I am Smart

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The boy wearing an apron was busy all by himself.

He turned on the yellow light, dusted the dolls’ heads and shoulders with a duster, and wiped the shelves with a cloth.

Finally, he flipped the “CLOSE” sign on the entrance door to “OPEN.”

At exactly 12 o’clock, the door of the Doll Workshop swung open.

Lee Seo-ah, who had completed the business preparations, sighed deeply with his head down, watching the people pass by through the large glass display where the dolls were exhibited.

The boy’s name was Lee Seo-ah.

He attended middle school and managed the store on weekends in place of his mother.

For the teenage boy, his own name was a huge complex.

The shame he felt alone in the doll store at such a sensitive age was, in a way, a completely natural emotion.

He loved making dolls, but being told to attract customers alone in the workshop was a completely different story.

As he glanced through the glass display, two girls about his age were chattering happily while walking by, stealing glances at the Doll Workshop.

In an instant, Lee Seo-ah’s nerves were on edge. However, as they walked away, he gradually calmed down.

The age group he absolutely did not want to meet while alone was undoubtedly women in their 10s and 20s.

That’s just how it is for a boy at the peak of his sensitive teenage years.

Lee Seo-ah listlessly watched people through the glass display over the dolls.

Fortunately, like many workshops, while there were many onlookers, few actually entered.

As he was people-watching, he noticed—

“……?”

A woman caught his eye.

His professional habit—mixed with a healthy dose of curiosity—made him scrutinize her carefully.

She wore a black shirt that hugged her shoulders at sharp angles, while her long and beautiful curves ran smoothly from hips to ankles in tight black denim.

She perfectly embodied a casual outfit with beautiful proportions.

Even her mask was strikingly beautiful. Lee Seo-ah felt she was far prettier than a female celebrity he had once seen by chance.

Moreover, the woman’s graceful gait and eye movements hinted that she must have grown up in a good environment.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one thinking that. Many men passing by stole glances at her as they walked in front of her.

As he observed, it was evident that the men’s gazes were more blatant than he’d expected.

The woman stood calmly; perhaps she was used to it, or maybe she simply didn’t notice.

Lee Seo-ah’s heart began to beat faster.

His primitive brain spun with various fantasies.

Imagining going out to talk to her, imagining her answering with a smile.

Imagining showing her his unique talent and making her blush in surprise.

…… And then, envisioning getting her number.

“…… Phew.”

The air from his cheeks rushed out. Contrary to the heated fantasies that had made his heart race just moments ago, his expression remained utterly dry.

‘That’s impossible.’

He was far too young and shy to go out and talk to her or ask for her number.

The woman seemed to take a quick glance at the Doll Workshop before continuing on her way. Lee Seo-ah felt a twinge of disappointment.

“……?”

But suddenly, she stopped. She turned her gaze towards him.

Lee Seo-ah flinched, quickly averting his eyes to the side.

However, he soon realized she was looking at the dolls displayed between them.

“……”

Acutely aware of the woman’s gaze, Lee Seo-ah’s fingers started to twitch.

In fact, every doll displayed on the shelf in front of the glass was a creation of his. He was the ace of this workshop.

“……”

Lee Seo-ah slightly turned his head and then raised his chin again. Only then did the woman become just a silhouette to him.

He chose to ignore her as a defensive mechanism.

Getting any closer would surely cause him harm.

*

“……”

Lee Seo-ah occasionally glanced to the side. The frequency of those glances increased as time passed.

Minutes ticked by, yet the woman showed no signs of leaving. She repeatedly scanned each doll on the shelf, one by one.

Couldn’t she get bored? Lee Seo-ah thought inwardly.

He recalled a time when a guest had brought her child, who also seemed fascinated by the dolls.

Still, he decided to keep ignoring her.

*

“……”

So ten minutes passed.

The woman still hadn’t left. Now she seemed to be hooked on a brown doll on the third shelf, somehow positioning herself right in front of the display, staring at it.

‘…… That’s one of my creations.’

He felt an inner fondness but shook his head slightly.

Ultimately, Lee Seo-ah chose to ignore her once more.

*

“……”

Another ten minutes passed.

