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Right, this is all just my own paranoia, Jeongwon thought as she lay on her bed, clutching her head.
She’d been thinking for a long time, wondering if there might be some truth to Eunho’s so-called advice, though it felt more like mockery.
“Even if those outfits didn’t suit me, it wasn’t like anyone would’ve said so at the time.”
She tried to recall her classmates’ faces, going over the atmosphere and mood of the moments. When she realized her memory of it was hazy and idealized, she started to feel uneasy.
“Maybe I just got carried away, thinking I looked fine.”
Maybe her friends had just been awkwardly pretending, and she, like a fool, hadn’t picked up on it. That thought led her to glance at her wardrobe, her eyes filled with worry.
“…Then what about the rest of these clothes…”
The hoodie, the Bermuda shorts she’d worn to look dressed up, the lace camisole, and the cardigan—they might all be wrong choices for her.
“…Should I ask?”
It hurt her pride to ask the person who had put her in this position, but it felt like the only way to find peace of mind.
“As your childhood friend…”
Eunho’s words kept echoing in her brain.
“What if I just ask him if things suit me?”
Of course, Eunho would mock her, saying they didn’t. But somehow, even that might bring her peace.
If Eunho said nothing suited her, then she could conclude that he was just nitpicking everything for no reason. Then she could tell herself it wasn't her paranoia; it was just Eunho messing with her.
On the other hand, if Eunho said something did suit her, there were two possible outcomes.
First, if he picked some ridiculous, clownish outfit,
“Then I could just dismiss him as a jerk and move on.”
If she concluded that he was just a lunatic, hellbent on making fun of her, it would be easy to brush off.
Second, if he actually chose something decent,
“…Hmm.”
Then it would mean that Eunho really knew what looked good on her, and that her previous choices had been missteps. And that reassurance would mean she could wear the outfit he chose without fear of being mocked.
“…Doesn’t seem like a losing deal.”
Driven by her anxiety, Jeongwon made her choice. And that was what led to today, standing in the department room with Eunho, holding a pair of drop earrings.
“So, help me pick some clothes,” Jeongwon said to a nonplussed Eunho. “I’ll even buy you a meal.”
Still blinking in surprise, Eunho frowned and asked, “…Have you lost it?”
“No, I haven’t.”
***
If I refuse, will she… cry?
Feeling an odd sense of guilt, Eunho reluctantly agreed. Leaving the department room with Jeongwon, he headed to a nearby mall, still unsure if this was the right thing to do.
Am I really going shopping with Jeongwon Yoo?
It was an unthinkable situation. Had he ever gone shopping with her before?
There was one time—when they’d been out drinking with old classmates and lost a rock-paper-scissors bet, so they’d had to go buy ice cream together.
Eunho glanced back at Jeongwon, a few paces behind him, wondering if she was really his friend at this moment.
Everyone’s staring at her.
Objectively, Jeongwon was tall and strikingly attractive. Eunho eyed her scornfully.
She could just wear a burlap sack and look fine, so why all the fuss?
He couldn’t understand why she was asking him to help her pick clothes. She was tall, athletic, and had a slim build, so just about anything would suit her.
That’s probably why her classmates had been so pleased when she wore things like lace camisoles and dresses, and had showered her with compliments. Why was she making such a big deal over picking clothes?
Suppressing his complaints, he entered the mall with her. Jeongwon, looking slightly nervous, stepped into a clothing store.
“Should I… try picking something out myself?”
She looked at him, gauging his reaction. Watching her with more patience than he felt, Eunho shook his head.
“Wait.”
The guilt of having made her cry still lingered. Since he was helping, he might as well pick something decent. He ran his fingers along the hangers thoughtfully.
“Take a look at this.” Eunho handed her a lightweight, flowing blouse.
“You’re tall, so you don’t really need to wear oversized clothes. Something like this that shows off your figure a bit makes you look less bulky and highlights how slim you are. It’s pretty, right?”
Jeongwon glanced skeptically at the blouse, but seemed to quickly shake off her doubts and collect herself.
“I—I’ll go try it on.”
After a short wait, Jeongwon emerged wearing the blouse. She still had on the wide-leg jeans she’d come in, but the blouse was simple enough in design that it matched well.
“…Hmm.” It was hard to say it simply “suited” her, because honestly, she looked gorgeous. “…Umm…”
“Hey, what’s with that reaction?” she demanded.
Jeongwon had a long, slender neck and a tall, lean build, which made her stand out even among their classmates. Seeing her in such an elegant blouse, Eunho thought she could charm anyone—male or female—if she went on a blind date. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again. If he told her she looked pretty, she would buy the blouse without a second thought and wear it around. Her friends would all compliment her, she’d gain confidence, and it would lead to a happy ending where everyone was pleased.
That isn’t going to work for me.
Despite his efforts to put aside his spite toward Jeongwon, Eunho also felt he couldn’t let her have this blouse, even if it looked great on her.
What if more people end up like me, falling victim to her charms?”
He thought of himself, completely captivated by Ruby. If Jeongwon realized she was beautiful, her reach would stretch beyond the game and into real life.
