Almost 100 Days. And Couple Items. (3)
After finishing their sticky Cross Kiss, Jihyeok and Yuna arrived at a department store. According to the various searches Yuna had done, this was a shop that couples frequently visited to pick out matching items. As expected, there were plenty of couples around, and the department store seemed to have catered to that—famous luxury brands were almost nowhere to be seen. No matter where you looked, the place was filled with nothing but couple items.
“Isn’t this place amazing?”
“It really is… I thought department stores were all about luxury brands, but surprisingly, it’s all couple stuff.”
“I did my research, you know~”
“You worked hard on this, Yuna. Thank you so much.”
“Oh, it was nothing~ Alright! Let’s hurry before the good items disappear!”
“Yeah. We should grab the best ones first.”
Jihyeok mentally mapped out the nearby stores, then followed Yuna as she moved ahead. Their first stop was a clothing shop. There were clothes with all kinds of patterns, family matching sets, and even half-and-half designs specifically for couples that looked perfect when worn together. Since the only couple tees Jihyeok had ever known were the ones Jiuk and Yoonseo wore, this place felt like an entirely new world to him.
“Boyfriend, which clothes catch your eye?”
“The patterns are important, but I think the color combinations need to work well so we don’t have to worry when we wear them.”
“That makes sense, right? Solid colors can feel a bit plain, but since couple tees are supposed to show that we’re together instead of being too flashy, we should pick something that suits us both, yeah?”
“Yeah. How about this one?”
What Jihyeok picked out were plain t-shirts, each mainly colored in shades that would suit them individually. They were the kind of simple, single-color clothes that couples who preferred easy-to-look-at outfits often chose over complicated patterns. If anyone asked how he knew that, it was all thanks to the tags hanging on the clothes. Each one had the concept written out clearly, so even someone who knew nothing about fashion could pick without much trouble.
“Still, since they’re couple tees, wouldn’t something with a pattern be better? I do like these, though.”
“Really? Then let’s look at others. There’s plenty more.”
“Okay!”
Jihyeok preferred simple, refreshing clothes with a natural feel, while Yuna saw clothing as an accessory that expressed who she was. Because their tastes were so different, choosing together wasn’t easy.
“We’re already stuck on the couple tees…”
“I know… but it feels really nice getting to learn your preferences like this, Boyfriend.”
“Definitely. I feel the same. It’s great finally getting to know your tastes in detail, Yuna. I had no idea before.”
“Hehe. Really? Then shall we take this chance to learn more about each other slowly?”
“Let’s do that.”
Jihyeok thought this was the perfect timing to figure out Yuna’s preferences ahead of their upcoming 100th day. Both of them liked that the staff didn’t interfere, letting them browse the clothes comfortably. They believed that once employees started recommending things, you could never truly pick what you actually wanted.
After much deliberation, they settled on a gradient design that gave off a cool, refreshing summer vibe—sky blue fading into pink.
“Summer’s almost here anyway, and even if we don’t wear these that often, it’s fine!”
“Huh? What do you mean we won’t wear them often?”
When Yuna said they probably wouldn’t wear the couple tees much, Jihyeok wondered why they were buying them at all. But then—
“We’ll still go on dates in spring, fall, and winter, right? Plus…”
Yuna leaned in close to his ear and whispered.
“…Don’t you want to see me in a swimsuit? I picked something easy to change out of.”
“…”
At the new meaning behind the couple tee, an image of Yuna in a swimsuit flashed through Jihyeok’s mind. Flawless, porcelain skin. The contrast of that skin against a dark-colored swimsuit made his face turn bright red in an instant.
Yuna let out a small snort of laughter when she saw how flushed he was.
“Were you really not planning on a pool date?”
“No… I was planning to try every kind of date that exists in the world…”
“Oh? Hehe. Then I guess we don’t have to worry about dates at all, huh?”
“…You suddenly brought up swimsuits, so of course I imagined it.”
“You really wanted to see it that badly? Should we go buy swimsuits while we’re at it?”
“Let’s save that for later. I don’t think I could handle it right now.”
“Because you’d want to pounce on me?”
“Please stop mentioning that…”
Thanks to his perfect memory, Jihyeok had never once watched the kind of adult videos that boys his age would naturally be curious about. Once he saw something, it stayed in his head forever, and he believed that if he ever watched one, he’d never be able to stop. Yuna, apparently unaware of this unavoidable circumstance unique to Jihyeok, was becoming more and more assertive as the days went by.
While she didn’t mind seeing his fresh, innocent reactions, she could tell he was genuinely troubled, so she decided to stop teasing him there.
“Then~ I’ll try my best to hold back until you become an adult~”
“That’s still three years away… I’ll try to get used to it as much as I can before then.”
“Aww~ But watching your reactions was so much fun~”
“You’ve gotten a real taste for teasing your boyfriend, haven’t you?”
“Yep! Hehe. Was I too much?”
“It’s fine, but if you do it again, I’ll shut you up with my mouth.”
“With your mouth, Boyfriend?”
“…I can’t win against you.”
He never had any intention of winning in the first place, but Jihyeok realized that if he wanted to beat Yuna with words, he’d first need to get used to much more intense skinship. He still had a long way to go.
The two of them quickly paid for the couple tees and headed to their next destination. Of course, they stopped by a dressing room first to change into their new matching shirts.
