Seventeen, and a Misunderstanding (2)
“Hmph~ Hm-hmm~”
The cheerful humming right in front of me just won’t stop. But for some reason, I’m not in the best mood hearing it. The source of the humming? My older sister, of course. She’s standing smack in the middle of the clothing store, sliding hangers left and right like she’s browsing some fascinating exhibit, picking out clothes with her hips swaying along.
“Sis… I’m really fine, I swear…”
I try pleading for the umpteenth time, but she doesn’t even pretend to listen.
“Yeah, you might be fine, but I’m not~ My little sister’s got a crush, so of course big sis has to do something about it~”
“It’s not like that…”
She waves me off dismissively without even glancing my way.
It’s been five whole days since she overheard my call with Ajusshi. Luckily—or maybe not—she didn’t catch that it was him on the other end. Guess the phone voice made it hard to tell. Instead, she latched onto the fact that I was talking to a guy and went full detective mode, buzzing with excitement. How old is he? Where’d you meet? How long have you known him? Been on dates? She grilled me on everything, but I was too flustered to give straight answers. That just fanned the flames of her curiosity even more.
And the result? Here we are on the weekend. I got dragged out of the house by her and forcibly deposited in this clothing store. Sure, it’s her money, not mine, but spending the last hour as her personal dress-up doll is just depressing.
To make matters worse, every single thing she picks is way off my style. Even if she buys it, there’s no way I’d ever wear it…
“This would look cute too, right? Come here!”
Spotting something else she likes, she grabs my wrist and yanks me over. She holds up a dress from the rack, roughly pressing it against me, tilting her head this way and that as she inspects it for a good long while. Then she shakes her head and hangs it back up.
“Hmm… nah, something cuter would be better.”
Cuter sounds even more ominous. Watching her energy refuse to dip, my tension fades into pure exhaustion.
…At least it’s not the worst-case scenario. Small mercies.
“Alright~ What should we put our Seojin in to make that guy totally fall for her~”
Sis’s hype shows no signs of slowing. Exhaustion hits harder than nerves now.
She scans the whole store, then suddenly remembers something and starts bustling around here and there. A moment later, she comes back to me—spaced-out and standing there—with both arms spread wide.
In one hand, a soft pink dress. In the other, a crisp white cardigan.
The dress has gentle pleats at the chest with tiny frills, a ribbon tied at the waist, and a skirt that flares out slightly toward the hem.
…But why pink of all colors?
No, this is seriously not happening… How am I supposed to wear something like this…
I scream internally, my face stiffening, but she doesn’t notice a thing.
“What do you think? Super cute, right? It’s spring-y, but it’d work fine for early fall too. My little sister in this? She’d look adorable.”
She shoves the hanger right up to my nose, grinning ear to ear.
“Ugh, no way… This wouldn’t suit me at all.”
I shake my head vigorously, flailing my hands. But she doesn’t budge an inch.
“You won’t know till you try it on, customer~ Off to the fitting room!”
“Sis, this is really—”
Before I can finish, she shoves my back hard, sending me tumbling into the fitting room with the hanger in tow. The door’s click echoes louder than it should.
I glare at the pink dress hanging by the mirror for a while, then finally resign myself and grab the hem of my hoodie.
Haa… This is something the real Seojin should be wearing…
I hesitate a bunch of times, sneaking a peek at my reflection. Comfy pants, my usual white hoodie. Zero cuteness factor. This is me.
“…Haa.”
A small sigh escapes as I reluctantly start peeling off the hoodie. The fitting room suddenly feels way smaller.
No zipper, so I yank it up over my head like always. Fabric brushes my face, blacking out my vision for a second. My hair tangles up inside it.
Ugh, seriously… my hair’s all messed up…
It snags near my shoulders, so I wrestle my arms in and out a few times. By the time I finally yank it off over my head, I’m weirdly out of breath.
Next, I carefully shimmy out of my pants. Then I snatch the dress off the hanger.
Up close, it’s even worse.
Me, in this girly-girl dress…
Dizzy, but I check front and back. Tag on the neck means that’s the back, probably.
I lift it carefully over my head and flip it down like with the hoodie. The fabric feels soft against my face—too soft. Does it really need to be this soft?
