Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Obvious Result
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Doctor Uncle's Challenger.
It's one of the muscle cars that represents America, right up there with the Hummer Mustang.
It's discontinued, so it's rare to see one around, and especially hard to spot in Korea.
The car in front of me was a late-model Challenger Redeye.
Its overall body was gray, but the taillights and daytime running lights were red, giving it a distinctive look.
'Damn, this thing is no joke.'
I'd heard muscle cars were pretty big, but seeing it up close, it really was massive.
Sure, part of it was because my body had gotten smaller, but even setting that aside, it was just huge.
If the Mustang felt sleek and refined...
...this one was majestic and wild.
'...Is this worth putting up with?'
How many chances would I get to ride around in a muscle car like this?
Of course, if I really wanted one, I could buy it, but it would be a hassle.
Nothing's more annoying than hunting down a discontinued model.
'Feels like I made the right choice.'
I was quietly satisfied with my decision as I moved to get into the passenger seat of the Challenger.
"Princess, let me get the door for you~"
The uncle next to me grinned and casually said it like it was no big deal.
'......No.'
His line made me sigh.
Princess? What princess?
Sure, some women like being treated like princesses, but no one enjoys hearing it called out so blatantly.
And on top of that, I wasn't even a woman to begin with.
"It's Yeon-bi. Choi Yeon-bi."
I tried to indirectly tell him to drop the princess crap by giving him my name.
I'd said it during roll call earlier, but if he kept calling me princess, maybe he didn't remember?
"Ah~ Got it, Yeon-bi Princess."
The moment I heard that, I clenched my fist without thinking.
Calm down, hold it in.
"......Just call me by my name."
"Aww, alright. Hop in for now. Everyone else has already taken off."
I'd heard muscle cars didn't have the best ride quality.
My stomach was feeling a bit off already—hoped I wouldn't puke after getting in.
I climbed into the passenger seat with that small worry nagging at me.
'Whoa......'
It was surprisingly spacious.
The back seat was roomy enough for two grown men to sit comfortably.
A lot of people assume big cars mean big interiors, but with muscle cars and sports cars, it's often the opposite.
These rides sacrifice a lot for performance.
Considering that, the Challenger struck a nice balance between power and space.
'Hmm... the interior decor's kinda meh.'
But the interior was a bit lacking.
It was already pretty plain from the factory, which turned a lot of people off, so it felt like they'd thrown in a bunch of stuff to liven it up.
Cluttered, I guess you'd call it.
If the driver just liked that messy vibe, who was I to judge?
Still, those onion-shaped dolls were a bit much.
As I was scrutinizing the interior, the uncle plopped down into the driver's seat with a thud.
He rolled up his sleeve to flash his watch and forearm, grinned, and reached over to buckle my seatbelt for me, but I hurriedly did it myself.
He looked a tad disappointed as he started buckling his own.
This guy was driving me insane.
"Alright then, let's roll!"
He let out an energetic shout and turned the key.
The engine roar was killer.
'This is it.'
All the hassle up till now had been worth it for this.
That deep, heavy engine growl.
You couldn't hear it in regular sedans, or even most tuned-up cars.
I was moved, listening to the sound that stirred a man's heart.
Of course.
"Uncle drives a bit aggressively, so hold on tight."
If I could just get this old fart to shut up, it'd be perfect.
We hit the highway amid more chit-chat like that.
And contrary to my worries, the Challenger's ride was pretty decent.
The cornering felt stable too.
Muscle cars are built for drag racing.
You know, straight-line sprints where you push the cars' performance to the limit against each other.
Not your typical circuit racing...
Wait, that's not the point.
'If it weren't discontinued, I might've actually considered this one.'
I liked it more than expected.
Big and roomy, comfortable ride, solid design.
The only downside was that it was a discontinued model.
"So, what do you think? Tempted by the Challenger?"
He finally said something normal and sensible.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief inside.
"Yeah. Ride's good, feels stable overall. Plenty of interior space too..."
He nodded with a grin after hearing me out.
