《Pygmalion》


 Chapter 0

    Prologue


    ¡°Sukyung, you look really happy today. Did something good happen?¡±


    One of her female coworkers poked her and asked. Sukyung couldn¡¯t help smiling, but trying her best not to smile too broadly, she replied in an awkwardly calm voice,


    ¡°My little brother is returning home from abroad today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, was he away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he has been studying abroad until now.¡±


    When Sukyung explained shyly, her co-worker¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Really? Studying what?¡±


    ¡°Umm, hair design.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really? Your brother is a hair designer? I never knew that. So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been keeping your hair so long.¡±


    Sukyung fidgeted with her waist-length hair and smiled. Sukyung was a very quiet girl, so her co-worker, who was an accountant and two years older, has rarely seen Sukyung smile like this. Fascinated, she joked,


    ¡°If your brother ends up at a big hair salon, please refer me to him! Maybe he¡¯ll give me a family and friend discount?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    The co-worker gave her a small smile and returned to her seat. Sukyung looked at her watch and began to pack. It was time to go. She was going to go straight to the airport.


    It has been three years since Jaewon left. Three years¡­ It was such a long time, and finally, she was going to get to see him again. He was now 26. Feeling like a young girl again, Sukyung felt her palms sweating. Inhaling deeply, she picked up her purse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡±


    ***


    The giant airport screen indicated that the flight from London had arrived. Sukyung watched the people leaving the gate diligently. She didn¡¯t expect him to be the first one to come out. After all, he had been away for three years, so he had to have a lot of luggage to find.


    Sukyung wondered if he looked very different now. When he left, he still looked a little boyish, but she assumed that this probably wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Just looking at herself in the mirror told her that a lot of time has passed. She looked so old now.


    So old¡­


    Sukyung looked down at her one-piece dress with a flower pattern. She bought this last week especially for this occasion, but looking at it now, she realized how ugly it was. Unfortunately, unlike Jaewon, Sukyung had absolutely no artistic talent.


    Well, it made sense since Jaewon got his talent from his beautiful elegant mother.


    The travelers began to swarm out from the gate. Sukyung stopped daydreaming and rubbed her sweaty palms on her dress. She stared at all the people pouring out.


    Men, women, children, elderly people¡­ One by one, they appeared, and Sukyung¡¯s heart began to pound. She felt herself blush as well. She wondered when he was going to come out.


    When¡­


    Suddenly, she spotted a tall man with a cart full of luggage. Her heart stopped beating for a moment. She couldn¡¯t breathe. Her brain became blank.


    Jaewon looked so different. It has only been three years, but she almost didn¡¯t recognize him. His short hair had subtle blond highlights, and his baby fat had completely disappeared. Before he left, Jaewon was a little chubby, but now, he was a slim young man. All of his facial features have sharpened.


    He was tall even before he left, but it seemed that he had grown even taller. Sukyung realized that she would have to look if she stood by his side.


    It was like¡­ seeing his father when he was still alive. Sukyung has seen his father only in a photo, and she could tell he clearly used to be a very handsome man. She realized that even if they didn¡¯t live together, a son will always end up resembling his father.


    It seemed that Jaewon didn¡¯t even recognize her. Or perhaps he wasn¡¯t expecting anyone to be waiting for him. Jaewon walked by her, so Sukyung had to raise her hand hurriedly to stop him.


    ¡°J¡­Jaewon.¡±


    Why was she stammering like an idiot? Why couldn¡¯t she act cooler and more elegantly? But her heart was beating so wildly. All she wanted to do was grab him and hug him, so how could she act calm? Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t born elegant like some people.


    Jaewon looked around in confusion. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t sure if he heard his name or not. When his eyes met Sukyung¡¯s, he blinked a few times. She waved at him awkwardly and tried to smile, but she could feel that all her face did was just crumple into an ugly frown.


    Sukyung wished she could smile prettier. Was her dress crumpled? Was her makeup still okay? Maybe she should¡¯ve checked her hair one more time?


    ¡°Sis?¡±


    Jaewon stared in disbelief before walking up to her. Sukyung felt her face spasm from trying to smile so much, but she still acted calm and waved at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much.¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Her smile froze. She could now hear her heartbeat in her ears. Gulping audibly, Sukyung looked up at him.


