“Terms of agreement” – pt.2

Dara offers to set up a pre-festival date for Seho. The two tenants decide to help him find a nice outfit when Seho comes up with a bet.

 

[D-3]

 

Seho put his arms at the sides, glaring at the two tenants voraciously consuming the seafood pasta he had cooked with so much dedication.

 

“You guys really forgot about your promise huh?”.

 

The two exchanged a guilty look and then slowly lowered their gazes as if that abundant plate of Italian food in front of them could hide them from the issue at hand.

 

He whined again— “…we established those terms together, you can’t be like this!”.

 

Pyo scratched the side of his head out of habit:” The festival is just 3 days away, how are we going to accomplish that?”.

 

Of course Dara knew what a struggle it was for celebrities to get a date, that’s why she kept silent for the last couple of days. She wasn’t comfortable either: that’s just how she was with acquaintances- they started living together for just a few days after all. Would ignoring her shy nature enough to make the situation better? She wasn’t one who would let down friends, that’s why the sight of Seho’s disappointed pout felt particularly painful.

“Let’s start from you Seho Oppa!”, Dara jumped on her seat, finally breaking the awkward silence that filled the living room.

 

“Me?”. Seho pointed at himself, caught in disbelief. That’s exactly what he had hoped for but just couldn’t believe the timid one out of the two would be so proactive.

 

“I’ll set you up on a blind date. Me and Pyo will help you with the preparations, as a true dream team!”. She reassured him, a coy smile appearing on her peachy-colored lips.

 

“Would you really do that for me?”. Dara’s excitement was so infectious that Seho’s eyes sparkled in anticipation. He had a hard time having serious relationships or just simply date, that was the con of becoming such a big tv star —but that was about to change— hopefully.

 

Pyo scratched his sideburns once again, “But what about me and noona?”.

 

“I’ll do it!”, Seho confidently proposed with a hint of pride in his tone of voice.

 

“That’s grea—”

-–"NO! THANKS, HYUNG”, Pyo interrupted Dara from accepting, yelling over to protect her from a possible unpleasant experience.

“…Last time I let you handle a date of mine… you told the girl I was Zico!”. He quickly explained himself, glancing right at Dara in the hope she’d understand the context.

 

“Ah- that…”, Seho scratched the back of his head, he had completely forgotten about that episode but the indignation in his dongsaeng’s voice made him feel guilty as charged. “Then you should take care of yourself and Dara’s date”.

 

“Me and Noona?...”.

 

“Don’t you have any friends that would die to accompany her to the festival?”.

 

[…]

 

“Is it true that you live with Sandara Park? Please introduce me to her!”

“Jihoon-ah, we’ve been friends for a lifetime and I’ve never asked you for a favor. Set me up for a date with her!”.

 

“Aish- leave Sandara Noona alone!”.

 

“Selfish prick, you want to keep noona all for yourself! Isn’t living with her enough?”.

 

“Don’t do request as such with a face like that, she’s a goddess, you rascal”.

 

[…]

 

“N-no! N-not at all, I'm sorry. They’re all busy this week”. He panicked to find a plausible excuse. No matter how much he loved his bros, he’d never let Dara alone with them. To be truthful, he wasn’t one who would pay attention to others, but since cohabiting with her ideal type? He couldn’t help but notice all the gazes men directed towards her.

 

 

[later that day…]

 

 

“Found anything?”.

Seho questioned the two fashionistas, deeply invested in the search for the perfect outfit for his pre-festival date.

 

“Pyo… do you think this shirt is too much?”.

“It looks fine to me… Dara noona”.

 

“These two are really ignoring me, huh”, Seho plopped on the leather seat, defeated. He could only hope they wouldn’t choose a bizarre outfit. Both of them were idol singers and their fashion sense could get quite bizarre, which didn’t really fit his casual view of style.

 

“Wouldn’t these two look good together?”. Pyo held up a beige cardigan and a simple white tee.

“You two would look good together indeed”. Seho mumbled, jokingly.

“Did you say something Seho Oppa?”.

“Me? What? No. And just how much stuff are you guys picking up? I only need one outfit!”. He managed to swiftly change the topic, that was a skill he honed throughout the years as a host and comedian.

“You’ll have to choose one then ”. P.O murmured as the realization hit him.

“Let’s make this fun”— Seho grinned at his own idea “—you’ll have to ask girls in the store which outfit they prefer and the loser will have his date set up by me personally”.

 

oh no.

 

“CALL!”. They both screamed in unison, the atmosphere getting overly competitive all of a sudden.

“Remember guys, I’m just choosing an outfit, It’s nothing personal”.

 

(an. As if it was about the outfit lmao)

 

“Isn’t your outfit too flashy noona?”.

“Isn’t your outfit too cliché, Pyo?”.

“Aren’t the two of you taking this too seriously?”. A nervous laugh left the comedian’s lips.

“Just relax, I’ll promise you that you’ll be so charming she’ll be the one asking you for a second date!”. Dara gently patted Seho’s shoulders from behind, making him sit again on the leather pouf.

 

[a short while later]

 

“Ok, Oppa! Are you ready?”. She dropped a pile of clothes on Seho’s arms.

“And don’t forget this!” she put a newsboy’s cap on his head before he could disappear in the changing room.

 

 

“How do I look?”.

He turned around, a chestnut-colored cardigan was tied up on his shoulders over a cream polo. Dark jeans and white sneakers completed the overall look.

“You look so chic, I’d date you myself”, Dara giggled satisfied.

“Really?!”, Seho looked at his own reflection in the mirror, Dara’s words boosting his confidence to the max.

“I wish my date had an outfit like this when we meet”. The small woman tilted her head, completely satisfied by the whole imagine she created.

“Pyo, take notes”. Seho whispered to Jihoon, who slightly nodded, taking mental notes.  She took a few steps towards him and fixed the cardigan’s sleeves before taking out her cellphone and having a full-on photoshoot session.

“Ok, now put your left hand in your pocket, yes! got it! The perfect pic!”.

 

 

[a while later]

 

“Hyung, come out!”.

Seho busted open the curtains to his changing stall and confidently modeled Pyo’s outfit. He held the denim jacket with his right hand, a simple graphic tee under. He wore light wash straight jeans paired with casual dress shoes as bottoms.

“You look so youthful Oppa”. Dara had hearts on her eyes.

“I’ll take a few pics Hyung”.

“Pyo is such a talented photographer”, he hit a pose, “his girlfriend would get the best pictures ever taken by him—“, he winked at his friend. Jihoon shook his head, “Hyung, stop it”, he mouthed.

 

Aware of it or not, Dara’s fresh face and polite manners made her naturally persuasive and amicable to the public, that’s why she found herself in charge of asking opinions around the store.

She radiated the same feel-good feeling of a sunny day during a gloomy autumn, that’s how pleasant she was.

“Hello miss! May I steal you a couple of minutes?... If you had a coffee date, which outfit would suit your date the best?—Really?! Thank you so much for your time! Have a nice day!”.

 

“What are you grinning so much for?”. Seho called out Pyo, unconscious of the wide smile appearing on his face as he observed Dara from a distance.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”, the grin quickly spread from cheek to cheek, “…how determined she is in helping you, despite knowing you for such a short time”.

Seho crossed his arms, “She must be very serious about the bet”.

“Nah-…”, Pyo paused, “I think she really wants your date to be successful”.

 

Dara turned around to look at the two men and did the thumbs up, her fingers shyly poking through the long sleeves of her yellow hoodie.

“Are you ready you guys? I’m going to announce the winner of the bet!”.