[Secretly from Each Other (2)]
The clothing store I entered, hoping it would be the last, boasted an interior even more chaotic than the previous shops I’d visited. To be precise, it wasn’t the interior itself that was the problem, but the way the merchandise was displayed. From the entrance to the back of the store, the stairs leading to other floors, and the hangers lining the walls—it was a mess. How could they just dump clothes around like it was a marketplace? If I really wanted to nitpick, I suppose I could conclude that the quality of the clothes themselves wasn't affected, but personally, it was suffocating.
…I couldn't see my own expression since the mirror was too far away, but I imagined it looked much like the one Lee Jiyoon was wearing right next to me. To exaggerate slightly, we both looked like grumpy pufferfish.
“…….”
“…….”
I want to poke her. That cheek. I wonder if she’s thinking the same thing while looking at me.
“Hey, Lee Jiyoon. Come here.”
“What, why, what?”
“I want to see you try on this cardigan.”
“No, I, I can handle it myself…”
“I’m telling you to come here because you won’t buy anything on your own.”
“…….”
Unlike us, Lee Hayun was wandering around the store, her black ponytail swaying as if she were perfectly at home. While I was busy conserving my energy near the entrance, pretending to browse clothes to avoid her notice, Lee Jiyoon was forcibly dragged away. Somehow, in front of Jiyoon, her sister didn't act like a sister, but more like a mother. It was a stark contrast to how she acted with me, where calling her "Noona" felt almost embarrassing.
The look Jiyoon shot back at me held a flicker of hatred that seemed to say, "This is all your fault." It felt as if she were saying that if it weren't for me, she wouldn't have to be doing this on a weekend. So what?
When I playfully stuck out the tip of my tongue behind Lee Hayun’s back, Jiyoon moved her lips in a mumble before eventually turning her head away. She was getting cuter by the day. Is it true that you can’t escape your bloodline? I couldn't even recall the cold, icy aloofness of the pre-regression Jiyoon anymore.
…Well, judging by the rumors, she seemed to be the same old Lee Jiyoon in class, but… of course, I preferred this version much more than one who was kind to everyone. It meant that while she might bite other people's hands, she would lick mine meticulously, every nook and cranny. A woman who only turns soft in front of me—what man wouldn't love that? He’d be crazy about her. Though, I suppose there’s a market for the opposite, too.
“Take off that jumper. …Come to think of it, haven’t you been wearing that since your freshman year of high school? Or am I wrong?”
“…I don’t know……”
“Anyway, take off the hat, too. Oh, wait, did you not wash your hair?”
“I, I did wash it…!”
The last part was whispered, but I heard it all. Seeing the employee standing quietly at the counter trying to hold back a laugh, I knew for sure. …Hmm. Is it because the employee is a man? I don't like it for no reason. They’re both my women, so I wish he’d stop looking. Especially since Hayun was showing off her thighs under that plaid skirt. Well, if he has any sense, he’ll take a quick look and stop. He can go jerk off to that later. I’ll be the one making them wear costumes on their bed and having sex with them all night. Or maybe I’ll have them wear hero costumes while I ravage them.
While I was busy thinking that, touching a T-shirt I had no interest in, I looked back at the employee. When I turned my gaze back to Lee Hayun, I saw her holding a snow-white cardigan up in front of Lee Jiyoon, who was making a sour face. She had an eye for fashion, at least; it suited her quite well.
“You look good in white or cool colors like this. Better than that drab khaki you usually wear.”
“…Honestly, I don’t even like that my hair turned white, so why would I want white…”
“Your hat is pitch black, your clothes are drab, and what you wear underneath is always jeans or…”
“Ah, I get it, but… I just don’t like it… so please, just be quiet…”
“As a favor to your sister, just go in there and try it on. Oh, it’s okay to try it on, right?”
“I said I don’t want to…”
The employee, who had been watching with a satisfied expression, nodded vigorously. I wondered if he was the owner. These days, people with the title of "owner" are so young. Anyway, Lee Jiyoon reluctantly took the cardigan from her sister and headed toward the fitting room. I thought it was a bit much to use a fitting room just to change a jacket, but I didn't say anything.
Her figure disappeared behind the curtain, and while I was busy recommending clothes that were cute like a younger sister's rather than "Noona-like" clothes to Lee Hayun—and getting my arm pinched several times for it—I heard the sound of the curtain sliding open.
“……What are you looking at? Damn it…”
I brushed off the blunt curse that came the moment our eyes met. Along with Hayun, who was nodding and saying "Oh—," I stared blankly at Lee Jiyoon. There’s a certain charm to a loose-fit cardigan on a woman. It… how should I put it… it stimulates a protective instinct. The way it covers the back of her hands, leaving only her fingers poking out if she doesn't roll up the sleeves, making her look just a little more adorable than usual—that kind of charm.
Even though Lee Jiyoon is usually busy meowing and growling, whether on Discord or in person, she definitely looked more gentle and calm when dressed like that. Of course, since it was just a thin cardigan, it looked a bit light for the chilly month of March.
…Anyway, I have to buy it. That outfit.
