Two Days After the Date, In Front of NGV Cinema
I stood waiting for Moyong Sunae with my shoulders squared in a way that felt completely unlike me. ‘It really is different.’ I’d clung to my little sister—who always complained that just getting ready for work felt like it would kill her—and begged for help from the crack of dawn. Maybe it was because she’d once dreamed of becoming a hairstylist. Or maybe it was because she’d been popular enough since middle school to swap boyfriends whenever she felt like it. Either way, after she’d lightly touched up my hair, done my makeup, and picked out my clothes, I looked like a completely different person. The aura I gave off was nothing like my usual self.
“…….”
No exaggeration—I was dead serious. If I’d dressed like this back when I was in college, I probably could’ve had at least one girlfriend. ‘Dressing up properly is seriously amazing.’ The reason I’d stayed a lifelong solo until now finally made sense. I used to think it was just a waste of time, but after putting in the effort myself, I realized it was a form of respect and sincerity toward the other person.
‘At this level, I won’t feel embarrassed or out of place no matter where we go today.’
How long had I been standing there lost in thought? It was early enough that we’d booked a morning discount screening. Even though it was a busy district with a cinema, there weren’t many people around yet. Still, I started hearing murmurs.
“Wow… who is that? She’s insanely pretty.”
“Look at what she’s carrying—holy crap, isn’t that a Hermès bag? I heard that’s one of their most expensive ones……”
“How expensive could a bag even be?”
“Probably around thirty million won?”
“……”
They were making such a fuss that I thought a celebrity must have shown up. I almost turned to look, but felt embarrassed and glanced away instead. That’s when I noticed the stares slowly shifting in my direction.
And then—
The owner of those stares was cutely jabbing me in the side.
‘What? Did I do something wrong?’
I reflexively looked down, only to see—
“H-Hyun-woo… g-good morning. I’m sorry I’m late. My sister kept touching up my hair until the very last second……”
“……”
There stood Moyong Sunae, looking completely different from her usual self, ears burning red as she kept her head bowed low.
…Who are you?
For a split second, I almost blurted it out without thinking.
“S-Sunae… is that you?”
“Yes……”
Both our faces were flushed red. The murmuring around us suddenly died out, leaving an even more awkward silence and sharper stares glued to us.
“S-Should we head inside first?”
“Y-Yeah!”
Neither of us had any resistance to this kind of attention, so we quickly hopped into the elevator leading up to the cinema. Maybe because it was so early, we were the only two inside. That gave me the chance to take a proper look at Moyong Sunae again.
“……”
Even someone like me who knew nothing about hairstyles could tell she’d put serious effort into it. From her hair down to her toes, the coordination was flawless. She’d dressed up so thoroughly that I even noticed the heels she normally never wore.
If I had to sum it up in one phrase… she looked pretty enough to rival a celebrity?
“I already knew you were pretty, Sunae, but today you’re straight-up insane.”
“…Hngh!”
“Huh…?”
The strange little moan that slipped out beside me made me realize my mistake a beat too late. Wait… did I just say that out loud instead of thinking it?
“D-Do… do I look a little pretty today?”
“What? Uh, yeah. A lot.”
“Kyaa……”
Moyong Sunae immediately covered her cheeks with both hands, looking completely flustered. She was so adorable that my head started spinning too. Still, I learned one thing for sure.
[What do you mean?]
‘That when a girl who’s already pretty decides to dress up, she becomes even prettier.’
[…….]
What’s with the dots?
[Never mind. It’s nothing.]
[More importantly, Master, you must follow the date course I’m providing today.]
Do I really have to?
[Only then will you be able to complete the quest.]
Which meant I had no right to refuse. ‘Please don’t make me do anything weird.’ I prayed desperately, and surprisingly, the ring didn’t betray my expectations.
[Let’s start simply with a movie.]
Following her instructions, I watched a morning movie with Moyong Sunae.
“Wow! Now that I think about it, it’s been forever since I’ve been to a cinema.”
“Same here. These days, the latest movies come out on VOD or OTT pretty quickly, so I haven’t been going much. It feels like a hassle when I actually try to go.”
“Ah, that’s true, but… honestly, coming to a crowded place like this by myself is a little scary for me.”
“Huh? Why?”
I asked while holding caramel popcorn and a cola. Moyong Sunae answered with a slightly troubled expression.
“Whenever I come to places like this, weird people always swarm around me.”
“Really?”
“Yes… After just a few steps, people start asking if I believe in a certain religion or try to sell me something. Even if I say no, some follow me all the way to the subway station. After a while, I just stopped coming.”
“……”
Just hearing about it gave me the creeps. I glanced at her. But looking at Moyong Sunae, I could kind of understand why those guys acted that way. She probably looked like an easy, rich mark. Like, if they pushed just a little, she’d cough up money without much resistance.
“Must’ve been really stressful.”
Moyong Sunae quietly nodded. I patted her back gently and said,
“Don’t worry today. I’m right here beside you.”
“Yes, Oppa… Ah, I mean, H-Hyun-woo.”