    ¡°Because I knew you were  arriving today¡­¡±


    ¡°How did you know that? I didn¡¯t contact you about it.¡±


    No, he didn¡¯t. Blinking rapidly, Sukyung gulped again.


    ¡°I asked President Kim at the Carter¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°The president? You called him in person?¡±


    Jaewon seemed annoyed, and Sukyung became confused. She expected him to be surprised and happy. For a week, she has been picturing how he would look when he saw her. She thought that he would be surprised at first, but he would still be happy to see her. He would give her a big smile and maybe¡­ even give her a hug.


    Or at least a handshake.


    ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s nice to see you, Jaewon. Long time no see. Good to see you.¡±


    She had practiced what to say to him, but Sukyung forgot everything. All she could do was mumble as she stared at him. Jaewon¡¯s face seemed to turn red before he looked away.


    ¡°Yeah, it has been a long time. I need to go get my luggage.¡±


    He grabbed his cart full of his luggage. Holding onto her purse tightly, Sukyung waited, and when he returned, they began walking together. Because he was tall, he walked really fast. Sukyung had to make an effort to follow him.


    Was he not happy to see her? Did he not miss her at all? But Sukyung thought of him everyday for the past three years. She kept wishing he was with her¡­


    Jaewon continued to walk without looking back. Sukyung had to try hard not to cry. She felt her eyes fill with tears and her heart aching like someone hit it with a hammer.


    How could this be¡­? She loved him so much. She had been loving him so achingly for the past 10 years.


    ***

 Chapter 1.1

    *Warning: The following material may contain strong language, unusual humor, violence, and sexual contents that readers may find offensive. Please use your own discretion.*


    *If you like this story, please support me, the translator, using the following methods!


    1.1


    ¡°Did you have a reservation?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ no. Was I supposed to?¡±


    The female receptionist didn¡¯t show an ounce of condescension towards the customer, who clearly didn¡¯t know anything about fashion. The receptionist smiled and replied,


    ¡°Could you wait here for a moment?¡±


    While the receptionist phoned someone, Sukyung looked around. This place was so luxurious, yet there wasn¡¯t a single customer in sight in the waiting room. Like a hair salon, there were several mirrors on the wall with chairs in front of them, but Sukyung didn¡¯t see any hair designers either.


    Hanging up, the smiling receptionist said to Sukyung,


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss, but the consultant isn¡¯t available right now. Can I make a reservation for you on another date?¡±


    Oh, of course. The way her luck was going, Sukyung wasn¡¯t surprised. She looked around the shop one more time. It wasn¡¯t too extravagant, yet it was beautiful and elegant. The subtle classic music and the model-like receptionist at the front¡­ This was clearly not a place Sukyung was supposed to visit.


    But then¡­ Where was she supposed to go? Sukyung had nowhere else she could go. She had no purpose, energy, or ambition. At this point, all she wanted to do was to stay in her room forever.


    Sukyung finally replied,


    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know I had to make a reservation. Umm¡­ I will call later and make an appointment then.¡±


    Sukyung staggered as she turned around. Her eyes became a little blurry, and she suddenly wondered when was the last time she ate. She couldn¡¯t remember, but it didn¡¯t matter. She wasn¡¯t hungry anyway.


    Of course, the problem was that her body felt weak and her legs were about to give up on her.


    She slowly walked towards the entrance when suddenly, it burst open and a tall man walked in. He was very tall, even taller than Jaewon. And his long hair¡­ It looked so shiny like the hair you would only see on a hair model on TV. He had it in a neat ponytail, and he was wearing an expensive-looking leather jacket. The kind you would see in a luxury boutique.


    When their eyes met, Sukyung looked away. She felt embarrassed. Even a man dolled up like this in this neighborhood, which meant this was definitely not the place for her.


    The suit Sukyung was wearing was from a discount outlet. It was barely acceptable for work, and she knew people laughed at her behind her back. Her long hair, which she hasn¡¯t even touched for the past three years, was too long and shapeless. She wore makeup, but only a bare minimum amount. Besides, it didn¡¯t help her bland face at all anyway.


    She needed to get out of here. She was an idiot for coming to this place. It was a mistake. She needed to think of another plan.


