A few days floated by, each one feeling a bit ordinary until my phone buzzed with Ling'er's name. "Class Reunion!" she announced, her voice bubbling with excitement. Apparently, Beom Seok, our class president – you know, the super smart guy who also happens to look like he walked straight out of a magazine – had organized it. Half the girls in our class had a major crush on him, it was kind of a running joke.
I said yes without even thinking. "Where is it?" I asked, already curious.
"Qian Mashup!" Ling'er replied.
My eyebrows shot up. Qian Mashup? That was the place to be, the biggest and fanciest restaurant in the whole area! But then Ling'er dropped another little bomb that made a sly smile creep onto my face. "Oh, and guess what? Our campus goddess is coming too!"
A little spark of mischief lit up inside me. In my head, I might have let out a quiet, "Heh heh heh." Out loud, I just said coolly, "Alright, I'll be there."
As soon as I hung up, a wave of realization washed over me. What was I going to wear? My current wardrobe consisted mostly of well-worn hoodies and jeans. Not exactly reunion material, especially not for Qian Mashup.
A thought struck me, and I practically sprinted towards the nearest car showroom. Just the other day, I'd finally managed to grind my way through that ridiculously complicated Qin Lai interest task and a hefty 2,000,000 won had landed in my account. Maybe, just maybe…
I stood outside the gleaming glass doors, my heart pounding a little. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. A man in a crisp suit rushed towards me. "Welcome, sir! Which car has caught your eye?" he asked with a wide smile.
But his smile faltered as he took in my slightly faded t-shirt and sneakers. His expression hardened. "Hey, you! This is a car shop, not a playground for you poor brats to hang around in." His words stung, a hot flush rising to my cheeks.
"I'm here to buy a car," I said, my voice tight with anger.
The man actually laughed. "Buy a car? You? Please! You people probably just come in here to look at the cheapest model. Laila! Deal with this… customer." He waved dismissively in my direction.
A woman with kind eyes and a gentle smile approached me. "Yes, sir," she said to the rude worker, then turned to me. "Which car are you interested in, sir?" Her voice was calm and respectful.
Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I looked her straight in the eye. "I want the most expensive car you have."
Laila didn't even blink. "Ah, the Bambargine G1. A fine choice, sir. Right this way." She led me to a sleek, powerful-looking machine that seemed to hum with understated luxury.
I circled the car, my eyes wide with amazement. "How much is it?" I asked, almost in a whisper.
"That beauty is 1.5 million won," Laila replied, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Miss," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the thrill coursing through me. "I want to buy it. Can you please prepare the paperwork? I'll pay right now."
Laila's professionalism didn't waver. She simply nodded and brought out a contract and a payment terminal. I signed where indicated and swiped my card. The transaction went through smoothly.
The rude salesman's jaw had dropped so low it looked like it might hit the polished floor. He stared at me, speechless, as Laila handed me the keys with a warm smile.
"Congratulations on your new car, sir. It's a pleasure doing business with you."
I took the keys, a small, satisfied smile playing on my lips. I slid into the driver's seat, the leather cool and luxurious beneath me. The engine purred to life with a gentle roar.
Instead of heading home, I drove to the biggest mall in the city. It was time for a serious wardrobe upgrade.
Alex pushed through the big glass doors of the mall, the sound of happy chatter and music washing over him. He was on a mission: new clothes! He scanned the directory, his finger tracing the lines until he found "Apparel Avenue." It said it was on the second floor.
"Okay, second floor," he mumbled to himself, already feeling a little impatient. After what felt like forever (but was probably only about three minutes!), he spotted the escalator going up. "Yes!" he thought, hopping on.
Up on the second floor, the bright lights of the clothes center twinkled. As he stepped inside, a friendly worker with a big smile greeted him, "Hello there! Welcome!"
Alex nodded and made a beeline for the suit section. Rows and rows of jackets and pants hung neatly, in all sorts of colors and styles. But then, his eyes stopped on one. It was pure black, the fabric looked smooth and rich, and it just seemed to shine under the lights.
"Wow," Alex breathed. He had to know more. He looked around for a worker, and just then, the same friendly person who greeted him earlier noticed him looking at the black suit. They hurried over.
"That's one of our finest," the worker said with a proud smile. "It's made with special material. The price is... four lakhs."
Alex's eyes widened a little. "Four lakhs?" That sounded like a LOT of money!
The worker, seeing Alex's surprise, quickly added, "It's a very special suit. Would you like me to pack it up for you?"
Alex, still a little amazed by the price but clearly really liking the suit, said, "Yeah, okay!"
He followed the worker to the counter, pulling out his wallet. "I'll pay right away," he said, feeling a little excited about his new purchase.
After paying, Alex carefully took the bag with his new black suit. He walked out of the busy mall, the bag feeling important in his hands. He found his car in the parking lot, hopped in, and started the engine. As he drove towards home, he probably couldn't wait to try on his amazing new suit!