By Zephyria “Um… take this off, and would you like to try this on?”
Lee Do-hyeon, who was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed, looking through a fashion magazine, raised his head at the sound of the curtain being drawn. Ryu Jeong, who walked out hesitantly and awkwardly, stared at Lee Do-hyeon with wide eyes at the repeated words.
Lee Do-hyeon pointed to a mobile hanger full of clothes, saying ‘this’ with his fingertips. It was impossible to tell exactly which clothes he was referring to at once, but the shopper, who understood his intention with just a gesture, quickly took out a piece and showed it. It was a light ivory-toned top, just like the one he had worn a little while ago.
“Isn’t that the one you tried on earlier…?”
“It may look similar in ornaments because it’s the same brand’s product, but if you look closely, the colors are slightly different. The weave pattern is also subtly different. Above all, the previous one was a knit without slits, but this is a cardigan.”
The shopper, who intervened at the right time, delivered the information in a fast and accurate pronunciation. Nevertheless, Ryu Jeong had a look of not knowing what was going on, but Lee Do-hyeon smiled with satisfaction and nodded. He seemed to like the shopper’s explanation.
“Ryu Jeong’s skin is fair and clear, so I think most colors suit him well. Especially pastel tones. What do you think, Team leader?”
“I think so too. Pastel tones can make the features look blurry, but the customer’s eyes are so clear that his impression comes alive. Ivory, soft lavender, or powder blue tones also suit him very well. Also, even though it’s dark, these calm tones make the customer’s white skin look even clearer and brighter.”
The hands are only two, but the shopper took out three or four more pieces of clothing at once. They were clothes that only differed in color, and there was no significant difference in design.
Lee Do-hyeon nodded, saying he would try them all on, and pointed to the jeans among the clothes hanging on the hanger.
“Then, change into these for the bottoms, and for the top… not ivory, that one, pink. I’ll change into pink.”
“Yes. Then I’ll help you with styling.”
Ryu Jeong, who invariably refused the shopper’s help this time as well, carefully took the jeans and knit hanging on the hanger and went into the dressing room. After carefully closing the thick velvet curtain, he looked down at the clothes, which he didn’t know how many times he had changed into, with difficulty. Then, he quietly reflected on the reason why this happened.
Ryu Jeong, who barely woke up in the late afternoon, well past noon, shared a long, soft, and shy kiss with Lee Do-hyeon, who rushed at him as if he had been waiting for him to wake up. He flinched at the hand that naturally came into his clothes and didn’t know what to do, but then a rumbling sound suddenly came from his stomach, and his face turned bright red, and he pushed Lee Do-hyeon away strongly.
Lee Do-hyeon, who readily stepped back, burst into laughter when he saw the embarrassed Ryu Jeong. Lee Do-hyeon’s hearty laughter did not subside until Ryu Jeong, who was so embarrassed that his earlobes and nape turned red, threw a timid word, telling him to stop laughing.
Ryu Jeong, who came out after washing, got into Lee Do-hyeon’s car and headed to a Chinese restaurant. To Ryu Jeong, who had only eaten Jajangmyeon in his life, the names and tastes of the food were unfamiliar. But what caught Ryu Jeong’s attention was something else. It was the unique round table of the Chinese restaurant.
There was no need to stretch out his arm to the dishes placed far away, he could just spin them around, so Ryu Jeong spun the table several times under the pretext of eating. Lee Do-hyeon, who was turning the table himself, telling him to eat, noticed Ryu Jeong’s cute intentions and didn’t touch it from then on.
Will he be able to eat it all? Unlike what he had worried about, Ryu Jeong, who ate everything without leaving anything behind, followed where Lee Do-hyeon was heading as if it were natural. He parked not far from the Chinese restaurant and went inside, so he thought he was going to a cafe like before, but it was a complete misunderstanding. The place, filled with a luxurious cedarwood scent instead of the savory coffee bean scent, was a clothing store.
“…….”
Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary clothing store. It was full of scents that made him feel comfortable, soft music was playing, and when he saw emotional paintings and sculptures displayed everywhere, he couldn’t even imagine that they would sell clothes at first.
Lee Do-hyeon, leaving Ryu Jeong, who was constantly looking around, talked to an employee who seemed to know him and led Ryu Jeong up the stairs, saying let’s go up. Unlike the first floor, the second floor was full of various items such as clothes, bags, and shoes. Even if he brought all the clothes he had worn in his life, it wouldn’t be 1/10 of what was here.
Is he thinking of shopping? He glanced at Lee Do-hyeon, who looked so good in his casual clothes instead of a suit because it was the weekend, but Lee Do-hyeon, who noticed his gaze, smiled while looking him in the eye. Then, he introduced Ryu Jeong to the employee who had followed him up from the first floor, saying, ‘Today, not me, but this person will be looking.’
