The Taste of Money
It was enough to make them afraid.
The two of them, stunned speechless.
Before long, I could see them slowly gathering their wits.
It was probably a different kind of shock from before.
Seeing their little brother become rich was one thing. Being folded into that wealth themselves and drawing the same kind of attention was something else entirely.
Just look at them now.
Their lips were twitching without them even realizing it, like they couldn’t quite control the corners of their mouths after the surprise had finally hit them.
It was because they could feel the eyes on them.
They knew, deep down, that they were being treated specially.
How many people got this kind of treatment in a department store?
Only seven hundred and seventy-seven people could receive this level of service.
For my sisters, that was sweet enough to rot their teeth.
This is the taste of money.
Money’s power was strong, but its taste was sweeter than anything else in the world.
Maybe it was like a drug you could never quit.
Even I felt like I could never go back to the life I had before.
And because that thought terrified me so much...
even though I was confident enough in investing, I’d locked up so much of my money in safe assets like real estate.
Just in case everything went wrong, I’d made sure I’d never be forced back to where I started.
“What do you want to look at first?”
“Huh? Oh...”
“I-I don’t know.”
They still weren’t fully in their right minds.
Their expressions were flushed, almost awkwardly so.
It was their first time experiencing anything like this, so they probably didn’t even know what face they were supposed to make.
It was a completely different expression from when I’d started the Ferrari.
So there was still more for them to look forward to.
I’d heard people say that department stores were women’s territory, and today I could agree with that with my whole heart.
“Could we stop by the Chanel boutique?”
“Of course, Chairman.”
Neither of them seemed able to make a decision, so I spoke up for them.
My younger sister flinched, then leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“D-Do-yun. We’re not supposed to buy anything if we go in there, right...? We just came to look around...”
“That’s not what this is, so don’t worry.”
If I’d told them straight out that I was buying them gifts, they might have insisted on refusing because it felt like too much pressure.
Even after I’d told them it was fine, though, their faces still didn’t look relaxed.
They knew perfectly well that the treatment they were getting wasn’t free.
Three staff members were hovering around us, after all.
That alone had to feel like a huge burden.
No matter how much I explained that it was part of the benefits tied to my status, the feeling of bliss had already curdled into pressure.
Neither of them had enough money to stroll into Chanel and casually buy things without thinking twice.
We arrived at Chanel.
Just as my sister had said, there was a long line in front of the boutique.
Everyone waiting there was looking at us.
“Could you show us bags and clothes that women in their early to mid-twenties would want?”
“Yes, Chairman. Would you prefer I bring the items out, or guide you personally?”
“Please guide us personally.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
We went inside, and I naturally asked for guidance.
That made the strain on their faces even worse.
They hadn’t expected to go shopping like this.
For me, though, it was a familiar sight by now.
We stopped in front of the bags.
“Just look around comfortably.”
“Y-Yeah...”
“...”
Anyone could see they were uncomfortable.
And yet, their desire to look around hadn’t gone anywhere. They studied the bags carefully, almost timidly.
Before long, the pressure in their faces began to fade, and desire took its place.
Then came regret.
They knew very well that a Chanel bag was something a regular office worker who hadn’t even entered the workforce yet could never afford lightly.
My younger sister cautiously asked for the price.
“This particular bag is 18 million won...”
“...”
The explanation continued along with the price, but my sister wasn’t hearing any of it.
The moment she heard the number, she looked completely blank.
She must have imagined it would be expensive, but hearing a price even higher than that had probably short-circuited her sense of reality.
It was a familiar price to me by now, after buying gifts for my aunt’s family and a lot of other women.
Suddenly, I realized just how poor my family used to be.
All I’d ever done was promise myself I’d take care of them properly someday.
But I hadn’t actually been able to do it yet.
After the staff stepped away for a moment, my sister lowered her voice and asked,
“Th-this isn’t a mistake, right...? This bag is 18 million won?”
“Haeun, from what I’ve heard, that’s just how much Chanel costs. People mostly buy them when they’re getting married and stuff. I never dreamed they’d be this expensive either.”
“Whoa... seriously?”
“Honestly, it is pretty.”
“That’s true, but...”
“Pretty” didn’t even begin to cover a price like that.
Now that I had money of my own, I could kind of understand it.
Ordinary people couldn’t approach something like that easily, so the price stayed where it was.
If that bag were only a few hundred thousand won, it probably wouldn’t even look pretty anymore, and nobody would buy it.
“Sh-should we leave?”
“Hey, they probably don’t sell socks here, right...? Since we came all the way to the boutique, shouldn’t we at least buy some kind of souvenir?”
“Should we ask?”
“D-Do-yun, does Chanel sell socks separately too...?”
The way they shrank back in fear was so adorable it was almost criminal.
Before they became completely overwhelmed, I decided to stop the browsing there.
I raised my hand and called over the staff member in charge.
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Show me four bags in a similar price range.”
At my sudden request, both of them looked startled.
The staff member went to fetch the bags.
Meanwhile, my sisters, flustered out of their minds, started rambling.
