Shopping (2)
We settled at a spacious table on the second floor of the cafe. Jang Gilsan let out a sigh as he eyed the table overflowing with all sorts of refreshing drinks, no room to breathe.
"Don't go using the word 'flex' anywhere else."
Jang Gilsan shook his head regretfully.
"The textbook example of someone with no clue how to spend money...."
But the rest of us were thrilled.
"This is delicious! Taro tea?"
"I always stick to Americano, but bubble tea's pretty good too?"
[Sweet! So delicious!]
Mandu was joyfully demolishing the cake that had come with the drinks.
"Haa...."
Realizing no one was paying him any mind, Jang Gilsan picked up a tea with another sigh.
"Tastes good."
And just like that, his face lit up as he started savoring it.
[Um! Um!]
While we chattered away, Aqua was busy sampling a sip from every tea on the table. Her body was shifting to some inexplicable, shimmering hue.
"Huh? Aqua."
At Han Areum's voice, we all turned to look at Aqua.
[Yes? What is it?]
Aqua pulled away from the straw.
Han Areum pointed at Aqua's body—specifically, her legs.
Our eyes followed.
"What's that?"
"Something black...."
Tiny specks were sinking inside Aqua's translucent form.
Aqua peered down at herself too.
[Yes?]
The black, bead-like orbs had settled at the bottom of her body, bobbing gently.
"Tapioca pearls."
The signature "bubbles" in bubble tea.
With such a wide straw, she'd slurped them up without noticing.
[Ah, so that's it.]
Aqua nonchalantly went back for more bubble tea.
"Ahahahahaha!"
"Puhahaha!"
Han Areum and Han Deuri burst out laughing.
Aqua cocked her head, then panicked as she realized they were laughing at her.
[Wh-what's so funny? This isn't weird!]
But their laughter showed no signs of stopping.
[All us water spirits are like this!]
Being liquid, water spirits couldn't digest solids. If they accidentally swallowed one, it'd just float around inside—that was their nature.
To me, it was nothing unusual. I'd seen it plenty at the academy.
But to these two seeing it for the first time, it was hilarious.
"Not like a fish tank or anything...!"
"Kukukuku...!"
[Umm...!]
Aqua's eyebrows arched higher and higher. Her cheeks began to puff out.
Jang Gilsan noticed first and cleared his throat awkwardly.
At the sound, Han Areum spotted Aqua's inflating cheeks and swiftly schooled her expression.
"Puhahaha!"
Han Deuri, though, had zero tact.
"Ahem, ahem."
Even as Han Areum fake-coughed and nudged his side repeatedly, he was too busy cracking up.
The louder his laughs grew, the more Aqua's cheeks ballooned.
Puck!
"Keuk?"
Han Deuri finally snapped out of it after Han Areum jabbed his ribs.
"Huh? Uh?"
He blinked around at Han Areum, Jang Gilsan, and Aqua in confusion.
"...Huh?"
Then he clocked Aqua's cheeks, swollen to bursting, and realized his blunder.
[Hmph!]
Aqua whipped her head away and burrowed into my arms.
I stroked her back soothingly while shaking my head at Han Deuri.
Just when it seemed like he was finally warming up to Aqua, the guy tanked his own progress.
Han Deuri scrambled for excuses.
"Huh? Why just me? Sis did it too...!"
The instant "sis" slipped out, Han Areum disowned him on the spot.
"How can you laugh so obnoxiously? Aqua, I'm sorry this idiot's my brother."
She gently stroked Aqua's back, acting like she'd never cracked a smile.
[Hmph!]
Aqua snorted extra loudly for effect.
Han Deuri shot Jang Gilsan a desperate help me look.
Jang Gilsan dodged it like a pro.
"These... traitors...! We laughed together...!"
Han Deuri looked like the world's most wronged soul on the verge of tears, but no one here was taking his side.
Bellies sloshing with liquid, we headed to the mall—the only one in Samcheok City.
"Sorry I couldn't take you to a department store."
On the first floor, we prepped to split up.
"Grab one thing you like. Don't sweat the price. I'll buy each of you a gift, whatever it is."
"Sunbae, we're really fine."
"Thanks to hyungnim, we got fat paychecks—we wanna get you gifts."
To my sweet juniors, I waved off their protests.
"I wanna do it. Without you guys, I might not even have Aqua right now."
[Exactly! So hurry up and choose!]
Aqua bobbed on my neck in agreement.
Seeing Han Areum and Han Deuri still exchanging awkward glances, Jang Gilsan chimed in.
"Take it in moments like this. What matters most in a gift is the giver's heart."
"The giver's heart?"
"Yeah."
