Chapter 186: The Majesty of a World-Class Star
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 186: The Majesty of a World-Class Star
Not all department stores are the same, but this was my first time ever wandering around a place like this.
“Do… Doah…”
“What is it?”
“Um… isn’t a place like this a little too expensive?”
My face was reflected translucently on the luxurious marble floor.
A single handbag was on display, taking up an absurd amount of space.
I was happy about getting couple rings, but I’d hoped we’d focus on the meaning behind them, not an exorbitant price.
She looked up at me, her hand in mine.
“…Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Aren’t you going to be working with a lot of singers from now on, Oppa?”
“Uh… I think so, probably.”
“Then that’s all the more reason we have to buy them here.”
Leaving me with those cryptic words, Doah turned to the sales associate.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Please show us this one.”
Doah pointed to a pair of rings, and the associate took them out and presented them to us.
The brand's signature emblem was intricately designed on the silver band.
“Oppa, what do you think?” Doah asked, slipping the ring onto her finger.
“…It’s pretty.”
Price aside, it was undeniably stunning.
No, wait. For this price, I guess it should look this good.
“Then what about this one?”
“I think the first one is better than that one.”
I felt that an overly flashy design wasn't really suitable for a man.
“Really? Then we'll take this one.”
“Doah, but shouldn't we look around a little more before deciding…”
This costs a fortune!
I didn't think she should be choosing it so casually, as if she were picking out stickers at a stationery store.
“Why? You don't think it's pretty?”
Doah blinked her round eyes.
“No, that's not it.”
I glanced at the associate, then leaned down and whispered in her ear.
“You don't have to go overboard. I think this is too expensive.”
Doah just chuckled, ignored me, and held out her card.
“Please ring this up.”
The associate said she’d get it ready immediately and disappeared into the back. It wasn't even my money, but I was trembling from head to toe.
Finally, a dark navy bag was placed in her hands.
As soon as she received it, Doah said she wanted to wear it out and asked for the packaging to be removed.
“Hee… I love it.”
Doah clasped her ringed hand with mine.
I felt the weight of the gift, but I didn't want to be the one to ruin her happy expression.
“Thank you.”
I want to hurry up and earn money so I can buy you something nice too.
Still just learning the ropes, I couldn't even dream of buying a gift of this magnitude.
“If you're really thankful, Oppa.”
She gave a gentle smile.
“Always wear this when you go out.”
“I'm scared I'll lose it since it's so expensive.”
“Then just don't ever take it off.”
“Okay.”
She got me the ring, so what should I get for her?
A bracelet? Or matching outfits? Should I get something like that?
“Think of this as a super high-quality charm that proves you're mine, Oppa.”
“A charm?”
“Yep. A charm to keep weird girls from clinging to you.”
“Hey, I can handle myself. Don't you trust me at all?”
I joked, wrapping an arm around her waist, but Doah just wagged her finger at me.
“It's not that I don't trust you, Oppa.”
“Then what?”
“I don't trust the other girls who will throw themselves at you.”
“Then you could've just gotten an inexpensive one. Why go for something so fancy?”
Puffing her cheeks, Doah proceeded to lecture me on how insensitive my comment was.
“No, Oppa! Just imagine if I got you a cheap one! What if some popular idol comes up and goes, 'Wow, you're so handsome, Lucario-oppa!' and then says, 'Oh, forget that cheap ring. I'll get you something much better~ Come play with me.' What would you do then?”
So that was it.
The scenario that was playing out in her head.
I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face at her ridiculously cute delusion.
“So that's why you got such an expensive one?”
“Yep! That's why!”
“But what if someone shows up who offers to buy you something even more expensive than this?”
As if she hadn't considered that, Doah's eyes rolled up to scan the ceiling.
“Then I'll just buy you something even more expensive.”
“But what if that person is, like, the daughter of the richest man in the world?”
-Thwack.
Doah bonked me on the head with the shopping bag.
“Aish. Let's not take it too far, Han Taemin-ssi, okay? Just stick to the first verse. You want to get banned?”
“I'm sorry.”
“And let's just say the daughter of the world's richest man does show up. I have no idea why she'd even be at your office, but let's just go with it.”
