By Zephyria 
“We have to save money!”
Despite me telling him repeatedly, Kwon Yi-kang didn’t seem to understand the situation and spent money as if he were even more excited.
I had never spent this much time with Kwon Yi-kang, and while we went out to eat occasionally, we rarely went out for any other reason, so it was hard to tell if this was his original spending pattern or if it had become excessive lately.
If this was his original pattern, we’d become beggars even faster. We might even have to sell the apartment he owns because of the credit card bills. Before we even hit rock bottom, Kwon Yi-kang might find it too hard and run away. Then I’d be the only one left stranded, after doing all sorts of things to the Alpha father and running away from home.
For some reason, just imagining it made me feel terrible.
“Soo-kyung, why did your mood suddenly turn bad? Hmm?”
He has no thoughts about the bleak future, yet he’s incredibly sensitive to my mood right in front of him. I wished Kwon Yi-kang would be just as sensitive and worried about the future.
“We have to save, but you keep spending money…”
“Alright. I’ll ask for a discount.”
“I’m saying don’t spend it in the first place. We don’t need things like this, so don’t buy them.”
He didn’t get it. No, he just thinks my worries are nothing more than whining or acting spoiled. That’s why he’s smiling with such a delighted face despite my concerned words.
Does Kwon Yi-kang even know the meaning of the word ’empathy’? No, he probably knows the definition, but has he ever actually felt it himself? In this situation, I desperately needed Kwon Yi-kang’s empathy.
“Why is it not needed?”
Kwon Yi-kang grabbed my hand as I was hitting his shoulder, meeting my eyes and asking in a serious voice.
“You left your ring at home again today, didn’t you? You wore it the first few times, but you haven’t since then.”
“That’s because the diamond is too big. And what if I lose it? You said it was incredibly expensive.”
“That’s why I’m saying I’ll buy you something you can wear comfortably. Besides, you’re the only one with that ring. We need rings that we can both wear. I want to show off that I’m a man who’s taken; do you really hate that so much?”
Kwon Yi-kang’s pattern is always similar. He had that same look on his face when we went clothes shopping a few days ago. A crestfallen expression, as if he were heartbroken that I wouldn’t let him do everything he wanted for me. I had fallen for that face—and what was the result?
He bought this and that. Every piece of clothing his hand touched was selected by Kwon Yi-kang. When I tried to stop him, saying there was no need to buy so much, he told me it was fine because he was buying things I didn’t have. He asked if it was so wrong to buy clothes for a lover who had nothing to wear. He had the same face then as he did now.
Well, he wasn’t wrong. All I had brought with me was my own body. Since I didn’t even have a single piece of underwear, it was right to buy them.
Still, there should be a limit. He acted as if he were going to strip the entire department store bare, adding every item the clerk recommended to his shopping list. It didn’t matter which clothes suited me or which were necessary.
This is a product from this season, this is the first item to arrive from New York, only a few pieces of this entered the country. Every time the clerk assisting us spoke, Kwon Yi-kang simply flicked his finger.
I’m not lying; I think he bought half of the clothes that had lined up to enter the department store’s VIP room. Saying that changing clothes was tiring, Kwon Yi-kang made me sit down, and as I became overwhelmed by the sheer volume and stopped even looking, he picked things out at will and swiped his card lavishly.
After that, he had the soles of my feet measured to get custom shoes, and my eyes nearly fell out of my head while he spent forever choosing between men’s shoe designs that all looked the same.
As if that wasn’t enough, wallets, ties, watches, and all sorts of accessories were added. He didn’t tell me the price, so I didn’t know for sure, but I could guess the total was astronomical.
I worried that Kwon Yi-kang might go bankrupt if he kept swiping his card like this. Yet, without a hint of remorse, that man dragged me out every day, claiming he wanted to buy something.
“Is it really okay for you to come out every day during your lunch break?”
“It is literally my lunch break, so it’s fine.”
“But for a lunch break, you’re out for two or three hours.”
I was seriously worried that he might get fired before he even brought up the topic of marrying me.
“I can just say I’m out on business.”
“You’re not a salesperson, what do you mean ‘out on business’?”
“When you’re entertaining clients and such, it’s normal to be an hour or two late. Everyone does it.”
I bet not everyone does. I didn’t even know where to start debunking Kwon Yi-kang’s logic.
“Anyway, no. Starting today, your card is banned.”
“Right, since we’re already here, let’s pick out the rings.”
He’s not listening. He’s not listening to me at all.
Pointing to a few rings in front of the clerk as if to show off, Kwon Yi-kang pushed my shoulder, telling me to look closer. A few pairs of rings taken from the display were thrust in front of my face as I leaned in.
