Chair
Chair
"You really mean anything?"
"I told you, didn't I? Bring everything you want to buy."
I had brought the two people who helped find A-ra's parents' rings to a large department store.
There was no other reason than to keep the promise I had made to them if we found the ring.
Namely, 'free shopping within a set limit.'
The cards I gave them each had a daily spending limit of 5 million won.
So they each had 5 million won to spend.
Someone might ask if I have so much money rotting away that I'm throwing it around, but I figured I could easily spend that much.
"It's kind of daunting when you suddenly tell us to spend 500."
"Should I buy clothes first? Or a watch? Cosmetics?"
"Take your time picking things out. I've got some shopping to do as well."
Since I'd given A-ra a gift recently, I came today thinking I'd get something for myself.
Since A-ra wasn't with me, I could shop in comfort.
The two of them grabbed their cards and left right away.
They must have a lot they want to buy, despite what they said.
Well, they're both just college students like me.
And since they're men, they'd be sensitive about fashion and stuff like that.
"As for me, A-ra picks out my clothes, so I'll pass on those..."
Honestly, my goal for today was to buy a decent chair.
Since this department store carries expensive foreign chair brands, it could basically satisfy anyone.
But anyway, where is the store?
"Maybe that way? Or that way?"
Ah, whatever.
I have plenty of time, so I might as well just wander around everywhere.
*
Three hours have passed since I entered the department store, but I still hadn't bought anything.
No, actually I did buy one thing.
A soft-serve ice cream in my hand.
I was wandering around looking for a chair, but suddenly felt stuffy and came outside.
Maybe because it's a big department store, the rooftop had a rest area for customers.
If it were the New World Department Store, I would have rested in the VIP lounge.
In that regard, a department store I was visiting for the first time was a little inconvenient.
"I wonder if those two bought anything."
I hadn't linked the card app to my phone, so I couldn't check whether they'd spent anything.
And I was just too lazy to.
Maybe I should ask a staff member for directions to the chair store soon.
It was also about time to return to where we had agreed to meet.
"But how much difference can a chair really make, that they'd tell you to buy an expensive one?"
They say a chair's price is partly the brand, but you feel it when you sit on it.
But is it really that dramatic?
The chair our Director used looked high-end too, but I didn't really feel anything special.
Or maybe, the Director just uses something cheap.
"Nah, no way."
There's no way our ruthless CEO would do that.
If something is comfortable, isn't she the kind of person who would take even the president's chair?
"And my doll... I went into the CEO's office after winning a doll from the claw machine right next to us.
She said it looked fluffy and just took it.
When I think about it even now...
No, never mind... Let it go.
Didn't they say to control your mind when you're angry?
Even A-ra said the Director can't resist when she sees a doll and told me to let it slide just once.
"Huh? Is this it?"
As I explored further into the upper floor, I reached a store filled with rows of chairs.
I wasn't sure if you were allowed to sit on them, but the sheer number of chairs was no joke.
"'In-store purchase only—no pickup.' ... If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just buy online?"
No, maybe not?
Still, it's different since you can actually sit on them here.
Yeah.
It's no fun to just go back anyway.
It wouldn't be bad to sit on them and think it over.
With that thought, I stepped inside the store.
*
"Hey, what'd you buy?"
The two of them asked me what I bought as soon as I arrived.
Their hands were full of paper shopping bags.
I guess those were the things they bought today.
Since they asked first, it was basic courtesy to answer.
I cleared my throat with a little fake cough and spoke.
"Ahem... A somewhat expensive chair."
"How much?"
"2 million won..."
"Whoa, now you're blowing 2 million won on a chair."
"You two only say that because you haven't sat in it."
At first, I thought the same thing.
Who on earth spends one or two million won on a chair? I thought.
But...
The comfort of the chair was on a whole other level.
There was a legitimate reason for the selling price of Herman Miller's product.
There's a reason expensive things are expensive, and I felt like I was finally starting to understand why people invest money in such things.
It wasn't just the chair. I began to think that I could have a similar dramatic experience with other expensive items,
and I felt like I could understand people who buy expensive things.
"Your sense of money has collapsed."
"Well, he's got plenty of money, so it's probably fine."
