The Most Beautiful Sight
It was the most beautiful sight. Five hundred million won. An amount of money I had never seen in my entire life. Money I had never even dreamed of possessing in my twenties. My heart pounded furiously. It took me quite a while just to calm my racing chest. Fortunately, the pounding didn't last forever. Once it settled down a bit...
To verify if this was actually real money, and to ensure I'd have at least 100 million won left even if everything went completely south, I decided to transfer 100 million out of the 500 million to my bank account.
"Why is this so complicated...?"
Even though I had deposited money before, this was my first time withdrawing, so the process wasn't familiar. Still, I managed to complete the withdrawal without any major issues. I got calls from the bank and the exchange in the middle, but it was just a simple verification process.
In the end, I was able to see exactly 100 million won sitting in my account with my own two eyes.
"Whoa..."
Could I actually call myself rich now? How many twenty-year-olds have 100 million won... But even as those thoughts crossed my mind, I remembered my brother's warning that Seoul was full of bizarre monsters. I decided to be confident, but never arrogant. Besides, back when I lived in my hometown, I had seen a guy who bragged endlessly just because he had some money, and he was incredibly obnoxious. I didn't want to become like him.
"What should I do with this? Should I treat my parents or something?"
Having this much money for the first time, I honestly didn't know what to do with it. I thought about showing some filial piety right away, but then I remembered when I got my first paycheck. Back then, I wanted to express my gratitude by buying them an expensive gift, but my parents found out and told me it was too early for that. They said I should wait until they were old and couldn't work anymore, and if I still had money then, I could give them some allowance. They were still healthy—in fact, they had more strength than me—so I decided to pass on that for now. Sigh...
"My mouth is itching so bad, it's driving me crazy."
I knew the right answer. The moment I started bragging about this to everyone, bad things would surely follow. My brother had warned me about that too. But even though I knew it, how could I help it when my mouth was itching so much? I couldn't take it anymore.
"I should at least get some revenge on the bastards who looked down on me at first."
I remembered exactly who had mocked me when I posted about Apple Coin on the community forum. Here was how I'd get my revenge.
When I uploaded the account verification photo, several people complained of severe stomachaches. Tsk tsk. People should learn to congratulate others. What a bunch of bad guys.
Only then did a satisfied smile spread across my face. I threw them a few lucky tips. Giving away a little bit was fine. It was the positive side of online communities.
After bragging on the community forum for a bit, my urge to show off subsided. I was finally able to act like my usual self again.
"How boring."
With 400 million won left, I looked around to see if there were any other decent coins. I didn't feel any "great luck" yet, but there was a coin where I felt a moderate amount of luck. After checking how far my luck would stretch, I bought it with an appropriate amount of leverage. Surely, with this luck, I wouldn't face liquidation. I was able to shake off any lingering anxiety with the thought of having 100 million won safe in my bank account.
I checked the time. Earlier, when I was feeling bored, I had suggested to Narae that we grab coffee at a cafe. She must have been bored too, because she agreed to meet in front of the house in an hour. When I asked why it would take so long, she said women take a while to get ready and do their makeup. I should head out on time.
As I walked out, I saw Narae being seen off by my aunt.
"Whoa..."
It was an exclamation of double admiration. One was for my aunt, who was still incredibly beautiful, and the other was for Narae. She was already pretty before, but all dolled up, she was even more stunning. I guess those aunt's genes didn't go anywhere.
Since Narae was that pretty... did she have a boyfriend? Even though I had a massive amount of money now, Narae still felt far out of reach.
Trying my best to act casual, I greeted her. Just as we were about to leave, we ran into a woman entering the boarding house.
"Whoa..."
Once again, I couldn't hold back my admiration. This was a completely natural reaction for any man. Narae was pretty, but this woman was beautiful in an entirely different way. She looked exactly like the gorgeous Seoul girls I had only ever seen on social media. She had a glamorous, striking beauty.
"Oh, you must be the new boarder who was supposed to move in. Nice to meet you."
"N-Nice to meet you."
"Unni, don't greet him so warmly. He just came up from the countryside, he'll get the wrong idea."
"Oh my, no wonder his reaction was so cute..."
"Unni!"
"Just kidding. But seeing how strongly you're reacting, Narae... don't tell me..."
"No way! As if! He's just a friend I've known since we were kids!"
"Alright, alright. My bad."
Hmm... Narae was right. We were just childhood friends, nothing more. But hearing her deny it so fiercely made me feel a bit strange. Seriously. Who said I liked her anyway?
