Look at this one!" Cyan held up a white shirt with a picture of a cat wearing a hat. "Isn't it cute?"
Lin Ling, who had been answering this type of question nonstop for the past hour, replied the same as he had the last few times.
"I'm sure it would suit you."
He tried to appear as calm as possible while responding with a smile.
"Maybe... I'll find better options." Once again, she was not convinced by his answer.
Cyan started walking around the store again, looking curiously at the clothes.
Lin Ling watched this with slight surprise.
It's as if this is something new to her...
HOURS EARLIER
Lin Ling was in the kitchen finishing putting away the groceries from the convenience store, while Cyan was taking her throat medicine and watching TV distractedly.
Realizing that Cyan wasn't going to get off the couch anytime soon, he decided to relax a little.
As a result of this action, a blush of embarrassment began to rise on his face.
I really said some things... kind of embarrassing.
Lin Ling didn't regret the things he said, but the slight embarrassment of talking about his dream so openly still affected him.
At least she's definitely better...
Lin Ling looked over at Cyan and was happy to see that she no longer had that sad expression from before. She was definitely more comfortable now.
Right...
He put his hand to his chin, thinking about something important.
How am I going to deal with the money? The money issue is going to complicate things a bit.
Lin Ling lived almost on the edge, almost all his money was spent on apartment bills, now with one more resident, expenses will increase significantly.
Maybe if I ask, Mr. Cheng will release my bonus early...
Lin Ling imagined a hypothetical scenario of him making this request to his boss, but in the end, he would only end up with a lecture and more work on his hands.
I also have some savings I can use... and now that I think about it, it's better to use the money for something right away.
Lin Ling left the kitchen with a growing sense of embarrassment about what he needed to discuss with Cyan.
Cyan was flipping through the TV channels, frustrated that there was nothing interesting to watch.
"Hey, Cyan..." She looked away from the TV and turned her attention to Lin Ling.
"I was thinking it might be better if you and I went out to buy some clothes for you..." Lin Ling spoke with a nervous tone in his voice and a slight blush on his face.
"Why?" Cyan tilted her head slightly, curious.
"W-well, it'll definitely be better for you than... wearing my clothes..." Lin Ling said the last part a little more quietly, as a result of his embarrassment.
He had forgotten that Cyan had been wearing his clothes all this time.
Cyan blinked a little after hearing that, looking at herself she realized that until now she was wearing the same clothes he had given her the night before.
Cyan lowered her head with a slight blush on her face.
Apparently, she had also forgotten that detail.
"Yeah... you're right." She replied with a nervous voice just like him.
The Queen would definitely lecture me for all this.'
Cyan imagined her friend's reaction upon discovering this detail of the situation she was currently experiencing.
BACK TO SHOPPING
Cyan was wearing Lin Ling's jacket with the hood up to hide from other people.
So far, she hadn't found anything she really liked. Everything that caught her eye, she quickly lost interest in wearing. She seemed lost.
Has she really never done this kind of thing before?
Lin Ling was lost in thought as he thought about the life Cyan had led so far.
Well, who am I to judge what to wear... I always wear-
Returning his attention to his surroundings, he realized that Cyan was no longer where she had been before.
Where did she go!?
.
.
.
.
Cyan was staring at a special section of the store, a section dedicated to her.
As part of the store's marketing, there was a large photo of her on the wall wearing a light cyan dress, with a phrase around her...
I HAVE MY OWN COLOR, WHAT'S YOURS?
It was a section with a wide variety of clothes in many different colors, but the central color featured was cyan.
Cyan pulled a strand of hair from her hood, thoughtfully twirling it around her finger.
My own color...
"Are you also a fan of Lucky Cyan?"
Cyan jumped in surprise when she heard a new voice. Turning around, she found herself face to face with one of the store clerks. She had simple short black hair and didn't look much older than Cyan, nor was she much taller.
"Y-yes... I'm a big fan..." Cyan hid her hair as best she could.
The clerk smiled broadly upon hearing this response.
"How could you not be a fan of hers? She's an incredible heroine and an even more incredible singer." The clerk had a cheerful tone in her voice.
Cyan nodded her head, trying to draw as little attention as possible.
"I hope she gets well soon... her songs have become essential to the entire city X, she brings hope to everyone, I want to hear many more of her songs in the future."
Cyan lowered her head a little when she heard that. She knew how much her fans were waiting for her. She knew that eventually they would become impatient with her absence. They would feel betrayed by her for giving up on their trust, all because of her fault.
"But..." The attendant lowered her voice and seemed more uncertain about what she was saying.
"I hope she comes back of her own free will... the fact that she probably got sick because of us makes me realize that it's not fair to her. Sometimes we act as if she's not a person; she has her limits." The attendant smiled weakly.
The clerk turned completely around to look at the image of Lucky Cyan on the store wall, looking at the photo with admiration.
"This is my way of thanking Lucky Cyan. She taught me that the color of happiness can be shared through music." She smiled happily as she remembered the good memories Lucky Cyan had brought her.
"Oh, sorry... I got a little carried away... I've just been thinking about it a lot lately." The clerk ended with a nervous laugh when she realized everything she had said.
The attendant couldn't see it, but Lucky Cyan, head lowered, felt truly happy to hear that. That was the reason she loved to sing; she wanted to show everyone how music conveys feelings.
I almost forgot...
Cyan remembered the little girl at the fan convention, the little girl who dreamed of being like her.
"I'm grateful that there are fans like you." Without realizing it, Cyan murmured this phrase to herself.
