106. VIP - (3)
106. VIP - (3)
***
Thud.
At the sound of the catalog falling, Serin glanced over, and Eunha spoke with genuine feeling.
"Serin... it really suits you so well."
"Does it? Thank you."
As Serin answered with a natural smile, Eunha found herself staring at Serin as if her gaze had been stolen away.
And it wasn't only Eunha—even Eunji, who had been fussing over Serin with exaggerated praise, was the same.
Eunji had years of experience working as a stylist for celebrities, but she had never seen anyone with such a mysterious aura.
The silver hair seemed to shine with a brilliance that couldn't be dismissed as mere dye, and beneath it, the mixed-race features set in perfect symmetry were striking beyond words.
Moreover, Serin in a properly fitted black suit from a luxury brand carried an air of mystery that made it impossible to say any celebrity Eunji had ever seen could surpass her right now.
Eunji knew what celebrities who looked flawless on screen actually looked like without makeup, so Serin's current appearance was even more shocking.
Since she was also knowledgeable about makeup, Eunji could tell at a glance just how little Serin had done to herself.
Aside from a few truly exceptional celebrities, even their bare faces weren't all that different.
'She barely did anything... how can even her skin be like this.'
Even up close, Serin's skin looked better than that of most celebrities who received intensive care.
But even with such impressions, work was work.
"You really must... buy this as a gift."
Eunji turned to Eunha with a slightly playful smile, and Eunha, tearing her gaze away from Serin, nodded without a moment's hesitation.
'It really suits her so well.'
Even if she hadn't intended to give a gift, she now wanted to. Serin's current appearance pleased Eunha immensely.
"Eunha...? Wait a moment. No, even so, I don't think this is right."
Serin, who knew the price range of the suit she was wearing, spoke up because this felt like too much no matter what, but Eunha shook her head slightly and smiled.
"This much is really fine. Oh, and including the shoes you're wearing now, are there any accessories that might suit Serin?"
As if refusing to accept any rejection, Eunha turned her gaze completely away from Serin and looked at Eunji.
Eunji smiled brightly and immediately moved her hands, pulling out several accessories she had prepared nearby.
"Serin, you are truly... so beautiful it's breathtaking, so honestly you don't need any more adornment, but there are several accessories that could make you shine even more. And the accessory I'd recommend is the Blue Rose pendant from the Griahte brand—I think it would suit you."
Selling luxury goods to the upper class was all about atmosphere and timing.
And Eunji knew that timing all too well. That was why she worked as a personal shopper for select clients here in the VIP Diamond Lounge.
She introduced Eunha to a rose-shaped necklace shimmering with pale blue light.
Serin shook her head and gestured as if she felt a bit burdened.
"Serin... would you try it on?"
Even though she was the one giving the gift, Eunha spoke to Serin in a slightly pleading tone.
She knew Serin felt burdened right now, but even so, Eunha wanted to see Serin wearing that accessory.
Serin, flustered, looked at Eunha wondering how to respond. But faced with Eunha's stubborn gaze, as if determined to have her way, Serin eventually let out a small sigh.
"...Okay. I understand."
"Ah, wouldn't it be more meaningful if you, Eunha, put it on Serin yourself...?"
Sensing that the atmosphere between the two was a little peculiar, Eunji asked with a subtle hint, but Eunha immediately shook her head.
Serin was already feeling burdened by the gift, so personally putting the necklace on her would only make her more uncomfortable.
Eunji quickly nodded and, as if erasing what she had just said, approached Serin and carefully held out the accessory.
"Ma'am, I'll help you put on the accessory."
Swallowing a sigh inwardly, Serin shook her head and spoke.
"No. I'll do it myself."
Eunji nodded slightly and handed over the necklace.
Serin took the blue rose-shaped necklace and looked at it awkwardly for a moment.
But only for a moment.
Click.
With the soft sound of metal fastening, the small blue rose pendant settled around Serin's neck.
"How... even the Blue Rose pendant suits you so well?"
As Eunji smiled and praised Serin again, Serin simply nodded in response.
If she'd decided to accept the gift, then she'd accept it—it already seemed too late to refuse. Besides, making a show of not wanting the gift now would be ridiculous.
As a way of showing gratitude, Serin looked at Eunha and gave her a small smile.
"...So how does it look to you, Eunha?"
"It looks good."
Seeing that Serin didn't seem too burdened in the end, Eunha was able to smile more lightly as well.
Facing that smile, Serin added.
"And if I... accept any more here, it'll really feel like too much, so I'll buy the rest with my own money. And Eunha, I'd like you to pick out some clothes too. It feels unfair if I'm the only one choosing."
With that, Serin picked up the catalog Eunha had dropped earlier.
......
After that, as Serin looked through the catalog and picked out other clothes, she was able to do so with a much lighter heart.
'...Still, every single thing is expensive.'
Buying one or two luxury-brand items wasn't much of a burden, and after being cooped up at home in her own little world for so long, shopping somewhere like this felt refreshing.
