First Date Jitters
“That damn Lee Seok-chan.”
Jeong Ha-yeon grumbled under her breath before agonizing over what to wear. But no matter how much she rummaged through her closet, nothing caught her eye.
“Argh. Should've grabbed more clothes when I left home.”
It had already been three years since she'd moved out. Back then, she'd just packed whatever without much thought, never imagining she'd regret it now. She'd never been one for dressing up, so she didn't have many outfits anyway.
“What now...”
All she had were hoodies and sweatpants. Jeans and a plain white tee rounded out her meager selection. No matter how she looked at it, it was way too casual for a first date.
The solution came in the form of a KakaoTalk from Seo Joo-hwan.
Come to think of it, her boyfriend Seo Joo-hwan always dressed pretty sharp. He wore similar stuff often, but even that was way more varied than her wardrobe.
Jeong Ha-yeon quickly fired back a reply.
She let out a relieved sigh at his response.
“Phew.”
Thank goodness for the convenient excuse.
“...Still, gotta do some makeup, right?”
Going bare-faced like usual would seem half-assed. But all she knew about makeup was the subtle stuff to hide her sharp eyes.
“Lemme see... beauty YouTube...”
In the dead of night, Jeong Ha-yeon subscribed to channels she'd never cared about before and dove into the videos.
*
Before heading out, Seo Joo-hwan double-checked his plans one last time.
“Hm. Perfect.”
A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. It was a safe, solid date itinerary.
As usual, he arrived at the meeting spot thirty minutes early. He'd originally wanted to pick her up, but they'd agreed to meet there to get into the date mood.
Once there, Seo Joo-hwan checked his hair and outfit in a nearby mirror. His bangs were styled simply since he wasn't confident in hair styling. They'd grown out a bit since the cut, but Shin Ha-neul's expert work still looked great.
For clothes, he'd gone with the outfit Yoon Seo-ra, the boss of Swan, had picked out last time. A white tee under a gray hoodie zip-up, topped with a black leather jacket that wasn't too edgy. Plain denim pants on the bottom—thankfully, they didn't cling to his thighs like he'd feared, so the fit was spot-on.
Good thing I lengthened my legs a ton.
That was why the pants fit so well despite his workouts. Boosting his height had prioritized leg length, giving him killer proportions.
After primping, he pulled out his phone and waited for Jeong Ha-yeon.
She won't hate Anyang, right?
Last night, when he'd asked if she had anywhere in mind, she'd said anywhere was fine. So he'd planned the whole date course himself.
Lost in thought, the appointed time crept up fast.
Five minutes early, a KakaoTalk pinged.
Overslept maybe, with lunch around the corner?
Seo Joo-hwan replied it was fine and stayed put.
Moments later, a voice called out.
“Um, excuse me...”
Turning, he saw a pretty girl with wavy brown bobbed hair. Seo Joo-hwan frowned slightly.
Tch. Again?
People always said he didn't look all that approachable, so why did this keep happening?
He cut her off firmly. “I don't believe in religion.”
“Huh?”
“Not even ancestral spirits.”
“N-no, that's not...'
She waved her hands in flustered denial. He'd assumed it was some cult pitch, but nope.
Blushing shyly, she asked for his number.
Seo Joo-hwan blinked in surprise.
A girl asking for my number first? Never thought I'd see the day...
It really hit home how much had changed since his past life. Still, she wasn't that stunning to warrant a cold approach.
Despite his inner glee, he gave an awkward smile and bowed slightly. “Sorry. I have a girlfriend.”
“Oh...”
A disappointed sigh followed. But she didn't back off.
Hesitant, she pressed on. “Then... not your number, but... what perfume do you use?”
“Pardon?”
“I passed by and your scent was amazing...”
Her face flushed with embarrassment at asking such a random question on the street.
Looking closer, he spotted her friends watching from nearby.
Seo Joo-hwan chuckled awkwardly. It wasn't perfume—it was his Pheromone skill. Nothing to share there.
“I don't wear any.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, for real.”
“Oh...”
She sighed, clearly dying to know.
“Th-thanks! Have a good one!”
She bowed deeply and dashed back to her group.
Cute.
Seo Joo-hwan watched her go with a soft chuckle.
Olfactophilia, huh?
Olfactophilia—arousal from scents. A syndrome where smells trigger sexual excitement. It was Jeong So-ra's fetish, his first partner.
That explained the sudden number grab. High-grade olfactophilia, probably.
Then he felt eyes on him. Turning, there was Jeong Ha-yeon, arrived unnoticed, glaring sulkily.
