Year-End Donation (2)
Year-End Donation (2)
"Now that I look around, I don't see the volunteers."
"Are they already sold out? Let's go to the desk."
Since the electronics section was tucked away in a corner, we had to walk a bit to get out to the desk.
As the desk got closer, the volunteers' chatting voices grew louder,
and realizing that the purchases had been mostly wrapped up,
we hurried our steps.
"Unnie, did you already pay?"
"Still checking the total. Did you two go on a date or something? Where did you disappear to?"
"What are you talking about, we were picking out stuff in the electronics section."
A-ra, who had answered the Director's teasing bluntly, checked the amount displayed on the register.
Then, with a slightly ambiguous expression, she returned to my side.
"It didn't come out to as much as I thought. We really should check out the other places."
"Right? I told you Seong-hwan-ssi had a good idea."
'All I did was throw out the word five hundred million, though.'
In fact, wasn't it the Director who suggested we check other marts?
"A man's words usually carry more weight than a woman's."
"Don't your words carry more weight than mine, Noona?"
"R-Really? Hearing you say that, Seong-hwan-a, makes me happy..."
A-ra blushed and didn't know what to do with herself.
Taking advantage of the moment, I checked how much was being rung up on the POS machine.
"I think I can pay for this part here."
"Let's see... It seems to have come out even more than I thought..."
"It looks like it came out to about half again as much, but it's basically the same thing."
They nodded, as if convinced.
'As if they needed convincing, when a thousand or two thousand is nothing but pocket change to them.'
It might seem like I'm careful with money, treating it as something to look after, since I don't really have much greed for it,
but these two had so much money that it might as well have been stones to them.
They were fundamentally different people from me.
"Please run it on this card."
I handed my card to the mart's manager.
'But, why is the manager sitting at the counter?'
Is she the meticulous type, sitting there just for today to prepare for anything unexpected?
The manager took my card and swiped it on the POS machine.
At the same time, a withdrawal notification and a text message alert went off together on my phone.
- Withdrawal of 72,575,550 won completed. Balance: 3,894,744,153 won
Now, it had become a number that didn't feel real, more like game money,
and I let out a sigh upon seeing the large amount of money deducted from my bank account.
Because this amount of money was similar to winning the lottery twice after taxes,
and it was an unimaginable amount of money before I married A-ra.
When I worked part-time at a convenience store 7 days a week, I didn't even make 1.5 million won...
My life had blossomed wide open ever since I met A-ra.
"Did you pay?"
"Yes, it feels kind of refreshing yet regretful."
When I answered nonchalantly, A-ra gave a bitter smile and stroked my head.
It was a gentler, softer touch than usual,
so I closed my eyes and began to savor it.
"It's because you're a man who knows how to spend money well, Seong-hwan-a. That's why you feel those emotions."
A-ra, who had been worried seeing me not spending money at all,
smiled as if she was relieved.
'That was just because A-ra herself bought me everything I wanted or needed,
so I had no reason to spend my own money...
It's not like I'm some kind of minimalist.'
"Then, shall we head to the next mart?"
"This time, let's go to a place that only has electronics. Jeon■ Land."
"Do you have more to buy?"
"They didn't have any decent vacuum cleaners here."
A-ra, who had been looking intently at only the vacuum cleaners in the electronics section,
hadn't picked any, saying there was nothing worth buying here.
'Just what kind of vacuum cleaner is she trying to buy?'
***
We stopped by Jeon■ Land, bought a vacuum cleaner, loaded it into the box truck,
and started heading to the center we decided to donate to.
Since A-ra's car was too flashy, she didn't drive it here. Instead, A-ra drove my relatively less flashy SUV
and we followed behind the box truck.
With me, A-ra, the Director, Jeong Hwan-yi, and Lee Min-ho, the car should have been packed,
but maybe because we all had small builds, it gave off a strangely spacious and relaxed feeling.
"What are you thinking about so hard?"
A-ra, who had noticed my troubled expression, spoke to me.
I let out a sigh and started to answer.
"Will they like it?"
"The stuff? Of course, someone is bringing it to them."
"Still, I'm a bit worried."
I heard it had been discussed to some extent,
but that was probably just with the Director of the orphanage.
The agency had also kept the specific details of which places they were sponsoring a secret,
so it was probably safe to assume that most of the recipients themselves didn't know about it.
"You're donating. How can you be anxious when you're the one donating?"
