Oppa, Is It Really Okay to Accept This?
“Hey… Oppa, where are you headed right now?”
I asked as we passed through the school gate. Shin Sa-rang's fingertips still trembled with the lingering thrill of her pounding heart.
Chae Seon-woo, who had been driving safely at my call, answered without even turning from the driver's seat.
“Huh? Nowhere in particular. Just somewhere relaxed where we can chat?”
“...I see. You said you'd send it via KakaoTalk… Is there more left?”
“Oh, that. No one can overhear us in the car, so I can just tell you now.”
He scratched the side of his head a bit, then said, “Actually, the NFT video sales to the VIPs came through too. All totaled up to 35 million won.”
“Th-thirty-f-five m-million—?!”
My heart nearly stopped. I was already losing sleep over the sudden swell in my bank account, and there was still more settlement coming? An amount I absolutely couldn't ignore.
Shin Sa-rang squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
“N-no, I can't take it. It's too much!”
“Huh? No, it's obviously your share. You have to accept it to close out the settlement.”
“I don't want it. You didn't take your cut, Oppa! You keep it…”
“I'm fine. Thanks to you, the pilot broadcast got great promo, and it was a good experience, so I was planning to yield it all anyway.”
“I'm not fine! You're being too nice, only thinking of my convenience… it feels weird.”
“No, really, I'm okay. …If I take it, the God of Delinquency might get pissed…”
“God of Delinquency?”
When I echoed the question, he just waved the hand on the steering wheel.
“It's nothing. Anyway, this is your share, so take it all and let's wrap it up clean.”
“No way!”
“No way my ass. Just deposit it into the account from before~♪”
“If you give me more, I'll get mad!”
“Hey… It's not like I'm stiffing you. I'm paying as promised, so getting mad would be a problem…”
What an absurd fight. Both of us yelling that we wouldn't take the money. If I actually sent it, it felt like a real argument might break out—a serious omen creeping in.
Chae Seon-woo had come to deliver the final settlement news and sever ties. He hadn't expected this wildcard.
Because of the God of Delinquency's mission, I can't take it myself. Plus, it was his first virgin experience, and with her poor circumstances, he'd given her leeway out of discomfort, but maybe it was overly suspicious. What to do? Then, an idea bulb flashed.
“Ah, if it's not money, how about a gift instead?”
“Pardon?”
Shin Sa-rang blinked her eyes cutely at Chae Seon-woo's question.
*
We headed straight into the department store. He parked the sports car in the underground lot, took the elevator up, and the vast ceiling of the central hall welcomed us. It was a weekday lunchtime, so it was quiet.
“Wow…”
The moment we entered, Shin Sa-rang gasped in admiration and gripped Chae Seon-woo's clothes tightly, afraid to stray in the wide space. Like a girl fresh from the countryside, she spun around the chandelier in the ceiling. The upscale, refined atmosphere captivated her, her eyes sparkling like shooting stars. Her unsophisticated joy was impossible to hide. With her constant exclamations, he had to ask from the side.
“First time at a department store?”
“Y-yes!? Of course I know what it is! ……I mean, the concept. I've seen them passing by a lot, but this is my first time actually coming inside…”
She'd thought about visiting occasionally to cool off in the AC during summer vacations since they were nice, but they were too far, and transit costs a ton. So she'd settled for libraries or banks as alternatives. Part of it was not wanting to feel pathetic. While other girls her age shopped and had fun, she'd be solving workbooks or just sitting in the AC doing nothing—utterly miserable. One of the sad histories etched from her poor family.
“Hmm.”
Chae Seon-woo sensed it was a landmine and didn't pry. He just quietly tossed in a log.
“Today, I'll hang out as much as you want, so let's look around freely. If you see something you like, just say so anytime.”
“Freely…!”
Shin Sa-rang clenched her fists. She should refuse. Her head screamed it, but her slender hands fidgeted over her jeans, slick with sweat. Stopping here would be like torturing a kid by yanking away a free-pass ticket before the rides. In her 20 years of simple, frugal living, Shin Sa-rang had pent-up desires. The spark had ignited when they left university together.
