My Platinum-Blond Childhood Friend Is So Pretty

28 – 10. Preparing for a Date with a Childhood Friend -2

In her unmistakable appearance as a friendly and approachable office worker,

I casually asked, “Who are you?”

“Oh, come on~”

***

Asking, “Who are you?” was half a joke.

But seeing her usual image not quite matching,

“Alicia, where did you leave her alone?”

Looking around and asking about Ellie’s whereabouts, she was my older sister who lived in the same apartment, on the same floor, right across from our house.

Her name is Sunwoo Bin.

With Sunwoo as the last name and Bin as the first name, she’s 25 this year and has been working since the year before last. Since we’ve been living in the same apartment for a long time, we’re quite close to each other, including Ellie and me.

We’ve even gone out for a meal together, including my brother Jungwoo.

“Ellie is with another friend. I came because I have something to buy.”

“How’s school?”

“Midterms until today.”

“Ah, midterms… I miss them~”

“What about Bini noona? Isn’t her workplace nearby?”

“Took a half-day off for a little shopping. There are a lot of alcohol options in the underground mart here~”

“Ah, I see. Alcohol.”

I immediately understood upon hearing that.

Bin noona… I apologize, but this sister I call Bini noona is quite a drinker, and her visible appearance matches well with it.

When you see her face in the apartment, more than 90% of the time, you can only see her in a drunken state due to alcohol.

Therefore, I always heard only the hoarse voice, and because it was so familiar to my ears, the voice didn’t quite match for a moment.

“So? Where are you going?”

With such a clear mind, asking about the destination in a leisurely manner seemed quite unfamiliar. Anyway, since there was no need to forcefully hide it, I honestly answered. After all, this older sister wasn’t someone who would gossip about Eli to everyone.

“To a store called Noid.”

“Noid? Trying to match couple rings?”

“Yeah. I’m getting them with Eli.”

“That sounds fun~ Can I come along too?”

With a laugh that genuinely seemed amused, I thought it was a good idea that she wanted to join.

“I’d appreciate it if you could. We have to choose and order today, no matter what. Help me pick something out.”

“Alicia might like what you choose on your own, don’t you think?”

“I’ll be the one choosing, but just give me your opinions and help from a sentimental perspective… No, does it not matter to you, sister…?”

“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? I can be serious when I want to~?”

Regardless of what I said, she was a sister who would follow along, and it wasn’t a bad thing to have someone to listen to opinions. So, we headed to the accessory store together.

Actually, I wanted to bring Isuyeon today and discuss and choose together, but avoiding Eli’s eyes made it impossible, so it was a bit disappointing.

Thinking about the image of her holding a beer can every time I saw her in the apartment might be helpful, but for now, I decided to trust the slightly decadent Bini sister who was flaunting her sophistication.

-Ding!

“Welcome.”

With the bright welcome from the staff, the store we entered was filled with dazzling accessories, making it dizzying to decide where to start looking.

Of course, there was a separate section for couple rings, but I couldn’t walk straight there.

“The necklaces are pretty too, aren’t they?”

Other accessories that seemed to suit Eli stimulated my greed.

As I was diligently looking around and Bini sister was smiling and leaving me alone, a staff member approached with a smiling face, glancing between us for a moment.

“… If you’re looking for a couple ring to wear together, this line is currently trending…”

“No, not with this sister. She’s a bit of a drinker…”

“She may have a taste for younger men, but an 8-year age difference is a bit much…”

Saying strange things, we shook hands simultaneously and denied it.

The employee’s kindness, understanding our situation even though one of us was in a school uniform and the other in a suit, was appreciated, but it wasn’t true.

In the future, I could watch Eli do whatever she wanted with a smile, but I didn’t think I would like living like this sister, immersed in alcohol.

Although Bini sister had liked me, who had been bowing my head diligently for a long time, I knew she preferred Jungwoo’s taste over mine.

In our words expressing strong denial, the employee started actively persuading, with an even brighter expression.

“Are you looking for a couple ring that you can use with your girlfriend?”

“Yes, that’s right. Can I see what you mentioned earlier? The couple ring that is said to be trendy these days…”

“Of course. Would you like to see this one?”

From then on, the employee began a long explanation.

From couple rings that couples often seek recently, to relatively affordable lineup that seemed to be shown to me as a student, and even slightly expensive ones, thinking that Binnie noona who was looking on from behind might help.

I nodded my head while carefully scanning them with my eyes.

Of course, I was imagining earnestly in my head. What would suit Ellie, what she would like.

Then, Binnie noona who was listening to the explanation with me from the side suddenly said something strange.

“Gold rings are definitely good~”

“Why gold?”

“So that you can sell them for a good price if you break up.”

“….”

“Gold doesn’t easily change color~”

Upon hearing her words, which seemed to anticipate breaking up even when buying, I looked at her with a hint of contempt.

Then, Binnie noona added more malicious words while drawing a curve with her eyes.

“It’s not that you guys will do that~ There are quite a few people who buy with that in mind. Right?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I don’t know what mindset the customers have when buying…”

As I looked at the employee, wondering if it was true, I was honestly a little shocked when she avoided my gaze and made excuses.

