The Weight of Luxury
The Management Team Leader’s mind churned like a hidden fire as she hurried me out of the lounge. ‘Why say something so pointless… Ugh.’
I wanted to ask, but I had made a promise with her on the way here in the car, so I kept my curiosity hidden. Just when I thought we had moved past it safely, she stopped me in the hallway leading to the store and began scanning me from head to toe as if running a full inspection.
“Actually… I think I understand the reason now.”
“Ms. Seo Yerin…?”
“…Follow me.”
She nodded to herself and strode ahead, leaving me no choice but to chase after her.
“This place is…”
She led me straight into the men’s clothing section—specifically, the luxury brand corner that specialized in suits rather than ordinary menswear.
“Come to think of it… that pleasant-looking team leader asked first whether Ung was part of my party, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did…?”
It was probably because of the lounge’s entry requirements.
“People don’t usually ask that right away. Depending on who they’re speaking to, it could be considered rude.”
“I didn’t feel it was rude at all…”
“Of course you wouldn’t. But it annoyed me a little. There was no malice, but it still meant he looked down on you.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I had been looked down on. The team leader’s mind had been filled with perfectly constructed politeness. Still, it seemed the Management Team Leader was quite displeased that I hadn’t been immediately recognized as part of her group.
“Want to pick something out? No, you probably wouldn’t know where to start.”
“Yeah…”
I didn’t own a single proper suit worth wearing to an interview. The clothes I had on today were a decent cotton t-shirt I’d bought at an underground market, jeans that had been sitting in my closet for who knows how long, and sneakers with worn-out soles. Seeing rows of these dignified, high-quality suits was a rare sight for me, and strangely fascinating.
“Welcome, sir. Thank you for visiting our Gangnam Trinity Brioni store. How may I assist you today?”
As expected, a staff member approached first, bowing politely and offering a refined, courteous smile. Her hair was pulled back neatly under a net, reminiscent of a flight attendant, paired with a sleek, immaculate suit and a gleaming name tag. Just the outer jacket she wore probably cost more than twice everything I had on.
“…”
Whether it was just my imagination or not, the store felt eerily quiet, as if Yerin and I were the only visitors. Why was it so empty?
“No, we’re fine. I’ll call you when we need help.”
“Of course. Enjoy your time.”
The female staff member bowed again and retreated with quick steps, her gaze trained just below eye level except during greetings—an obviously well-trained habit that made the atmosphere feel even heavier.
“Alright. I’ll pick according to my taste. How about this one?”
“…Huh?”
The mannequin she dragged me toward displayed a dark gray suit set under its own spotlight, looking sharp and expensive.
“That’s… too much like a suit.”
“Well, it is a suit. Still, I get the general vibe.”
“…?”
I had no idea what vibe she meant, but the Management Team Leader was already scanning the racks with sharp, predatory eyes. I started to follow her gaze when something on a small table beside the mannequin caught my attention.
The tiny surface looked like it existed solely to hold a single price tag.
“?”
Somehow… there seemed to be too many zeros.
‘₩16,800,000’
“??”
I stared, wondering if I was seeing correctly, but instead of losing a zero, it almost looked like another had appeared. What kind of suit costs… I finally understood why the store was empty. I tried to call out to the Management Team Leader, but she had already found something she liked and was waving a staff member over.
“M-Management Team Leader… Ms. Seo Yerin…?”
“Did you find something you like? If it feels too formal, I picked this one too…”
“…Excuse me for a moment.”
Before I could say anything, another staff member appeared behind me with a measuring tape and slipped it under my arms, beginning a quick set of measurements. The ticklish sensation forced me to swallow whatever I had been about to say.
“Custom tailoring would be best, but that would take until tomorrow… Your proportions are good, so something off the rack should fit fine.”
“Uh…”
“Go try it on. Once I see how it looks, we’ll need to pick a shirt and shoes too.”
Shoes…? New ones?
“We’ll escort you to the fitting room.”
“A-Ah?”
Before I knew it, the number of staff had grown from two to three. I was gently but firmly guided into the fitting room, where a single suit hung on the rack. It was a deep ebony color—not too black, with no harsh shine—more like a semi-formal suit I could actually wear with the white cotton t-shirt I already had on. It didn’t feel overwhelming.
Still… after seeing that horrifying price tag earlier, I was terrified of what this one might cost. The atmosphere made it clear I had to try it on to leave, so I changed with trembling hands, terrified I might tear something, and stepped out without even glancing at the large mirror inside.
