The luxury boutiques were often frequented by various types of difficult customers.
‘Do you even know who I am?’ they might demand, asserting a false sense of authority, only to turn out to be a customer who isn’t even a VIP.
Or perhaps those who sweep up every limited-edition item to resell them at a higher price.
And then there were customers like the one currently before them.
“Could I try this on as well?” she asked, a difficult customer who continually tried on garments with no intention of purchasing them.
Of course, when it comes to luxury clothing, trying it on before buying is paramount.
Given the exorbitant prices, confirming the precise measurements is essential.
Head office guidelines even stipulate that garments should be tailored to fit the customer’s exact size.
For bespoke suits, in particular, where measurements are taken two, three, or even more times, this meticulous process is only natural.
However, such services ultimately hold meaning only for those with a genuine intent to purchase.
To repeatedly try on clothes without any intention of buying them is undeniably the behavior of a difficult customer.
‘How many outfits has it been already?’ the employee thought.
The customer who had just entered had already tried on a total of five garments.
Calculating the cumulative price, it amounted to nearly eleven million won.
The manager, standing nearby, began subtly signaling to the employee waiting outside the fitting room for the customer.
The employee observed the manager’s discreet hand signal, barely noticeable: [Wrap it up and send them out.]
Upon seeing the signal, the female employee nodded and positioned herself in front of the fitting room.
After a brief moment, the difficult customer emerged from the fitting room.
‘It truly suits them remarkably well,’ the employee thought.
When they had arrived in a tracksuit, the employee hadn’t paid much attention, but seeing them dressed like this, they looked almost like a professional model.
Do clothes truly make the person? Indeed.
The right attire can utterly transform someone.
Yet, for clothes to truly be a ‘wing,’ several conditions are required.
Especially the physique.
While facial features are important, a good figure is paramount for clothing.
A tall stature, appearing to be in the late 160s cm.
And despite being slender overall, they weren’t excessively thin, possessing beautifully subtle curves.
Adding to that, a chest size that was rarely seen.
The female employee momentarily admired her striking beauty.
As she stood there, lost in thought, the manager behind her began signaling again.
[What are you doing?]
The female employee nodded, acknowledging the message.
“It suits you perfectly,” she said. “Allow me to assist you with a quick size check.”
Approaching her with those words, the employee began checking the size, subtly initiating the conversation meant to politely usher her out.
“The size seems to be a good fit.
And, I apologize, but…”
“Then I’ll just wear this out,” the customer interjected. “I’ll take these pants, and the jacket I tried on first.
Please also get me all the other items I tried on in the correct sizes.”
“Uh… pardon?”
A completely unexpected response burst forth.
The total, if she bought everything, would be 10.8 million won.
‘All of it?’ the employee thought.
The employee, slightly stunned, found herself unable to speak.
She cleared her throat with a small cough.
Then, with a practiced expression,
“Yes, please follow me to the register.”
She guided the customer to the checkout counter.
Out of concern that this might be a VIP they hadn’t recognized, she checked the customer list.
However, no matter how thoroughly she searched, there was no customer resembling her,
“The total comes to 10.8 million won.
Do you happen to have a membership registered?”
“Uh… no,” the customer replied.
She was just a regular customer, without even a department store membership.
The employee tilted her head slightly and began to explain.
“If you register for a membership, you’ll be eligible for various benefits with future purchases.
Given the amount you’re spending today, you could instantly achieve Emerald status, so I highly recommend signing up.”
Blinking at the employee’s explanation, the customer pondered for a moment.
She nodded, agreeing to create one.
“If you could please write your name, date of birth, and contact information here, I’ll assist you with the registration.
We would also appreciate it if you could show us your ID.”
Upon hearing this, the customer nonchalantly pulled a worn wallet from her pocket and handed over her ID card.
The employee examined the ID.
The employee’s face froze.
‘…What?’ she thought.
Choi Yeon-bi.
Age 21.
Twenty-one years old.
[What are you doing? Is there a problem with the ID?]
Seeing the manager’s hand signal from behind, she shook her head vigorously.
Then, with a somewhat frozen expression, she hastily completed the membership registration.
She was almost certainly the youngest Emerald member.
To achieve Emerald status, one typically needed to spend over ten million won annually, yet this customer had done so at the mere age of twenty-one.
No, perhaps she was even beyond Emerald status.
‘Just who in the world is she…’ the employee wondered.
Though she had encountered countless customers, it had been a long time since she felt this flustered.
