Jennie arrived at my house Wednesday afternoon and I met her outside. I may have been a multimillionaire now, but we still lived in the same house. Maybe I should buy my parents a new house. The thought flashed into my head and I turned it around a few times before dismissing it. We didn't need a new house. I stepped out onto the porch, closing the door behind me.

Jennie wore a pair of heels so high I wasn't sure how she walked in them. "You're shopping in those?" I asked.

I was wearing a pair of peach-colored Converse because I figured we'd be walking a lot. I couldn't remember the last time I had shopped anywhere but Target.

Jennie was staring at my shoes, too. Then her eyes moved up to the rest of my outfit - a pair of loose-fitted jeans and a purple T-shirt. "You're shopping in that?"

"This my comfortable outfit."

"Comfort can be cute, too, Suzy." She sighed, then hooked her elbow in mine. "Thank goodness you have my help."

"I was thinking I wanted to do something with my hair, too."

Jennie squealed. "Yes! I have the perfect person for you. Come on."

That's where we stopped first, at an eclectic little salon in Busan. It had mirrors that hung from the ceiling to divide workstations and lots of potted plants. Jennie's perfect person was named Nayeon and she and her bob hair cut scowled at my hair as she pulled it out of the hair tie.

"When's the last time you had a cut?" Nayeon asked.

"Never? I mean, I've had a trim," I said, leaving out the "by my mom" part.

She shared a look with Jennie, who said, "That's why we're here."

Nayeon began talking to me through Jennie, like I needed an interpreter. "What would she like done to it?"

"I was thinking some layers and highlights," Jennie said, and smiled at me.

"That sounds fine," I said. After all, Jennie did have amazing, thick, shiny waves of hair so I trusted her opinions. The hairdresser at the station next to ours had blue stripes in her hair so I added quickly, "Just bond."

"I'll hold your glasses," Jennie said, taking them off of me before I could answer.

My hands were trapped beneath a long vinyl cape so I was too slow to stop her. I won't be able to see what's going on."

"It will be a fun surprise."

There was lots of hair pulling and strong-smelling chemicals and big stink where my hair was washed. There was no way for me tell how long it took, but it felt like hours before the blow-dryer and straightener were put away, and Jennie handed me back my glasses.

I slipped them on and Nayeon swiveled the chair until I was facing the mirror. I let out a small gasp. My hair was even lighter than I'd imagined it would be, which made my skin seem brighter somehow. Soft layers hung around my face, highlighting my cheekbones. I turned from side to side.

"Does she like it?" Nayeon asked Jennie.

"Yes, I do," I answered for myself. It would take some getting used to, but I loved it. Not only did it look amazing, but it felt like the start of a new me. The mature version of me. I could picture myself walking through the halls of Busan University, more confident than ever.

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

I kept looking at myself in the rearview mirror as I drove.

"Do you want to really go shopping? Like big-time?" Jennie asked.

"There big-time shopping?"

"Of course there is. Idol Drive."

"Like the celebrity-leveled stores, Idol Drive?"

"Is there another? I mean, come on. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, YSL all on one street."

"That's a lot of men."

Jennie looked at me and then we both laughed.

"Why do so many men design for women, anyway?" I asked.

"Who cares? They do it well. What do you think?"

"I think that it's already five o'clock and there will be tons of traffic and it will take two hours to get there."

Jennie pouted. "But it will only take us an hour to get back without traffic. That gives us couple hours. That's all we need.."

Busan would be crowded and full of tourists. All the one-way streets made it high probable that I'd get lost. But I'd never been to Idol Drive before. And I could practically hear Jisoo and Irene whining about all the aforementioned things if I were to suggest a shopping spree there. So I said to Jennie, "Why not? Let's go."

She raised her hands in the air, hitting the roof of the car, and squealed.

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

By the time we got to Idol Drive, the sun had set. The palm trees lining the street of awning-covered buildings glowed green in the streetlights. The storefronts, with their big windows, glowed even brighter.

"If you turn up ahead, there's valet parking," Jennie instructed.

I did and handed the keys over to some kid about my age. He looked at me and then my car and raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks," I said as he climbed in and shut the door.

"Are you having a hard time watching someone else drive your baby?" Jennie asked. I realized I was staring at the tail-lights as the valet drove my car into the garage.

"Maybe a little."

"Do me a favor," she said as we walked toward the bright big windows of the first store. "Just don't look at the price tags. Find what you like, what looks good on your body, and don't worry about the cost. These clothes will last you three times as long as anything you own now. There's a reason celebrities shopped here. It's about quality."

"Pretty Woman? As in the character in a movie?"

"You know what I mean. There's a reason they depicted her shopping here."

I nodded and Jennie opened the door. A wave of cool, fresh, scented air hit me in the face. Apparently even the air was expensive on this street.

I stopped to look at the first rack. I had heard what Jennie had said about the price tags, I had even agreed, but I couldn't help myself. A thousand dollars for a pair of jeans?

"Ooh, those will look amazing on you," Jennie said, and pulled them off the rack. A woman was standing off to the left and Jennie immediately handed her the jeans. She had done that with half a dozen things so far and I assumed the lady was whisking the clothes away to a dressing room somewhere.

Just don't think about it, I told myself. I needed new clothes. I as making up for the years and years of only buying the cheapest things possible. And besides, like I had told Jisoo, I could survive the rest of my life on even a third of what I'd won. I had money to spend. I smiled. I had money to spend.

And so I did. I tried on everything I liked-silky shirts and soft dresses and shiny shoes. There were so many textures that I had never felt before in my life. Like cashmere. I'd heard about it but never felt it. I ran a sweater along my cheek.

