★Chapter 04 : The ride feels great!★
“What do you think?”
“Oh…”
As I finished the rather lengthy salon session, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror and couldn’t help but be amazed. Removing my glasses and running my fingers through my hair, my own face, my lifelong companion, appeared unfamiliar.
“To be honest, I never expected it to turn out this good. Why are you hiding such a pretty face?”
“Ahaha…”
I awkwardly chuckled in response to Ryu Yeon-hwa’s genuine compliment. It’s not every day that you hear something like this, and I’m not sure how to react.
However, I can understand why people are willing to pay a substantial amount for a salon visit. Each time Ryu Yeon-hwa tweaked my hair and paid attention to the details, my impression transformed significantly.
“Now, until the perm grows out, there’s no need to go to great lengths to maintain it, but it’s still beneficial to learn these basic techniques.”
“Understood.”
Ryu Yeon-hwa kindly taught me various things, from how to use a hairdryer to applying essence and spraying. It’s a skill that can be useful in the long run, and if there’s ever a male character in a story who enjoys styling, I can make use of it too.
I nodded repeatedly, making an effort to remember Ryu Yeon-hwa’s tips.
“I’ll gather the necessary items for you to take with you when you leave, so you can continue styling like this in your everyday life.”
“Oh, there’s no need to go that far…”
“It’s all included in the cost.”
Well, in that case, I should accept it.
It’s not an additional charge; it’s already accounted for in the overall cost. If I don’t take advantage of it, it would be a loss.
“How much does it actually cost?”
I felt an urge to ask. It seems like Ryu Yeon-hwa has already realized that I’m not some wealthy young master, but should I refrain from inquiring?
“Unnie, are you finished?”
“Yes. Come here and take a look.”
“······.”
“How was it? It turned out really well, didn’t it? He’s handsome enough to make the heavens jealous. Where did you find such a gem like him?”
“······.”
Kang Ba-da remained silent. Although I could sense her gaze on me through the mirror, she didn’t even flinch.
As I lifted my eyes, Kang Ba-da’s stern expression was clearly visible. No matter how indifferent I may be to the opinions of others, such a reaction is somewhat hurtful.
In response to her lukewarm response, Ryu Yeon-hwa also tilted her head.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”
“No, it turned out better than I expected.”
“But why is your reaction like that?”
“Well, it’s just… Um, unnie, we don’t have much time, so I’ll go ahead.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Whoosh!
Kang Ba-da swiftly turned around and left after those words. I stared blankly at her retreating figure and quickly stood up.
“Thank you for today, Director!”
“Ha-neul, you should take your belongings!”
“I’ll take them next time!”
What matters right now isn’t things like hairspray. I’m not sure what happened outside, but it’s crucial to lighten Kang Ba-da’s mood.
“Ba-da-ssi!”
Startled!
Immediately after leaving the salon, I noticed Kang Ba-da standing in front of the door, looking bewildered. When I called out to her, she turned around in surprise.
“······?”
Kang Ba-da appears to be in an unusual state.
When she turned around, she fixed her gaze on my face. I wondered if she was upset because I had dozed off, but it didn’t seem to be the reason.
“Is there something on my face?”
“······.”
Even when I asked, Kang Ba-da remained silent. Various doubts crossed my mind, questioning if something serious had happened.
All of a sudden-!
Kang Ba-da approached me swiftly. If we exaggerated a bit, we were almost face-to-face, and she closely examined my face.
“What on earth happened? How can a person change so drastically? Did you get Botox while I was away? Could this possibly be a mask?”
“For now, please calm down···?”
Out of nowhere, Kang Ba-da started gently pulling my cheek. Although she didn’t grip it tightly, it left an impression.
“However, it’s not a mask.”
“Calm down···. No, it’s not!”
I seized Kang Ba-da’s wrist and forcefully let go. In response, she stared at her own wrist, which I was holding, and then back at me. I spoke cautiously.
“…You were the one who pinched my cheek first.”
