Men Pay Upfront
Everyone changed into their swimwear and got into the pool.
All the while, my brother’s eyes and mine were working overtime.
I’d been wondering if I’d somehow gotten dragged into a pain in the ass for no reason.
“We came at the right time, Doyun.”
“Yeah, we really did, hyung.”
“So you were hiding something dangerous after all.”
“I’m more surprised it was hidden in the first place.”
It turned out not to be a nuisance at all, but a blessing.
The women in the group, who’d looked a little less impressive compared to Ji-hyun, were now showing off a level of allure that was on an entirely different plane after changing into bikinis for the pool.
We almost got caught staring.
The two of us kept a little distance from the group and sneaked glances at the bikinis from afar.
Ah… does nobody ever get into an accident from this?
Feels like one could happen any second.
The breasts bouncing violently with every movement filled both my brother and me with a strange sense of anticipation.
We were lost in surreptitious concentration for quite a while.
Then Ji-hyun came over to us, and I hurriedly tore my gaze away.
I didn’t want her thinking I was some pervert.
“What are you two doing?”
“Huh? Just splashing around.”
“You weren’t staring at the bikinis, were you?”
“.. Of course not.”
“If I’d known everyone was going to dress like that, I would’ve brought something too.”
I blurted out in a hurry.
“Where’s your place? If it’s nearby, I’ll go get it. Or should I ask if there’s a bikini shop around here?”
“.. Oppa.”
“I’m kidding.”
“Doesn’t sound like a joke.”
“I’m serious.”
“..”
Before I knew it, I’d gotten completely swept up in the moment.
Honestly, I’d been looking at the bikinis and wondering what Ji-hyun would look like in one, too.
I guessed that now that I’d finally gained some confidence, I could even make jokes like this.
While Ji-hyun and I were laughing and chatting, the Benz guy, who’d been standing far away, frowned and walked over to us.
“I want to have fun with you guys too.”
“That looks like fun over there too.”
“Still, it’s better if we all play together.”
“Well… it’s not like we’re talking about anything all that interesting.”
I told the truth, but somehow the atmosphere had started feeling strange the moment the Benz guy showed up.
Maybe he sensed it too, because he was the first to bring up a topic.
“Are you a college student, hyung?”
“No.”
“Ah, so you’re preparing to start your own business? I hear it’s hard to find work these days if you only graduated high school...”
“I just do a bit of everything.”
“Easy for you to say, hyung.”
It wasn’t easy to say. It really was easy.
I could open a shop instead of working part-time, travel whenever I wanted, or even get into real estate without any trouble at all.
“Then maybe it was a bad idea to suggest the department store. I was worried I might be putting pressure on you.”
“No, it’s fine. I was planning to buy clothes anyway.”
“Really?”
“What’s on my mind is that the department store is kind of far. It’ll take about three hours round trip.”
In fact, the department store was pretty far from here.
The closest one was still about an hour and a half away.
“If we head out around four, we can have dinner and come back. If we try cooking here, it’ll just be a hassle. Cleaning up would be annoying too. Let’s eat out, then come back and drink the booze we bought.”
“If that’s the case, then sure.”
“Hyung, you don’t have anything against me, right?”
“Me?”
“No, I mean—on common sense, is it really right for someone working part-time to go to a department store? I just thought that if you bought everything with me and then returned it all later… I’d feel a little weird about it.”
He was worrying over nothing.
He really is bracing himself hard for this.
“If it bothers you that much, we can buy the clothes, rip off the tags right away, and open the bottles of alcohol too.”
“.. You really think that’d be okay?”
“Hey, how many times do I have to say it? As if you’re the one who’d feel burdened.”
“Of course not.”
“Then there’s no problem. And I said I’d buy gifts for the people who came with me, so there’s no way I’d return them.”
“.. Then let’s just get what we need and go straight to the department store.”
“Works for me.”
That was exactly what I wanted.
***
We arrived at the department store.
On the way over, not only the Benz guy but the others had voiced their worries in their own ways, too.
They’d suggested turning the car around right then and there.
But now that we were actually here, even the Benz guy seemed a little tense.
Compared to before, he was talking less, and I could see his voice starting to tremble slightly.
So who exactly had he been acting so smug toward?
By contrast, I didn’t feel the slightest bit nervous.
I’d checked on the way here, and Bitcoin had dropped even further.
The money I was about to spend would be far less than what I was making just by coming here.
“Have you had any clothes in mind for yourself?”
“Hmm? I’m not really familiar with luxury brands.”
“Then how about there?”
“Off-White? Hmm. Still, that’s a bit iffy if you’re calling it luxury, isn’t it? It’s more like semi-luxury.”
“.. Sure, whatever. Then let’s check somewhere else.”
We wandered through the department store in an awkward silence.
I wasn’t planning to finish shopping in one store, but I wanted to knock the wind out of him from the start if I could.
