TRUFT 14

Chapter 14

When we arrived in Gyeongju, the first place we went to was Hwangridan-gil.

It’s one of the popular spots in Gyeongju, a narrow street filled with traditional hanok-style cafés, restaurants, and photo studios, attracting a lot of young visitors.

“Uncle! Buy me that!”

As soon as we stepped into Hwangridan-gil, we spotted an old-fashioned snack shop.

[Gyeongju Snack: 10-Won Bread – 3,000 won]

They were selling “10-won bread,” a snack shaped almost like the old ten-won coin, filled with cheese inside.

“Honestly, it tastes good, but it’s kind of expensive.”

My brother took a bite of the 10-won bread and commented.

Before being summoned to H, I had visited Gyeongju a few times out of curiosity. It seems the town has both clear pros and cons.

Pros: plenty of sights and things to do.

Cons: the food is a bit pricey?

Since it’s a city developed for tourism, snacks tend to be more expensive than elsewhere.

But it’s not a waste.

They’re delicious and fun, so spending a little money feels worth it.

…Of course, if prices go up much more, I might hesitate a bit.

For now, though, it’s time to enjoy ourselves.

“Wow… this still exists?”

My sister-in-law stopped while walking.

[Solim Stationery – 40 Years of Tradition!]

A worn-down stationery shop with a sign giving off a nostalgic vibe.

It’s been almost 40 years since I last saw a shop like this.

Nowadays, stationery stores are all clean and only sell trendy items. But here,

“Wow, this is still here? Long time no see, spinning tops!”

Old wooden tops with strings attached for throwing,

“And this was so tasty back in the day!”

Even nostalgic junk foods that are hard to find now.

Wow, Chakkani! It’s been ages. I used to buy this a lot at the school store.

The candy would leave powder all over, and teachers often scolded us to eat it at the store instead of bringing it to class.

I used to sneak it into class anyway.

Maybe that thrill made it taste even better.

“Uncle! Buy me that!”
“Shall I?”

Sometimes, letting kids enjoy junk food isn’t bad. I think they should be able to play freely and get a little messy.

Junk food is a small joy—they shouldn’t be deprived of it.

If she gets sick, I can fix it right away anyway.

After all, having a bit of junk food isn’t going to hurt her.

“Okay, okay, if my niece wants it, I’ll buy it for her!”

Just as I was about to happily open my wallet,

“Hmmm… Sir, how about giving Yuna her allowance and letting her buy what she wants within that budget?”

“Oh?”

My sister-in-law suggested a good idea. She was right.

Up until now, we’ve shared the profits from Yuna’s work, and already over 1 million won has gone into her bank account.

She also needs to learn how to think about and manage money.

“Then I’ll give Yuna her allowance this time. Is that okay, sis?”
“Of course, thank you!”
“Right, Hyunjun, if we’re giving your daughter allowance, why refuse?”
“Haha…”

So I handed my niece two 10,000-won bills.

“Use this to buy snacks and toys. Spend wisely, okay?”
“Okay!”

Yuna beamed as she received the money.

“Heehee.”

She put one 10,000-won bill in her coin purse and clutched the other tightly in her hand as she strutted through the stationery store.

She’s a genius!

She planned to buy snacks with one bill and toys and candies with the other.

Smart, my niece.

“Wow, a princess doll…! Sir, how much is this?”
“7,000 won, but just for you, I’ll give it for 5,000 won!”

The shop owner, charmed by Yuna, even gave her a 2,000-won discount.

“Thank you!!”

Yuna bowed with her bellybutton gesture, then held up her fingers.

Ten-thousand won bills: 10 of them. The doll costs 5,000 won…

She folded five fingers.

I still have 5,000 won left!

She could buy another doll or something else with it.

“Heehee!”

Feeling thrilled, Yuna moved toward the candy corner.

Cola balls!

Small, round candies that tasted like cola, she put them in her basket.

These are 500 won each… I can buy 4!

She repeatedly folded and unfolded her fingers, calculating she could spend an additional 3,000 won.

She put a 2,000-won “Chakkani” candy into her basket and went to the cashier.

The 1,000 won she received in change went back into her coin purse for buying more delicious snacks later.

“Dad, can you hold the bag?”

Yuna handed a bag full of various items to Hyunsu.

“…Okay.”

They left the stationery shop and slowly walked down the charmingly decorated street.

“Huh?”

While walking, Yuna suddenly ran off.

“Yuna! Don’t run!”
“Huff… Huff… Uncle, how much is this balloon?”
“Hmm, 3,000 won!”
“3,000 won… I’ll buy it next time!”

She greeted the seller politely and ran back to her family.

She had learned at kindergarten that you should think before spending money.

If the balloon had been 1,000 won, she would have bought it. But 3,000 won was more than expected.

Then I wouldn’t be able to buy many snacks.

