Chapter 578: Shopping
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 578: Shopping
As we descended from the second floor of the large mart to the first, our eyes remained glued to the toy section we were leaving behind.
We knew it might look pathetic for grown men to still have a lingering attachment to toys. But to anyone who would mock us, we’d say this: what’s so funny about reclaiming a piece of your childhood?
It wasn't the toys themselves we were pining for. We were longing for the memories and the era they represented.
‘Man, that Gundam looked so damn cool, though.’
I was genuinely gutted. Even if I’d bought it, I wasn't sure if I’d actually get around to assembling it, but still...
"Back then, I couldn't buy them because I had no money. Now, I don't buy them because I don't really need them," Jeong Chan-woo muttered, and we all felt that.
It’s not like college students are rolling in cash, but we aren't so broke that we can't afford a single toy. Yet, the moment we pick one up with the intent to buy, the thought of where we’d actually put it or what we’d do with it makes us naturally set it back down.
‘Of course, in my case, I’m not buying it because the girls told me not to.’
I have plenty of places to put it. I could assemble a Gundam model kit and stand it right next to the dildos in the sex room. That would be perfect.
Well, everyone probably had their own reasons. Maybe they didn't have space at home, or maybe they were just too embarrassed to take it to the checkout counter.
Once we reached the grocery section on the first floor, the toy section was quickly forgotten. The food spread out before us was enough to steal our very souls.
"Hey, meat is a must. You know that, right?"
"Meat is a given. We need ramyeon, too. And booze."
"Let's get mushrooms. Mushrooms, sweet potatoes, potatoes—stuff like that is freaking delicious when you grill it out there."
"Should we get snacks to eat on the way? What do you think?"
"We have to get every kind of alcohol. Soju, beer... and let's get some hard liquor if we have money left over."
Everyone was excited, tossing out suggestions. This was my area of expertise—as someone with camping experience and someone who’d tried all sorts of things to treat my wives.
I led the charge, pushing the cart and either shooting down their suggestions or telling them to grab more. Eventually, we arrived at the meat counter.
Rows upon rows of meat. You can't go on a trip without meat.
‘Better to go with a mix of pork belly and pork neck, right?’
If we ran out, the guys could always go buy more, so I figured we’d just buy enough for our immediate needs. But then...
"Ma'am, I'll take some sirloin, top blade, thick skirt, and even some brisket—"
"What?"
I stared in shock as Kang Han-gang started ordering nothing but beef as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"We're going to grill it on a plate outdoors, so please cut it accordingly."
"Oh, my. You young men are all so handsome and such big spenders, too!"
The lady nodded and immediately began slicing the meat.
"Wait, Hyung. Do you actually have that much money?"
More importantly, wait a second. Where is the money even coming from for us to be shopping this extravagantly? Do we have some mysterious benefactor?
As I looked on in disbelief, Kang Han-gang tilted his head.
"Don't we have the youngest son of Uju Group among the five of us right now?"
Is this guy insane? He’s talking like he’s trying to sniff out a Mafia member or something.
"What are you talking about? I live on an allowance, too."
When I protested out of sheer absurdity, Pyo Jin-ho, who had been listening nearby, chimed in with a grin.
"Ayy, you're the head of the household. Just tell the girls and ask for a bit more allowance."
"I'll call Ah-rin right now. You want to tell her that yourself, Hyung?"
"..."
I knew he’d shut his trap immediately.
At my resistance, Jeong Chan-woo and Ahn Hyun-ho let out sighs.
"Just ask for pork belly."
"Yeah, pork belly is plenty."
"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but cancel all that and just give us pork belly."
When Kang Han-gang spoke with a smile, the lady replied with a cold expression.
"I already sliced it."
"..."
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the group. We all huddled together to pool our money.
"Let's just have the richest guy pay first. How about that?"
At Ahn Hyun-ho's suggestion, everyone nodded and looked at me. I immediately pulled out my phone and showed them my bank balance.
[54,000 KRW]
"This bastard has less money than my middle-school cousin."
"A chaebol carrying around fifty bucks? Are you serious?"
"Wait, then how was this guy planning to buy that Gundam earlier?"
"That's why I was going to call the girls for permission, you assholes!"
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
Suddenly, my phone started vibrating.
"Oh, wait. I need to take this."
"He's running away!"
"Man, who goes on a trip with fifty bucks?"
"That's how you become a chaebol. Let's work hard, guys."
"Living like that is why he has no friends, damn."
Idiots.
I turned away from them as if escaping and answered the call. I hadn't even checked who it was, but the voice that came through was quite unexpected.
— Hello?
"Bong-geun?"
This guy seems to have a knack for calling at the perfect time. Did he know we were doing this?