Occasionally, young-looking women would spend tens of millions of won, but those individuals were almost always the children of chaebols, with pre-registered memberships.
However, the customer standing impassively before her, Choi Yeon-bi, was a woman who not only lacked a membership but also had no other family memberships linked.
Despite her confusion, she managed to complete the membership registration.
“Registration is complete.
You can apply for your membership card online or pick it up directly at the customer service center on the first floor of the store.”
“Ah… alright,” Choi Yeon-bi replied.
“Then, I’ll assist you with the payment.”
The employee, having painstakingly regained her composure,
‘Well, there are plenty of wealthy people in the world, I suppose,’ she thought.
She continued to attend to Yeon-bi, who stood before her, regarding her with a hint of envy.
“I’ll pay by card,” Choi Yeon-bi stated.
“Card received,” the employee confirmed.
This time, upon receiving the card, she was slightly taken aback.
It was a debit card, not a credit card.
‘How truly remarkable,’ she thought.
The employee felt a slight headache coming on from this utterly unpredictable customer.
Following this, the payment was completed without any issues.
“Payment complete.”
Choi Yeon-bi, receiving her card back with an utterly nonchalant expression, took the paper bags containing her purchases and the card.
****
It felt a little awkward.
My tracksuit was loose and didn’t reveal my figure, so I hadn’t been particularly self-conscious.
The clothes I was wearing now, however, fit my size perfectly.
Well, not *perfectly* perfect; they were still a touch large.
They offered to tailor them, but that would mean I’d have to pick them up later, so I simply asked to take them as they were.
After all, I couldn’t keep walking around in just a tracksuit.
‘Was it the third outfit? Their gazes started to turn a bit sour then, so I suppose this is how I have to dress,’ I mused.
I’m not oblivious.
As I tried on the third garment, I could sense a subtle pressure from the employees’ stares.
I didn’t feel offended.
I understood completely.
That’s why I impulsively bought even the clothes I hadn’t originally intended to purchase.
Was it showing off?
Hmm, if I had to be precise, it was closer to showing off.
However, since I possessed the wealth to afford such purchases, it wasn’t entirely an act of pretension.
If anything, let’s call it kindness rather than showing off.
‘The employees benefit when they make more sales, after all,’ I thought.
It was a small kindness in return for the courtesy they had shown me.
Thinking this, Na Da-yeon suddenly came to mind.
If I ever saw her again, I’d like to give her a small gift.
From their perspective, it might have been standard, but to me, it felt like a genuine favor.
Nothing grand, perhaps just a cup from the cafe I visited earlier.
That wouldn’t be excessive.
‘By the way, the number of people has really surged,’ I thought.
In the short time it took me to buy clothes and emerge, the place had become bustling with people.
I pulled out my phone and glanced at the time; it was just past lunchtime.
‘Perhaps I should grab a quick bite to eat,’ I mused.
Feeling a slight annoyance at the paper bags in my hand, I headed back to the first floor, where the restaurants were located.
On my way back to the first floor,
“Wasn’t that a celebrity just now?”
“A celebrity? I don’t recognize them…”
I overheard two people, who appeared to be friends, talking.
“Honey, what are you staring at? Ah, so that’s your type?”
“No, it’s not that… I just thought the clothes were pretty and wondered if they would suit you, so I took a quick look.”
“Really? Then, should I go try them on at the store?”
“Uh… aren’t those luxury brands, though?”
“They are.”
“…Should we just go look around?”
“Really? Let’s go, let’s go!”
I also heard conversations like this from a couple.
‘Those will be quite expensive,’ I thought.
I cast a somewhat sympathetic glance at the man.
In any case, I arrived back at the first floor, where the restaurants were gathered.
‘It’s really gotten incredibly crowded,’ I observed.
It was so bustling that I wondered if it was even the same quiet department store from earlier.
To feel this way on a weekday was surprising.
I found myself wondering if there were truly so many wealthy people in our country.
Of course, most were probably families out for an outing or people on vacation.
‘It is around this time that people take their last summer vacations, after all,’ I reflected.
Summer vacations cobbled together from hard-earned days off.
I remembered taking leave from the military to enjoy myself around this time, and later, taking annual leave from work to go out with the kids.
Back then, ignorant of how things worked, I’d confidently answer ‘Yes!’ even when told, ‘If you take annual leave, you won’t be paid for that day.’
What kind of company deducts pay for a day of annual leave?
And it wasn’t even as if I’d used up all my leave.
‘And I was a fool for agreeing to it,’ I thought ruefully.
Smiling bitterly, I observed the men who looked like office workers.