That couldn’t happen! Yuna gave up the balloon for the sake of snacks.

“Wow, amazing! Yuna really has a sense of money!”

Hyunsu and Jiyoon clapped their hands in joy. They were impressed that their daughter could save money.

“Good job, Yuna. Don’t worry, Daddy will buy the balloon. Remember to always think before spending, okay?”
“Really? Okay!”

Yuna eventually got the balloon. She held it tight, singing a little tune as it threatened to float away.

“Heehee~ Heehee!”

After about a minute,

“I’m thirsty…”

Feeling parched, she grabbed Hyunjun’s hand and ran to a nearby slush shop.

“How much for two grape slushies?”
“5,000 won for two!”
“Two, please!”
“Ah, so cute. Okay, here you go.”

The shop owner smiled kindly and quickly handed over two slushies.

“Uncle! Drink this! It’s on me!”
“Thanks, Yuna. I’m touched.”
“Heehee!”

Hyunjun smiled at Yuna, watching her put the change from the 10,000-won bill back into her coin purse.

She’s not like a typical child.

She’s kind-hearted and considerate beyond her age. Hyunjun was grateful to have such a niece and gently patted her head.

“Sir! What’s that?”

Yuna was only interested in eating.

“This? It’s called ‘chalbori-bbang’ (glutinous barley bread). You must try it when in Gyeongju! Want to taste it?”
“Yes, yes!”

The generous shop owner handed a whole bread to Yuna.

“No need to pay, it’s a service from the lady.”
“Heehee, thank you!”

Yuna split the bread in half, giving one half to Hyunjun and biting the other herself.

“Wow…”

It was delicious. The first bite was soft and tender.

A faint barley aroma and sweet red bean paste danced in her mouth.

“Yummy! How much is this?”
“15,000 won for 20 pieces!”
“…Uncle! Lend me 5,000 won!”
“Pfft—!”

Now she was even borrowing money. Her cuteness made Hyunjun laugh, stopping her.

“You can’t just borrow someone else’s money like that. The money you borrowed will be deducted from the earnings you made. Got it?”

“Got it! No problem! I can just work harder.”
“That’s right, you’re so good.”

He used his card to buy a large box of 40 chalbori-bbang for 30,000 won. He liked the bread himself and wanted a bulk purchase.

It really is delicious.

Especially when the dry bread makes your throat feel tight, taking a sip of grape slush made from soda?

“Ahhh…!”

Nothing could be more refreshing.

Hyunjun and Yuna turned around, excited to try the bread with their homemade slush.

Hyunsu and Jiyoon also enjoyed their date, taking photos and eating chewy snacks together.

“Yuna, let’s not get distracted and go try other snacks too.”
“Okay!”

Now, the true snack exploration began.

“I want that hotteok!”
“And that popcorn!”
“I want the corn too!”
“And the squid…”
“Yuna, stop! Aren’t you going overboard?”

The unrestrained Yuna wanted everything she saw.

No, no.

If she kept eating like this, she could develop childhood obesity.

The most dangerous kind of childhood obesity!

Childhood obesity differs from adults—cells multiply rather than just enlarging, making weight loss harder later.

The vicious cycle increases the risk of adult diseases.

“Dinner will be soon, so you should hold off on snacks, Yuna. You just had hotteok, remember?”
“…Got it.”

The snacks she already ate were equivalent to a full adult meal.

At age seven, she could eat so much thanks to her “Cooking Trait” passive skill.

With this trait, she could get titles like “Big Eater” or “Gourmet,” letting her eat much more than usual.

I need to control her portions a bit.

Either limit her portions, use magic, or make her exercise. One of these three had to be chosen.

If I solve everything with magic, will Yuna rely on me too much in life?

The answer was clear.

Control her food intake.

“Yuna, let’s walk a bit to help digest and have a good dinner. Eating too many snacks isn’t healthy.”
“Okay… but dinner better be delicious, got it?”
“Of course!”
“Heehee.”

Hyunjun held Yuna’s hand as they walked. It was his favorite time of day—sunset, when the sky turned red and beautiful.

Walking through the prettily decorated street made his heart feel warm.

“Nice!”

Yuna felt the same comfort as Hyunjun.

“Oh? It’s Mom and Dad!”

While walking, they met Hyunsu and Jiyoon, finishing their date.

“Did you have fun with your brother?”
“Yes, it was a satisfying day. Thank you for taking care of Yuna!”
“I also had a great time with Yuna. Shall we go eat dinner now?”
“Sure! I heard of a famous Korean set meal place nearby. How about meat?”

Hyunsu’s suggestion got a nod from Hyunjun.

“Korean set meal sounds good. Gyeongju is famous for it.”

“Dinner! Are we having dinner now? I’m hungry!”
“…After all that eating, you’re still hungry, Yuna?”
“Yes!”

Yes, eat a lot and grow tall. Eat well and grow strong, Yuna.