Ryu Jeong, who went back and forth between the dressing room like a mannequin, had tried on more than twenty pieces of clothing. He had mainly worn three or four pieces of dull-colored clothes that were easy to move around in and didn’t show much even if food or other things got on them, so it was so awkward to wear bright-colored clothes. Especially pink, yellow, and purple, etc., were even more unfamiliar and embarrassing.
“Excuse me…….”
“Ah, are you done changing?”
Lee Do-hyeon, who was carefully examining shoes, wallets, and hats that another employee had brought, welcomed Ryu Jeong with a delighted expression. Ryu Jeong, who came out of the dressing room hesitantly, looked at Lee Do-hyeon while fiddling with the hem of the long knit that covered about half of his buttocks.
The knit, which had a light color as if a drop of pink paint had been dropped on white, went well with jeans. The silhouette of the softly flowing knit warmly wrapped around Ryu Jeong’s body line, and the simple line of the jeans created an atmosphere of the coming spring.
“My younger sibling used to like playing with dolls so much when they were young, I think I know why now.”
There’s a taste in dressing up. Lee Do-hyeon, who stopped the shopper who was trying to fix the line of the clothes to fit his body shape, sat down on his knees and naturally fixed the folded hem of the jeans. Ryu Jeong, who felt embarrassed for no reason at the sight of him not hesitating to sit on the bare floor on his knees, bit his lip tightly while looking at the shopper’s face.
At Lee Do-hyeon’s instruction, the shopper brought a pair of simple white sneakers. When he carefully put his foot in, it fit perfectly as if it had been made to fit his foot.
“Pretty.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who seemed to be in the mood to have him try on not only the clothes hanging on the hanger but also all the clothes scattered around, smiled as if this one was the most satisfactory. Ryu Jeong, who became embarrassed, couldn’t say anything and lowered his head.
He wanted to make him feel even more at a loss with unfamiliar experiences, but Lee Do-hyeon decided to stop here and stood up, straightening his knees that had been on the floor.
“It would be nice to have a bag too.”
“If you tell me what you’re going to use it for, I’ll recommend one.”
“Um. Something that suits his age, something that men in their early 20s prefer.”
“Then, how about this backpack? The shape is fixed, so it doesn’t sag much, and it’s resistant to dyeing, discoloration, and contamination. It comes in three colors: black, navy, and brown, and it’s a popular product not only for people in their 20s but also for people in their 30s.”
“Let’s go with that. Black would be good as a safe choice. Please also recommend a clutch bag that can be used to carry a cell phone or wallet lightly.”
“There’s also a bag that comes out casually in the form of an eco bag, would you like to see it?”
“Team leader’s taste is good even if I don’t look at it. Please prepare it on your own.”
As if he had no intention of listening to the shopper’s opinion this time, Lee Do-hyeon directly put the bag on Ryu Jeong’s back. Ryu Jeong, who used the paper shopping bag that happened to come into his hands until it became flimsy and torn, felt a little unfamiliar with the slightly heavy and stable bag.
At Lee Do-hyeon’s words that he would take it right away, the shopper took out a small pair of scissors from his pocket and cut off the price tag attached to the bag. The shopper asked in a kind voice if there was anything else he needed. Lee Do-hyeon answered as if it were natural.
“First of all, please pack all the things I tried on today and the tops you just recommended, and please order several sets of indoor clothes that I can wear comfortably at home by length. And shoes, and it’s still chilly, so I think I’ll need a few more outerwear… I’ll leave that to Team leader. Please prepare something that suits me without worrying about the amount.”
“Yes. Then, if you two enjoy a cup of tea here for a while, we will prepare it as quickly as possible. It will take about 30 minutes, would you like me to prepare more refreshments?”
Lee Do-hyeon glanced at the refreshments that Ryu Jeong had not touched at all while he was changing clothes, and nodded, saying yes. Ryu Jeong, who drank the sweet hot chocolate that would make his mouth sticky just by looking at it, would be better off with a generous amount.
The shopper, who bowed politely and disappeared, returned with cookies, macarons, a slice of cake with strawberries, and cool orange juice. Ryu Jeong, whose eyes widened at the sight of the colorful refreshment table as much as the clothes he had worn, was pulled to the sofa by the force of Lee Do-hyeon, who was gently pressing his shoulder. When he came to his senses, he had a cookie in his hand.
“Excuse me, President…….”
Ryu Jeong, who bit the round cookie as if gnawing at it, glanced at Lee Do-hyeon, who was drinking coffee. Ryu Jeong, who suddenly wore new clothes, not only clothes but also a bag and shoes, looked completely different as if he had shed his skin like a butterfly. Ryu Jeong, who was not only bewildered by the sudden change of clothes, but also surprised by Lee Do-hyeon’s attitude of buying a huge amount of clothes without much thought, carefully called him. Lee Do-hyeon’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Ryu Jeong fidget uncomfortably.
“Why? Are you uncomfortable? I chose clothes that are not irritating because your skin is sensitive.”
“No, it’s not that. The clothes are too comfortable…….”
“Then? You don’t like the color?”