"What's up all of a sudden?"
— It's not like we're the type to exchange pleasantries. I'll get straight to the point.
"Suit yourself."
It’s not like I had much to say to him anyway. Better to just get to the point.
— Are you in touch with Choi Jin-ah?
"...Choi Jin-ah? Why all of a sudden?"
— I want to ask her to play the violin at my wedding.
"Wedding? Hey, are you getting married?"
— Yeah. I wanted to ask her for a congratulatory performance.
"Wow."
So someone around me is actually getting married. Since I got married so early, I didn't think there’d be another for a while.
"There's no way she wouldn't pick up. Is she busy right now? Just wait a bit."
— I've been trying to reach her for a week.
"..."
She’d been with me the whole past week. That probably meant she just didn't want to pick up...
"Ahem, I'll talk to Choi Jin-ah myself."
— Right. But where are you? It's so loud.
"I'm at the mart, so—"
"Hey, Kim Woo-jin! Get over here! We need to show the lady your face so she'll believe us!"
"Why isn't this guy on the Uju Group executive list?!"
"Since when is that bastard an executive?!"
God, they were loud. I needed to hang up and get over there before those idiots did something stupid using my name.
"Anyway, I got it. I'll talk to Jin-ah—"
— Are you guys all together right now?
"Huh?"
— Are you together?
"It feels a bit gross to be lumped in with guys like this, but yeah, we're together."
— Fucking...! What about me?
What is up with this guy lately, ever since that band thing? He has plenty of friends; is he just bored?
"What about you? You're busy."
— Can't I at least be asked?!
"Do you want me to repeat what you just said? 'It's not like we're the type to exchange pleasantries. I'll get straight to the point.'"
— ...
"Haa, we're on a couple's trip right now. We're going to a valley. You want to come too?"
Is this what he wanted me to ask? I figured he’d be too busy to come anyway, but...
— Okay.
"...I'm telling you, this guy isn't busy."
— Hey, send me the address. I'll bring my fiancée.
Seriously, we’re only hanging out together because we have no other friends. I don't know why a guy with tons of friends likes hanging out with us so much.
‘Wait.’
I was about to hang up after saying okay when a stroke of genius hit me.
"Hey, but we're grocery shopping right now and we're a bit short on cash. Could you wire me some money?"
— How much?
"Hmm."
If I asked for too much, he’d be suspicious. If I asked for too little, it wouldn't help.
"A... million won? Is that too much?"
Is it weird to say we're burning a million won for a three-day trip to a valley?
— What? A million? Not ten?
"...If I told you to send ten million right now, could you? For a trip to a valley?"
— Isn't that how much people usually spend?
This guy really is loaded. He’s different from a certain someone whose allowance is controlled every single day.
"...Fine, I'll send you my account info, so send a million."
— Are you sure that's enough? It's too little. Let's spend big and have some fun.
"Shut up. That's plenty."
I was about to hang up when I hurriedly added one more thing.
"Oh, and! Make sure you bring your fiancée. It's a couple's trip, so you have to bring her."
— Okay.
Click.
Bong-geun hung up.
‘Phew. I really need to tell his fiancée that she absolutely has to be the one in charge of the money.’
That’s the only way he’ll learn the value of it. He needs to learn how miserable life is when you're living on an allowance.
"Hey, Kim Woo-jin! Come show your face!"
"Ma'am, this guy right here. He's the youngest of Uju Group. The current Chairman is his big brother—"
The idiots were still making a scene.
"Hey! You assholes!"
I shouted with a wide grin.
"I'm going back to the second floor to grab some Gundams!"
* * *
"Ah, did we get kimchi?"
"Don't tell me we didn't buy kimchi!"
"It's fine if we have gochujang."
"Wait, we didn't buy gochujang either?!"
"Ah, fuck!"
Inside the car heading toward the valley.
The atmosphere was still rowdy and loud. Even though they were swearing, I knew it was just because they were excited about the trip.
"Man, I'm so stoked for my girlfriend to come tomorrow."
Pyo Jin-ho was grinning in the passenger seat. The girlfriend shown on his phone was neither exceptionally pretty nor ugly—just a perfectly average person.
In a way, you could say she was the perfect match for Pyo Jin-ho.
A question suddenly occurred to me.
"But Hyung, how did you two meet? It's not like you just set up a random date."
"Hmm? Han-gang set it up. I just went, we hit it off, and started dating."
"Mmm."
I figured as much, since Han-gang has his hands in everything.
"It's her. That group," Kang Han-gang said, tapping the steering wheel as he drove.
"Gi-min from the Security Department. I met her through a referral from Han Gi-min."