“You’re supposed to wash them once before wearing them.”
“Let’s just skip that this time~ Oh! There it is!”
The place Yuna pointed to was a shoe store.
“Do you have any shoes in mind already?”
“Hmm… I’ll just look around and buy something comfortable. We’ll be walking a lot, so it’ll be easier on our feet during dates if they’re comfy!”
“True. We’ll use them for casual walks too. As long as I’m with you, Girlfriend, anywhere we go will be fun.”
“Hehe. Alright~ Let’s go take a look~”
When they stepped into the shoe store, they found a foot-measuring platform ready for customers. If you stood on it while wearing your usual shoes, it would tell you your exact size.
“I’ve never seen one of these before.”
“Me neither… It’s really convenient~”
“Welcome~ Are you here to look at couple shoes?”
A woman who appeared to be a store employee came out. She was in her twenties, wearing what must have been the staff uniform—overalls with a large pocket on the front. The moment Jihyeok saw her, he immediately pictured Yuna wearing the same outfit. He made a mental note that he absolutely had to see her in it someday, then finished measuring his feet.
“Yes!”
“Feel free to browse~ If you have any questions, just come to the counter~”
It seemed the employee believed that customers were happier when they could think things over themselves rather than having products constantly recommended to them. Jihyeok felt grateful for the consideration, especially since he was the type who got awkward dealing with new people.
“Ouch.”
“…Mine. What are you looking at?”
But Yuna seemed to think he’d been staring at the other woman. She pinched his arm, jealousy flaring up. She’d even switched from calling him “Boyfriend” to the much more possessive “Mine.”
The sudden pain short-circuited Jihyeok’s brain, so he reflexively made an excuse.
“…Huh? I was looking at shoes.”
“Don’t lie. You were staring at the employee.”
“…You saw that?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Your girlfriend is right next to you, and you’re looking at another woman?”
It was a date with his girlfriend. Looking at someone else was simply bad manners. Jihyeok realized his mistake and immediately apologized to Yuna.
“I’m sorry.”
“Hmph. An apology isn’t enough.”
“I’m sorry for looking away.”
“Not that.”
“Huh?”
Yuna looked at him, puckering her lips.
“A kiiiss~”
“…Isn’t that more of a reward?”
“Huuuubby~”
Jihyeok gently pressed his lips against Yuna’s adorably puckered pink ones. -chu
Since they weren’t alone—the employee was right there—he couldn’t do it properly. It was just a light, silent peck.
“Boo— That was way too weak.”
“…If we were alone, I would’ve done it right, but there’s someone else here right now…”
“Fine. I’ll let it go this time.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t do it again, okay?”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Hehe. You were really embarrassed, weren’t you? Thanks for listening to my request.”
“It was nothing. It was my mistake. From now on, I’ll only look at you, Girlfriend. I won’t let something like this happen again.”
“When you say it like that, I have no choice but to forgive you~ You’re so cute.”
Having successfully calmed his girlfriend’s anger, Jihyeok looked at the shoes with Yuna. Most of the shoes in the store were similar. There were lots of sets that only differed in color while sharing the same design. Of course, identical designs were what made them couple shoes in the first place.
Jihyeok didn’t particularly care about the design, so he decided to go along with whatever Yuna wanted.
“What kind of shoes would look good on us?”
“Hmm… What kind of designs do you like, Boyfriend?”
“Guys usually don’t care much about design. As long as the shoes fit my feet, I’m good.”
“…Really? Then can I pick whatever I want? You don’t have any preferred colors or anything?”
“I’d be happy with anything in the blue family.”
“Got it. I’ll find shoes that’ll look perfect on you, Boyfriend!”
“I’m counting on you.”
After browsing for about ten minutes, they seemed to have found the perfect pair.
“How about these? I touched them and they’re really cushy!”
“If you picked them, Girlfriend, they can’t possibly be bad.”
“Really? Should we go with these then?”
“Yeah. We still have plenty of other couple items to get besides the tees and shoes. We haven’t even eaten lunch yet.”
“That’s true… There’s still a lot more to match, huh?”
“Yep. There are couple rings, and so many other things.”
“But… won’t it be expensive?”
Since Jihyeok had been the one to suggest the couple tees and shoes, he had decided he would pay for all the couple items. Clothes and shoes weren’t too pricey, so that was fine. But when it came to accessories like rings, necklaces, or bracelets, even small pieces from famous brands often had various gemstones and came with hefty price tags.
Yuna, who didn’t want to feel like she was only receiving help, worried about it just like last time.
“My parents told me. They said to treat you well. They specifically told me never to skimp on money when it comes to my girlfriend.”
“Your parents said that?”
“Yeah. I want to do it because I genuinely want to. I only want to give you the best things, Girlfriend. So don’t feel awkward about it—just accept them comfortably.”
“Okay… I’ll have to repay them properly someday.”
“There’s no rush.”
“Right? We’re going to keep dating for one year, five years, ten years… forever.”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
Jihyeok wasn’t sure exactly how much was on the card, but since it was money his parents had saved, there was probably quite a bit. Besides, almost everything in his house was the latest model, which alone was enough to guess how well-off his family was.
Yuna made up her mind to repay the kindness that Jihyeok and his family showed her by continuing to love him without change. Since she believed her love for him would never waver, her heart was full of determination to seduce him so that he would only ever look at her.