    But¡­ was there another option?


    The room began to spin around her. She felt the tall man¡¯s hands cupping her face and raising it. The whole world began to darken, and she felt herself floating.


    Then¡­ Sukyung fainted.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    Sungwoo grabbed onto the fainted woman¡¯s arms and looked at Sumi, the receptionist. Sumi¡¯s work-smile disappeared as she pouted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She just walked in without a reservation. I thought about giving her a walk-in consultation appointment, but she just wasn¡¯t the right type. Besides, it didn¡¯t look like she was really interested anyway.¡±


    Sungwoo raised Sukyung¡¯s face and studied it. She wasn¡¯t the porcelain skinned beauty he often saw in his shop. But she also wasn¡¯t a hopeless looking woman either. Her facial features had a decent balance, but it was clear she didn¡¯t take any time to improve her looks. Based on her height, she certainly couldn¡¯t have been an aspiring model.


    Sumi offered,


    ¡°Please just leave her in the waiting area. I will send her out when she wakes up.¡±


    Sungwoo didn¡¯t answer her, but instead, he studied Sukyung further. She wasn¡¯t overly thin, but it looked like she could break with a single touch. Based on her facial tone, it looked like she had been starving herself for a while. Was she on a silly diet? Sungwoo hated it when women did something so stupid like this.


    But¡­


    Sungwoo let her chin go and lifted her small body to carry her. Sumi gasped.


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any appointments today, right?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ No. You have some tomorrow morning, and they are all your regulars.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Unless it¡¯s an urgent call, don¡¯t bother me for the rest of the day. I¡¯ll be in my office.¡±


    Sumi couldn¡¯t believe it. She was a little shocked, but more importantly, she felt jealous. She has been working here for a while, and during that time, Sungwoo has never once shown any interest in her. She was tall and beautiful, so what was wrong with this guy? Of course, what she didn¡¯t know was that Sungwoo had a rule of never dating anyone from work.


    Without waiting for Sumi¡¯s answer, Sungwoo carried Sukyung upstairs. The second floor of his shop was mainly used as a wardrobe section. When two of his staff, who were sitting on the table chatting, spotted their boss, they both stood up.


    ¡°Welcome back, Sir.¡±


    ¡°Is that a customer you¡¯re carrying, Boss?¡±


    Sungwoo shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. We don¡¯t have any appointments booked today, so you can all go home early.¡±


    The two men nodded. Sungwoo passed the second floor hallway and entered his office, which was located in the most inner area of the floor.


    ***

 Chapter 1.2

    *Warning: The following material may contain strong language, unusual humor, violence, and sexual contents that readers may find offensive. Please use your own discretion.*


    1.2


    Sohyang Palace, which was located in Shinsa Dong, was a personal image consulting agency. It was a famous place for helping many supermodels and national beauty pageants win. Here, the customers received a full body treatment. The specialists took time to transform them from head to toe into a better version of themselves. A lot of their customers came from referrals sent by many of the popular hair salons in the area.


    The first floor was the hair salon, while the second floor was the wardrobe section. The third floor was the skincare shop, but it was only available to the VVIP customers. The client selection process was rather strict, and only those who the specialists believed could benefit greatly were accepted to the third floor. Anyone who went through the full course of this agency always came out looking gorgeous.


    Jin Sungwoo used to be a famous fashion designer in the past. After refusing all the offers from the high end brand companies, he put everything he had into this place, Sohyang Palace. As the owner, he had the freedom to choose his own customers, and he was known to be very picky.


    Because it was so hard to get into this agency¡¯s program, its popularity was through the roof. Countless girls and women begged to become his customer, but Sungwoo seemed to have his own rules in selecting his clients. And so far, he has never failed in transforming a woman into the best version of herself.


    Sungwoo¡¯s office was spacious. A luxurious sofa and table adorned the center and behind them, there was a large desk facing away from a one-piece giant window. The view of the city was something to behold.


    Sungwoo threw Sukyung on the sofa like she was a bag of groceries, and began to go through his mail. After skimming through them, he threw all of them out.


    As he took his jacket off, he studied Sukyung again. Her knee-length skirt had ridden up, exposing her chubby thighs and calves. Her blouse and skirt were obviously made of cheap material. They were also out of fashion.