“You mean… Ba-da-ssi.”
Correcting her title, Kang Ba-da’s momentarily sharp gaze returned to its original state. It seemed she was quite sensitive about such things.
“I should also be cautious about this.”
Those words slipped out unintentionally when I realized that if news of this incident reached her family, it could have serious consequences. I should definitely inform my friends, just to be safe.
“If you don’t hear from me for about a week, please report it to the police. They should at least search for my body, shouldn’t they?”
“I should also pay them a visit someday.”
Although I’ll probably call them during the wedding, I should share my contacts beforehand. It will increase the chances of survival if something goes wrong.
In the worst-case scenario, we might all end up going hand in hand into the grave, but my friends would forgive me for that.
“I apologize for suddenly pinching your cheek. Even as I see it, I can’t believe it myself. Honestly, even now.”
“I think you’re exaggerating a bit···.”
“I wish that were the case. Maybe something is obstructing my vision. But that doesn’t make sense, right?”
Is this commendation or irony?
I felt a peculiar mixture of emotions.
Not knowing how to respond, I remained silent. In the meantime, she nodded to herself and mumbled phrases like “Yeah, that doesn’t make sense.”
“But still, it’s a relief.”
It appears she’s not angry, after all. My appearance is relatively satisfactory as well. It’s a much better situation than I had feared.
“By the way, about our restaurant reservation···.”
“I’m changing the plans. Let’s go buy clothes first.”
“What?”
“Your current hairstyle and clothes don’t match at all. I keep worrying about where the food will end up.”
Kang Ba-da continuously scanned me from top to bottom. With a resolute demeanor that seemed to reject any objections, I simply nodded.
“Do as you please, Ba-da-ssi.”
Yes, the client is king.
In return for providing transportation to her desired destination, I would receive the corresponding payment. As long as I stay on track and don’t get lost, everything should go smoothly.
“Well then, let’s make our way to the parking lot for now.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Subsequently, we entered the car together and set off towards the department store.
…
“…The ride is incredibly comfortable.”
“Right? I personally had the seats custom-made.”
“Are you naturally interested in cars?”
“Not particularly. It’s just that when I laid eyes on Scarlet, I was immediately captivated and did a bit of research, that’s all.”
By the way, ‘Scarlet’ is the nickname of the car we are currently traveling in. That’s how much I treasure this car, I suppose.
It costs around 160 million won even without any additional features, a dream come true for all car enthusiasts—the Porsche 911.
“This one definitely has all the bells and whistles.”
Porsche is a brand renowned for its remarkable customization options, to the extent that there’s a saying in the world, ‘Creating my own car.’
With such a wide range of choices available, sometimes the cost exceeds expectations. And right before me was a perfect example of that.
“When you tally everything up, it’s probably around 300 to 400 million won, right?”
As Kang Ba-da started the engine, Scarlet responded energetically with a revving sound. That sound continued to reverberate in my ears.
“It’s like a dream come true.”
Operating a car like this would be impractical, even if I were to receive twice my monthly salary of 5 million won. The maintenance costs alone would be challenging to bear.
“Do you want to drive on the way there?”
“Is that alright!?”
“Wow, that’s the most enthusiastic response I’ve seen so far. You mentioned being a driver in the military, so you must really have a passion for cars, don’t you?”
“Ahaha…”
Unbeknownst to me, I instinctively turned my head towards the window, feeling a tinge of embarrassment after inadvertently exposing my inner thoughts. I’ve always had a fondness for cars since I was young.
“To me, it’s merely a decorative item.”
That’s understandable. Considering how infrequently I venture outside, perhaps once a week, owning my own car would be a significant extravagance.
Whenever I embark on a new writing project, I often find myself thinking, “If this piece becomes a hit, maybe I’ll indulge myself with one of those?” It’s a small pleasure in life, engaging in some retail therapy.
“Hmm, but it’s still not feasible.”
Suddenly, Kang Ba-da shook her head.
