“Will you be okay?”
Siwoo, who got out of the car, hunched his body against the fierce cold wind of early December and adjusted the handle of the carrier next to him.
Whether he’d be okay or not, it was already spilled milk. He shouldn’t have fallen for their persuasion from the start.
But it was a disaster born from their firm promise that they would never make him do something like this again, the words that at this age, if not now, he’d never get another chance, and all sorts of sweet talk combined with his own desire to tease Evan.
“If only the wind would die down a bit.”
Siwoo, who had practically boarded rather than just put on the 8cm high leather thigh-high boots, grabbed the fur jacket slipping off his shoulders with his fingertips.
If he had refused this proposal, the outfit Siwoo would have had to wear was animal pajamas. A one-piece animal pajama outfit. Would he stand on the departure photo line wearing that, or would he cross-dress?
Cross-dressing seemed better than animal pajamas, so he just said he’d cross-dress.
When watching variety shows, there were often cases of people dressing up as female characters for entertainment. So he thought it would be like that… Who knew they’d actually recreate a real female celebrity’s winter airport fashion?
He got a bit anxious and worried when he saw the long wig with thick brown waves that the youngest coordinator was holding. But they didn’t say he’d have to wear thigh-high boots. They didn’t say he’d have to wear a faux fur jacket either.
In any case, right now Siwoo was wearing black leather short shorts with thigh-high boots and a black off-shoulder knit. Finally, wearing the white faux fur jacket—which they said was the finishing touch and absolutely must not be worn properly but just draped over his shoulders—Siwoo let out a long sigh.
“Oh my, our Siwoo is really pretty. Your name is Siwoo too, so we can just call you that.”
Should there be applause? As Hyunseok meticulously fixed Siwoo’s hair blowing in the wind, an exclamation slipped from her lips, but Siwoo’s gaze just endlessly stared at the airport entrance.
Since it was an official schedule, many people had already gathered at the arrival gate where Ocean would have their photo line. From the reporters lined up to the fans, and even security guards on standby preparing for any possible incidents.
Soon, two vans with familiar license plates came into view.
“Noona, I really can’t do thiiiis… How am I supposed to get through there? This is crazy. The security guards will block me.”
“Why would they block you when you’re going with us, the staff? Here, put this on.”
Even as Siwoo put on the sunglasses she handed him, his gaze remained fixed on the van.
“Aren’t you giving me a mask?”
Judging by the sound of cheering, it seemed the members were getting out of the car. Even from this slightly distant spot, he could fully feel the barrage of flashing cameras.
“Sunglasses and a mask? Let’s just go with sunglasses. At least they need to know who you are.”
Walking with the coordinator team who urged him to hurry, Siwoo let out a deep sigh inwardly. You’re creating an issue yourself, creating one. Wearing animal pajamas and acting cute up there would probably be much better.
Either way, it was certain he’d be immortalized and circulated everywhere. Following the sound of someone calling Yechan’s name, when he heard even Evan’s name, his heart went cold.
What if the members don’t recognize me? Then I might have to take off the sunglasses myself and explain who I am. Even if others don’t, won’t Evan recognize me? His heart pounded erratically.
Contrary to Siwoo’s expectation of being stopped by the security guards, when he moved with the coordinator team, he could easily approach them.
“Siwoo?”
Myunghun, who had been close to the members, was startled when he saw the woman standing next to him. If the coordinators hadn’t been beside her, he wouldn’t have recognized who it was.
Even after all four members had gotten out and Siwoo still hadn’t appeared, people murmured and everyone kept glancing at the van.
From afar, the sound of fans calling “Siwoo!” and “Siwoo-ya!” could be heard.
At that moment, Evan’s gaze, who had been standing on the photo line, turned this way. When a smile appeared on his nearly expressionless face, Siwoo could tell he had recognized him. Soon Evan left the photo line and approached this way, and people’s gazes followed him.
“I wondered what on earth you were trying to do by going this far, but our Coco will be decorating today’s entertainment section.”
“Don’t say things like that, I’m dying of embarrassment.”
A woman standing next to Myunghun, Ocean’s main manager. And the camera flashes went off frantically at the sight of someone leaving the photo line to approach that woman, bending his upper body slightly, and the two whispering to each other. In the tremendous noise, even what Evan was saying couldn’t be heard properly.
After exchanging brief conversation, Siwoo was dumbfounded and shook his head when Evan showed his arm as if to link arms with him. Yechan, who had been watching this way along with the people, could be seen clapping and laughing loudly. The members seemed to have figured out who he was.
Unlike Evan who had whispered to him, Yechan approached with large strides and grabbed the end of Siwoo’s jacket that had slipped back loosely while walking, pulling it closed, and said as usual:
“Siwoo noona, you’re so pretty.”
Hearing Yechan’s words, Sangjun chuckled and this time he put his arm around Siwoo’s shoulders. Though Siwoo had always been smaller than them, thanks to the high heels, their eye levels were now roughly similar.
In the end, after exchanging light hugs or greetings with the members, Siwoo had to stand in the middle of the photo line awkwardly waving and posing for photos.
