Naeun's P.O.V
"What do you think about this?" I asked my friend Yi-na and held up a checkered blue shirt.
"Does he wear things like that?"
"I don't know. That's why you're here to help!" I whined.
"Well, I don't know. I've only seen the outfits he wears onstage and I'm pretty sure he normally doesn't dress like he does in front of the camera."
"No, he doesn't" I said and laughed as I imagined oppa wearing one of his stage outfits at the convenience store.
"I don't know what to buy for him" I sighed and looked around the department store.
"I normally wouldn't suggest this for a guy but how about accessories" Yi-na asked, "like rings, earrings or a necklace."
"That might work" I said, "then we need to find a jewelry store."
"Okay but let's get lunch first. I'm starving and we've been looking for your boyfriend's present for hours already!"
"It's not been that long" I mumbled but followed her quietly to a diner.
"I want this one" I said and pointed at the sandwich because I couldn't pronounce the English name.
Right then the guy next to me moved a little and I ended up poking his arm.
"Ah, I'm sorry!" I immediately apologized.
"Don't worry about it" he said.
I looked up carefully.
"Oh! Jaemin-ah!"
"Naeunie!"
.
.
.
In the end Yina-ya and I sat with Jaemin-ah and his friend Kyung-hee.
"This is my friend from middle school, Park Jaemin." I introduced him to Yina-ya.
"Oh I know him" she said "he's in my major. I've also often seen Kyunghee-shi on campus."
"I see, that's great."
"So what are you two doing here?" Kyunghee-shi asked.
"We were shopping for a present" Yina-ya answered and grinned at me mischievously.
"Um...yes, a Christmas present" I confirmed.
"What about you?" I asked them.
"Ah, we're also here to buy presents" Jaemin-ah said and grinned at his friend, "he doesn't know what to get his girlfriend."
"Oh maybe we can help" Yina-ya said, "then you could help us."
"No!" I interrupted alarmed.
"Why?" She asked innocently.
"Well, it's just embarrassing" I said and tried to look like I didn't mind, "besides, we already planned to to go to the jewelry store next."
"They can come along" Yina-ya said, "I'm sure his girlfriend will be delighted to get beautiful jewelry."
"That's a great idea!" Kyunghee-shi said and with that the four us made our way to the nearest jewelry store.
Yina-ya immediately dragged Kyunghee-shi to the department with necklaces leaving Jaemin-ah and me alone.
"I'm sorry we simply dragged you two along" I said while I watched Yina-ya enthusiastically picking out possible presents for Kyunghee-shi.
"I don't mind. It was a good idea to come here after all." He said while he looked at his friend with a smile on his face.
I looked at his face closely. He had changed. A lot. That's only natural given that 9th grade was the last time I had seen him. But I still felt that it was him. I was still comfortable around him.
"So what kind of present are you looking for?" He asked.
I broke out of my thoughts and quickly answered.
"Maybe earrings or rings. I don't think I would be able to pick a necklace well."
We started going to the direction of rings and looked at them but they mostly looked like promise rings.
"Is it for your mom or a friend? What kind of rings do they like?"
I had to smile at his question. That was so like him. Always this kind-hearted person who wanted to help even if he had no clue about what was going on.
"I think that earrings would be better. I don't know what kind of ring to buy." I answered and dodged the question of who for now.
"I think something simple but pretty would be good. Not too eye-catching."
"She doesn't like to stand out? How about these?" Jaemin-ah said and held up a pair of pearl earrings.
I burst out in laughter as I imagined oppa wearing those rose pearl earrings.
I finally decided to enlighten Jaemin-ah because of his confused face.
"Um...no, it's a guy. He often wears crosses as earrings. He often wears flashy clothes but I want to find him something he can wear no matter the occasion." I said and hoped that he would wear whatever I bought him every day anytime and think of me whenever he saw it in the mirror or touched it by coincidence.
"Your...boyfriend?" Jaemin-ah said quietly.
"Yes" I answered without hesitation. This is the reason I wanted to have a public relationship. So I wouldn't have to hide from the people I wanted to be honest with.
"Who...is your boyfriend?" Jaemin-ah asked but his voice sounded estranged. Almost absent-minded.
"Lee Taemin" I answered. I didn't want to sound arrogant but I thought that he would have known by now.
"Oh, that's amazing" Jaemin-ah said.
"N-not really" I said and just then I discovered the perfect present.
A silver snowflake earring which was hung on a short, thin chain. I can't say why but it suited him. So cool and composed onstage. His work is complicated like the form of a snowflake. But like any other human being he's also delicate although he has made an effort not to show me that side of him.
I hope that he will open up and tell me about his insecurities like I do.
So I can be his support when he's feeling hopeless.
"A snowflake?" Jaemin-ah asked.
"Yes" I answered still engrossed in the earring's beauty, "It's perfect."
Somehow I released my inner poet in that paragraph about the snowflake xD
I thought about deleting that paragraph because it was so cheesy and might not fully make sense but it was so poetic that I couldn't brig myself to do that.
And her just saying "a snowflake is perfect for him" wasn't really satisfying. Sounds too plain.
I actually already finished this chapter a while ago but for some reason I wanted to publish it with the next chapter :3