“This one’s too flashy, you’d stick out like a sore thumb.”

“I’m saying no to black. It's an anniversary not a funeral.”

“Don’t you think floral’s out of season right now? That’s also a no.”

“Definitely not. You’re showing too much leg and I don’t like it.”

“Baek! I’m about to run out of dresses. Are you actually trying to help me or stall me?”

Jieun heaves with exasperation. Maybe she should have just it up and called the girls, not some guy with dubious tastes in fashion and too much unnecessary commentary to make.

“I’m just being thorough. Don’t you agree, Nabi?” Baekhyun, who’d been simultaneously playing with Jieun’s purple bunny, holds the plush from under its arms to make it nod in agreement.

She needed an outfit idea for her one-month anniversary with Sehun. Sooyoung would have been the perfect girl for the job, but so long as she and Baekhyun remain neighbors, Jieun feels weird bringing anyone over. 

When she mentioned her desperation for a second opinion (and only in passing, no less), she wasn’t expecting Baekhyun to volunteer as tribute. The next thing she knew he was already inside her bedroom sitting on her bed, taking the role of fashion evaluator a little too seriously.

“Can you at least tell me which one you dislike the least? I’m getting nowhere.”

 “I think you’re trying too hard. You want to be subtle. Think about it this way,” Baekhyun raises his hoodie clad arms and paints the picture for her. “Sehun sees you, he thinks to himself: ‘Wow, Jieun’s even more beautiful than usual,” but he can’t pinpoint what about you is different. That’s what you’re going for.”

“...Fair.” Jieun sees his point.

There’s one more dress she’d neglected in her closet: a white dress with a simple silhouette, its sweetheart neckline and skirt delicately lined with sheer lace. She initially thought it might be too plain but somehow it best matched the description Baekhyun had in mind.

Her connected bathroom was a hopeless mess of rumpled garments she’d have to clean up later that night. Jieun sighs, she may as well have taken Baekhyun through an entire lookbook at this point. Changing into her umpteenth dress, she steps out begrudgingly and waits to be subjected to another round of his bizarre commentary.

He doesn’t. Instead Baekhyun just gapes at her, unblinking. His gaze travels from the lace material to the cinch of her waistline, all the way to the flowy skirt flaring just above her knees. He stares agape for so long Jieun wonders if his facial muscles suffered a momentary glitch.

“Too basic?” 

“No,” He shakes his head. “I think this is the one.”

Not quite the ‘wow’ reaction she was expecting. But at this stage, she’ll take it.

“You’re not leaving me much time for makeup. I’m blaming you if I show up unpolished.”

“When are you ever not dressed to the nines? You’ll find a way.” Baekhyun teases as Jieun hurriedly slides into her vanity seat. 

He advises her to go with a peach-toned palette, a pop of warmth to compliment the remnants of Fall. She adds some heat to her hair to touch up its volume, then finishes her look with dangling earrings and a simple charm necklace. Baekhyun gets her to pair the dress with a baby blue cardigan, thus completing the outfit. 

“There, perfect.”

Jieun admires the girl who stares back at her in the mirror, a mixture of cute and elegant with just the right amount of radiance adorning her complexion and figure. She cracks a satisfied smile as Baekhyun watches her reflection give a twirl from behind. “Maybe consulting with you wasn’t the worst idea after all.”

He simply shrugs, “It’s all you, I just gave my objective opinion.”

She adds her final touches right on time, grabbing her purse and heading straight for the foyer. Baekhyun follows leisurely as Jieun searches for a pair of high heels in the shoe cupboard.

“No heels, you’re expecting a long night.” He redirects her to a pair of platform mary janes, comfortable but still enough to boost her height.

She does one last check in the hallway mirror, tweaking her lashes and tucking a few stubborn pieces of hair behind her ears to keep them in place. “You’re sure I look fine right? No blemishes or anything? Smudges? Loose threads?”

“Stop fretting! You look beautiful, you always do.”

His playful remark comes off too earnest. Jieun inevitably pauses. A ‘thank you’ probably would have sufficed, except when she parts her lips to respond no sound comes out. She couldn’t find the right words, only the irregular thumps protruding from her chest. 

Baekhyun notices the shift in her demeanor. She could have sworn his expression faltered from realization - as though he’d accidentally crossed a figurative line.

“Save that energy for your boyfriend, not me.”

“Oh. Sorry, I was just…” She trails off awkwardly, but Baekhyun doesn’t give her a chance to explain as he nudges her out the door, urging her to get moving.

“Dazzle him away, Jieun.” 

He sends her off with a cheeky wave, mustering a grin that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Jieun’s cheeks are as pink as the bouquet of roses her boyfriend presents her. He’d been waiting in front of the lobby to pick her up, a brilliant smile on his face as she approached. 

“Should’ve given me a warning if you’re going to show up like this. You just took my breath away.” 

She’s an even prettier sight holding the flower arrangement to her chest, Sehun marvels in awe. He’s dashing as ever in his mocha overcoat, crisp navy button-up and belted white jeans. He wore his hair down for a change, letting some of the strands sweep softly across his forehead. They unexpectedly matched, to each other's delight. 

He’d driven today, given the special occasion. Jieun’s heart pounds with anticipation as they set off on the city roads. She left the itinerary to his trusty hands; after all, he always knew how to execute an impressive surprise. 

“I thought about how much more I could elevate our dining experience—then I realized, why not elevate it literally?” Sehun muses as he leads her to their first destination. “Hope you like your dinner with a view.”

