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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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“The rain that begins early tomorrow morning is expected to continue into the afternoon. Please be especially careful on the wet roads in the morning. That concludes…”
“It’s raining in the morning.”
I watched the weather forecast on TV while taking pictures of the clothes I’d pulled out of my closet.
Why? An hour before Yu-bin’s shift ended, I suddenly received a text message from her.
[Oppa, take pictures of the clothes you have.]
[Why the clothes?]
[Just do it.]
So, I took out my clothes, laid them out, took pictures, and sent them to her.
It took a while for her to reply, and I was absentmindedly watching the news on TV when her message arrived.
She sent back the picture I’d taken. The difference was that there were circles around a pair of black jogger pants, an oversized black t-shirt, and a light blue denim jacket on the floor. Below the picture was a message:
[Wear this.]
Since she’d just told me yesterday that my bookstore outfit was terrible, I obediently put on the circled clothes.
Time passed, and it was time to leave. I put on my shoes in the entryway, then stopped.
“Wait a minute.”
Even if we were on opposing sides, I didn’t want to hear criticism about my shoes after following her instructions for the clothes. I took off my worn-out brown sneakers and opened the shoe closet.
I didn’t have many shoes, but I looked for something decent. Among the few pairs, I chose high-top sneakers with white soles and black uppers.
I usually avoided wearing them because they felt like my feet were directly on the ground, but I figured the answer I was trying to avoid might be the right one, so I put them on and left.
As I walked towards the convenience store, I saw Yu-bin coming out after her shift change. She saw me and waved.
“You’re right on time.”
“It’s right next to my place. I couldn’t be late.”
Saying the obvious, Yu-bin looked me up and down, assessing my outfit.
“You wore what I told you to. That’s good.”
As she looked at my clothes, my gaze naturally drifted to her outfit.
She was wearing a slightly tight turtleneck that revealed a hint of cleavage, with sheer sleeves that offered a translucent glimpse of her white arms. She wore black stockings under a short skirt and heels that added a bit of height.
Perhaps noticing my gaze, she looked down at herself, then took a step back, allowing me to see her full outfit.
“How do I look?”
“You look beautiful.”
“I would have dressed you better if you had some decent clothes.”
I was reminded once again that my outfit that day had been truly awful. She didn’t seem entirely satisfied with her current outfit either, but since I was wearing what she’d picked out for me, she didn’t say anything else.
“I suddenly thought of it an hour before my shift ended and texted you. What were you planning to wear?”
I hadn’t given it much thought. I was just going to open my closet and throw on something decent. If she hadn’t texted, I probably would have worn those dingy brown sneakers.
“Just something random? I wasn’t really thinking about it.”
“…I’m glad I texted you.”
I avoided her sharp gaze. She stared at me, then suddenly smiled and linked her arm with mine. The soft pressure on my arm made me snap back to attention.
“Let’s go. Department stores close early.”
The department store? I had been planning to go to a nearby shopping district, but suddenly, our destination had changed. I couldn’t bring myself to say I hadn’t planned on going to a department store. I couldn’t explain why, but it felt like saying that would lead to trouble.
Whether we went to a department store or a shopping district, it was the same to me, so I decided to go along. While her arm linked with mine felt a little uncomfortable, I continued walking.
As we stepped onto the main street, we saw families and couples enjoying the Saturday night. The bars were crowded, and the restaurants were bustling with customers.
“Did you eat?”
“Let’s eat after shopping. The restaurants are open late.”
Yu-bin didn’t let go of my arm as we walked to the department store, and I couldn’t help but be aware of it. I mentally dismissed the thought that had briefly crossed my mind yesterday and continued walking. Arriving at the department store, I wondered where we should start.
Yu-bin looked up at me as I stared at the directory.
“What are you thinking about?”
She couldn’t tell what I was thinking as I stood there silently looking at the directory.
“I’m thinking about whether we should look at your clothes first or mine.”
“We’re here to buy your clothes. Why are you thinking about mine?”
She had a point. Why was I even considering looking at her clothes?
The thought was fleeting, and I quickly came to a conclusion.
“It would be good to look around while we’re here.”
“You were thinking of looking at my clothes, too?”
Her expression brightened, and she moved even closer, her face now inches from mine.
I could feel her breath on my skin and instinctively pulled back. Realizing how close she’d gotten, Yu-bin coughed and looked back at the directory.
“Let’s look at yours first. It’s quite urgent.”
Was my current wardrobe really that bad?
I decided to follow her suggestion and look at my clothes first. We took the escalator to the men’s clothing floor.
There were quite a few people here too. While it wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded, many of them were couples, and I felt the grip on my arm tighten. I briefly worried that she might actually crush my arm.
“Do you have anything specific in mind?”
“A t-shirt and pants.”
Her eyes narrowed as she asked, and I answered honestly, but it seemed too vague. I wondered if I should have given a more elaborate answer, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d made a mistake and something bad would happen if I wasn’t careful.
