### Chapter 05: This noona’s gonna make you fall for her!

  

  “Try this one on.”

  

  “How about this?”

  

  “Throw this jacket over it.”

  

  “That one looks good too.”

  

  “Bada-ssi… aren’t we buying way too much?”

  

  Kim Ha-neul glanced awkwardly at the department store employee trailing behind them, arms loaded with shopping bags.

  

  They’d already had to swap staff once because the bags were overflowing, but Kang Bada just shook her head firmly.

  

  “We haven’t even hit half the stores yet.”

  

  At first she told him to pick whatever he liked. But he went straight for the same black T-shirt and jeans he was already wearing. That’s when she took over.

  

  Ever since, she’d been making him try on literally everything in sight. For one trendy boutique, she just bought the entire outfit right off the mannequin.

  

  “I feel like I’ve got enough clothes to last a lifetime.”

  

  “But everything we bought today is for this season, right?”

  

  “……”

  

  His genuinely confused face said it all. Just looking at him in the new stuff made every single purchase feel worth it.

  

  Her mouth kept twitching upward no matter how hard she tried to hide it, so she quickly turned her back.

  

  ‘…Okay, this is actually a problem.’

  

  She knew exactly what she was doing. Problem was, she couldn’t stop.

  

  Her eyes swept over Kim Ha-neul again. He flinched under the stare, but she didn’t waver.

  

  ‘Everything looks stupidly good on him!’

  

  That was the issue.

  

  Casual, streetwear, modern, classic, dandy, minimalist—he pulled off every single style effortlessly. She was dying to know where the limit even was.

  

  ‘How am I supposed to not buy it when it suits him this perfectly?’

  

  She tried telling herself it was just the honeymoon filter talking, but even ignoring that, his proportions were objectively insane.

  

  Once something was on him, taking it off felt like a crime. So she just kept dragging him to the next store, bags swinging.

  

  ‘…I probably look like a total shopping addict right now.’

  

  Truth was, even she didn’t usually buy in bulk like this. One or two pieces max when she came to the department store.

  

  But she had her reasons. At a glance, it was obvious Kim Ha-neul barely had any clothes.

  

  ‘Bet his closet is just wall-to-wall black T-shirts.’

  

  No wonder—she’d seen him in basically the same outfit last time too. And then he picked almost identical stuff here.

  

  ‘That’s honestly kinda infuriating.’

  

  If she bought him enough for every day of the week, maybe next time he’d actually put effort into looking nice. That thought alone kept her swiping the card.

  

  ‘I don’t have a boyfriend to spend money on—what else am I gonna do with it?’

  

  Her friends were always nagging her for being too stingy anyway. “You have to spend what you earn to keep the economy moving,” blah blah.

  

  Plus now she did have a boyfriend (sort of). Better to actually wear and enjoy the clothes than let them rot in a closet.

  

  ‘Still, I tried to be reasonable about it.’

  

  She kept his personality in mind the whole time—picked versatile, timeless pieces he could mix and match forever.

  

  “Let me at least pay for—”

  

  “These are necessary expenses. If it was just you, sure, wear whatever. But you’re my husband now—we can’t have people talking about our group like that.”

  

  “Still feels excessive…”

  

  “Not at all. If anything, it’s not enough.”

  

  Even she knew her excuse was ridiculous. But the coat he was wearing right now? 1.5 million won.

  

  She’d deliberately stuck to popular, mid-tier brands so he wouldn’t feel crushed by the price tags. Still way out of his normal range.

  

  ‘I don’t want to hurt his pride over this.’

  

  She wanted him to look good and feel confident—not shrink because of the cost.

  

  “Then let’s stop here. There’s literally no more space in the closet anyway.”

  

  “Didn’t you hear the manager earlier? They opened on their day off just for us—we have to make it worth their while.”

  

  “Bada-ssi.”

  

  Suddenly his hand closed around her arm. She startled and looked up—straight into his eyes.

  

  ‘This… this distance is dangerous!’

  

  The perfume she’d sprayed earlier mixed with his natural scent, and it hit her like a truck. Sweet, addictive, and way too intense.

  

  That dangerous sweetness slipped into her nose, raced through her veins, and spread everywhere.

  

  “This is enough. Got it?”

  

  “Ah—yeah, got it. Just let me—”

  

  He pulled back fast, like he hadn’t meant to get that close. Relief and disappointment crashed into her at the same time. Total mess in her head.

  

  The lingering perfume haze kept messing with her thoughts.

  

  ‘Was he… insanely cool just now?’

  

  “This is enough.”

