Ch.103103. Someone is Watching.

I couldn’t help but recall yesterday’s conversation as I tidied myself up in the morning.

[I think Seo Min-ha in our class is pretty.]

[Sohyun is cute too.]

The talk that began with Kim Cheon-gi’s words had somehow shifted to discussing girls.

Everyone was supposed to share which girls they liked.

What was I supposed to say here?

Since they were mostly talking about Ariel, I chimed in.

[I generally like all pretty girls. Personality comes second.]

[I figured. Seeing how you hang out with Ariel despite her unusual personality.]

[But you also talk a lot with Seol Yu-hwa.]

This was the moment.

The conversation that followed after Kim Cheon-gi mentioned liking Seol Yu-hwa.

Yes, though less known than Ariel, I do meet with Yu-hwa frequently.

[I saw her chatting naturally with Jong-hyun a few times.]

[Hey, Do Jong-hyun! You’re not dating Seol Yu-hwa, are you? For real?]

I still remember Cheon-gi’s anxious face.

Right now, I was preparing to meet Yu-hwa.

After hearing those words yesterday, I felt strangely unsettled.

“Should I tell him?”

Maybe it’s better to say something in advance rather than having it discovered later?

But what would I even say? Reporting this would be even weirder.

‘I had plans with Yu-hwa from before. I didn’t know, okay?’

Is that what I’m supposed to say? That’s even stranger. It’s better to act like nothing happened.

Anyway, the guys all stayed up late, so the morning should be fine.

I quickly gathered my things and left the hotel.

At our meeting spot, Yu-hwa was waiting for me in a plain, solid-colored dress.

She definitely dresses modestly.

Knowing Yu-hwa’s truth, I felt a bit sorry for her.

But she must still earn enough money… at least enough to live comfortably.

Yu-hwa always called me for matters concerning her siblings.

She brought me along to help choose souvenirs for them.

Though I’m not sure why she needed me specifically, since she’s done me favors before, maybe I could return the kindness?

“Yu-hwa, should I pick out some clothes for you?”

“My clothes? No, I’m fine…”

“Come on. Since we’re here, let’s get something as a memento. You picked for me last time. This time, I’ll pick for you.”

I think my judgment isn’t bad. It’s just… there are fewer clothing stores open in the morning than I expected.

After wandering around a bit, Yu-hwa cautiously pointed to another store.

“Should we buy the souvenirs for the kids first?”

“Yes. That would be better.”

We reluctantly moved on to shopping for Yu-hwa’s family souvenirs.

“Ji-yeon likes anything interesting. But Jun-hoo is quite mature for his age, so I’m not sure what to get him.”

“Boys are all the same. When I was little, I pretended not to care about gifts, but when my mom brought home a robot, I couldn’t have been happier. He’s only in lower elementary school. It’ll work.”

Right, gifts that young boys like are pretty obvious.

I bought a dinosaur robot that looked like it would be a hit.

A dinosaur and a robot—the perfect combination.

“Toys are quite expensive these days.”

But the price was higher than I expected. Well, it doesn’t matter.

I paid and approached Yu-hwa.

She was carefully examining mini cosmetic sets and dolls, checking the prices.

While watching her shop so prudently, I searched for Senior In Ye-seul on my phone.

“Senior, do you know any good clothing stores?”

Yes, I’m asking this person for help again.

It’s best to ask someone from Jeju.

[Are you guys okay? There was an accident, right?]

“Yes. It was actually an issue with the security team. Everyone except Ariel is fine.”

Come to think of it, this was more related to the security team than targeting me.

If anything, I was the one who got involved.

[That’s good… well, not really. Are you buying something to visit her?]

“No. I’ve already visited her. It’s something else.”

[A girl?]

Her voice rises here. No, if this continues, that topic will come up.

“Senior, please clear those strange thoughts from your mind.”

[So it is a girl? You’re not two-timing, are you?]

“I’m not even dating Ariel in the first place…”

[The way you’re talking about dating confirms it’s a girl.]

Senior In Ye-seul is quick-witted. She catches every word.

[Who is it?]

“No. She’s just a female friend.”

[You won’t tell me? I know all the hot spots where girls frequently go.]

“…”

Eventually, I confessed it was Seol Yu-hwa. Please, just don’t talk about two-timing, sister.

[Seol Yu-hwa? Look at you! Two girls…?]

“Senior, Yu-hwa is calling me. So where should we go?”

[If it’s Yu-hwa… wait. Is she the tall one with a model’s figure? I always thought she’d look better if she dressed more stylishly. She dresses so plainly and hardly wears any makeup.]

No, not your perspective, Senior.

[If I were to recommend a place, there’s a store that sells clothes from our fashion shows in Jeju. It’s expensive, but they have really nice items. The owner’s fashion is amazing too. Another recommendation would be cosmetics. She’s the type who would shine with more makeup. You should whisper sweetly to her.]

“…Sweetly?”

Whatever the case, I got the location. We needed to finish before lunchtime.

“Yu-hwa, my senior recommended a good clothing store. She says it’s the most famous one in Jeju.”

“I’d like to check it out. It must be famous.”

As soon as we entered the place with the intrigued Yu-hwa, a thick voice greeted us.

“Oh my, welcome!”

The moment I turned to look at the owner, I realized this was no ordinary place.

The first thing I noticed was a see-through sleeveless top that revealed everything underneath.

The “mister” who greeted us wore fishnet stockings with hot pants and heavy makeup.

Really, really… really…

I was speechless at the fashion that defied my common sense.