Some edition, some line, some style, some setting. It was all jargon I didn’t understand, so I just stared blankly at the rings the clerk pointed to. We were clearly speaking in Korean, but half of what I heard was mixed with English, and I couldn’t grasp more than half of the meaning.
“They’re a bit plain, aren’t they? Since couple rings are designed to suit men and women, Alphas and Omegas, and everyone in general, they aren’t very flashy.”
Reading the dissatisfaction on my face, the clerk misinterpreted the meaning and explained soothingly. I just didn’t like the situation of having to buy a ring, not the design.
“Would you like to see the channel setting designs as well?”
Since I remained silently tight-lipped, the clerk’s gaze shifted to Kwon Yi-kang. When he nodded, the clerk’s hands moved busily in a prepared stance, snapping another set of rings onto the counter.
“Are you going to keep pouting like that? Nothing you like?”
“Yeah, I don’t like any of them.”
“Then we’ll custom order them.”
Whether he bought them or ordered them, his determination to leave with matching rings was evident. I wouldn’t win against Kwon Yi-kang even if I held out here. As I let out a deep sigh, Kwon Yi-kang stroked the crown of my head as I leaned down.
“If we get a pretty ring today, I’ll refrain from shopping for a while.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“You’re not lying, right?”
“I’m not. But if you keep being uncooperative, I’ll buy whatever I want. I’ll pick the rings however I want, and tomorrow I’ll go buy you a car. And the day after, I’ll be pondering what else to buy.”
Fuck, it seems Kwon Yi-kang is starting to figure out what threats are most effective on me.
Though I was angry, I was afraid he might actually carry out his words, so I obediently examined the rings laid out before me.
“Which one is the cheapest here?”
“You know that question falls under ‘uncooperative behavior,’ right?”
Having overheard my whispered question to the clerk, Kwon Yi-kang pointed it out while tugging my earlobe gently. The guy’s hearing is sharp, too. Pouting my lips, I had to choose a ring based solely on design, without even being able to guess the price range.
“……This one?”
“Not bad. Please give me the correct sizes. We’ll be wearing them out.”
“Are you really buying this one? I don’t know about these things, so wouldn’t it be better if you picked?”
“I should buy what looks pretty to your eyes. What you like, I like too.”
It wasn’t that I particularly liked it; since the big diamond ring was at home, I just chose a ring with several small diamonds.
At this level, most people would think they were cubic zirconia, so I could wear it without worrying about someone stealing it. However, since there were multiple stones, I’d have to check often to make sure none of them fell out.
“We have some time before the wedding rings, so I’ll prepare those carefully. For now, let’s wear these.”
“What else are you doing?”
“There’s a lot to do.”
“You said this was the end!”
“I said I’d refrain for a while. There’s quite a bit to prepare for a wedding. If it’s tiring, you don’t have to worry about it. I can hire people for the minor preparations, and you only need to focus when there are a few things to choose from.”
Not wanting to even imagine what I’d have to choose, I snapped my head away. The store clerk placed the rings in their cases on the display, as they had the sizes that fit our fingers.
The rings of the same design differed only in size. Lightly lifting my hand, Kwon Yi-kang took the smaller ring and slipped it onto my finger. The smooth ring wrapped around my fourth finger as if it were made for it.
It was certainly lighter and simpler than the diamond ring at home. Feeling a strange sensation, I spread my hand to look at the ringed finger, and Kwon Yi-kang held out his hand in front of my face.
“What about me?”
“Ah.”
We were supposed to put them on each other? I thought I’d just put it on myself. I slowly pushed the remaining ring onto Kwon Yi-kang’s finger. Putting the rings on each other gave me a ticklish feeling. I suppose this is why people date.
As I spread my hand next to Kwon Yi-kang’s, the identical rings sparkled. It wasn’t as if this ring was the only pair in existence; strictly speaking, it was just one of millions of rings on Earth. Still, the fact that Kwon Yi-kang and I owned the same thing felt good.
Overlapping our hands and pulling me closer, Kwon Yi-kang kissed the back of my hand. His downcast eyes, the lashes casting shadows, the long bridge of his nose, and his lips pressing firmly against the back of my hand. It was as beautiful as a painting and almost solemn.
“Young Master?”
Breaking the lovely atmosphere, someone’s voice was heard from a short distance away. I wondered if someone had a dramatic reunion, but the voice was familiar. Turning my head, I saw my sister-in-law standing with a middle-aged woman.
“Sister-in-law?”
“Go on. I’ll handle the payment.”
Giving a slight nod from where he stood, Kwon Yi-kang spoke pleasantly, pushing me toward her. It was obvious he didn’t want me to know the price of the rings, so I glared at him. Despite that, he smiled brazenly and gestured for me to go.
That man would have succeeded even if he were a con artist. With a smiling face like that, a hundred out of a hundred people would be fooled without even knowing they were being stabbed in the back.