"You have no idea how hard it was to get this thing. Wanna ride together sometimes? I'll let you drive the Challenger all you want..."
"No, I'm good."
I shut him down firmly, and he scratched his head a bit.
'Does someone teach guys this stuff? Like a class?'
Were there YouTube vids like "10 Ways for Guys in Their 40s to Pick Up Women" or something?
I sighed inwardly.
"More importantly, your name was Yeon-bi... right?"
"Yes."
What was he gonna say this time?
I eyed him warily.
"So, Yeon-bi, you're going for a car with bad fuel efficiency?"
"Pardon?"
"Well... your name means 'fuel efficiency,' and..."
Please.
"Ah... yeah."
I sighed and turned my head away.
He read my face and gave an awkward smile.
How could I get this uncle to shut up?
As I pondered that, he suddenly spoke up again.
"Yeon-bi, got a boyfriend?"
The question came out of nowhere, and I glared at him without thinking.
He looked startled at my eyes and shook his head.
"No~ I was just wondering if a guy told you about muscle cars. Most women don't know about these. They only talk about fancy German imports."
He had a point.
How many women in Korea even knew about Mustangs?
I was about to come up with some excuse when he suddenly went "Ah!" and stared at me.
"Ah! No boyfriend, so you came here looking for hot guys?"
I couldn't take it anymore.
"Uncle. I'm not here to check out guys, and I'm definitely not here to date you, okay? Let's just get to the rest stop quietly."
"Wha... what?"
"I'm only sitting here because I wanted to ride the Challenger, not because I like you or anything..."
"I... I didn't invite you because you're pretty either!"
"Then when we head to the cafe later, I'll ride with someone else. That work?"
He gritted his teeth a little at my words.
He wouldn't try anything stupid.
The family photo in the car showed he had a lot to lose.
So he.
"......Fine."
Meekly admitted defeat and shut his mouth.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'Kids these days...'
Kang Min-seok stared ahead, but all his attention was on Choi Yeon-bi in the passenger seat.
Most girls would giggle and play along if you treated them like princesses, but she was different.
'Relying on that pretty face... Does she think I'm spoiling her just 'cause she's hot?'
Truth was, he was doing it because she was hot.
He might've thought it was protective instinct, but to everyone else, it was obvious he had a crush.
'Acting all high and mighty when she probably can't even afford a car like this. Came to snag a guy but playing hard to get.'
He grumbled curses under his breath.
Then he caught her rolling up her sleeve to check her watch.
A pink wristwatch.
Perfectly sized for her wrist.
The instant he saw it, Kang Min-seok realized.
'......Sigh.'
She was someone who could actually afford a car like this.
That was the watch his wife had begged for.
Cost about 40 million won.
He'd flat-out refused, but here was a young girl wearing one casually.
'Annoying as hell.'
He casually pulled down his sleeve to hide the watch on his right wrist.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ We arrived at the rest stop, soaking in the Challenger's engine roar the whole way.
A bit outside the metro area, the air felt fresher.
I took a deep breath of it as I got out.
'What a sight.'
Dozens of muscle cars pulling in.
Not just muscle cars—Jeeps and other imports too, a feast for the eyes.
As I admired them, I spotted someone approaching from afar.
Han Ji-hoo.
'One mountain after another.'
With that thought, I hurried toward the rest stop.
But he changed direction and came straight for me.
"Ah, Yeon-bi."
How could I shake him off?
I didn't want to end up in another awkward spot like before.
I racked my brain for a sec, then remembered the line I heard most on blind dates.
"Gotta hit the bathroom real quick."
He nodded and let me go.
Then he turned his gaze somewhere else and started chuckling softly.
Wonder who he was laughing at. Whatever, none of my business.
I made a beeline for the women's restroom.
Birdsong and classical music played inside.
Calming vibes as I stared into the mirror. A familiar face stared back.
"How was the ride?"
"Ah... Yeon-ah."
Yu Yeon-ah.
She was so welcome, I smiled without thinking.
"Tough, right? Ki-seo always nitpicks like that. Used to do it to me too."
I shook my head instinctively.
