The Wealthy Unnie Is the Best Kind
This isn't just a dream—it's reality.
In the real world, Hajin unnie had suddenly thrown me onto the bed, then climbed on top and started stroking my stomach.
Her touch was incredibly soft, giving me goosebumps, and my belly—without any control from me—began to quiver.
She only moved her thumb, never going anywhere else, and it was a relief that she didn't.
"Adorable."
Her fingers kept moving in a steady rhythm, stroking my hair.
I got so caught up in the sound of her soft tapping that the rich scent of perfume filled the air.
"How are you feeling right now, Jaehee?"
"My heart... it's about to burst."
"Because unnie is so pretty?"
"My unnie's eyes are literally about to devour me."
At my answer, she looked at my face with dazed eyes. Then, with a light laugh, she stared at me with an incredibly curious expression.
"Jaehee keeps surprising unnie."
"Really?"
"I thought you'd be even more flustered."
"I'm very flustered right now."
"You must be the type who doesn't show it."
Ever since I was a kid, I'd been told I didn't react much to emotions.
"Jaehee, unnie really wants to eat you? Of course I'm just joking."
Her eyes were too intense for it to be a joke.
"Sorry, Jaehee. Unnie couldn't hold back for a second."
The closeness that had made her breath feel so close was suddenly gone, and she grabbed my outstretched hand to help me up.
"You won't see unnie anymore?"
"I'll see you every day if you buy me really expensive lunch."
"Huh? Fwahahaha! Jjaehee is so amazing. How do you do it?"
What had just happened could have been taken very seriously by anyone else.
Of course, when I was face-to-face with unnie, I had been thinking of every possible way to push her away.
But the moment I realized this was reality and not a dream, a certainty settled over me that none of the situations I had feared would ever happen.
"And if we don't see each other, my grades are going to tank. I was last in the whole class for the calculus midterm."
"...Last? That's that serious?"
"Y-yes."
"You got a zero? Or didn't you even solve it at all?"
"I at least solved most of it."
I trailed off and spread my ten fingers in front of her, showing her what my midterm score looked like.
Even without me saying the rest, she understood the gesture and let out a sigh mixed with a dry laugh.
"Of all the students I've tutored so far, you're the most serious."
"I thought I heard you say something weird just now."
"It's fine, Jaehee. If you study with unnie, a perfect final is totally possible!"
"An A+ is impossible?"
"Jaehee? You got a ten and still came last, and now you want an A+? Isn't that a little... lacking in conscience?"
Every time I'd praised me before, I'd expected her to lie to boost my confidence.
It seemed she actually believed impossible was impossible.
"What grade were you in math for the college entrance exam?"
"Four."
"So you still got into a five?"
"I did nothing but math for the last one hundred days of the exam."
When I explained why I could only manage a four, a brief silence fell.
I'd spent eighty percent of those one hundred days just on math.
Despite that much investment, I barely scraped a four.
Unnie's reaction was exactly what I expected.
"Then what about the other subjects?"
"I did okay in the others. Korean second, English first, and both science subjects second."
That was why I could even enter university now—the other subjects had carried me.
If they hadn't, I would have had to choose a less competitive school based on my grades.
"Then you have a smart brain! Lucky! If you just follow unnie's lead, a perfect final is definitely possible!"
"Yes, unnie. So can you buy me that expensive lunch today?"
"Was there ever any doubt unnie wouldn't buy it if money was the issue?"
"Yes."
My firm answer made unnie clutch her chest and let out a dramatic sigh.
It wasn't unreasonable. At least I deserved fair compensation for my mental damage.
"From now on, don't do that kind of thing."
"You can buy expensive lunch as much as you want."
"Oh my, I'm so grateful my tears are about to fall."
After chatting enough to completely forget what had happened just moments ago, we left and ate the lunch my mother had prepared.
When Mom asked how my classes had gone, unnie answered honestly, just as she was.
Even though unnie wasn't charging anything, she might have worried it would make my mother dislike her for having fun.
"Mom, don't scold Jaehee. She looked really tired because she did her homework yesterday."
"Homework? Our daughter?"
"Yes, Mom. I did enjoy math, but it seems my body isn't quite ready yet. You need time for everything."
