The moment the elevator doors opened onto the shopping floor...
Ji-Ah froze.
Her eyes slowly traveled from one end of the enormous shopping mall to the other.
The ceiling stretched impossibly high above them, covered in warm golden lights that reflected across polished marble floors.
Every store had giant glass windows displaying perfectly dressed mannequins. Some stores smelled like fresh perfume, others like leather, coffee, or warm cinnamon pastries drifting from a nearby bakery.
People walked everywhere.
Families.
Tourists.
Couples.
Businessmen still wearing suits.
Children pulling balloons behind them.
A violinist played quietly near the center fountain, filling the mall with soft music.
Ji-Ah slowly turned in a circle. "...This place is bigger than my neighborhood."
Yoo-Na nodded solemnly. "I got lost looking at the directory."
Min-Hyuk looked at the giant digital map. "I got lost looking for the directory."
Seo-Yeon sighed. "You were standing in front of it."
"I know."
"...I was emotionally lost."
Ha-Joon checked the time on his watch. "We don't have all day."
Everyone immediately straightened.
Well...
Almost everyone.
Ji-Ah was still staring at a giant teddy bear almost twice her height inside a toy store. "...Look at him."
Ha-Joon didn't even turn around. "No."
"Please?"
"No."
"He looks lonely."
"So do your bank savings."
She puffed her cheeks. "You've changed."
"I haven't."
"You used to ignore me professionally."
"I still do."
"You answered."
"..."
Min-Hyuk snorted.
"Point for Ji-Ah."
Ha-Joon simply continued walking.
Their first stop was a premium outdoor clothing store.
Large signs hung from the ceiling.
WINTER ESSENTIALS
CANADA COLLECTION
TRAVEL READY
A sales associate welcomed them with a polite bow.
"Good afternoon."
Ha-Joon returned the greeting.
"We'll be travelling to Vancouver."
The employee smiled immediately.
"Then you'll definitely want warm layers instead of one heavy outfit. Vancouver gets cold and rainy, so thermal clothing, waterproof jackets, insulated boots, gloves, scarves, umbrellas, and moisture-resistant bags are all useful."
Ji-Ah whispered to Yoo-Na,
"...She speaks winter."
Yoo-Na nodded.
"I already miss Seoul."
The employee guided them through the store. "Thermal shirts first."
Ha-Joon nodded. "Everyone should choose at least four."
Min-Hyuk groaned. "Four?"
"You'll wear one. You'll wash one. You'll pack one."
"And the fourth?"
Ha-Joon looked at him. "...You'll lose one."
Seo-Yeon laughed quietly. "He knows you too well."
Ji-Ah wandered toward a rack of colorful sweaters.
She pulled out a cream-colored knit sweater.
Then another.
Then another.
She held all three against herself. "...They all look exactly the same."
The employee smiled. "They're different materials."
Ji-Ah blinked. "...I completely understand."
She absolutely didn't.
Ha-Joon walked over.
He glanced once. "The left one."
She looked down. "Why?"
"It suits you."
"...Just like that?"
"Yes."
She smiled. "...Okay."
She quietly put the other two back.
Several aisles away...
Min-Ji had been carefully choosing elegant coats.
She picked a beautiful white cashmere coat before walking toward Ha-Joon.
"What do you think?"
He turned politely. "It looks nice."
She smiled. "Really?"
"It fits you."
"Do you think white is better than beige?"
He looked once more. "Either works."
She nodded happily. "I'll take the white one."
"Good choice."
It wasn't cold.
It wasn't affectionate.
But it was still an answer.
Still a conversation.
Still enough to make Min-Ji smile...
Until...
Ji-Ah called from somewhere behind them.
"HA-JOOOOON!"
Half the customers turned.
Ha-Joon closed his eyes for one brief second. "...I'm here."
She came jogging toward him holding two scarves.
One blue.
One green. "I can't choose."
He looked at both. "The blue."
"You didn't even think."
"I did."
"When?"
"Before you reached me."
She stared. "...That's actually impressive."
He took the blue scarf from her.
Then quietly reached back and grabbed the green one too.
Ji-Ah blinked. "...You said blue."
"I did."
"Then why the green?"
"You'll regret leaving it."
"..."
"...I hate how right you are."
He simply placed both into the shopping basket.
Min-Ji watched the exchange silently.
Just moments ago...
She had needed to ask for his opinion.
Ji-Ah hadn't.
He had noticed her hesitation before she even spoke.
The next section...
Winter boots.
Ji-Ah picked up one boot.
Nearly dropped it. "...This weighs more than Nikki."
Min-Hyuk laughed. "Nikki would probably win."
"It feels like carrying a brick."
Ha-Joon crouched beside another shelf.
He picked up a lighter waterproof pair. "Try these."
She slipped one on.
Walked three careful steps.
"..."
"...They're actually comfortable."
"They're insulated."
"I don't know what that means."
