Our First Date (?)
The subway rattled along with a rhythmic clunk, clunk.
Beyond the window, where the passing scenery blurred by, the autumn sky stretched out in a piercing, crystal-clear blue.
‘Hmm… The weather really is nice today.’
But while the weather was peaceful, my insides were burning pitch-black with insane levels of tension.
And for good reason. Today marked the first time in my twenty years of life that I was stepping foot inside a fancy department store.
‘What? You’ve never been to a department store even though you’re twenty?’
…Yeah, I haven’t. So what?
The biggest and busiest place back in our hometown was nothing more than the Agricultural Cooperative Mart. Seola had gone a few times with her classmates since we moved to Seoul, but this was genuinely my first time ever.
Worried I’d embarrass myself by looking like a total country bumpkin, my palms had been sweating nonstop since earlier.
“Huu…”
I let out a deep breath and glanced sideways.
Seola, completely unaware of my nerves—or maybe just pretending not to notice—sat with her legs lightly crossed, staring blankly at her smartphone.
That said, she clearly put in some effort for this department store trip.
She wore a calm beige knit sweater that perfectly captured the autumn vibe, paired with a checkered pleated skirt that hugged her figure beautifully. It was a far cry from the sloppy hoodies and tracksuits I was used to seeing her in at home or school.
‘Did she always have this good of a sense of style?’
As I stared at her dressed-up side profile, that thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Thanks to not having to buy a new camera, I had some mental breathing room. Maybe I should just use that money to buy her a pretty outfit instead.
It had always bothered me a little that, as poor college students living on our own, she kept rotating the same few clothes.
Maybe she felt my gaze, because Seola, who had been scrolling, suddenly whipped her head around.
“What are you looking at?”
Her voice was sharp and prickly.
“……”
I quietly stared at her pouty face.
Then, out of nowhere, a strange mischievous urge surged up inside me.
‘Screw it.’
With a perfectly innocent expression, I casually rested my palm on the smooth thigh exposed beneath her pleated skirt.
Then, slowly and deliberately, I slid my hand upward toward the hem.
“E-eep…?!”
Startled by the surprise attack, Seola’s eyes bulged as she clapped both hands over her mouth.
We were smack in the middle of a crowded subway car—she couldn’t even scream if she wanted to.
Her face and neck flushed tomato-red in an instant. She shot me a murderous glare that clearly said, ‘Are you insane?! Have you lost your mind?!’
Yet because of all the passengers around us, she couldn’t openly slap my hand away. She just kept her mouth clamped shut, trembling all over.
The smooth, warm texture of her skin beneath my palm.
I pretended to look out the window with a straight face, but her shaky reaction was strangely thrilling. I had to fight to keep the corners of my mouth from curling up.
And then, a little while later.
The moment the subway stopped at our destination and the doors opened, I paid the full price for my little prank.
THUD—!!
“Aaaagh!!”
As soon as I stepped onto the platform, the sharp toe of Seola’s dress shoe mercilessly slammed into my shin.
“Are you actually crazy?! What the hell were you doing on the subway! Have you lost it?!”
“O-okay! Ow ow ow, that seriously hurts! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It was just a joke—”
“There’s a time and place for jokes, you perverted bastard!!”
I crouched down, clutching my shin and groaning, while Seola—still red-faced—stood over me, furiously dumping a barrage of scolding onto the top of my head.
After that whole commotion, we finally left the station. As expected for a weekend afternoon, the bustling streets were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people.
“Whoa… There really are a ton of people. Must be because it’s the weekend…”
“Well, that’s part of it, but this place gets a lot of tourists too.”
In the chaotic crowd, Seola naturally stepped closer so we wouldn’t get separated and firmly linked her arm with mine.
“…?!”
I looked at her in surprise, but she just kept walking forward with a perfectly casual expression.
The soft sensation and warm body heat pressing against my arm made the throbbing pain in my shin melt away like magic.
Stuck close together like that, we pushed through the crowd until we finally arrived in front of the massive department store entrance.