"Hey, my sense of money is perfectly intact, okay?"
I wasn't some politician or chaebol, you know.
I didn't get confused about subway or bus fares.
"So, what did you two buy?"
"I bought clothes."
"Me too."
"Five million won worth?"
"What are you talking about? How could we possibly spend all five million?"
As they said this, the two of them held out their cards to me,
along with the receipts. When I checked, neither of them had spent even a few hundred thousand won.
"Seriously, how could we spend all five million?"
"We have a conscience. Use the rest to buy something delicious for A-ra."
They said, patting my shoulders.
It really didn't matter if they spent it all...
"Anyway, where's the chair you bought?"
"They said they only take orders here."
"Then the reason for coming to the department store is.......... Ah."
Jeong-hwan nodded his head firmly as if he understood.
The advantage of buying it here is that you can actually sit on it, right?
It's something no online shop can offer—only a physical store can.
"O...Okay, these are heavy, so let's go quickly."
"Ugh, my hands hurt."
"Ah... I said I know, so stop pushing me! If I fall over again like last time...."
Both of you are dead if A-ra finds out.
You made me get a scar on my leg.
***
"Uuueuk!!!! It's heavy!!!"
Just like when I moved the astronomical telescope last time, I brought it home with help from a staff member.
I should probably inquire about delivery and change the option next time.
Unless a package over 20kg is delivered right to the door, hauling it up from the first floor to the penthouse was pure torture.
"Phew! It's over!"
Of course, since I hadn't even started assembling it yet,
it might be more accurate to shout "it's just beginning" rather than "it's over."
Still, having successfully moved it into our house meant it was practically half done.
The assembly itself would take less than 30 minutes.
"Let's see... open here, open there."
I grabbed a utility knife and started unwrapping the box like unboxing an electronic device.
Inside the yellow box, there was a ton of cushioning material to protect the product from impacts during transit.
This is going to take a lot of time to throw away, too.
"Ugh, I have no idea what I'm looking at even with the manual."
It was full of writing about what section 1 does and what section 2 does and so on,
too cluttered.
What actually needs to be done is just inserting four big screws and snapping the chair onto the base,
but they divided it into dozens of steps.
I had no choice but to abandon the manual and search the product name on Qtube to watch an assembly video.
Watching the video, it really only showed the essential parts, so the assembly was finished in no time.
"Wow... It's exactly the same as the one I sat on at the store."
Of course, it would be a huge problem if it were different.
Still, my heart pounded at the thought of experiencing that feeling again.
No, I mean, I could feel it for a long time from now on.
"Now that the setup is all done..."
It was time to clean up all the packing material scattered around the living room.
When am I ever going to clean all this up?
"Uh-uh! Lil' One, don't eat that! Pipsqueak, you too!"
Even our two smart puppies, seeing something new, immediately tried putting it in their mouths first.
To stop them quickly, I swept the packing material away with my foot and scooped up both puppies with both hands, hugging them.
"My babies, didn't Daddy say I'll feed you if you're hungry?"
"Woof!"
"Woof."
"Okay, okay. Let's go eat."
Looking at the clock, it was already way past the time I should have fed them.
It seemed trying to eat the packing material was their way of protesting.
A protest to ask for food, fast!
*
"I'm back~"
I gave a wry smile watching our babies rush out so fast I couldn't tell if they were greeting her or racing.
So that's why they say more single-person households are raising dogs these days.
I heard that cats don't care much whether their owner comes or not.
I wiped my hands on the apron I was wearing and headed toward the front door.
Today, she was carrying a lot of things in her hands for some reason.
"Welcome back. What are all those in your hands?"
"What do you think? Presents, of course!"
"Presents? But you already gave me a..."
Didn't she just buy me a new phone, saying she wanted to repay me?
But more presents?
"Hehe, I bought presents not for you, Seong-hwan, but for Lil' One and Pipsqueak."
"Ah-ha..."
I jumped to conclusions when no one was even thinking of giving me anything.
I felt embarrassed for a moment, but looking at A-ra, who was hugging the two puppies and smiling brightly, I smiled too.
But presents for the dogs, huh.
What on earth did she buy?
Must be food, after all.
The presents dogs like are limited to food or toys, and our house already has a ton of dog toys.