No, why would someone think like that when dating… No.

There are many people, and accordingly, there are many couples, so there must be various situations.

It is also an objective fact that there are more people who break up in the middle than those who have a good relationship for a lifetime and even get married.

I will never break up with Ellie until the day we die.

I brushed aside those unnecessary thoughts that had briefly crossed my mind and focused again on examining each of the rings.

“Gold doesn’t easily change color, right?”

“Yes. So its value hardly changes. Since there is some inevitable discoloration in silver, its value doesn’t stay the same.”

“Hmm.”

Regardless of Binnie noona’s words, considering that, choosing gold as an option didn’t seem bad.

Of course, the price range would significantly increase, but I had about 1 million won in discretionary funds. It wasn’t impossible to buy it even if it was a bit of a stretch.

But at that moment, when I was diligently scanning the rings with my eyes, trying to find one that suited Ellie.

“Tock, tock.”

“Doyoon.”

Vini noona called me, tapping on my shoulder.

Having brought this noona along somewhat reluctantly, I glanced in her direction with a slightly unwilling heart.

“How about this? It seems perfect for Alicia.”

“…What?”

The silver ring she pointed at captivated my gaze and heart at once.

It was stunning.

The silver ring, twisted slightly in a shape that radiated from a small gem in the center, dominated my thoughts, fitting the platinum princess so perfectly.

“I like it… I really do.”

“I told you it was a good idea to come with me. Noona has an eye for these things.”

“Yeah. I was a bit regretful until about 10 seconds ago, but now I’m glad I came with you.”

“…Doyoon, you’re surprisingly honest.”

There was no need to look at anything else. The moment I saw it, I knew.

However, with the beautiful gem resembling a diamond in the center, I couldn’t help but worry if it might be a bit expensive.

As if reading my mind, the employee immediately informed me of the price.

“That item is 166,000 won. If you want engraving, there will be an additional charge depending on the number of characters.”

“It’s cheaper than I thought… What’s the gem in the center?”

“That’s called a signature. Think of it as a type of cubic zirconia that gives a diamond-like feel. Shall I take it out for you to see?”

“Yes, please.”

After examining the silver couple ring that the employee handed me, my decision became even more firm.

There was no need for further contemplation.

“I’ll take this one.”

***

Since we couldn’t receive the couple ring right away, after requesting initials engraving for me and Ellie and completing the payment, we exited the store.

I also received a definite answer that we could get it by next Wednesday.

“Thanks, noona.”

“If you’re thankful, help me out next time too.”

“I will. Oh, by the way, my brother is performing soon. Want to come with me to watch it?”

“I’d appreciate that.”

I expressed gratitude to my sister. If I were to explore alone, I might have found the ring my sister had told me about, but there was a chance I might not have discovered it.

Gratitude was gratitude. It felt very sincere.

Feeling that merely taking my sister subtly to my brother’s performance as a sign of gratitude was not enough, I pointed to the mart and said, “If you’re going to buy a lot, shall I help you carry it?”

“I’m going to buy a lot, and I’ll request delivery because I’m buying a lot. So it’s okay.”

Brushing off my offer lightly, my sister, Beanie, raised her hand with a warm smile and patted my head.

Despite the considerable height difference, we didn’t mind the slight imbalance since she had often patted me since I was smaller than her.

“Now, let’s go. If Alicia finds out that I’ve been with you like this, she’ll be jealous again.”

“Elly doesn’t really care about you anymore.”

“That’s a bit hurtful~ Anyway, the exams are over, so go out and play with your friends. I’ll leisurely enjoy the scenery of the liquor store.”

“Okay. Thanks, sis.”

I said goodbye to Beanie in front of the entrance to the mart and headed inside.

I had worried about whether I could choose something good today, but my concerns were resolved smoothly, much faster than I had thought, thanks to my sister.

Smiling happily, I was heading towards the stairs to go outside.

-Ring!

My smartphone in my pocket started ringing.

However, instead of immediately taking out the smartphone to check, I hesitated for a moment at the familiar faces in front of me. There were two pairs of eyes staring right through me.

It was Chaeha and Jinwoo, holding crispy donuts in their hands and glaring at me with fierce expressions.

Although I was curious about why they were here and why they were looking at me like that, I approached them with a sense of relief.

“You said you were going to the PC room, and now you’re eating donuts?”

“Hey, Lee Doyoon.”

“Huh?”

Approaching me with a friendly demeanor, Jinwoo opened his mouth with a somewhat disapproving tone.

“Who is that sister just now?”

“Sister? Oh, she’s a sister who lives in our apartment…”

“This jerk, suddenly not hanging out with Alicia. Instead, did you go to play with that sister alone?”

“No, that’s not it… Wait a minute. Did you guys happen to text Eli?”

“Of course I did. Nervous?”

“I did. It was about having fun being hunted by the elder sister of Lee Doyoon and having a pleasant conversation.”

Well, it’s one thing to fabricate, but it’s not an outright lie…

“Chaehwa, you’re a complete gossip queen.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Raising a finger in the midst, confidently speaking to Ellie, Chaehwa made me realize.

-Beep!

That’s why my phone hasn’t stopped ringing.

To think it’s gotten to this point already.