6 three: When you are rich and independent

When Dae Ju was walking his way home, someone was calling him from his back but he was digging in his thoughts and so he couldn't hear it.

"Hey!" suddenly a hand pat on Dae Ju's shoulder and he got afraid. Dae Ju looked back and saw it was Jheong Woo.

"Ah! You startled me!" said Dae Ju moved.

"Then why you weren't listening? I was calling you for half an hour!" Jheong Woo shouted. Actually, he wasn't calling him for half an hour. Maybe it's been more than five minutes but for Jheong Woo it was half an hour.

"Oh, you were calling me?" Dae Ju said with a guilty face.

"Yes! Where you have lost? I noticed you were thinking something very deeply that you didn't hear me!" Jheong Woo asked with a curious face.

"Don't you guys celebrate Christmas?" Dae Ju asked. They were walking slowly on the street which was decorated with so many lights and arts.

"No. I didn't see my parents or grandparents to celebrate Christmas. Why?" he was confused by Dae Ju's sudden question.

"Ah! That's why you didn't tell me! Then, why the area hasn't been decorated while Christmas?" he asked again.

"Because it's a Muslim area and people don't celebrate Christmas here." Simple reply from Jheong Woo but a hard answer for Dae Ju.

"Oh! I see!" he was still lost in somewhere so he didn't concentrate on Jheong Woo much. The wind was getting colder and start a very light snowfall. Some white cotton-like snowfall on Dae Ju's coat and start melting.

"We should go home. I watched on environment news that it will be a heavy snowfall tonight." Jheong Woo advice when he noticed the snow on their clothes. Dae Ju didn't reply to him and kept walking on the road. Many people were going back to their homes. Many were shopping from the roadside small shops. The shops were still opened and seem like they will stay open for the whole night as they will close tomorrow. Some people have gift boxes in their hands. Seems like they bought them for their family since it is a tradition. Seeing them Dae Ju also wanted to buy something for Lina. He asked Jheong Woo,

"Should I buy something for Lina?"

"Yes, you should." Jheong Woo's simple reply.

"What should I buy for her? What would she like?" he stopped walking and start thinking.

"Um....I don't know." after thinking for some time, Jheong Woo said.

"She likes chicken. Maybe a box of fried chicken?" Dae Ju said after thinking for a while.

"Ei! It's a bad idea! Do you know about your future? You are going to give her something for the first time! You should put more thought into it! Moreover, you don't know if you can give anything to her in the future or not! So, I don't think it's a good idea!" Jheong Woo being wise when it comes to advising someone.

"Then, what do you suggest?" Dae Ju couldn't think more and looked at him with pitiful eyes.

"Aish! You are hopeless!" making a face at Dae Ju he started to rethink about it.

"How about any showpiece? Or any ornaments?" said Jheong Woo and looked at Dae Ju smilingly. Dae Ju liked the idea but he was confused about what he should really choose.

"Ornaments? That's a good idea! But, do you know how costly a single neck chain nowadays?" he was surprised when he said that. Usually, he doesn't have to buy anything. He just has to choose a thing from several. The ornaments which they would have to wear before they go to the performance or anywhere else, their costume designers and makeup artists chose and buy for them. They just have to wear them before going to concerts or interviews or award shows. Sometimes Jong Goo goes with them and chooses for his own. So, he would have known about the price but Dae Ju never wastes his time on such things so he was totally unaware of the price of a single ring.

Suddenly he remembered that he is rich now and he can buy anything for Lina. He wanted to buy that small but beautiful chain for her.

"Okay, let's go!" saying this he starts walking and this time he took another road.

"Where are you going?" Jheong Woo asked loudly and followed him.

"Come with me." Dae Ju didn't stop and increased his speed. Jheong Woo was confused as he couldn't understand what he was gonna do and where he was heading to. But he followed him with a huge confusion.

"This guy always does that with me!" he told in his mind. After a few minutes, they reached a jewelry shop that was decorated nicely. The whole shop was shining and many lights were surrounding the shop. Dae Ju pulled the glass door and went inside. Jheong Woo also followed him but he got Dae Ju and stayed silent. Dae Ju was searching for that necklace and after a while he found it.

"I will take it." Dae Ju said to the shopkeeper. Seems like he recognizes Dae Ju so he is surprised, "you will?"

"Hmm. Pack it," said Dae Ju as he was giving him an order. Jheong Woo takes a look at that and found it beautiful.

"Man! You have a nice choice! She will look beautiful in it." he praises Dae Ju and pay on his back.

"No, it will look beautiful on her." seems like Jheong Woo said something wrong and Dae Ju fixed it.

"Whoa! When did you become so romantic?" astonished Jheong Woo.

"What! Don't say something rubbish like this! I just told you the truth." Dae Ju looked another way and said.

"You have to pay 1,15,000 won in total." the shopkeeper said while keeping the packet in front of them.

