─Shopping District

@IU "I've always wanted to major in music, but I'm not really going for that career, haha. And I don't think you have a poker face. I didn't know about it until you mentioned that." Jieun said.

Naeun oh-ed and let chuckled. Of course Jieun wouldn't know it. Naeun had heard that Jieun usually doesn't pays attention to her surrounding and, well, she's always in the library. But Naeun wonders. Why didn't Jieun take the music course.

She then typed, "Why didn't you just take up the course? Well, I might understand if you don't want to go for that career."


(I am so sorry! I was busy with school and I keep forgetting to reply. >< I am really, really sorry.)

@♝ Naeun Jieun blinked and stared at the girl in surprise. She was majoring in music... something Jieun had always wanted. Well, other than regaining her title back as genuine royalty but anyway. She didn't even mind that the girl had a pokerface, she didn't even notice, actually. Maybe because she was so used to people giving her that face. Jieun wasn't the 'smiley' type either. Only to selected people she truly cared about.

"I've always wanted to major in music, but I'm not really going for that career, haha. And I don't think you have a poker face. I didn't know about it until you mentioned that."

@IU "So, Naeun, tell me about yourself." Jieun asked and Naeun averted her attention towards Jieun. She started to type before Jieun said again, "I mean, tell me anything you're comfortable with sharing, haha."

Naeun chuckled and noddded.

"Well, I'm majoring in music and, many are afraid of me because I don't speak and always have this poker face on. How about you?"

No.. Naeun was still not comfortable sharing anything personal yet...maybe someday.

@♝ Naeun Jieun saw Naeun smile a genuine smile so she turned to the direction she was smiling at. Discreetly of course. She chuckled when she saw an elderly woman sitting alone. They were so kind. She wasn't sure if they knew eachother or maybe they're just kind souls saying hello.

Their glasses of water arrived and Jieun took a sip. She had a curious and lopsided grin on her face. She tapped the table with her fingers gently. "So, Naeun, tell me about yourself." she paused afterwards.

"I mean, tell me anything you're comfortable with sharing, haha." she added, correcting her previous sentence.

@IU Naeun saw the confused glance the waiter had sent her and Jieun, and for a moment there, Naeun scoffed mentally. He was obviously new, since he doesn't know who she was.

"Oh, my dongsaeng has really bad sore throat so she can't speak well right now. Please hurry up with our order, okay?" Jieun lied, and Naeun felt grateful. The questioning look the young waiter was giving was annoying.


From the corner of her eye, Naeun saw an elderly woman, probably in her late fifties waving at her with a genuine smile, and Naeun waved back, giving her the same smile back.

@♝ Naeun Jieun smiled and nodded after reading the text. She turned to the young waiter, whom she caught smiling at her. She blinked and said Naeun's order, thanking him before he wrote it down.

The waiter looked at Jieun for a moment, filled with confusion. He glanced at Naeun's phone and gave Jieun a look of questioning.

Jieun immediately understood. He was wondering why Naeun was speaking through her cellphone. She immediately thought of an excuse.

"Oh, my dongsaeng has really bad sore throat so she can't speak well right now. Please hurry up with our order, okay?" she explained, quickly adding a request at the end. The waiter nodded and left the two girls to be alone with their thoughts.

@IU Naeun smiled and nodded, as her eyes continued to scan the menu, briefly looking through the extremely delicious looking foods served.

It's not like Naeun had never eaten all of these. She had, and well, her father made it....and since that one bite and recent visits to the doctor, Naeun stopped eating.

Naeun typed in her phone and showed it to Jieun.

"Yangnyeom Tongdak."

It was Naeun's favourite dish - it contains chicken and chicken is heaven for Naeun.

@♝ Naeun Jieun looked sadly at her poor dongsaeng, who nodded after she asked if she was still scared. Well, who wouldn't be? Jieun would be so frazzled after getting mobbed by reporters. Sometimes those people had no filters and it would be such a bother. Do they only see us kids as heirs and royals and future politicians? We're still students. She was lucky her royal side of the family was very good in… well, keeping her hidden. Plus, her mother, being a lawyer, is quite a threat to them. Naeun wasn't so lucky.

"Paranoid, I would say." Jieun nodded in agreement after reading Naeun's message.

"I understand your problem." She mumbled softly as she received a menu from one of the waiters, who was kind enough to get them water. "Just tell me what you'll order, alright? And worry about those reporters. If they come back for you, just call me on my phone." Jieun then proceeded to write her number on a small piece of paper so that Naeun could encode it on her phone.

The waiter arrived to take their orders and Jieun. "Soondobu jiggae, please." she spoke softly, asking for the soft tofu stew. She looked at Naeun, her eyes flickering from the girl to the phone. "What are you getting?"

@IU "Are you still scared?" Jieun asked and Naeun replied with a nod. She kept pulling on Jieun's wrist to an empty seat.

