4N.Unmasking Smiles and Shared Ice Creams

Nae-Yoon was partly excited, partly happy, partly nervous and partly curious about how her outing was going to turn out. It was her first time meeting So-Rak outside of college, at the mall. The anticipation and nerves she felt were new to her. She didn't quite understand why, but there was something about this outing that felt different than any other.

As she approached the mall entrance, she spotted So-Rak waiting for her. He was dressed simply, in a t-shirt and a dark jacket, and when he saw her, he gave her a friendly smile that immediately put her at ease. Maybe the reason this outing felt special was because, ever since she met him, Nae-Yoon had experienced a sense of emotional freedom that she hadn't felt in a while.

“Hey! Have you been waiting long?” Nae-Yoon asked, smoothing her hair with a nervous smile.

“Not long, don't worry.” I arrived a few minutes ago,” So-Rak replied with a slight nod. Noticing her a little tense, he added, “Everything okay? Ready for the tour?”

“Yeah, sure. I’m excited,” she replied, and with a more relaxed smile, they both began walking towards the entrance of the mall.

A Tour of the Halls and Laughter

They walked through the shops on the first floor, looking at the windows and commenting on random things. They talked about the previous class, the difficult subjects, and the unexpected questions that the teacher always seemed to enjoy throwing at them without warning. Nae-Yoon let out a light laugh remembering the moment of tension she had felt during the presentation.

“That teacher always seems to know when we are off guard,” Nae-Yoon commented, remembering how the teacher looked at them with a kind of anticipation.

“Yeah, he has like… a sixth sense for that.” —So-Rak made an exaggerated gesture of covering his eyes and pretended to speak like the professor. “And what can you tell me about this line of code that seems new, something that we don’t seem to have seen in class?”

Nae-Yoon laughed out loud, surprised at how easy it was for her to share those little moments with him. She was surprised to notice how easy it was to laugh at the most trivial things in his company.

As they continued walking, So-Rak, with an amused smile, looked at her and asked:

“Hey, and you, you're eighteen, right?”

Nae-Yoon nodded.

“Yes, and you?” she asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye, somewhat curious, since she had the feeling that he was a little older.

“I'm twenty-two,” he answered with a carefree smile.

Nae-Yoon looked at him with her eyes a little wider, surprised. It wasn't that common for her to meet someone who had been in college for so many years, especially since she thought that most of the students in her course were closer in age to hers.

“Really? You don't look it! So, how did you end up in our class? I hadn't seen you before.

"Well, before I entered this career, I was in another one for a while." So-Rak paused, looking down at the floor as if remembering something a little far away. "Getting to know this career, being in it, I realized that I like... this."

Nae-Yoon nodded silently, understanding that there was much more behind that decision. She knew that many students went through career crises, and So-Rak's sincerity in telling her made her feel that she trusted her.

"I understand... It's funny how you decided to make that change," Nae-Yoon said, smiling empathetically. "I guess that explains why I hadn't seen you in previous years. Our schedules don't match."

So-Rak nodded, and they changed the subject smoothly. As they walked around, conversations seemed to flow from one topic to another effortlessly. They came across a video game store and went inside to look at the latest titles. It was there that they discovered they shared a taste for Genshin Impact, a game they both enjoyed in their free time.

“So you play Genshin too?” Nae-Yoon said, surprised and excited at the same time.

“Yeah, it’s one of my favorites. Although… I always lack time to play. Sometimes I just log in to collect the daily rewards.” So-Rak laughed.

“I do that too. Do you have a favorite character?”

So-Rak made a thoughtful gesture and then smiled.

“I like several, but I would say Furina is one of my favorites. And you?”

“Kazuha..Dottore..I have a lot, honestly.” I love your styles, and you always seem so free… —answered Nae-Yoon, getting a little lost in the conversation as he looked at the game figures in the store.- Maybe we can play in multiplayer mode, you tell me the day and time and I'll be there

So-Rak nodded curiously, laughing lightly- No problem, and if we'll set an exact date to play... or who knows, more than 1.

They both exchanged anecdotes about their adventures in the game, from epic victories to inevitable disasters. The connection between them grew stronger with each conversation, as if the simple act of sharing those details brought them a little closer.

Ice Cream and Deeper Conversations

After a while, they bought ice cream since they had remembered that they had mentioned that along the way. They ordered their ice cream and sat at a table by the window, from where they could see people walking in the mall.

Nae-Yoon was surprised at how comfortable she felt next to him. With her friends, she always felt like she had to put on a smile, to keep her spirits up, even if she was exhausted inside. But with So-Rak, everything was different. Their smiles came naturally, and their laughter didn't need to be forced.

"It's weird..." she murmured, looking at her ice cream with a small smile.

"What's weird?" he asked, looking at her curiously.

"I don't know. It's just that..." Nae-Yoon looked up at him, realizing how sincere she was about to be. "I don't usually laugh this much or feel this calm with someone I barely know. With you, I don't feel like I have to... pretend anything."

So-Rak looked at her with an expression that denoted understanding.

"I think I understand you. Sometimes it's tiring to have to put on a version of ourselves to fit in with others." He shrugged. "But you don't have to pretend anything with me, Nae-Yoon. I don't care if we're quiet or laughing." I just like being here with you.

That comment made her feel warm inside. Maybe it was the first time someone gave her permission to be who she was, without pressure or expectations. She took a bite of her ice cream, feeling like this outing was something more special than she had imagined.

When they finished their ice creams, they began to walk back to the entrance of the mall. It was already starting to get dark, and the evening light filled the hallways with a soft glow. Nae-Yoon felt a small pang of sadness at the thought that their time together was ending.

Before saying goodbye, Nae-Yoon turned to him.

“Hey, So-Rak, I had a lot of fun today. How about we do this more often? Maybe… we could go out who knows next Friday too.” Nae-Yoon said, a little curious and somewhat nervous, but she couldn’t deny that she felt that tingle of excitement again.

So-Rak, taken by surprise, nodded with a smile, curious to know what the next outing or playing together holds for him.

“Sure! I’d love to. The truth is, I had a great time today.”

They looked at each other for a moment, both smiling sincerely, and finally, they said goodbye. Nae-Yoon began walking home, thinking about everything she had felt during the afternoon. She had discovered a side of herself that she had never explored, a Nae-Yoon who was not afraid to show herself as she was, well, a new "me" that So-Rak brought out in her.