Chapter 156: White Christmas (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 156: White Christmas (8)
The dealer, who had rushed off, returned and handed me a list. It showed the car models currently for sale, with an O or an X indicating whether they were available for immediate delivery.
The SSS series, B Company’s premium line, was completely sold out. The SS series, the next step down, was also wiped out.
All that was left were the S series—the youngest of the two aforementioned lines—and the budget models.
“Hmm… It seems the S series is our only real option.”
“Well, the SS and SSS series are produced in very limited quantities…”
Sweat dripped continuously from the nervous dealer’s forehead.
“……”
I’d thought he was being overly anxious, but seeing Yoon Ji-an, I understood.
As she sat with her legs crossed, flipping through the list, she exuded an inexplicable pressure.
It was so different from how she was with me that I was almost bewildered.
“Well, that’s fine. Since this is your first car, Mr. Do-jin, the S series isn’t a bad choice.”
She looked at me then. As if asking if it was okay to decide, I gave her a nod.
She said the S series was suitable for a first car, but that was a serious misstatement.
The S series might be the entry-level model of B Company’s main lineup, but it was by no means an inferior car.
In other words, unless you were in a high-paying profession, it was a car that would give you a hard time with maintenance costs.
“It must have the mana-coated shield, specially reinforced glass, and a high-performance navigation system.”
“Ah, yes.”
With these semi-essential options for a Hunter, who could occasionally become a target for villains, the price of the S series came to roughly 65 million won.
…See?
Didn’t I tell you it wasn’t a cheap car?
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“Please drive safely!”
After the dealer’s polite send-off, the two of us left the showroom.
I hadn’t expected to make such a quick, clean deal.
My original plan was to visit several showrooms and weigh our options…
“Um… I’m not sure if we bought it too hastily. There might have been a model you liked more at another dealership, Mr. Do-jin…”
It seemed the thought had just occurred to her, as she voiced her concern.
“It’s fine. I’ve always wanted to try driving a B Company series car at least once.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
The part about wanting to drive one was a white lie.
But the part about it being fine was the truth.
As I’ve said many times, I don’t have a deep knowledge of cars, nor am I particularly interested in them.
As long as it wasn’t hideous to look at or have terrible performance, I could accept anything.
“And thanks to you, Ms. Ji-an, I got it at a great price.”
The price of the S series, including options, was 65 million won.
We managed to get the maximum dealer discount and signed the contract for 55 million won.
At this price, I suspected he’d sold it with almost no profit margin. Well, I’m sure our own Manager Kim Seong-tae will buy a few cars from him at a good price later.
The dealer who helped me probably factored that in when he gave me such a discount.
“Our first date ended sooner than I thought.”
“Ah, y-yes, it did.”
Every time the word “date” came up, Yoon Ji-an would blush and stammer.
It was hard to believe she was the same person who had just displayed such a cool-headed demeanor with the dealer.
I looked up at the sky and saw the sun was slowly setting.
It would probably be another two hours or so before it was late enough for dinner.
“Uh… since we have some time, should we walk around the area?”
“I’d like that.”
There was no need to worry about what to do.
This was Gangnam.
A neighborhood built from the ground up to have everything one could possibly need for life.
Before we started walking, I held out my hand. She shyly darted her eyes around before gently extending her own.
Her slow approach was a bit frustrating, so I stepped forward and took her hand myself.
“If there’s anything you want to do or eat, just tell me.”
“Ah, I will.”
I held her hesitant hand tightly as we strolled down the street.
Gangnam was divided into four districts centered around a central plaza: residential, administrative, entertainment, and commercial.
We were in the commercial district.
To kill time efficiently, we needed to head over to the entertainment district.
As we were crossing the central plaza toward it…
“Ah, could you wait just a moment?”
She let go of my hand and stopped in her tracks.
Wondering what was wrong, I watched her as she shyly raised a hand and pointed somewhere.
I followed her gaze to see what was there.
Jingle! Jingle!
“Warmth and kindness for our neighbors in need!”
It was a Salvation Army charity pot.
