Chapter 57: The Chaebol Heiress’s Dating Method (2)

I had merely entered the store and stood still, but suddenly, department store employees appeared before me, holding dozens of outfits.

Meanwhile, Do Sihee, acting as if this situation were perfectly natural, stood up and pointed to a few outfits with her finger.

“Please wrap these, these, and these.”

“Yes, right away!”

“And I’ll be using this one now, so please remove the price tag.”

“Here you go, Do Sihee-nim!”

“I’m also planning to look at shoes, so bring a few pairs of comfortable shoes.”

“Understood! Please wait just a moment!”

As I watched the employees move with perfect coordination at Do Sihee’s few words, momentarily lost in thought, she suddenly thrust a set of clothes she had just received towards me.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and change into these clothes in the fitting room and come out.”

“…May I accept this?”

“Don’t you know that if your attire is shabby, it damages my reputation? This is strictly for maintaining my dignity, not a favor for you.”

“Ah, yes…”

I accepted the top and bottom I’d received absentmindedly, went into the fitting room, and let out a small sigh.

Reminding myself that spending time with someone who has a different sense of money is more tiring than I thought.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

To briefly describe the outfit I received from Do Sihee, it was almost textbook casual wear.

A gray knit shirt, a black jacket, and navy cotton pants.

It felt like something you could call semi-formal wear; a simple yet meticulously crafted ensemble. My reflection in the full-length mirror was completely different compared to how I looked when I stepped out of the house earlier that afternoon.

Ultimately, it meant I could no longer deny that the clothes I had been wearing until just now were unfashionable. Is this what the wealthy mean when they talk about dressing properly?

Moreover, the clothes came equipped with basic functions like ventilation and moisture-wicking magic in both the top and bottom, as if it were standard. Even though it was still a bit too warm for long sleeves, I didn’t feel hot or uncomfortable at all.

…I guess there’s a reason they call these luxury brands.

“You look wonderful, Young Master.”

“…Young Master?”

“You have a great build, so the clothes hang perfectly.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you…”

“How does it feel? Is it uncomfortable at all?”

“It’s the most comfortable thing I’ve ever worn.”

…Actually, the most uncomfortable part was having several male employees approach me after I changed and offer compliments one after another.

“Ah, you look much more presentable than before.”

Meanwhile, Do Sihee also blushed slightly and offered a light comment towards me.

Since she picked them out herself, it was only natural she’d like them, but…

“So, what do you think?”

“I like it.”

There was hardly any need to ask what I would say.

For one, I genuinely liked the clothes themselves, but more than that, I already felt grateful just receiving them as a gift.

“It’s casual and I like it. So much so that I’d want to wear it often, not just today.”

“Then take off your shoes now.”

After that, I tried on several pairs of shoes, walking around the store, and was perfectly outfitted with comfortable shoes and socks.

“I’ll take these.”

In the end, within just an hour of meeting Do Sihee, my entire outfit had been completely replaced by the clothes she bought me.

Strictly speaking, except for one set of underwear. …Surely she wasn’t going to suggest changing my underwear too.

Judging by Do Sihee’s peculiar gaze, I could sense she might have been considering it, but thankfully, she didn’t voice the thought.

“I, I guess I wouldn’t be embarrassed to introduce you as my boyfriend anywhere now.”

Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Thank you, Do Sihee-ssi.”

“If you’re thankful, wear them often from now on. If you hoard expensive clothes like a miser in your closet, I’ll take them back.”

“Of course, I will.”

Although I had lived frugally, pinching pennies until now, that didn’t mean I’d hoard gifts from others and look shabby.

I knew better than anyone that the proper etiquette for receiving a gift is to use it often, and living stingily in that regard wasn’t my way of life.

…Ah, speaking of which.

“What happened to the clothes I came in?”

When I came to my senses, I realized I’d left the clothes and shoes I changed out of in the fitting room. A natural question arose: would they be thrown away?

If it were the clothes, I had already received unbelievably good ones as a gift, so I wouldn’t have any reason to complain even if they were discarded. But it felt like a bit of a waste for my still-usable shoes to be thrown away.

“Are you worried they might be thrown away?”

“…A little, yes.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll have them taken to a proper dry cleaner, thoroughly cleaned, and sent ahead to the hotel room.”

“They’re just off-the-rack clothes, there’s no need to go to such lengths…”

“I’ve already decided, so I can’t change my mind.”

“I see.”

“B-but the cleaning process is so thorough, they might feel almost like new. Any holes or loose threads will be repaired too.”

Honestly, I couldn’t understand the idea of putting so much effort into plain t-shirts and jeans with no brand name, but then again, a chaebol heiress’s sense of money is something I could never comprehend anyway.

I gave up and decided to just go along with whatever she did.