  

  That firm tone, the steady gaze—total different side of him. Was this the “gap charm” everyone talked about? The daytime calm, nighttime intense thing?

  

  ‘…Is this allowed to be this effective?’

  

  They say if a guy falls too easily you lose interest fast. In novels this is usually when the push-pull starts, right? Her brain was spiraling harder by the second.

  

  * * *

  

  After all the back-and-forth, shopping finally wrapped up. The second I got home I let out the biggest sigh of relief. Tension drained out of me so fast I almost collapsed into a chair.

  

  ‘How much did we even buy…?’

  

  The trunk wouldn’t hold everything, so I separated what I’d wear right away and had the rest delivered.

  

  I’m not dumb.

  

  She may have picked stuff like she was grabbing snacks at a convenience store, but I know exactly how much those clothes cost.

  

  ‘Just what I’m wearing right now…’

  

  Probably more than every piece of clothing I’ve ever owned combined. If I sold it secondhand I wouldn’t have to worry about rent for months.

  

  If the staff bonuses thing hadn’t been mentioned, I would’ve cut the bags in half at least.

  

  ‘Guess it’s good for everyone if people like her spend money.’

  

  People like Kang Bada keep the economy turning. Maybe the amount we dropped today will magically show up in my account tomorrow morning.

  

  I’m only human—wearing luxury I never dreamed of feels amazing. But there’s a limit.

  

  “Phew.”

  

  I took a long breath to settle my racing heart. Folded everything neatly, then hopped in the shower to cool off.

  

  Shhh—

  

  Under the water I finally sorted my thoughts—yesterday, today, and whatever comes next.

  

  ‘First… Bada-ssi.’

  

  She’s beautiful.

  

  I already thought so when I saw her outside the subway station. That sweet scent teasing my nose, the soft warmth when she linked arms…

  

  ‘No—stop that!’

  

  I shook my head hard. Almost caused a very awkward situation down there.

  

  ‘…This is dangerous.’

  

  I’m a healthy guy in my late twenties. I’ve seen plenty of people ruin their lives following instincts.

  

  In a world where people can fabricate evidence out of thin air, one impulsive mistake could end everything. Too much riding on my shoulders.

  

  ‘They already moved Dad’s hospital room, right?’

  

  She’s terrifyingly efficient.

  

  I can still hear my parents’ panicked voices from the call.

  

  “Oh my god, Ha-neul! What’s going on? Some guy in a suit showed up out of nowhere and moved your dad to this fancy room!”

  

  “…Really?”

  

  “Yeah! They said you won some prize writing about us, but you can’t trust people these days. Are you mixed up in something dangerous?”

  

  I was shopping with her at the time. When I glanced over, she was smiling like she’d just said “Your whole family is under my thumb now.”

  

  Scary as hell, but I couldn’t let it show.

  

  “No, it’s nothing like that. Don’t worry. They’re covering hospital bills until Dad gets discharged.”

  

  “Really?”

  

  “Yeah.”

  

  “Oh thank goodness. You’re such a good son! Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

  

  Mom finally sounded relieved. I was still uneasy, but if I let it show they’d worry more. Forced myself to sound upbeat.

  

  Tap tap.

  

  Kang Bada—who’d been eavesdropping the whole time—touched my hand. When I looked, she mouthed silently:

  

  ‘Sur. Pri. Se.’

  

  …I almost screamed.

  

  Somehow swallowed it and ended the call. That memory still gives me chills.

  

  Shhh—

  

  Water poured over me. Wanted to dunk my head too, but didn’t want to ruin the perm.

  

  “……”

  

  How long was I standing there? Eventually I snapped out of it. Finally saw my situation clearly.

  

  ‘Yeah. I’ve already stepped off the cliff.’

  

  Like that old game Princess Maker—I’m the protagonist in Kang Bada’s personal game now.

  

  Only difference is this is real life, and the scale is terrifying. Still, I chose this path.

  

  Only way out is death.

  

  But if I hold on… everyone gets a happy ending.

  

  ‘Kim Ha-neul, you’re screwed this time.’

  

  Back when I went to the orphanage with Dal-dongne for web novel material, I came back empty-handed.

  

  Couldn’t turn their real, painful lives into entertainment. Not after seeing it up close.

  

  Plenty of people never get a single “opportunity” in their whole life. Freaking out about this is basically a kid whining about side dishes.

  

  ‘As long as my family’s happy, that’s enough.’

  

  That’s all I need.

  

  What more reason do I want?

  

  Click—

  

  I turned off the shower, dried off, changed, and sat at my desk. Booted up the computer.