Realizing she’d accidentally called me Oppa, Moyong Sunae turned bright red and didn’t know what to do with herself. She looked so cute that I gladly told her,
“If you want to call me Oppa, go ahead.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah, of course. It’s not that big a deal. Actually, it’d be nice if a pretty girl like you called me Oppa.”
“Th-Thank you!”
“…No, you don’t have to thank me for that……”
I scratched my cheek. This was the first time in my life someone had thanked me just for letting them call me Oppa.
[Wasn’t this your first date with a girl anyway?]
‘When you think about it… yeah.’
[Excluding your little sister, of course.]
‘…Yeah. It’s my first, damn it.’
I clicked my tongue, and by then the movie had already started. The story was decently entertaining, and watching it on a massive screen definitely had its own charm. I finally understood why going to the movies was considered a classic date activity.
“It w-was really fun!”
“Me too.”
Moyong Sunae especially seemed thrilled. It must’ve been even better since it had been so long since her last cinema visit.
[Next is lunch.]
I’d been worried she might give me some weird order, but the ring’s request was perfectly normal.
“There look to be a lot of good restaurants downstairs. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“Ah! I’m fine with whatever Oppa wants!”
“Really? Then how about we go for conveyor-belt sushi? It’s pretty safe.”
“Okay.”
After eating at the sushi place—
[Next, let’s head to a trendy hill café.]
We went to the café the ring suggested. After waiting about twenty-five minutes, we finally got in. The interior was gorgeous, and it had a photo zone plus a short walking path inside. It was a famous SNS hotspot.
“Whoa, the coffee here is amazing! What’s their secret? The interior is beautiful too. Opening a café like this wouldn’t be bad at all.”
Maybe because she was a café owner herself, Moyong Sunae kept making sharp observations once we were inside. Watching her, I just smiled warmly.
‘Huh? This is just a normal date. Nothing weird at all?’
As time passed, I slowly started to relax.
[Next is an arcade and claw machine date.]
‘Nice.’
It was actually more comfortable this way. I didn’t have to think about anything and could just follow the ring’s orders while enjoying the date.
Zombie World 7
“Kyaaaaaah! Kyaaah, Oppa, Oppaaaa…!”
“It’s okay, Sunae! Stay calm and shoot! Kill them all!”
I’d thought three thousand won per play was ridiculous—prices really had gone up too much. But once I actually played, that thought completely vanished. The quality was insane. The way the seat shook, the wind blasting out, even the realistic zombie screams— the immersion was no joke. It made sense now why Moyong Sunae was acting so genuinely terrified.
‘Technology really has gone crazy.’
Still, some things never changed. A lot of people still came here on dates and nurtured their love in places like this.
“You okay?”
“Haa… haa… I-I’m fine.”
“You really don’t look fine.”
“Sorry… Can I lean on you for a second?”
“Sure.”
Moyong Sunae carefully leaned against my shoulder. Through the point of contact, I could feel her trembling. She was completely different from Hwangbo Ji-eun. While Ji-eun never hesitated or got nervous about skinship, Moyong Sunae looked incredibly tense just from leaning on my shoulder.
“Were you really scared?”
“A little? But it was okay because Oppa was next to me. Plus, it was fun too.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“Yes! Oh, right! Let’s win a doll too! I’ve always wanted to try this at least once! I just never had the courage to come in alone.”
Some people might not understand Moyong Sunae. What’s so scary about entering an arcade? But for someone as timid as her, the loud noises and crowds of people casually walking around could genuinely be frightening.
‘When I was little, I was too scared to go to the PC bang in the basement by myself either.’
I chuckled softly.
“Oppa, over here! Let’s try to win this doll together!”
“Alright, got it.”
1 Play — 1,000 won
6 Plays — 5,000 won
12 Plays — 10,000 won
Card / Novel Pay Accepted
Whoa, even claw machines accept Novel Pay these days. The world really was developing fast.
“Kyaa, this is harder than I thought.”
“Y-Yeah, it is.”
In the meantime, Moyong Sunae was already on her seventh ten-thousand-won payment in front of one claw machine.
“……”
Money was melting away like snow, but she didn’t seem to care at all as she smiled brightly. She was the very definition of a gold spoon.
‘I wonder if I’ll ever get to live like that someday.’
I wanted to live like that at least once. A life without worrying about money. Spending tens of thousands of won at a claw machine without thinking twice. Adding extra pizza toppings or sides without hesitation. Ordering expensive desserts on a whim. Booking a flight for tomorrow if I suddenly felt like traveling. Staying in a VIP room at a luxurious resort.
“……”
It used to be a dream I couldn’t even imagine before. But not anymore. Because I had the ‘ring’ now.
Even today was like that. If I just finished this peaceful date, I’d get seven hundred thousand won. How could there be a more grateful ring in the world? Meeting this thing was truly the greatest stroke of luck in my life…
[Next, please head to ‘Gorani Love 69 Adult Shop,’ which is approximately 356 meters from here.]
…Huh?