Hyun Mi was lying down on her bed, blankly staring at the ceiling. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon, and the girl had opted to stay indoors in isolation. It had been a week since she last saw Woo Hyun at the event, and she needed time to sort out her feelings. However, time might not be the best answer since she had failed the past six months. It was complicated.

The cellphone suddenly started to vibrate, playing NinetyOne’s song. For a second, Hyun Mi stood mesmerized, listening to Woo Hyun’s voice singing the first few adlibs. Maybe she didn’t try hard enough to let him go.

“Yoboseyo?” Hyun Mi answered – her voice meek with no hint of excitement.
  “Hey chinggu!” Baek Hyun’s cheery voice blasted from the other side.
  Hyun Mi squinted her eyes in annoyance as she moved the phone further away from her ears. “Hi Baek,” she greeted him while putting him on loudspeaker instead.
  “So you know how I’m debuting in two weeks, right?” Baek Hyun suddenly asked. He sounded thrilled. “I need your help!”
  Hyun Mi raised her eyebrows. “What could I possibly help you with?”
  “Well, I just looked at my closet, and all my clothes are too ordinary. I need to go shopping and prepare for my airport fashion,” Baek Hyun said.
  Hyun Mi let out a chuckle. “You really think ahead of yourself, huh?”
  “I need to present myself well. Accompany me,” Baek Hyun demanded.
  “I’m afraid you got the wrong person,” Hyun Mi sighed. “You know I hate shopping.”
  “I know,” Baek Hyun acknowledged. For a girl, she wasn’t all that feminine: she’d rather stay indoors rather than go out shopping, she chose to wear pants over skirts, she chose her bare face over make-up. Yet, she was still womanly enough to avoid being labeled as a tomboy.   “But did you not hear me? It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.”
  Hyun Mi could hear the boy snicker at his mischief. “Well…. I don’t know…”   “Pleaseeee, accompany me!” Baek Hyun said again. He was very careful with his choices of words. For he knew that if he said ‘let’s go out’ or ‘have a date’ she would immediately decline. Even though technically it would be the two of them, his friend was too naïve to process that in her head.
  “But-”
  “We can go to noraebang afterwards,” Baek Hyun used his final trump card. He heard the silence take over on the other side of the line. He knew that the one thing Hyun Mi loved above all else was noraebang.
  “Hm… But I’m not really in the mood,” came her unexpected reply.
  “What? Who are you and what have you done with my friend?!” Baek Hyun asked in an exaggerated way, attempting to make a joke. This was unbelievable and so unlike her. He guessed that the incident with Woo Hyun must’ve scarred her – all the more reason to try and cheer her up before he would be gone.   “Please? It’s the only chance I can go before my debut,” Baek Hyun emphasized, his voice turning more desperate. Aside from the day to celebrate his debut along with everyone else, this was the only free day he had left.
  “Fine,” Hyun Mi finally gave in. Perhaps, this could help keep her mind off her own dilemma. A distraction was exactly what she needed right now.     Baek Hyun was already waiting along the streets of Gangnam – the place they had agreed to meet at. Due to his overexcitement, he came quite early. Knowing how Hyun Mi was a very punctual person, he had faith that she would arrive soon after. And he was right. He could already spot the girl approaching, wearing nothing but regular jeans and a shirt as her thick black-framed glasses bounced on her face. The massive crowd was no problem for her as she skillfully glided through everyone and arrived in front of him with a smile.   “Ya, couldn’t you even dress up a little or something?” Baek Hyun asked eying her from head to toe.
  “Why? Is there a special occasion?” Hyun Mi asked, blinking her eyes curiously at him.
  Baek Hyun shook his head, not even trying to explain what he meant by it. In one way, he did like her simplicity in this competitive country where beauty had a high standard. On the other hand, he knew that she felt there was no need to appear attractive in front of him for she only saw him as a friend. He couldn’t help but wonder if she ever appeared in front of Woo Hyun with this look.  
  “What do you think of this one?” Baek Hyun asked as he came out of the dressing room wearing a large red hoodie with some swag words written in front. He started to turn on his heels to show off the item from every angle.
  Hyun Mi sat on one of the chairs, her head leaning against the palm of her hands as her elbows rested on her knees. “Meh…” she muttered, already regretting she had decided to help Baek Hyun with his mission. This was just the second store, and already she was getting tired.
  Baek Hyun noticed this and heaved a sigh. “What kind of clothes did Woo Hyun wear for his airport fashion?” he couldn’t help but ask.
  Hyun Mi flinched a little at the mention of his name. “No need to match his style. Honestly, he’s not one of the very best dressers,” she said truthfully. “There was one time where he wore some sort of a school uniform, but with shorts! That’s so ridiculous…”
  Baek Hyun watched her trail off as she was caught in her own laughter. Seeing that, he felt a small twitch tugging against his heart. Even when she was depressed, the only one who managed to make her laugh was Woo Hyun – the person who wasn’t even present.   “White,” Hyun Mi suddenly said as her laughter had died down. “You look good in white.”
  Baek Hyun gave her a look as a smile crept on his face. “You mean I don’t look good in every thing?” he asked playfully while striking a model pose.
  Hyun Mi scoffed at his attitude. “Only the color white, cause your name is Baek Hyun,” she replied while shooing him to go back inside the dressing room.
  “That’s an invalid reason,” Baek Hyun said as he walked back to go change.   In the end, Baek Hyun had decided to buy several white outfits made up of different fabrics and design. While handing his card to the cashier, he could see Hyun Mi moving around impatiently. “I’m almost done,” he told her.
  Hyun Mi just gave him a small nod, but her eyes kept staring outside. The blank expression had returned as nothingness filled her mind.
  “It’s like the role has reversed. The man likes shopping while the woman just wants to go home,” the cashier grinned at them. “You two are very cute together.”
  Something about her words made Baek Hyun grin.
  “But we’re not together,” Hyun Mi immediately said before Baek Hyun could open his mouth. She flashed a fake smile to the cashier.
  Baek Hyun knew that Hyun Mi didn’t wa