The Dragon and His Friend Bastards
What is the ultimate form of throwing money around?
Money can't buy happiness? Anyone who says that can go die.
Money can buy happiness. Overwhelming happiness, even. And you can give that happiness to other people, too.
How? Just spend the money. Overwhelm everyone with money and deliver happiness all around. That's all there is to it.
After a brief spat with Ha-yan… well, it wasn't really even a spat, but if you insisted on calling it one, it passed.
While we were going about our usual lives, Ha-yan gathered me, Choi Hoon, and Do Ji-yeon together during the break after class and said:
"L-let's go sh-sh-shopping for the school trip together!"
"Why are you stuttering like that?"
"J-j-just because?"
Until now, it was usually Do Ji-yeon who brought up this kind of thing, not Ha-yan. It wasn't exactly unexpected, but I still asked her:
"Shopping is shopping, but what's school-trip shopping supposed to mean?"
"W-what do you mean what! It's our first school trip, so I want to buy a few more clothes! Not just the two of us—the other two as well! We're in the same group anyway, so it'd be better if we all went together!"
"Hmm…?"
"Yeah! That's right! Our Ha-yan! Well done!"
"…Hmm?"
I watched Ha-yan talking with slightly awkward gestures and an uneasy expression, and Do Ji-yeon beside her, who seemed to be backing her up the whole way.
But I didn't know.
Since we shared mana, couldn't I just read Lee Ha-yan's mind right now?
Well. Sharing mana was more like sharing each other's not-quite-weaknesses, and as for magic that could read each other's minds… I could do it if I wanted, but I didn't have the confidence to deal with the aftermath.
As I was about to nod, Choi Hoon next to me shot to his feet and said:
"Hold on. Do I have to come too? I've got a game event this time, so I was gonna head home early!!!!"
When Choi Hoon tried to slip out by mentioning personal business, Do Ji-yeon moved with incredible speed and delivered a chop straight to his Adam's apple.
"Hey now. My dear friend. Why such cold words all of a sudden? Another friend is inviting you to hang out, and you're saying that? And it's a girl who's one of the prettiest in our class saying it?"
"Uh, no…"
Once Do Ji-yeon persuaded(?) Choi Hoon with a bit of physical discipline, I could see Ha-yan's face light up in an instant.
"Hehe! Great! Let's go!"
Seeing Ha-yan's brightened face, I followed the two of them with a satisfied expression, while Do Ji-yeon grabbed Choi Hoon by the scruff of his neck and started walking ahead with Ha-yan.
"See? I told you. Sometimes you have to pull guys in. Why are you pushing between you two? If you pull, he'll just drool and follow right after you."
"I-is that how it is?"
"That's how it is. Ha-yan, you're always next to Cha Siu, so you look small. Your height's about the same as mine, right? Hair jet-black and glossy. And how well do you dress? That figure of yours. Cha Siu's got the face, the body, and the brains as your boyfriend, but the way I see it, you're a little too good for him."
"Hehe. Thanks."
"If you're grateful, you know what to do?"
"There's a new malatang place that opened. That works, right?"
"That's my friend. Rewards are solid."
The four of us friends had set out right away, but Lee Ha-yan and Do Ji-yeon pulled ahead until they were out of earshot and started talking in voices only they could hear.
If Cha Siu himself pulled up just a little mana, he could have heard every word—but he deliberately didn't.
They seemed to be plotting something, but he didn't want to go poking a beehive for no reason.
Do Ji-yeon wrapped her arm around Lee Ha-yan's shoulder and spoke even more quietly.
"Ha-yan, you need to give him a shock every now and then, too. I know you like him. I've been watching for years, so of course I know. But sometimes a big shock is necessary, you know?"
"B-but still. Th-those kinds of clothes are still a little embarrassing…"
"Don't worry. I'll try them on with you. Other guys looking? Let them look all they want. To those bastards, it's pie in the sky anyway. Showing just those two bastards is fine, right? I don't know about the other one, but that one guy has zero feelings for me anyway."
Do Ji-yeon said that while still holding Ha-yan's shoulder.
Having learned the school trip location and various details during homeroom with the teacher, Do Ji-yeon had immediately approached the spaced-out Lee Ha-yan and told her about her 'plan.'
From the perspective of someone who'd watched the two since elementary school, this massive event was the perfect chance to delight her eyes, ears, and heart.
And the biggest part of that event was going to be a steamy(?) event.
Do Ji-yeon had also judged that some groundwork would be needed to shake Cha Siu's heart, which was about as solid as a rock.
"I wasn't even thinking about that side of things since it's not summer, but a five-star hotel! With an indoor pool! If we waste this chance, we won't get to do anything until we go to university."
"I-is that so? I think I could just get along fine with Siu without doing stuff like this…"
"Hey! You can't think like that! Even if you like each other, events like this are important!"
"But Ji-yeon, you've never even dated— mmph!!!"
"Mouth! Mouth! Mouth! Mouth! Mouth!!!!"
Our poor Lee Ha-yan got her lips pinched for opening her mouth wrong in front of Do Ji-yeon.
"Hey. Cha Siu."
"What. Choi Hoon."
