Chilcheon-ri.
As you can tell from the ‘-ri’ suffix, it’s a small village.
So of course, there’s no such thing as a test-drive center for vehicles.
Thankfully, if you take the bus a little way out, you’ll reach Gangneung City, and once you get there, you can make use of all sorts of convenient facilities.
[ This bus will soon be arriving at Gangneung Bus Terminal. Passengers, please make sure to take all your belongings with you when you disembark. ]
I got off the bus.
These days, as long as you have a map app, it’s easy to find your way anywhere.
Looks like I should go that way.
- This place is absurdly small compared to that place called Seoul. There were so many buildings as big as Eliya’s trees there.
Kasia, whose standards have apparently gone up just because she went to Seoul once.
When the reporters swarmed here a while back and Jinsu took her along to Seoul, it seems the buildings she saw left a strong impression.
“Seoul is not only Korea’s capital but also its biggest city. Compare it to Chilcheon-ri—see how much better it is.”
- But even so, Chilcheon-ri is where we live.
Ever since Kasia came to Earth, she’s only lived in Chilcheon-ri.
It’s become like a second hometown to her, so she’s developed a strong attachment.
Come to think of it, it’s already been several months since Kasia arrived on Earth, but she’s never once gone sightseeing.
‘Now I feel bad… She came from another world, and I should have taken her around. Well, now that we have a car, I’ll start making the effort.’
The first step: buying a car.
Chilcheon-ri doesn’t have good transportation, so if you want to go anywhere, you have to walk a long way to the terminal, and then it’s another long bus ride from there.
Since the place doubled as a showroom, it was made of glass walls, letting us see the new models on display inside.
When we entered the office, the staff seemed visibly nervous for some reason.
“Did you, uh, make a reservation?”
“I’m Do Minho.”
“Do-Do Minho, yes. You’re the one with the 2 o’clock reservation, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The staff swallowed hard and offered us drinks.
“I’ll have orange juice, please.”
I used to drink coffee every day, but since living in Chilcheon-ri, I’ve distanced myself from it and don’t crave it anymore.
You could say moving to the countryside cured me of my caffeine addiction.
“And what can I get your girlfriend?”
I felt my face flush.
I glanced at Kasia, but thankfully, she must not have understood and just stood there blankly.
“She’s not my girlfriend… Ahem! She’ll have the same.”
“A-ah…! My apologies.”
The staff handed us two glasses of orange juice and led us into the showroom.
“Please take a look around as you like, and let me know if you need anything.”
After showing us around, the staff stepped back, giving us space without being overbearing—it struck me as quite considerate.
But why does it seem like they keep fidgeting nervously?
- By the way, did he just call me your girlfriend? We are friends, aren’t we?
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I answered wrong.”
- You are such a fool.
The showroom was bigger than I expected, mostly displaying sedans and SUVs.
Among them, the sedan I’d had my eye on was right in the center of the showroom, probably because it’s so popular.
Don’t see any vans.
Kasia, apparently drawn to the SUVs, wandered off to check them out.
“Seeing it in person, this car looks pretty. Should I change my mind…”
Seems there’s a big difference between seeing pictures online and seeing the real thing.
I’m glad we came to check them out in person.
- I like that one. If the car is big, you can take lots of people with you, can’t you?
Before I knew it, Kasia had finished looking around and returned.
At first, she seemed to like the midsize SUV, but now she’s pointing at the RV in the corner.
There was a bigger car over there?
It was so tucked away I missed it.
Maybe she remembered the talk about taking everyone on a trip and picked the RV with that in mind.
She can be unexpectedly thoughtful.
“Now that we’ve looked around, let’s go for a test drive.”
I asked the staff if we could test drive the RV instead of the midsize SUV we’d planned on, and they readily agreed.
“That’s a wonderful choice. This model is actually quite popular among big families these days. You have a great eye.”
Since we picked a bigger car, the staff assumed we had a big family.
And, well, I guess we do.
The staff kindly explained how the test drive worked.
No need to have a dealer ride along—you just drive wherever you want.
You have to be back within the hour, but they even said we could take an extra 30 minutes if we wanted.
