No Splurging, Just Irrational Consumption
A cool breeze was riding the wind across the sky.
It was my first outing since pocketing that ten billion dollar windfall and immediately getting gender-swapped into this body.
“Phew… Nice and cool.”
Had oxygen ever felt this welcoming?
The crisp air stabbing into my lungs seemed to wash away all the stuffiness clogging my heart.
It wasn't just because I'd been holed up like a hikikomori and finally stepped outside. If that were the case, I would've felt this in my past life too—something I'd never experienced before.
Was it because I was breathing clean country air for the first time, far from the city?
“Right? Humans gotta go outside sometimes, yeah?”
“You think?”
“You can't live in your room forever. Gotta meet people, make friends.”
Ahem.
Frankly, I didn't buy it.
Sure, some folks recharge by mingling with others.
But on the flip side, there are those who only recover their energy at home.
“Well, if we're talking MBTI or whatever, there are those big I types out there.”
“Even those people have folks around them, though? Unnie, you should get a job or… um.”
Seola suddenly cut herself off mid-sentence.
She must've been lost in thought after watching me rake in that massive haul.
Probably wondering if I really needed a job.
“Hey, Seola.”
“Mm… Yeah? You call me, unnie?”
“Do we really have to walk all the way to the bus stop? Can't we just grab a taxi?”
“Too expensive.”
“We're not exactly broke anymore, are we?”
Seola shook her head at that.
Taxi fare must've felt like a waste to her.
“Sigh. If you blow money just 'cause it came in, you might regret it later. Gotta save where you can.”
“…Then what's the point of making money? You gotta spend it for there to be any meaning.”
“Unnie, I'm just worried about the future. Sure, I'm scared of losing it all and the account running dry, but…”
“But?”
“What really terrifies me is getting used to living fancy like that.”
“…”
The rock-bottom life I'd chalked up to just being broke.
But the real issue with rock-bottom life wasn't starving in the moment from lack of cash.
…Ah. The second someone gets used to this existence, any sense of leisure vanishes for good.
Human generosity comes from a full storehouse, after all.
So what happens when someone who's scraped by without leisure in wallet or heart suddenly gets money?
They usually swear they'll never go back to the old days. That era was hell—they couldn't live like that again.
But here's the funny part.
People who say that end up living just like before, even after gaining some breathing room.
To avoid slipping back to rock bottom, they keep living at rock bottom.
How utterly hollow is that?
“Remember the days we filled our stomachs with water? Eating one pack of ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?”
“…Kinda.”
“If we got used to eating our fill and then had to go back… I couldn't do it. Better not to get comfortable in the first place.”
But there was something even more amusing.
People who dread ruin that much still change when the sums get overwhelming.
Not billions, but tens of billions, hundreds, trillions—losing a chunk barely dents your livelihood.
And that's when you realize how sly human nature really is.
Once basics are covered and you're swimming in abundance, eyes turn to convenience.
Ah, hate doing laundry.
Driving's such a drag.
Discomforts start grating, and soon you're hiring people to handle it. Housekeepers, chauffeurs…
Then what?
Once your body's comfy, social standing kicks in.
Can't just sit there while people whisper you're loaded but classless.
Pricey watches, tailored suits… Gotta have the 'class' to match the wealth.
I wasn't exempt either.
As a fund PM—Portfolio Manager—dignity was part of the job evaluation.
Who'd trust a slob handling their money?
Got a bit sidetracked there, but the conclusion was simple.
In the end, it all boils down to me making a shit-ton more money.
For Seola and Grandpa to find some real peace of mind.
Since time immemorial, nothing beats money like more money.
Unhappy despite being rich? Just means you don't have enough.
“College life treating you okay, even with the money crunch?”
“Yeah, doing fine. Got scholarships, tons of friends…”
“Good to hear.”
“But unnie, ever thought about college?”
“Nah. Studying at my age? Pass.”
“We're only two years apart. Not that late for you.”
Come to think of it, I'd never experienced it myself, but I'd heard the rumors.
In Korea, they look down on folks without a degree.
But it wasn't just a Korean thing.
America, that beacon of democracy.
But deep down, it's no different from feudalism.
The higher up you go, the more America obsesses over bloodlines and old-school ties.
Wall Street's top investment banks? Good luck getting in without an Ivy—let alone rising without alumni pulling strings.
Still, my reason for skipping college was straightforward.
“Honestly, the cash and time it'd cost? Waste for me.”
“But I got sent to college?”
“This unnie's a genius, unlike her little sis. Hehe.”
“…Unnie, you're the worst.”
“Half a joke. Point is, why go to college if it means ditching what you're good at—or love?”
“Half joke means the other half's serious, right? Huh?”
“Ahem.”
This life, I had zero plans to claw my way back into Wall Street. Return to those newbie days of 16-hour grinds, weekends included? Time was worth more than any tuition.
Wasn't jetting around on private planes for nothing in my past life.
The bigger you are, the richer—the pricier your time gets, exponentially.
No way I'd waste four years on strangers' side-eyes.
"This stop is XX Market, XX Market Station."
“Unnie, this is our stop.”
“…But Seola, didn't you say we were clothes shopping?”
“Yeah, that's right?”
Following her led us to a spot closer to a traditional market than any modern boutique.
I didn't hate traditional markets, per se.
The rustic vibe and cozy atmosphere felt like a novel charm to someone like me, city-bound all my life.
Though maybe that's easy for me to say, rocking nothing but hoodies…
Didn't traditional markets feel a tad outdated for clothes shopping?
Was I nuts for doubting a college kid's fashion instincts—the most trend-sensitive demo?
“…Ah.”
Glancing at Seola's outfit then, I couldn't help but sigh.
Floral-patterned skirt that stood out, paired with a t-shirt crammed with mysterious wrinkles.
Seola's fashion sense was straight-up catastrophic.
“Seola, let's hit this place another time.”
“Huh? Why, we came all this way?”
“You said you usually just wear whatever your friends pick, right?”
“Yeah, they tell me exactly what to put on.”
“…What about makeup?”
“Don't do it?”
…Yeah, couldn't leave fashion to Seola.
Made sense—she'd been too swamped with studies for cosmetics or clothes, let alone fashion.
Of course frivolities like style were luxuries.
Not that I obsessed over fashion or stares myself.
As a guy back then, "pretty" compliments wouldn't have thrilled me anyway.
But it bugged me.
Seola compromising—giving up—because of tight money.
So, splurging…
Hm.
Calling 1.4 billion 'splurging' feels kinda embarrassing.
Anyway, I might not know makeup, but I knew spending. Time to school Seola.
How to use money properly.
“Nope, this won't do. Follow me to the department store.”
“That's expensive. If we're going, at least a cheap spot…”
“No arguments.”
“W-wait, unnie?!”
I remembered those YouTube vids from my hikikomori days—"Spend 100 million won in a day."
Even excluding houses or cars, normies have no clue how easy it is.
Yeah. "Splurging" felt off in scale and vibe—better call it irrational consumption.
So…
“Seola, I'll teach you everything. About this thing called irrational consumption.”