And behind the two giggling girls, the two young men walked after them with bored expressions.
I was just spacing out as I walked forward when Choi Hoon spoke to me.
"I don't know how you'll take this, but I'm not interested in dating ye—"
"Don't talk nonsense."
"I might get interested, but not ye—"
"Did you take the wrong medicine? Why are you saying things you don't mean?"
"Damn it. Fine! I am interested, but I can't date! Happy now!!!"
"So?"
"You really piss me off like crazy."
Was he trying to hide his instincts in front of a dragon right now? Who did he think he was.
Choi Hoon glared at me properly once, then let out a long sigh and asked me:
"This school trip. Do you know anything about why it suddenly got so long?"
"Know anything?"
"I mean, right? We thought it was gonna be a normal two nights three days like other schools, but then it suddenly turns into this huge week-long trip, and we're a public school without much money, but somehow it's a fancy hotel and cars for each group. This couldn't happen without outside intervention. Since you're close with the teachers, I figured you might've heard something."
"I'm not some secret student pulling strings behind the scenes. How would I know that. And even if I did, what would change."
I answered curtly while keeping as calm as possible.
If he found out the 'mastermind' was standing right in front of him, he'd be pretty shocked—but this bastard would probably never know for the rest of his life.
At that answer, Choi Hoon laughed awkwardly and said:
"Right? Well, we're all just students, what would we know. Anyway. Just looking at them, I think I know what your girlfriend is aiming for. You're following along knowing that, right?"
"Knowing what and following? Aren't we just going to buy clothes for the school trip?"
I answered sincerely. Not a shred of joking in it.
But maybe Choi Hoon picked up on that sincerity. Looking at me with an expression of pure hatred, he said:
"You. You know you're a reeeally bad guy, right?"
"????"
The question marks on my face right then weren't fake. They were genuine.
What the hell was this guy talking about all of a sudden?
Just following Lee Ha-yan and Do Ji-yeon, the place their feet led them to was a multi-story shopping mall near the school.
Not quite as big as a department store, but you know those places that sell clothes from the first floor all the way up to the fifth.
And downstairs, a decent supermarket with a mart and food stalls.
According to Do Ji-yeon, a new clothing store had just moved into the building.
A shop perfect for this school trip, or so she said.
We probably wouldn't only buy clothes there, of course, and would browse pretty much every women's clothing store in the place—but me and Choi Hoon, who'd just followed along, had no choice in the matter. We were just the porters.
"But why drag me along too? Cha Siu and Lee Ha-yan are a couple, fine. Do Ji-yeon, you're the one who brought Lee Ha-yan. But me? What did I do wrong!"
"You're saying that after following all the way here? You should've just not come in the first place?"
"I didn't know it would be like this! I thought we'd buy stuff quick and go get tanghulu. Who spends a whole hour in one store…"
We'd only been to one clothing store so far, but dark circles had already formed under Choi Hoon's eyes.
Me, well… if this much was a problem for my stamina, that would be a problem in itself.
But ignoring Choi Hoon's wailing, Do Ji-yeon—still looking perfectly energetic as she browsed clothes—came up to us and said:
"Hey. Cha Siu. Choi Hoon muttering to himself is noisy, so go calm him down somehow."
"Can't the two of us just go home? You're not even asking us anything. You're just playing by yourselves right now."
"Damn it. Look. I don't care about Choi Hoon, but you need to stay. I'll message you on KakaoTalk, so go kill some time somewhere. Got it?"
"Fine, fine. Got it, got it."
I could've said I don't wanna? right then, but the fact that Ha-yan, standing behind Do Ji-yeon with her face slightly flushed, was watching my reaction bothered me a little.
So I grabbed the scruff of Choi Hoon, who was sitting on some chair somewhere sighing heavily, and headed down to the basement where the food was.
"If you think you can fix my mood with foooooood…….!!!"
"…You know me too well! That's my friend!!"
"It's gonna fall out of your mouth. Close your mouth and eat."
"Yes, yes! Whatever our Money Lord says!"
I went into a fast-food restaurant in the basement with Choi Hoon, ordered some food, and shoved it at him.
He was a bit shorter than me, but he was secretly a big eater.
No matter how I thought about it, the reason he looked so drained earlier probably wasn't from exhaustion—it was because he was hungry.
But as soon as Choi Hoon started eating in earnest, my phone buzzed.
Checking my phone:
"…Alone?"
When I tilted my head slightly and muttered to myself, Choi Hoon heard it and said to me:
"Just go already. If Do Ji-yeon wanted to ditch me, she should've just said so straight. Why go through all that hassle?"
"You already knew?"
"You really need to work on your perception… Just go. I'll eat this."
"You. Did you act all drained earlier and say that stuff just so you could freeload food off me?"
Connecting the earlier situation with what Choi Hoon was saying now led to that conclusion.
This bastard had deliberately acted that way aiming for this exact situation.
Choi Hoon shoved a cheese stick into his mouth full and said to me:
"Eheh! Caught me!"
BAM!!!
"Annoying bastard."
I slammed that bastard's head straight into the table and stood up.
I was already in a sour mood, so I should go see Ha-yan.