A Sudden Escapade, A Small Gift
"Wow… you're seriously gorgeous."
"Ah… thanks?"
"You're so cute!!"
Why did this reaction feel so familiar? There was something almost nostalgic about it. Did everyone act like this the moment they saw me?
"Mind if I take a picture?"
"…I'd rather you didn't."
The way the phone was already lifting made something flicker at the edge of my memory, but I pushed it aside. South Korea… no. Forget it.
"Jiwoo, you need clothes, don't you?"
"W-well, yeah."
"I'll pick some out for you!"
On my left was my brother; on my right, his girlfriend. Sua came straight toward me. What was this, a pincer formation with perfect feng shui?
"Ack!"
Damn it. Two-on-one put me at a serious disadvantage. And it was way too chaotic!
"Let's go!"
"Let's roll!"
"Wait—hey!!"
They each grabbed an arm and dragged me along like a rag doll. I wasn't exactly built for strength here.
"Wait, wait, wait!!!"
"What."
"No, hang on—we still have to finish cleaning up. This is my brother-in-law's place, not mine. I'm even getting paid for it."
"…Okay, fair."
"…So why are you living with your brother-in-law?"
We wrapped up the cleaning well enough, shut off the gas valve, and gave everything else a once-over. Thanks to Suhyeon unnie's clothes drying in time, I at least had something to change into.
It was pretty much the only outfit I could wear outside anyway.
"It's complicated."
"Ugh…"
This was exhausting. My internal database was practically screaming warnings at me. If I went along with this, I was going to collapse.
"Time to go!"
"Uegh."
After a final glance around and locking the door, Jihyeok casually scooped me up onto his back.
"Whoa. You're ridiculously light."
"This is terrifying!"
He carried me all the way down to the first floor without so much as acknowledging my protests.
"Ugh, seriously."
The sight of his car pulled another sigh out of me. I climbed in carefully, and Sua slid in beside me.
"Haa…"
"You gonna keep sighing back there?"
"I mean, we could just order stuff online. Why do we have to go out for this?"
"Because that's the dream."
The dream, my ass. And was he seriously driving like some model taxi driver right now just because his future wife was in the car?
"Wow… you're so pretty…"
I'd been staring blankly at Jihyeok when I realized Sua had slowly drifted closer to me.
Why was she getting so close? Her friendliness was on a level where she could become besties with a pigeon she met on the sidewalk. It almost felt like she was treating me as something sacred…
"Um, Sua…?"
"Call me unnie! Sua unnie. Doesn't that sound nice?"
"I'd… really prefer a little more personal space."
"Hey. That's far enough. Watch how you talk to my wife."
"Jihyeok. Quiet."
"Yes, ma'am."
Ugh, I was getting dizzy. I wanted out of this atmosphere packed full of whatever this was.
"Haa…"
"Even your sighs are pretty…"
It felt strangely familiar, and yet, because it wasn't coming from that person, it only made things weirder.
"Besides, I was already planning to come with someone I know."
"…What? Who do you even know around here? Don't tell me that person knows you're a girl now."
"Ah. There's someone."
I shuffled along, half-heartedly scanning for a café.
"In here!"
"Eek!"
Sua suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me inside somewhere.
"…Ah, damn it."
Escape was officially off the table.
"First of all, this padding is a problem. It's barely early winter—do you really need to bundle up this much?"
I'm cold, though.
"This one! This looks perfect. What do you think?"
"I have no idea…"
She held out a long-sleeved ivory turtleneck knit. It looked warm enough. I just worried it would put my body on full display.
"Just try it on!"
"Uuueeh, I don't wanna…!"
I was shoved into the fitting room whether I liked it or not. They'd already confiscated my padded jacket, and a chill from who-knows-where crept over me.
"Ugh…"
I really didn't want to put it on… but I could already picture Jihyeok throwing a fit. And his girlfriend would probably force me into it herself.
"Haa."
It was just clothes. I'd have to get used to this too.
Men's clothes, women's clothes—they weren't all that different in the end.
Women's tops just ran smaller through the torso with longer sleeves, which made me wonder if my stomach would show, but you hiked the pants up accordingly, and more than anything, it simply… fit.