    Her hair was too long and unstyled. Sungwoo couldn¡¯t figure out when, if ever, it might have had a trim. It was in a braid, but because of the escaped stray hair, it looked messy and ugly.


    This was not the type of woman that frequented Sohyang Palace. There was no way she could afford this place. The people who came here wore at the very least a Cartier watch or a Tiffany¡¯s necklace. Most women wore these things to show off, but it also partly meant that they were rich. After all, the membership fee at the Sohyang Palace was not cheap.


    So why did this woman come here? His biggest job was always to figure out what his customers wanted. People tended to lie often, and his mission was to find out the truth. This was the only way to find the real style his customer truly desired.


    ¡°But I think this woman needs more than just a change in style.¡±


    With a smirk, Sungwoo turned around and headed towards his desk. He decided to do some paperwork until this woman woke up.


    ***


    Jaewon sat across from Sukyung and said to her bluntly.


    ¡°Sukyung, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m not thankful for everything you did for me. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to study abroad and become a hair designer.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I did it because I wanted to. It was my duty to help you.¡±


    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Sukyung didn¡¯t help Jaewon because she wanted to hear him thank her. She has supported him since she was 19. She was going to turn 29 this winter, which meant she has been doing this for the past 10 years. She worked in that same office all this time, and everything she made was used for Jaewon¡¯s education. But she didn¡¯t do it because she wanted his thanks.


    The problem was, it seemed that Jaewon didn¡¯t understand her at all.


    ¡°Sis, you didn¡¯t have to do this at all, yet you did. You took care of me and even paid for my education. I am really thankful, but I¡¯m a grown up now. I can make my own living, so I will pay back everything.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. After all, we¡¯re family, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem.¡±


    Jaewon¡¯s face turned cold. Holding her breath, Sukyung just stared. Jaewon continued,


    ¡°We aren¡¯t family. Sis, we aren¡¯t related by blood. When our parents died, we should¡¯ve lived separately. If we did, your life wouldn¡¯t have been so hard. This is all my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    When Sukyung was 16, her father married Jaewon¡¯s mother. Jaewon was 15 at the time. He was a tall middle school student who seemed to be too quiet. Three years later, their parents went on a vacation and died from a car accident. They received some insurance money from this, and Sukyung used all of it for Jaewon.


    The truth was¡­ Sukyung didn¡¯t do it for Jaewon. She did it for herself because this was the only way to ensure Jaewon would return to her.


    Sukyung couldn¡¯t remember when she first fell in love with Jaewon. Was it when he turned from a quiet middle school student into a high school student with a big dream? Was it when she realized how he was blunt to everyone except to her? Was it his smile that made her fall for him?


    She didn¡¯t care if they would have to remain brother and sister forever. Just being able to see him once in a while was good enough for her. She would be happy to have him smile at her and call her his sister¡­


    ¡°Umm, Jaewon¡­¡±


    ***

 Chapter 1.3

    *Warning: The following material may contain strong language, unusual humor, violence, and sexual contents that readers may find offensive. Please use your own discretion.*


    1.3


    ¡°Let¡¯s not do this anymore, Sukyung. I will pay you back eventually. I obviously can¡¯t repay you all at once, since I just began working. But when I grow my career and get a promotion, I will be able to start paying back.¡±


    ¡°J¡­Jaewon, don¡¯t do this. I¡¯m sure Mom and Dad would¡¯ve wanted us to get along.¡±


    ¡°Mom and Dad are dead. Bringing them up won¡¯t change anything at this point.¡±


    Jaewon seemed to have become a completely different person. There was no way Sukyung could confess her feelings for him now. This was not how she imagined their reunion would be like. She had hoped¡­ that Jaewon would tell her he missed her and that¡­ he realized how he was in love with her while they were apart.


    Sukyung had been dreaming of him telling her he loved her too, but now¡­


    Facing reality was such a painful thing.


