Precious Things || Jensoo

Chapter 28

I look...

Strange.

I look good, though.

I am so not used to me looking like this.

My skin has always been very clear, because I wash it faithfully with soap every night and then moisturise.

For some reason my grandfather buys me moisturiser.

I think it's because my grandmother used it and he thinks all women require it.

I always found it a bit embarrassing to discuss my cleanliness needs with my grandfather, and it was hard enough when I had to talk to him about buying my feminine hygiene products when I went through puberty.

In fact, I wussed out on that and used one of the semi-senile women from the church to do it for me.

So, yeah, I have nice skin. But...

It looks nicer now.

I can't imagine wearing this every day but, then again, it's not like I'm going to.

"Ok, hair."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, come on, I'll do something really simple."

So she does: she straightens it. The straightening iron kind of scares me, such heat so close to my skin. I'm worried she's going to burn my ears, but she's very careful.

"Ta-da! Finished!"

She turns me around and I look into the mirror.

I look like a completely different person. I'm not me.

She's holding my shoulders from behind, and she's so close to me. We're both looking at me in the mirror and if I had any guts at all I'd spin in her arms and tell her exactly how I feel.

Which would result in the sudden but complete termination of our friendship and the complete isolation of Jisoo once again.

I'm not down with that.

So instead I just smile in the mirror and say, "I look different."

"You look fantastic."

I turn my head slightly. "Are you suggesting that I look terrible normally?"

She takes a step back and folds her arms. "No, I'm saying that nature can always be enhanced but when you compare your natural self with everybody else's natural self you come out roses either way." She cocks her head to one side. "You're not exactly ugly, Kim."

I blush.

"Thanks." After a few seconds I smile again. "You're too smooth for your own good you know. 'Compare my natural self'? I mean, really!"

She laughs. "It's true. You do all right, seriously. I just thought this would be fun."

"It is fun," I agree. "And, now it's my turn."

"Huh?" She looks confused.

"Well, you just got to make me over, so now I get to do you."

"Uh, okay..." There's definitely a wary expression on her face. "You want to do my make-up?"

"Kind of." I grin. "First, I gotta wash this stuff off."

"No, leave it... till we go to sleep."

I bite my lip, and then realise that I might be hurting my lip gloss so I let it go.

I get to look through Jennie's closet which is huge and absolutely full. I have no idea how someone can own so many clothes. Eventually, I find roughly what I'm looking for.