"Is that so...?"
"Don't be embarrassed. Donating is a good thing no matter what."
After A-ra told me to be confident because I was doing something to be proud of,
I slapped my cheeks twice with my palms.
'Right, it's not like I'm going to get scolded for doing something bad.
Get a grip.'
*
"That's it, right?"
"Yes... that's right."
The box truck stopped, and the place where my car came to a halt was an orphanage.
Following that, the volunteers got out of the two cars behind us,
and at the same time, a man stepped out of the large box truck.
"Hoo..."
I let out a sigh, opened the door, and got out. A-ra turned off the engine and pulled the side brake.
Then Lee Min-ho, Jeong Hwan-yi, and the Director got out, and lastly, A-ra locked the doors and stepped outside.
The items bought today came to six box trucks' worth.
They weren't just any box trucks either, they were the open-type 5-ton box trucks used by distribution companies.
So, the volunteers had split up and headed to their respective destinations,
and by now, they were probably arriving and unloading the goods.
"Isn't that the Director of the orphanage?"
While one side was busy unloading the goods, the Director was walking out from the opposite side.
Compared to 3 years ago, she hadn't changed much, and I sighed in relief to some extent.
It was because, until I became independent, her health hadn't been very good.
"It's been a long time, Seong-hwan-a."
"Have you been well, Director?"
"What do you mean 'well'! You didn't even call me once, you brat."
"Ow! That hurts!"
She smiled bitterly and grabbed my earlobe, pulling it up without letting go.
Maybe because it was a method of punishment I got when caught playing pranks as a child,
it was a physical punishment that hurt but felt nostalgic.
"Even if that's okay for me as the director, you all..."
"Ear... my ear!"
"Did you think I'd let you off just because you're a boy, you little brat!"
Of course, I did think it was my fault,
for only calling a few times and never showing my face.
But still, it couldn't be helped because I was busy making a living, right!
"Phew..."
Seeming satisfied for the moment, she let go of my ear, then walked over to A-ra and the Director of the agency and bowed her head.
"Thank you so much for donating to our institution this time."
"Please thank Seong-hwan-a instead. He's supporting this institution with his own personal funds."
"P-Personal funds?"
The Director of the orphanage started looking at the items the volunteers were unloading one by one.
Large quantities of daily necessities were being unloaded along with items like washing machines and TVs.
'All of that was worth 72 million won.'
"Personal funds?"
At that moment, another person came out from where the Director had appeared.
That person's mouth hung open, and she was asking with her expression if it was really okay.
"Seong-hwan-a, did you really buy it with your own money?"
"More importantly, it's been a while..."
"Your mom asked you a question. Hurry up and answer."
"No... more importantly, can't we greet each other first...?"
With a bitter smile, I said, "What are you saying to a guy you're seeing for the first time in three years?"
The person who came out was 'Kim Ah-yeong' Seonsaengnim, who had volunteered at the orphanage since she was 15,
and after becoming an adult, took care of us while studying childcare in college.
For reference, she was the benefactor who found me abandoned in a broken baby box right after I was born,
and she was like a mother who raised me.
Other kids called her Seonsaengnim, but I had called her Mom since I was young.
Not that it was something I started calling her on my own,
but because she had taught me to call her that since I was little.
"I heard rumors that Seong-hwan-a was making some money... has he become such a big spender?"
"Mom, if there's anything you want, tell me."
"I'm good. Use that to buy your wife some good food."
Then, she flicked my forehead sharply.
'First the Director, and now Mom, why are they so busy hitting their son who they haven't seen in a while?'
After that, she walked over to the Director and bowed her head to the Director of the agency and A-ra.
"Director, thank you so much for deciding to donate and sponsor our institution."
"We've heard a lot of praise about this institution. That's why we decided on continuous support."
"I don't know how to thank you."
"Continuous support?"
Rubbing my forehead, I walked over to A-ra and the Director of the agency.
Didn't she just say continuous support?
I had been thinking of providing continuous support myself, though...
"It's where you grew up, isn't it? We heard the finances have been getting worse recently, how could we just stand by and watch?"
"I was going to do that..."
"Seong-hwan-a, that's something a company does, not an individual."
Saying I didn't know much about the world, A-ra smiled brightly and stroked my cheek.
One thing I notice occasionally is that A-ra seems to be in a good mood whenever I show my shortcomings.
'Is that what it is?
That she feels joy from being relied upon?'