Journey 13

Spending money isn't the only thing that hurts a woman.
 

Sometimes, it's... - Jinri

- - - - 

Define Sunday.

According to Earth's  dictionary by Noah Webster, the word 'Sunday' means "a Christian analog for Jewish Sabbath" . In Exo's most famous book entitled 1000 Days of Visit to Planet Earth written by Mei Xi, 'Sunday' means "the 7th day of Earth's week when humans spend the day with religious gatherings, family bondings or friends' get-together".

And for an imaginary book named Random Jargons of an Unfortunate Human Girl by Choi Jinri, it means "spending money for a spoiled alien".

The brilliant blue sky, breezy air and humming birds of that Sunday morning were too tempting to ignore for a day of relaxation. And so with the help of every penny left from Jinri's piggy bank, the girl together with the "spoiled alien" pushed a first-time-ever visit to Seoul's Grand Mall* that might be their last one as well.

As soon as Chanyeol stepped inside the doubled-glass front doors of the eye-ading, breath-taking and money-craving shopping mall, his eyes landed on the huge Krispy Kreme booth that displays a line of scrumptious doughnuts of every flavors - from original glazed to Oreo cookies - and ran towards the line of people on the counter instantly.

"No - Chanyeol!" Jinri shrieked, running after the kid whose poor eyes were entirely dazzled by the deserts' enticement.
"I want -"
"NO." Jinri cut firmly and gripped Chanyeol's arm, dragging him away from the booth. "That doughnut is too expensive. I'll just buy you some cheap one on our way back home."
"BUT I WANT THAT!!" Chanyeol whined.
"I said no." she told him sternly as they turned around the corner.

Without any choice left for him, Chanyeol sulkily followed Jinri along the corridor who suddenly stopped in front of a shop whipped with masculine perfume.

The smell reminded her of Joonmyeon, who was still not on speaking terms with her.

"That's Joonmyeon's perfume! It's... I knew it."
"Welcome to BVLGARI Ma'am!" a lady from the shop greeted, confirming Jinri's suspicion

Jinri smiled tentatively and shook her head at the lady.

"Erm... no, I won't buy..." she started saying, but the smell strongly lured her. "Come on Chanyeol. It won't hurt to take a look." she muttered, defeated.

BVLGARI literally screams the letters L - U - X - U -R - Y. Wherever Jinri turns her head, an item's price higher than her 4 months of rent payment shows in front of her face.

"How about this Ma'am? You can give this as a gift to your boyfriend." one of the salesladies suggested, holding out a minuscule bottle of perfume.

Jinri took the tester item and smelled it. It smelled between mint and pine... fresh and soothing. She imagined herself giving it to Joonmyeon as an apology gift and smelling him with the perfume she'd given. Involuntarily, she smiled.

"Smells like heaven isn't? It's just 47,292 won."

Jinri's face instantly fell. 

"WHAT?!" she blurted. "I- I mean.... that's.... erm..." she placed the tester item down. "Let's go Chanyeol!"
"She won't buy it because it's expensive." Chanyeol told the saleslady.
"Let's go!" Jinri pulled Chanyeol outside the shop with flaming cheeks. When they were outside the shop, Jinri hissed, "You don't need to broadcast on everyone that I can't buy it you - "
"DUCK!"
"Duck???" Jinri repeated blankly.
"Donald Duck!" Chanyeol exclaimed, slipping his hands from Jinri and running towards the mascot across the hall.
"Chanyeol! Aigooooo!" Jinri ran after Chanyeol again who was jumping excitedly in front of Donald Duck.

Jinri laughed and pulled out her phone. 

"Look at the camera Chanyeol, Donald Duck!" she said.

Donald Duck wrapped an arm around Chanyeol's shoulders and posed, while Chanyeol did a peace sign.

"Hanna... dul... set!"

* * *

It will be Jinri's toughest job to pick which of her mishaps on that day was the worst. 

Perhaps it was the time when she was forced to feed Chanyeol with his fourteenth helpings before she noticed that her wallet was dangerously emptying... ("I said no more chocolate fudge kid!")

Or maybe when she fell face-forward after Chanyeol tied her shoelaces while she was busy choosing the cheapest clothes for him..("CHANYEOL DON'T EVER LET ME CATCH YOU!!!")

Wait - or when she got scolded by the shop manager after Chanyeol was found peeking on a lady on the women's dressing room... ("Oh God you're worst than Kyungsoo!")

