To Kiss An Idol

“That’s not good,” shouted Jae-Geun.

Both girls stopped laughing and jumping. “What? Why?” asked Nivritti.

“Jaehwa! You are asking her to buy things for you?” scolded Jae-Geun.

“Jae-Geun! She is not asking me, I am offering,” replied Nivritti.

“But she doesn’t need anything,” protested Jae-Geun. “And if she wants anything, I can buy it for her. Heck! She earns now, she can buy herself.”

“It’s just a present, my treat,” counterpointed Nivritti.

“But...” interjected Jae-Geun.

“Oppa!” pouted Jae-Hwa.

.....

“Fine, I will buy you something too,” teased Nivritti.

“Hey, I never...” he tried explaining.

But Nivritti interrupted, “relax, I am teasing. I told you I have a younger sister, I buy things for her all the time. Let me do that for Jae too.”

“Fine!” said Jae-Geun, defeated.

“Okay, let me take a bath, you too change your clothes and then we will leave for shopping,” announced Nivritti.

“You girls enjoy, I will take your leave. Call me in the evening, I will come to pick you up,” said Jae-Geun.

“What? You can’t go,” shouted Jae-Hwa. “Who will drive us everywhere and who will carry our bags?”

Nivritti scoffed and started laughing.

“Yaaa! Is that why you want me there? To drive you and carry your bags?” scolded Jae-Geun.

“I am teasing, Oppa. Come with us. We will have fun,” pouted Jae-Hwa.

“Yeah, join us. I don’t have friends here except Jae. I will get another one,” smiled Nivritti. Jae-Geun beamed with happiness after he heard that she wanted to be his friend.

“Liar!” taunted Jae-Hwa.

“What?” shouted Nivritti.

“The whole team of ASD is your friend. You guys even have nicknames for each other,” sulked Jae-Hwa.

“Well, she is not wrong. They are my friends,” nodded Nivritti. “And CH too,” teased Nivritti.

“Show-off!” taunted Jae-Hwa.

“So, what say Jae-Geun? Can we be friends?” Nivritti extended her arm towards him.

His heart was ready to jump out of his chest. With a sweet smile he took her hand and accepted her friendship, “it will be my honour.”

“So, you both wait, I will be ready in five minutes,” said Nivritti.

“No wait!” shouted Jae-Geun.

“What now?” said Jae-Hwa, annoyed.

“We all just ate, and she is going to take a bath. She needs to wait at least 40 to 45 minutes,” said Jae-Geun.

“Right, doctor!” said Jae-Hwa, proudly and wrapped her arm around her brother’s neck.

“We spent a good amount of time washing dishes and then laying flat on the couch. I think it is more than 30 minutes,” calculated Nivritti.

“Just wait 15 more minutes,” said Jae-Geun.

“Fifteen will be gone in a jiffy while she takes out her clothes, Oppa!” notified Jae-Hwa. “Let’s go, Ritti.”

“That is remote, you can watch TV till then,” suggested Nivritti.

“Fine,” said Jae-Geun and sat on the couch, defeated. Both the girls moved into the bedroom to get ready. Jae-Hwa took out a violet bodycon dress from her bag that her brother brought for her, and Nivritti chose a white floral dress with big blue and pink flowers on it.

“Oh, this needs ironing,” said Nivritti while staring at her dress.

“You go, take a bath and I will take care of that,” offered Jae-Hwa. Nivritti took out the press from her closet and handed it to Jae-Hwa. While Nivritti took a bath, Jae-Hwa pressed the two dresses.

Jae-Hwa changed her clothes, did her make-up and was ready. She went outside the room and sat with her brother waiting for Nivritti. Nivritti came out of the bathroom, wore her clothes, did her make-up and blow-dried her hair. She parted her hair on the side, folded the hair on the larger side and pinned them behind her ear.

After she was satisfied with her look, she switched every appliance and light in the room and came outside.

“Let’s go,” commanded Nivritti.

Jae-Geun who was watching TV turned towards Nivritti to look at her. His jaw dropped on the floor the moment he saw the beautiful garden fairy walking towards him. She let her hair down with just one pin behind her ear. The folds in the hair looked like waves of the ocean. Her full pink lips were looking like rose petals. The rose sheen colour was enhancing the beauty of her lips.

“What? Did I have something on my face?” asked Nivritti confused.

