Perfect Date Course (1)
"I'm so fucking sleepy..."
It'd been ages since I'd woken up this early. Ever since the male subsidy kicked in, I didn't need to beg anymore. Most days, I was rolling out of bed around lunchtime.
"And here I am, an hour early for the meetup."
I figured I'd head out with Jeong-ah, but she said she had some prep to do, so I told her it'd be fine and came ahead. What the hell does she need to prep just to meet up with me, anyway...?
"Sip... Should I scout some clothes too?"
Honestly, I'd put in a bit of effort myself. Before, it was just helping with her streams or tagging along for the subsidy stuff. This was the first time a guy and girl were heading out together like this. Am I a guy after all? Can't help but get a little excited thinking about going out with a girl.
"Does anything look off?"
Back when I met people outside, it was just the homeless uncles gathering 'cause they'd pooled cash for booze. I'd half-given up on grooming myself, figuring no girls in my future. But not anymore. Hanging with a girl—one-on-one, no less. Aside from school days, I'd never really been around women, so yeah, I was tense as hell.
"Why the fuck am I acting all gay about this...?"
Checking myself in my smartphone screen for anything weird—anyone seeing this would think I was waiting for a date. Like a couple.
"Ugh... staring at my own face is getting creepy now. Put it down."
I got self-conscious and finally pocketed the phone.
"Hey, look over there—a guy's waiting alone."
"A guy? Isn't that just a girl with short hair?"
"Nah, check the build—definitely a dude."
"Whoa, for real... look at those shoulders."
This shit's getting annoying too.
I was sitting on a park bench waiting for Jeong-ah, trying to ignore the whispering women around me. I scrolled my phone, about to text her when she'd arrive.
"Um... you look so great, could I maybe get your number?"
"No."
"Ah... please, I'm begging you!"
"Nope."
Do the women here literally die without a guy's number? One of the whispering ones finally approached, shoving her phone at me. I was thinking of bailing before it got annoying.
"What're you doing?"
"Ah... Jeong-ah."
Jeong-ah arrived at the spot, grabbed my arm tight, and pulled me close.
"Sorry, we're in a rush—gotta go."
"Ah... but just your number once—"
She dragged me off before the woman finished. Can you just ignore people like that?
"Oppa... just ignore trash like that. Why bother replying?"
"Still... feels rude ignoring someone talking to you."
"That's your problem, Oppa—you're too nice..."
I had nothing to say to that. Yeah, even if I wanted to blow her off, she kept coming... I should've shut it down harder, but I didn't. Better just apologize quick and bounce instead of bitching here.
* * *
We moved spots and hit the nearby Stabucks.
"Jeong-ah... do we have to drink here?"
"Huh? Oppa, you hate cafes like this? We can switch."
"...Nah, it's fine."
I don't hate cafes. Back in beggar days, working construction, I'd buy cheap franchise coffee to suck up to the boss. But paying my money for this pricey shit? I'd rather save it for a steaming bowl of gukbap... or ramyeon and rice with the leftovers. Felt too wasteful, but I owed her for all the help—and guys should treat, right?
"I'll have a cold brew Americano then. You?"
"...Same."
I ordered whatever weird Americano she mentioned and headed to the counter. Paid cash for the cold brew whatever-the-fuck Americano.
"Ah... sorry, excuse me."
"Yes?"
"We don't take cash here."
"What?"
No-cash store? The fuck's that? She looked troubled, not taking it.
"Use this then."
"Ah... Jeong-ah... sorry."
She saw me flustered, handed over her card, and paid. I wanted to look cool footing the bill, but I blew it. Felt so shitty.
We sat with our Americanos. Fuck... my world crumbled today. Cashless store? Even if the world's evolving, no cash at all? End times for real.
I sighed, wondering what next. I invited her, wanted to treat her right. Perfect, even. So I pulled out my smartphone. If they're that advanced on cash, internet must be too. Into the web where obsessed fans save noobs... I searched slow for help.
Fuck... internet's useless for dating. And "thirty-fourth girlfriend"? Wording's brutal. Even in this polygamy world, that's stamina king territory. How's he juggling them all?
Staring at my phone wasn't helping. I fired up the maps app. Better scout myself. Standard date: cafe chat, dinner, fun spot, home. Halfway to sealing the deal. I eyed Jeong-ah.
"Hey... anything you wanna eat?"
"Huh?"
"I called you out today, and for the gukbap last time and all your help—dinner's on me."
"Whoa... really? You don't have to."
"It's fine, subsidy's still good. Don't worry."
Yeah, it was subsidy I conned, but one meal for her ain't an issue.
Told her to pick whatever.
"There's a pasta place nearby? Wanna try?"
"Pa... fuck, pasta?"
Ugh... nearly flipped at "pasta." Even with gukbap, I'd take anything but. Tell me you hate it or something.
"Gotta be pasta?"
"Not gotta, but it looked good—worth a shot?"
Haa... hate pasta, but she wants it. Gotta repay the favor.
"Fine... if you want, let's go."
"Really? Thanks, Oppa!"
Her grateful smile—nodded. Kid wants it, who am I to say no?
* * *
We headed to her pasta spot. Waaah... hate to go in. Nice vibe, customers—one guy to three girls feeding him noodles... whatever. Real reason: menu board out front. Cheapest cream pasta? 10,000 won. In goshiwon, that's five servings homemade. Others? Gold-dusted? Diamonds? 20-30k easy. Fuck this pricing—for noodles? Better off at the cheap Chinese joint for jjajangmyeon.
"Sit here?"
"Yeah..."
Jeong-ah's grinning, clueless to my pain. Can't drag her to Chinese now. Just burn cash, stay calm. Grabbed the menu.
"The fu... this for humans?"
How stay calm at these prices? Not for commoners like me, let alone bottom-feeders. Even with my "I'm elite now 'cause guy" mindset—this is robbery! One plate for 28k? That's sundae gukbap special, regular, and soju. I'd normally scoff at instant ramen, but... cheap option?
"Oppa... prices too much? This?"
"Huh? What?"
She pointed one out. 13k carbonara's already neck-snapping, but a normalizer?
And the "set menu" she showed...
"You serious about this?"
Am I seeing right?
Couple Set Menu: 22,000 won
The "couple" word in the menu made my eyes twitch. We're not a couple—cool to order this?