Bang YongGuk

Haseul was waiting for me as I exited the social councellor. I bid goodbye to her and HaSeul came to meet me. "So what happened ?"

I shrugged. I got several options : formations I could follow or even go to the university to finish up my degree. My social councellor was surprised of my backgrounds and education. HaSeul was reading my file in the bus and gasped. "You went to Seoul University ?"

I nodded, despite  going there for only  a year and a half. "Yeah. You're impressed ?"

She nodded, checking my grades. "Look at all those A."

"Come on, look who is telling me that."

Haseul had an amused smile. "I look the intelligent type to you ? Just because I read books ?"

I nodded. It showed that she was cultivated; she played piano and knew so much about litterature. She had a soft chuckle and answered me in a mischevious way. "I told you already I was the rebellious type."

I narrowed my eyes. "I can't think of you like that. HaSeul, may I remind you, you work t a public library."

She sweetly laughed. "As a teenager I was a real storm. Uncontrollable."

"To upset your parents ?" I dared to ask. She had a grin. "Yeah, they wanted me to be obedious and follow their wish : becoming a lawyer so I could work in their association."

"They had high expectation." I stated. It made me sad each time HaSeul talk about her parents managing her life the way they wanted. Them being disappointed in her resonated with my story.

"They did. You can't imagine how disappointed they were when I got refused for the law school."

I looked at her proud smile and felt like I didn't know much about this woman I loved. She was unique, for sure. "I thought you hated to talk about them."

She looked at me maybe realizing only now she talked about them."I mean it's funny... Why don't we go and buy some clothes ?"

I looked at HaSeul with piercing eyes. She felt awkward and avoided my eyes, touching my shirt instead. "You need clothes including underwear, and on that latter you can't borrow from me. You can't wear my clothes forever. And you need to dress elegant for your interview and the meeting with your sister."

I needed a lot of stuffs like scarfs, coat, jeans, bottoms, shirt hoodies, underwear. After 7 years wearing the gray uniform, I felt like wearing colors. As I tried on a pastel blue blouse HaSeul complimented me. "You look good in colors. I mean gray doesn't do justice to your skin."

It felt good to buy clothes for me. I pushed that chore for two months now but now it felt great to possess things and be able to wear different things. Especially when I'll go to university soon.  I looked at HaSeul browse through the men section and had a sigh. Giving her ways to look around and the clothes she was wearing, she bought clothes there, for sure. She took underwear and added them to my pile of clothes. "You never have too much underwear."

I smiled in a teasing manner. "Does that mean you are going to buy underwear today ?"

HaSeul narrowed her eyes. "None of your business."

As we arrived in the female section close to the casher, I looked at HaSeul touch pretty blouses and ruffled skirts like she could never wear those. She was touching a blouse with roses on it when I approached her.

"Why don't you try it ?"

"Huh ?" She hided her hands behing her back and shook her head.

"You like roses like this. Just try it." I tried to convince her.  I shoved the blouse in her hands and pushed her to the fitting rooms.

She sighed. "Okay you win. I'm going to try it, happy ?"

I waited just next to the underwear section, there were too many females in the fitting rooms so I could wait just in front of HaSeul fitting room.

"YongGuk ?"

HaSeul was back with the pretty blouse, it was a bit transparent around the shoulders and with embroid roses. HaSeul looked feminine with this. The V collar was flattering on her. "Gosh, let me have a look at this beauty."

The women around heard me and looked at HaSeul with envious eyes. She slightly pushed my arm. "Stop being so loud. People hears you."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah they heard me and what about you? I just complimented you."

"Thank you." She said, embarassed.

"You like it ?" I said checking the blouse on her.

"Anyways it's too short for my arms." She showed me the gap between the sleeve and her hand.

"You should try a upper size then." I said, staying positive.

She shrugged. "No the sleeves won't be any longer ." She showed me on her arm the gap between the sleeve and her wrist and gave it back to me.  I felt a bit bad about that, she knew it would be like this yet I insisted. 

HaSeul came back in her simple hoodie and smiled to me. "Let's go and pay for your clothes."

We were in the bus for home and it was a bit crowded, so we were unable to sit down. I looked at the girls barely able to hold the bus handle while HaSeul was holding it casually. Yeah she was really tall.  I grabbed Haseul hand and compared it with me. "Sometimes I forget you're really tall." It was mostly because her clothes were menwear that were suitable for her arms and legs but not revealing her body at all.

"Really ? That's weird I'm reminded how tall I am everyday." HaSeul.

"About the blouse ... I'm sorry, I insisted too much."

"Ahh it's okay. It's not like you're the first one that wants me to wear prettier clothes." HaSeul had a huge grin and I smiled. She was really not bothered with the blouse incident.

She clapped in her hands to get my attention.  "YongGuk, today you've got informations to start back studying and bought clothes. Earlier this week, you also started to volunteer. What else is on your list ?"

"Finding a new hobby, a sport." I said with a smile. Working out would help me relax and feel more confident about my body.

"The swimming pool isn't that far." She said, as she opened the gate for her home. We entered the home and she looked lost in thoughts. "We sh