The Truth Behind the Screen
Two days had passed since our first meeting was scheduled. I had spent that time relentlessly digging through my cringeworthy past online posts, gathering scattered fragments of information and piecing them together chronologically like a puzzle. I had also finished organizing some of the assets I now apparently owned.
"Real estate?" "Real estate might expose my identity... Let's just say I own a bit of prime land in Seoul, haha." Just because of those two lines, I had suddenly become a property owner. Aside from simple bank deposits, there were so many different types of assets. For someone like me, whose only previous "asset" was a mountain of debt, this was an entirely alien experience.
On top of that, I had four personal cars registered under my name. I was someone who hadn't even taken the driver's license test because I thought the application fee was a waste of money. In other words, I shouldn't have known how to drive at all. But considering my face and voice had already changed, what was a little driving skill? Thanks to a single sentence I'd once written—"I enjoy going for drives"—I had suddenly become a master behind the wheel.
The preparations for the meeting were complete. All that was left was to march out.
I grabbed some comfortable-looking clothes that caught my eye and picked up a watch from the display. I grabbed a random bottle of perfume and gave myself a quick spritz. Slipping into a clean, simple pair of shoes from the mountain of footwear available, I headed down to the parking lot.
"Sigh..." A deep groan escaped my lips inside the car. To think the day would come when I'd actually meet an online friend in real life. I was overwhelmed with emotion. What should I say when we meet? How should I talk? While I was busy running elaborate conversation simulations in my head, I arrived at our meeting spot before I knew it.
I left the key in the ignition with the engine running, got out, and handed the car over to the valet. Now that the meeting was actually happening, my throat felt bone-dry. Trying my best to calm my pounding heart, I looked around.
*Tap.* Feeling a light touch on my back, I spun around in a hurry.
"Uh...?"
"You're Oppa, right? I'm Seo-ha!"
"Uh, yeah... That's right."
She had a small, round face with cute, innocent features. No way... This is Seo-ha? I was left speechless by how pretty she was in person. She was completely different from the image I had built up in my head.
She scanned me from head to toe, looking somewhat shocked. Forcing myself to meet her eyes, I spoke.
"Nice to... meet you."
"I'm so touched... You know I came all this way just to see you, right?"
"Uh, yeah... Shall we head inside? I made a reservation."
"Yes! I'm so happy to finally see your face, Oppa."
Cringing slightly at her overly affectionate words, I lowered my head and led the way. Only then did a fact I had completely overlooked hit me. Unlike me, a shut-in who lived in a corner of his room, she was an extreme extrovert—an absolute social butterfly. Giving half-hearted responses to her constant chatter as she followed behind me, we stepped inside.
The tables were immaculately arranged, and the vast space had remarkably few customers. The ceiling was incredibly high, and soft, warm lighting was placed strategically throughout the room. I guess this is the kind of atmosphere you need to charge 500,000 won per meal. Although the interior design was deeply intimidating, I did my best to walk with a calm, nonchalant stride.
Guided by the staff, we entered a private room at the very back. Seo-ha's pupils shook like an earthquake had just hit—she must have seen the prices on the menu. Hey, I know exactly how you feel. Of course, to the current me, this was pocket change, but just a few days ago, I was surviving on convenience store food.
"Are these prices for real? This is insane!"
"You'll understand once you taste it."
"At this rate, they must have plated the food with actual gold."
"Ahem. Don't worry about it, just eat. It's on me."
I let out a series of awkward coughs to hide my embarrassment. We continued to exchange casual banter. Thanks to her bright, cheerful responses to everything I said, my tension began to melt away.
"Hello, I will be guiding you through today's course."
Before long, a server approached and began presenting the dishes one by one, accompanied by lengthy explanations. I never thought I'd look at food and think "How beautiful" before "That looks delicious." Thanks to the exquisite plating, each dish looked more like a work of art than actual food.
Holy crap...! It was so tender that it seemed to melt right down my throat before I could even chew. With every bite, a firework-like explosion of flavor and richness bombarded my tongue. What on earth had I been eating all my life? To think a single dish could deliver such a fresh shock. I guess you really do have to live long enough to experience everything.
"There was food in my mouth just a second ago, and now it's gone..."
She stared in wide-eyed wonder. After that, as if by unspoken agreement, we spent the next hour silently devouring the dishes that arrived in sequence. A bitter smile crept onto my face at the realization that I had lived my entire life without knowing such luxury existed. So this was the true power of capital.
"Oppa, I've made up my mind."
Huh? Her voice was suddenly solemn, completely out of step with the atmosphere.