“Uwoah…”
The towering glass building that seemed to pierce the sky, the gleaming luxury brand logos lining the entrance.
A dumbstruck sigh slipped out of me—the guy who used to think the local Agricultural Cooperative Mart was the biggest thing in the world. The scale was so grand it made my neck crane back.
Seola looked up at me with an expression that screamed pathetic, then jabbed her elbow into my side.
“Hey, old man. Your jaw’s about to hit the floor;;”
“Huh?”
“Is this seriously your first time at a department store?”
When I nodded vigorously, she pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a small sigh.
“…Ugh. Just follow me properly and don’t act like a country bumpkin.”
Even while grumbling, she never once loosened her tight grip on my arm. She practically dragged my frozen self through the fancy revolving door.
The gleaming marble floors and the luxurious diffuser scent that tickled my nose. The moment we passed through the revolving door, an entirely different world unfolded before me. I rolled my eyes around in awe and asked,
“So… what exactly are we doing here today?”
In response to my cautious question, Seola dragged me over to the giant floor guide map standing in the middle of the lobby.
Then, pointing at it like a commander heading into battle, she began briefing me on today’s itinerary with deadly seriousness.
“Ahem. Just trust me and follow along. First, we’re going up to the restaurant floor and eating that Western food I’ve been dying to try. I’m ordering a ton of different things, so you have to finish all the leftovers. I’m counting on you, okay?”
“Uh… sure.”
‘…Wait, she’s the one who wants to eat it, so why is she counting on me? Am I just a leftover disposal unit?’
Question marks floated through my head, but Seola’s rapid-fire briefing didn’t stop.
“After we eat a solid meal, we’ll watch the movie I reserved, then check out the pop-up store upstairs, come back down for dessert, do some shopping…”
The brutal schedule poured out without her even pausing for breath. My brain was starting to shut down.
I didn’t even know what a pop-up store was or why we’d be running around the department store like that, but I just nodded blankly.
“Uh… Honestly I don’t understand half of what you’re saying… but okay.”
I was a man, after all.
After spending every day stressing about money while splitting convenience store throwaways, today I wanted to open my wallet properly for once, go along with whatever she wanted, and act like a cool guy. That pathetic male pride of mine was stirring.
‘Well, it’s what she wants to do. She wouldn’t make me do anything weird.’
Thinking it over comfortably, I lightly followed the lead of the girl who was already heading for the escalator.
A short while later, inside a fancy Western restaurant on one of the department store’s upper floors.
All sorts of extravagant dishes—pasta, risotto, steak, pizza—began appearing one after another on our huge table.
“Hey… Isn’t this way too much?”
While my mouth hung open in shock, Seola didn’t even sit down. She held up her smartphone, twisting it this way and that to snap photos. Then she started tapping away at the screen, completely absorbed in something.
“……”
“What are you doing? Hurry up and eat.”
“…? Aren’t you eating?”
After completing the sacred ritual known as food photography, Seola finally sat down and picked up her fork.
“I will, but you need to do your part here.”
“What the hell does that even—”
At my dumbfounded reaction, Seola winked one eye cutely and whispered in a cheeky voice.
“Ganbare~~”
“Haa…”
‘So the reason she brought me along is to act as both a pack mule and a food disposal unit.’
With a deep sigh, I quietly picked up my knife and fork.
“Fine, let’s just eat. At least there’s steak and meat, so that’s something.”
Chomp. Chomp—!
I aggressively shoveled huge chunks of meat and twirled pasta into my mouth like I was going into battle.
On the other hand, Seola across from me delicately twirled tiny amounts of pasta onto her fork and ate with an elegance I’d never seen from her before.
Chomp. Chomp!
I chewed until my jaw ached, furiously clearing plate after plate that showed no signs of decreasing.
But when I glanced up, Seola had already finished eating somehow. She was smiling leisurely while admiring the view outside the window.
Chomp—!
“Wait a second!”
I finally couldn’t take it anymore and slammed my fork down to protest—
“Shh…”
Seola pressed a finger to her lips, cutting me off in the most annoying way possible.