Since it wasn't a lie, I nodded proudly in front of my mother.
Thanks to that, Mom didn't scold me even a little for skipping study today.
After filling my stomach with the lunch my mother had made, I prepared for our outing with unnie.
"What should I wear?"
I wasn't particularly interested in clothes, and my closet only had athletic wear, comfortable leggings, and oversized T-shirts.
If I wore my usual stuff, it would definitely look out of place next to the stylish Hajin unnie.
After thinking about how to blend in as much as possible, the only option I could settle on was black pants and a striped shirt.
Tucking in the front of the shirt might make it work.
"Jaehee, ready?"
The moment she said that, she walked into my room right as I was changing into the pre-chosen outfit.
"Yes, unnie."
"Wow! What is that? You look so handsome!"
The second she entered, she let out an ear-piercing exclamation and rushed over in an instant.
"Waah... your face is a straight-up scam."
"Is it okay? I picked this so it would match unnie as much as possible."
"Jjaehee, even if you dress like a cheerleader you'd still look hot!"
At her light laugh, unnie staggered like she was about to collapse, then grabbed my hand.
"Real... incredibly handsome."
Ah, this is flirting.
"Ah, unnie. Are we going out for a long time? Then I need a hat."
Since this situation was so unfamiliar, I quickly changed the subject.
"How long will it take to walk around?"
"Walking is fine."
"Then it's lucky."
It sounded like she had no intention of going out for too long.
"Mom, I'm heading out."
"Go on, have fun."
"Mom, me too!"
"Fwuh! Yeah, Hajin unnie, go have fun too."
"Yes, Mom!"
While unnie sat on the sofa chatting with my mother, she naturally took my hand and headed toward the door.
It was amazing to realize that human hands could be this pretty.
"Unnie, you could model your hands."
"Really? Want me to try?"
"Your hands are so beautiful."
"Lesbians always have beautiful hands, you know."
"Why?"
"If you want to know... shall we go to a nice place for dinner with unnie?"
"Extra expensive lunch."
"Too much!"
From now on, if she said things like that, I'd have to ignore her completely.
When we walked in sync to the underground parking garage, I saw a luxury foreign car that looked completely out of place in our old apartment building.
Of course, it was unnie's.
"After you, miss."
"Thank you, unnie."
Because she opened the passenger door so kindly, I could sink into the luxurious seat.
"Wow, it's so comfortable. I didn't know seats could be like this."
If it had been too soft, my back would hurt, but the perfect amount of plushness with just enough firmness cradled my waist and hips.
The interior of the car was all black, matching nothing of unnie's pink hair. Yet the leather was so high-end that it didn't look cheap at all.
"Ready to go?"
"Yes, unnie."
"Excited, Jaehee?"
"Going out with a rich unnie? Of course I am."
"It seems Jaehee really loves money. If that's all you care about, Jaehee..."
"My mom loves money too."
"...She'll become a truly wonderful person. Mmm."
When I said it was because I was like my mom, she quickly swerved the car to avoid the cliff I was about to fall into.
I really don't know how I'm supposed to keep living.
—Vroom!
"Wow, you startled me!"
"Ah, sorry. I should have warned you first."
Just starting the car produced a thunderous engine roar that made my heart drop into my stomach.
I didn't know much about cars, but this engine sound coming from unnie's ride made it look incredibly cool.
"Unnie, how much is a car like this?"
Unnie, driving with one hand, spread a few fingers on the other and pointed at the front seat.
"...What?"
Even after blinking at the shocking number, I double-checked.
A car that cost more than our apartment building?
"We're shopping at the department store first today. I'm buying clothes for Jjaehee as a way to say thank you."
"Clothes?"
"Yeah, do you like clothes?"
"I don't have a strong preference, but if someone gifts me something, I wear it."
Unnie kept muttering under her breath while driving that a date was definitely in her future.
"Is this like dating?"
"Huh? Fwahahaha!"
I thought she might have misunderstood my tone, but when she laughed properly, I was confused.
"Jjaehee, do you want to date unnie?"
"Unnie doesn't want to date me?"
"Yeah. Yeah yeah yeah! Eeeeh!"
No, if she answered that enthusiastically, I would be the one flustered.
