Grocery Shopping, Yeah – I Was Gonna Grab Different Snacks
I'd planned on grabbing some other snacks for sure. It sucked that I couldn't get the collab ones, but hey, snacks aren't just limited to those.
So I picked out some salty potato chips, the kind I usually eat, grabbing a few bags.
At that point, all I had to do was head straight to the checkout, pay for the chips, and bounce...
"Hmmmmm... Jinwoo-ya. Which meat do you think is better? This one, or that one?"
How the hell did I end up grocery shopping with Im Lua like this?
Let's rewind the clock about three minutes.
I was pretty bummed out, but since I was right in front of Im Lua, I tried to play it cool and picked out some snacks anyway.
The second she saw what I chose, she hit me with a question.
"You buying those instead?"
"Yeah... pretty much."
"You sure that's okay? That's not what you wanted to eat."
"I do wanna eat 'em... it's a little different, sure... but it's fine. These are tasty too."
Im Lua tilted her head slightly and asked,
"So what're you up to the rest of the day?"
"Gonna buy these chips and head right out."
Out of nowhere, she made an unexpected offer.
"If you're free, wanna help me with my shopping?"
"Help you shop?"
"Yeah, this is actually my first time coming out to do groceries all by myself."
She said it so casually, like 'I've never shopped before, so help me out.'
Normally, I'd brush her off with something like I was busy or had plans.
But for some reason, hearing her ask just made me wanna help.
Was it because it was Im Lua? Or would I have done it for anyone else?
...Probably 'cause it was Im Lua. Yeah, that's gotta be it.
With that conviction, I nodded at her.
"Sure, I'll help."
"For real?"
Her voice pitched up a little, and I couldn't help but grin.
Not that it mattered much.
Anyway, that's how I ended up shopping with Im Lua...
"Hmmmmm... which one's better, I wonder...? What do you think, Jinwoo-ya?"
I learned today that Im Lua has some serious decision paralysis. Wait, no—more like she's still way too cautious, that's the better way to put it.
She's always been the super careful type, ever since we were kids. She goes all-in when she commits, but in everyday stuff, she's pretty methodical.
That's Im Lua for you, so I gave her my two cents in my own way.
"Hmm... the one on the right seems better, right?"
"Why?"
"More lean meat?"
"Hmmmmm... yeah, maybe?"
Generally, more lean meat means tastier, but that's not always true. Plenty of folks love that fatty, nutty, umami pork belly vibe.
Ultimately, it was Im Lua's call anyway. It was for her family's ingredients.
She eyed both cuts back and forth, then set the left one down and picked the right.
"Yeah, you're right."
"...Don't blame me if it sucks."
"Do I seem like the type?"
Nope, not at all. Im Lua doesn't dump the blame from her choices on others.
Knowing that let me recommend stuff pretty freely.
"Next up... fish, huh. You know how to pick fish?"
"...Eh. I can spot the really crappy ones, maybe."
"Ugh, useless..."
Im Lua pondered, then marched off like she'd made up her mind.
I followed her to the seafood section...
Whoosh!
And there she was, decisively snagging a mackerel.
"...Cool."
"No point agonizing over fish forever. You just won't decide."
Yeah, that's her—bold when it counts. I think the same way, but if I were her, I'd probably stare at the fish for minutes like an idiot.
That's what makes Im Lua impressive.
"Next~ gotta get green onions~ Jinwoo-ya, you know how to pick good ones?"
"Green onions?"
"Yeah, want me to show you?"
There's a trick to picking green onions?
I nodded and sidled up, and she grinned, heading to the veggie aisle.
She pointed at a bunch.
"Check this one out. How's the length of the white stalk?"
I compared it to the others nearby.
"Kinda short."
"Right? So is this a good bunch?"
If she's singling one out and asking if it's short...
"Bad green onions."
Obviously.
"Quick on the uptake! Correct. Longer white part is better. Like this one."
Im Lua confidently grabbed a good bunch and tossed it in the cart.
After that, she handled fruits and stuff on her own like a pro, only asking my opinion on the iffy ones.
And even those "opinions" were super vague and uncertain, but she took every word to heart.
Her attitude was so mature—it just hit me like that.
But...
"...Hey, Im Lua."
"Im Lua?"
"...Lua-ya."
"Yeah?"
"......Did you really need me here?"
...If she's picking and deciding almost everything herself, did she need me at all?
She's so good at this—saying it was her first time solo shopping was a lie, right?
So why'd she lie?
I mulled it over lightly and figured it out quick.
"It was... uh... y'know... I needed you f—"
"You needed a pack mule?"
"...Huh?"
Im Lua stared at me, flustered, and I'd nailed her psychology so spot-on she was thrown.
"No matter how strong you are from all that exercise, pushing this cart solo would suck. So you needed a helper, right?"
Yeah, that made total sense. No anger or anything.
I'd been following her and pulling the cart, but I liked doing it, and I'd learned a ton about picking ingredients today.
Plus, kinda weird to say, but Im Lua's voice is amazing. Just listening makes you feel good, all fuzzy and warm?
So the time spent hearing her talk was great.
"You could've just said so straight-up—I'd have helped anyway~"
I started teasing her, and she stepped right up to me.
Then...
Smack!
She chopped my forehead with the side of her hand out of nowhere.
"Ow!"
She nailed me, then stared straight at me and asked,
"You think I'd shop with you just for that?"
"...No?"
"Nope. I..."
She trailed off, then grabbed the cart and strode ahead without another word.
I caught up, took the cart handle, and said,
"C'mon~ gimme that~"
"Hand it over."
"Nah~ I got it~"
"I'm not using you as a pack mule, okay?"
We bickered in that not-really-fighting way as we walked on.
Our little tussle ended in the most unexpected way.
"Hey~ you two lovebirds flirting over there~ come try this~"
...The auntie at the tasting station dropped "flirting lovebird couple" on us while grilling up ham steak samples.
Man, why do adults always assume any guy and girl together are dating? We're just friends.
...Pretty close friends.
"Thanks for helping with the shopping."
Im Lua said it while taping up the boxes for delivery.
I shook my head, striking a casual pose.
"Nah, it was fun hanging with you. Better than lazing around at home, anyway."
She smiled softly at that, then hit me with a curveball.
"You got lunch plans?"
"Lunch?"
"Yeah, my treat."
"No need."
Really, no need. I'm not broke enough to mooch off her, and there's no reason to anyway.
I was about to turn down her offer...
"I used you as a pack mule today, so lunch is your pay."
She wasn't letting me go.
"...If you're buying, I'll eat good."
"Cool, let's go now."
"Where to?"
She pointed up.
"Third floor, food court."
We headed up to the K-Mart food court behind her, and we both felt like idiots.
"......Hey, Im Lua."
"......"
"Lua-ya."
"Yeah."
"...What should we eat?"
"Beats me...?"
The insane variety of menus and shops greeting us was enough to give even Im Lua decision paralysis.