High on You (Choi Do Il x Oh In Joo - Little Women 작은 아씨들)

10

26 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE GRAND GALA BALL

Oh In-joo was going to work when it dawned on her that three days before, when In-kyung had delivered the happy news, she hadn't even congratulated her sister, busy as she'd been freaking out.
I'll have to buy her something and say sorry, she thought. That night had ended in the best possible way. She had cleared her face of tears, put on a big, sincere smile, and hugged her sister so tight, that In-kyung thought she was going to suffocate. Then, they had gone back to the dining table and finished the rice pudding, or, as she learned later that night, arroz con leche. Then they'd moved to the couch and armchairs in the living room and continued talking for hours, all five of them. Or six of them, if they were to count the cat as well, which had become more and more demanding with every passing minute. Thinking back to that moment had In-joo wondering whether the girl the cat was named after had a thing for food so visceral as the furry baby that had woven restlessly between her ankles all evening. Moreover, thinking about that night still made her squirm in embarrassment. She truly needed to see her therapist again.
Before she could even realize it, In-joo was standing in the hall of the hotel and was about to enter the elevator, hadn't a young man called her name.
"In-joo-ah!"
"Oh, Du-joon-ah," she smiled up at the man who was coming up to her.
"So... tonight?"
"Yes, absolutely, yes. Tonight. I'll see you outside after work?"
"That sounds great. My shift ends in two hours, I'll come pick you up here at five?"
"Oh, right, you've got a night shift tonight as well. Yes, five is perfect." In-joo looked Du-joon in the eyes and truly felt herself heating up. He was watching her way too intensely. She wasn't ready for so much attention. Why did she have a feeling she was going to mess this up? In-joo, keep those thoughts out of your mind.
"Alright. I'll see you then. Should I... wear formal clothes or?"
"It's just a dinner at the restaurant... Formal may be a little too much?"
"It's not too much if it's dinner at the restaurant with you," he casually replied. In-joo laughed quietly and shyly raised her eyes again.
"Okay then, formal clothes it is. I'll find something to change into as well."
"If you need anything, just text me. I'll grab it for you." He gently put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. A flashback made her eyes flicker.
A hand on her shoulder.
Eyes so dark she couldn't see the bottom of.
A German brand of car.
Her noisy sister.
She had to stop. Her brain had to stop bringing back memories of another man when she was with Du-joon.
Du-joon, the man who would climb 18 floors on foot if the elevator wasn't working. The first man who had made her heart beat a little bit faster after so long. The cute, sweet man who was actually interested in her and would talk and write to her. The man who would probably not disappear into thin air.
"Thank you, Du-joon-ah. I have to go now, or I'll be late. I'll see you tonight." She smiled and got into the first elevator that arrived. She got off on the suite floor and, before opening the back door that gave onto the interior stairs for the staff, a masculine scent and a faint whiff of sweat reached her nose. Then, a white door at the end of the semi-oval-shaped building closed, and she began to climb the steps up to the bookkeeping floor.

***

In-joo couldn't believe it, she had survived until lunch break. During those days, even getting out of four hours of work alive was a miracle. She ate the food In-kyung had packed for her that morning very fast and decided to go out to buy a dress for that night.
Formal clothes. He truly did take that date seriously, Du-joon wasn't about to fail her. She thought back to their old and new conversations, and she recalled that he had said his favorite color was baby blue. So her hunt began.
"Hello? Excuse me, I was wondering if you had any baby blue dresses?" She had to ask the same question four times before she found a boutique that said yes. A very expensive boutique, but what other choice did she have?
"This would look good on you," said the clerk, while showing her a baby blue dress that had a thin turtle-neck that would wrap around her long neck and a very nice drop-shaped neckline. "The shape would emphasize the neck and shoulders, and the drop-shaped cutout on your chest would surely put a spotlight on the cleavage." At those words, In-joo felt herself go red, but the clerk continued as if nothing had happened, "If you are looking for a dress that will make someone important to you want you, this might be the right dress. Would you like to try it on?" After she had word-sold it so well to her, could she really say no? So she took the dress in her hands and made her way to the dressing room.
When she looked at herself in the mirror, she had to agree with the clerk. The dress fit her like a glove, and she was surprised to see that there was indeed some cleavage to see. She felt good. She felt sexy.
"I'm buying it," In-joo impulsively said from behind the curtains. The clerk smiled and patiently waited for the girl to hand her the dress back.