What Are Friends For?
When I picked out some clothes for her, Narae stared at me with a dazed expression. Then, she spoke to me in a worried tone.
“Hey, are you okay? What's gotten into you? Save your money. Don't do this for no reason.”
“We're friends, so what's the big deal? Friends can buy each other gifts like this.”
I emphasized the word friends. I didn't want her to feel burdened, thinking I was buying this as a guy with romantic feelings who expected something in return.
It wasn't that those feelings were entirely absent. But right now, a part of me genuinely felt like a true friend. While the other girls were shopping without a care in the world, seeing my Narae constantly checking the price tags and walking on eggshells didn't sit well with me, especially since I had the financial leeway. What are friends for, anyway? This was exactly when you were supposed to help out.
Before Narae could say anything more, her friends chimed in and cut her off.
“Wow... I'm so jealous.”
“You two must be really close. Narae, you have such a great friend.”
“In that case, can I pick out some clothes that would look good on Narae?”
“Go right ahead.”
“Could you tell us what your budget is? That way we can choose more comfortably.”
“Hmm... Just pick out anything that looks good on her. I might as well give her a proper gift today.”
“Oh my god... You must be seriously rich.”
I just smiled in response. I didn't even know what the threshold for being "rich" was, so it felt a bit awkward to confirm or deny it. One thing was certain, though: no matter how many clothes we bought here, it wouldn't be a financial burden. I was fully realizing just how rare and useful my ability was in this day and age. Since it had already been proven to some extent, I could afford to be relaxed.
'So this is why men spend money.'
I used to wonder why men couldn't keep their wallets closed in front of women. But looking at it now, I realized they couldn't help it. In a situation like this, if she were my girlfriend instead of just a friend, how could I possibly not spend money? Besides, if spending money made me feel this good, why shouldn't I? I had to do my best to suppress the smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth, feeling like I had suddenly become some hotshot. I didn't want to look like an arrogant prick.
Narae's friends picked out clothes that suited her, Narae tried them on, and I told the clerk to ring up everything she tried. At this, her friends clapped once more, while Narae wore a complicated expression. In the end, the total didn't even come out to a million won.
On our way out after shopping, we decided to grab dinner together. Somehow, we ended up walking in pairs of two. I ended up walking next to Narae.
“Hey, are you crazy? Why did you spend so much money? I know it's weird for me to complain when I'm the one receiving it, but...”
“Narae.”
“…What?”
“I can afford that much.”
“…”
“Do I look like the kind of guy who would get swept up in the moment and blow money he doesn't have?”
“Honestly? Yes.”
“…I won't deny that. But I really bought this for you because I have the means.”
Honestly, I had to admit she was right. Even if I didn't have the 100 million won and only had the 20 million won I brought with me when I moved to Seoul, I probably still would have bought her those clothes.
“…It's just that I feel bad. I feel like you spent money because of me.”
She was cute. Without realizing it, my hand reached out and patted her head.
“Don't worry about it. I don't regret a single cent I spend on you. Friends can easily buy each other gifts like this.”
“…” Narae's face instantly flushed red.
Pinch—
“Ow!”
“How dare you get so cheeky with your noona...”
I guess patting her head had made her blush, and she was trying to cover it up.
After having dinner and a few drinks, we said goodbye to Narae's friends and headed home. Perhaps because it was such a crowded area, it was incredibly hard to catch a taxi. Surviving in Seoul really wasn't easy. Thanks to that, though, I got to walk back with Narae.
“Give me your bags. I'll carry them.”
“…”
“We're friends, aren't we?”
At the word "friends," Narae handed over a few of the shopping bags she was holding.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“You didn't overdo it, right?”
“I told you, I'm fine.”
“I know your family is well-off, but you spent way too much money.”
“Don't worry. I have my ways.”
“…”
It was true that my family wasn't poor. But we weren't so rich that I could just throw money around like this either. If I hadn't realized the utility of my ability, I would never have spent money like this.
“Don't be too nice to me.”
“Why?”
“If you're not going to keep being this nice to me, then don't start in the first place.”
“…I'm just being nice because we're friends.”
“Right? It's because we're friends, right? If you're being nice because you want something else, and then you get disappointed and turn your back on me, I'll be really mad.”
“That's not going to happen.”
“What do you mean it won't? At first, everyone says they're just being nice because we're friends and they like me. But then, when I don't open up my heart, they get disappointed and distance themselves. And if they're going to distance themselves, they should just do it quietly. Why do they have to go around spreading weird rumors?”
“Who did that to you?”