“Be a little more specific.”
I thought for a moment. It was true that I was here to buy a top and bottom. But as she’d pointed out, I hadn’t actually thought about what kind of clothes I wanted.
“I don’t really know what to choose. I just decided to buy clothes, thinking something might come to mind once I looked around.”
I wasn’t good at thinking on my feet and coming up with clever answers. I didn’t even have a reason to be clever. It was better to be honest.
Yu-bin looked even more troubled after hearing my answer. She finally let go of my arm, took a few steps back, and assessed my overall appearance. Being scrutinized by Red of Hunter Killer was a bit unnerving.
“Anything too colorful or flashy won’t suit you. Something with a bit of color, but not too drab, would be good.”
I’d never paid attention to clothes before, so I didn’t understand what she meant, but when in doubt, following instructions was the best course of action.
“I’ll choose for you, since you probably won’t be able to pick anything decent yourself.”
“Okay.”
She linked her arm with mine again, and the real shopping began.
We browsed several stores. She examined the clothes with a more serious look than I did, picked out outfits, and told me to try them on. After I changed, she’d look me over, hand me different clothes, and tell me to choose what I liked. We repeated this process.
At first, the experience was novel and fun, but I started to get tired of walking around and changing clothes. I wondered if choosing clothes really needed this much effort, but seeing Yu-bin’s dedication made those thoughts disappear.
“Should we look at my clothes now? You’re going to choose for me, right?”
Seeing her eagerness to look at her own clothes right after finishing my shopping made me realize how energetic she was. I was tired even though I hadn’t bought anything, but Yu-bin’s stamina, after choosing and trying on all those clothes for me, was incredible. Was this level of energy required to be Red of Hunter Killer?
Before shopping, I’d thought I could easily help her choose clothes.
I barely managed to keep my drifting thoughts in check.
“But are you sure there’s anything I could pick that you’d like?”
I suddenly felt unsure. I didn’t care if my clothes made me look bad. I’d never been interested in fashion. But choosing clothes for someone else was different.
She’d put so much effort into choosing my clothes; I didn’t want to face her wrath if I picked something she didn’t like.
“Let’s just go. We’ll see when we get there.”
As I slung the shopping bags over my shoulder, Yu-bin took my hand.
I felt like I was being dragged along.
I was a little surprised when we reached the women’s clothing floor.
Unlike men’s clothing, there was a much wider variety of styles and designs for women. The thought of having to find something Yu-bin would like among all these clothes gave me a headache.
“Alright, let’s go!”
Hand in hand, I followed her almost combative energy as we browsed countless stores. There were various tops, bottoms, dresses, and even coats. Surrounded by clothes I’d never seen before, I was overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start.
Every time I stopped to look at something, I could feel Yu-bin’s gaze following mine. It made me self-conscious that she was watching me and mirroring my every move.
What would she like? What would look good on her?
Lost in thought, sincerely trying to find something for her, a dress caught my eye.
It was a dress on a mannequin.
The collar was white, and the rest was black, with embroidery all over. The skirt had an additional layer of lace, giving it a three-dimensional look. I instantly thought it was beautiful.
“Is this your style?”
Yu-bin, who had been watching me from the side, noticed my gaze and asked.
“Not really my style, but I think it would suit you. Want to try it on?”
“Should I? Excuse me!”
She immediately called a staff member, got the dress, and disappeared into the fitting room.
While I knew it wouldn’t take long for her to change, it felt like an eternity. I waited with a mix of anticipation and anxiety, wondering if she would look like the image I had in mind. Finally, the door opened.
“How do I look?”
Yu-bin, in the black dress, looked exactly like I’d imagined, and it suited her, but something felt off.
“Yeah, it’s pretty.”
She looked at me, sensing my slight dissatisfaction despite my words, and asked,
“Should I try on something else?”
“Do you want to?”
From that moment, I started looking for something that would suit Yu-bin, without even realizing I was becoming genuinely invested. It was pointless for me, someone with no interest in fashion, to try and find something I liked. I needed to find something I knew would definitely suit her.
It wasn’t just a matter of “This is okay” like when I was choosing my own clothes; I needed to be certain. Being the one to choose for someone else, the desire to find the perfect outfit overshadowed my fatigue. I understood how Yu-bin must have felt while picking out clothes for me.
As we continued looking, the department store’s closing announcement came over the speakers.
“Oppa, they’re closing.”
“Already?!”
It was well past 9 PM, and most of the shoppers had left. I felt a pang of regret for not having found anything and continued looking, but nothing caught my eye.
“It’s okay. We came here to buy your clothes, anyway.”
“That’s true, but…”
Yu-bin led me towards the down escalator.
“Let’s come back another time. I’ll definitely find something for you then.”
“Okay! Let’s come back.”
Her bright smile reassured me, but I still felt a bit disappointed.
“!”
Just then, a dress caught my eye.
“Wait a minute.”
Still holding her hand, I walked straight towards the dress, and Yu-bin, puzzled, followed me.