Internally, a hint of disappointment crept in. If it were my car, I would never entrust it to someone else, so I could comprehend why she had a change of heart.
“It’s alright. It’s more than I deserve…”
“No, it’s not about that. You stayed up all night, didn’t you? You even dozed off at the salon earlier.”
“…Is that so?”
“Drowsy driving is absolutely prohibited. So, make sure you come tomorrow fully rested. I’ll let you drive then.”
…Is she an angel?
It felt as if a halo was radiating from Kang Ba-da’s back. She didn’t even lend this imported car to her own family, yet she handed it over to me with just a simple promise.
“You’ve made a promise with me.”
“Yeah, a promise.”
“…?”
“You surely understand what that means, right?”
“Well, it’s not that…”
“Then let’s make the promise quickly. Come on.”
Kang Ba-da took hold of my hand and led me. And in that manner, we made a promise, intertwining our pinky fingers.
“…It feels like I’ve become a child.”
When was the last time I held hands with someone? It might happen again when “Little Kim Ha-neul” comes back. The girl I met at the playground feels like the most recent one.
“What promise did we make back then?”
It’s been so long that my memories are foggy. It probably wasn’t anything significant. Maybe we made a typical promise like “Let’s get married when we grow up” with our young hearts.
“Should we start going down now?”
“Ah, yes.”
I gently shook my head to dispel those thoughts. It’s impolite to have someone in front of me while thinking about someone else.
“Please follow me.”
“…?”
As we parked the car and entered the department store, suddenly the employees came out to greet us. I wondered what this situation was about.
“Ah, Director Park! It’s been a while.”
“Thank you for remembering.”
“Of course, we remember. Thank you for fulfilling our difficult request. Everyone has been working hard because of us.”
“No, it’s not like that. We received a bonus for it. It was actually challenging to select volunteers among those eager to help. Please feel free to use our services comfortably.”
With those words, Director Park and the other staff members all bowed at once. It was my first time experiencing a folder greeting.
“…This feels like something you would only see in a drama.”
Even my well-trained brain, accustomed to vast amounts of information, gave up on understanding the situation. I could only follow Kang Ba-da’s lead with unsure steps.
Behind me, three staff members followed. They maintained a certain distance, constantly observing this side.
“Ba-da-ssi, what about those people…?”
“Oh, Trinity members are assigned assistants. They will help us with the luggage.”
“I understand.”
For now, I grasped the situation.
Since I was writing a chaebol novel, I had also done research on ‘Trinity members.’ It was a special rank granted to a select few individuals based on their performance, position, and other factors within the department store.
“But why are there no customers in the department store?”
“Today was originally a day off for the department store. However, I requested the manager to open it briefly.”
“I see.”
Indeed.
So this is what people mean when they say they have “rented out the whole place.” Even though our monthly rent is already a burden, this woman treats the department store as if it were her own home.
“They say the top 1% is responsible for 30% of the total sales…”
I was slightly taken aback by the difference in scale. If I were to depict this situation in a novel, I wondered how readers would react.
“Does this even make sense? Didn’t you do any research?”
“Author, it lacks realism.”
“The lack of plausibility diminishes the immersion.”
Undoubtedly, comments like these would arise. In reality, much more unbelievable things occur than in novels.
Perhaps if I were to include this scene in a novel, I might have to tone it down to make it more relatable.
“What are you pondering so deeply?”
Her natural and sincere expression.
There was no falsehood or pretense in it.
Without a doubt, Kang Ba-da has no idea what she has done. She has always lived in a world where this is considered “natural.”
“She lives in a completely different world from me.”
I have to be careful, very careful.
If her world and my world collide, this side will disappear without a trace. Knowing that, I gently smiled.
“It’s nothing significant. Where should we start?”
“Let’s start with perfumes! I have a few selected ones. They can vary depending on the scent or time. Let’s experiment with different ones while shopping!”
“That sounds good.”
Kang Ba-da rushed forward like an excited child. I watched her back and slowly followed her steps.
