A Perfectly Ordinary Outfit
The conversation ended with a simple “Yes! See you tomorrow.”
It was over.
Dong-oh lay on his bed, staring blankly at the last message she had sent for a long while.
Just an hour earlier, he had been sitting at his dark desk, searching through old files in search of any excuse to message her first.
But the moment he gathered the courage to send the message, the promise felt far emptier and easier than he had imagined.
Tomorrow he would meet Seo-yoon alone.
It was nothing like bumping into her in a crowded university hallway with dozens of students and exchanging an emotionless greeting.
Nor was it like awkwardly sharing a group project with other members of the team.
On paper it was purely a business matter—helping his junior with her assignment materials. But this was the first time he would meet her privately on a weekend since starting university.
Dong-oh placed his smartphone on his chest and exhaled deeply while staring at the ceiling.
*…Don’t overthink it, Lee Dong-oh. Tomorrow is not a date. It’s just helping a junior with her materials.*
His timid brain kept activating defense mechanisms and slamming on the brakes.
Yet a small voice in his chest whispered that seeing the new ability activate when he met her would be the perfect chance.
He could confirm whether her willingness to come meet him on the weekend was genuine affection or forced obligation.
But when he coldly placed a hand on his chest and asked himself, the real reason for traveling two hours each way on a weekend was never about verifying the ability.
Dong-oh finally admitted his honest feelings.
He simply wanted to sit across from her on the weekend, listen to her voice, and see her face—no matter what excuse he used.
A moment later he sprang up from the bed, walked back to his desk, and reopened the notebook.
He carefully read every slide from first to last, down to the tiniest details, then revised the worn typos in the corner, boldly cut any sentences that felt unnecessary or dragged on, and neatly organized Kim Professor’s sharp feedback into separate slides.
At first he had only planned to explain a few reference points in casual conversation.
But when he realized he wanted to show Seo-yoon a better side of himself, he looked at the clock and realized it was already past midnight, well into the early morning hours.
Dong-oh saved the final revised file with satisfaction and let out a soft laugh while watching the monitor.
*…Who would think I’m heading out to give a scholarship society presentation.*
He turned off the laptop, lay back down with a lighter heart, and finally fell into a deep sleep.
It was a quiet night like any other weekend before it.
But at least until tomorrow’s Saturday, his life would take a very special turn—nothing like the usual.
The next morning.
Despite it being a weekend, Dong-oh woke before his alarm even rang.
Normally on weekends he would turn the alarm off, pull the blanket over himself, and sleep until he was completely groggy.
Today, however, there was not even a flicker of hesitation.
Today he was going to school.
For the sole purpose of looking at Seo-yoon’s assignment.
At least on paper, it was perfect.
Dong-oh showered cleanly, then stood in front of the full-length mirror inside the closet.
Normally he would have changed clothes in three seconds.
He would have grabbed the first stretched T-shirt and comfortable pants he saw on the hanger, thrown a zip-up jacket on for the slightly chilly weather, and been ready to leave.
The university was not a fashion show where people dressed to impress, and no one cared how he looked anyway.
But today he left the closet door open and spent over ten minutes searching for the perfect outfit.
He pulled out a neatly folded slim black shirt he had kept hidden in the back, slipped it on, and stood before the mirror.
Fortunately, the shoulders and chest line he had honed through military exercise sat perfectly, not too tight or loose.
He paired it with stylish gray slacks he rarely wore.
Dong-oh stared at his own neat appearance in the mirror for a long time.
His brows furrowed.
*…No way. This outfit is way too intentional and obvious for simply coming to help a junior with her assignment on the weekend.*
The man in the mirror looked like someone who had deliberately dressed up just to meet her.
A wave of embarrassment rushed over him.
He unbuttoned the top button of the shirt, then rebuttoned it.
Suddenly he looked like a job applicant preparing for a final interview with a major company.
Dong-oh sighed, stripped off the shirt, and tossed it onto the bed.
The gray slacks went right back into the closet.
*It’s just helping a junior’s assignment. Why am I making such a fuss?*
A moment later he snapped back to his senses, pulled out his usual plain white T-shirt and fitted dark jeans, and changed.
It was the standard casual combination that every Korean university student wore.
Compared to the flashy shirt he had first chosen, it was plain and unadorned.
But it was neither too sloppy nor too sloppy like someone who hadn’t washed up properly and just threw on slippers.
Dong-oh checked his outfit once more in front of the mirror.
*…Yeah. This is normal enough.*
Only after finding a pathetic excuse that satisfied only himself could he finally turn away from the mirror.
Yet between the “ordinary” standard his timid self imagined and the objectively ordinary physical appearance others saw in Dong-oh, there was still a noticeable gap.
It had already been two years since Dong-oh returned from the military and started attending school again.
The weight-training habit forced onto him by seniors during service had become a hobby after he left the army.
He had never aimed for competitions like fitness YouTubers or dreamed of first place.
He simply hated the same gray, mechanical routine that seemed copied and pasted every day, so he started training to bring some visual change to his body.
For the hours spent in the gym gripping heavy barbells, breathing until his chest ached, and pushing through the prescribed number of reps, he could empty out the complicated thoughts that plagued his mind.
That honest two years of painful effort had given his body a slim, solid frame with defined lines.
The broad, square shoulders and toned chest that had been forged in the gym showed naturally beneath a plain white T-shirt that wasn’t too baggy or too tight.
Thick forearms extended from the short sleeves, and the firm forearms and tendons from years of heavy lifting remained visible.
Dong-oh himself never really noticed the value of his own body because he saw it in the mirror every day.
