Chapter 126: 2nd Semester Midterms (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 126: 2nd Semester Midterms (3)
"Phew."
Ji Nuri stepped out of the dressing room, having finished changing.
"Well? What do you think?"
She struck a pose, planting her hands firmly on her hips. She was wearing an outfit with a much brighter color palette than her usual style.
"...Oh."
I was genuinely surprised by her unexpected choice. Didn't Ji Nuri usually prefer hip, oversized street fashion?
The other girls had similar reactions.
"You look so different! Nuri, you actually pull off the innocent look really well."
Shin A-young covered her mouth as she spoke, giving off a typically exaggerated, girlish reaction.
"Right? It’s not bad, is it?"
Ji Nuri immediately got cocky, her shoulders squaring with pride.
The one to put the brakes on her was Lee Sol.
"...It’s nice. But it makes you look a bit heavy."
"Ah, I see what you mean," Shin A-young agreed, chiming in. "Maybe it's because the inner shirt is a loose fit, but it does make you look a bit bulky."
Perhaps because of her chest, the clothes made her look heavier than she actually was.
"...Hmm."
Ji Nuri looked down at her own body, then pulled the fabric tight against her abdomen. The T-shirt clung to her stomach, highlighting her curves. She was being quite careless, considering she was standing right in front of me.
"……."
Then, our eyes met. She abruptly let go of the fabric, only then seeming to realize what she was doing. Ji Nuri cleared her throat with a few dry coughs and turned around.
— Should I buy something more form-fitting...? I always wear stuff like that, so I wanted to try something different for once.
Her tone was tinged with regret. Talk about a "luxury" problem.
Just look over there.
— "……."
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me was staring fixedly at Ji Nuri’s chest. Her eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.
— ...Tsk.
The Mini-Me turned her head away and clicked her tongue. Lee Sol rarely expressed intense emotions, but this time, she wore a look of spite that was among the most vivid I'd ever seen from her.
"……."
I looked away, pretending not to notice. Sometimes, it was best to just stay quiet. After all, as long as people are human, they’re bound to feel jealous of things they don't have.
"Seung-ho, Seung-ho."
Shin A-young poked my shoulder with her index finger, holding out a hanger.
"Try this on."
"Okay."
I took the hanger from her. It was a fairly standard outfit, seemingly chosen with my tastes in mind. I quickly changed in the dressing room and stepped out.
"Oh...!"
Shin A-young looked satisfied with the result.
"The turtleneck looks good on you. And with this coat—"
"...This coat would look better with that," Lee Sol cut in.
"Huh? Was there a color like that?"
"...Yeah, it was over there."
"Really?"
Shin A-young took the hanger with the coat and held it up against me. She let out a small hum and nodded.
"You're right. This is better."
— ...Sol’s developed an eye for this. When did she get so good...?
Shin A-young’s Mini-Me let out a groan. She seemed surprised by Lee Sol’s growth. It wasn't that long ago, after all, that Lee Sol was so bad at picking out clothes that she needed constant help.
— ...What Mom made me do helped.
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me clenched her tiny fist tightly. I didn't know what kind of lessons she’d received, but it seemed she really had been studying.
‘......That’s all well and good, but...’
How much longer was this going to last?
I rubbed my tired eyes. I had already changed into several outfits—putting them on, taking them off, over and over. I’d been playing the role of a silent mannequin, dutifully swapping outfits as they pleased, but the physical toll was starting to set in.
"Maybe we should..."
I was about to suggest that we just buy the clothes and head to the movie theater, but...
"Which of these colors do you think is better?"
"...Yeah, both are fine."
"Then let's have him try this on next."
Before I knew it, Shin A-young and Lee Sol had joined forces. At some point, they had actually started having fun with this.
"Hmm, I think I like this one?"
Even Ji Nuri joined in, becoming engrossed in picking out my clothes.
......No, wait. It felt like she was just enjoying the situation.
"Come on, hurry up and try it on."
Pushed by Ji Nuri’s hand on my back, I had no choice but to enter the dressing room once again. And so, the dress-up session began anew.
How long did it go on? By the time I started feeling self-conscious about the employee's gaze, we had narrowed it down to three outfits.
One was chosen by Shin A-young, one by Lee Sol, and the one I was currently wearing was a combination picked by Ji Nuri.
"So..." Lee Sol looked up. "...Which one are you going to buy?"
The question was asked in a relaxed tone, but the atmosphere she radiated was anything but. For some reason, I felt a heavy sense of pressure. It was because the clothes they had each chosen were all different. If I picked one, I’d have to worry about the reactions of the ones I didn't pick. It was a classic dilemma.
"……."
There was only one way out. I checked the price tags one by one. Yeah, this should be fine.
"Let's just buy all three."
That was the conclusion I reached. After all the trouble they went through, it felt wrong to buy just one. Besides, I didn't have any winter clothes at home anyway. I needed to stock up.
"I can just wear this out, right? I'll pay for everything now."
I didn't even want to bother changing back.
"Yes, of course~"
The employee kindly guided us to the counter. I swiped my card through the reader immediately.