Let's be honest. Honestly, Narae was gorgeous enough that any guy would have to treat her like a queen. However, seeing her reaction made me absolutely certain that I needed to keep my feelings locked away. If I let them show and things got awkward, our friendship would be ruined. Besides, our parents knew each other. If I confessed here...
L-Let's hold back. Yeah, let's hold back. Half the world is women. If it came down to it, I'd rather gather my courage and confess to that new Unni. There was no need to force a confession on Narae.
As we walked out after saying our goodbyes, a fist flew at my head. Thwack.
"Ow! Why did you hit me?!"
"Look at you, drooling over Unni's looks just because you're a guy..."
"..."
"Wake up! You think just any guy can date someone like her? If you fall for a girl like her, you'll end up giving her everything you have and getting dumped!"
"...Whatever. But... am I really that bad? A guy like me can't date a girl like her?"
"...Why are you getting so serious all of a sudden? It's not that you're bad. It's just that Unni is exceptionally pretty. If your standards get too high for no reason, you might end up a virgin for life."
"Really...?"
"If you keep your standards reasonable, you won't have any trouble dating. So don't get ahead of yourself."
"Yeah..."
Please. I was actually pretty popular back in my hometown. Of course, after coming to Seoul and seeing how well-dressed all the guys on the street were, I did lose some confidence.
"But Narae, do you really think I'm that unattractive as a man?"
"What's with you?"
"Nothing, I'm just curious."
"Wait... you don't like me, do you?"
"W-What are you talking about...!"
"Well, most guys tend to fall for me at least once."
"..."
She was so annoying. It was even more annoying because she didn't sound like she was bragging—she genuinely believed it. And because it hit a nerve, it was even more, more, more annoying.
"I'm just telling you this beforehand in case. If your heart flutters around me, that's not romance—it's just lust."
"...Huh?"
"Make sure you tell the difference. If you confess just because of my looks, things will get awkward. I'd have to reject you."
"..."
"If you actually liked me for who I am... I might seriously consider it, but what you're feeling right now isn't that. I hate things getting uncomfortable, so I'm telling you now."
"..."
"Besides, you haven't even gone to the military yet."
"Whatever. I have no intention of confessing anyway."
"...Look at you pouting like a baby. I'm just saying don't confess recklessly. If you really have those feelings, think it through. Be prepared for things to get awkward between our families."
"Fine, whatever."
Yeah, I didn't want to make things awkward between our families just because I wanted to get physical with Narae. And as she said, I hadn't served in the military yet. Confessing might be greedy. If I got rejected, I couldn't even chat casually like this. I didn't want that.
We arrived at the cafe Narae had picked out. The cafes in Seoul definitely had a different vibe compared to the ones in Buyeo.
"My treat."
"No way. Why would I let a guy who just got to Seoul buy me coffee? I'll pay."
"..."
I was actually a bit touched. But at the same time, I felt a little frustrated. How could she treat me this well while telling me not to confess? Still, I decided to endure. If I confessed, I wouldn't even be able to stay by her side like this.
And...
Seoul women are really pretty... Narae was pretty, but the other women around us in Seoul were exceptionally gorgeous too. As we drank our coffee and chatted, Narae asked me a question.
"What do you want to do? There must be a reason you came to Seoul."
"Me? Hmm...?"
What did I want to do? Honestly, my aunt's family was shockingly beautiful, and that memory had stuck with me. The thought that there were such beautiful people in Seoul made me want to come here blindly. On social media, all the pretty girls lived in Seoul too. But should I be honest about that?
So Narae doesn't misunderstand... To make sure Narae could feel comfortable with me as a friend, I decided to be honest rather than try to manage my image.
"I want to meet a lot of pretty girls."
"..."
"Is that wrong?"
"It's not wrong. But you're unnecessarily honest."
"Am I?"
"Don't go saying that elsewhere. If you have any girl troubles, tell me."
"..."
"Let's see... Your body seems fine from farming, your skin is a bit tanned but that's fine since you're young... But if your standards are high, you'll need a car, and you'll need to buy clothes..."
"That's going to cost a lot of money."
I smiled brightly as I replied.
"Oh, so if I do that, I can meet a lot of girls?"
"..."
Thwack.
"Ow!"
Why did I get hit again...?
As we were chatting and joking around...
"Oh? Narae!"
A voice called out to Narae from behind. I turned my head and saw people who looked like Narae's friends, greeting her with bright expressions. Two guys, two girls.
Narae was the prettiest.