"Paranoid, I would say." Naeun typed in her phone and handed it to Jieun. Naeun had never like crowds in the first place - it suffocates her. And having to be bombarded with questions regarding her personal life adds on to the pressure she was facing.

A waiter came and placed the menus on the table before leaving. Naeun picked up the menu and scanned the menu, searching for something simple and nice.

But her mind lingers on a certain question that a reporter had asked, just a few moments before she was dragged into the bookstore.

'Naeun ssi. Is it true that you're an adopted child?'

She clicked her tongue and thought, "Sometimes, these reporters are so persistent I have the urge to punch them like the old days."

@♝ Naeun Jieun was greeted by the cool breeze of the outside, the breeze that she loved so much. There were reasons she took a bike to school instead of a car, this breeze was one of them. Sure, some flies had gotten into by accident because of it, but she was perfectly okay with the cons.

She didn't spot the lingering reporters who were still near the place they had mobbed her dongsaeng Naeun. She was too busy looking for food to focus. Anyways, she was confident the costume would help Naeun. No one would expect the girl to do a sudden outfit change in the bookstore, that would just be at mind-reading, genius level.

As Jieun waited for Naeun's reply to which restaurant she wanted to eat in, the girl had quickly pulled her inside the Korean one without words. As in, cellphone words. Not verbal answers of course. "Woah-" she mumbled as the sliding doors were pushed open by the younger girl before she pulled Jieun inside. "Are you still scared?"

@IU Naeun smiled back and followed Jieun behind slowly as she relaxed. Maybe...just maybe.. she could..

Naeun shook her head. 'Not now.' She thought and pushed the glasses - perched on her nose - up.

As they stepped outside, Naeun realised that there were still some reporters lingering about the place. Her whole body tensed and fearfully, Naeun held on to Jieun's wrist - ignoring her question - and pulled her to the nearest restaurant she saw.

The Korean one.

@♝ Naeun Jieun laughed at the size of the jacket on Naeun. She liked her big hoodies, they were extremely comfortable. And usually the ones she picked didn't make her look sloppy. She barely used her glasses, and she can't even use her hair tie, since her hair was cut at chin-length now. She just happened to have it in her bag, how lucky.

After Jieun's statement she spotted Naeun fumbling to get her phone. She raised an eyebrow at her, was there an emergency? What did the girl have to say? She leaned down to read the message on the phone.

"Thank you unnie."

Jieun smiled wide and nodded, unusually happy. She wasn't usually like this. 80% of the time she was quiet, not cold, just quiet and reserved. Sometimes she'd get really weird… or really kind. Like right now. She was a walking contradiction.

"You're very welcome." she replied, pushing the door open and seeing a Korean restaurant, an Italian one and a Mediterranean food place outside. "Which one?"

@IU Jieun handed Naeun her grey hoodie, her glasses and a hair tie. Naeun stared at her in complete confusion. "No one would recognize you if you put it on. They'll just think we're two bookworms coming out from the store." The elder explained.

Naeun understood and hesitantly took out her black jacket and put on the hoodie over her Boy London t-shirt. It was slightly big but it will do. Next Naeun put on the glasses and tied her hair into a ponytail.

Even though Naeun was born into a rich family, she was used to wearing clothes that are casual like this. But weirdly as much as she loves to wear casual, she also loves to wear blazers. And not forgetting her black, fingerless glove.

"Let's go. Don't be nervous. I'll keep my dongsaeng safe, okay?" Naeun nodded and stopped for awhile and fumbled for her phone.

She typed, "thank you unnie."

@♝ Naeun Jieun saw Naeun's silent, but nervous reaction so she decided to take action. This Naeun girl was very sensitive, and it was clear as day. She wondered how this girl was treated at home, it might be the reason for her personality. Yes, there were quiet people, like her, but no one she had met was this quiet.

"Um… here. Put this on." Jieun suggested, taking off her grey, and still clean, hoodie, her glasses, which she barely used, and a hair tie. "No one would really recognize you if you put it on. They'll just think we're two bookworms coming out from the store." Jieun was glad she wasn't fond of wearing high-end clothes. And if she was wearing, they'd look very casual on her. She barely wore heels. Sometimes she wore knee length dresses, but whatever she wore, she looked put-together but nowhere near stereotypically royal. She'd have to be wearing pumps and skirts and blazers for that. No.

"Let's go. Don't be so nervous. I'll keep my dongsaeng safe, okay?" she replied, smiling a little and patting Naeun's shoulder, gently leading her outside the store, where there was an abundance of restaurants.

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@IU After seeing Jieun smile, Naeun smiled back. She was extremely glad Jieun understand her and that was enough to make her feel comfortable.