"It keeps your feet warm."
"...Magic shoes."
"If that helps you remember."
She nodded very seriously. "Magic shoes."
Meanwhile...
Min-Ji picked out elegant leather boots.
She walked toward Ha-Joon again. "What about these?"
He looked. "They're fine."
"You don't think the heel is too high?"
"If you're comfortable walking in them."
"I am."
"Then they're fine."
Again...
Polite.
Respectful.
Composed.
The kind of answer a fiancé would give...
If he had spent most of his life hiding his emotions.
Hours passed.
Shopping baskets slowly transformed into mountains.
Thermal wear.
Wool socks.
Fleece jackets.
Down coats.
Travel hoodies.
Comfortable jeans.
Waterproof gloves.
Beanies.
Scarves.
Compact umbrellas.
Portable chargers.
Universal travel adapters.
Moisturizer.
Lip balm.
Medicine kits.
Travel organizers.
Neck pillows.
Suitcases.
At one point...
Ji-Ah found herself staring at a label.
Everything...
Was written in English.
She narrowed her eyes.
"Cot... Cott... Cotton..."
She looked at Ha-Joon. "...Why is English attacking me?"
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is."
She pointed dramatically at the tag. "The letters keep moving."
"They're staying still."
"They're dancing."
"They're printed."
She sighed dramatically. "No."
Then...
Without warning...
She switched languages.
"ภาษาอังกฤษยากมาก..."
Everyone paused.
Yoo-Na slowly turned. "...Were you just speaking Thai?"
Ji-Ah folded her arms proudly. "Nisa taught me."
Min-Hyuk blinked. "...What did you say?"
"No."
"Tell us."
"No."
"Were you insulting us?"
"...Maybe."
"Ji-Ah."
She continued speaking Thai anyway.
Yoo-Na groaned. "Stop."
Ji-Ah grinned. "No."
"I don't understand you."
"Exactly."
"Park Ji-Ah."
She laughed before sighing. "Fine."
She switched back.
Very careful English.
"My English..." She pointed at herself. "...is very, very, very baby."
Min-Hyuk burst into laughter. "You are not a language."
"I know!"
"I mean..." She scratched her head. "...My English is little."
Ha-Joon quietly corrected her. "My English is not very good."
She repeated it carefully. "My English is not very good."
He nodded once. "Better."
Her face immediately brightened. "I'M IMPROVING!"
"You are."
She looked ridiculously proud of herself.
Min-Ji couldn't help smiling a little too. "...She's strangely entertaining."
Ha-Joon glanced at Ji-Ah, who was now proudly reading random English signs aloud, getting half the words wrong but refusing to give up.
A very small smile touched his face. "...She is."
Min-Ji noticed.
The smile disappeared almost immediately.
But she had seen it.
Finally...
Checkout.
The cashier's eyes widened at the amount of shopping. "Oh. This is quite a purchase."
Ji-Ah peeked at the screen.
Then immediately looked away. "No."
Ha-Joon handed over his card.
She grabbed his sleeve. "Wait!"
He looked down. "What?"
"This is too much."
"It's fine."
"I only needed a jacket."
"You also needed boots."
"..."
"And sweaters."
"..."
"And gloves."
"..."
"And you forgot thermal wear."
"..."
"And travel adapters."
"..."
She sighed.
"...You prepared for my entire existence."
"You forgot half your packing list."
"..."
"...That's fair."
The card machine beeped.
Approved.
The cashier smiled warmly. "I hope you all enjoy Canada."
Ha-Joon nodded. "Thank you."
As the bags were packed...
He quietly reached over and picked up nearly all of Ji-Ah's.
She frowned.
"I can carry those."
"I know."
"Then..."
"They're heavy."
"I have muscles."
"I know."
She blinked.
"...You noticed?"
"You complained while carrying groceries last month."
"..."
"You remembered that?"
"You complained for twenty-three minutes."
Min-Hyuk nodded immediately.
"It was actually twenty-six."
Ji-Ah pointed accusingly.
"You timed me?"
"I was trapped in the car."
Everyone laughed.
Even Min-Ji smiled despite herself.
For just a moment...
It almost felt like a normal outing.
Almost like a family.
But deep inside...
Min-Ji couldn't ignore the quiet difference.
When she spoke...
Ha-Joon always answered.
He listened.
He was courteous.
Respectful.
Exactly as he had always been.
But when Ji-Ah spoke...
He didn't simply answer.
He noticed.
He anticipated.
He remembered tiny things she had forgotten herself.
Which scarf she'd looked at for two seconds.
Which vegetables she secretly picked out of her meals.
How long she complained when carrying groceries.
How quickly she got cold.
How terrible her English was.
How determined she was to keep trying anyway.
Those weren't the observations of a man merely fulfilling a contract.
And that realization sat heavily in Min-Ji's chest as they left the store, arms full of shopping bags, laughter echoing down the brightly lit corridor toward their next stop.