“Ha-yeon, when'd you get here?”
“...Bout three minutes ago.”
“Say something when you arrive.”
“Didn't wanna interrupt your grinning.”
Her prickly tone made his eyes widen.
Is she... jealous?
Realizing it, he grinned despite her pouty anger.
Spotting his smile, her scowl deepened.
“What're you grinning at?”
“Heh heh. 'Cause you're jealous. Love it.”
“Wh-who said I was jealous...!”
“Pff haha.”
“Quit laughing!”
She punched his chest in frustration, but his grin wouldn't fade.
Still chuckling, he took her hand. “Didn't give her my number. Good boy, right?”
“...Obviously. You'd be dead if you did.”
“Exactly. Why would I give my number to anyone else when I've got such a pretty girlfriend? You look really gorgeous today, Ha-yeon.”
“Don't say that kinda stuff on the street...”
Blushing, she glanced around for familiar faces. Being near campus in Anyang, classmates weren't unlikely.
But Seo Joo-hwan squeezed her hand tighter, interlocking fingers. Unlike her worry over prying eyes, he wanted people to see—This is my girlfriend.
“What if someone sees...”
She grumbled but didn't pull away—that was her.
With a dramatic sigh, she finally laced her fingers with his. Surrender.
Beaming, he said, “Makeup looks great on you today.”
Her rare makeup transformed her look entirely. Even makeup-blind him could tell the technique was different.
“Ahem. Where were we starting again? Let's go.”
She cleared her throat awkwardly, changing the subject. But a tiny smile betrayed her.
Worth the late-night YouTube cram session.
Cool tones over warm.
Seeing his reaction, she mentally locked in last night's key takeaway. Her pale skin suited cooler, sleeker shades over vibrant warms—chic and refined.
One downside: her thrown-on outfit. Jeans, white tee, black cardigan. The getup Lee Seok-chan had mocked that morning.
'Eww. That pitch-black cardigan from a donation bin? Grab something else.'
'...Wait, no. Second look—total fairy vibes. Rock the black one.'
It was still her best option. Meanwhile, Seo Joo-hwan looked more polished than usual.
Comparing outfits irked her. Frowning slightly, she said, “Clothes store first. You know a good one, right?”
“No lunch?”
“Clothes first. We can eat if you're starving...”
“Nah. Clothes it is. There's a great spot called Swan.”
“Swan?”
“Short for Style Completion. Means swan too.”
He tilted his head mid-sentence.
Still early semester—hasn't earned the nickname yet?
*
Seo Joo-hwan led her to Style Completion on 1st Street.
Ding-a-ling. The bell rang as they entered, revealing a bustling crowd unlike the quiet last time.
“Whoa. Good spot, huh? Business is booming. Never noticed this place.”
Jeong Ha-yeon murmured in awe. She'd been renting in Anyang a month before semester but had missed it. Cute clothes everywhere.
Seo Joo-hwan was impressed too. Yoon Seo-ra had run it solo before; now two part-timers were visible.
At the register, Yoon Seo-ra spotted him first, approaching with a beaming smile—worlds from her previous sighs.
“Joo-hwan! It's been forever!”
“Haha. How've you been, noona?”
“Terrible!”
“Huh?”
Business booming, yet miserable? Other worries?
Yoon Seo-ra grinned. “Shop's too busy. Exhausting. All thanks to you guys!”
“Ah, that.”
“Yeah. Forgot to row my own boat and thank you. Sorry.”
“No biggie. We got paid in clothes anyway. Dressed sharp thanks to you.”
Last time, she'd recognized Han Su-ah with him and pitched an ad. A few outfits for a YouTube video. Seemed cheap, but Han Su-ah's channel was a 30k-sub gamer one then. More like Yoon Seo-ra taking a loss for fandom.
Shockingly, that fan-service ad exploded—over 500k views from a 30k-sub gaming channel.
Yoon Seo-ra's free time vanished into busy days. No wonder she was thrilled to see him.
“You're my benefactors! Seeing your face makes my day.”
“Haha. Swan would've blown up without us.”
Pure truth, no exaggeration. Swan was destined for success—even an online mall in his future knowledge.
But to her, his words rang humble. Handsome face, great style, and sweet personality?
Then her eyes caught a sulky girl glaring daggers at him.
“Oh, noona. This is my...”
He moved to introduce Jeong Ha-yeon, but Yoon Seo-ra charged over, snatching her hand with ferocious energy.
“Wh-what?”
Jeong Ha-yeon startled. Yoon Seo-ra stared, entranced.
Clutching tight, she declared, “I love you!”