‘Are they treating customers like royalty? They’re so courteous and respectful.’
The response seemed a bit unusual, making me tilt my head, when Kasia urged me on.
- Let’s try it now! I’m curious.
“Yeah. Let’s go. We’ll be back soon~”
We got into the RV first.
I’d glanced at it in the showroom, but actually getting in, the interior felt really spacious.
‘Since Ddakong and Little Pepper are both child-sized, they’ll be fine.’
And with Pa-rongee stuck to my arm, there’s nothing to worry about.
Thankfully, the Guardians are all small, so it looks like we can fit a lot of people.
“With this much space, we could take Minjun’s whole party and the Guardians, too.”
- And me! Why am I left out?
“Of course you’re included.”
Kasia seemed startled at the idea of being left behind.
And I’d forgotten another name.
- What about Goldie? Are we not bringing Goldie?
“Hmm. Right… Goldie… Let’s ask him if he wants to come.”
It’d be a little awkward to take just Goldie when there are so many other chickens.
Soon, I started the engine and we set off.
“Since we have the car, want to go get something tasty?”
I wasn’t planning to use the whole one-hour test drive.
We have three cars to test, and an hour each is too long.
But since we’d come all the way to Gangneung, it’d be a waste to just test drive and go back.
- Sounds good. What delicious food will you introduce me to this time?
Everything I’d recommended so far suited Kasia’s taste perfectly, and she looked at me expectantly.
Cooking at home is nice, but going out and trying new things is its own kind of fun.
“Hmm, this place is famous for sundubu, but since we’ve already had lunch, let’s get ice cream for dessert.”
- Ooh! Ice cream!
I picked the closest place selling Sudoobu Gelato and headed over.
Actually driving the RV, it felt better than I expected.
It looked bulky, but the handling was smooth and it accelerated nicely.
“This car’s pretty nice. What do you think, Kasia?”
- I like it, too. I knew my pick would be a good one.
She said she liked it in the showroom, so it seems it wasn’t just the size—she genuinely liked the car.
Chatting about the car as we went, we soon arrived at our destination.
Even on a weekday, there were so many people lined up for gelato—it must be a tourist spot.
“Looks like we came to the right place. Let’s get in line.”
Since the gelato is already made and just scooped out, the line moves quickly.
Checking the menu ahead of time, the Corn Gelato caught my eye in addition to Sudoobu Gelato.
Gangwon Province is famous for corn and potatoes, after all.
“One Sudoobu Gelato and one Corn Gelato, please.”
As soon as I ordered, the staff started scooping them out.
- Oh. One is white, and the other is yellow. I wonder what they taste like.
Kasia’s eyes sparkled as she took a little spoonful of Sudoobu Gelato and put it in her mouth.
- Huh. It’s cold.
She winced, maybe because her teeth were sensitive to the cold.
It was my first time trying these, too, so I tasted a spoonful of Corn Gelato with anticipation.
Mmm~
That savory taste unique to corn came through.
“How is it? Chewy, right? Gelato is creamier than regular ice cream because it has less air in it.”
- I’ve never tried ice cream before.
“Oh, really? I’ll get you some next time. Anyway, does it taste good?”
- It’s cold, but if I eat just a little at a time, it’s perfect. The flavor is nutty and sweet.
Since it’s made from sundubu, it might be a bit less sweet.
But that means it’s not too much, and you can eat it without getting tired of it.
“Try the Corn Gelato, too.”
Kasia and I swapped gelato cups.
Tasting the Sudoobu Gelato, I realized her review was spot-on.
“You’re right. It’s my first time trying Sudoobu Gelato, too, and it’s kind of nutty and just sweet enough. It suits my taste.”
Kasia also scooped some Corn Gelato and put it in her mouth.
- Mmm! I like this one even more. It’s got a savory flavor and aroma. There were plants in Eliya with a similar taste. I used to eat them a lot as snacks.
Maybe it was the flavor and aroma reminding her of home.
Kasia started eating the Corn Gelato faster and faster, finishing the whole cup before I could even ask for a taste.
“It’s that good?”
- Ish vewy gud. But sho cold.
