The Pop-up Store and the Secrets We Keep
"Please, can you just go...?" Mom waved us away, looking incredibly embarrassed. Chaeyu spoke to her with a playful smirk.
"Excuse me, ma'am~ I think this one is broken~"
"Mom is busy, so don't do that..."
"Ugh."
"Please, just leave quickly..."
I don't know why she had to say it in such a cute way, but regardless, I dragged Chaeyu out of the store.
"It's so hot, so hot."
"I wonder how much hotter Mom must be feeling."
"Why? That lingerie is actually surprisingly cooling."
"Oh... really?"
"Want me to show you later at home?"
"...I'll pass for now."
Of course, I wanted to see it, but that wasn't the priority right now. The fact that Mom was wearing the exact same lingerie was what mattered. If Chaeyu was already that provocative, how much more so would Mom be?
"I want to look at clothes."
"Right, you said you were interested in fashion."
"Yeah."
We had made a promise—or something like it—that once Chaeyu opened her own clothing store, I would come in and help her from the ground up. To prepare for that, trying on and browsing as many clothes as possible was the most important thing.
"Let's start from the first floor and work our way up."
"Isn't this place mostly luxury brands?"
"Why? What's the problem?"
"No... it's just that they're so expensive, I feel awkward trying them on."
"What does it matter? They're for display anyway."
"You're bold..."
If it were me, I would never be able to try them on because I’d be too self-conscious about the staff. It would be a loss for both sides if I listened to their long explanations only to realize I couldn't afford the price tag.
"Hello~"
"Is it okay if I try this on?"
"Yes, of course~"
I decided to browse the brands that Chaeyu knew, even if I didn't. Unlike the brands I knew that cost millions of won, this place was surprisingly well-known, and there were quite a few people looking around.
"Is this place famous?"
"Yeah. Anyone interested in fashion knows it."
"I see..."
As I listened to Chaeyu, I peeked at a price tag and my jaw dropped. A single cardigan cost more than the shoes and scarf we had just bought combined.
'I really don't get it...'
Of course, I wasn't judging the people who bought these clothes, but as someone who had bought every piece of clothing I owned—excluding suits—for around 50,000 won, I just couldn't understand it. But the more I looked at it, the more I felt the simple logo was actually quite nice. Is this what they call "brainwashing"?
"Oh, this is pretty."
"It really is..."
It was a key ring that definitely made good use of the simple logo. However, the price was not pretty at all. I'll just have to buy it for Chaeyu's birthday gift later.
"How about this?"
"...It's definitely pretty."
A cardigan in a design I liked. As expected, I liked the simple logo embroidered on it much more than having nothing at all. It made me want to buy it for no reason.
"But places like this only have plain clothes."
"Plain ones?"
"Yeah. The color palettes are monotonous. Mostly black, gray, and navy."
"Aha..."
"Some places have more, but... not here."
We headed to a different place this time. It had much more colorful options than the last store.
"I have a T-shirt from here. The one with letters instead of a drawing."
"The vibe is different from before."
"It's a bit more casual? They have a lot of clothes."
"...The prices are about the same, though."
After that, we went around to all the stores famous for "logo play," where the coordination centers around the logo. Looking at them, they were so similar that I couldn't feel any difference other than the logo itself.
"Did you notice anything?"
"Just that... other than the logo, it seems monotonous."
"Right? It's great for simple outfits, but it's not great if you want to coordinate differently from other people. That's why clothes without logos in places like this are the real deal."
"They don't put logos on clothes in a place that sells logos?"
"It's about competing with real design rather than signature logos now. Like the things that come out in fashion shows."
"Aha."
Chaeyu took out her phone and showed me a website. There were indeed many beautiful and unique designs among the ones without logos. ...Of course, the price was at least double.
"Let's go somewhere else now."
The next place we went was a select shop where several brands were gathered. It was like the places I usually frequent, but the prices were quite high.
"These jeans are pretty."
"Aren't these for men?"
"Exactly. They'd look good on you, Oppa."
"Aha..."
When she suddenly brought me into the conversation, I felt a bit awkward without realizing it. It meant she wasn't just looking at her own clothes, but also paying attention to me. It made me feel like we were on a date. ...Wait, was it a date?
"There are a lot of pretty ones among these printed items."
"It's a bit hip."
"Everyone wears them in an oversized fit these days. Being hip is the trend."
"I don't think I could wear pants like that."
"Huh? You're wearing them like that right now?"
"Oh, is this that style...?"
"You don't even know how you're dressed~"
"It happens..."
So that’s what that fashion is. I had just put them on without thinking. I'll have to pay more attention from now on.
"What kind of style do you like?"
"Me? As long as it looks good. I don't really care. Oh, I don't like anything too flashy."
"How about leather jackets?"
"Those are nice. I like wearing a jacket over a shirt."
The first digit of the price tag I caught a glimpse of was a 2. It didn't look like 20,000 won, so I didn't even dare to try it on—
"Oppa, this would look good on you. Try it on."
"Is it okay to try it on...?"
"I told you it's fine."
I tried on the leather jacket after Chaeyu pushed me into it. Looking in the mirror, it wasn't bad at all.
"Oh. It suits you. Buy one."
"It's a bit hard to just buy it on the spot..."
"True. You bought a gift for Mom today, too, right?"
"Are you going to buy clothes?"
"No? I'm just going to look, too."
