07: First Move
THE DATING GAME[Chanhee's Point of View]
After the last class was over, I packed up my things and went up to the roof again. I saw Byunghun leave before me so he was probably already there. Why was I participating in this game? I didn't really know myself. Maybe the challenge would be enough to satisfy my hunger for something out of the ordinary. This proposal was definitely out of the ordinary. It came out of nowhere. I didn't really know what he expected me to do. I'm planning to just go with the flow and think things up on the spot. Improvise and fake it until I make it. He probably won't notice. Well, let's hope this game doesn't turn out to be a waste of time. Either way, it'll probably keep my mind off things. I stepped out onto the roof top and spotted Byunghun leaning back against the railing again. He had his eyes closed as if he was taking the opportunity to take a nap.
He did say that he stayed up last night refining this game of his. He's probably just tired.
I paced up to him and leant down a little. His round black rimmed glasses where gently resting on the tip of his nose. His hair was dishevelled and rather long. It looked like he hadn't bothered to brush his hair this morning. I scanned down his body, inspecting his clothing. He was wearing a red and black plaid button shirt that was too small for him and a bright green cardigan. His jeans were wrinkled and an odd shade of blue, probably caused by countless washes. Overall his appearance was unappealing. He definitely needed a makeover if the girls were going to go anywhere near him.
We have a lot of work to do.
I rose by hand and flicked his forehead. His eyes sprung open and he rubbed his forehead in pain.
"Owww!! What was that for!!?"
"Let's get moving. We aren't going to get anything done here. Before we start, there is one important thing we must do first."
"What?"
"You are in serious need of a haircut and new clothes." I grabbed onto his hand and pulled him towards the exit.
"But..." He pulled his hand away from my grip.
"Look, you want me to help you or not?" He gave me a blank stare. He nodded slowly. "Then you will listen to everything I say."
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We walked to the nearby shopping district and I pulled him into my usual hairdressing salon.
"Chanhee!! How have you been?" My regular hairdresser, Hyun Soo, greeted me as I entered. "Who's this?"
"My new friend." I push Byunghun forward so that Hyun Soo could analyse him. "Can you help him? I was thinking golden blonde with a front fringe."
"I think it could work. Leave it to me."
"Do I get a say in this?" Byunghun looked at me sceptically.
"Didn't I tell you to listen to everything I say? Just trust me."
Byunghun obeyed my order and obediently sat down in the chair. I went over to the couch on the side and sat down, picking up a magazine to read.
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"We're finally done." I looked up from my magazine. I dropped the magazine in shock. Even though he was still wearing the same old clothes, his new hair improved his appearance a lot. The colour really suited him and he looked a lot more alert with the hair out of his eyes.
"How do I look?" He awkwardly brushed his fringe to the side. I smiled and gave him an approving nod.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. Thanks Hyun Soo."
We both walked to the counter where Byunghun paid.
"Okay. The next step might take a lot of work so you better listen to me."
He gave me the silent treatment, signalling me to go on. I led him down the street until we reached our target store. I pulled open the glass door and gestured for him to walk in. As he admired the bright decor of the store, I browsed the aisles, searching for anything that might suit him.
"I think we'll go for a cool but sophisticated look. Most girls seem interested in that sort of style these days." I pulled out a few black jackets from the racks and handed them to Byunghun. He looked at them in slight disgust.
"Do we really need to buy these clothes here?” He pointed at one of the jackets. “This is Burberry. It's maybe just a little out of my price range.” He scoffed sarcastically. “I just spent a lot on my hair and I don't have that much cash left, unless you plan to pay for me."
"Fine.” To be honest, I didn’t really have enough money to buy a lot of clothes at this store either. I just thought the style was appropriate. The minute detail of financial restrictions must’ve slipped my mind. “We'll just get you the essentials and then I will lend you some of my smaller clothes. They should fit you."
I kept browsing through the racks.
"Ok. But still, why are we buying clothes here? I just saw a jacket exactly like this one in the window of another shop we just passed. It will probably be cheaper than getting it here."
"Fine then. I snatched the clothes back from him and gently placed them back in the racks. "If you're such an expert, why do you need me?"
He gave me an unimpressed expression and rolled his eyes as we left the store and went back the way we came.
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Byunghun led us into a cheaper store called ‘By the R’. Personally, I had never heard of this store before. The decor wasn't
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