novellhall 65, I'm dragging you shopping
65, I'm dragging you shopping
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the glass curtain walls of the commercial street in a honey-colored hue, making even the chilly air seem warmer.
Kim Jisoo's initial excitement gradually cooled into unease under the subtle gazes of passersby.
She walked beside Li Jingcheng, and although they were only half a step apart, it felt like there was an invisible wall between them.
Wearing a black baseball cap and mask, and a long black casual coat, Li Jingcheng appeared exceptionally tall and aloof, as if he didn't belong to this mundane world.
She, an acting trainee, was like a passerby who had accidentally stumbled into the world of superstars.
What bothered her even more was the stares from passersby.
Although it hasn't reached the point where a large number of fans have surrounded her, pedestrians who occasionally pass by will subconsciously glance at Li Jingcheng a few more times before shifting their gaze back to her.
That inquisitive, curious, and even slightly comparative gaze felt like needles pricking her back.
"Oppa..." Kim Jisoo subconsciously moved closer to him, her voice muffled, "Why don't we go back? This feels weird."
Li Jingcheng stopped and followed her gaze. Several passing girls were glancing back, though they didn't dare approach.
He sighed inwardly. The oppressive feeling of being used as a background figure at this moment was indeed unsuitable for this innocent young girl.
He looked around and his gaze settled on a simply decorated clothing store next door.
"Let's go." Lee Kyung-sung didn't give Kim Ji-soo a chance to refuse. He gently put his hand on her shoulder and led her away from the noise outside into the store.
The moment the automatic door closed, the outside noise was shut out, replaced by K-pop music, though Lee Kyung-sung had never heard of the singer.
Kim Jisoo felt the warmth coming from her shoulder, and then looked up at the spacious shop, where the shelves were filled with coats and shirts of various styles.
She blinked and asked curiously, "Oppa, are you going to buy clothes? The style here seems to suit you."
Li Jingcheng shook his head at the approaching sales assistant, "No need. We'll just look around and choose for ourselves."
The saleswoman nodded and went back to the side to play with her phone, her gaze occasionally glancing over.
He turned to look at Kim Ji-soo, his gaze falling on her clean-cut little face.
"I was thinking of buying Jisoo a mask and hat too. If there are any clothes you like, you can tell Oppa." Lee Kyung-sung smiled and ruffled her hair. "If we match like this, we'll look much better together. People will immediately know that we're the two hidden superstars."
"Huh?" Kim Jisoo's face flushed red instantly, and she quickly waved her hands, "No need, oppa! I can buy it myself, really, no need..."
Li Jingcheng seemed not to hear her refusal and walked straight to the accessories section. He knew very well that the more polite he was at this moment, the more distant the girl would feel.
The more you give, the more she feels valued, the closer your relationship will become.
He stopped in front of the shelf, his long, slender fingers tracing patterns among the masks and hats. Kim Jisoo followed nervously behind him, watching him choose items, her heart filled with both sweetness and trepidation.
"How about this?" Li Jingcheng deliberately picked up a face mask and a black hat, intentionally choosing rather ugly ones.
Jisoo took a closer look and almost burst out laughing. It was a fluorescent green and black fisherman's hat paired with a gray face mask printed with exaggerated English letters.
This combination... is a fashion disaster.
"Oppa!" Kim Jisoo quickly shook her head and reached out to stop him, "This doesn't look good! Let me try it!"
She hurriedly picked out a plain black baseball cap from the shelf and then chose a plain white 3D face mask. "I think this combination looks better."
Lee Kyung-sung looked down at the disastrous outfit in his hand, then at the understated and simple outfit in Kim Ji-soo's hand. He raised an eyebrow and nodded obediently, "Okay, Ji-soo, you try it on."
The sales assistant noticed that Li Jingcheng was wearing a mask and a hat, with the brim pulled low so she couldn't see his eyes, but he looked vaguely familiar. She was sure he was an idol or actor, but his height was unusual.
A few minutes later.
Kim Jisoo stood in front of the mirror, wearing a newly bought black baseball cap and a white face mask. Lee Kyung-sung stood beside her, wearing the same hat and mask.
The height difference is a bit large, but it's not a problem in girls' eyes; the main thing is the overall effect.
In the mirror, the two people stood together, and the original jarring sense of separation between "superstar and passerby" instantly disappeared.
Now, they are like a low-key celebrity couple, or college students skipping class together, perfectly blending into the surrounding background.
Kim Jisoo looked at the two of them in the mirror and couldn't help but laugh.
She glanced at Li Jingcheng discreetly, her eyes above the mask curving into crescents.
"That's right." She muttered to herself, the strange, inexplicable unease in her heart dissipating considerably.
"Oppa, let me pay!" Kim Jisoo took out her wallet, wanting to insist on paying.
Li Jingcheng naturally disagreed. It wasn't expensive, and it would even improve his image. He paid the cashier directly, saying as he did so...
"How can you let your cute junior pay the bill on your first meeting? If you don't behave next time, I won't take you out."
This time, Kim Jisoo didn't argue. She just whispered, "Then I'll pay next time."
"Okay." Li Jingcheng nodded in satisfaction; that's exactly what he was waiting to hear.
The two walked out of the shop and rejoined the crowd.
Sure enough, there were still people watching them.
"Oppa," Kim Jisoo said, hands in her pockets, kicking pebbles at her feet, asking curiously, "If I debut and become famous, will I have to wear a mask and hat all the time, and even sneak around when I go shopping?"
Li Jingcheng walked slowly with his hands in his pockets, his tone slightly teasing, "Pretty much. If you're going to make a living this way, you have to follow the rules. And it'll be even harder than now if no one cares. Besides, secrecy is only for opposite-sex friends. There's no such concern with same-sex friends. Just be careful."
He paused, turned his head to look at her, and said in an exaggerated tone, "With Jisoo's abilities, there would probably be hundreds of paparazzi staking out you when you go out, and tens of thousands of fans chasing after you."
"Pfft—" Kim Jisoo burst into laughter at his exaggerated statement, her eyes crinkling into slits. "Oppa, you're exaggerating too much! It's not that exaggerated! I'm not Taeyeon sunbaenim!"
"Really?" Lee Kyung-sung smiled. Although he didn't know why Kim Tae-yeon was being brought up, judging from her nonchalant expression and her absent-minded eyes, she was probably already daydreaming. "Once you really become famous, you'll miss these days when you can just go shopping whenever you want."
"Then I'll drag Oppa along to go shopping with me," Kim Jisoo blurted out, then realized what she'd said and quickly covered her mouth, her eyes darting away. "I was just kidding..."
Li Jingcheng looked at her bright red ears, a slight smile playing on his lips. It's normal for young girls to have a little bit of scheming.
He gently touched her with his fingers, adjusting her mask, and finally lightly poked the girl's young, supple skin.
"Oppa really took it seriously."
A cold wind swept by, ruffling the hems of their clothes. In this corner of Seoul, two hearts, hidden behind masks, drew closer than ever before.