My Dad is Too Strong-Chapter 324

Chapter 324
⌜And now for our next story. The core inflation rate, which reflects the underlying trend in prices, has increased by 2.1 percent compared to last year, while the cost-of-living index, a measure of consumer sentiment, has risen by 0.8 percent. As a result, consumers are experiencing a substantial financial burden. In response, the government has...⌟
There was an old saying, “Prices keep rising, but salaries stay the same.” It was one that all office workers have heard at least once during their careers. Salaries were often frozen, and even in the rare cases where they were increased, they barely kept up with inflation. Coincidentally, the news was covering this very topic.
Listening to the , Do-Jun decided it was time to slightly raise the kids’ allowance.
***
Byeol had finished getting ready for daycare.
Just two weeks ago, the sun was scorching hot, but it didn’t take long for autumn to arrive. It was the perfect season for long-sleeved, lightweight uniforms. She wore her yellow tracksuit, with “Changshin Daycare” printed across the chest alongside an adorable duck emblem.
She started packing her daycare bag with a sketchbook, crayons, and, for some unknown reason, a garden shovel. Her bag was full, but she suddenly had the nagging feeling that she was forgetting something.
“Oh yeah!” she exclaimed, then opened a drawer and took out her notebook and wallet.
Over the past three days, she had done many good deeds and earned plenty of stamps. That meant today was a very special day—allowance day. Holding her notebook and wallet, Byeol toddled over to Do-Jun. Watching her approach with her tiny hands clutching her belongings, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“It’s allowance day, huh?” he asked.
“Yup! Today is awowance day!”
Smiling, Do-Jun took out 3,000 won and handed it to her. However, instead of taking it immediately, Byeol blinked at the money in confusion. Then, she started counting with her fingers, folding them down one by one as she checked the number of bills. The moment her tiny fingers folded down three times, she looked up.
“This is weird, Daddy.”
“Hm, what’s weird?”
“My awowance is 1,000 won,” she said honestly.
“Starting today, it’s 3,000 won.”
“N-no way...”
Byeol’s allowance had tripled in an instant. She stared at the bills, her expression one of pure disbelief. After a moment, she quickly tucked the money into her bear-shaped wallet as if she were afraid she might lose it. The once-flat and lifeless wallet now bulged with the added bills, restoring the bear’s chubby face. Seeing that made Byeol smile even wider.
“Come on, time to go to daycare. You’ll be late,” Do-Jun reminded her.
“Okie!”
After securing her supplies and wallet in her bag, Byeol wiggled her bottom playfully and skipped toward daycare with light steps. Watching her go, Do-Jun smiled, then turned to change into his work clothes.
Shortly after, the bedroom door opened with a soft creak, and Karsiel stepped out. She was up relatively early for someone who was usually a heavy sleeper in the mornings. Still half-dazed from sleep, she wandered into the living room, rubbing her eyes. Upon seeing Do-Jun, she gave a slight bow.
“Good morning, Master.”
“You’re up already?”
“Yes.”
Without hesitation, Karsiel walked to the living room window, opening both the curtains and the balcony door to let in fresh air. Then, she picked up the vacuum cleaner from the corner. Before turning it on, she glanced at Do-Jun, then disappeared into the bedroom. Moments later, she came back, holding a necktie in both hands.
“Here is your tie,” she said, handing it over with a polite bow.
“Thanks.”
She plugged in the vacuum, and it roared to life with a gentle whirl, humming steadily as she began cleaning. Meanwhile, fully dressed for work, Do-Jun headed to the front door and slipped on his shoes. Karsiel paused the vacuum and walked over to see him off.
“Have a good day at work, Master.”
“Thanks. Make sure you eat breakfast.”
“I will, thank you.”
Just as he was about to step out, he suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right.”
Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out three crisp 50,000-won bills and handed them to Karsiel. “If you need more, just let me know.”
Karsiel remained silent as Do-Jun merely smiled and then left for work. The door softly clicked shut behind him.
She lowered her gaze to the 150,000 won in her hands.
***
The National Hunter Academy housed a variety of community facilities and shops. At Coffee 101, Sun-Hye, a barista, was waiting for a certain man whom she could confidently say was the most handsome man she had ever seen.
He’s a true masterpiece!
she thought with adoration.
The first time she saw him, his sharp features had been a little intimidating. But once she got to know him, she realized he was surprisingly pure and kind-hearted. His name, however, was quite unique. He had introduced himself as Yong-Yong, though it sounded more like a cute nickname.
As she wiped down the tables, she secretly hoped that Yong-Yong would visit the café today.
“Welcome—oh!”
They say that if one wishes hard enough, their dreams will come true.
Sure enough, Yong-Yong had just walked in. He stood at the counter, tilting his head back slightly to look at the menu board. But for some reason, he appeared conflicted. Slowly, he unzipped the small pouch hanging around his neck and counted the money inside.
“One iced Americano...” He ordered.
“No chocolate today? We just got a fresh batch of premium cocoa powder yesterday! It’s extra rich!” Sun-Hye said cheerfully.
By now, she had a good grasp of Yong-Yong’s preferences. On special days, he ordered an Americano, but most of the time, he preferred an iced chocolate. In fact, anticipating his visit, she had even used her own money to purchase rare cocoa powder extracted from cacao beans grown in a “Special Fissure.”