“Um… then just a little looking around…”
“Buy if you want, no problem. Anyway, shall we start from the top and go slow?”
“Yes!”
Like blood rushing back, desire awakened, and Shin Sa-rang tugged Chae Seon-woo's clothes, leading the way. The department store on her first visit was a theme park itself. She snapped photos at a famous cafe rare in the country, tried a parfait stuffed with fruits, browsed teddy bear plushies she'd always been into. She stuck her face in a cutout board with a panther, got stuck, and burst out laughing thanks to Chae Seon-woo freeing her. They shot zombies at the arcade together, and she even bought two general knowledge books she'd wanted to read. Of course, Dutch pay. She paid her full share diligently. Even when he argued he had a duty to cover it, she flatly refused and felt burdened.
“You're so stubborn, Sa-rang…”
“You should just take it, Oppa!”
“If I take it, it'll cause problems in all sorts of ways…”
Shin Sa-rang's rock-solid stubbornness left even Chae Seon-woo speechless. Anyway, they rode the escalator down. Everything so far had been fun, but the highlight remained. For women, the flower of the department store was women's fashion.
“So pretty…”
A brand shop popular with 20-somethings. Late autumn, but a thin black button-up dress caught her eye. It hit right at the knees—not too revealing—and came with a cute beret set. No matter how many laps around the store, she kept stopping at this one. Watching from the side, Chae Seon-woo gave a wry smile. An hour already in the women's section. It felt like déjà vu from sometime, but since his companion looked happy, he kept it to himself. More than that, her obvious longing for the dress prompted him to nudge.
“Looks like you like it. Why not splurge and get it?”
“Huh? No… the price is insane……”
760,000 won on the tag. Double a normal outfit, but Chae Seon-woo thought it was cheap inwardly. He knew from helping Lee Seon-hwa shop—bargain for a famous brand at a department store. He wanted to buy it for her, but he'd learned that approach wouldn't work on stubborn Shin Sa-rang.
“Then just try it on. Fitting's free, so give it a shot.”
“……Shall I?”
She wanted to brake at the high price, but it fit perfectly. Her closet was bare anyway; this one would make it look great. With the staff's help, Shin Sa-rang headed to the fitting room, and Chae Seon-woo stopped the returning attendant.
“Excuse me~”
“Yes?”
“I've got a request…”
Seizing the moment, he made a request to the staff. Soon after, Shin Sa-rang emerged from the fitting room.
“……How's it look?”
Shy in her new outfit. Beret on her head, slim button-up dress below. Her ample bust made the lines pop even more. Chae Seon-woo showered her with praise right away.
“Whoa~ It's perfect for you, Sa-rang. The dress would be offended if you didn't buy it.”
“D-don't tease…”
“I'm serious, though.”
And he was. Shin Sa-rang's visuals sold it. Short stature gave her a cutesy style, but her proportions and fit handled any outfit well. The staff chimed in too.
“Yes, it suits you perfectly. You look like a doll.”
“R-really?”
With both praising her, she bashfully clasped her hands politely.
“Great, it looks good, so let's go like that.”
“Huh? If we're leaving, I need to change first. I'll change and be right out.”
“No, wait. I think I got it wrong. They say no fittings here—you have to buy if you try it on?”
“What?! Where's that a rule…?”
“Apparently here. Right, miss?”
“Yes, it just changed. Hehe.”
“Whew, so I had no choice but to charge it to the money you wouldn't take. Okay?”
Chae Seon-woo added it reluctantly, like it was unavoidable. Pure third-rate theater. No flea market piling clothes—you have to buy if you touch it? The staff's pre-rehearsed lines were obvious. She clearly loved it but wouldn't accept, so he pulled this move.
“……”
And it worked. With the act, she couldn't budge. After all this effort, refusing would just embarrass him. Declining would be rude. Plus, trying it on, she loved it. The luxurious feel, perfect fit. Spoon-fed with her mouth agape, she couldn't fool herself anymore. Pretending to cave, she went along with Chae Seon-woo's script.
“Got it… Then I'll grab my old clothes, Oppa.”