“…I’m still stuffed to the point of bursting, and you’re already done and casually sipping coffee…”
I complained bitterly while watching her slurp her post-meal iced Americano, but she just shrugged with the cup still in her hand.
“Buuurp…”
In front of the escalator leading from the restaurant to the movie theater. After stuffing myself to my absolute limit, a loud, uncontrollable burp burst out of me.
“Ugh, that’s gross.”
Seola made a face of pure disgust, stepping away slightly while wrinkling her nose.
“Hey, you kept feeding me like a barbarian. What do you want me to do about my digestion…”
“Hmm…”
Seola lightly ignored my resentful protest, checked her phone screen, and started walking again.
“We still have some time before the movie starts.”
As I followed her toward the theater entrance, I saw couples huddled together taking photos in front of every poster on the wall.
‘…What are they all doing?’
While I stood there blinking in confusion, Seola, who had walked ahead, stopped in front of one poster and beckoned me over.
“Hey, come here.”
“Huh? Why?”
“What do you mean, why? You need to take my picture.”
‘Ah. So this is what they call a photo zone.’
Finally catching on, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and walked over.
‘…We just watched that plumbing brothers anime a few days ago. We’ve been watching a lot of movies lately.’
The movie we were seeing today was a pretty famous romance about a couple who travel back in time to the romantic streets of Paris at the sound of a midnight bell.
It was an older release, but they were doing a special re-screening, so Seola had apparently reserved tickets in advance.
In front of the emotional poster that covered an entire wall near the theater entrance.
Seola ignored the stares around us, striking an elegant and wistful pose like the female lead walking through Paris at night. Then she looked at me.
“Make me look pretty. Shoot from below to make my legs look longer, got it?”
“Yes, yes, of course, ma’am.”
Clutching my bursting stomach, I crouched on the floor and diligently pressed the shutter.
Click. Click—!
“So? How is it?”
When I handed her the phone, Seola swiped through the photos, stroking her chin.
“Hmm… Not bad.”
And right as she was about to break into a satisfied smile—
“Buuuuuurp—!”
A second massive burp roared up my throat and echoed brightly and cheerfully through the movie theater lobby.
“Ugh, you’re disgusting, you idiot!!!”
Unable to hold back any longer, Seola’s fierce smack landed squarely on my back with a loud THWACK.
THUD—!
“Ow! Urk, buuurp—!”
My stomach was already packed full, so the impact on my back forced out a third helpless burp.
“Agh! I’m actually going crazy!”
Embarrassed by all the people staring, Seola abandoned me and stormed off toward the theater.
“W-wait for me!!”
I followed the fuming Seola—who had already gone inside with her lips pursed—into the theater and sat down beside her.
She sat there with her arms crossed and her lips poked out for a while.
But that only lasted a moment.
When the lights dimmed and the screen filled with the night streets of Paris, we completely forgot about our bickering and got sucked into the story.
And two hours later. When the ending credits rolled and the theater lights came back on.
Both of our eyes were puffy and swollen, no one could say who started first.
“Sniff… Hic.”
“Huuung… They’re so pitiful…”
‘Wait… I actually cried during a movie?’
It was shocking even to me.
I didn’t usually watch movies much, and I never imagined there’d come a day when I’d tear up watching a romance film. But the story of the two lovers set against the streets of Paris had mercilessly struck my dry sensibility.
“Hey, you… sniff. Are you crying too?”
“Who’s crying? Tsk, it’s just tears from yawning.”
We looked at each other’s red noses and sniffled, then hurriedly left the theater out of embarrassment.
“Huu… Ah, I feel a bit better now.”
“Yeah. Eating something sweet helped calm me down.”
After our storm of tears, we settled down in the department store’s basement food court. We dug into expensive gelato and finally regained our composure.
The sweet flavor melting in my mouth brought the brightness back to Seola’s face.
With a spoon still in my mouth, I stared at her quietly.
Her prettily dressed outfit, and the fragile side of her I’d seen in the theater earlier.
