"Oh, this is nice."
"Are you joking?" Hyeri scoffed, her arms weighed down with an overwhelming pile of clothes, a coffee cup clutched in her left hand as if it were her lifeline.
Nabi frowned, confused. "No? It's cute, right?"
Hyeri shook her head, disbelief painted all over her face. She sighed heavily, glancing over at the men's section where Kenji was browsing, before gesturing for him to come over.
"Now look at this dress..." Hyeri began, pointing to the jean dress Nabi had picked out.
"What kind of event do you think this would be suitable for?" She folded her arms, her expression one of utter judgment.
Kenji, seemingly in his own world, took a beat to consider her question, tapping rhythmically on the 20 different items of clothing he was holding.
He let out a small giggle. "Probably, like... apple picking or something? I don't know—"
"See!" Hyeri practically shouted, cutting him off mid-sentence. Kenji blinked in confusion but chose not to fight it.
Without missing a beat, Hyeri snatched the dress from Nabi's hands, tossing it back onto the rack with a flourish. "You're going on your first date with your future husband! Your outfit needs to be more... polished than this."
Nabi blinked in surprise, but before she could even respond, Kenji burst into laughter. "Holy shit, you were actually thinking about wearing that!?" He exclaimed, his voice loud enough to earn a few stares from nearby shoppers.
Nabi could feel her cheeks flush. She wasn't exactly fashionably challenged, but she didn't exactly run with trends either. Her typical go-to was simple and easy—never much into dressing up. But today felt different. For the first time, she was actually trusting her friends' judgment. After all, Nabi was the one who had landed her job in fashion through sharp analysis, while her friends lived for the fashion world. It made sense to let them take the reins this time.
"Fine, fine," Nabi relented, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Why don't you guys pick out a few things, and I'll choose from them?"
Hyeri and Kenji exchanged a quick, excited look before sprinting off, eager to raid the racks. Nabi watched them, slightly bewildered. They moved like a pair of well-trained pros, pulling shirts, pants, and accessories as if they were on a mission and had exactly one minute to complete it.
Nabi slapped her forehead, a goofy smile tugging at her lips. What did I get myself into?
It had been days since Nabi last spoke to Hansol. To be precise, the last time they'd exchanged words was Monday—the day they agreed to go on a date. It wasn't that they didn't want to talk to each other; the nerves were just... intense. Despite the fact that they'd kissed, laughed, and shared countless conversations, the first date jitters were still very much there.
Why? Because, despite everything, this date meant something more than just another evening out. They both had their hopes pinned to it, and they both wanted to make sure their second chance was one worth taking. It would set the stage for everything that came after.
Nabi would never say it out loud, but she wanted Hansol to ask her to be his girlfriend. There, she admit it. But God, it terrified her. Sure, she had matured in the time since they first tried dating, but the scars of the past still lingered. She didn't want to mess things up again—didn't want to be the reason things went south.
It was trauma she had to face, sure, but for now, she was content to bury it. After all, there was no time for that kind of thinking when she was battling her way into yet another overly-ambitious outfit.
Nabi studied her reflection—an oversized, stylish cardigan wrapped around her frame. It was one of the last outfits she had to try on and thankfully, something about it just clicked. This one, she decided, was her favorite so far. It looked good, felt good—and it proved her friends knew exactly what they were doing. Her heart fluttered in embarrassment, a natural blush blooming across her cheeks.
Was she really this excited over a first date outfit? Apparently, she was. The thought made her laugh to herself, a bit incredulous. Never in her life had she imagined she'd be so giddy over something so... trivial. But here she was, feeling like a schoolgirl all over again.
With a small sigh, Nabi pulled back the dressing room curtain and made her way over to where Hyeri and Kenji were seated, waiting eagerly. She couldn't help but call out to them with a grin.
"Guys!"
Both Hyeri and Kenji snapped their heads up, their jaws dropping in unison. They exchanged a look—one of those knowing, we-did-it glances that sent a rush of anticipation through Nabi.
"So... do you like it?" Nabi asked, her voice suddenly quiet, a bit unsure.
Hyeri's eyes widened. "Girl... this is the fit."
Kenji nodded enthusiastically, still trying to hide his amusement. "This is it. You're gonna knock him dead."
