Chapter 20: Gift

When I looked at her face at her firm rejection, she just smiled mischievously.

“Autumn, money transactions should be strictly business, or they will ruin relationships between people.”

“Huh… That’s right. Can’t I just not buy it?”

“That won’t work either.”

“I don’t have money…”

“Autumn. Do you really not want to receive a gift from your unnie?”

She was still smiling pleasantly.

“It’s just… because it’s burdensome. This isn’t just a few thousand won, it’s tens of millions…”

She listened to me and thought about it, then said as if she had a good idea.

“Then how about doing me a favor later?”

“Please? What kind of favor is tens of millions? Don’t talk nonsense.”

“You can decide later. I can guarantee that the favor I’m asking of you is worth more than tens of millions.”

I felt bad about continuing to reject her who kept approaching me with good intentions, so I gave her a positive answer.

“Okay, but I don’t know what it is, but if it’s less than tens of millions, I’ll give it to you in money.”

“Yeah, thank you!”

“I’ll be grateful. But you can’t guarantee it?”

“Hehehe, of course!”

While talking to me, she let out her uniquely strange laughter, and the clerks around her all looked at her.

She didn’t even realize it and was just bashfully smiling at me, so I took a step closer to her and whispered,

“Unnie, can you really smile like that? All the clerks are looking at you.”

“Ugh… I’m screwed.”

When I heard the small sound coming from her, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Phew.”

“Whew?”

“Ah… Heh. I think I caught your laughter from you.”

“Phew. Isn’t that what you call a good influence?”

“Heh heh heh heh. Where’s the good in that? That’s completely different.”

The strange laughter that suddenly burst out spread to the clerks who were watching nearby.

“The clerks are all laughing because of you.”

“No way… It’s because Ga-eul is laughing! I’m screwed. How did I manage my image?”

The clerks who were laughing with her approached her and spoke to her.

“I thought the boss was always cold, but he seems nicer to me.”

“That’s right! I was a little scared of the boss, but I like him so much now.”

The employees were actually saying good things.

“Ha…. I was trying to keep my cool because I’m young, but after years of that, I ended up like this.”

As soon as she finished speaking, laughter erupted among the employees.

“Wow!! The boss is pretty!”

“Our boss is the best!”

The compliments she received showed what her usual behavior was like.

“Tch! I don’t know. Company dinner today! Beef!! Phew.”

She took out a card from her bosom and held it up to the sky, and cheers poured out again as she called out the company dinner.

“Let’s go, Ga-eul!”

“Why am I going to a place where my boss and the employees are going?”

When I refused, strangely, the employees started saying that they wanted to go together.

“Let’s go with the boss’ friend, Pink!”

“That’s right. Pink is so pretty! Her sunglasses are so cute!”

Her bright smile must have infected everyone.

“Hey, it’s okay. I have my shame too. As you all saw, the boss here gave me a mountain of clothes as a gift.”

“Why!! Gaeul, you should come with me too! Jeebaal!”

“No, what the heck, please! Don’t throw a tantrum, you’re not a kid.”

“Oh my gosh, let’s go together!”

“Oh my. Stop, stop!”

I gently soothed her as she pretended to cry.

“And I have plans for dinner.”

Her eyes widened at my words and she started throwing a tantrum, lisping.

“Huh? Gaeul is my friend! I’m going to kill you!”

“You’re right, Miss, but don’t say it so loudly.”

“Oh, what the heck! Where are you going! Where are you leaving me behind?”

“I’ll tell you that once we go out.”

“Hehe, okay!”

When I told her to go out and talk, she finally stopped whining as if she had won.

It seemed like she had already given up on maintaining her image.

It had only been a few hours since we met, but I wondered if she would like me this much.

“By the way, how are you going to carry all this?”

A mountain of shopping bags was piled up in front of her, and she couldn’t count the number.

“I’ll take you there!”

“Huh? No. I’m going to go get some fresh air by myself.”

“Hmm… Really? Then, I’ll ship it to you.”

“Does your clothing store have something like that?” I asked curiously.

She shook her head and answered.

“No. Our offline stores don’t, and our online logistics branch runs on a delivery system.”

“Then how are you going to ship it?”

“For regular customers who buy a lot of clothes at once, I’ll ship it to them. We’re not a large corporation, so we don’t have to strictly follow company rules. We just run things flexibly.”

“Really? Then I’d appreciate it if you did that.”

When I wrote down my address for the employee, the employees each took my clothes and started carrying them somewhere.

As I blankly watched, she came over and took me to a corner of the store.

“So what’s your dinner date?”

“Oh. Do you know about the internet broadcast I do?”

“What? I said I’m unemployed. Of course you know.”

“It’s only been three days since I started. I’m still unemployed.”

“Huh… I see. Where do you broadcast? Aren’t there different types?”

After hearing her question, I wondered if I should tell her this because there were so many bad guys in my room.

“Hmm… I’m Triplenet. I’ll come out when I hit Hangae.”

“Really? I’ll look it up later!”

When I was startled by her answer and told her not to do that, she questioned me.

“My room is a bit free-spirited. There are a lot of people who swear and make sexual jokes. It wasn’t my intention, but it wasn’t bad either.”

“Really? I like being free-spirited, too!”

“Uh… Yeah… Well, it wasn’t like that, but it’s good. But it’s only the third day, so I don’t know how things will change.”

“Autumn is right! It’s good! How many viewers do you have? Ten? Twenty?”