She took a few bills from her wallet and pushed them into the pot.
“Thank you!”
“May you be blessed!”
The Salvation Army workers standing on either side of the pot rang their small bells and expressed their gratitude. With a flustered expression, she gave a quick bow and hurried back to my side.
“L-let’s get going.”
I couldn’t understand why she was so embarrassed after just doing a good deed and being thanked for it.
Taking her hand, which had quickly grown cold, I asked, “Do you donate often?”
“…No. I just do it occasionally when I see one.”
“I see.”
“If I don’t see it, it’s one thing, but pretending not to see it when it’s right there… it weighs on my conscience a little.”
Considering how many people would casually ignore a plea for help right in front of them, no matter how much they earned, it was safe to say she had an excellent character.
It reminded me of the old days.
I used to run a scholarship foundation in my name, as well as an orphanage for children who had lost their parents to monsters.
I would visit from time to time to play with the kids.
There was nothing quite as rewarding as the untainted, pure gratitude of children.
“I wonder if it’s still being run well…”
“Pardon? Run well…?”
“Ah, just talking to myself.”
It’s not like the funding would suddenly be cut off.
That side of things had a dedicated staff to manage it, even without my direct involvement.
Fake Si-woo wasn’t smart enough to meddle in something like that.
Thinking of the children made me want to do a good deed for the first time in a while.
“I’ll be right back.”
I let go of her hand for a moment and took my wallet from the inner pocket of my coat.
The total cash inside was about 200,000 won.
I took out all the bills and was about to put them in the charity pot when, in a flash…
Thwump!
In the blink of an eye, a sticky, mucus-like thread wrapped around the charity pot, and it was whisked away somewhere at lightning speed.
I looked in the direction the pot had disappeared and saw some guy in a ridiculous clown mask clutching it.
“Hahaha! This pot belongs to us, the Red Thieves!”
“……”
What a bunch of annoying pests.
The Red Thieves.
A D-rank global villain organization.
You might wonder how a group with a danger level of only D-rank could be a global organization.
It’s because the things they do are utterly ridiculous and absurd.
“A nightmare for Christmas!” he chanted.
From all over the crowd, other clowns who had been hiding raised their hands and echoed his call.
“A curse on Christmas!”
That alone should tell you everything.
The Red Thieves are only active for two days a year: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Their M.O. is to disrupt Christmas events.
Stealing Salvation Army pots like this, or causing a ruckus in areas holding Christmas festivities… they exclusively pick the most embarrassing and shameful acts that one couldn’t possibly do with their face showing.
“Jeez, those morons.”
Their members are mostly single men or people with a deep-seated grudge against Christmas.
They are divided into an action team composed of Awakened beings and a support team of civilians.
To use the current situation as an example, the guy who stole the pot is from the action team, and the ones shouting ridiculous slogans from within the crowd are the support team.
“What should I do with them?”
They were a truly ambiguous bunch.
Their crimes weren’t serious enough to land them in prison, but they were a nuisance if left alone.
I briefly considered how to deal with the guy chanting “A nightmare for Christmas!” right in front of me.
If he were just scaring couples, I might have let it slide, thinking, poor bastard, I get it.
“But stealing a charity pot crosses the line, you bastard.”
I dyed the surrounding mana a shade of yellow and aimed it at the man.
「Rock Chain.」
CRUUUNCH!
Chains of solid rock poured out of a magic circle and surged toward him.
The man, who had been busy inciting the crowd, hastily tried to retreat, but…
“Too late, pal.”
One of the relentlessly advancing chains managed to bind one of his feet before he could pull it back.
“Kugh…!”
Starting with that one chain, the rock chains slithered up his body, tightly ensnaring everything but his face.
I used one awkwardly leftover chain to return the fallen charity pot to its original spot, then walked over to the guy who was struggling to break free and smacked him hard on the back of the head.
SMACK!
“If you can’t help people in need, at least don’t get in their way, okay?”
When he didn’t react, I felt a flicker of doubt and took a closer look, only to find he was already unconscious.
“……”
Oops.
Did I hit him too hard?