We walked through all five floors, and I learned about many clothes and brands I would have never known about if it weren't for Chaeyu. After trying on so many, I think I've built up some resistance to the store clerks. Of course, I still don't think I could try them on alone without Chaeyu. After all, there were many times we went into the fitting rooms together.
"I need to go to the bathroom."
"I'll go too."
The long journey to find a bathroom. Since it wasn't a local outlet but a massive one, it was quite a struggle to find one.
"I'm in a rush, I'm in a rush...!"
"Why did you hold it? You should have told me and gone."
"I didn't know I had to go back then."
"Geez..."
Well, sometimes when you're immersed in something, you forget what state you're in. Just like forgetting hunger while playing games all day.
"Phew..."
I finished first, but as expected, Chaeyu took a long time and didn't come out. I can understand it now—women don't just do their business when they go to the bathroom; they always touch up their makeup. Of course, Mom is no exception. Sometimes she takes even longer than Chaeyu.
"Ah... refreshing."
"Yeah, that's good."
"What, it's already 6 o'clock?"
"Really? Time flies so fast."
Whether someone deleted time with a special ability or not, several hours had already passed. So this is why people say women take 4 or 5 hours when they go shopping. I'm feeling this sensation for the first time. No, not the first time. It took that long when I bought my computer. Online.
"Let's eat and go home now."
"Yeah. Mom won't be able to leave until 9 anyway."
"That must be really hard."
"It's tough to make a living."
It's so tough that she even wears that see-through lingerie. Come to think of it, the reason Chaeyu had that expensive lingerie was because of Mom.
"Basement level one~ Basement level one~"
Humming, we arrived at the basement floor. Delicious smells wafted from all directions.
"What do you want to eat?"
"I want to eat everything."
"Pick just one..."
"Then... Oppa."
"What are you saying..."
People might misunderstand if they heard that. Though, it wouldn't be a misunderstanding. Other people don't even know we're siblings.
"I'm going to steal some of yours~"
"Do as you please."
In the end, we went around and arrived at a tonkatsu restaurant. Whenever I was distracted looking at people, Chaeyu would have already taken a piece of my cheese tonkatsu. She should have just ordered the assorted platter if she was going to do that. For reference, Chaeyu ordered the tenderloin.
"I want to go home quickly."
"Why?"
"Dad will be happy, right?"
"True. He'll be really happy."
Since it's an expensive pair of shoes, he'll probably be thrilled. The problem is that he'll probably wear those shoes until they wear out because Chaeyu bought them for him.
"Where did you two go?"
"Pangyo."
"We went to where Mom is."
"Oh, really? Did you eat? How is your mother doing?"
"Yeah, we ate there. Mom... she worked really hard."
"Your wife is working hard."
"...Dad."
"Yes? Why?"
Chaeyu called out to Dad in a shy voice. She took out the shopping bag she had been hiding behind her back.
"Here."
"Oh, what's this?"
"Open it."
Dad opened the shopping bag Chaeyu brought. A luxuriously packaged pair of shoes popped out.
"Shoes? Wow... I actually needed these."
"It's not 'actually,' it's 'about time.'"
"Thank you, my daughter. I'm getting a gift from my daughter. Unlike someone else."
"I bought a gift for Mom. And Dad, I'm the one who bought you that wallet."
"I know, of course. Thank you~ I'll use it well~"
"Ugh..."
Dad hugged Chaeyu to thank her and patted her head. This shouldn't be happening, but I felt jealous for no reason. Patting her butt is normal, too, but why am I so angry?
'Am I crazy...'
Maybe it's because I think of it as a butt that only I can touch.
♠
"Mom's home..."
"You worked hard."
Late at night. When it was time to sleep, Mom arrived. Dad had long since fallen fast asleep, and Chaeyu had returned to her room after sharing a kiss with me. Seeing that she wasn't coming out of her room, she was probably asleep.
"Are they both asleep?"
"I think so."
"......I'm sorry. For being in this kind of brand."
"What do you mean?"
"Chaeyu told me earlier. About the lingerie brand."
"You don't need to be embarrassed at all. If anything, it's a good thing."
"I wonder who you take after..."
"You, Mom."
"Ugh..."
"Oh, right. I have something important."
"Something important?"
"Yes."
This time it was my turn. I took out the shopping bag containing the scarf I bought for Mom.
"Oh my, what is this?"
"It's a scarf. Chaeyu bought Dad shoes, so I wanted to buy a gift for Mom, too..."
"Isn't this really expensive?! You didn't have to push yourself to buy this... Thank you, son."
"I'm thankful, too..."
"For what?"
"Just. Everything."
Mom hugged me without even opening the gift. As our bodies touched, a mysterious sensation crossed my mind.
"......"
"......"
As we naturally embraced, our eyes met. The anxiety that someone might see us, mixed with the excitement of wanting to kiss Mom, made my heart race twice as fast.
"Mwah..."
Intoxicated by the atmosphere, I couldn't hold back and kissed her. I did it as quietly and restrained as possible, making no sound.
"Haa..."
"......"
As we pulled away from the kiss, my mind became hazy. Mom's face was quite flushed.
"Mom, you need to wash up now..."
"It's okay."
"We're home right now..."
"We've already done it at home before."
"That's not the point..."
Even as Mom kept saying it wasn't allowed, she was rubbing her provocative body against mine.