Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Chaebol Heiress's Dating Style (2)
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They'd just stepped into the store and stood there quietly, yet suddenly department store staff appeared before them carrying dozens of outfits.
Meanwhile, Do Shi-hee rose from her seat as if this were the most natural thing in the world, pointing at a few pieces of clothing with her finger.
"Please wrap these up—this one, this one, and this one."
"Yes, right away!"
"And this one—I'll wear it now, so remove the price tag."
"Here you go, Miss Do Shi-hee!"
"Also, bring over a few pairs of comfortable shoes since I'd like to look at some footwear."
"Understood! Please wait just a moment!"
A few words from Do Shi-hee, and the staff moved with perfect coordination. While he watched them in a daze, she suddenly thrust a freshly handed outfit right in front of him.
"What are you doing? Hurry up and change into this in the fitting room."
"...Can I really accept this?"
"You know if you show up looking sloppy, it'll tarnish my reputation too? This is just to maintain my dignity—not some act of charity for you."
"Ah, alright..."
He took the top and bottoms in a daze and entered the fitting room, letting out a small sigh.
Spending time with someone whose sense of money was on a completely different level was more exhausting than he'd imagined, he reminded himself.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ If he had to sum up his impressions of the clothes Do Shi-hee had given him, they were classic casual wear—textbook stuff.
A gray knit shirt, black jacket, and navy slacks.
It had that semi-formal vibe: simple, yet every element was perfectly in place. Standing before the full-length mirror, he looked utterly transformed compared to when he'd stepped out that afternoon.
Which meant he couldn't deny anymore that his old outfit had come off as tacky. Was this what rich people meant by "dressing properly"?
And the clothes' basic features included ventilation and moisture-wicking magic as standard, regardless of top or bottom. Even in this season that was still a bit too warm for long sleeves, he felt neither hot nor uncomfortable.
...There's a reason they call it luxury, huh.
"It suits you perfectly, young sir."
"...Young sir?"
"You have such a fine build—the clothes hang just right."
"Ah, thank you..."
"How does it feel? Any discomfort?"
"It's the most comfortable thing I've ever worn."
...Truth be told, the most uncomfortable part was the group of male staff crowding around him after he'd changed, each offering compliments.
"Ah, you're much more presentable now than before."
Do Shi-hee, her cheeks slightly flushed, tossed out her light assessment as she looked him over.
Since she'd picked it out herself, of course she'd be pleased.
"So, what do you think?"
"I like it."
He didn't even need to ask what his response would be.
The outfit itself was great, no question—and just receiving a gift like this already filled him with gratitude toward her.
"It's casual, and I really like it. I could see myself wearing it all the time, even outside today."
"Then take off your shoes now."
After that, he tried on several pairs of shoes, walking around the store until he'd settled on comfortable ones, complete with matching socks.
"I'll go with these."
In the end, in just an hour since meeting Do Shi-hee, every piece of clothing on him had been replaced with ones she'd bought.
Well, except for his underwear. ...She wouldn't insist on replacing that too, right?
Her odd gaze suggested she might be entertaining the idea, but thankfully, no such comment came.
"Th-this should be fine now. I could introduce you as my boyfriend anywhere without embarrassment."
Good thing that wasn't it.
"Thank you, Shi-hee."
"If you're grateful, wear it out often from now on. If you stash an expensive outfit like some cheapskate in your closet, I'll take it back."
"Of course."
He might have lived frugally up to now, pinching pennies like a miser, but that didn't mean he'd mistreat gifts from others and go around looking shabby.
He knew better than anyone that the polite way to handle a gift was to use it often. Being petty about something like this just wasn't his style.
...Oh, right.
"What happened to the clothes I came in?"
Snapping back to reality, he realized he'd left his old outfit and shoes in the fitting room. A natural worry crossed his mind: were they getting thrown out?
He had no complaints if the clothes were discarded—they'd been replaced with ridiculously better ones—but tossing perfectly good shoes felt like a waste.
"Worried they might get thrown away?"
"...A little."
"Don't worry about it. We'll send them to a proper cleaner to get them spotless, then have them delivered to your hotel room ahead of time."
"They're just off-brand clothes—no need to go that far..."
"It's already arranged, so no take-backs."
"I see."
"Th-that said, the cleaning might make them feel like new. We'll repair any holes or loose threads too."