He’d been too cocky from the moment we first met.
No matter how well-off his family might be, he was still a college student living off allowance.
Coming to a department store and casually buying luxury goods would be a serious burden for him.
“This place looks good.”
“This place?”
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that… but are you really sure? A shirt here probably costs around a million won.”
“Hey, it has to be around that much before it counts as luxury.”
“.. Let’s go.”
If anybody could buy it, it wouldn’t be luxury. The whole point was that not everybody could.
We chose Dior as our first stop.
There was a bit of a line, so we decided to wait for a moment.
“When I come here with my parents, there’s never a line… what a shame.”
“Oh? You’re a VIP?”
“Yeah. My parents shop at Lotte Department Store all the time.”
“I see.”
They definitely weren’t from an ordinary household. Probably what people would call a silver spoon family. Not quite diamond spoon like a chaebol family, maybe, but close enough.
Even if they were a chaebol family, it’d be hard for them to have liquid assets in the hundreds of billions like I did.
Unless they were the head of a conglomerate.
Once the line shortened, we went inside.
The store was divided into clothing and bags.
We headed to the clothing section first.
“I don’t really know clothes, so I’m not sure. Hyung, what about this?”
“If it’s Dior, then pretty much anything here is fine.”
“Oppa, wouldn’t Stussy or Off-White be better than Dior, though…?”
“If we’re here anyway, we might as well buy luxury.”
For now, I picked out a few things that looked like they’d suit a man.
The staff member nearby looked surprised. Then she quickly composed herself and came over to carry my things for me.
“Hmm… what kind of pants would be good for a man in his early twenties?”
“We have several kinds, but people with some room in their budget usually buy tracksuits as well.”
“Then I’ll take this, that, and a tracksuit too.”
“.. Understood.”
Now her surprise had turned into a bright smile.
Just what I’d picked out on the spot was already worth several million won. From the point of view of a department store employee, that was nothing but good news.
“You guys want to buy something too?”
“R-really? Is that okay?”
“Of course. No problem. I said before we came that I’d buy a gift for each of the people who came with us, right? Hyeonsang, that’s okay with you, isn’t it?”
“.. Yes.”
Maybe because he’d never expected this, the Benz guy looked completely dazed.
“I’m fine with it, but hyung, are you really sure?”
“I’m fine. For now, let’s handle the clothes like this… and then please show us shoes and men’s bags too.”
“H-hyung. Get a grip. If you add shoes and clothes, you’ll be well past ten million won.”
“If I came here to buy luxury, then this much is the minimum.”
By now he was getting so anxious that he was biting his nails, his face twisted in panic at an answer he didn’t want to hear.
“Sir, do you happen to have a Lotte Department Store card?”
“No, I don’t.”
“If you sign up for one here, you’ll get a five to seven percent discount. It’ll also help build your purchase record. Later on, when you use the department store, you’ll be able to receive better treatment.”
“Really? Could you help me with that?”
“I’ll accompany you before the purchase.”
It was the same everywhere: the more money you spent, the better treatment you got.
Especially in a department store, the very end of capitalism, it worked even more effectively.
Aside from the first employee who approached me, two more had attached themselves to our group.
“Please show me everything a man might buy.”
“Right this way, sir.”
“This is insane. Hyung, we’re already over twenty million won!”
“So?”
“Do you actually have the money? This is totally inconsiderate!”
As the Benz guy shouted, unable to accept reality, the employees seemed to catch his anxiety too, and their expressions turned uneasy.
As if I were actually joking around.
To be fair, it was rare for someone my age to spend this much.
Even if you didn’t limit it to people my age, it was rare overall.
So of course the employees were treating me specially.
Three of them, all hovering around me.
“Could I get a Lotte Card issued right now?”
“I’ll put in a request so you can receive it immediately. If you just provide a few simple details, you can pick it up right away.”
After quickly giving the basic information, I went to pick up the dedicated Lotte Card for Lotte Department Store.
By then, my information must have been sent up the chain, because a rather high-ranking-looking Lotte Department Store employee came out to greet me.
“Welcome, sir. If I may be so bold, would you allow me to assist with your shopping?”
“I’d appreciate the help.”
“It’s an honor. I’ll do my utmost to take care of you.”
With the dedicated attendant in tow, I returned to the store.
By then, the others looked like their souls had left their bodies.
“Ji-hyun, do you want me to buy you a pair of earrings?”
“.. Huh?”
“Hyeonsang said he’s buying gifts for his friends. I should take care of you, Ji-hyun.”
“..”
“That one looks good. I’ll take that. And could I pay for everything on the first round?”
“We’ve already confirmed your credit, sir. But if you’d like, you may pay immediately.”
“Do it.”
Men pay upfront.
The Dior staff could barely contain the corners of their mouths as they kept lifting.
So could the department store employee.