Yong-Yong hesitated, fidgeting with his pouch. The price of hot chocolate had gone up by 1,000 won since last month, making it a hefty 6,000 won. Right now, he only had 5,000 won—he was a thousand short.
He slowly lifted his gaze and locked eyes with Sun-Hye.
***
Yong-Yong sat by the window of the quiet café, pulling a book off the shelf. In his hand was an iced Americano. For some reason, the bitterness felt even stronger today, and he found himself barely taking any sips. Just then, Sun-Hye happened to walk by and glanced at the book’s title:
The Smart Way to Negotiate Your Salary
.
Oh, I’ve read that one too.
Realizing that this might be a chance to establish a common interest, she clenched her fist excitedly.
Clearing her throat, she cautiously approached Yong-Yong. “You’re thinking about salary negotiations?”
“Huh?”
“That book. You’re reading about salary negotiations... I actually read that last month. It was really helpful! Thanks to it, I successfully negotiated with my boss and got a 5-million-won raise.”
“Lucky.”
“Right?”
“I’d be happy if I could just get a 500-won raise...” Yong-Yong trailed off gloomily.
“Sorry...?”
Did she hear that right? She was pretty sure he said 500 won.
Feeling a bit awkward, Sun-Hye forced a laugh and continued the conversation. “Well, either way, you do want to increase your salary, don’t you?”
For Yong-Yong, it wasn’t a salary but an allowance. Still, he decided to go along with it. “Yeah.”
“When I negotiated with my boss, I applied what I learned from that book. If you want a raise, you need to increase your value. So, I worked hard to prove my worth, and in the end, my salary went up by so much.”
“Increase my value?”
“Yes. If you want to earn more, you have to make yourself more valuable. It’s a fundamental concept, but it’s also the fastest way. That’s why so many professionals get certifications—to raise their market value. For example, one of the case studies in the book talks about someone working in IT sales...” Sun-Hye fluently explained the book’s contents.
“Hm.” To be honest, he wasn’t really following where she was going.
“In short, if you want to increase your worth, you need to give your best in your field. And it’s not just about words—you need results. In my case, I started coming in an hour early to clean the store and do all the dishes myself, so...”
The words “cleaning” and “doing the dishes” struck Yong-Yong hard.
***
When Do-Jun came home from work, Yong-Yong was the first to greet him. He had been watching TV in the living room and immediately rushed to the front door, sliding to his knees with a dramatic whoosh.
“Master.” Bowing deeply, he spoke in an oddly solemn tone. “Please raise my allowance.”
Do-Jun looked at him, silently realizing Yong-Yong’s allowance didn’t seem to be enough. He usually gave Yong-Yong around 30,000 to 50,000 won per month, in increments of 1,000 won at a time—not too much, but not too little either.
Just then, Yoon-Hee peeked over from the kitchen, where she was preparing dinner, and whispered to him, “He took 5,000 won to buy iced chocolate today, but the price went up, so he ended up getting an Americano instead.”
“I see, that makes sen—” But he was interrupted.
Yong-Yong blurted out, “Of course, I’m not asking for a free raise!”
Do-Jun looked at Yong-Yong with curious interest. He had already planned to increase his allowance increments to 3,000 won, just like Byeol’s, with no conditions attached.
But then, Yong-Yong said enthusiastically, “I’ll clean every morning and do the dishes for thirty days—without missing a single speck of dust! Really! Just give me a 500-won raise!”
“Hm, 500 won...” Do-Jun suppressed a smirk, pretending to seriously consider it.
Yong-Yong saw this as his negotiation tactic working, so he pressed on. “Forty days! I’ll clean and do the dishes for forty days!”
Finally, pretending to give in, Do-Jun nodded.
Yong-Yong beamed, clinging to Do-Jun’s leg and wagging his tail vigorously. His face lit up with joy at the thought of getting an extra 500 won per allowance.
***
The next day.
After receiving 150,000 won from Do-Jun, Karsiel stopped by Coffee 101 to pick up three cups of iced chocolate. When she got home, she saw that Byeol was back from daycare and playing with Yong-Yong, stacking blocks. She looked up as Karsiel handed her a cup.
“What’s this?” Byeol asked.
“Oh! It’s iced chocolate!” Yong-Yong exclaimed.
“Yep.”
“Is this for us, Karsiel?”
“Of course, Lord Izaas. I bought three so we could share.”
Yong-Yong blinked. Iced chocolate was expensive, costing 6,000 won for just a single drink. Buying three would require a decent amount of money. But then again, he thought it didn’t really matter. Shrugging off his brief concern, he happily sipped his iced chocolate.
That’s when Karsiel pulled out a flyer and held it up. It was a fried chicken restaurant menu.
“I’m going to order chicken. What would you two like?” she asked.
“Oh! Seriously?”
“I’ll get two, so you both pick a flavor.”
“W-wait, but they’re 20,000 won each, Karsiel,” Yong-Yong reminded her.
“It’s fine.”
“That price isn’t ‘fine.’ Do you even have enough money?”
Karsiel simply nodded.
“Wow, you must’ve saved up a lot of allowance.”
Watching this, Yong-Yong decided that next time, he would treat everyone to a big meal. After all, his allowance increments had finally gone up to 1,500 won. At this rate, he’d be rich in no time.