She ate too much cold food at once, so her mouth must be frozen—she couldn’t even talk properly, clutching her neck with one hand and her temple with the other.
“Pfft! Your throat and head hurt, right? That’s what happens when you eat too much cold stuff at once. You’ll be fine soon.”
With Kasia moaning and holding her neck and head, I put her in the passenger seat and headed back to the Siseung Center.
“How was the ride? Were you satisfied?”
“Yes, it was really nice.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’ll show you to the next vehicle.”
Unlike the sturdy and safe-looking RV, the sedan was sleek and elegant.
Excited, I hopped into the driver’s seat.
Kasia sat in the passenger seat, sinking down with a flop.
- Ugh. Compared to the last car, this one feels so close to the ground.
“I guess it feels that way since we just got out of the RV.”
This time, we decided to grab a snack and headed to a famous nearby bakery.
Compared to driving the RV, the sedan felt even smoother and more agile.
“Wow, this one really goes. Feels great.”
- I can’t really tell.
Maybe because I was the one driving, I could feel the difference, but Kasia in the passenger seat didn’t seem all that impressed.
“Let’s just buy some bread and get back quickly.”
The bakery had a long line, so we had to wait quite a while to get in.
- These things called bread look delicious. The smell is, sniff sniff, wonderful.
“They taste as good as they look. Let’s take some home and eat it later.”
We went right back to the Siseung Center and returned the car.
“How was this car? Not your style?”
Kasia, who’d praised the RV’s comfort, was now silent.
‘Well, when would I even use a sedan? Have I made enough money that I’m considering buying two cars at once? Get it together, Minho.’
Scolding myself, I resolved to stay grounded.
“How did you like this car? It’s a brand new model this year and very popular.”
Seeing the car return, the staff approached and asked for feedback.
“It’s nice, but I think the earlier car suits me better. It was more comfortable.”
“I see. Would you like me to help you proceed with the purchase right away?”
I was startled by the staff’s abrupt offer to proceed, but their next words cleared up everything.
“According to your schedule, the Kanghan Group headquarters has sent over the products you reserved. They arrived while you were out test driving.”
“Oh~ So that’s why you recognized my name right away.”
“Yes, that’s right. Would you like us to prepare the car for you to take today?”
“Yes, please! The payment…”
“The payment has already been completed by the head office. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“What?!”
So the Kanghan Group was gifting me a car.
Since Kim Sang-hyun’s just a salaried employee, he couldn’t have paid for something this expensive—so it must be Chairman Kang Daehan.
‘They say companies never give gifts without expecting something in return. What kind of calculation did he do to send me a present like this? I’ll have to thank him later.’
There was a bit of an issue, though—I’d changed from the SUV to the RV before the test drive.
So the cars sent as gifts were an SUV and a sedan…
“No problem. We’ve received instructions from the head office to exchange for whichever model you’d like.”
Luckily, the RV I picked was in stock and could be delivered right away.
Now that I’m able to buy a car outright, I could’ve just paid for it myself, but it’d be rude to refuse such a generous gift.
That wouldn’t be proper.
- Then we don’t have to take the bus back?
“Right. Let’s go home in our new car.”
Following the staff’s lead, we went down to the basement, where a car was hidden behind a curtain.
“Will your companion be driving as well?”
“No, I’ll be the only one driving.”
There’s no way Kasia, an Elf, could drive.
But the staff had no way of knowing that.
“Which car would you like to take? We’ll send the other one to your home.”
“We’ll drive the RV.”
I quickly took out a one-day auto insurance and got in the car.
I wasn’t planning to be extravagant, but I did feel a bit greedy for the sedan.
Maybe there’ll be a chance to use it later.
“Now that we have a car, want to swing by Hoengseong on the way home?”
- Hoengseong? Driving sounds nice, but I don’t know where that is.
Kasia loves beef but still doesn’t know much about Korea.
“It’s a region famous for Hanwoo in our country. Didn’t we promise to have a meat party after the Elves immigrate?”
- Ooh! I’m curious. A place famous for Hanwoo! Does that mean there’s Hanwoo everywhere?
At the mention of Hanwoo, Kasia’s eyes sparkled brightly.