After browsing the catalog in the private lounge and picking out a few more items, once she decided she was buying with her own money, even the purchases didn't feel like much of a burden.
She had income as a streamer, and the 2.7 billion won sleeping in her bank account actually made her think she'd been spending far too little.
Given her spending habits, she probably couldn't spend all the money she'd earn anyway, so maybe indulging in a little luxury now wasn't a bad experience.
As the saying went, you had to try something before you knew how to enjoy it; luxury was much the same.
Once they decided to buy everything—the black suit Serin had just worn, the luxury-brand shoes, and the accessories—Eunji called another employee over. They spent quite a while taking Serin's precise measurements for tailoring and even discussing the suit fabric.
'...Italian fabric, they say.'
Serin pretended to deliberate and look knowledgeable on the outside, but in the end, she chose everything exactly as Eunji recommended.
Swish.
At the sound of something brushing past, Serin stopped looking at the catalog and raised her head.
A woman emerged from behind dozens of layers of silk.
If I'd worn the black suit on the employee's recommendation, Eunha, now coming out of the fitting room, was dressed in the exact opposite style—in clothes I, not the employee, had recommended.
Saying she couldn't just keep receiving from the start, Serin had recommended several outfits from the catalog to Eunha as gifts.
"Eunha, you look absolutely stunning too. How..."
At the sight of the female staff member smiling brightly and offering praise, Serin smiled softly.
At first, she'd been flustered by the staff's words, but now that she knew it was just habitual praise, it seemed endearing.
After taking in Eunha's revealed appearance, Serin also spoke without thinking, as if in admiration.
"Eunha...? Why does it suit you so well?"
Her image as a player from NewTube videos and articles had seemed cold, so Serin had recommended clothes that conveyed the opposite—full feminine charm.
The black skirt, ending just above the knee, highlighted her pale legs, while the crisp white shirt emphasized her characteristic neatness. The black blazer over it partially covered the skirt and gave the outfit a subtly feminine allure.
Honestly, it was the kind of figure and fashion that any man would find appealing.
"...Serin? I'm... not really used to clothes like this."
And Eunha, looking a little embarrassed, definitely had a charm that could bewitch any man.
Honestly, more than the clothes I'd recommended being good, it felt like Eunha's face itself was glowing.
'The completion of fashion was never about the clothes...'
......
After that, their shopping at S Department Store continued for nearly four hours.
Eunha and Serin spent a lot of time giving each other gifts, and listening to explanations about various luxury brands and clothes while browsing the catalog was entertaining in its own way.
Seasonal styles, styles suited to different appearances, current fashion trends and brands, even accessories—work was work, but Eunji's burning enthusiasm to dress Eunha and Serin in all kinds of outfits also played a part.
There was something oddly hard to refuse about Eunji when she spoke with such genuine hope that they would try things on.
Normally, Eunha would have flatly refused staff recommendations, but she went along with it somewhat because Serin was there, and Serin simply decided to spend the day like this and went along with the flow.
After picking out quite a lot of clothes from the catalog.
At 5 p.m., they decided to wrap up their shopping, and it was time to pay.
When Eunji brought over the payment terminal, Serin took out her card from her wallet.
"..."
Eunha glanced briefly at Serin's wallet and likewise took out her distinctive white card.
In her heart, she wanted to pay for everything, but the fact that this was a gift from Serin to her held her back.
Eunha held back, wondering whether Serin would really appreciate it if she insisted on paying herself.
"...Honestly, having you two here today made me so happy, you know? I really wish you'd come every day."
Eunji spoke her honest feelings as she operated the payment terminal, and the sight was so absurd that Serin and Eunha burst out laughing.
Serin, who had laughed too, honestly hadn't expected this kind of spending when she met Eunha today, but she didn't feel bad about it.
It felt like spending money that had been sitting meaninglessly in her bank account, and being treated specially like this while shopping was also nice.
No, actually, more than that, spending time with someone else like this felt more meaningful.
She could feel herself gradually adapting to this world, and even that gave her a sense of fulfillment.
After Eunji finished processing payment with each of their cards and confirmed that all the items had been checked correctly, Eunha glanced at Serin's wallet and spoke.
"Ah, I have one more thing to shop for—Serin, could you wait just a moment?"
"You still... had shopping left?"
At Serin's question of what could possibly be left, Eunha smiled softly and answered "Yes" before leaving for a moment. Eunji, who had noticed Eunha's glance, also carefully rose and said she'd go help for a moment before leaving the room.
Left alone in the lounge in an instant, Serin wondered what was going on.
'...?'
She fiddled with the Blue Rose pendant around her neck, self-conscious for no reason.
She didn't normally wear necklaces and had little interest in them, but because this one was a gift, she kept it on. Being on the receiving end of someone's kindness felt good in itself.
After waiting for about one or two minutes.
With the sound of the private lounge door opening, Eunha returned with a small smile.
"Serin. Shall we go have dinner now?"