Chapter 17 - - My Brother is Gay?! Part 4 (1/2)

I turned off the engine and got out of the car after finding a parking space. I headed toward the passenger side to open the door, but AhJung burst through it before I could even get there. As she closed the door, a whistle blew beside her. She quickly turned at the sound and immediately exclaimed, &“Yes, I'm coming!&“

She had been ready to run when she suddenly stopped. AhJung must have realized what I already knew; the person blowing the whistle was not me but the parking enforcer.

Both Na AhJung and I stood there in silence. It was like the Pavlov reflex. Upon hearing the whistle again, AhJung flinched.

Feeling guilty about doing that to the girl, I sighed with a heavy heart. For a moment, I became angry at my brother for letting it get this far. If my brother had not initially brought her home, I wouldn't have had to harass her to this extent. But what was done was done, whether I felt guilty or not. Let's just be thankful that I found out before it was too late.

To alleviate my guilt, I walked behind the frozen AhJung and placed my palm on top of her head.

&“Not that way.&“ I turned her head towards the mall's entrance. &“Let's go this way.&“

&“Oh.&“ AhJung nodded her reddening face and started to walk toward the mall entrance.

I had been walking next to her when the sound of the whistle was heard again. I took my two hands and shielded her ears from it.

***

First, we entered the furniture section and asked the sales rep for help.

&“I need to buy everything for a girl's room, what do you think I will need?&“ I asked her.

&“Excuse me?&“ said the rep.

&“I have a bed, wardrobe, and a desk, but what else would I need? For a girl's room,&“ I explained.

&“Oh...one moment.&“ Looking confused, the sales rep opened a drawer underneath the register and took out a catalog.

I turned back during this moment and saw Na AhJung wandering around.

&“If you look in here, you can see the model designs of girl's rooms. You can use it as a reference.&“ The sales rep opened the catalog and placed it in front of me.

I looked through the catalog in detail. AhJung's room was designed like a castle in Versailles with white and luxurious antique furniture. I indicated the furniture pieces that would be needed to complement the decor. A vanity, full-length mirror, vase, tea table and chairs, cabinets, teddy bear...Is a teddy bear also considered furniture?

&“Do you sell this here also?&“ I asked, pointing to the large teddy bear that sat on the bed in the picture.

&“No, we don't. That's just for decoration because most girl's rooms have at least one doll of that sort.&“

&“Then I need to buy one of these also,&“ I mumbled to myself.

I entered the teddy bear into my brain. Suddenly something unexpected caught my attention in the picture.

&“What's this?&“

From the top of the bed frame, a drape flowed and wrapped itself around the bed like a white veil. Na AhJung arrived next to me and interrupted us.

&“Oh, I know what that is. It's a mosquito screen,&“ she answered brightly, glad to find a piece of furniture she knew about.

The sales rep in front of us opened her mouth delicately to correct her.

&“That's...a canopy.&“

&“Canopy?&“ AhJung looked as if she had never heard of such a thing. &“What's that?&“

At AhJung's question, the sales rep turned the page and showed us a picture of an even more extravagant canopy.

&“You drape it over your bed like this as a decorative touch,&“ explained the rep. &“Isn't it pretty? It's a bed for a princess.&“

AhJung nodded as if she understood. &“I see, it's pretty...useless.&“

&“No, it's very useful. In the summer, it can also function as a mosquito screen,&“ insisted the rep.

&“But it's all open on this side,&“ AhJung pointed out.

&“That portion is so the person can enter and exit through it.&“

&“And the mosquitos can also enter and exit through it.&“

&“As its main purpose is decorative, it will be difficult for it to function exactly like a mosquito screen,&“ said the now perturbed rep.

AhJung scratched her head in confusion while examining the canopy. Her eyes made it apparent that she still thought it was useless. The sales rep saw this, so she started to list the positives of the canopy.

&“It will be great to have one of these in your home. It's a girl's fantasy, a delicate chiffon canopy.&“

&“Ugh, cleaning chiffon is a handful. You have to wash it manually, and since it's so thin, it will probably melt when it gets wet. I'd be afraid to even rub it.&“ AhJung shuttered, unwilling to even attempt cleaning such a thing.

I interrupted Na AhJung and replied casually, &“You won't be doing laundry anyways, so just use it.&“

&“What?&“

I ignored her and flipped over the page to the one I had been looking.

&“Excluding the bed, wardrobe, and desk, I want everything else,&“ I told the sales rep.

&“Oh, yes, of course!&“ The rep smiled widely and went to the register. Next to me, Na AhJung had her mouth wide open in shock. I took out the credit card from my wallet and pointed at the catalog with it.

&“This teddy bear, where can I buy it?&“

***

Na AhJung

Inside the mall Starbucks, I sat hugging the giant teddy bear which I hadn't been able to find a separate seat for, trembling in fear. Lee JiHan had not only bought an entire set of furniture to decorate my room but also bought a stack of clothes to fill the closet. He'd even bought a makeup set! Still unable to decipher what he was up to, I watched in fear as JiHan continued to open his wallet.

Why? Why is he buying all this stuff for me? What's he up to? Could it be that the card that he is using left and right, is secretly under my name?! I trembled as I imagined myself receiving the astronomical credit card statement and being sold away for my inability to pay it back.

&“Are you cold?&“ Lee JiHan asked me, returning from getting us our drinks.

&“Uh, no.&“

&“Then why are you trembling?&“

&“Because I'm afraid…&“

JiHan tilted his head quizzically at my answer. &“Why are you afraid?&“

&“Um, I'm sorry, but, could I take a look at that card?&“

&“The card?&“

&“Yes. The card you've been using all day. It's just...the design looked pretty.&“

&“First, take this,&“ JiHan said and handed me the Americano.

He placed the overly sweet looking frappuccino topped with a mountain of whip cream in front of himself and took out the credit card from his wallet. With trembling hands, I took the card from him and checked the name. LEE, JIHAN. Seeing the gold blocked lettering, I sighed in relief. I never thought this jerk's name would look so beautiful.

&“Wow! It's really pretty.&“

The world suddenly looked more beautiful, like I was a newly released prisoner. As I returned the credit card back to him, JiHan examined the card, not understanding what all the fuss was about. Finally able to calm down, I wrapped my hands around the warm Americano that he'd brought me. I remembered back to a month and a couple of days ago, when Lee JiHan and I had sat across from each other at an airport Starbucks.