This was the moment I truly felt how much smaller my body had become.
Once I'd forced the clothes on, I just had to pull free any hair that had gotten tucked inside. Hair salon… I'd be going soon enough.
"Oh my gosh, you look adorable~!"
"My little sibling in women's clothes…!"
"Shit. I wanna go home."
"Not happening. You need clothes."
What did that have to do with him? It wasn't like I was some broke shut-in or a student.
Still, I had to admit it was nice and warm. Being a knit and all… yeah. Yeah, it was warm.
When they asked whether I preferred ivory or beige, I went with beige. I would have liked something a little darker, but whatever.
"Okay then… put this on."
"…No."
"Aww, why not~!"
My legs would be completely exposed—was this even meant for winter?—and regardless of the fabric, I just… why would anyone wear this?
"Absolutely no skirts. Ugh, no way."
"Hmm… can't be helped, honey."
"On it!"
"Ah, shit."
And just like that, I was back in the fitting room again.
"It's fine—there's shorts underneath!"
I'm saying no because this is eroding my sanity, okay!?
Fine. Might as well enjoy it. I wasn't the one paying—Jihyeok was footing the bill, so I might as well wear the expensive stuff.
I was a girl right now… for now… and I'd always heard it was better to enjoy something than just endure it.
"Haha…"
So this was the tennis skirt I'd only ever heard about. The fabric was a little different, and there was a pointless-looking button stuck in the middle, but I supposed that was the design.
I silently peeled off the pants and stepped into the skirt.
There were soft little tights shaped like shorts attached underneath. So these were the undershorts.
"Hey. You done yet, you damn hyung?"
"Oh-ho-ho, I love it. This is a better investment than any gacha."
"You need to pull this up higher. Your chest is big, so it looks puffy otherwise."
"Eek!?"
I clapped a hand over my mouth at the girlish sound that slipped out. Too late to take it back.
Looking down, I couldn't even see the skirt. Feeling around with my hands, I realized it had ridden all the way up near my navel. Was that how you were supposed to wear these?
"Perfect. I love it. Next!"
"There's more!?"
"Yep. Why?"
I was going to pass out.
I hated being forced into things more than anything. I liked doing things my own way.
Wearing women's clothes didn't bother me. Being dragged around like a doll did.
"Fine. What's next."
"Mm… shoes this time. I was thinking long boots to match the rest."
"Ahem. Just what we've got so far already runs about three hundred. Smile."
"…Three hundred??"
Jihyeok gave a quiet nod from behind me. I was serious about ordering online—online was cheaper.
"This brand is really good. Some pieces are pricey, and we actually bought you more clothes while you were changing."
"…Thank you."
I'd noticed the paper bags in their hands getting bulkier at some point. So it was all clothes for me. In that case… in that case, I just had to endure.
I had to smile. There was no other choice but to smile.
"Heh heh heh… so you've tasted the sweetness of capital."
"After all this, of course I have no choice but to go along…"
They insisted long boots were the way to go. I didn't really get it, but with a small bag slung over my shoulder on top of everything else, I at least didn't feel like I'd look out of place wherever we went.
It was pretty. My chest stood out a little, but the charcoal jacket with the fleece collar softened the effect enough to make it bearable. And it was warm.
"Ooh… photo, photo!!"
The second the camera came up, I found myself smiling and striking a pose without thinking.
"Hwaa, you're so gorgeous…"
After everything they'd done for me, of course I had to play model. And what was with these long boots being this expensive?
"What's that now?"
"Clothes."
Jihyeok came back carrying yet another outfit from somewhere. I wondered if any of it would even fit, but his girlfriend had already come prepared with a measuring tape and thoroughly surveyed my body.
Next time I came out with unnie, we were going to a café. Or a park. Or just for a walk. Clothes kept materializing on me when I wasn't looking.
"So… what now?"
"Hmm… we should eat."
"Ah… I can't. I have to cook for my brother-in-law."
"Yeah? Then should we wrap it up here?"
Even Jihyeok seemed willing to concede on this point, giving a small nod.
