After about two hours of being dressed up and treated like a toy, I could finally take a break as I sat down at a café inside the department store.
“I’m, I’m sorry, Uju. I got so excited dressing you up, I didn’t even realize…”
In response to my embarrassment, Older Sister Seo-ha handed me the coffee she had picked up from the counter. As the cool Americano flowed into my body, I finally started to regain my senses.
“No worries, sis. I’m just a bit tired because I hardly ever go shopping, but I actually had fun.”
My reply to my sister’s apology was completely genuine.
Honestly, I did underestimate women’s shopping a bit, but if you ask whether I enjoyed it or not, I definitely did. It made sense why my older sister liked to shop so much.
Especially, while I was trying on different outfits, it was quite delightful to watch Older Sister Seo-ha’s satisfied expressions. Although, I will admit that her excitement was a bit hard to keep up with.
“Really? That’s a relief… I already sent all the clothes via express delivery, so they’ll be at home when we get there.”
I thought for sure that it was a good thing.
When I was carrying enough paper bags that I could barely hold, I wondered how I was going to take them around, but when I saw Older Sister talking with an employee at the store who offered to ship it home, I was overjoyed.
“I guess things like that are available these days. The world has improved so much…”
“Hmph, you sound like you’ve lived for 40 years.”
Older Sister Seo-ha burst out laughing at my elderly-sounding mumbling.
Well, what can I do? It was my first time shopping this much, so I never even thought about using express delivery.
“Um, sis…”
“Yeah?”
I timidly called out to her while she was sipping her coffee through a straw, and she stared at me with wide eyes.
I knew it was silly to bring this up now, but just in case, I decided to voice my anxiety.
“I still feel like we bought too much… Wouldn’t it be better to return a few items even now?”
My concerns were too valid to ignore.
It was because even counting only the clothes and shoes she bought for me today, it was enough to make me feel dizzy. Even if you bought from an ordinary boutique, a total like that would leave a hole in your wallet, but at this luxurious department store, I couldn’t even comprehend how much money she had spent.
“Oh, were you worried about that? It’s fine, I didn’t spend much.”
“Excuse me? No way…”
But when my worries were dismissed so lightly by her waving her hand, I was honestly flabbergasted.
I wasn’t some clueless fool without any concept of money, and I couldn’t believe she thought I would take her words at face value.
“Are you saying you can’t trust me? That’s a bit disappointing.”
“No, no. It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just a matter of common sense…”
When I looked at her skeptically, Older Sister Seo-ha simply squinted her eyes and shrugged. Her confidence was so puzzling that I almost wanted to wave my hand to dismiss it.
Suddenly…
“…Huh?”
Out of nowhere, she pulled something from her handbag and spread out a bunch of neatly folded receipts.
But the numbers on them were bizarre. Not so much bizarre as they were shockingly low.
“See? I really didn’t spend much, did I?”
“What is this?”
“Huh? This is the receipt we got earlier. Look, it has all the items listed.”
Oh, right. I checked the very first store’s receipt, and there it was, each item of clothing and shoes, along with their colors, prices, and quantities written down perfectly.
For how much we bought, this is what the total came to? Isn’t that too cheap?
Sure, it felt pricier than the ordinary boutique I usually shopped at, but this was a high-end department store, so these prices didn’t quite register with me. I had seen t-shirts going over 200,000 won earlier; was that just a mirage?
“Places like this often have massive seasonal discounts. Uju, didn’t you say you hardly ever shop at department stores?”
“Yeah, yeah… That’s why I didn’t know it could be this cheap…”
While it was true I spent quite a bit given the amount I purchased, it wasn’t at the astronomical level I had initially imagined.
Honestly, the amount I spent would be something I’d laugh at if I had bought it for my sister. Either way, spending on her was never going to feel like a waste.
“And don’t worry, I can easily afford this much. You see, I’m quite capable?”
“Capable?”
Wasn’t she just an ordinary office employee?
I wasn’t trying to belittle her profession, but for a typical office worker, this kind of spending was hardly something you would bat an eye at.
“You’d be surprised. I do pretty well with investments and stocks. Honestly, I only do the office work because I don’t want to just sit at home all day.”
“Oooh… That sounds impressive.”
I clapped softly, genuinely impressed by her unexpected accomplishment.
She clearly had the aura of a successful career woman. It was fair to say that her office role was just a side gig, and investing was where her real talent lay.
That’s so cool.
“Are you interested in stocks too, Uju?”
Did Older Sister misinterpret my curious admiration?
While she looked at me with wide eyes and asked her question, I shook my head firmly. Just glancing at the broadcasters around me who were suffering because of their investments, I had sworn off that field for life.
“No, I don’t want to touch that with a ten-foot pole… I’ve steered clear of coins or stocks long before. Gambling? Don’t even get me started.”
“That’s the smart thing to do. You’re currently earning a stable income, so there’s no need to overreach.”
Her gentle gaze as she patted my hand resting on the table warmed my face a bit.
“So, by the way, what kind of stocks do you have? I’m just curious…”
“Well, I have stocks in Changseong Corporation and Aiver. They make up the majority of my portfolio.”
“Oh, so you’re sticking to major companies.”
Although I wasn’t too familiar with stocks, I figured big companies would be stable investment choices.
Plus, since Aiver was technically the company Older Sister worked for, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say she had some personal attachment to it.
“Shall we start looking for clothes for you now? I feel like we’ve rested enough.”
After some small talk, as our coffee got low, I suggested we start roaming the department store again.
“Huh? No, I wasn’t planning on shopping for my clothes today.”
“What?”
However, Older Sister Seo-ha shook her head, indicating she wasn’t interested in shopping for her own clothes, despite having bought mountains of clothes for me.
This is problematic.
“Actually, I bought a lot of summer clothes when I went shopping with Mom not long ago. I just wanted to get clothes for my Uju today.”
“No, still…”
With her cheerful face, Older Sister’s attitude genuinely confused me.
By just ending this shopping spree like this, I would become that ungrateful kid who got a truckload of clothes from Older Sister Seo-ha and didn’t even appreciate it.
“Ha-ha, are you trying to get me to buy myself something too?”
“Of course I want to. Even the most morally twisted person would say, ‘This isn’t right!’”
It wasn’t just the sense of wanting to give back, but I also had a heartfelt desire to pick out clothes for my sister and see her joyful reactions.
Recognizing my heartwarming intentions, Older Sister Seo-ha nodded with a crescent moon-like smile.
“Alright, then can you help me pick one? I’ve been wanting something for summer.”
“Absolutely.”
I felt satisfied just having swayed her mind. I clenched my fist in triumph as I responded.
“What style do you like? A bikini? A one-piece?”
“Me? If I had to choose, a bikini… Huh?”
Then, as I walked along with Older Sister towards the store, I casually answered a spontaneous question but suddenly realized something was off and widened my eyes.
But it was already too late.
“Ah, so you like bikinis, huh? Got it.”
Older Sister Seo-ha winked playfully, tapping her temple as if to lock in the information.
Only then did I realize something had gone dangerously wrong, and I rushed to grab her hand.
“W-wait a minute, sister. Where are we going…?”
Just before I could finish, she turned her head slightly and looked at me with an expression that questioned my confusion.
“Buying a swimsuit. It’s summer, after all.”
“……”
That’s when I realized I had fallen into Older Sister Seo-ha’s trap, but there was no way to take back what I had said.
Goodness, is it just me, or is she getting more and more playful?
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