“Oppa!” Jae-Hwa dug her elbow into his stomach.

That brought him back from his dreamland. “No, I was thinking about your eyes. Yesterday they were all swollen and now you applied kohl,” somehow, he managed the situation.

But Jae-Hwa became suspicious. She never noticed her brother act like this. He was always busy with studies and then being a doctor. Even though he was being a doctor right now, but something was off about him.

“Oh no! is that bad?” Nivritti was concerned.

“No, not that bad. Just make sure to put the drop again at night and when you wake up in the morning,” suggested Jae-Geun.

“Yes, doctor,” saluted Nivritti.

Both brother and sister stood up from the couch and moved towards the door. Nivritti made sure that every window and door was closed, and every switch was off. She put on white belle shoes, grabbed her phone and purse and was ready to go.

They moved down the stairs and went to the parking lot. Both the girls chose to sit in the back leaving Jae-Geun alone in the front.

“Am I your driver?” shouted Jae-Geun.

“That’s what I said when I asked you to come, you are here to drive and carry our bags,” teased Jae-Hwa. Nivritti could just laugh.

“Shut up both of you,” sulked Jae-Geun. Nivritti tried to stop laughing but failed spectacularly.

Jae-Geun shook his head in disbelief and inserted the key in the ignition. The engine roared and he pumped the gas. The car moved and the journey of shopping started. The car stopped when they parked inside a mall in Dongdaemun. The huge area had around 26 malls.

They roamed and roamed around eating street food and window shopping. Finally, Jae-Hwa’s eye landed on a ruffle pink overcoat, and she froze.

“What?” asked Nivritti.

But Jae-Hwa just went near the display and stood there with her mouth open.

“Is she alright?” asked Nivritti to Jae-Geun.

“I think she lost her mind to that pick coat,” said Jae-Geun.

Nivritti walked to her, placed her hand over her shoulder and asked, “do you like it?” Jae-Hwa just nodded. “Then let’s go in and buy it,” suggested Nivritti, excited.

“What? No, no, this is a very expensive store. Only rich people shop here,” Jae-Hwa immediately backed away from the window leaving Nivritti standing alone.

“That is a stupid thing to say,” scolded Nivritti.

“No, she is right. Everything in this store is very expensive,” said Jae-Geun.

“But she likes that,” said Nivritti pointing at the coat.

“No, I don’t,” said Jae-Hwa and started dragging Nivritti away from that store.

“Jae!”

“Come with me, I will show you my favourite store,” Jae-Hwa started running and kept pulling Nivritti with her. Jae-Geun just kept following them.

After walking for 10 minutes, Nivritti stopped before a six-story glass building. She smiled while looking at the building and said, “now this a place to shop. Let’s go.”

“If you say so,” said Nivritti and followed her. Jae-Geun just rolled his eyes.

After entering, Nivritti realised that she entered a one-stop-shop. It had everything. It was even bigger than a hyper store. One could find a to z of things in that building. The bottom few stories were for fruits, vegetables, groceries, and home appliances. They kept climbing the floors and finally reached the floor that had both male and female clothing.

Girls happily kept roaming around checking every piece of clothing.

“Chose anything that you want and one for your brother too,” whispered Nivritti.

“Why are we whispering?” asked Jae-Hwa.

“He won’t let me buy things for him if he knew,” explained Nivritti.

“Right, you are right,” nodded Jae-Hwa.

Both girls went in different directions looking for the things they liked.

Nivritti kept looking for something for herself when her eyes fell on scarves in the male section. It had cute pastel colours. She bit the inside of her lips pondering upon if she should act on her idea. She wanted to get something for the boys. But what if they didn’t like her choice? What if the scarves were on a bit cheap side?

She thought of taking a chance and picked seven scarves. She was about to leave the men’s section when her eyes fell on a dapper white hoodie. The face of JJ flashed before her. She always saw him in a hoodie and immediately decided to buy one for him. She picked up that white hoodie too.

She made her way to the women’s section when Jae-Geun approached her. “Where is she? I brought baskets for you guys.” He had two baskets in his hands.

.....

“She was here somewhere,” said Nivritti stretching her neck and looking in every direction for her.

“Give me the clothes and look for her,” suggested Jae-Geun.

“Oh right!” said Nivritti and dumped the clothes she chose in one of the baskets.

“These are men’s clothes,” pointed out Jae-Geun.