"Okay, let's go out to the strip and see which restaurants seem nice enough to eat in, my treat." Naeun blinked as she followed Jieun behind, her eyes roaming outside the window, in search of reporters. She just nodded blankly, her mind completely blank and was in a state of panic - afraid of being surrounded by a large crowd again.

@♝ Naeun "I would love to, if its okay."

Jieun smiled after seeing Naeun's message on the phone. For some reason, she found it very sweet, because to Jieun, it felt like Naeun was similar to her. She kept to herself. But obviously Jieun was, in a sense, more outgoing, because she spoke. Naeun was virtually mute.

"Okay, let's go out to the strip and see which restaurants seem nice enough to eat in, my treat." she replied with a laid-back tone. She took her wrapped up book in her hand and nodded to Naeun, signalling that they could both leave the store now. Hmm, maybe Jieun should lead if Naeun was still anxious about reporters mobbing them right as they go outside.

@IU Naeun didn't know how to explain and /what/ to say about the question Jieun sunbae had asked.

"It's okay I get it." The latter suddenly quipped and brought Naeun along with her to the cashier. But Naeun kept still. The questions the reporters had brought up were ringing in her mind, refusing to leave.

"Anyways, off from sensitive topics, you wanna get something to eat? Or are you too busy? I barely hang out with the younger year students in Jeguk." Naeun snapped out of her reverie and looked up at Jieun.

Naeun pondered. Should she or should she not. In the end, Naeun decided to just agree, since there might be more reporters waiting outside. She then started to type for a few moments before showing the phone to Jieun.

"I would love to, if its okay."

@♝ Naeun Jieun nodded in understanding, after seeing Naeun's silence. She understood. She /was/ from Jeguk High, and the students in that school are blessed with fame and fortune. Some more riches than others, some more publicity than others. Especially the heirs. She actually wasn't surprised at seeing the mob of reporters, she was just surprised at Naeun's unresponsiveness to them. Not even a single "No comment." Maybe something had happened. She didn't even know Naeun's social class in the school. It was something no one really verbally acknowledged, but they knew it was there. The division between students.

"It's okay. I get it." Jieun subtly brought Naeun along with her as she walked to the cashier to buy her book. As the cashier was ringing up her purchase, Jieun turned to the girl again. "Anyways, off from sensitive topics, you wanna get something to eat? Or are you too busy? I barely hang out with the younger year students in Jeguk." she asked kindly. Having a companion would lessen the chance of reporters bothering her. Korean journalists still understood common courtesy, so they wouldn't be bothered, especially if they were eating out somewhere.

@IU Naeun looked at Jieun confusedly when the latter suddenly laughed.

"Sorry I didn't see you in the library. My sight is usually pointed down at my books." Jieun explained and Naeun chuckled. She understood. Naeun had always seen the elder reading in a table and she looked so engrossed.

"why where those, um, reporterd mobbing you?"

Naeun frozed.

"You don't have to reply."

jieun continued. Naeun blink and she didn't reply. Instead, she kept silent, not wanting to say anything.

@♝ Naeun She squinted at looked back at Naeun's phone, like usual. "Yes I do. Haha really? I know I've seen you in the library most of the time. Ah, I'm a sophomore there."

Jieun laughed out loud for not fully noticing Naeun in her school. At least she was right about Naeun being younger than her. Not noticing her that much seemed rude, but it would have been ruder if they were in the same year. Thank goodness. "Sorry, I didn't see you in the library. My sight is usually pointed down at my books." she apologized.

She found a certain book and checked her wallet quickly, glad that she had enough money on her at the time to buy it. She looked back at Naeun and asked as politely as possible, with her 'diplomat' voice. "Why were those, um, reporters mobbing you?"

"You don't have to reply."

@IU Naeun nodded her head, agreeing with Jieun. She then let out a soft chuckle, but the chuckle had an underlaying bitterness in it.

She then watch as Jieun flipped through the books. "You go to Jeguk High right? I'm sure I'm sure I've seen you before. I'm a junior there." Jieun then asked. Naeun tilted her head and started to type.

"Yes I do. Haha really? I know I've seen you in the library most of the time. Ah, I'm a sophomore there."

@♝ Naeun Jieun smiled and nodded. "Your brother must have good taste then." she answered, chuckling in her spot. She took a few steps and went near a large table filled with books on sale. Maybe she'd find something there.

She flipped through the pages of some environmental book and looked back at Naeun. "You go to Jeguk High right? I'm sure I've seen you before. I'm a junior there." she spoke kindly, looking back at the girl to see what she would type in her phone. In the beginning she thought this girl was deaf because she refused to speak, but luckily she wasn't. Maybe she had selective mutism or something. She'd find out sooner or later. But for now, textspeak will do for Jieun.

@IU Naeun noticed how Jieun looks so happy in the bookstore. 'Ah.. she must love reading books' naeun thought.

