Jaeho took his sisters to the nicer part of Busan so they could experience an environment outside of their toxic one.
It wasn't the tourist district, that was still too much even with what he had now, but the clean polished neighborhoods where families strolled without watching their backs, at least during the day, where streets had cafes and boutiques instead of just convenience stores and laundromats.
They wore their best. For Jia and Serin that meant the dresses he had bought weeks ago, still clean, no tears yet, but the edges were starting to show wear. For Jaeho it was the thrifted button up shirt from months back and his only jeans without holes.
They looked okay decent even but still looked slightly out of place here.
"We will need new clothes," Jaeho thought. He wanted to get something that didn't scream charity case.
That could wait though as today was for them. For finally giving Jia and Serin the kind of normal day other kids took for granted.
The twins walked ahead, hands locked together, heads turning every take it all in, to soak it all in; shop windows, people in nice outfits, cars that looked brand-new from ads.
They didn't walk small witht heir heads down, they didn't shrink or hide.
They walked tall like they owned the place, a sign of their high self-esteem but also obliviousness to their true situation which showed just how good a job Jaeho had done.
Because Jaeho had given everything so their spirits never cracked. They didn't know what it felt like to be less and he planned to keep it that way as long as he could.
They stopped at a small restaurant with clear glass windows and real cloth napkins. The kind of place Jaeho used to hurry past without looking because he knew he didn't have the income for unnecessary expenses.
Today he pushed the door open and brought them in. They ate like kings, galbi, bibimbap, banchan plates that kept coming back full. Jia and Serin's eyes got bigger with every dish, and they ate until their cheeks puffed out and their stoamch threatened to rip out of their clothes.
Jaeho was shocked by their appetite, they shouldn't be able to eat this much but they must have gotten that from their father.
He spent approximately ₩80,000.
After lunch they got ice cream almost right away to wash down the food in their stomach but also cool themselves from this hot sun.
Not the single scoop they were used to. Jaeho bought the biggest cones the shop had, three scoops each stacked high with chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, sprinkles on top with a wafer stick.
Jia's eyes almost fell out as she salivated at the beauty before her.
"Oppa, this is huge!" Jia exclaimed.
"Can we really eat all of this?" Serin asked, already licking the melting side without getting an answer to her question.
"You better," Jaeho said while grinning.
"Or I'll finish it for you," Jaeho teased.
They walked the shopping street, ice cream dripping, stopping at every window that caught their eye.
THis cost an additional ₩25,000.
Next a street vendor with fresh tteokbokki. The twins tore into it like vicious monsters, their faces were red from the spice, but they didn't stop until the container was scraped clean.
Jaeho spent an additional ₩15,000 int his spot, he could afford to be a little reckless.
They went into a stationery shop shortly after with Jia grabbed a giant set of crayons, 120 colors in a neat plastic case. Serin picked watercolor paints and a thick sketchbook with good paper.
Art supplies cost an additional ₩30,000.
Then to the bookstore, Jaeho let each pick two books. Jia went for bright picture books about animals and space, Serin chose softer stories, one with a girl and her cat, another about the ocean.
The books were another ₩30,000.
They grabbed snacks on the way home, honey butter chips, chocolate sticks, a bag of roasted chestnuts they planned to eat later at home.
The snacks were an additonal ₩15,000, Jaheo had spent quite a lot this day by his standards.
By the end of it all, Jaeho had spent ₩195,000.
He checked his phone to confirm his balance
[[Remaining balance: ₩490,000]]
He wanted to buy them new clothes, nice ones. Something on the fancier side but he had to take a breather because he did need some money should an emergency arise.
₩490,000 felt huge right now. But it wouldn't last forever. If one of them got sick, if something broke, if an emergency hit, he needed a form of financial capability.
He couldn't blow it all. At least not yet.
The twins didn't seem to care as they were happy, really happy. Jia hugged her crayons like they were gold with Serin walking with one book open, reading and bumping into Jaeho's side every now and then.
They were having the best day of their lives and for the first time in years, so was he.
Jaeho looked down at them, watching them laugh, talk, point at things that caught their attention.
This was it, this was everything but just as he was taking in everything. He saw three figures in the distance.
Jaeho hoped they would pass by, but the ugly smiles on their faces said no chance.
These individuals were Minho, Jiwon, Daeho.
Jaeho's stomach dropped with dread replacing the fuzzy feeling he had moments ago. This was the one thing he never wanted following him outside school especially not in front of his sisters.
The twins didn't notice, they were too busy arguing which book to read first, lost in their own bubble with no worries or care in the world.