Ryu Jeong quickly shook his head. The label on the back of his neck didn’t tickle his skin, and the feeling of touching his bare skin was just soft, so he had no complaints about the clothes.
However, there was one thing that was uncomfortable. It was the price.
When he changed for the fifth time, Ryu Jeong checked the price tag on the clothes before leaving the dressing room. Ryu Jeong, who had only bought discounted out-of-season products cheaply in the underground shopping mall at the subway station, had to suffer from a sense of burden from then on due to the price, which was too expensive to be the price of a piece of clothing.
He felt like he was wearing the wings of a fairy that didn’t suit him. Ryu Jeong, glancing at the direction where the shopper had disappeared, whispered in a small voice so that no one could hear.
“Isn’t this too… expensive?”
Lee Do-hyeon, who tilted his head and listened carefully to Ryu Jeong’s voice, blinked for a moment at the first concern of its kind he had ever heard.
Lee Do-hyeon didn’t answer right away and made a small sound. He didn’t choose it by calculating it, so he didn’t know the exact amount, but no matter how much it was, it wouldn’t be burdensome to him, and it was clear that he wouldn’t even think it was a waste.
But if he said something wrong, he might hurt Ryu Jeong’s pride. He couldn’t tell a clumsy lie that it wasn’t expensive at all, and even if he did, Ryu Jeong wouldn’t understand it until the end. He didn’t want to give the misunderstanding of pity or sympathy, so Lee Do-hyeon carefully chose what to say.
“Do you remember me saying that I want to give you everything I have?”
At the leisurely question, Ryu Jeong rolled his eyes and carefully nodded.
“As Ryu Jeong also knows, I have a lot of money. I have no intention of hiding it or being humble.”
“…….”
“I want to use what I have as much as possible to give Ryu Jeong only the best. Because Ryu Jeong is someone I like. I think you can think of it as a way of expressing affection, but can’t you? Why, they say men don’t spare money for the people they love.”
Lee Do-hyeon deliberately smiled playfully, as if the atmosphere would become too serious and the burden would increase. As he wished, it worked. Ryu Jeong, who was moving his lips silently, dropped his gaze down as if he had something to think about. Ryu Jeong’s earlobes, nodding that he understood soon, were dyed a subtle red color.
“But… I don’t need that much.”
“Well, who told you to look good in everything?”
“…Pardon?”
Ryu Jeong, surprised by the words blaming himself, raised his head quickly. Their eyes met at once, as if he had been watching him all along. Unlike the playful tone a little while ago, Lee Do-hyeon’s tone was serious.
“How can I not dress you up when you look good and pretty in everything I put on you?”
Ryu Jeong was helplessly speechless at Lee Do-hyeon’s words. The embers that had been subtly heating up his earlobes jumped up to his face. Ryu Jeong, who put his lips to the glass cup with orange juice sloshing around, pretended not to know while looking elsewhere.
Thump, thump. It was definitely the heart beating in his chest, but his whole body was ringing like a drum. For no reason, the tips of his fingers felt tingly. Ryu Jeong, who emptied half of it in one breath, pretended to be interested in the refreshments. Lee Do-hyeon, who couldn’t hold back his laughter and chuckled, joined Ryu Jeong’s intention.
“Is it delicious? You eat well.”
“Yes… aren’t you eating, President?”
“I’m okay. Coffee is enough for me.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who lifted the glass he was fiddling with as if to show off, took a sip of coffee without knowing the glancing gaze.
“Excuse me, but President.”
When is Team leader coming? Ryu Jeong, who couldn’t stand the awkward yet exciting silence, kept glancing at the direction where the shopper had disappeared and carefully called Lee Do-hyeon. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything to Lee Do-hyeon, who was looking back, and hesitated and bit his lip tightly. Then he opened his mouth very quietly.
“I’m, I’m also a man…….”
“…….”
Lee Do-hyeon, who tilted his head, puzzled by the words he couldn’t understand the intention of, soon understood the meaning and laughed lightly with the tip of his nose.
“I know, why wouldn’t I know that.”
“…….”
“So Ryu Jeong is giving me everything too. He’s giving me time, and he’s giving me his heart.”
Lee Do-hyeon, who was continuing his words, stopped and closed his mouth. Ryu Jeong, who was bewildered by the sudden silence, looked at him, asking why. Lee Do-hyeon, keeping his eyes fixed on him so that he could no longer run away, said each word clearly as if pressing it down.
“And his body.”
Ah……. Ryu Jeong, who sighed without a sound, quickly avoided his eyes. As if he had expected such a reaction, Lee Do-hyeon burst into laughter.
“Eat slowly. There’s plenty of time.”
“…….”
Because his heart was full of embarrassing feelings, he couldn’t open his mouth and answer. It felt like his heart would pour out and be revealed as it was, even with a short answer. Ryu Jeong kept drinking the cold juice instead of the sweet cookie. Nevertheless, he couldn’t calm down in the end.