Naeun gave a small smile and started to type again. "Thank you. Ahh. Yes my brother had told me that too. I haven't read it though. Haha nah its okay."

Naeun felt bad. All this while she had been listening to people and talk through messages.. but she couldn't not matter how much she wants to speak.

@♝ Naeun Jieun looked up, she was spacing out a little. Being in bookstores does that to her, so many books and distractions that she just gets a little /too/ happy.

She looked at the girl's phone again and read it aloud. "My name is Son Naeun. And were you talking about the book Fangirl?" Jieun chuckled at the girl's pretty name. She wouldn't even hear it coming from the girl's mouth.

"Naeun, huh? Pretty name. And yes, I was talking about the book Fangirl." she replied coolly, nodding at the area where the book was. "Wasn't that the one you were looking at? I could see where your vision had gone, sorry, I'm pretty observant. Haha."

Jieun felt a little strange having a one-sided verbal conversation with this girl. It was entertaining reading phone text though, it was like talking to a human-shaped computer. Not in an insulting way, of course.

@IU Naeun was glad that the girl didn't push her regarding her inability to speak - or what her therapists would say, "post-traumatic disorder" or something along that lines.

"I got it, don't worry. I'm Lee Jieun by the way." Naeun snapped out of her thoughts as the girl introduced herself. 'Lee Jieun? Hmm.. I've heard many people saying something about her being royal but some said she was a commoner's child...' Naeun tssed. Sometimes rumours were crazy. Just like those reporters.

"Oh, I read that one. I liked, it, but I thought it ended pretty abruptly actually." Jieun said out of the blue, startling the latter. 'Huh? What did she me-Oh..is it that fangirl book?' Naeun thought. She then turned her attention to her phone, typing in her next message.

"My name is Son Naeun. And were you talking about the book Fangirl?"

@♝ Naeun Jieun blinked and nodded in understanding after seeing the girl punch in the second sentence in her phone. She had her reasons, maybe she would tell her eventually. If she wasn't comfortable now, so be it.

She sighed and glanced at the younger girl, wondering what had happened that caused her to no longer speak willingly. You'd think she didn't notice the darkening of the girl's expression after she mentioned the lack of her voice. Of course she did, she wasn't blind.

"I got it, don't worry. I'm Lee Jieun by the way." she replied kindly, nodding and crossing her arms. Jieun looked around at the bookstore awkwardly, scanning for books that she may be interested in or had already read. She spotted Naeun, at least that's what she thought the girl's name was, looking at one book she had already read through a couple of times, Fangirl. She smiled. "Oh, I read that one. I liked it, but I thought it ended pretty abruptly actually." she commented.

@IU Naeun saw the elder smile, and so she tried to give a smile. A small one. "You're welcome. Is your voice okay? Is that why you couldn't speak to the reporters?" The girl asked and Naeun couldn't help but darkened.
She had grown to hate that question - why she couldn't speak - and the darkening of her mood had became natural. However, seeing that the girl had helped her escape from the reporters, Naeun let it slide.
She turned the phone and typed again. "No. I have my reasons."
Naeun leaned against one of the bookshelf, her eyes raking over the books sold there, feeling rather interested in one book with the title "Fangirl".

@♝ Naeun Jieun watched her younger schoolmate silently as she fumbled for her phone. She looked at her curiously and wondered why she didn't just reply by speaking. Faster, and easier. She squinted and bent over a little to read the girl's message. "Yes. Thank you for helping me back there." That's what it said. She read it aloud and nodded, smiling a small smile.

"You're welcome. Is your voice okay? Is that why you couldn't speak to the reporters?" she asked, immediately assuming that this girl had drank too much of something to cause her voice to be raspy and undesirable. Jieun didn't really know, since she doesn't like meddling in the affairs of other students she didn't really know, especially if they were younger than her. It seemed a bit rude.

She looked around and nodded, satisfied with the location she chose. This was her habitat, the bookstore. Especially when she'd skip class.

"Naeun ssi!"
"Please answer us!"
The questions kept coming and Naeun could feel the need to scream. Her last bit of sanity was hanging losely by a thread. One more sensitive question, and she will go crazy.

Naeun ssi! Is it true that yo--" the reporter wasn't able to finish his sentence when suddenly a girl appeared and grabbed her hand. Naeun looked up - startled and relieved at the same time.

"Oh, there you are! Gosh, I've been looking everywhere for you. Didn't you say you were going to help your unnie--" Naeun didn't pay attention to the girl's words. Everything was blur and fuzzy for her. As she sees the girl's head nodded, Naeun just nodded back and let the girl pull her.

Naeun remembered her. She had seen her around the school, mainly at the library.

The girl then dragged her to the bookstore. "You okay kid?" She had asked the moment they stepped in the bookstore. Naeun nodded and fumbled for her phone, typing in a message. She then showed the girl the phone.

"Yes. Thank you for helping me back there."