"This is what money is for. This is why people work hard to earn it."
Man, she must have been seriously shocked. Then again, it really was an experience that made every penny worth it. I nodded in agreement.
Finally, the day had come to meet the legendary figure shrouded in rumors: Hot Potato. The online community where we became friends wasn't a massive one, but that made the members close-knit, and they often held offline meetups. Among them, Hot Potato was the ultimate outlier. Rumor had it that he was an incredibly wealthy asset owner, but because of his severe social anxiety, he never left his house. Honestly, I was skeptical. If he had nothing to hide, why would he avoid meeting people? Even when I asked him that day, it was mostly out of curiosity.
"Honestly, I was just testing the waters."
But after being relentlessly persistent, I finally got a firm promise that he would meet me. To think I would actually get to verify the reality of this legendary figure. I was a bit worried that he might stand me up after I traveled all the way to Seoul, though.
"If he doesn't show, then it's a total scam..."
My mind was already leaning that way. Even in the community, call-out posts targeting Hot Potato were slowly starting to surface. He claimed to be handsome and unimaginably rich, yet too afraid of people to meet them.
"Like, does that even make sense?"
Chuckling to myself, I made the trip from Daegu to Seoul. Even when he told me he had reserved a spot at a fine dining restaurant that cost hundreds of thousands of won per meal, I didn't let my hopes up. I just hoped that everything about him wasn't a lie. Maybe I had actually grown fond of him in my own way.
Since so many people had been itching to uncover his true identity, today's meeting was the center of everyone's attention. Finally, the scheduled time arrived. I looked around, but the man from the profile picture was nowhere to be seen. On top of that, the text I sent asking when he'd arrive remained unread. Did he block me? I had half-expected this, but it was still a deeply unpleasant experience. Sigh. I suppressed the crushing disappointment that threatened to consume me.
"Sigh... I really did just waste my time."
Just as I was about to abandon my last shred of hope and leave, a luxury car that looked exceptionally expensive caught my eye amidst the sea of ordinary vehicles.
A symbol of wealth, the pinnacle of hand-crafted luxury cars: a Rolls-Royce. Even people who knew nothing about cars had heard of that brand at least once. What kind of person drove a car like that? How rich were they? What did they look like? Wait, is that car heading this way, or am I just imagining things? The Rolls-Royce pulled straight into the parking lot of the high-end restaurant where we were supposed to meet. No way... Right? No, there's no way. Still, I'm curious to see who gets out. Maybe I'll walk a bit closer and watch.
*Thud.* With the smooth sound of a car door opening, a man stepped out.
"Gasp!"
He looked exactly like the profile picture of Hot Potato!
It was all real?!
My mind descended into utter chaos, freezing me in place. The man who got out of the car looked around as if searching for someone, then began striding directly toward me. I had been so sure it was a lie. Anyone else would have said the same. Although he had posted photos as "proof" and frequently handed out gifts, his verifications always felt slightly lacking, and his attitude was always ambiguous. He probably didn't realize it, but public opinion had already turned against him. Yet now, with all my assumptions shattered, the disappointment that had filled my brain vanished instantly, replaced by a massive surge of anticipation and curiosity. How would the others react to this? I forced myself to calm my racing heart.
*Tap.* I quietly walked up behind him and tapped his back. Startled, he spun around, and our eyes met.
Holy crap, this is insane.
His profile picture hadn't been edited at all. In fact, he looked even better in person. And that wasn't all. Since I worked in the fashion industry, I prided myself on being quite knowledgeable about luxury brands. A Fendi knit, Dior track pants, Hermès sneakers, a Bottega Veneta crossbody bag, and a Richard Mille watch. Just the items he was wearing probably cost as much as a house.
"Uh...?"
The voice of this ridiculously high-end fashion icon. It was definitely the voice I had heard countless times, the one I had laughed and chatted with. Ah... it was all real. Controlling my facial expression as best as I could, I greeted him brightly.
"You're Oppa, right? I'm Seo-ha!"
"Uh, yeah... That's right."
My near-certain doubts had been completely wrong; he had been telling the truth all along. Even though he had no idea I had doubted him, I felt genuinely guilty. The bond we had built over a long time, laughing and chatting together, wasn't a lie.
"I'm so touched... You know I came all this way just to see you, right?"
"Uh, yeah... Shall we head inside? I made a reservation."
"Yes! I'm so happy to finally see your face, Oppa."
Honestly, I couldn't remember the last time I felt this happy. Maybe this could turn into a truly wonderful relationship. I found him rather cute as he hurried ahead of me, his face slightly flushed as if he were trying to escape.