Or when Chanyeol spent the last 30 minutes riding on the toy car that rocks him back and forth if inserted a coin... ("Hop down Chanyeol... The kid behind me is waiting. ")

OR when the power-drained Jinri and a still-ecstatic Chanyeol made a mistake in stepping inside Jinri's worst nightmare: the toy store.

"Wooooooooowwwww" Chanyeol breathed, his eyes shining excitedly at the sight of wide variations of toys around him.
"Oh no - let's go Chanyeol!" Jinri said hurriedly, pulling him outside the store.
"Bruum Bruuum!!"

Chanyeol unslung his arms away from Jinri and ran directly to a kiddie-sized toy car. He hopped on the display item and steered the wheel enthusiastically. 

"Bruuuum! Bruuuum! Bruuuum!"
"Get down Chanyeol, you might break it!" Jinri started hysterically.
"Noona! I want THIS!" Chanyeol demanded.
"Nope. Not a chance." she answered bluntly.
"I want this car!" Chanyeol whined.
"No!" Jinri argued and lifted Chanyeol forcibly from the car.
"Waaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!"

Jinri dropped Chanyeol on the floor as soon as the kid started crying.

"I want that car! I want that car!" he wailed.

A saleslady approached Jinri and Chanyeol concernedly and took a swift glance on the toy car.

"Your brother must have love cars a lot ma'am." she noted.
"Oh, he's not my brother! He's -"
"Uwwwwwaaaa!!!!" Chanyeol's cry interrupted.

The saleslady smiled sympathetically at Chanyeol and walked away from Jinri. The latter wondered where the saleslady went before she appeared carrying a larger and more expensive toy car.

"But that toy car wouldn't do. It's our oldest model. This ma'am, is what your brother needs." the saleslady continued proudly, pointing at an exact kid-sized replica of a Porsche with sleek black paint and sophisticated wheels.

Jinri wanted to scalp the lady alive if it weren't for the people surrounding them. Chanyeol stopped crying and gazed hungrily at the Porsche replica, while his eyes dazzled more profusely than ever. Then, he literally hugged the larger car with passion.

"I WANT THIS!" he repeated, this time pointing at the newer car.
"NO."
"YES!"
"NO!"
"UWAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Chanyeol's commotion was burying Jinri under the curious eyes of passers-by and salesladies. Their intense stares pressured her in addition with Chanyeol's repeated pleas. The words "I want this!" and "Uwwaaa!" rang loudly inside her head up to the point when Jinri snapped into her unbroken trance and shouted thwartly,

"FINE! I'LL BUY IT!" making the saleslady jumped triumphantly. Jinri shot the lady an annoyed look before helping Chanyeol straighten up.
"That would be 106,928 won ma'am." the saleslady informed, dragging the toy car with her towards the counter.

Jinri followed the lady with a sigh.

"You're accepting credit cards, right?"
"Of course." the lady simpered.

Jinri leaned on the counter for a few minutes while she was waiting for the cashier to sum up her expenses. She dawdled lazily on the marbled desk before turning to Chanyeol.

"This car means no meals for you, do you understand that - "

Her heart stopped beating, her lungs constricted tigthly. Jinri scanned the toy store, trying to catch a glimpse of the alien kid around, but alas, it was hopeless.

"Chanyeol?" she called. She was trying not to panic, but the lump in was screaming one. "Chanyeol!" she repeated, running around the store.
"Ma'am! What's wrong?" the saleslady asked after her.
"Chanyeol - he - Chanyeol! Chanyeol!"

Jinri ran outside the toy store and searched the corridors. She swept pass the left corridor then shifted to the opposite side, scanning every store while she ran.

Then she ran down the stairs - the elevator was still on 6th floor and she was at 3rd - apologizing to every person she bumped into.

"Kid...." Jinri mumbled weakly. Why was she feeling this? It was not the same one when she lost him on school... it was a different one.

"Have you seen a kid this tall? He's wearing a blue shirt and shorts ...." she would ask any random person. 

She was at the verge of losing hope... not until Jinri heard a muffled cry from afar. She snapped her head to the right and saw Chanyeol - crying hopelessly on the corner.

Jinri ran towards Chanyeol and did not hesitate to pull him in a tight hug. Chanyeol cried harder, and Jinri felt her tears of relief slipping from her eyes.

"Where have you been?" she asked, her voice rasp.
"The ladder is moving...." Chanyeol managed to say behind his sobs. "Chanyeol followed the ladder."

Jinri pulled away from the hug and sniffed. Then composing herself, she poked Chanyeol on his forehead and laughed.

"It's supposed to move dumbie. It's an escalator."

Spending money isn't the only thing that hurts a woman....

Sometimes, it's the thought of me starting to care for him....