Chapter 9.1

Chapter 9.1

Then, he pulled out another box from the shopping bag beside him. Two more pairs of brand-new sneakers were placed in front of Yeon-ha.

“Did you buy all of these for me?”

“Who else would they be for? Of course, they’re all yours.”

“….”

“You need comfortable shoes if you’re going to be out and about. I should have thought of this sooner, but my brain doesn’t always work right. Please understand.”

His casual tone made her furrow her brow slightly. Min-gyu often belittled himself in such subtle ways. She wanted to tell him not to talk like that, but he was already taking off her current shoes and putting on the new ones with a gentle but firm touch. His hands, seemingly rough yet tender, silenced her.

“Do these fit well too?”

“Yes, they’re comfortable.”

Each pair fit perfectly. The colors were fresh, and the designs were clean and stylish, matching well with any outfit she could think of.

After trying on all the new shoes, Yeon-ha sat beside him, feeling a bit embarrassed. She couldn’t meet his eyes and just mumbled.

“You didn’t have to buy me all these.”

She felt a mix of guilt, gratitude, and an odd discomfort she couldn’t quite put into words. As she glanced down, his nonchalant voice broke the silence.

“Why not? If you want to pay me back, you need to get better first. Don’t you think?”

“….”

Left speechless, Yeon-ha stared at the tips of the new sneakers. She half-understood and half-didn’t understand his reasoning. Then, she suddenly remembered his old worn-out sneakers he had been wearing when he left the house earlier. Her lips parted without her realizing.

“You should have bought some for yourself too, not just for me.”

“Why would I need new shoes? I’m always working in dust and dirt. Even if I had extra money, I wouldn’t spend it on that.”

His blunt tone left her feeling uneasy. She didn’t really need new clothes either. As she continued to stare straight ahead, she heard rustling sounds next to her.

“And… try this on too.”

What now? Yeon-ha, who had been glancing sideways with a nonchalant expression, widened her eyes. She hadn’t noticed another shopping bag hidden behind his large frame. He pushed it in front of her without a word. Hesitantly, she opened it.

“…”

Inside, she found a delicate chiffon dress. It had ruffles in all the right places, giving it a feminine touch without being over the top. It was the kind of fresh, casual design that someone her age would wear, but it was also more expensive than what a typical college student could afford. Yeon-ha didn’t have the luxury to worry about such things. She wasn’t familiar with high-end brands.

“Do you like it?” Min-gyu asked, sounding uncertain. She didn’t answer. It wasn’t about liking it or not; she was simply taken aback. Sneakers made sense given her condition, but why clothes?

Why did he suddenly buy her a dress?

She was at a loss for how to react and just stared blankly into the bag. Then she heard his awkward voice, a bit jumbled—unlike him.

“I wanted to buy you more clothes, but I didn’t know what to choose. I don’t really know your style, you know…”

He quickly added that they could go shopping together next time. He seemed to stumble over the last part, perhaps revealing what he truly meant to say. He told her to try on the dress. For the first time, Yeon-ha met his gaze. She realized he was more uncomfortable than she was.

“Why did you buy this?”

“What?”

“Why did you suddenly buy me clothes?”

Her calm tone made Min-gyu’s eyes narrow briefly before he replied, trying to sound nonchalant and it was no big deal.

“Remember the other day at the ice cream shop?”

“The ice cream shop?” Yeon-ha tilted her head slightly at the unexpected mention.

“You were staring at it the whole time. The dress on the woman sitting behind us.”

“…What?”

“I might not know much, but you seemed to like that dress, didn’t you?”

What the… Yeon-ha’s mouth fell open at the sudden and unexpected statement.

It was so unexpected that it left her flustered. Did I really stare at it so obviously? She quickly tried to recall the moment. She didn’t think she had stared that hard. She wasn’t even that interested in the dress. She had only glanced at it because the woman looked uncomfortable in it, and her attention had been more on the conversation they were having.

“That’s not…”

She wanted to correct Min-gyu’s misunderstanding, but he cut her off.

“Hurry up and try it on. Let’s see if it suits you.”