To prevent others from becoming as miserable as he was, Eunho decided to keep Jeongwon from getting too full of herself.
“But,” Eunho began.
“B—But what?”
***
Eunho pointed at her, his face serious. “Is it really necessary to show off your figure like that?”
She blinked at him. “Didn’t you just say I should?”
“You know nothing about fashion. You think it’s all about matching your body type?”
“Then what? Am I supposed to match my… my heart?” Jeongwon scoffed in disbelief.
But Eunho, as if deeply moved, nodded. “Yes, your heart. That’s correct.”
When Jeongwon looked at him, flustered, Eunho gestured toward the blouse. “You should wear clothes that reflect your heart.”
“As if those exist,” she muttered.
“That might suit your body type, sure. But what about your image? The places you usually go? You have to consider the TPO—time, place, and occasion. What about the way you usually talk? The way you act?”
“D—Do I really have to worry about that, too?”
“Fashion,” said Eunho with a serious nod, “is all about self-PR.”
“Uh… Well, I guess that’s true.”
Jeongwon looked up, her gaze settling on Eunho’s shirt. He was wearing a Gun Tales t-shirt with the Playce logo, exclusive to top-ranked players.
“…It certainly is PR…”
“See? I’m never wrong.”
While it was certainly PR—it advertised his status as an absolute gaming geek. Jeongwon looked down at the blouse with a reluctant expression.
He might have had a point. Though the speaker himself wasn’t entirely trustworthy, she began to wonder if her actions and speech really matched with this blouse.
It would be nice if she didn’t end up with bloodstains on it while training.
“…Pick something else,” she said in surrender.
“You got it.”
With a somewhat pleased expression, Eunho started picking out more clothes for her.
“Taking into account your habits, your way of speaking, your school, your life history, what you like, what you ate yesterday, who you hang out with, and how badly you’re flunking your classes, I’ve come to this conclusion.”
“What? You shouldn’t even know half of that.”
“That’s how serious I am about this.”
“Serious about what, exactly?”
Jeongwon watched Eunho with a faint air of fear as he selected clothes with the focus of someone digging through a mountain of secondhand clothes at Dongmyo Market. It was like he was possessed.
Jeongwon fell silent when she saw what he’d picked out.
“Try them on,” Eunho said with a self-satisfied smile. “You’ll be surprised.”
The moment Jeongwon came out of the fitting room and looked at herself in the mirror outside, she felt it.
“How is it? Looks good, right?”
“…Yeah.”
These clothes fit her perfectly. Eunho had picked out slim-fit slacks, a shirt, and a neat jacket.
Is this… host club style?
It was the kind of outfit that, if someone saw her on the street, they might ask which business she worked at—or, to put it more kindly, which agency she belonged to.
At best, she looked like a boy band member; at worst, a host.
“Wow, it really does suit you,” he said approvingly, admiring his handiwork. “See? Who’s a better friend than me?”
“…Yeah.”
Jeongwon stared at her reflection. She had never dressed this sharply, but she couldn’t deny it really did look good on her. Maybe that was why she felt so strange.
She felt a mix of frustration and sadness, though she couldn’t discern the exact reason as she looked into the mirror.
More fitting than the lace camisole…
She thought of the other clothes now hiding in the back of her closet—the dresses, the cubic earrings. Those clothes didn’t feel as “Jeongwon-like” as what she was wearing now. She was starting to understand what Eunho had meant by “clothes that fit your heart.”
Even I felt uncomfortable in those other clothes.
Jeongwon bit her lip, then changed out of the outfit and came out of the fitting room. She picked up all the clothes Eunho had chosen and went to pay for them.
***
“I’ll treat you to a meal, Eunho.”
“Do I have to eat with you too?”
“Well, yeah. It’s my treat, after all.” With an oddly forced smile, Jeongwon led Eunho to a restaurant.
“Pork bone stew? Really?” he asked critically.
“Did you expect to have a steak with me or something?”
“No, that’s even worse.”
The place she took him was famous for its pork bone stew and was even equipped with a playground for kids.
Eunho wasn’t thrilled about the idea of sitting across from Jeongwon gnawing on pork bones, but a free meal was a free meal, so he followed her on.
“Here, have another one.”
“I’m not a pig like you, Jeongwon. I can’t eat more.”
“I’m not a pig. I just need this much to match my basic metabolism.”
As she added another pork bone to Eunho’s plate, Jeongwon suddenly spoke up.
“I honestly thought you were just spewing nonsense.”
“About you being a pig?”
“Listen when I’m talking, you idiot.”
Jeongwon glanced down at the pork bone and continued.
“The clothes you picked out… They really did suit me. Fine, I admit you have good taste.”
Jeongwon smiled, and shot him a thumbs-up. As Eunho sipped his soda, he looked at her face for a moment.
“Uh… Well. Yeah? Glad you agree.”
He should have felt good now that she was acknowledging he’d been right. But the more Jeongwon complimented him, the more he felt oddly unsettled.

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