Can’t find the arm holes right away, flail around a bit, then shove one arm through. Meanwhile, my hair tangles inside again.
Argh, annoying…
Finally get the other arm in and tug it all down. It catches at my waist, so I twist my body, gripping the skirt until it settles.
Waist feels a little snug. In the mirror, it looks slimmer than usual—kinda awkward.
Finally, I smooth down the skirt hem to check the length. A little movement, and the fabric brushing my thighs feels so unfamiliar, it keeps distracting me.
“Phew…”
Another exhale, then I fiddle with the waist ribbon. Front or back? I compromise and tie it in front. Don’t like the bow, so I undo and retie it twice.
Cardigan’s last. Should be easier. Sleeves snag my fingers anyway, wasting more time. I just drape it on and steal a glance in the mirror.
Soft pink dress, pure white cardigan.
“…”
…Okay, it’s kinda cute.
Somehow it fits perfectly. I shrug my shoulders, tug the skirt down a bit, turn sideways.
Sis’s voice drifts in from outside.
“Seojin, you almost done~?”
My hand freezes on the doorknob. My reflection stares back: soft pink dress, white cardigan, cheeks mysteriously flushed.
…Is this really me?
I fuss with the skirt hem again, re-button the cardigan. Wasting time, so I take a deep breath. One, two, three.
Click. Door cracks open, and Sis’s face pops right in.
“How’s it looking, all dressed—?”
“…I-it’s done.”
My voice comes out quieter than expected; I swallow hard without thinking. Our eyes meet, and my cheeks burn hotter.
I just want to slam the door, change back into my hoodie, and hide.
Sis stares blankly, scanning me up and down. Then her face lights up like the sun.
“Wha… wha… oh my god, what is this! Seojin, you’re insanely cute!”
Her near-scream echoes. I feel eyes from around the store.
“Sis! Shh…!”
I reflexively clutch the skirt hem, stepping back into the fitting room to hide. But she grabs my wrist and pulls me out.
“Hold on, hold on—wear the cardigan properly! Wow, so cute so cute! My eye for fashion is spot on!”
She spins me by the shoulders for a better look, eyes sparkling as she inspects every inch. I fidget helplessly, staring at the floor.
She turns me this way and that, admiring. Then—click—familiar shutter sound hits my ears.
I snap my head up; she’s shoving her phone in my face.
“What are you doing…!”
I jolt, gripping the skirt tighter. I twist away, but too late—the photo’s taken.
“Look at this! Came out so pretty.”
She thrusts the screen at me. Soft pink dress, white cardigan, blushing face.
…Honestly, it does look good. Cute.
But that’s not the point right now!
“Wh-why’d you take that… delete it, now!”
I lunge for her phone, but she yanks it back quick.
“Aww, why delete such a gem? No need to be so shy.”
She smirks, fingers flying over the screen.
“Hang on, I’ll send it right now. Show it to that guy, see his reaction?”
“What?! Why would I send that! You’re crazy?!”
I practically shriek. Cheeks on fire; wanna dive back into the fitting room.
“Why not~? Send something like this once in a while, he’ll lose his mind. ‘Bought a new outfit today, whaddya think~?’”
“No way! I couldn’t! Never!”
Just imagining it sends chills down my spine. Even if Sis and Ajusshi’s engagement is fake and they don’t like each other, how could she suggest me doing that? Besides, we’re just friends.
“You look so pretty, let’s buy it and head home? Mom and Dad are gonna freak!”
Oblivious to my turmoil, she grabs my hand excitedly and drags me to the register.
She hands over her card; the clerk carefully removes the tags from the dress and cardigan I’m wearing. The tags peeling off feels like official confirmation—they’re mine now. Awkward.
I keep glancing at Sis nervously. She checks the register screen casually and grins.
“Why the look? Don’t worry about the money, customer. Didn’t I tell you I get extra allowance from Dad~?”
Her teasing tone makes me bite my lip without thinking.
It’s not about the money…
It is pricey, though. The number on the receipt corner makes my eyes widen.
But using her extra “meet Ajusshi” money on this for me? Anyway, this outfit’s getting permanently sealed in my closet. I’ve never even been on a date—never will. No chance I’ll wear it outside.
Ever.