A sophisticated restaurant situated on top of a magnificent hotel building, surroundings encapsulated by floor to ceiling glass, peeking into a perfect capture of the scenic landscape below.

“Everytime I think you’ve outdone yourself you never cease to step up another level.” Jieun gapes out the window in pure astonishment. “I’ve never even stepped into a hotel this expensive before. Are you sure you’re just a university student?”

Sehun chuckles, rubbing his neck modestly, “If you like the suspense I’m happy to keep you on your toes.”

Their conversations flow naturally across the dining table, continuing as any other day. Musing over the mundane with fascination. Sehun notices Jieun’s gaze fall over the scenery every now and then, inevitably piquing his interest. “It’s fascinating, how much you like the view.” 

She’s startled by his observation, tearing her eyes away from the window sheepishly. “It’s just…I’m so used to the small town life, I’ve rarely seen anything from so high up. The city still amazes me…I want to take it all in like I’m on top of the world.”

Rather, it pleases her to be back in the city from a fresh perspective. Seoul became an endearing place where she could learn what it means to be loved; a place where she finally belonged.

“The city does have its charms—or maybe, I’ve come to like it more since I started taking you exploring.” Sehun hums with agreement. He might have spent his whole life here but her presence unexpectedly pushes him out of his comfort zone. “I have a feeling you’ll enjoy what’s in store at our next stop.”

Jieun’s curiosity stays afloat all throughout her passenger ride, watching Sehun park his vehicle in the lot near an observatory-shaped building.

“I promised we’d go to the planetarium sometime, right? There’s a cool new exhibit I’ve been waiting on. Thought I’d save for the occasion.” Sehun is eager yet the slightest bit nervous. Jieun knows his habit of rubbing his neck whenever he’s embarrassed, whether it shows on his complexion or not. He’d been doing it unusually often today; perhaps he’s more alert of her reactions than usual too, and her vice versa,

He guides her through to a connected walkway in the corner of the building, stopping right in front of a pair of mysterious black double doors. The employee at the entrance scans Sehun’s tickets, promptly opening one of the doors to let them inside.

“After you.”

She peeks inside to see a dome-shaped screen, wrapping the interior from ceiling to ground underneath a glass lookout platform. 

“I’m not sure what I’m expecting,” Jieun heads inside, a puzzled expression on her face as she tilts her head at the blank space. At first glance, it seemed like any spherical theater, but on a more intimate scale, without the seats or the or exits distracting the view.

“Give it a minute, you might be pleasantly surprised.” Sehun follows with palpable anticipation. “I booked off the entire showtime interval so we can have it to ourselves.”

Color her astounded; Jieun doesn’t have the courage to ask what else is up in Sehun’s silver-spooned sleeve. 

The theater suddenly plunges them into darkness, causing Jieun to yelp as she grips tightly onto Sehun's arm. He chuckles in response, urging her to look up as the room begins to illuminate above accompanying notes of ambient music.

Constellations, galaxies, horizons of stars in boundless colors. 

Every twinkle reachable within her very palms. The projections swirl around them like magic, transporting them from brilliant night skies to the farthest edge of the universe. 

Jieun is beyond mesmerized, her senses fully immersed as she wanders around the platform to view her surroundings from every possible angle. She doesn’t know how long she’d been wonderstruck, only when she circles back to Sehun’s side that she remembers to speak at last. 

“It’s all so beautiful,” She breathes, “So, so beautiful.”

“I know.” 

She hadn’t noticed he’d been watching her fondly the whole time. The theater slowly dims into vast waters and mountaintops under a melting milky way, eroding in celestial hues behind speckles of stars. 

“Oh! I think this one’s my favorite.” Jieun points excitedly, as if they were really on scene. “Which one did you like best?”

Sehun pretends to contemplate, despite the knowing look he promptly flashes as he meets her gaze. “Tough question, maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention? I just know none of them compared to you.”

“Look at you being all cheesy again.” Jieun giggles teasingly in an attempt to ease the flutter inside her chest. She knows where this is going, and her heart refuses to settle down. “Shouldn’t I be saying those words to you?”

“You know I mean it though.” His smile comes across every bit honest. “If you’d let me make an even bolder statement. Meeting you almost makes me believe in the existence of fate.”

Fate?

Jieun recalls their encounter like it was only yesterday that he’d bumped into her in front of Strawberry Sunday. She wholeheartedly believed it had been fate’s calling that brought them together. If he hadn’t helped her when she fell, if she didn’t coincidentally sit next to him at that party, if he hadn’t been asked to walk her home that night and she didn’t initiate the first meeting. Would they have still reached this stage? Would it have played out differently?

“I want to believe in it too.”

Because there he is, standing before her, gazing at her like she’s the brightest star in the galaxy. She drowns out the subconscious that still dubiously questions what she’d done to be deserving of his interest. She wants to believe in Sehun. She wants to believe she was worth the attention and love he’d given her. She wants to believe this was meant to be. 

“Thank you Jieun, for being the most wonderful person I could have met.” He smiles with tenderness as he gently cups her cheek. She beams back, taking in the warmth of his palm against her beating heart. “Happy one month anniversary, sweetheart.”

Jieun closes her eyes as she feels his lips press upon hers, ever so softly. She leans in to kiss him back, imagining the sensation of those lips as the perfect magnetic pull. For a mere moment, she loses herself in his affection, only when he slowly draws away does reality bring her back once more.

It’s beautiful. 

Perfectly crafted just like the man who bashfully grins at her dazed expression.

But she doesn’t see the sparks or fireworks. 

She likes it but she isn’t asking for more. 

Maybe, just maybe, it wasn