Bandaids & Punches ✔️

8. The Iron-Man Fanboy

"Ugh! I'm having second-hand embarrassment because of you." Dae Ho groans and hides his face under his hand, sending a side glare to the man walking beside him nonchalantly.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"Your damned hair makes you look like the clown from McDonald's!"

"You're just salty you cannot pull off a color like this." Haneul flashes his signature dentist commercial smile at two girls passing by and chuckles. "We have people turning heads because of my visuals, and you're not too bad yourself if we upped your monochrome wardrobe to something colorful."

"How clueless are yo— you know what, I'll just shut up."

Haneul smirks in victory, guiding the fighter to a toy store. The place is large, sectioned into pastel pinks and purples and strong blues and greys. The doctor pulls out a trolley from the entrance and walks further inside.

"Do you have anything in mind?" Dae Ho asks scanning the area.

"Not really, just buy whatever you think is good enough for a five years old child," Haneul replies picking up a bag of LEGO blocks and two robots, not long after dropping a box of remote-controlled car and guns into the cart.

Dae Ho watches in awe how the man in front of him picks something from every rack without a care in the world. Perks of being a walking ATM, he thinks a bit somberly. He doesn't remember a time he's bought anything without calculating and checking the price tag. He observes as Haneul pulls out a black card to pay at the counter, giving instructions for gift wrapping the toys.

"We'll be back in some time to get them." The redhead bows with a smile. "Let's go," he calls Dae Ho with a wave of his hand.

"Are we going to the arcade now?" Dae Ho inquires following the other but stops when he shakes his head. "But why?"

"We still need to buy gifts."

"For who?"

"Jae Hoon, my nephew."

"But didn't we just do that?" Dae Ho folds his arms, the man had toys that'd fill two big shopping bags.

"Yeah, but they aren't enough."

"What...really?"

Haneul nods cluelessly, brushing off Dae Ho's astonishment and pulling him into a Marvel-themed store. It isn't deliberate, the aloofness the older displays when it comes to money. He's been living a luxurious life since birth so it is understandable but it still doesn't prevent Dae Ho from feeling somewhat bitter. But it also doesn't mean he'd want Haneul to lose whatever he has and feel miserable like him. It's a natural tendency to dream to have things one doesn't possess.

The Marvel-themed store is stunning as if being sucked into the universe itself. It's better looking than the previous store, giving out an inviting and charismatic vibe. Definitely not because Dae Ho is a huge fan, the fighter assures himself. The human-sized action figures stand proudly around the store. Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine, Black Widow, and of course, Iron-Man, his favorite stands in the middle, a light illuminating from his outstretched hand. The figures look almost real and Dae Ho cannot help but admire them. If he wasn't an awkward guy, he would have taken a picture or two. It's when a frantic hand is waving in front of his face, does he snap out of his reverie.

"Didn't take you for a fanboy, Mr. Ace." Haneul laughs boisterously, hand slapping on Dae Ho's back. "It's good to see this side of you. Strange but good." He says passing by him.

The younger ignores him as he usually does and takes an Iron-Man figure in his hands, a smile making way across his lips. When he first watched the movie, he was inspired by the character, how he dealt with problems, and the way he carried himself. His teenage self wanted to be someone like him, reliable and strong, to do good for others. But unfortunately, with the life he has had, Dae Ho couldn't be pulled out from the underground world.