I smiled at her words and held up two fingers.

“Two?”

I shook my head at her words.

“What? Twenty?”

“The highest number of viewers is 2,300!”

“Huh? Does that make sense? You said it’s been three days. Gaeul used to be a celebrity?”

When I told her about my experience, she nodded and listened with interest.

“Wow, that’s strange. That’s why I said there were a lot of weird kids in my room.”

“But you all seem like a nice person, right? You like Ga-eul anyway.”

“Uh… um, is that so?”

“Of course! Ga-eul is cute and has pretty light pink hair that swings wildly, her body is sexy, her voice is refreshingly sweet, and she looks like a peach dessert, and I like it when I curse at such a cute creature in a way that doesn’t suit her!”

“Miss, is it a compliment or an insult?”

“Pfft fit! It’s a compliment. Should I call it gap moe? I really like Ga-eul!”

“Okay? Oh, that’s right. Please teach me how to tie my hair.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yeah, when you tie your hair up, guys really like the armpits and neckline that are visible.”

“What!!!?”

She suddenly raises her voice as if she’s about to faint at my words and asks back with her eyes wide open.

“What the heck!!! Is Autumn trying to seduce a guy? Who is it?! What kind of guy is it?! What kind of idiot is it!”

“Why are you acting so hasty all of a sudden? I told you I’m going on air, 90% of Korean Triplet viewers are guys.”

“Oh, that’s what it was? Hehe. I thought someone was going to steal my daughter.”

“Who is your daughter, Unnie?”

“Phehe.”

She led me to the mirror and started showing me how to tie my hair up while playing with my hair.

I felt a pleasant tickling sensation as she touched my hair.

“Wow… Unnie’s hair is so soft… It smells so good. Did Unnie make her hair out of peaches?”

“It’s always been like this. Stop talking nonsense and teach me.”

“But I don’t tie it up except when I’m eating, I just wear waves so I don’t know how to tie it up well. I’ll show you how to do a ponytail.”

As she started to tie my hair up while playing with my hair, I stopped her.

“Unnie, it doesn’t look good if you tie it down like that.”

“Uh… ”

“Huh?”

“Men really like a woman’s neckline, so tie it so that it’s slightly open to the neck.”

“Uh… uh… I understand.”

She looked flustered, then straightened her hair back to the middle, took out the rubber bands on her wrists, and started tying them up.

“Make some loose hair around the neck too.”

“Yeah.”

“Make some aegyo hair too.”

“Yeah…”

“Make some of the side hair loose and make it look like loose hair.”

“… Ga-eul…”

“Huh?”

I thought it was because I ordered too many things, but her face in the mirror looked serious for that reason.

“By any chance… Ga-eul, do you have a lot of experience with men?”

“Huh? No. Not at all. I’m single.”

“Uh… Thank you for such detailed information. No, I’m lying!”

Even though I answered honestly, she yelled at me, saying that I was lying, “What kind of lie are you talking about? Yes, I’m single.”

“Then how do you know so much about men!?”

“Uh… It’s because you watch a lot of porn.”

My lie that wasn’t really a lie for emergency escape worked a little, because her face changed a little mysteriously after hearing me.

“Is that so..? Do they teach you that kind of thing in porn?”

“Uh… Yes. And I read a novel where they were like princesses and princes and stuff?”

“Ah…”

Her face had a strange expression on it that was hard to guess whether she was agreeing or not.

“It’s done. Just tie it up like this.”

“Yeah, thank you, sis. Can I use this rubber band?”

“Hehe, I’m more grateful that Ga-eul lets me touch her soft hair~’ll pack a few rubber bands in the shopping bag for you.”

“Yeah, thank you!”

As I was walking towards the checkout counter to finish up and leave, I heard a strange sound behind me.

“Hic… hic.”

“What is it. What are you doing, sis?”

“No, Ga-eul, don’t walk!”

“What? What do you mean don’t walk?”

“The way your ponytail sways is too much!”

“Pheuheu, what are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense. I have to go home now.”

When I said I was going home, she snuggled right next to me and started whining again.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“I told you I had plans for dinner. You miss me that much?”

At my words, her head nodded so much that I could see an afterimage.

“Ugh. Our Darin, how long has it been since we met and you like me this much? Come here and I’ll hug you.”

“Hic.”

When I spread my arms toward her to hug her, the person who had been calling me “Wangijijjini Bokyu” before now got embarrassed.

While feeling embarrassed, she slowly came to me and hugged me tightly.

“Oh, you did that?”

I hugged my unnie tightly and slowly stroked her back.

“Oww…”

I don’t know what she said, but seeing my unnie answering while mumbling made me think of her as a cat that purrs when touched.

“Unnie, I have to go now. I don’t think I can be late anymore.”

“Yeah… See you next time?”

She asked me if I could see her again instead of saying I would see her again.

I smiled and answered.

“Of course! Come visit my house next time. It’s not a big house, but it has two rooms and it’s a rooftop room so you can grill meat in the yard.”

“Okay! You want to go!!!”

“Really? I’ll clean your ears when you come. I’m good at cleaning ears.”

“Hic… I definitely want to go!!”

“Okay. You definitely come visit next time. Am I really going?”

“Yeah yeah! Bye, Autumn!”

“Oh yeah. Thanks so much for today! See you next time.”

As I was leaving the store, I looked back and saw her waving her hands in the air vigorously.