"Thank you! Please come again~"
We left the store clutching heavy shopping bags. Finally, we were out. I was already exhausted, and we had only finished the shopping portion of the day.
......I’m definitely not going shopping next time.
"……."
Now it was time to head to the movie theater. Since the theater was on the upper floor, I asked as I pressed the elevator button.
"What movie are we watching? Is there anything good out lately?"
"Hmm... honestly, there isn't much to see these days." Shin A-young glanced sideways as she continued. "But Nuri, wasn't there something you wanted to see?"
"...No? I just suggested a movie because it was the first thing that came to mind," Ji Nuri said, shaking her head.
— That theatrical version that just got released... how do I suggest it naturally...?
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me crossed her arms, lost in serious thought.
Yeah, I figured it was something like that.
— Seung-ho...!
The Mini-Me shot me a look, pleading for help. She clasped her hands together as if sending a telepathic message, desperately wanting me to realize her wish.
"……."
That was another trait of hers I’d grown accustomed to. Should I help her out or not?
*
A short while ago, at school.
After the last subject ended, the first-year classrooms were in chaos as students scrambled to check their answers against the answer keys. Ha Seo-rim was no different.
Scribble... scribble...
A red circle was drawn over the last question. It was a question she’d been unsure about, but she got it right.
"Phew......"
Ha Seo-rim let out a sigh of relief. If these results held, she’d just barely manage to secure her scholarship. Only after confirming that could she finally breathe.
Ahn Bo-ram, who had been waiting in the next seat, asked, "Finished grading?"
"Yeah."
"Looks like you did well?"
"...I guess so," Ha Seo-rim gave a hollow laugh.
Only then did Ahn Bo-ram start chattering away. "Where do you want to go after this? Karaoke for the first time in a while?"
"Umm..."
Ha Seo-rim’s expression turned hesitant. At that reaction, Ahn Bo-ram narrowed her eyes.
"...Don't tell me you have work today too?"
"Yeah."
"Wait, why? Wasn't today your day off?"
"They’re short-staffed lately, so I said I’d fill in."
She didn't have any major complaints; working more meant more money.
"What... I thought we were going to hang out today..." Ahn Bo-ram looked like she was about to cry.
"I’m free until 6:00, though," Ha Seo-rim said, trying to soothe her. Since her shift was in the evening, they could hang out until then.
However, Ahn Bo-ram didn't seem satisfied at all. "Sigh... that’s a shame..."
"But we finished early today."
If they started hanging out now, they could have three hours. Wasn't that enough?
"Hmm..." Ahn Bo-ram accepted that it was disappointing but unavoidable. She returned to the previous topic. "Then where should we go? Should we ask Hyun-woo too?"
"I’m fine with anything."
"You always say that. You really don't care?"
"Yeah, it’s fi—"
Last time, she’d said it was fine, only to end up breaking a sweat at an escape room cafe.
"—As long as it’s not something scary. Then it’s fine."
That memory suddenly surfaced, so Ha Seo-rim hastily added the condition. Ahn Bo-ram’s eyes filled with disappointment; she really had been planning to go there.
"……."
It was while they were deciding on a place to hang out that her phone buzzed.
Ding—
[Exams ended today, right? How’d you do?]
A text message popped up on her screen. The sender was Yu Ha-neul. Ha Seo-rim checked the message calmly. It wasn't particularly surprising; lately, they had been exchanging texts quite often.
[So-so.]
Ha Seo-rim sent a casual reply. After a moment, another text arrived from Yu Ha-neul.
[I guess you did better than you were worried about?]
[(Emoticon of a cat clenching both paws)]
"Hmm..."
She wouldn't say she did well. It was close. It was more accurate to say she barely managed to pull through this time. But since she did resolve it, after all...
[(*,,ÒㅅÓ,,)و]
Ha Seo-rim sent the emoticon, feeling a sense of pride.
[Then, do you want to meet up and hang out to celebrate the end of exams?]
"Hmm..."
Ha Seo-rim rested her chin on her desk. As long as it wasn't today, she didn't mind. There was something she wanted to ask him when they met, too...
[How about tomorrow?]
It was a shame, but tomorrow wouldn't work.
[I have work.]
[Then Friday?]
[Then too.]
[(Emoticon of a cat poking its face forward)]
That reaction came back after her repeated rejections. But she really did have things to do. Ha Seo-rim quickly sent a reply.
[This Saturday is fine.]
[For real?]
[Yeah.]
[Great. See you this weekend.]
Just as Ha Seo-rim was about to close her phone, it vibrated once more.
[Should I go to the store?]
"……."
Ha Seo-rim sucked in a breath. Saturday was the day she worked with Lee Seung-ho. She hurriedly sent a text.
[It’s okay.]
[I’ll contact you when I’m finished.]
"……."
Ding—
[Got it.]
"Phew......"
Ha Seo-rim could only feel relieved after seeing that reply.
"……."
Yeah, this was for the best. It was better this way than having the two of them meet for no reason.
*
Tsk.