“What would you do then, Oppa? Would you just go, 'Ooh, a girl who buys me better rings~ I love you~' and dump me?”
As if that would ever happen.
Instead of answering with words, I pulled her into a tight hug.
“I could never lose my Luka-tan.”
“It would've been better if you'd said Doah-tan, though.”
Despite her words, Doah hugged me back.
“Let's get something to eat.”
Even though we were in a corner, it felt a little inappropriate to be so touchy-feely in the middle of a department store.
“It's my treat! Order the most expensive thing on the menu!”
It wasn't about trying to look cool; I just felt it was the least I could do.
“Okay! Then I really won't hold back?”
“It's not like you can eat that much anyway.”
She talked a big game, but Doah had a small appetite.
She can't even finish half a chicken by herself.
The place we went to was a shabu-shabu restaurant on the top floor.
The price was steep for shabu-shabu, but compared to what Doah had just spent, it was practically nothing.
“Uuuuum~ Yummyyy~”
Doah popped a piece of meat into her mouth and chewed happily.
“This is delicious. It's been a while.”
“I know, right? Why aren't there any shabu-shabu places near where we live?”
“How much would college students even eat? It's too expensive for them.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
“By the way, did you pay in installments?”
When I cautiously asked what I'd been wondering, Doah shook her head.
“Nope. Paid in full.”
“…Are you okay?”
She stared at me with half-lidded eyes, not answering. Then, she held out her phone to show me the screen.
It was her banking app.
Except there was an excessive number of zeros.
Wait a minute.
Is this… a bug…?
I'd never tried to guess exactly how much money Doah had, but the number on her screen was far beyond anything I could have imagined.
“Ah! Okay! Stop looking now!”
Thinking I must have misread it, I started counting the digits one by one, only for her to snatch the phone back.
“Hey. Doah.”
“So! Stop worrying already!”
Her face was slightly flushed as she cut me off with a shout.
“Don't think of it as a debt. Just wear it and look pretty.”
“…Okay.”
This… this… I thought only her fame was world-class.
I never knew her income was world-class too.
After a dozen different thoughts drifted through my mind, one question remained.
“But… with all that money, why don't you move?”
Is there any reason to live in such a small studio apartment?
Her place was already cramped as it was, especially after she brought home all the gifts fans had sent to YM Entertainment.
There were so many that there was barely room to walk, and I'd even had to help her move some of them to her studio.
“…Because then I'd have to live far away from you, Oppa.”
“Huh?”
“If I move, you won't be able to come over to my place all the time anymore.”
“No. If it's near the university, it's possible. What do you mean I won't be able to come over?”
“Ugh, I don't want that. I want to live next door. Just let me.”
I wasn't sure how much of her reasoning was just her obsession with being neighbors, but if that was what was holding her back, then I had a suggestion of my own.
“…Then if I save up money and ask you to move with me, would you?”
“…Huh?”
“I mean, once I start working seriously, the money will come in… so when I've saved up a bit… I'm asking if you'd want to move somewhere together.”
Doah's face turned as red as a carrot.
What? Why is she reacting like that?
“Is… is that really okay?”
“Yeah, why not? Besides, if I ever want to set up some equipment at home, even one piece would be too much for my current place.”
Some producers have a certain amount of equipment at home so they can work from there.
As things are now, the work I can do from home is too limited.
I can't even bring in my main weapon, my keyboard.
If I put that in, I won't have room to eat.
“I-if that's what you want, Oppa, then I think… I think I'm o-okay with it.”
“Hmm. How many months would I have to work? It's less about time and more about writing a hit song. One hit, and we'd be set.”
My teacher always used to say that.
One hit song is better than ten mediocre ones.
So please, when you make one, go into it with the mindset that you're going to make it a huge hit.
I thought it was good advice.
“I… I could lend you the money…”
“No. What do you mean, lend me money? It's fine. I don't think that's right, even for a couple.”
“Couldn't I just pay for the security deposit, and then we could split the rent fifty-fifty?”
“Why would you pay for my security deposit?”
“Huh? Wha?”
Doah looked confused.
She tilted her head.
“Weren't you… asking me to move in with you?”
…I wasn't, though?