Pygmalion

“I know I didn’t have to send him abroad. The president of the salon he worked for said he could teach Jaewon to become a skilled hair designer, but… he also said that studying abroad could provide great experience for Jaewon. So how could I not send him? We still had a little bit of money left from our parents’ inheritance and insurance. And I didn’t mind moving to a smaller apartment since I was going to live alone. So it all worked out.”

When Sukyung explained, Sungwoo murmured sarcastically, 

“Wow, you’re basically a saint, aren’t you? And your brother just took off like that?”

Sukyung opened her eyes to look at him, but Sungwoo began working on her eyebrows, so she had no choice but to close them again. With a shrug, Sukyung replied, 

“No, at first he refused to go. But I insisted. I told him I didn’t get to study much, so I really hoped he would get the best opportunity I could provide for him. So he went. It seemed like he was having a hard time adapting in the new country, but I think he soon got used to everything…” 

Sukyung replied unhappily, remembering the time when Jaewon stopped sending her letters. She should’ve known then that a grown man like Jaewon didn’t need a sister like her anymore. There was a saying that boys didn’t crave family after a certain age, while girls’ desire for family grew bigger as they became older. 

Sungwoo asked,

“So until he went abroad, you two lived together?”

“We did, but we never got to spend much time together. Jaewon always left early and came home late.”

Finally, Sungwoo’s hand left her face. When Sukyung opened her eyes, she saw that her face looked much brighter in the mirror. Sungwoo explained, 

“After the primer, you need to put on the foundation. The best thing is to mix two different types of foundations, but most people only use one. That’s fine, because you can use the powder or blush to hide the imperfections later.”

Sukyung watched Sungwoo apply the foundation on her face. Suddenly feeling curious, she asked, 

“Have you always wanted to become a hair designer, Mr. Jin?”

Sungwoo smiled in amusement and replied, 

“In my days, there was no such a thing as a hair designer. You could either become a hairdresser or a barber.”

After a short hesitation, she asked, 

“How old are you?”

“How old do I look?”

Sukyung looked awkward as she watched him silently. Applying some foundation on her chin, Sungwoo grinned and guessed, 

“You’re worried I might get angry if you guess too high, aren’t you?”

“Umm…”

When she continued to hesitate, he moved onto her cheek and answered in a quiet voice,

“I’m 38.”

“Seriously?”

Sukyung’s eyes widened as she whispered, 

“You don’t look 38.”

“Of course I don’t. If I looked my age, I shouldn’t be working in this industry.”

This made sense, but Sukyung was still shocked to learn that Sungwoo was 38. Did he look so young because he wasn’t married?

Wait, was he… married? Her heart suddenly skipped a beat at the thought. Could it be that he was married and they did what they did in the lingerie store? The sudden guilt and embarrassment were overwhelming. Barely able to speak, Sukyung asked,

“You… you aren’t married, are you?”

“What if I am?”

Sungwoo must’ve noticed her face turning pale. He grinned and replied, 

“I’m not. I don’t plan on being tied to one woman for the rest of my life. Besides, I haven’t been able to find a woman who could understand what I did for my job. I have to make other women beautiful everyday, and it seems women don’t like their men doing that.”

Well, Sukyung could understand this. Whenever she thought of Jaewon touching other women’s hair and making them pretty, she felt jealous. Of course, Sukyung realized that it was Jaewon’s job, and that he wasn’t flirting with those women. But she still couldn’t help not liking it. At least, all Jaewon did was touch other girls’ hair. But Sungwoo had to dress and undress women all day. Sukyung could understand his past girlfriends not liking his job.

While doing her makeup, Sungwoo gave her a thorough lesson about different makeup techniques. Sukyung tried to memorize them all, but it wasn’t easy. By the time he applied lipstick on her lips, her head was spinning. But of course, Sukyung was pleased to see how great she looked in the mirror. Her round face now had perfect dimensions, making her look like a fashion model. 

Sungwoo ordered,

“Stick your lips out a little. Pout for me… And rub your lips up and down a little.”

The lipstick brush tickled her lips, making her giggle. Sungwoo, with a mock frown, ordered, 

“Don’t laugh. The lipstick will get smeared.”

He cleaned the edges of her lips gently before taking a step back. He watched her face a little and suddenly, he offered her his hand. When Sukyung looked at him blankly, he raised his finger to rub her lips a little. His fingers were so long and beautiful, but they felt a little rough. Sukyung vaguely thought this made sense since his main job used to be a hair designer. 

In a quiet whisper, Sungwoo murmured,

“Of course, a girl’s lips look the sexiest when the lipstick gets smeared all over it.”

“Pardon?”