Apparently the lady who had been taking our clothes to our individual dressing rooms was like our personal assistant. Because she would tug on the waist of each pair of pants Jennie or I would try on, fold up hems that were slightly too long. Then she'd write in a little book she held.

"What are you writing?" I finally asked after she did the same to the third shirt.

"Just the notes for alternations," she said.

"Alternations?"

"So they fit you perfectly."

"Can they be ready by Friday afternoon?" Jennie asked, like she did this often.

"Of course," the lady said.

"Is there any way we can have them delivered to our houses?"

"Yes, we can work that out," our assistant said.

"Perfect," Jennie responded.

When we took our purchases to the register, I wondered if I was paying for everything. But Jennie took our her wallet and bought her own things. I tried not to cringe at my total. It was more money than I'd spent on clothes in my life let alone in one hour.

The rest of the evening played out the same as we went to several other stores. We bough purses and jewelry, belts, shoes, and bags. I wasn't even sure how much I'd spent by the time we were done, but I knew I was exhausted.

"Shopping is hard work," I said.

Jennie laughed. "But fun, right?"

"Yes. So fun." I was surprised by just how much fun I'd had.

"I can't for everyone to see you on Friday. They're going to die."

I looked down at myself, my old clothes back on. She was right, this was going to be a big change.

"Do you have contacts?" Jennie asked.

I pushed my glasses up my nose. "Yeah. I just never wear them."

"I think your new look will go well with contacts."

She had a point there. "You may be right."

A different valet guy brought my car around and seeing it again made me realize I had been worried about it. When you spent that much on a car, it's hard to trust other people with it. Jennie handed the guy a folded bill.

"Thanks," I said to her, realizing I needed to figure out the tipping norms. I'd research it.

The drive home was quiet. So quiet I heard my phone buzz in my purse. I hadn't checked it all day, I realized. I hoped my parents weren't trying to get ahold of me.

I didn't take out my phone until I'd arrived at my house and said goodbye to Jennie. As I watched her drive off in her own car, I checked the text.

It wasn't my parents.

Where are you?!?!

It was Jisoo. My mind raced. Where was I supposed to be? Had I forgotten something? It took me several minutes to remember. Study group. Crap.

I opened my front door and yelled in, "Mom, I'm home but now I'm not again. I have study group!"

"But it's already after ten!" she yelled back.

"I'll be home by curfew." Curfew was eleven on weeknights. The only time I'd ever stayed out until curfew was for study group.

I pulled the door closed and rushed back to my car as fast as I could. I'd unload my purchases later. I sped to Jisoo's house.

When I walked in, Jisoo and Irene were already packing up their things. "I'm sorry I'm late," I said. "Are you done already?"

"Late would've been an hour and a half ago," Jisoo said. "But it's fine."

"I'm sorry."

Jisoo looked up after zipping her backpack and dropped open.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"No . . . your hair."

"Oh." I reached up and touched it. "I got it cut."

"You look . . ."

"Is it bad?" Jennie had said it looked great, but Jisoo's reaction was scaring me.

"No. You just look so different. Like you could walk out of a magazine." Why did her expression make that seem like a bad thing?

"It look amazing!" Irene said.

I smiled. "Yeah, Jennie took me shopping today."

"Jennie," Jisoo said, like it now all made sense.

"Jennie?" Irene asked. "Was it just you and Jennie or did she bring her other friends?"

"Just Jennie. It took way longer than I thought it would." I didn't mention that it was because we drove to the richer part of the city.

"Did you get lots of outfits?" Irene asked.

"I thought we were going shopping," Jisoo said.

"What?" I asked.

"That night we went dorm shopping, I asked you if we could go makeover shopping later, too, and you said yes."

"You did? I did? I'm so sorry. I forgot." I wasn't sure that was exactly how the conversation had gone, but I'd obviously hurt her feelings and I hadn't mention it. I should've asked Jisoo and Irene to come with me, too. I honestly didn't think they would want to.

"No big deal," Jisoo said.

"You guys should come over Friday before the party and I'll let you borrow something to wear," I said.

Irene smiled big. "Okay."

Jisoo nodded. "I'll come to your house, but I'm bringing my own clothes in case I hate what you bought."

I shoved her arm playfully. "Deal."

I looked at Jisoo's bag that she had now shifted to her shoulder. "Are you guys really done studying?"

"Yes." Jisoo gave me a once-over, then attempted to look around me. "Did you even bring your books?"

I stared at my empty hands for a moment, just now realized I hadn't. "I ran out of the house too fast."

Jisoo shook her head with a smile. "You're losing your mind, Suzy."

"Never. My mind is the strongest muscle I have."

Jisoo laughed a little. "Keep saying stuff like that and you won't fit in the cool kids no matter how much money you have."

"I'm not trying to fit in with the cool kids," I said.

Jisoo put her arm around my shoulder as she walked us toward the door, but didn't respond.

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

At home, in my bedroom, a stack of mail sat on my desk waiting for me. Seeing a big envelope there made my heart sputter. Was it finally my Busan University letter? But it didn't have the logo. I opened it to discover it wasn't a college acceptance at all. It was paperwork from my great-uncle.

I flipped through each page that detailed the house we were purchasing. After Jaesuk had called the other day, I'd done research on him. He was a very successful real estate investor. So I had all the confidence in the world as I reviewed the papers in front of me. I was proud that I was making my first investment. My first step to helping my money work for me. It was easy to spend money but I knew I wanted to grow my money, too.

I signed my name on all the highlighted lines, stick the papers back into an addresses envelope he provided, and the followed the directions he'd given me to wire him the five hundred thousand.

The rest of the mail was mainly junk. Somehow I'd gotten a zillion mailing lists and I now received advertising on a daily basis. I flipped through each and every piece though, making sure no other mail had gotten wedged between the folds. Where was my Busan University letter? It had to come soon.