Chapter 20: Things That Never Change Part 6

Whatever the detailed reasons might have been, Yoori noona’s wedding was an opportunity for me.

Not just an opportunity to meet Mom, but also a chance to get closer to Ayun noona.

For example:

“What kind of clothes should I wear to attend the wedding?”

It gave me a reason to bring up such questions without overthinking.

Back in my student days, it didn’t matter much what I wore, as long as it wasn’t too sloppy.

These days, even adults aren’t strictly required to wear formal suits to weddings, but… still, I feel like you should at least show some respect.

For men, wearing a suit works as a safe option.

Since suits themselves are formal attire, wearing one already conveys the message that you’re taking the occasion seriously.

However, women’s formalwear feels different.

Of course, interview attire for women isn’t that different from men’s.

A blouse is just a feminine version of a shirt, suit pants are replaced with skirts, and the tie is left out.

The overall impression remains similar.

But wedding guest outfits for women have a slightly different feel.

First of all, the variety in blouse collars is overwhelming.

Searching for men’s suits usually gives you three options: big collars, small collars, or no collars at all.

But women’s blouses come in a staggering array of designs.

Some looked like suits, while others didn’t even have collars—just lace around the neckline.

No, actually, even the term “blouse” itself didn’t seem to refer to a specific style of clothing.

I used to think a blouse was simply the female version of a shirt, but apparently, that’s not the case.

Some had buttons, while others didn’t, and some designs didn’t even seem to fit under the category of “blouses.”

Searching for “women’s wedding guest attire” expanded the range even further, making it necessary to decide whether to wear a dress or not.

“Can’t you just wear something you usually wear?”

Noona’s answer was simple.

She glanced me up and down and nodded.

“Your usual clothes should be fine. You always dress pretty neatly.”

“Really?”

I thought my outfit was just casual.

To be fair, most of my clothes were indeed designed with a tidy aesthetic.

That’s probably because the Goddess made them for me.

But after saying that to me, noona gazed into the distance thoughtfully and muttered to herself.

“Well, I think I’ll need to buy a new outfit, though.”

“Huh? But…”

I might not have a keen eye for fashion, but I’m not completely clueless either.

While the range for “wedding guest attire” is broad, narrowing it down to something like “a white top, a blue skirt, and a neat look” makes it easier to picture similar designs.

Noona usually wears white shirts or T-shirts with jeans.

It’s probably because she doesn’t have to worry about strict workplace dress codes, but that doesn’t mean she lacks other skirts to wear.

Even five years ago, noona had plenty of clothes with similar designs to what I was wearing now.

If this outfit is appropriate for a wedding, noona should have something suitable in her wardrobe already.

If I asked, “Don’t you have clothes like this?” she’d likely reply without hesitation, “Yeah, I do.”

Perhaps noticing my intent, noona gave a slightly bitter smile and said, “Even so, this is my best friend’s wedding.

I’d like to wear something a bit more polished.”

Her current outfit already seemed polished, though.

Well, if that’s what she wants, so be it.

I nodded, feeling only half-sure I understood.

“Hmm…?”

Noona stared at me for a moment and then suddenly said, “Do you want to come with me?”

“Sorry? What?”

The question caught me off guard, and I asked her to repeat it.

“Let’s go shopping for clothes together.”

Noona laughed lightly.

“On our day off.”

I stared at her blankly for a moment before responding enthusiastically, “Yes, let’s go together!”

Thanks to Yoori noona, I now had a legitimate excuse to go on a date with Ayun noona.

I was deeply grateful to Yoori noona for scheduling her wedding at just the right time.

I couldn’t just leave them alone.

That was the feeling I had after spending time with Shihyun.

In fact, that feeling started the moment Shihyun walked into this bakery.

Someone who seemed so anxious and out of place, and looked a few years younger than me.

You shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, but my first impression of Shihyun was that he seemed like someone who could easily get scammed.

Maybe it was because he looked awkward talking to people—it might have amplified that impression.

If he just stayed quiet and didn’t say much, he wouldn’t give off the vibe of someone who grew up in tough circumstances.

His clothes were neat, and his shoes were from a brand that couldn’t exactly be called cheap.

But the more you talked to him, the more he gave the impression of lacking something.

It wasn’t simply a matter of stuttering in front of someone new.

Shihyun was actually quite good at speaking to strangers.

Over time, she had even learned to handle the teasing antics of teenage customers, which used to catch her off guard.

These days, unless there was a major issue, she rarely made mistakes while working.

But when it came to talking with me, she seemed to carefully choose her words, giving the impression of being hesitant.

Being cautious and respectful towards people around you is a good thing.

It shows a sense of propriety, especially towards those close to you.

However, Shihyun’s demeanor wasn’t just about politeness.

It was more like she was… afraid.

Not sheer terror, but the kind of fear that comes from feeling like one wrong step could make you fall.

She often had a tense expression, as if she were on edge.

She looked like that the first time she told me her name.

“Cha Shihyun… is my name…”

It was our first meeting, and naturally, it made sense that I wouldn’t know her name.

But the way she hesitated, as if revealing her name to me was a risky act, puzzled me.

She took her time, deliberating before cautiously uttering her name.

At first, I thought she might be joking.

After all, she was a stranger, someone I had just met the day before.

It crossed my mind that she might harbor some sort of grudge against me for a reason I didn’t know—or perhaps she was trying to provoke me because of that incident everyone had been talking about for a while.

But that wasn’t the case.

The ID she brought clearly bore the name “Cha Shihyun.”

Her date of birth was also different from the person I was thinking of.

She was a year younger than the “Cha Shihyun” I knew, and her birthday came two months earlier.

In other words, it was just an incredible coincidence.

If she hesitated to share her name, it must have been because she was uneasy about the act itself.

…No, that’s not it.

The reason I found myself caring for this girl wasn’t because of her name.

Rather—

“Yes, let’s go together!”

When she smiled brightly as she answered, I couldn’t help but think of someone else.

Someone who always smiled like that and said, “Sure, let’s go together,” whenever I suggested going somewhere.

Her appearance was entirely different, as were her circumstances and even her date of birth.

The similarity in names was nothing more than coincidence.

The way she mumbled calculations under her breath while solving a problem, the way she scratched her head when she made a mistake, or how she tapped her finger in rhythm when listening to music—these weren’t unique to her.

All of these things were just coincidental resemblances.

Whatever I might have imagined, none of it could possibly be real.

And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her alone.

I didn’t know what had happened in her past, but she carried the look of someone deeply hurt.

I couldn’t turn away from that.

That’s why I spoke to her first, and why I stayed by her side, having conversations like this.

Even though she still occasionally showed a cautious expression in front of me, Shihyun now smiled brightly and even initiated conversations herself.

When I looked closer, there were plenty of differences between her and that other person.

“So, let’s meet on our next day off. But the location…”

“Let’s meet in front of here. It’s a place we both know.”

“Are you sure that’s fine?”

Wouldn’t that mean Shihyun has to go out of her way?

“It’s fine. I don’t really have anything to do at home anyway.”

“Is that so?”

If that’s how she felt, then I’d go along with her suggestion.

Digging any deeper might reopen her old wounds.

“All right, let’s do that.”

At my words, Shihyun smiled like she was genuinely happy.

Even though her face looked so different.

That smile looked so similar, but perhaps I only thought that because I wanted it to.