"Let's head to the car. We're done here."
"Ah—there's one place I want to stop by real quick, is that okay?"
"Sure. We'll go on ahead, so catch up fast."
I took a quick look around and followed the signs into one of the shops.
I hadn't gotten Jihyeok a single gift, and I wasn't sure something like this could fill a month-long gap…
But I'd been grateful this whole time. Something small like this should be fine.
"What'd you buy?"
"A present for my brother-in-law!"
"What is it?"
"Secret."
I didn't know exactly what Jihyeok liked, but I at least knew our family's situation inside and out. I knew exactly where we were lacking.
Something eye-catching from that list, at a reasonable price, that still felt like a proper gift—wouldn't that do?
"Me too… I want a present too…!"
"I just dropped a million won getting you here. This oppa requires one wish granted!"
"Keep that up and I'm returning everything."
If you bought someone something and demanded a price for it, that wasn't treating them. Typical double-standard hyung.
"Aaah, sorry. Then at least grant my girlfriend a wish."
"Haa."
Demanding compensation either way. Nothing had changed.
I didn't know much about psychology, but I knew this much: if someone made a big demand and then scaled it back to about half, you were far more likely to go along with it.
"Alright. So… what is it you want from me?"
"Unnie. Just that one thing is enough."
"Ah."
Half the demand turned out to be worth even less than half. What was so hard about calling someone unnie?
Of course, the fact that I'd been actively avoiding it probably meant she'd been dying to hear it.
"…Okay. Unnie. Thank you for today."
"Euu@#%!!!"
She covered her face and stomped her feet in pure delight.
"Ahem. Thanks to you, unnie, I think I'll actually survive the winter. I'm really grateful, unnie."
"Heu^%*@#$!!"
Her reaction was so good it was actually fun.
"We've arrived, little sister."
"Thanks. You too, unnie—thank you."
"I'll come again!"
Please don't. I'm dying here.
"Ahaha… take care."
I saw them off with a polite enough goodbye while silently praying she'd never return, then headed upstairs.
"Ah, crap… I've got a mountain of stuff to do."
There was still plenty of time. Probably?
I shoved the bags stuffed full of clothes into a corner, tossed the handbag aside, and got straight to work. If I started now, dinner would be ready right when he got home.
"Hmm… maybe I should have gone grocery shopping."
I'd been dragged around in such a daze that grocery shopping hadn't even crossed my mind. If I went now, the timing would never work out.
"Then… well."
Kimchi jjigae it was. Been a while.
My kimchi jjigae might have been a little different—or maybe not.
It wasn't so much that I'd been taught… I'd just watched Father make it. A lot.
Before setting the pot on the stove, I pulled out the kimchi.
It was well-fermented stuff, long past its crunchy prime, but that was exactly where its charm lay—and why people still loved it.
Especially in kimchi jjigae. And if you slow-cooked a whole cut of pork in water until it was perfect boiled pork, sliced it nice, and wrapped it in this kimchi…
"Ugh, I'm drooling."
I definitely had to make that sometime. That one was best with a drink.
I sliced the kimchi and dropped it into the pot.
Perilla oil or sesame oil—either worked. He liked rich, toasty flavors, so I drizzled a ring of sesame oil around the pot.
In went the kimchi brine, a little water, and then I set it to boil.
I tossed in all the remaining stew-cut pork too. Kimchi jjigae lived on the taste of the kimchi, sure—but the real soul of it was the pork that had soaked up every drop of that brine.
Before it started bubbling in earnest, I put on the rice.
Cook dinner rice, he eats, I eat, pack the rest into containers and freeze it; in the morning he eats, I eat, and one serving is left over for my lunch. Even the way I cooked rice left no room for waste.
I set chopsticks and spoons on the table ahead of time, laid out the side dishes, left the finished rice to steam, and dropped tofu into the kimchi jjigae to finish it off.
Now all that was left was to wait. And waiting never felt tedious.
He always texted me when he left work, and I'd timed everything to that message, so it never took long.
Watching him enjoy my cooking was the greatest happiness I knew.
So I could wait.