“I’m… done changing…”
“…”
The Management Team Leader sat on the sofa outside, sipping the coffee the staff had brought her, looking relaxed as she waited. When I cautiously peeked out…
“Oh.”
A short exclamation escaped her. She set the half-finished coffee back on the tray.
“Not bad.”
She circled me once, nodding with clear satisfaction.
“But the price—”
“I’m buying it for you.”
“What?!”
The words burst out louder than I intended. She simply ignored my reaction as if it were perfectly natural.
“I chose it, so I’m paying. Is there a problem? If you don’t like it, we can look at something else.”
Even though mirrors surrounded us, the staff brought over a full-length mirror anyway. I stared at my reflection.
“…”
I couldn’t speak. They say clothes make the man—and apparently, it was true. At least when the clothes were this expensive.
My reflection didn’t look like me at all. I had only put on a jacket and changed pants, yet the difference was staggering.
“And I already bought it, so just wear it for now. It’s a shame, but let’s look at other clothes too.”
…? She already bought it? When…?
“A-Ah, no…! I like it. So there’s no need to look at anything else!”
I waved my hands frantically to stop her. She curved her lips into a subtle smile, then laughed out loud.
“Hahaha… Your reactions are really cute. Alright, let’s go look at shoes.”
“I’ll buy the shoes myself. They’re my shoes, after all…”
“Are you sure? You should’ve just accepted when I offered.”
She crossed her arms and looked at me with an amused glint in her eyes. But I couldn’t accept things without reason. I had already received something far too extravagant… It didn’t feel like a gift so much as an overwhelming burden.
“Ah… No, really, it’s fine. I’d feel too guilty toward you…”
“You don’t need to feel guilty… Well, if it really bothers you, then wear this outfit only when you meet me. That works, doesn’t it? It’ll feel more like I’m just lending it to you.”
Would that really make it okay? I would own the clothes, but only wear them when meeting her… It felt strange, but maybe it would ease my conscience.
“If that’s acceptable to you… then yes.”
Having some kind of condition attached made it easier to accept.
“Then for today, just take what I give you. It’s not an everyday opportunity, and I don’t want to feel like I forced this on you either.”
“…Understood.”
I thought we were finally done once we picked shoes. But after matching shoes to the suit, the Management Team Leader decided the color didn’t quite fit and dragged me off to find a new t-shirt. Then came the hair… She kept muttering that something still felt missing, and by the time she added a watch, the grueling journey finally ended.
“…”
I stood still while she examined me from head to toe with an ambiguous expression. This near-classic ebony suit, despite its relatively understated appearance, had cost ₩11,900,000. The new white cotton t-shirt I’d changed into was ₩670,000. Instead of shiny dress shoes, we’d gone with sneakers that supposedly matched the semi-formal look—yet even those low-top gray sneakers were ₩1,390,000. The haircut, down perm, and clinic treatment at the department store’s Hair Fore came to ₩650,000.
Even stopping there, the total was already ₩14,610,000. My head throbbed just thinking about how much money could be spent in a single day—or rather, in just a few hours. But the biggest crisis always comes last.
“Do you like the watch? You said it was the first one you’ve ever worn.”
“Honestly… it feels a little heavy.”
“Pfft… Really? You’ll get used to it soon.”
…That wasn’t what I meant. The physical weight on my wrist was unfamiliar, but it wasn’t actually heavy. The leather strap felt comfortable and well-fitted. What weighed on me was the psychological pressure of its price.
A black leather strap with a silver case. No gemstones. A clean, unremarkable design in a common color combination—yet the price was ₩34,200,000.
“…”
Even if I added up everything else we had bought today, it still wouldn’t reach the cost of this single watch.
₩48,810,000.
That was the total amount spent today.
“…”
After repeating the number in my head several times, I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Ung, what’s wrong? You don’t look well…”
For a moment, I wondered if this was her way of punishing me. I had never felt this restless before.
“…Ms. Seo Yerin.”
I walked straight up to her and grabbed both of her shoulders tightly. I couldn’t just stand there anymore.
“Ung…?”
‘W-What…? Suddenly? I’m wearing low heels right now… The height difference… This is dangerous…’
“…”
“…Ung?”
‘He styled everything according to my taste… It’s making my heart race so much…’
“What… What am I supposed to do?”
“…?”
“…I feel like I’m going to collapse under the guilt.”