With Chan in front and Evan attached behind, Siwoo’s steps quickened as they entered the airport. Today, with many celebrities departing. The airport interior was in a situation where there were more people trying to photograph celebrities than people going through immigration.
Though security guards surrounded them, moving in the narrow space wasn’t easy. On top of that, the jacket draped over rather than worn properly was also a problem. In one hand he held the clutch Hyunseok had prepared for him, and with the other hand he had to constantly adjust the jacket that kept slipping.
Though they had photo time outside, people inside didn’t know who Siwoo was and confused sounds flowed out here and there. And at the hands reaching toward Siwoo as if trying to confirm who he was, Evan, who had been following behind him, finally put his arm around Siwoo’s waist and escorted him as if pulling him into his embrace.
As soon as they passed through the departure gate and entered the VIP lounge, moving to a spot where there were no people, Siwoo collapsed onto the sofa. He thought it would be okay since putting insoles in shoes due to height difference was common, but that was a miscalculation.
Women’s heels, which had a completely different sole line from putting insoles in sneakers or men’s shoes, were on another dimension.
“Ugh, my feet hurt.”
“Wow, this is really amazing. Siwoo hyung, how did you think of coming to the airport like this?”
At the words of Yechan who sat next to him and looked him over, Siwoo raised his hand and playfully tapped his head.
“Can you guys go against Hyunseok noona’s great will? It was either cross-dressing or animal pajamas, but the cross-dressing I imagined wasn’t like this. When I came to my senses, I was already like this, so what could I do?”
“But how are you going to change clothes?”
At Myunghun’s words, everyone’s gaze focused on Siwoo. At that moment, a black wool coat flew up onto Siwoo’s legs.
“I’ll have to change on the plane. There’s no space to change here anyway.”
Knowing that what covered his legs was the coat Evan had been wearing, Siwoo bit his molars hard because he felt like bursting into laughter. Hyunseok answered Myunghun’s question.
“Besides, is Siwoo going to the women’s restroom in that state? Or should he go to the men’s restroom?”
At her added remark, everyone burst into laughter. In the chaotic moment, Chan shoved his phone forward saying let’s take a selfie.
After a small commotion and taking selfies with all the members, Siwoo caught his breath and got up from his seat. He was thinking of having a cup of coffee at the self-service bar on one side of the lounge.
“How long do we wait here?”
“About 30 minutes.”
After confirming the spare time with Daehwan, Siwoo’s steps stopped as he was about to move toward the self-service bar. At the same time, a sigh flowed from Sangjun’s mouth.
Talk about timing. The wireless earphone Sangjun dropped rolled on the floor, and Siwoo had stepped on it. If it had just been sneakers it might have been safe, but it was vividly felt breaking as it was stepped on by the narrow back heel of the heels he was wearing.
“Let’s go out.”
At the voice he heard the moment Siwoo removed his foot and Sangjun’s miserably broken earphone revealed itself, Siwoo turned his head.
“Sangjun hyung, I’ll buy you earphones right away.”
Before he knew it, Siwoo was leaving the lounge with Evan. Siwoo pouted his lips at the sight of Evan giggling while looking at him.
“Stop laughing.”
“You’re pretty.”
The departure waiting area was less crowded than the airport lobby, but bustled with quite a few people. At the words that Evan and Siwoo were going out, several security guards were also moving behind them.
“If you say I’m pretty twice, you’ll burst out laughing?”
“I don’t think so.”
Seeing cameras in the hands of people coming toward them, Evan stretched out his arm to wrap around Siwoo’s waist and pulled him to his side.
“Hm?”
“People ahead. But are your feet okay? Or should we buy and wear shoes here?”
The two who entered the wireless earphone store not far from the lounge conversed comfortably.
“No. It’s terrible but I have to endure it. Why would I buy more shoes? I really respect all women who wear high heels. It’s on a different dimension from insoles. Different from pointe shoes too.”
After choosing the wireless earphones Sangjun used, the two slowly walked around the store. Siwoo, who hadn’t even gone near Evan since entering the airport being conscious of people, had forgotten again. That he should stay away from him.
He kept thinking and reminding himself, but when they were this close, at some point he would completely forget. As they browsed the store, they somehow each had a cup of coffee in their hands.
“Whoa. Amazing. Evan…”
At the exclamation from someone passing by, Siwoo smiled softly. Though he was wearing a black mask covering half his face, there was no way to hide his green eyes.
“Should I lend you my sunglasses?”
“Who’s next to him?”
Though they had passed, since it wasn’t that far a distance, they could hear exactly what they were saying.
“My friend.”
Siwoo’s eyes widened at Evan’s action of suddenly putting his arm around Siwoo’s waist while turning around and answering their words.
“…”
As if flustered, they couldn’t say any words.
“No. I’m Siwoo.”
Afraid that strange misunderstandings would fill the Evan sighting and create ridiculous dating rumors, Siwoo had to turn around abruptly, take off his sunglasses, and explain.
And that incident continued several times until they returned to the lounge. Each time they got away from people, he tried to remove Evan’s hand attached to his waist, but it was unavoidable because of Evan who played pranks with a mischievous expression.