“It suits you well.”
“Right?”
“…….”
It suited her so well that I didn't need to lie, so I gave her an honest compliment. Lee Hayun, who had been pinching my arm to stop me from picking out cute clothes, was beaming with excitement. Lee Jiyoon, who was standing a bit further away, avoided my gaze and busied herself smoothing out her cardigan instead of cursing. I suppose she wasn't used to such feminine clothes. Or maybe she was just awkward about being complimented on her appearance.
Well, she was a girl who, instead of dressing up, used to hide her face behind a wide-brimmed baseball cap. That made sense.
“T, this suits me? For real?”
“Yeah. Or should I ask another customer if it suits you?”
“D, don’t you dare…! I’ll freeze your mouth and tongue solid…!”
Lee Jiyoon spat out a rather terrifying threat while covering her face with her wrist in embarrassment. Because of that, the attention of the other customers, which had been focused on her, scattered one by one. Is she really an idiot?
I chuckled along with Lee Hayun, who was right beside me. I briefly considered throwing in a joke, but decided against it. It wasn't because I was worried she’d kill me, but because Lee Hayun was right there. The distance I needed to maintain with Jiyoon in front of Hayun was just right at this level. Right now, it was the right call to be showing affection to her sister rather than paying more attention to Jiyoon. Both from the perspective of Jiyoon, who wanted to do bad things with her sister's boyfriend, and from my perspective, wanting to roll around in a messy heap with both sisters.
Having reached that conclusion, albeit a bit late, I pulled Lee Hayun’s waist toward me. I ignored the strange "Ung-ah" sound she made.
“What about the skirt? Still don’t want to wear one?”
“…….”
“Jiyoon-ah?”
“…Y, yeah?”
“I asked if you still don’t want to wear a skirt instead of pants. Hayun Noona and I found a few good ones earlier.”
“…I, I don’t like how they flutter… The school skirt is enough, what more…”
As she said that, Lee Jiyoon’s gaze was fixed blankly on my left arm. The side that was touching Lee Hayun’s waist.
“Yeah, well… it’s a relief enough that I got you to take off that tiresome jumper.”
“…Is it that much of a deal…”
“Anyway, are you going to buy it? That cardigan?”
“…I’ll check the price first.”
Looking around, the most expensive things seemed to be around a hundred dollars, so I didn't think it would be that pricey. Then, Lee Jiyoon, who had been struggling from a distance, walked toward me, fluttering the snow-white cardigan. The small footprints left by her old, rain-soaked sneakers caught my eye.
“Here. I’ll pull my hair back, so check the tag.”
“Do it yourself. Why?”
“…I, I don’t want to take it off just to check…!”
Making that excuse, Lee Jiyoon approached me, gathered her ponytail with her hands just like her sister, and began to show me the back of her snow-white neck.
……Somehow, she looked like a kitten who had witnessed its master being too busy playing with a new cat. Whether it was asking me to check the tag on purpose when she could have just taken it off, or when her sister was right there, or that ponytail that resembled Lee Hayun’s—it wasn't the direction I had intended, but things seemed to be flowing in a not-so-bad way. Good. Let’s keep it this way.
“Fifty dollars. Not that expensive.”
“…W, why does this cost fifty dollars?”
“Don’t clothes usually cost that much?”
Actually, I didn't really know. Every time I bought clothes online, I never really picked them based on the price. I only had a vague sense that T-shirts were cheap and parkas were a bit expensive.
“No, just a piece of cloth like this…”
“That’s about right. Probably.”
“…Fifty dollars is a month’s electricity bill in the summer… or 2 to 3 deliveries… or 5 hours of spacing out at the counter…”
“…….”
You only pay 50 dollars for electricity in the summer? …No, anyway. Seeing her counting on her fingers, it seemed like a lot of money for Lee Jiyoon’s financial sense. What should I do? If I just said I’d buy it for her, she’d definitely lecture me about wasting money. Is there a way… what kind of way could there be?
While I was pondering, since the clothes suited her so well, Lee Hayun, who had been softly nestled in my arms, snapped back to reality with a "Ha!" sound.
“…I, it is a liiittle expensive. Yeah…” she muttered, way too late.
…Sigh. I don’t know.
“…I’ll buy it as a gift. Is that okay?”
“…A gift? What kind of gift?”
“An academy entrance gift, or a late birthday present from last year, or if you don’t like that, a ‘friendship fee.’ Anything.”
“…….”
Even if it’s the same waste of money, if I attach the word "gift," the meaning should be diluted. …Probably. I hope so.
“So, you’re buying it for me?”
“Yeah.”
I had been prepared for the worst-case scenario of being rejected immediately, but fortunately, Lee Jiyoon asked back as if to confirm instead. When I nodded and answered her, I heard a throat-clearing sound, followed by a strange remark.
“…N, n, next time… um…”
“What?”
“Next time, I’ll… buy you a meal. Something expensive…”
In other words, she meant she wanted to meet me again.
“…Sure. Do that.”
“…….”
Whether Lee Hayun was included in that "next time," I wasn't sure.