Looked like he hit on any woman in sight.
"Let's grab food and shake it off. So, what'd you think of the Challenger?"
"Spacious. Ride was decent."
"Ditching Mustang for Challenger then?"
"Nah. Can't see myself in a Challenger."
Every time I drove it, I'd think of that uncle. No thanks.
Yeon-ah seemed to read my mind and burst out laughing, slapping my shoulder.
We chatted freely and happily for the first time as we headed out, only to find Han Ji-hoo waiting by the bathroom door.
"The noodles here are killer. My treat."
He jumped right in.
Yeon-ah's eyes lit up as she looked at him.
"For real? What's up with the cheapskate?"
"Hey... No, Yeon-ah, you've got money. Girl rolling in a Dark Horse shouldn't mooch off a young guy like me."
"So you're only buying for Yeon-bi?"
Sounded like bickering, but their faces didn't look too bad.
Guess you could call them close friends.
"I'm fine. I'll buy my own."
"Yeon-bi says she's good?"
Yeon-ah grinned at him as she spoke for me.
"......Fine, I'll get both of you."
"Yes!"
Yeon-ah grabbed my shoulder lightly at Han Ji-hoo's surrender.
Then, quietly enough just for me.
"He switches girls all the time, so don't get too close. Take what you can and bounce."
"Ah... Okay."
She dropped that gem and sauntered off.
'Is this what clubs are like...'
Not much different from my old social life.
My romantic notions about clubs started fading away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "As expected, tastes better when the cheapskate pays."
"...Keep calling me cheapskate while mooching?"
I focused on my noodles while they bantered.
Han Ji-hoo was right—they were delicious.
Been a while since hot noodle soup, and the broth had a great umami kick.
Halfway through, Han Ji-hoo lowered his voice a bit.
"Yeon-bi, something happen in the car?"
"Nah, nothing much..."
I didn't want to blab about every little thing, so I brushed it off.
He smirked and spoke up.
"Come on. Nothing happened, but how's that uncle's face all mopey? Check it out."
I glanced where he pointed. There was the uncle, shoulders slumped, eating pork cutlet with a gloomy look.
'...Did I go too hard?'
"Looks like you two fought. Ride with me to the cafe? Top down on the open-top, nice and breezy?"
"No? Yeon-bi's riding with me, right?"
Yeon-ah had already polished off her bowl, wiping her mouth as she spoke.
Han Ji-hoo's eyes sharpened at her words.
He glared at her outright.
"Why the stink-eye?"
"N-no. See you at the cafe then."
He couldn't muster a comeback and stood up meekly.
"Shall we?"
"Yeah."
Solid ally secured.
Should be a chill ride to the cafe.
'In a Dark Horse too...!'
Brimming with anticipation inside, I followed Yu Yeon-ah and stood up.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Han Ji-hoo arrived at the rest stop, then laughed for a good while at Kang Min-seok's face.
It was a predictable outcome, really.
Not easy for a guy that age to vibe with a young woman like Choi Yeon-bi.
Plus, she clearly had some fire in her.
Guys in their forties always lose to girls like that.
'Knew it from the princess line.'
I'd chuckled as she got in the car.
Then he frowned a bit at the spotless, empty passenger seat.
'Useless as always.'
Yu Yeon-ah.
Someone he'd known since she joined the club.
Not his type, never considered dating her, but their personalities clicked, so they'd gotten pretty close.
Maybe that's why she was stonewalling him hard now.
"That against me dating?"
He wasn't thrilled about her siding with Choi Yeon-bi.
Couldn't wrap his head around it.
She looked like a total guy-hunter, so why was Yeon-ah defending her like that?
So Han Ji-hoo tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, coming up with a new plan.
'Time to bring out the big guns.'
His weapons, casually tossed in the back seat.
A 27-million-won watch and 3.3-million-won jacket, charged to Daddy's card.
Dad chewed him out, but they were still coming in handy.
'Nothing beats these.'
Grinning, he strapped on the watch, slipped into the jacket, gripped the wheel, and headed out.
Determined to win her over at the cafe.