Some were with girlfriends, others with families.
There were also those out with friends, and some who seemed to be in the early stages of a relationship, still too shy to properly hold hands.
Everyone seemed to be making the most of their vacation.
Yet, I doubted anyone was making as much of it as I was.
Smiling faintly, I began searching for a restaurant.
‘Hmm, what would be good?’ I wondered.
I sniffed the delicious aromas, looking around.
Something I could eat simply and that would fill me up just enough would be ideal.
It wasn’t so much that I was hungry, but rather that I wanted to satisfy my stomach moderately before continuing to move around.
If I starved now, I’d definitely get hungry while shopping.
And by then, the time for a meal would be awkward.
There’s a reason why meal times are set.
‘Because it’s the most efficient,’ I concluded.
While I wasn’t someone who lived by efficiency, I saw no reason to force myself to change meal times.
In any case, I continued to wander, scouting for a restaurant.
‘Rice bowls might be a bit much.
Noodles? They’re good, but nothing’s really catching my eye,’ I thought.
As I diligently wandered, drawn by the tempting aromas, I spotted a store that caught my attention.
‘Right, there are sandwiches, aren’t there?’ I realized.
It was a famous sandwich brand.
A daunting place where, to place an order, you supposedly had to memorize everything from toppings to sauces and bread types.
Nowadays, they say there are kiosks, so you don’t need to list everything out individually.
Since I’d only ever ordered delivery, this was my first time visiting the actual store.
I quickly selected what I wanted from the kiosk, ordered a 15cm set, and took a seat.
Once seated, I found people’s gazes strangely directed at me.
It felt as if they kept subtly glancing my way and moving on.
Feeling self-conscious, I adjusted my clothes and pulled out my phone.
However, once I opened it, there was nothing to do, so I just read some online articles.
‘Having no one to contact is truly the worst,’ I thought.
At times like this, chatting idly in a group chat with friends would help pass the time.
I only had one friend in my messenger.
There was no one else besides the man who gave me his contact information at the steakhouse.
‘Is it natural to feel lonely?’ I wondered.
Relationships with people cannot be built in an instant.
Especially friends with whom you can enjoy and share things.
I, who had already lost the few friends I had in a single moment, suddenly began to truly grasp the reality of being alone in the world.
It wasn’t that I was sad or anything.
I was just a little bored.
‘Should I try joining a small group or a club?’ I pondered.
Things I like.
I like board games, and I like computer games.
I don’t dislike reading books, and movies are good too.
Once I roughly finish organizing my home, I should try something.
I don’t want to live alone forever.
Nor do I want to buy friends with money.
– Ding-dong, ding-dong.
At the sound of the bell from the counter, I looked up at the large monitor.
“Ah, it’s ready,” I murmured.
Muttering to myself, I went to the counter and picked up my sandwich.
Sitting down, I took a light bite.
It used to taste incredibly good, but now I felt a sense of slight disappointment.
‘My palate hasn’t gotten expensive already, has it?’ I wondered.
Smiling faintly, I savored the rest of the sandwich.
No matter what, it was hard to genuinely dislike a sandwich.
‘Perhaps I should have ordered the 15cm à la carte,’ I mused.
And as I ate the wedge fries that came as a side, I felt a slight pang of regret.
****
I immediately headed to the customer service center, which was located on the first floor.
The reason was precisely to create a VIP membership card.
“Welcome.
Oh…?”
The employee looked as if she recognized me.
Indeed, my attire had completely changed from earlier.
“I’m here to get my membership card issued,” I stated.
“Certainly, I’ll assist you with the issuance.
Could you please provide your name and phone number?”
“Choi Yeon-bi.
The number is 010…”
The employee diligently searched for something.
She paused briefly, then smiled and handed over the membership card.
“It has been issued.
Enjoy your shopping.”
Her expression seemed complex and subtle.
Finding her expression amusing, I unconsciously puffed out my chest a little.
Appearance truly matters, after all.
Though people say ‘it’s what’s on the inside that counts,’ ultimately, if the outside isn’t appealing, no one bothers to look deeper.
Now that my outward appearance and my ‘inner appearance’ (TL Note: A humorous reference to one’s bank account balance) were aligned, I could wander around to my heart’s content.
With that thought, I set a new goal for my shopping today.
“Excuse me, but could you tell me what the highest VIP tier is, and how much one needs to spend to achieve that status?”
“What? Uh… the Arcana tier.
We grant that status to customers who purchase over 100 million won annually.”
My goal.
Achieve Arcana status.