"The giver's heart...."
Han Deuri mulled it over, eyed the floor directory, and nodded.
"In that case, I'll dash off and pick something!"
With that, he bolted away.
Han Areum smiled faintly at his retreating back, then turned to me.
"Guess I'll go browse clothes then. You're coming, right?"
"Me?"
"Gilsan sunbae said the giver's heart matters. So I need clothes you like."
Was that the logic? I glanced at Jang Gilsan.
He shrugged and turned on his heel.
"I'll snag whatever I want, no holds barred."
Jang Gilsan vanished into the crowd in a flash.
Han Areum grinned and tugged my arm.
"Then let's go clothes shopping!"
I stumbled after her to the women's floor.
She hummed cheerfully, flitting from store to store.
"Sunbae, how's this?"
Han Areum slipped on a sleeveless leather jacket. Her sleek vibe made it look perfect.
"Pretty."
"This one?"
Now a light pink blouse. Her porcelain skin nailed the spring palette.
"Pretty too."
Han Areum narrowed her eyes.
"Hmm... You're not just saying that?"
"No, it really suits you."
[Suits her perfectly, in my eyes too. Isn't fashion all about the face?]
Han Areum covered her mouth, giggling softly.
"Where'd you pick that up?"
[NewTube!]
She toyed with the sleeve and glanced at me.
"You think so too, sunbae?"
"Of course. Obviously pretty."
Han Areum was academy royalty—top-three "Goddess" material for sure.
She smiled shyly and ducked into the fitting room for the next outfit.
Meantime, I wandered the store and paused at the hat display.
I plucked one and plopped it on Aqua.
[Oh?]
Aqua blinked, then patted the hat atop her head.
Something on her head felt weird, apparently.
I stepped to the mirror.
Aqua, perched on my neck, sported the hat jauntily.
"Suits you great?"
It did.
Spirit in bold hip-hop graffiti. Seemed chaotic at first, but against Aqua's pure blue, it popped perfectly.
They call this 'adding a point.'
And pint-sized Aqua in hip-hop gear? Adorably offbeat.
Aqua twisted her head side to side in the mirror, then asked.
[This suits me?]
Fashion was foreign territory for clothes-less Aqua.
"Yeah. It's your hat."
[Oh....]
She eyed her reflection in wonder, then nodded with gusto.
[Um! I like it too!]
Suddenly, Aqua's hat twitched—and Mandu poked his head out from underneath.
[Chit?]
Looks like I'd plunked the hat right over him.
[Kikikik!]
"Whoa! Getting Aqua a hat?"
Han Areum emerged from the fitting room, excitedly picking out hats for Aqua.
I ended up buying five for her.
Han Areum? Zero clothes by gathering time.
"You sure you don't wanna get anything?"
"I'm good. I snagged something pricier than clothes."
Her eyes crinkled sweetly.
"Time with sunbae."
Couldn't argue with that. She was too pure-hearted for her own good.
Han Deuri was already at the first-floor meetup spot, clutching an armful of odds and ends.
"Hyungnim! Aqua!"
He rushed over, thrusting his haul at us.
Notebooks, clear files, colored pencils, crayons. Straight-up preschooler supplies.
All featuring the same character designs.
These are from that unicorn cartoon blowing up in America.
Tense-faced, Han Deuri declared.
"I want these! Buy 'em and let me gift them to Aqua!"
Aqua's eyes went wide.
"Giver's heart matters most, right? Aqua, sorry about before!"
He bowed deeply.
Han Areum eyed me.
Recycling my gift for Aqua, huh.
Technically gift-laundering. But it warmed me instead.
"Whaddya say, Aqua? Accept his apology present?"
Aqua beamed.
[Of course! Thank you!]
She hopped down from my neck and took the goodies from Han Deuri.
Inspecting each item he'd chosen, she grinned ear to ear.
Second round of gifts today had her over the moon.
[Hehehe!]
Han Deuri exhaled in visible relief.
"Phew...."
Han Areum patted her brother's shoulder—good job, kid.
That's when—
"What's with this wholesome vibe?"
Jang Gilsan had snuck up, latest-model tablet PC in hand.
He eyed Han Areum's empty hands and Han Deuri's colored pencils for Aqua, muttering under his breath with a hint of peeve.
"This setup makes me the only loser."
We all cracked up.
Back at the guesthouse, we stocked the fridge with our market haul.
Meals for Jang Gilsan and the Han siblings crashing here.
Snacks for Aqua and Mandu, naturally.
[Time to dig into this at last!]
[Chit!]
Aqua cradled her hard-won treat in both hands like treasure.
Mint choco ice cream.