“D-Do-yun, what are you doing? Wh-why are you suddenly asking for more bags...”
“Do-yun, you’re not doing this because you want to see your sisters faint, are you...? You’re not just messing with us, right...?”
“If you’re thinking something weird, stop it. I might actually pass out for real. This is too much pressure...”
“Sister.”
“What.”
“How much do you think the car I told you to take home cost?”
“...”
“Don’t worry. When have I ever seen a time where I gave you something and it felt too burdensome? You wouldn’t even let me give you snacks without making a fuss.”
“But still...”
Before she could even finish speaking, the employee returned with four bags.
“What do you think?”
“What do you mean, what do I think... They’re, of course, pretty...”
“I was wondering how they’d look on my older sister and Mom.”
“...Your older sister will bow to the floor. Mom will carry it to every single gathering she attends. She’ll be going out every week for a month.”
“I’ll take these four. And since Yeonwoo came with us too, let’s make it a gift for her.”
“...Mr. Do-yun.”
“...”
Mm.
The way she called me Mr. Do-yun with tears of emotion gathering in the corners of her eyes honestly didn’t sound bad at all.
“B-but seriously, is this okay? Four of them is over 50 million won. At 18 million each... that’s like a car, and four of them is... h-hah! 70 million won!”
“It’s fine, so don’t worry about it. Just enjoy yourself.”
“...Should I maybe start calling you Oppa? Mom would probably even change the family registry for you.”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
“That’s a shame...”
“Um... could I become part of your family too, Do-yun?”
At Yeonwoo’s joke, I smiled faintly and answered,
“Then are you planning to become my wife?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant...”
She flailed her hands in a panic, and that was adorable too.
“Chanel suits you, Sister.”
“...What was that? My heart just skipped a beat.”
“Hey, you little brat. You are absolutely not getting my little brother.”
“W-what do you mean? You were the one telling me to be careful before!”
“And you think that still applies after seeing him like this? Stay at least a meter away from him.”
“You’re so mean.”
While they were trading banter, the staff came back with four shopping bags.
“Hmm... You know where my house is, right? Please have two of them delivered there. And the other two... what do you want to do? Carry them yourself, or see them at home?”
“I’ll carry them!”
“M-Me too.”
They each took one of the two shopping bags.
Clutching the Chanel bags to their chests, both of them looked like they owned the world.
They looked like they were just about ready to ascend to heaven.
“We can just load them into the trunk of the car you’re taking later.”
“Th-that really was true...?”
“Of course.”
We bought a few clothes at Chanel too, along with four sunglasses my younger sister had been eyeing.
Then we stopped by Dior as well.
Once again, we were shown the items people wanted most.
We were about to head to the next boutique when the staff member cautiously spoke to me.
“Chairman, if you don’t have any other boutiques in mind, may I suggest stopping by Hermès?”
“Hermès?”
It was a store I’d used often.
He smiled and continued,
“I’ve already spoken with the brand manager there... They were actually thinking of contacting you directly, but they asked me to bring it up first because you’ve been so generous. If you go to Hermès now, you should be able to get recommendations for a Birkin bag.”
“A Birkin bag?”
I could see my younger sister nearly jump out of her skin beside me.
“I-I’ve heard of it. It’s a bag that not just anyone can buy, and the moment you buy it, the price doubles...”
“Yes, exactly. As expected of the chairman’s family member, you have a very good eye.”
“Would it be nice for Mom to carry one? Chanel might be a little too youthful for her...”
“Among wealthy wives, some even pay more than double just to get a Birkin bag that’s as close to new as possible.”
“Show us. We might as well buy one for Dad too.”
When we headed to Hermès, the managers came out to greet our group, and just as the staff member had said, they subtly recommended that we consider buying a Birkin bag.
A Birkin bag that was close to 20 million won.
We came out after buying bags, clothes, and accessories worth even more than that.
We still had more scheduled after the department store, but...
the two people who looked like they owned the world seemed determined to savor their happiness first.
So we headed home again.
***
After finishing work, Lee Seoyeon headed to her parents’ house for the first time in a while.
She was worried that with her younger brother away, something might happen to their parents that would make them uncomfortable, so despite her tired body she’d gone to the family home.
Still, the place was so much better than the old house that every time she visited, she felt good.
They were planning to move in soon anyway.
“I wonder if Haeun is having fun...”
“She texted to say they arrived safely, so I’m sure she’s doing fine.”
“Should I call her on video?”
“Ahem. Go ahead. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Do-yun’s face too...”
She made the call.
On the other side of the phone...
“...Do you like Seoul that much?”
-Unni... It’s not Seoul. It’s Do-yun I like so much.
“...Huh?”
What was that supposed to mean?
She’d never heard anything like it in her life.
Her younger brother... liking the youngest sister?
-Unni... Do you want me to come over and tell you the good news in person, or should I tell you now? No, maybe it’d be better if Do-yun said it...? Are Mom and Dad with you?
“Y-Yeah...”
What do I do...
For a second, it was almost frightening how insane her little sister sounded.
She was afraid Haeun might say something even stranger.