  

  “Hm?”

  

  Logged into the serialization site out of habit—and froze. Notifications stacked sky-high.

  

  Only about twenty, but for a nobody writer even three a day feels like a heart attack.

  

  ‘…Did some hater brigade show up?’

  

  “망생이” (struggling writer) is what we call ourselves half-jokingly. A lot of them turn bitter after failing to monetize and start leaving hate everywhere.

  

  I’ve been hit before. Heart was already pounding.

  

  “Phew… better check anyway.”

  

  Even the toughest writers get hurt by malicious comments. Sometimes hearing your “baby” (your story) trashed hurts worse than personal attacks.

  

  Lots of authors just turn off comments. I try to see them as feedback and stay humble.

  

  Deep breath. Opened them.

  

  [Good luck!]

  

  [Keep writing~]

  

  [Where’s the next chapter???]

  

  …What is this warm welcome?

  

  Every single one was positive. Even “Wind God Warrior,” one of the site’s legendary guardians, dropped by and left a comment.

  

  “…And there’s a donation?!”

  

  [Title: The Princess has sent a donation~]

  

  : The Princess sent warm support to the author. Keep writing strong and the Princess will enjoy it!

  

  Not my first donation, but usually 500–1,000 won max. This one?

  

  10,000 won.

  

  ‘Is this the legendary 10,000-won happiness people talk about?’

  

  Can’t cash it out right away, and even then it’s one meal’s worth—but money can’t buy this feeling.

  

  Having your work actually seen and appreciated? Electric.

  

  “Time to write—wait.”

  

  Hand hovering over the keyboard, my eyes drifted to my phone. Her voice replayed in my head.

  

  “Take care of your health.”

  

  “Come tomorrow in full condition. I’ll let you drive then.”

  

  Shower took longer than I thought.

  

  Clock said past 10 p.m.

  

  Stared at the monitor a bit longer, then shut everything down, grabbed my phone, and opened our chat.

  

  : Bada-ssi, you get home okay?

  

  Sent it carefully. The “1” (unread) didn’t go away.

  

  ‘Probably sleeping.’

  

  Makes sense after all that walking. Either way, she did a ton for me today—least I can do is say thanks.

  

  : Thanks for today.

  

  : I’ll wear the clothes a lot.

  

  Hmm… feels kinda stiff.

  

  Thought about it, then went bold.

  

  : [thumbs-up guy emoji]

  

  Picture made it way more casual. Bought it on discount—best value ever.

  

  ‘That should do it.’

  

  Smiling, I flopped onto the bed. Normally impossible to sleep, but tonight? Felt like I actually could.

  

  * * *

  

  “Hehe… yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.”

  

  Kang Bada’s lips curled up as she secretly checked every one of Kim Ha-neul’s messages in her notifications.

  

  ‘If I read them right away it’ll look like I was waiting…’

  

  Can’t have that.

  

  Love needs some push and pull.

  

  Now that she’d fully admitted she liked him, she switched strategies completely.

  

  “Bada-ya, you’re part of Daehan Group. Even if you fall for someone later, never give up control.”

  

  Her unnie’s old advice floated back. Sounded reasonable.

  

  In love, the one who loves harder usually loses. But cling too much and the other person gets tired fast.

  

  ‘That’s not happening.’

  

  Love’s just hormones anyway. Eternal love doesn’t exist biologically.

  

  But because it’s chemical, you can control parts of it. Understand the rules → happy marriage.

  

  ‘This noona’s gonna make you fall for her!’

  

  First love, probably last too. She at least wanted him to confess once.

  

  So she fought the urge to reply instantly and turned on airplane mode. That way the “1” would stay on his screen even if she peeked.

  

  “…What does this mean?”

  

  The text was fine.

  

  The problem was the emoji he sent way later—a guy giving thumbs-up while slicing his own throat. Straight-up looked like a death threat.

  

  ‘Did… did I get found out?!’

  

  Was he drawing a line because he sensed her feelings? Did he catch on to the push-pull game? Or maybe he realized she was the “Princess”?

  

  ‘Was the donation too small?!’

  

  Too many possibilities. All bad.

  

  Mind racing, she finally caved and turned airplane mode off. Fingers flew across the screen nervously.

  

  : Ha-neul-ssi?

  

  : What’s this supposed to mean?

  

  : Hello?

  

  But no matter how long she waited, the “1” never disappeared.

  

  He couldn’t be sleeping—not with his insomnia. So why no reply?

  

  Tap tap tap!

  

  Biting her nails, Kang Bada tossed and turned all night.