Pouring that much effort into no-name tees and jeans was honestly baffling, but a chaebol heiress's sense of money had never been something he could match anyway. He gave up and decided to just go along with whatever she wanted.
This was all part of the date she'd planned, after all.
"We still have a bit before dinner—anywhere you'd like to go?"
With dinner reservations in mind, they had about two hours to kill. She was handing him the choice of where to spend it.
Movies wouldn't fit the timing perfectly, and stopping at a café before eating didn't appeal. With those options crossed off, there weren't many left.
"How about a stroll in the nearby park?"
Ask a guy with zero dating experience where he wants to go, and you'd probably get this answer.
This was the limit of imagination for a man with a sparse romantic history.
No way could he take a chaebol heiress to an arcade or DVD room—not yet.
"A park stroll..."
"If you have a better idea, I'm fine with that too."
"No, let's do that."
Do Shi-hee nodded at his suggestion in agreement. The moment they reached the park, she extended her left hand toward him first.
"......"
It was unmistakably an invitation to hold hands and walk. Naturally, he didn't refuse, clasping her hand with his right.
Her palm was still nice and warm against his skin, just like before.
"......"
"......"
They walked the path in silence, without a word.
Their first meeting had only involved sleeping together and confessing sexual preferences, so with few shared interests, it wasn't easy to start talking. But that wasn't the only reason for the quiet stroll.
'...This feels kinda embarrassing.'
Speaking would mean turning to face each other, risking exposure of his burning face that felt ready to explode.
Judging by the heat from her palm, she was feeling something similar. And so they wandered the path hand-in-hand for quite a while, avoiding each other's eyes without conversation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "D-did you see that Korean film nominated for Cannes recently? The genre shift midway was such a fresh shock."
"Ah, yeah, I saw it. I liked how it shattered preconceptions."
About two hours into the happy-yet-awkward stroll.
After a few swings and misses trying to keep conversation going in the strained atmosphere, they'd found some common ground. The mood had softened considerably.
Movies, TV, music.
Video content never betrayed as a safe topic—it hit him just how true that was.
"Have you heard Union’s new song?"
"Oh, I have! I listen to Union a lot—their emotional vibe is great. That poignant love feel from their male-female duo really tugs at the heart."
"Union's songs do have that overall. 'The Day My Gaze Stopped' has the best emotional depth for me."
"I love that one too. Otherwise, 'Half-Full Beer Glass' is the best."
"Half-Full Beer's vibe was next-level."
Seeing the haughty chaebol heiress enjoy popular movies, laugh at commoner variety shows, and get moved by mainstream music like everyone else— that instantly melted the lingering wariness he'd held toward her.
He even felt silly for being so tense all this time.
"Shi-hee watches weekend variety shows and laughs too, huh."
"What, did you think I'm some strict critic who doesn't laugh? If everyone's watching, so am I. ...Though when work's busy, I catch up on reruns instead of live."
Come to think of it, Do Shi-hee was just a woman in the prime of her romantic years. Maybe he'd overcomplicated it.
By the time they were sitting side-by-side on a bench, chatting animatedly, words from her lips signaled the fun was ending.
"Dinner reservation time's approaching."
She glanced at the park clock and said it. They rose from the bench and headed out, hands clasping once more.
"......"
"......"
Holding hands while walking had become routine. Yet even they, who'd just been conversing fine, blushed into awkward silence again.
The chat had flowed well on the bench—why did hand-holding make his heart race like this?
In that slightly awkward mood, they exited the park, following her lead. A street vendor caught his eye.
"Hold on, Shi-hee."
"Yes?"
He pulled the puzzled Do Shi-hee to the stall and picked out two bracelets from the display.
"Purple or navy—which do you prefer?"
"...Navy."
At her answer, he paid the vendor for the navy one and slipped it onto her shyly extended left wrist.
It was a simple solid-color bracelet, nothing flashy or multicolored, but on her beautiful wrist, it became a perfect accent.
"A gift. I've been receiving too much—felt bad."
"......"
"It's not enough to call it even, but just accept it as a gesture from me."
Do Shi-hee looked a bit flustered by the sudden gift, but then...
"Thank you. I'll treasure it."
...she cradled her bracelet-adorned wrist and replied with a gentle smile.