"Hey! You told me that it will cost 3,00,000 won earlier! Is it in a super sale?" surprised Dae Ju.

"I am sorry, I lied to you that day. I thought you will not come again so...." he was sorry for his behavior.

"Hey! How could you think that I am that poor!" shouted Dae Ju.

"I will take a locket too. Show me some example." Dae Ju was too concerned about shopping. But Jheong Woo was surprised because he didn't imagine about the price and as it was too much for him, he couldn't understand how he will pay the bill.

"Hey! How could you...." he stopped and couldn't say more.

"It's okay! I can afford it!" said Dae Ju and tried to calm his friend down. Jheong Woo stopped but still, he couldn't get it. The shopkeeper showed them some items. All were beautiful so it was hard to choose one.

"Hey! How about this?" Jheong Woo took a locket and showed it to Dae Ju. It was a very small love-shaped locket. But it was also beautiful and Dae Ju liked it.

"Okay, let's take it," said Dae Ju and take a look at it.

"You can add your pictures to it. It's a lock system but easy to open. I can add your picture in it if you agree." the shopkeeper said and took the locket from Jheong Woo. Then he opened it and showed it to Dae Ju.

"Wow! Daebak! Sure! I want to add a picture on both sides!" said Dae Ju.

"Sure. It will take less than 10 minutes. Come with me and give the photos you want to fix in it." he was heading to the computer which was kept far and Dae Ju followed them. Jheong Woo was looking around and see the beautiful scenery inside the shop. But he was still confused about how Dae Ju buys costly things like that! He doesn't know his friend got a jackpot and that's why he was spending his money like that.

"Cash or card?" asked the shopkeeper to Dae Ju when it comes to paying the bill. Since he doesn't have any cash, he chose the card. He has not enough money on his card too but as it was a credit card and he can pluck more than 8,00,000 won from it, he chose the card. Though he knows he has to pay the card bill later. After finished paying the bill, they came outside. Jheong Woo couldn't hold his curiosity more and he asked again. Dae Ju told him everything and now he could understand what he was doing.

"Do you need something from me? If you, then tell me. I will give you as a new year's gift." he acted cold but he couldn't be cold in front of Jheong Woo.

"No! I don't need anything!" he answered embarrassedly. Dae Ju holds his hand and pulled him. They went inside a cloth shop and Dae Ju bought a nice light sky blue colored shirt for Jheong Woo.

"It will be perfect for you. Keep it for summer," he said. Then he buys a brown colored overcoat for Jheong Woo.

"You can put it now. It's very cold and I noticed that you didn't wear enough warm clothes," said Dae Ju to him.

"Hey! Stop it now! I didn't tell you to buy them for me!" Jheong Woo tried to stop him but who listen to him. He finished the balance of his credit card and turned it into a blank card. When Dae Ju returned home, he saw Lina was in the home. She already cleaned the whole house and decorate it beautifully. She was in the kitchen and seems like she was baking something. There was a nice and sweet smell coming from the kitchen. Dae Ju followed the smell and went to the kitchen. Lina was decorating a cake and the smell was coming from it. She noticed Dae Ju and looked at him. She has a piping bag filled with cream on her hand.

"Oh, you are back! What are these?" noticing the bags Lina asked. Dae Ju got hungry by looking at the cake as it was looking too tasty. But when he thinks that he will put the necklace on Lina with his own hand, she was looking tastier than the cake. He imagined her as a cake and eat her without taking a bite.

"Yes, can you come here for a few minutes?" he came back to reality and asked.

"Wait, I will keep the cake in the fridge and come." saying this Lina put the piping bag on the table and took the small rotating table of the cake.

"I will wait for you upstairs." saying this he left from there. He was waiting for her but he doesn't know why but something was feeling weird. He was hungry but maybe there was another thing that makes him more hungry. He started sweating though it was snowfall outside. His heart starts beating too fast and loud that he himself can hear the beating sound. After some time, Lina came upstairs. Her hands were wet. Seems like she washed her hand before coming here. Her wet hair was proof that she already take a shower. As she was wearing a skirt and shirt with half sleeves, it gives her the Korean look.

"Sit here." Though there was no mirror in the room, Dae Ju put his phone turning the front camera on. It was leaning on some books and that's why it was standing so that Lina could see her face. Lina sit down but she was surprised. Though she couldn't imagine anything, she listened to her husband and sit down.

"Close your eyes." Dae Ju begged but seems like he was ordering. She closed her eyes and was in shock. Dae Ju took the locket and put it in the chain and make it a necklace. Then he went close to her though his heart was beating fast, he controls himself and put the necklace on her neck. He was too close to her. His face was very near to her neck as he couldn't see the lock but when he was done putting the necklace on her, he realized it and gulped. Now he could understand what was the thing which makes him more hungry. He went more closer to her. He wanted to hug her from behind. His lips nearly touched her neck.