cha Seonwoo gave a wry smile. It had been an hour since they entered the women's clothing section. It felt like déjà vu, but seeing her companion looking happy, he decided not to show it. More than that, since she seemed to want the dress so badly, he caught the wind and suggested, "It seems like you really like it. Why not take a chance and buy it?"

"Really? But… the price is unreasonable…."

Tagged at 760,000 won. It was certainly pricier than regular clothes, but Cha Seonwoo secretly thought it was relatively cheap. He had helped with Lee Sunhwa's shopping before, and compared to other famous brands in department stores, it was a reasonable price. Although he wanted to buy it for her, he realized that such a method wouldn't work with stubborn Sin Sarang.

"Then let's just try it on. Trying it on is free, so why not give it a try?"

"...Should I?"

Even though she wanted to put on the brakes due to the high price, it felt good on her. Her wardrobe was already empty, and having even just this one item would make it look nicer.

With the help of a staff member, Sin Sarang headed to the fitting room, while Cha Seonwoo called over another staff member who was returning.

"Excuse me~"

"Yes?"

"I have a favor to ask..."

Taking advantage of this opportunity, action began. He spoke to the staff member and made a request.

A little while later, Sin Sarang emerged from the fitting room.

"How do I look?"

Sin Sarang, shyly dressed in her new clothes, with a beret on her head and a slim button-up dress underneath. Thanks to her voluminous chest, her figure was even more prominent.

Cha Seonwoo didn't hold back his praise as soon as he saw her.

"Wow~ It's just perfect for Sarangie. It would be a shame not to buy it."

"P-Please don't tease me..."

"I'm serious, so what?"

Of course, he was serious. Sin Sarang was visually appealing. She was petite and cute, but her proportions and sense of style supported her well enough to pull off most clothes.

The staff member chimed in as well.

"Yes, it suits the guest very well. She looks like a doll."

"I-Is that so?"

Feeling embarrassed by the compliments, she politely clasped her hands together.

"Okay, since it looks good on you, let's go as is."

"Huh? But if we're leaving, I should change back into my old clothes. Since I've tried it on, I'll change back and come."

"No, wait. It seems I misunderstood. It seems they don't allow try-ons here, and if you try it on, you have to buy it?"

"What?! Where did you hear that...?"

"It seems they do it here. Right, Miss?"

"Yes, that's just been changed. Hoho."

"Ugh, so I reluctantly bought it with the money that Sarangie didn't want to accept. Is that okay?"

With a tone indicating that he had no choice but to do so, Cha Seonwoo added. It was clearly a third-rate drama. Insisting that you have to buy it after trying it on is not something department stores do, unlike flea markets where you pile up clothes and sell them.

The coordination between the staff member and trying on the clothes beforehand was evident. Since what she liked was clearly visible, but she didn't accept it, he had to make a move.

And this move was accepted. Dressing it up like a play made it impossible to resist.

Rejecting it after going through all this effort would only embarrass the other party. Refusing would be a rude gesture. Moreover, she really liked it once she put it on. The feeling of wearing luxurious clothes for the first time, and it fit perfectly in size. Trying to resist while he fed her was also difficult. So, reluctantly, she decided to go along with Cha Seonwoo's scenario.

"Alright... then I'll go get the clothes I took off, Oppa."

"Okay, I'll wait outside the store."

"Oh, then I'll bring you a shopping bag."

Cha Seonwoo went outside for a moment, and the staff member and Sin Sarang headed towards the fitting room together.

After a while, when they were alone, the staff member who had been packing the clothes whispered,

"Hoho, you have a very thoughtful boyfriend."

"Huh? ...I-I'm not his girlfriend..."

"Is that so? You two looked very good together. He's thoughtful and takes care of you well. If you don't want to lose him, you better snatch him up quickly. Hoho."

"...♥"

Just a sales lip service. Even innocent Sin Sarang could tell to some extent, but she was extremely excited.

The word "boyfriend" makes her heart flutter.

So far, she had never romanticized or felt moved by this word.

This tender feeling was something she had never experienced before. Even preparing such a small event in a short time shook the girl's emotions.

It was inevitable that her emotions would be swayed.

Kang Taejun, her senior in college, was the complete opposite.

Rather than tirelessly chopping with an axe until he fell, like when crossing a river, he provided her with nutrients generously, like warm sunlight shining on a tree.

Because of this, whether she wanted it or not, the fruit of affection blossomed.

He helped her solve her financial problems, took her to a department store for the first time under the pretext of a gift, and spent the whole day with her.

And by chance, he even drove to school and rescued her from a crisis.

While many men had been attracted to her appearance, he was the first man to consider her feelings and approach her so carefully and kindly.

The feeling of him being a good older brother was certain, but it seemed like it had already surpassed that.

With the help of a kind staff member, she put the clothes she had worn today into a shopping bag and came out.

Feeling sorry, she conveyed to Seonwoo Oppa that shopping could end here and returned to the car.

"So, should I take you home? Oh, do you have work today?"

"I don't have work today..."

"Okay, then let's go home!"

"Oh, Oppa!"

She hurriedly interrupted before the destination was confirmed.

She didn't know where to start, but she took a chance anyway.

She had a lot to say, and her thoughts were jumbled, but she blurted it out on the spot.

"I-I have something to say!"

"Oh, yeah. Do you finally have the courage to accept it?"

"That's... Would you like to explain it to me starting from today? It's not that I mean to accept money... It's just that... I feel like I lack a lot of experience from last time, so..."

It was a makeshift proposal that popped out of her confused mind in order to buy time.

It was a weak argument, but it was to keep this meeting going.

If she went home like this, she felt like she would never see Cha Seonwoo again.

She had just started to develop feelings for him, and she didn't want that to happen.

As she racked her brains again, Cha Seonwoo clapped his hands.

"Ah! How about this? We'll use this money to have fun together."

"Together?"

"We won't accept it from each other, we'll use it together. Every time we meet, with our joint entertainment funds. How about it?"

"Entertainment funds...!"

Sin Sarang nodded in agreement as it seemed fitting.

She didn't want a financial relationship, and today's activities were enjoyable.

If this continued, every day would be too thrilling.

Above all, now she had an excuse to keep meeting.

"Okay, let's do that."

"A-Also!"

"Also?"

Cha Seonwoo started the car again, then stopped abruptly.

He waited expectantly for her answer.

Even though he had set up a bridge to keep meeting, since the staff member had fanned the flames, her heart was on fire.

So she gathered her courage like squeezing toothpaste and spoke up.

"I... don't know much about men... So, could you teach me from today, Oppa...? Of course, it doesn't mean I'll accept money... Since I felt like I lacked a lot of experience from last time... So..."

It was childish whining.

Moreover, it was all over the place.

But Cha Seonwoo quickly understood the mood.

Pat pat ♥

He gently stroked her cute short hair, which she had barely managed to cover up her neck.

He swept it smoothly with his fingertips.

It felt like her hair was standing on end from the first time she received such an act.

Receiving a caress from the man in her heart felt like this, and she liked it very much.

"Are you sure you're okay meeting with me?"

"Yes! ...No, I don't think I'd like it if it weren't Oppa...♥"

"Um... Okay, I'll teach Sarangie about men."

"Oppa...♥"

Approaching the cute princess like a beast, he leaned in.

There was roughly a hand's width difference in their heights.

Sin Sarang didn't hesitate to approach his sturdy shoulders and lips.

"Kiss... Huump... ♥"

A light kiss shared in the car.

It felt exhilarating and sweet all over her body, as if it were her first kiss.

But if she thought about it, her first kiss had already ended on TV.