"Once shopping is over, I'll play with you however you usually do."
"I usually go out with my friends, eat something delicious, then head to karaoke. And I like finding cafes too."
"Karaoke? Unnie hasn't been to karaoke since she turned twenty."
"Then shall we go today?"
"Yeah, sure. Let's have fun in karaoke and then eat the expensive lunch you buy."
What kind of expensive lunch would unnie buy me?
Steak? No, with her wealth, that would probably get boring.
Something like an omakase course would feel perfect for a dinner date with unnie.
"Jaehee, want to guess what I was thinking when I first saw you?"
"Any prizes?"
"Yeah, I have one. But, it's only once."
"Only once."
Since I had only one chance, I had to think carefully and choose my answer wisely.
You said you liked me from the very first meeting, so I thought it was about my face.
But it felt like you weren't asking something so obvious.
"Um, because I look like a guy?"
"Wrong. That's a common question, right?"
"I hear it more after I became an adult."
"Even so, based on how you see me, it's the same. So I'll give you a gift."
What does 'the same based on my standards' even mean?
Did you just want to give it to me from the start?
"What kind of gift?"
"You'll find out soon."
With unnie's skilled driving, I enjoyed the smooth ride all the way to the department store.
Because it was such an expensive car, they parked it in the valet area.
"I picked out clothes that would look good on you."
"Look good? What kind of feeling?"
"It'll feel like something a university student would wear, so it won't be uncomfortable."
Holding hands, we didn't go to the escalator.
Instead, we headed to one of the luxury brand stores on the first floor.
"Unnie, this is the luxury mall."
"This is the product. I'll buy you whatever you want."
Most people would feel burdened by this kindness.
But me, Chu Jaehee, daughter of Kim Heeyoung, who has lived thirty-five years with the motto "Money is truth."
I would never feel burdened or refuse.
If I did, it would be like tarnishing my mother's face.
"Really? Then I'll buy everything I want. No more talking later."
"You like it that much, so I want to buy more."
This was my first time stepping into a luxury brand store in twenty years of my life.
I knew that to enter a luxury store you had to stand in line, but unnie walked straight in and the staff immediately guided us.
They even mentioned my name and greeted me warmly.
"I want clothes that don't look like luxury brands."
"If that's the case, try this section."
The rack the staff pointed to only had clothes with designs like you see on internet shopping sites.
But the price tags had two extra zeros, and then three more.
"Two million won for a shirt? Is this right?"
The moment I saw the price tags, my hands started shaking.
Even if I had grown up under my mother for twenty years, seeing it with my own eyes made it impossible to feel nothing.
"For you, Jaehee... yeah, this should be fine."
Unnie kept flipping between my body and the hanging clothes, quickly picking out several. The ones she chose were an oversized striped check shirt, a tank top, and black slim pants.
"Jaehee, how about trying this on first?"
"Yes, unnie."
Right after taking the clothes unnie handed me into the fitting room, I checked the tag on the tank top.
"Eighty thousand won for one tank top."
The violent number made me rub my eyes to make sure I was seeing right.
Was I really allowed to wear something like this? It felt like receiving too expensive a gift.
"No. When am I going to try on clothes like this? If I can't enjoy it now, I'll never get the chance."
After feeling burdened for a moment, I decided to shift my mindset and fully enjoy the situation.
If I got closer to unnie, I would experience even more expensive things.
I had to become friends with unnie.
"Unnie, I'm done."
"Oh! It looks so good on you, Jjaehee!"
When I stood in front of the fitting room mirror, unnie quickly came over and placed her hand on my shoulder.
"Our Jjaehee is a model! It looks perfect. Total match."
"Really? It feels really comfortable and not strange, so I like it."
At her satisfied smile and wink, a small smile formed on my face.
"Alright, now pick out everything you want!"
With that, she pulled a card from her wallet and handed it to me.
"Wow, the card is black. Can I really buy everything? Whatever I want?"
"I said you could buy everything. Just in return, study math hard with unnie. Promise."
I quickly hooked pinkies and shook a few times, then spun once to take in the entire rack of luxury clothes.
So I could buy everything here?
I was truly overwhelmed. Exactly.