“Oh my, welcome! We have direct imports from fashion shows and new models not yet available in stores. Are you a couple?”

The voice was thick, but the speech pattern was feminine.

This disconnect—is this what fashion is about?

Glancing at Yu-hwa, I saw her eyes had doubled in size.

“What an extraordinary person.”

“I’m surprised too.”

“But it kind of suits him, doesn’t it?”

I mentally applauded Yu-hwa’s gentle assessment.

“You’re really kind.”

“It’s not that. The clothes are bold, but if you look carefully, they might be… good…?”

She ended with a question. You’re trying too hard.

Well, excluding the boldness, I suppose the outfit matches that boldness.

It would have been weirder if only the top or bottom was normal.

Looking at it this way, it seems a bit better… but those thick caterpillar eyebrows.

Yes, if I shed my narrow-minded view, the fashion boldness is acceptable, but the face was a minus.

So that’s why they say the face completes the fashion.

Anyway, I needed this person’s help. Especially since they’re so bold.

I subtly approached and whispered.

“Sis…? Brother(?) She usually dresses modestly. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Oh my~ The boyfriend has good taste. Girls with fantastic figures like hers are rare. She’s long like a model, so anything she wears will look good. It would be better if her chest was a bit smaller, but for a girl, having a moderate size is best. Therefore, she’s perfect.”

They naturally approached Yu-hwa and started recommending various items.

“Look at this. Oh, sister(?). This is it! Just hiding everything is no good~ When you’re this beautiful, you should show off your charm, don’t you think?”

“No. I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”

“But your boyfriend will be surprised. The greatest joy is seeing your lover happy~”

Like with Ariel, they’re not lovers, but I don’t outright deny it.

Yu-hwa went in to try on clothes, and a private fashion show unfolded before me.

The clothes this sister(?) picked were certainly excessive in some cases, but they were refreshingly different from her usual image.

Since she usually dresses so modestly, even just wearing a short skirt that goes up to her thighs reveals her long legs.

And if it’s a bright spring-like base, even more so.

“Perfect! Perfect! Sister, everything here would suit you.”

“R-really? Jong-hyun… what do you think?”

At this moment, the brother(?) next to me gave me a wink. Alright, I’ll go along with this atmosphere.

“Honestly, everything suits you. But since we can’t buy everything, we should pick the best of the best, right?”

I chose clothes that revealed more skin.

No, it’s not that—Yu-hwa usually covers up completely, so this is refreshing.

Plus, being tall, she can pull off most clothes.

That’s how we selected three items.

“But these are what I like… Yu-hwa, if there’s something you like, you can change them.”

“No, I’ll go with these three. You said you’d choose for me.”

“Excellent choice~ Sister, wear one right away for your date.”

Yu-hwa thought for a moment and put on one of the outfits—probably the most modest of the three we’d chosen.

A dark brown sleeveless shirt that revealed her armpits and a black skirt that came just above her knees.

Looking at her now, it felt like a tall model was approaching me.

There was definitely a presence that exuded more sexual appeal than before.

“Wow…”

What I needed to do now was offer generous praise.

Yu-hwa seemed embarrassed.

“Isn’t this too short?”

“No, it’s perfect. Really, that’s the best! The best!”

While enthusiastically complimenting her, I guided her to cosmetics next.

This wasn’t my area of expertise, so I let the sales assistants help.

With their help, Yu-hwa applied light makeup and became complete.

From her eyes, a new and intensely powerful presence was born, different from Ariel in its own way.

“…”

Yu-hwa tilted her head at me as I stared blankly.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh my, your boyfriend is mesmerized. Completely mesmerized.”

The staff pushed Yu-hwa toward me.

“Boyfriend… yes… uh…”

Yu-hwa kept looking in the mirror, embarrassed.

“You look amazing.”

“Um… thanks for the compliment. I’ve never worn makeup this heavy before.”

“You look really new.”

I responded with applause from my heart. Truly.

As we walked, Yu-hwa made a glamorous debut, drawing extreme attention from those around us.

People were even whispering that she must be a real model.

However, perhaps uncomfortable with all the attention, Yu-hwa quickly moved toward the lodging.

“Thank you for today, Do Jong-hyun. Thank you always.”

“Thank you too. I’m glad if you enjoyed it.”

I gave a thumbs up to celebrate a successful date. It seemed like nothing would go wrong from here.

*

Kim Cheon-gi was shocked by what he heard from Sucheon and Heemin.

“With Seol Yu-hwa?”

“Deokmin saw them by chance. He was on a date with Seol Yu-hwa? Wow, Jong-hyun sure knows how to pick pretty girls.”

Sucheon and Heemin glanced at Kim Cheon-gi.

This was truly a coincidence.

Yu Deokmin’s group had spotted a striking beauty while wandering around, and it happened to be Yu-hwa.

Given how glamorously she was dressed, unlike her usual self, it was natural that she caught their eye.

This information was passed to Sucheon and Heemin, who had stayed behind with Kim Cheon-gi, and of course, they came to relay this fact.

They had known Kim Cheon-gi longer than Do Jong-hyun. They already knew he liked Yu-hwa since the first semester.

“Cheon-gi, that’s too bad for you. Honestly, she wasn’t dating you…”

“Does Jong-hyun know you like her? He probably doesn’t, right?”

The words they casually threw out to provoke him were problematic because they had actually discussed this the previous day.

Kim Cheon-gi trembled with a sense of betrayal.

Shortly after the school trip ended, Yu Deokmin and Kim Cheon-gi made contact.