After all, this was a date prepared by Do Sihee, including all these details.

“There’s still a little time before dinner. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”

Considering dinner, we had about two hours to spare, so it seemed she was giving me the choice of where to spend that time.

Watching a movie would take up too much time, and I wasn’t keen on going to a cafe before dinner, so after eliminating various options, there weren’t many choices left.

“Shall we take a walk in a nearby park?”

If you ask someone with no dating experience where they want to go, this is usually the kind of answer you’d get.

This was the limit of imagination for a man with scarce romantic experience.

Still, taking a chaebol heiress to an arcade or a video rental store felt like crossing a line I wasn’t ready for.

“A park, for a walk…”

“No, let’s do that.”

Do Sihee nodded in agreement, and as soon as we reached the park, she extended her left hand towards me.

“……”

It was an obvious gesture meaning ‘let’s walk holding hands,’ so naturally, I didn’t refuse and took her hand with my right.

Just like before, our warm palms overlapped against each other’s skin.

“……”

“……”

She and I walked along the path in silence.

Our first meeting consisted only of sleeping together and confessing our sexual preferences, making it difficult to find common ground. That was part of the reason we didn’t speak easily, but it wasn’t the only reason for the quiet walk.

‘…This is quite embarrassing.’

The moment we spoke, we’d have to turn our heads and meet each other’s eyes. I was afraid my face, which felt like it could burst into flames at any second, would be exposed.

Judging by the heat radiating from our palms, she was likely feeling the same way. So, we walked along the path, hand in hand, avoiding each other’s gaze for a long time.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“D-did you happen to see that domestic film nominated for the Cannes Film Festival recently? The genre shift midway through was quite a fresh shock.”

“Ah, yes. I saw it too. I liked it because it broke down vague, preconceived notions.”

About two hours into the walk, which was both happy and awkward, continued.

After Do Sihee and I swung and missed a few times trying to keep the conversation going amidst the awkward atmosphere, we managed to find a few common interests, which eased the mood considerably.

Movies, TV shows, music.

It was a moment where I truly realized that audiovisual content never fails as a common topic of conversation.

“Have you heard Union’s new song?”

“Ah, I heard it too! I often listen to Union’s music because it’s so emotional. Union, being a male-female duo group, has that unique, heart-wrenching sense of love that really resonates, doesn’t it?”

“Union’s songs definitely have that overall feel. I especially liked ‘The Day My Eyes Stopped Moving’ for its emotion.”

“I like that one too. Besides that, ‘Half-Full Beer Mug’ was the best.”

“The vibe of ‘Half-Full Beer Mug’ was truly legendary.”

From the moment I realized that even a seemingly haughty chaebol heiress watched popular movies, laughed at variety shows enjoyed by commoners, and was moved by music loved by most people, just like everyone else, the guard I had subconsciously put up against Do Sihee instantly lowered.

I felt foolish for having been so tense all this time.

“So you laugh at weekend variety shows too, Sihee-ssi?”

“Did you think I was some strict critic of laughter? Of course, I watch the shows everyone else watches. …Well, when I’m busy with work, I often end up watching them later on catch-up instead of live.”

When you think about it, Do Sihee was just a woman of an age eager to fall in love, and perhaps I had been overthinking things.

Later, as we sat side-by-side on a bench, actively chatting about various things, she uttered the words that signaled the end of this pleasant time.

“It’s almost time for our dinner reservation.”

After she glanced at the park clock and said that, we got up from the bench and headed out of the park.

Holding hands once again.

“……”

“……”

Perhaps holding hands had become a sort of routine, because moments after we’d been chatting smoothly, she and I were blushing again in awkward silence.

We seemed to be conversing quite well on the bench, so why did holding hands make my thoughts so jumbled?

As we walked out of the park in that slightly awkward atmosphere, following her steps, a street vendor’s stall caught my eye.

“Wait a moment, Sihee-ssi.”

“Yes?”

As Do Sihee looked at me with a puzzled expression, I led her to the stall that had caught my eye and picked out two bracelets from the ones displayed on the counter.

“Between the purple and the navy blue, which do you prefer?”

“…Navy blue.”

As soon as I heard her answer, I paid the vendor for the navy blue bracelet and put it on her left wrist, her face flushing with shyness.

It was just a plain, unadorned bracelet, not flashy or colorful, but simply adorning her wrist, which belonged to such a beauty, made it a statement piece.

“It’s a gift. I feel bad just receiving things without giving anything back.”

“……”

“Of course, I don’t think this repays you, but please accept it as a token of my goodwill.”

Do Sihee looked slightly taken aback by the sudden gift I offered, but then…

“Thank you. I’ll cherish it.”

She replied with a soft smile, clasping the wrist adorned with the bracelet.