He only cared about color coordination and non-clashing combinations under the basic clothes.
He never calculated how that masculine, toned physique would visually affect others.
Instead, he was simply relieved and content that he had successfully hidden his flashy outfit with a plain look.
He roughly tousled his hair with a hairdryer, slung his bag over his shoulder, and left the room.
He opened the bag again to double-check that the revised presentation materials from last night were inside.
Just in case he forgot to explain something, he also packed the lecture plan screenshot from last semester and the separate text file he had memoed.
Only after confirming the state of the materials several times did Dong-oh finally open the front door and step outside.
The city bus on a weekend morning was far quieter and more peaceful than the daily hellish commute.
Dong-oh sat deep in the window seat on the side toward the stop, as usual, and took out his smartphone.
There were no new Messenger notifications or additional messages from Seo-yoon in the morning.
They had agreed on noon as the time and the library entrance as the place the night before, so it was only natural.
There was no need to contact her this early.
Yet after scrolling through the old chat history one more time with his fingers, he finally relaxed and put the phone back in his pocket.
Through the rattling bus window, his faint silhouette reflected in the morning sunlight like a mirror.
Dong-oh unconsciously adjusted the collar of his shirt, then suddenly stopped when he realized what he was doing.
*…What am I even doing right now?*
He was wearing plain jeans and a T-shirt, but his actions were completely the opposite of how ordinary Dong-oh behaved.
He had changed his clothes several times at home, checked his hair in the mirror dozens of times to make sure it was properly styled, and even calculated the bus arrival time to make sure he was not late.
For a senior simply coming to help a junior with an assignment, he was far too diligent and overly enthusiastic.
Dong-oh turned his gaze completely to the scenery outside the window to hide his reddening face.
*…Don’t overthink it. It’s just a normal day of explaining the materials lightly and going home.*
His head tried desperately to convince himself it was a trivial business promise with no special meaning, but ironically the more he repeated the rational excuse, the more it revealed how much meaning and expectation he had placed on today’s meeting.
The bus finally slowed and stopped smoothly at the stop right in front of the main gate of Hankuk University.
Dong-oh rose quietly from his seat and followed the few students who were getting off.
The university campus on a weekend was far quieter and lonelier than the usual lively atmosphere of the weekdays.
Instead of the large crowds that would have filled the uphill path in front of the gate on weekdays, only a handful of students with bags walked slowly along the weekend paths.
Their footsteps toward the gray buildings looked endlessly free and lazy because the closing time was long past.
Dong-oh took his phone out of his pocket again and checked the time.
There was still plenty of time until the appointment.
He had thought he left early because he was nervous about being late, but he had arrived at the campus much faster than expected.
The sight of him standing awkwardly alone in front of the library was a little funny, so he glanced toward the library before deciding to head to the Student Union Building cafe nearby to kill time with a cold drink.
At that moment, an familiar face caught his eye on a large wooden bench near the library entrance.
It was Seo-yoon.
She sat with her white knees raised, her tablet PC covered by a pink case, staring intently at the screen with a serious, focused expression.
On the bench right beside her, the familiar laptop bag from yesterday and a thick major textbook sat alone, their weight making the bench look uncomfortable.
Dong-oh alternated his gaze between the clock on his phone and Seo-yoon’s figure on the distant bench.
The agreed time was noon.
He had thought he had arrived early too, but Seo-yoon had been waiting much longer than him.
As Dong-oh approached the bench where she sat, Seo-yoon noticed him and lifted her head to look ahead.
Their eyes met.
Seo-yoon’s round eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight of Dong-oh.
Then her clear gaze slid down to his broad shoulders and jeans, paused for a split second, and returned to his face.
At the same moment, a transparent, clear gold aura rose from the space above her white shoulders, and at its center, a brighter and more vivid pink mist than yesterday swirled and bloomed gracefully.
It was the color of goodwill and genuine happiness, richer and clearer than when they had shared deep conversation in the cafe yesterday.
“……Eh? Senpai?!”
Seo-yoon hurriedly closed the tablet on her lap, then sprang up from the bench like a spring.
“You’re early?! The appointment time isn’t even over yet!”
“……Eh, you’re the one who’s early.”
“I was sitting at the narrow reading-room desk for a while, so my body felt stiff and I was sleepy. I came early to get some fresh air and clear my head.”
Seo-yoon hugged the laptop bag and thick textbook to her chest, her eyes sparkling as she quickly glanced at Dong-oh’s plain white T-shirt and jeans.
“By the way, senpai… today you seem a bit different from the usual vibe when we cross paths in the hallway.”
The sharp remark froze Dong-oh’s body and thoughts like ice.
The embarrassing memory of him tearing the closet apart at home that morning—trying on and taking off the shirt—flashed before his eyes like a slideshow.
*…I tried so hard to wear something plain and unnoticeable, but did it turn out too obvious?*
Feeling his ears burn with embarrassment, Dong-oh scratched his chin and answered in a dry, casual voice.
“……Eh? What do you mean?”
“Um… I mean, the item is the same, but somehow it feels different…”
Seo-yoon pressed a finger to her lips and paused, choosing the right words.
The pink mist on her shoulders became fluffier and softer than before.
“Maybe… it’s because it’s not a weekday but a nice weekend day outside, so the feeling comes across a little differently.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Anyway, that’s it. I mean, it feels a bit different from when we casually cross paths in the hallway sometimes. Anyway, it looks good on you, senpai!”
She did not explain exactly what had changed physically. Instead, she simply smiled brightly and innocently.
Dong-oh felt his heart jump at her kind praise and tugged his jeans pocket roughly to hide his own embarrassment.