It was a jumper dress with shoulder straps, meant to be worn over a white shirt. The bodice was slightly slim-fitting, so it would probably be tight on Yu-bin, but I thought it would suit her.
The skirt, like the first dress I’d seen, had an additional layer of translucent lace, but this one had yellow patterns embroidered on it.
“Let’s just try this on before we leave.”
I hadn’t found anything I truly liked while browsing, and my excitement surged at this last-minute discovery.
“Okay.”
Yu-bin called a staff member and went into the fitting room. Another agonizing wait began. But this time, it wasn’t a tiring wait. I was anxious and excited, wondering if the dress would look as good in reality as it did in my imagination.
Imagining the satisfaction of seeing her in the perfect outfit, I understood how someone who enjoyed choosing clothes for others must feel.
The moment the fitting room door opened, before Yu-bin could say anything, I gave her a thumbs-up.
“Perfect.”
“Really? Then I’ll take this one.”
I was a little taken aback that she decided to buy it as soon as I approved.
“Are you sure? I think it looks good on you, but…”
“If you think it looks good, that’s all that matters. I’ll go change back.”
She smiled, satisfied, and returned to the fitting room.
Seeing the dress look exactly as I’d imagined gave me a thrill. It wasn’t just because I thought it looked good; Yu-bin’s satisfied smile made me even happier.
“How much is it?”
“That’ll be 260,000 won.”
Yu-bin froze as soon as she heard the price.
I hadn’t realized it until now, but we were in a designer store, and the clothes were quite expensive.
Yu-bin wasn’t well-off. I didn’t know how much she earned as a Hunter Killer, but working a part-time job at a convenience store suggested she didn’t have much disposable income.
Wanting the dress but unable to afford it, Yu-bin was about to give up when I handed my card to the staff member.
“?! Oppa, this is expensive.”
“Don’t underestimate a working adult.”
While I was technically an invader who came to Earth to conquer it, I wasn’t so broke that I couldn’t buy a dress for a girl.
“But these are my clothes.”
“Think of it as a gift for helping me choose my clothes.”
Even I, with my lack of fashion sense, could tell it was a beautiful dress made of high-quality material. While this one dress cost more than all the clothes I’d bought for myself, it was worth it, considering the effort she’d put into helping me.
“Um, should I process the payment?”
The staff member, sensing the awkward atmosphere, broke the silence.
“Yes, please.”
I felt like a big shot today, unlike usual. I knew I’d be facing her painful punches again in next week’s duel, but for now, while we weren’t in our suits, I needed to maintain a normal, equal footing to avoid being discovered.
“Thank you.”
I couldn’t see her face because she was looking down, but she didn’t seem upset, so I assumed it was okay.
It was around 9 PM, prime time for going out, so the streets were much more crowded than when we entered the department store. I was surprised by the sheer number of people, even on the main street, and Yu-bin linked her arm with mine again.
I seemed to have gotten used to having her arm linked with mine or holding my hand.
“Should we grab something to eat?”
“Yeah. Is there anything you want?”
Even at Spacetroe headquarters, we always discussed food choices, and I knew the most efficient way was to just say what you wanted. And if you couldn’t think of anything specific…
“Should we look around while we walk?”
Walking around and browsing was the best option.
“Okay.”
“Aren’t your feet hurting?”
She’d been wearing heels since we left the convenience store and hadn’t sat down once while we were at the department store, so I figured her feet must be hurting.
“I’m fine. I’m tougher than I look.”
I knew how tough she was, having been on the receiving end of her punches.
“That’s good. Tell me if you get tired.”
“Okay.”
We started walking towards the restaurant district, but engrossed in our conversation, we didn’t even look for a place to eat. By the time we came to our senses, we’d walked quite a distance from the busy area.
“There aren’t any restaurants around here.”
“Let’s go back. We walked too far.”
As we turned back, I felt something on my head and looked up.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s raining.”
“Rain?”
Yu-bin held out her hand, and raindrops started falling on her palm.
“Let’s find some shelter.”
“Yeah. The forecast said it would rain in the morning, but it’s already raining.”
It had started raining much earlier than predicted, and within a minute, it was pouring.
“Oh dear…”
We ended up taking shelter under the awning of a closed store, watching the downpour.
“It’s really coming down. They said it would rain until tomorrow afternoon.”
As I watched the rain, wondering what to do, Yu-bin suddenly fell silent. Was she hungry? We would have been better off if we’d found a restaurant, but we’d walked so far while engrossed in our conversation about “Deep Space Technology Theory.”
If there had been a convenience store nearby, I would have run to buy an umbrella, but the nearest one was too far away.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
I turned my head at Yu-bin’s quiet voice. She was looking up at me, her face flushed.
“My feet hurt…”
Of all times, why now?
“Let’s rest for a bit.”
Just as I was about to look for a place to sit, Yu-bin pointed to a building across the street, a motel with its sign lit up.
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This naughty little hihi