"Hm? Did you say something?" The attendant asked, turning back to Cyan.
"I-I was just thinking out loud about my favorite Lucky Cyan song..." Cyan tried to sound as natural as possible.
"Oh!" The attendant's eyes were now sparkling. "My favorite is Twilight, what's yours?"
The clerk approached Cyan, and Cyan felt anxious that she might realize who she really was.
"Well, I-"
"I FOUND YOU!"
Cyan turned toward the source of the new voice, but this time, it was a voice familiar to her.
"You scared me..." Lin Ling was gasping for breath.
"Oh, sorry, I got distracted by the store and ended up here." Cyan felt guilty.
"No, it's okay, I got distracted too." Now breathing easier, Lin Ling laughed a little at the situation.
The two didn't notice the curious look the attendant was giving them.
Oh, I see...
she giggled as she came to a conclusion about the two.
"I didn't realize you were with your boyfriend." The attendant smiled happily at them.
"Huh?" "Huh?"
Cyan, with a slight blush on her face, tried to correct the misunderstanding.
"H-he's not—"
"I'm not her boyfriend." To Cyan's surprise, Lin Ling responded before she could, with a calm expression, unfazed by the attendant's assumption.
"She's a friend I'm helping to buy new clothes." He had a sincere smile on his face.
"Oh, sorry about that. You're wearing the same clothes, so I thought-Sorry, I shouldn't make assumptions like that." The attendant bowed her head apologetically.
"It's okay, could you show her some outfits... we're having a hard time deciding." Lin Ling had already forgotten the misunderstanding.
"Sure." The attendant walked in one direction while Cyan followed her, confused by the whole scene she had just experienced.
"Is anyone around?" Cyan asked from inside a dressing room.
Lin Ling looked around to see if anyone was nearby.
"All clear."
Cyan opened the dressing room curtain to reveal the clothes she was wearing.
She was wearing a light green short-sleeved puff sleeve blouse, loose-fitting jeans rolled up at the ankles, and dark sandals with thick straps.
"What do you think?" she asked, a little embarrassed.
"It looks perfect on you, the colors really suit you," he replied with a small smile, despite the nervousness in his voice.
"Okay, I think we'll take all of them..." Lin Ling said as she inspected all the bags of clothes in his arms.
Cyan felt uncertain about it.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Hm?" Lin Ling looked back at her.
"You've already done so much for me... it's not fair for you to keep doing so much, it seems like I'm just using you—"
"Stop." Once again, Lin Ling stopped her in the midst of her worries.
"I know this may seem a little exaggerated and I can understand your concerns, but I already told you, didn't I? I'm going to help you because I can do it, I chose to do it, after all, this is the most common thing a hero does."
Cyan nodded weakly at him; she definitely wouldn't be able to change his mind.
"I've been thinking... Have you ever done this before? Like going out shopping?" Lin Ling took the opportunity to ask his this question.
"Actually... I went into a store once, but it was just to buy a pair of socks when I was homeless..."
Lin Ling nodded as he listened attentively.
"At the orphanage, I always wore what they chose for me, and when I joined DOS,They weren't much different. I even had the opportunity to ask to buy specific things for myself, but everything came to me without me knowing how it happened. I never really managed my own money earned from DOS, and my friends hardly ever had time off on the same day as me so we could take a day off just to go shopping or something."
Cyan smiled slightly as she remembered some things.
"I have to admit it was rewarding to buy some things when I was homeless. I sang, people liked it, they paid me out of gratitude, and I was able to buy something as a reward for my efforts."
Cyan remembered the time she bought a new pair of sneakers from an old man at a stall, the time she bought and ate her first hamburger. At first, that life seemed difficult to her, but when she combined what she was passionate about doing with reality, without confidence and without luck, she felt very happy with herself.
"I felt happy living in pursuit of small things." Cyan finished with a happy smile on her face.
Lin Ling had to admit Cyan had a beautiful smile.
"I can understand that feeling, small achievements are also worth remembering..."
Both remained in a comfortable silence for a few seconds, until—
"So... have you decided what you're going to buy?" The attendant from before appeared again, startling them both a little.
Cyan quickly hid in the dressing room.
Lin Ling, who was recovering from the shock, smiled as best she could.
"Yes... we'll take the ones in the bags and the one she's wearing right now."
"Okay... just head to the cashier—"
"Wait." Cyan came out of the locker room, now wearing Lin Ling's jacket with the hood up to hide.
"There's one more thing I need to buy..."
"Really? What?" Lin Ling asked with genuine doubt.
Did we forget something?
Cyan ignored Lin Ling's question and walked past him with her head down, approaching the clerk and whispering something in her ear.
The attendant's expression changed from curiosity to realization.
"Oh right, that's really important... I'll take you there."
"I'll go with you—"
"Better not." The attendant warned Lin Ling, but in a friendly tone.
He was confused by this.
"Why?"
"You know... there are certain things we use that only certain people can see..." The attendant had a small smile on her face; she wasn't saying it in a bad way.
"Only certain people can see—" Finally realizing what she meant, Lin Ling felt a slight blush rise to his cheeks.
"O-okay, I'll wait at the cash register then." Lin Ling left a little too quickly in the girls' opinion.
The clerk giggled at this scene, drawing a curious look from Cyan.
"Sorry, it's just that this kind of reaction is cute in my opinion... don't you think?"
She flashed a smug smile at Cyan.
"I-I don't know..." Cyan had her head down as she replied.
"Right..." The clerk rolled her eyes at Cyan's response.
These two are kind of weird...