    Suddenly, Jaewon added in annoyance,


    ¡°And you know, Sunghee¡­ I really wanted to tell you this for a while now.¡±


    He almost seemed frustrated as he continued,


    ¡°Please do something about your hair and clothes. What is wrong with you? Why do you walk around looking like that? I mean¡­ I understand the importance of being frugal, but shouldn¡¯t you at least get a haircut once in a while? Don¡¯t you know that long hair has been out of fashion for the longest time? And if you want to keep it long, you should at least go to a salon to get it trimmed. And your clothes¡­ I mean¡­ What the hell? Haa¡­¡±


    Jaewon sighed in frustration and stood up. Sukyung was in such a shock that she couldn¡¯t move. This¡­ This wasn¡¯t the Jaewon she knew. The Jaewon she knew would never speak to her like this. He would never¡­


    Jaewon was always kind to her before he left. He promised her that he would study hard for her. Then one day, his letters stopped coming. No matter how many letters Sukyung sent, he never replied. His phone number also changed and soon, she could no longer contact him.


    Worried that something might have happened to him, Sukyung called her old boss who helped arrange Jaewon¡¯s school application process. But when Jaewon found out about this, he became furious.


    It was clear that Jaewon¡­ didn¡¯t want her.


    He didn¡¯t want her anywhere near him.


    Why? Because she was such a bumpkin? Because she didn¡¯t take care of her appearance? Because she didn¡¯t suit him, who was now a handsome and elegant hair designer?


    Before leaving her, Jaewon handed her a white envelope,


    ¡°I got my first paycheck, so this is part of it. Take this and buy some clothes for yourself. I will send you money every month from now on, so don¡¯t worry.¡±


    He took the bill and left. Feeling confused, Sukyung sat quietly for a moment before realizing what had happened. She grabbed the envelope and ran after him, but all she could see was him driving away in his new expensive car.


    Sukyung has never been to Apgujung1 before. Feeling lost, Sukyung walked around aimlessly. Tears filled her eyes, but she looked up to make sure she didn¡¯t cry. Her long hair now felt so heavy. Didn¡¯t Jaewon remember how he promised to cut it for her? He promised her before he left that he was going to become a great hair designer and cut her hair. That was why she has kept her hair long¡­ That was why she refused to go to a hair salon for a haircut.


    Sukyung has been waiting for Jaewon for so long. She has been waiting for the day when he returned and be the first to cut her hair in three years. Sukyung felt that going to another hair stylist would be like betraying Jaewon.


    She didn¡¯t care if they remained as siblings and nothing more. As long as he would allow her to be by his side¡­ Sukyung was perfectly willing to change herself. She would be happy to spend all of her money to improve her looks.


    So please¡­


    Sukyung whispered,


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me, Jaewon¡­ Please don¡¯t disappear¡­ I¡¯m begging you¡­ Please¡­¡±


    When she opened her eyes, the room was still spinning. Thankfully, her dizziness soon improved and she saw something dark. Sukyung blinked a few times to realize that it was a dark leather sofa.


    Confused, she sat up and heard the rustle of papers. When she turned, Sukyung noticed a man sitting at the desk. It was that same tall man she saw at the entrance of the shop. He was now wearing glasses and he had his jacket off, but it was still the same man.


    The same elegant yet very dominant-looking man.


    He looked a little more graceful than Jaewon. Perhaps it was because he was older and therefore more mature. She spotted some wrinkles around his eyes, but it actually added to his refined appearance. His thin and straight lips were beautiful pink. His skin looked perfectly tanned and his neck and shoulders were well muscled, indicating he worked out regularly.


    Glancing at her through his glasses, Sungwoo asked,


    ¡°I guess the sleeping beauty has finally awakened?¡±


    ***

 Chapter 1.4

    *Warning: The following material may contain strong language, unusual humor, violence, and sexual contents that readers may find offensive. Please use your own discretion.*


    1.4


    Sukyung felt herself blush. She quickly stood up and bowed to him.


    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m so sorry. I¡­ I guess I fainted. This has never happened to me before.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you starved yourself. If that¡¯s how you plan on transforming yourself, you can just forget about it. I don¡¯t want someone like that in my shop.¡±


    Sukyung hesitantly looked at the man, who took his glasses off and stared at her. Sungwoo narrowed his eyes and studied her up and down. Sukyung pulled down her skirt with shaking hands and averted her eyes.