“Just... someone. If I tell you, you'll just call me conceited again.”
It seemed Narae had her share of baggage. Hmm... I didn't know the exact details, but basically, all I had to do was remain her friend forever, right? I was confident in that. I wanted to stay by her side. Even if I met other pretty girls, I wanted to keep being there for Narae. Since we were friends, it should be fine.
“Don't worry. Even if I meet other pretty girls, I'll always stay by your side as a friend. Anytime.”
“…”
Pinch—
“Ow! Why?!”
“Because you're annoying.”
“…You told me to speak comfortably. You said you'd teach me about women.”
“I'm just worried my gift-giving friend will get taken for a ride by some other girl. If that happens, I won't get any more gifts.”
“Don't worry. I can buy my friend as many gifts as she wants.”
“…”
Even if I got a girlfriend, I had more than enough money to buy gifts for Narae too. Besides, I felt like Narae would always feel closer to me than any girlfriend.
“By the way, one of your friends asked for my number earlier.”
“Are you actually going to meet her?”
“Of course not. She has a boyfriend, so why would she have that kind of motive? She probably just wanted to be friends.”
Honestly, as someone who frequented online communities, I knew her motives might not be entirely innocent. But I didn't know for sure yet. I was well aware that online communities and reality were two different worlds. I just didn't really care even if she did have other intentions.
“So if she breaks up with him and contacts you, you'll happily meet up with her?”
“Why not? There's no reason not to.”
Pinch—
“Ow! Why again?!”
“Don't date my friend.”
“…”
“I don't want things to get awkward between us because of that.”
“If Narae says so, then I won't. You're my best friend, after all.”
Well... even if that girl was fairly attractive, I didn't want to meet her at the cost of disappointing Narae. She was the first friend I went to a cafe with after moving to Seoul. The first friend I had dinner and drinks with.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Close your eyes.”
“Why?”
“Just close them when I tell you to.”
I stopped walking and closed my eyes as Narae asked. A moment later, whoosh—
“…”
I felt Narae wrap her arms around me, pulling me into a hug. Just as I was wishing time would stop and my hands instinctively reached out to wrap around her waist, whoosh— she pulled away so quickly that the hug felt like a mere split second.
“I only hugged you because you're a friend. Consider it a special treat.”
“…R-really?”
Other questions swirled in my head. Did you hug me just because we're friends? Then since we're going to keep being friends, can't you just keep hugging me? But my face felt like it was about to explode, and I was terrified she would hear my racing heartbeat, so the words remained trapped in my throat. Besides, I didn't want to say something stupid and make things awkward between us. Walking in a slightly tense silence, we arrived home in no time. What a shame. It was such a shame.
“Thanks for the gifts. Your noona is going to head up first.”
“…Yeah.”
I liked Narae as a friend, right? Or was that kind of relationship impossible between friends? I didn't want us to become lovers only to break up because my eyes wandered to someone else. Even if I did date Narae, I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't look at other women. Honestly, if I had to bet on it, I'd probably bet on my eyes wandering. I liked Narae, but the noonas and aunts were also...
'Y-you crazy bastard.'
And then...
“Oh? We run into each other again.”
“Ah, hello.”
I realized it the moment I ran into Chaeyoung-noona, who was just leaving the house. The infinite affection I had felt for Narae instantly fizzled out the second I laid eyes on Chaeyoung-noona. Just as I thought. I definitely had to stay friends with Narae. Or... was there a law saying a man could only love one woman?
'Hyung said you have to make a lot of money to date multiple women...'
Today, my desire for money grew even stronger.
After returning to my room and taking a shower, I relieved some of the tension by taking care of my little friend, which left me feeling much more relaxed. With a calm mind, I sat down in front of my monitor.
“This coin has run its course.”
Confirming that the luck of the coin I had been trading was almost depleted, I clicked the sell button. Thanks to that, my margin balance reached 700 million won.
Margin Balance: 700,000,000 KRW
At the same time, “Wow...” With 10:00 PM approaching, I noticed several coins showing massive luck. I had heard that coin volatility spikes around the opening time of the US stock market, and today... looked like a day of massive surges.
Thanks to this, “I can crank up the leverage on multiple coins.” Even if I raised the leverage significantly, there were so many rising coins that I could easily buy in. When using leverage, the trade volume would scale up to billions of won, making it difficult to trade low-market-cap coins. But this time, I didn't have to worry about that. On a day like today... “I might need to stay up all night.” Leveraging my youth, pulling an all-nighter wouldn't be an issue. It wasn't like I had any reason to wake up early anyway.