Suddenly, a strange urge stirred inside me again.
I really wanted to give this girl a proper ‘gift’ today.
I set my gelato spoon down with a clack and spoke with a solemn expression.
“Baek Seola.”
“Yeah? What?”
With a bit of chocolate ice cream on the corner of her mouth, she looked at me with round eyes.
I crossed my arms and made the biggest declaration of my life.
“If you don’t spend at least 500,000 won on clothes today, I’m not going home!”
“…Cough! What, cough! You crazy bastard, how much?!”
At my bold bomb of a declaration, Seola choked and coughed violently, staring at me in utter shock.
“You heard me. Minimum 500,000 won. If you pick anything less, I won’t pay. This big brother is feeling generous today, so let’s head straight up to the women’s clothing section.”
I stood up abruptly before she could even protest.
Grabbing her wrist—which had frozen in surprise—my shoulders carried more manly pride than ever before as I headed for the escalator.
…And then.
“Wait, isn’t the pricing here insane? 500,000 won disappears this fast? Uh, what’s going on?”
Not even an hour after we started shopping, I stared back and forth at the pathetically light (T_T) shopping bags in both hands, completely dazed.
We hadn’t even gone near the luxury section—just bought one dress and one cardigan from a normal casual brand for people in their twenties.
My bold 500,000 won declaration had been completely shattered. In fact, we had blown right past the budget.
At my stunned expression, Seola let out an exasperated sigh.
“See? That’s why I told you not to overdo it…”
“……”
Even as she scolded me, she kept sneaking glances at the shopping bag containing her new clothes, looking incredibly happy.
A pure, clear smile that she rarely showed was stuck on her face and refused to leave.
‘Yeah. If she’s this happy, then it’s worth it.’
My wallet was painfully empty, but seeing her bright face made any regret about the money vanish like a lie.
Instead, my pathetic male pride and sense of satisfaction filled that empty space nicely.
In a much better mood now, Seola came over, naturally linked her arm tightly with mine again, and looked up at me.
“Should we head home now?”
“Yeah, let’s go. Haaam… We’ve been walking around all day. I’m tired. I just want to go home and rest.”
Relieved that the nerve-wracking day had ended safely, I let out a huge yawn without thinking. Seola narrowed her eyes.
“What? Was hanging out with me not fun?”
Tap—!
With a pouty face, she lightly shoved my shoulder, then unlinked our arms and stormed ahead, pretending to be upset.
“Hey? No, that’s not what I meant! It’s not that it wasn’t fun, I’m just physically exhausted…”
As I panicked and tried to catch up, Seola’s shoulders shook with a quiet laugh. She suddenly walked backward and returned to my side.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she quietly slipped her arm back into mine and stuck close again.
“……”
“Hurry up, old man.”
“Got it, ma’am.”
At my playful reply, Seola—who had just been grinning—immediately furrowed her brows.
“…What? M-ma’am?!”
THUD—!!
“Aaaagh!!”
The toe of her shoe, now properly pissed off, mercilessly slammed into my poor shin again today.
“Ugh, you really have zero sense of mood! Whatever, I’m going ahead. Catch up on your own!”
Seola angrily yanked her arm free and stormed off ahead again with heavy steps.
One moment she was pulling me in sweetly, the next she was kicking me away.
Even as I was helplessly tossed around by her unpredictable, sly, and terrifying(?) pace of push and pull, I limped along on my throbbing leg, letting out a helpless chuckle as I hurried after her.
“Hey! Wait for me, ma’am!”
“You’re dead, seriously!!”
The weekend downtown, lit up as bright as daytime even though it was night.
Our bickering voices scattered pleasantly into the night air on our way back to our small, cozy studio apartment.
It had been clumsy and chaotic, but perfectly ordinary and fun. Our first date was sweetly coming to a close.
Seola striking a graceful pose in front of the Paris-themed movie poster, looking like the heroine of a romance film.
Seola smiling brightly while holding her new shopping bags, her cheeks still slightly flushed from the movie.