    Sungwoo asked,


    ¡°So why did you come here? You want to do something about yourself?¡±


    Sukyung bit her lower lip and nodded. The man continued to stare at her uninterestedly.


    ¡°And what is it that you want? Do you even know what my shop does?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s¡­ a beauty shop¡­ I heard you can transform someone¡¯s appearance¡­¡±


    She murmured hesitantly. Sungwoo neither nodded nor shook his head. All he did was just stare at her, making Sukyung uncomfortable.


    ¡°And how do you want to change yourself?¡±


    ¡°P¡­pardon?¡±


    ¡°I asked you how you want to change yourself. And what¡¯s your goal? I can¡¯t imagine you planning to enter a beauty contest.¡±


    ¡°N¡­no.¡±


    Sukyung could feel her face turning red. She nodded quickly before shaking her head.


    ¡°Oh, no I mean¡­ No, I¡¯m not entering a beauty pageant¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­ right now, I¡­¡±


    ¡°You look awful.¡±


    Sungwoo said to her bluntly. Sukyung jolted and looked up, but when their eyes met, she looked down again. Her face was now boiling.


    Yes, she knew. She knew very well that she looked horrible. But was it okay for him to say this to her face? Even if it¡¯s the truth, she still didn¡¯t like hearing this. Just because he looked so amazing didn¡¯t mean he could say this to her.


    And didn¡¯t this man work here? How was he able to run this place acting so rude like this? This was a service business, wasn¡¯t it? Jaewon used to tell her all the time that the hardest thing for him was dealing with the customers.


    But then¡­ Jaewon told her this three years ago. Perhaps the beauty industry has changed a lot since then.


    Just once in her life¡­ Couldn¡¯t someone be nice to her?


    ¡°You should know that no matter how much you change your appearance, it will be useless if you act like that. Looking down and acting so hesitant¡­ Have you ever met a beautiful woman who slouched like you? Who stammered like you? Being shy and having low self esteem are two very different things.¡±


    But considering how she looked¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be stranger if she had high self esteem? Of course, there was something even she was good at.


    Accounting.


    She could do her work with her eyes closed. Sukyung was confident that she was better than most accountants in her office. She has been working in this department for the past seven years. Even the managers told her that the company would be in trouble if she wasn¡¯t there.


    But everything else¡­


    ¡°I will ask you again. Why are you trying to change your appearance? What is it for? For a man?¡±


    Sukyung blushed again as Sungwoo looked at her knowingly.


    ¡°Hmm, so it¡¯s for a man¡­ Who is he?¡±


    ¡°It¡­it¡¯s not like that.¡±


    Sukyung yelled urgently, but Sungwoo only raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°No? Then what is it?¡±


    ¡°W¡­well¡­¡±


    What was she supposed to tell him? What could she say that would make her sound normal?


    ¡°Umm, well¡­ My little brother¡­ He¡¯s a hair designer.¡±


    The man looked at her blankly. Pressing her cheeks with her palms, Sukyung continued,


    ¡°He just came back from studying abroad. He got a job in Korea recently and¡­ I¡­ I look so bad that¡­ I think he¡¯s embarrassed by me, so¡­¡±


    The man remained quiet for a long time. Wondering if he heard her, Sukyung looked up when suddenly, Sungwoo began to laugh.


    Sukyung blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Are you serious? I¡¯ve never heard such a ridiculous thing in my life! So you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars1 just because your brother is embarrassed by you? Are you rich? Or did you win a lottery or something?¡±


    Rather than feeling embarrassed, Sukyung felt surprised. She murmured,


    ¡°Umm¡­ H¡­how much is it?¡±


    She did have some money. It was true that it cost a lot to pay for Jaewon¡¯s education, but after he graduated, he interned at an upscale hair salon, so she only had to pay for his living expenses for the last few years. Sukyung, being a frugal girl, has been saving most of her money.


    Besides, Sukyung was determined to spend however much it was going to cost to become the woman Jaewon wanted.


    But then¡­ It sounded like this was going to be very expensive, so she couldn¡¯t help feeling nervous. Sukyung was so used to being frugal that the thought of spending any money on herself felt wrong.


    ¡°The starting rate is 10,000 dollars. It will probably cost more.¡±


    ***