READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 224
The world is in the era of big smartphones.
With technological advancement inevitably comes the development of entertainment, one of which is gaming.
A field that psychiatrists eye, classifying it as a “mental illness” and offering treatment.
Parents, caught in the whirlwind of media demonizing games, commonly control their children’s gaming.
The innocent victims, the children, are naturally placed in an environment where game control is the norm, and in-game purchases are unimaginable.
In such a situation, something far more precious than mere plastic toys.
“Really?!”
As expected, Juwon, sitting in the back seat, perks up at the mention of a “gift card.”
A more explosive reaction than when his mom asked what toy he wanted.
Well, boys all think the same.
Ji-eun, seemingly not expecting this turn of events, looks flustered.
Perhaps sensing that the gift card is more enticing, she glances back from the driver’s seat, trying to persuade Juwon.
“No, Juwon, didn’t you say you wanted a robot toy last time?”
“Choose one. Gift card or robot toy?”
Not wanting to dwell on the cost, she urges him to make a quick choice.
She might have bought him a toy, even if it wasn’t a robot, but considering their conversation at the pizza place, it’s likely she never supported spending money on games.
“Um… gift card!”
“Oh dear…”
As expected, Juwon chose the gift card, and Ji-eun sighed at his ultimately frugal decision.
She couldn’t exactly go back on her word when the kid wanted it…
After coming all the way to a large supermarket full of toys, she couldn’t fathom why he chose a gift card.
“Really? Out of all the great toys in the world, you prefer that gift card thing?”
But what could she do?
Feeling a bit shortchanged as a parent, she only muttered a few complaints.
This was a victory for the side with a better understanding of men.
After all, people who don’t play games will never understand.
Just as men can’t understand why women take hours to pick something in a department store’s clothing section, there are areas where mutual understanding is impossible.
“I don’t get why they spend money on games… My husband is completely obsessed with them too.”
It seems it’s not just Juwon’s issue, as she continues to complain, mentioning even her husband.
Strangely empathizing more with the uncle and Juwon than with Ji-eun, I try to help her understand by pointing out where women spend their money.
“Unnie, you spend money on cosmetics and bags too, right?”
“That’s necessary. How is that the same?”
She counters, arguing that those are necessities and not the same.
Just as women don’t view men spending money on games favorably, men probably don’t see spending on bags and cosmetics in a good light either.
It’s a perfect analogy, but Ji-eun just doesn’t get it.
“Hehe, it’s the same.”
Seeing that further persuasion is futile, I just laugh and add that it’s the same, then brush it off.
As we talk, the car stops at the underground parking lot.
After Ji-eun and I get out from the driver and passenger seats, Juwon is led out by Siyeon.
Careful not to scratch the neighboring car.
After closing the door with a thud, we enter the store like a family.
At the entrance of the food section, just like yesterday.
Shopping carts with blocked 100-won slots are neatly lined up.
As Siyeon skillfully pulls out a cart, Juwon eagerly runs to her side.
“I want to sit here!”
The inner part of the cart, with a protruding handle that can be pushed to create a seat for kids.
Perhaps eyeing that prime spot, Juwon looks up with expectant eyes as Siyeon pulls the cart.
I envy that he can still sit there.
Thinking about it, I didn’t get to enjoy that in my elementary school days because there was no one to pull the cart for me.
It’s a privilege only kids can enjoy.
“Juwon wants to ride the cart? Okay.”
Siyeon agrees to his pure, greedy request.
She grabs Juwon under his arms and lifts him to eye level, placing him in the cart.
Even I, with some strength, can’t lift him into the cart due to my unfortunate height, barely reaching the cart’s handle.
Juwon, flapping his legs in the cart, fully enjoys the privilege of youth.
The worn-out cart wheels roll over the uneven store floor, and we soon enter the frozen food section.
“Try some dumplings!”
The place is filled with the aroma of food and the cheerful calls of the sampling aunties.
Pushing the cart with Juwon sitting inside, we stop at the frozen food sampling counters, picking and eating various items.
The frozen food section, where green starch toothpicks are chewed noisily.
“Mom! Buy this!”
“What is it? Galbi patties?”
Every time Juwon is offered food at the sampling counters, the empty space in the cart gradually fills up.
From frozen foods like pork cutlets, galbi patties, chicken nuggets, dumplings, and sausages, to fresh items like mackerel and pork belly.
Vegetables and condiments like lettuce, perilla leaves, onions, zucchini, soybean paste, and red pepper paste.
Even Juwon, sitting in the cart, holds a couple of items as the cart fills up, marking the end of the shopping.
Looking at the cart filled mostly with Juwon’s food, amidst the beeping of the scanner, I ask Ji-eun.
“Aren’t you buying anything for the uncle?”
“His tastes are the same as Juwon’s, so it’s fine.”
“Ah.”
I let out a short sigh of understanding and acceptance, quickly putting the scanned items back into the cart.
It’s surprising that the uncle’s tastes are the same as Juwon’s.
But then again, things like galbi patties and chicken nuggets never get old, no matter how old you get.
“141,320 won. Do you have a points card?”
“Here.”
After the payment, Siyeon pushes the cart away from the checkout.
Leaving the three of them to go ahead, I return to the checkout to separately pay for the 50,000-won gift card I had prepared earlier.
“50,000 won.”
“Yes.”
After quickly finishing the payment, I head towards the escalator leading underground, following the others.
Basement level 1, a packaging area filled with rough cardboard boxes and bright yellow tape.
After neatly folding the bottom of a box and sealing the cracks with tape, we start stacking the frozen foods inside.
After cramming everything in, we manage to fit all the items from the cart into one box.
“Juwon, hooray?”
Finally, Siyeon separates Juwon from the cart, and a large box takes his place.
Rolling, rolling, the heavy shopping cart heads down the escalator to basement level 2.
Dragging the cart to the parking lot, we transfer the box to the trunk.
Rolling, rolling, the now empty cart is pushed into the collection area near the store entrance, and we return to the car.
“Ah, thanks to this, I got to do some shopping too.”
Ji-eun lets out a sigh mixed with emptiness and accomplishment.
As the engine starts, she fastens her seatbelt and hands the gift card from her pocket to the back seat.
“Juwon, here.”
“Wow!”
Juwon beams with joy, accepting the gift card.
He’s already grinning, thinking about how to spend it on games.
Back in the day, getting a 10,000-won culture voucher for in-game purchases felt amazing.
…Even though it was gone in an instant.
“Gee, is he really that happy?”
“His mom doesn’t do this for him.”
“I just don’t get why people spend money on games, it’s such a waste.”
A working mom who finds spending money on games utterly wasteful.
Continuing the earlier conversation, it seems she still can’t accept it.
But I think gaming is a perfectly healthy hobby.
As long as it’s not some bottomless pit of a trash game.
“Still, isn’t it better than fishing or golf? Those hobbies require basic equipment that costs hundreds, and you don’t spend that much on games, right?”
“Well, that’s true…”
Since the earlier analogy didn’t work, I bring up other problematic hobbies on the same level to make my point.
Money talk seems to make her understand, as she subtly agrees.
“At least it’s not like joining a hiking or running club and having an affair…”
Casually bringing up stories she’s heard, hinting at the ultimate ‘impure hobby’ to defend gaming.
I just wish she’d acknowledge that gaming is a wholesome hobby.
“Look at you, where did you hear that?”
“It’s all over the internet.”