“Okay, I'll wait outside the store.”
“Ah, I'll bring a shopping bag for it.”
Chae Seon-woo stepped out briefly, and the staff headed to the fitting room with Shin Sa-rang. Once alone packing her clothes, the staff whispered.
“Hehe, you've got a thoughtful boyfriend.”
“Huh? …N-no, he's not my boyfriend…”
“Really? You two look great together. He's got style and takes good care of you—if you don't want him snatched up, grab him quick. Hehe.”
“……♥”
Just sales flattery. Even naive Shin Sa-rang saw through it, but her heart fluttered wildly. The word “boyfriend” made it race. She'd never romanticized or thrilled at it before. This tender feeling was entirely new. Preparing even this small event in their short time shook her girlish heart. Her emotions rippled inevitably. The total opposite of college senior Kang Tae-jun. Not hacking away relentlessly with an axe until she fell, but like warm sunlight bathing the whole tree, nourishing her without reserve. Like it or not, affection blossomed. He'd solved her tuition woes, brought her to a department store for the first time as a “gift,” spent the whole day with her. And though coincidental, he'd raced to school in his car to rescue her from crisis. Plenty of men had lusted after her looks, but none had approached so meticulously and kindly, considering her position. “Good oppa” was set, but it already felt like more.
With the kind staff's help, she packed her old clothes in the shopping bag and emerged. Feeling sorry, she told Oppa Seon-woo shopping was enough for now, and they returned to the car.
“Alright, shall I drop you home? Oh, you got work today?”
“No work today…”
“Okay, home it is!”
“O-Oppa!”
Before home locked in as destination, she hurriedly blocked it. Not sure where to start, she floated the idea. So much to say, head a mess, but she blurted it out on the spot.
“About the money!”
“Ah, yeah. Finally ready to take it?”
“Well…… Instead of taking the money, how about meeting you?”
“Meeting me?”
“I mean, you keep the money, but in exchange, meet with me… Wouldn't that be okay…?”
“…What’s okay about that? That's compensated dating. And reversed, too. You paying me to meet feels weird, doesn't it…?”
“……”
Spelled out, yeah, it was. A hasty improv from her jumbled brain to buy time. Flimsy logic, but to keep seeing him. If she went home now, she'd never see Chae Seon-woo again. The seed of affection had just sprouted in her girlish heart—she couldn't let it end. Racking her brain again, Chae Seon-woo clapped.
“Ah! How about this? We use the money to hang out together.”
“Hang out together?”
“Since neither wants it, we share it. For fun money whenever we meet. Sound good?”
“Fun money…!”
Perfectly fitting, Shin Sa-rang nodded eagerly. No debt ties, and today was pure joy. If it continued, every day would overflow. Best of all, an excuse to keep meeting.
“Great, let's do that.”
“A-and one more thing!”
“One more?”
He paused restarting the car. Chae Seon-woo stared blankly, waiting. The bridge to keep meeting was built, but after the staff's nudge, her heart was aflame. She didn't want to go home yet. Squeezing out courage like toothpaste.
“Um… I don't know much about guys… Could you teach me starting today…? Not that I'm taking the money… Last time showed I'm really lacking experience… So……”
Baby talk level. Rambling too. She didn't even know if he had someone or wanted official dating. Their odd start, not dating, left no choice but this. But Chae Seon-woo read the mood quick. He stroked♥ her cute bob hair, barely covering her neck—her hard-fought confession. Gently along the strands. First time feeling it, her fur stood on end. So this is what it's like from a guy you like. Felt amazing.
“You really okay dating me?”
“Yes! …No, I think it'd only be you, Oppa…♥”
“Mm… Alright, I'll teach you all about guys, Sa-rang.”
“Oppa…♥”
Like a beast pouncing on a cute princess, he leaned in. Their height difference was about a hand and a half. Shin Sa-rang welcomed his sturdy shoulders and lips.
“Mmwah… Smooch… Mmm…♥”
A light car kiss. Her whole body tingled sweetly—Is this a first kiss? But on second thought, the first had already happened on the broadcast.