[No Title Provided]
We still weren't saying much to each other, but we'd at least finished swapping dolls. Yoo Seol-ah stared at the cat doll with a totally relaxed expression, grinning ear to ear. It wasn't some ridiculously expensive gift by any means, but the quality was surprisingly high, so it had naturally caught my eye. Good call buying it.
"...Did you buy yours from there too? The place with all the shelves lined up inside?"
"Yeah. I grabbed mine almost right away."
Even the shop where we bought the dolls was the same. We could've easily run into each other there first. That would've been a bit awkward. I already knew she'd stopped at the same place since I remembered seeing the fox doll in my hand earlier. The vibes matched perfectly anyway, so it'd be nice to decorate with them together.
We started walking aimlessly without picking a destination. That's when I decided to ask the question that had been bugging me since I saw the doll.
"...But why'd you pick the fox?"
I've made dolls before, so I could spot high-quality handmade ones right away. Just touching it once told me the material was top-notch, and the finishing was near perfect. No hesitation in buying it at all.
Amid all the cute animal dolls, the one that really grabbed my attention was the white fox. White usually means Arctic fox, right? It didn't match the color of the cat doll Baek Sion gave me, but if I had to pick an animal that reminded me of him, it was fox—no question.
"...But why'd you pick the fox?"
But it was kinda ridiculous that he seemed clueless about it. That wasn't him pretending not to know; he genuinely looked puzzled.
"Then why'd you pick the cat?"
"'Cause it looks like you?"
"Yeah. I picked it 'cause it looks like me."
The fluffy white-furred fox doll with its slight smile. Foxes became symbols of seduction partly because of their sly, deceptive looks. They're cute normally, but what really stands out is that signature fox eye-smile. I'd seen a fox do it once, and it was straight-up heart-melting.
And Baek Sion's eye-smile? It's on another level from normal people. He doesn't smile often, so I only catch it occasionally, but honestly, that's probably for the best. If he smiled all the time, my heart couldn't take it...
"......"
Right now, he was turning the fox doll this way and that, tilting his head in confusion. Sure, I admit I'm a bit biased toward him, but I swear anyone would swallow hard at that eye-smile. His face has a cool edge usually, but when he smiles and his eyes curve into half-moons... it's exactly my type.
"What're you suddenly thinking about?"
"...Huh? Nothing."
Yeah, just like that eye-smile right now. Was I staring too obviously...? It was just a fleeting one as he teased me, but facing him like this was too much—I turned my head away. If I kept looking, my face would turn red.
"...Anyway, the only doll they had for you was the fox."
And even ignoring looks, he's been pulling total fox moves lately, like it's second nature... Asking me out, calling me cute, buying gifts without a word. Up to that point, it's kinda sweet and thoughtful since he's doing it on purpose. But stuff like that unconscious eye-smile? Pure-born fox, nothing else.
He probably doesn't even realize he's doing it. That's the Baek Sion I know, at least. Not oblivious, but definitely not aware of the destructive power of his own smile. ...Honestly, even a slight smile at passing girls would get him numbers. His ex from before—I'd kinda sensed it—probably fell for that too. If he ever actually tried charming women, he'd have dozens crying over him...
To prevent any potential disasters, I decided to give Baek Sion a heads-up.
"Baek Sion."
"Yeah?"
"Don't smile in front of other people. Smile only for me."
"...Outta nowhere?"
I hadn't explained the context, so he looked thrown off. But starting from scratch would've been impossible—my embarrassment meter was already teetering. Telling him to smile only for me was basically admitting possessiveness...
But I couldn't help it. His smile was something I wanted all to myself.
What was I supposed to make of "don't smile"? Telling me to smile only for her meant she didn't hate my smile itself...
Like most people, I didn't really know my own smile. To check, you'd need a mirror or photos, but I never smiled at mirrors, and I wasn't the type to smile naturally in pics. I asked if it looked weird, but she dodged the question.
"...It's not weird or anything... Anyway, no...!"
"......"
Yeah, even if it was weird, she wouldn't tell me not to smile around others for that reason. She's a bit shy, but not the type to nitpick like that. Her blushing face suggested it was a good thing, actually.
Her request didn't carry much weight anyway. Because...
"But I don't smile around other people to begin with."
I only naturally smiled around Yoo Seol-ah, pretty much. Widening the net, maybe during club activities. But even that was largely because of her presence, so practically, I didn't smile where she wasn't.
Friends had teased me forever like, "Why's this guy so emotionally dried up?" I could fake a sales smile for basic interactions, but it'd come off awkward.
Hearing that, Yoo Seol-ah gave me a weird look—embarrassed or flustered, hard to tell—and stared at my hand.
I was just holding the doll.
"...You're not doing this on purpose, right?"
She had to tell me what "this" was before I could answer, so I stayed quiet. She finally gave up.
"...Should we pick food first?"
After holding eye contact a bit longer, she switched to menu talk. She did look pretty hungry.
"What sounds good? Seems like they've got everything here."
This huge new complex had famous chains and spots fresh to Korea from abroad, mostly on Line Street. We hadn't aimed for it, but strolling slowly had brought us to the food district.
We paused at a directory panel to mull options.
I usually deferred to her on food, but actually, I was the one who picked more often.
"...Everything looks so good, what do I do?"
Main reason: Yoo Seol-ah had killer decision paralysis with menus. We'd settled on compromises lately.
"How about Korean or Western?"
"Hm... Western today?"
She struggled with the full list, but narrowed options worked fine. Only five or six Western spots—easier now.
After intense focus, she looked up.
"Homemade burgers? How about hamburgers?"
"Love burgers."
One of my longtime faves. Especially handy when I had to feed Baek Sia but no time to cook—I'd grab some from the spot nearby. People say you get sick of frequent eats, but burgers never bored me. So many varieties, maybe.
Not a big chain, but word must've spread—it was busier than usual for late dinner. We got seated and she dove into the menu.
Hungry Yoo Seol-ah ate well, so sets were fine.
"...I'll have this. Truffle mushroom burger."
She decided fast—must've been love at first sight. I'd eyed the shrimp burger I always liked, scanning details.
Two basic sets, salad, and add-on sides for couples caught my eye.
"Couple set?"
"...Eek, uh... Y-yeah. Then sides? Onion rings?"
She blushed and stuttered, but shifted to sides quick.
After ordering, the homemade burger aroma had her squirming hungrily as we chatted lightly. Food arrived surprisingly fast.
"Whoa, it's huge."
Popular spot for a reason—the thickness screamed not a one-bite deal. But hunger won. With practiced hands, she quartered it with a knife, eyes sparkling as she took a nibble.
She always ate so enjoyably—nice to watch. But with her small mouth, sauce on the corner was inevitable.
"...So good."
Your face makes it look delicious. I beckoned her over. She leaned in slightly, and I dabbed her mouth with napkins.
She tried pulling back in surprise, but too late. Frozen for a sec, she slammed her arms on the table, buried her face, and collapsed.
...Why the meltdown mid-bite?
Her shaky voice muffled through.
"...What is with you today...?"
No head lift, but her visible earlobe was beet red.