Now the woman stood almost pressed against the glass, staring expressionlessly at the doll.

“……”

The mysterious woman, now feeling closer than before, caused Lee Seo-ah to spiral into confusion.

Suddenly, a thought brushed through his mind: ‘Only the brave achieve something.’

– Creak

He jerked up and walked toward the entrance.

The woman was slightly taller than Lee Seo-ah.

He took a deep breath while spotting her through the diagonal line of the glass.

And then, he boldly threw open the entrance door.

The woman turned her head.

Their eyes met.

“Ah, um, um…”

Face to face, words failed him.

Seeing her up close made it hard to breathe.

“U-um… are you looking for something…?”

What finally escaped from Lee Seo-ah’s mouth was a voice that came out almost like a whisper.

The woman replied, “No. I was just looking around casually.”

“Excuse me?”

Lee Seo-ah stared at her in bafflement.

‘Why is she lying?’

It was evident to anyone that she was not telling the truth.

In this rare situation, he struggled to find the right words, finally managing, “You’ve been standing there for about 30 minutes.”

“Excuse me?”

The woman took out her phone from her pocket as if she couldn’t believe it.

Eventually, Lee Seo-ah noticed her eyes flickering with disbelief.

Seeing that made the corners of his mouth twitch.

He felt a bit of tension release. Lee Seo-ah gestured towards the inside of the shop.

“D-Don’t just look from outside; come in and take a look.”

“I don’t really like dolls.”

The woman shook her head.

Her expression was as blank as earlier.

“Really? But why—”

“I don’t like them. I’m just looking.”

Yet her gaze and toes showed no signs of leaving the dolls.

Witnessing that contradictory situation, Lee Seo-ah suddenly experienced a strong sense of déjà vu.

An image flashed in his mind—his younger sister.

His six-year-old sister often threw tantrums appropriate for her age.

Whenever that happened, Lee Seo-ah had his own way of handling it.

“Even if you don’t like them, please just take a look for once. It’s a request…”

A little concession and then come inside. But immediately after saying that, Lee Seo-ah regretted it.

‘That’s treating her like a kid. She’ll probably be offended, right?’

He thought of his younger sister, but he didn’t perceive the woman before him as childlike.

After hearing those words, the woman pondered briefly before saying, “…… Well, if it’s a request.”

And with that, she gracefully walked inside through the entrance that Lee Seo-ah had opened.

The tactics he used on his six-year-old sister worked surprisingly well on her too.

*

Forced to enter the Doll Workshop by the boy’s request, Moon Si-hyun looked around.

No matter where she looked—shelves, floor, ceiling—it was all just dolls.

Dolls that seemed soft and squishy to the touch, ones that tugged at her heart as she gazed at them.

Moon Si-hyun slipped on the gloves the boy had given her and surveyed the surroundings.

Her attention returned to the dolls she had just been looking at.

In particular, her eyes were drawn to a brown doll designed to combine characteristics of a bear and a puppy that she had just seen.

‘……’

Moon Si-hyun gently poked the doll’s belly. It was plush.

She even tried to stroke it lightly with the tip of her finger. The softness of its fur was felt even through the thin gloves.

Soon, she opened her hand and petted the doll’s head.

Once, no, twice wasn’t enough, so she kept petting it.

Lee Seo-ah watched her and couldn’t help but lower his head. For some reason, it felt a bit ticklish.

“Excuse me.”

At her words, Lee Seo-ah raised his head.

Moon Si-hyun held up the brown doll she was touching with both hands, showing it to him.

“How much does this one cost? Not that I’m trying to buy it, just curious.”

“All the dolls on that shelf are 30,000 won each.”

“……”

Moon Si-hyun turned the doll to face her again, meeting its eyes.

As she did this, she felt as if she might be sucked in by its bean-like eyes and nose.

But she couldn’t spend money on a doll.

‘I don’t like dolls.’

“You said you don’t like dolls, right? Then… ah! How about buying one as an experiment? If you bring it back within a week, I’ll refund you.”

It was as if Lee Seo-ah had read her mind. He had learned to speak from Moon Si-hyun’s height.

‘As an experiment.’

That word dominated Moon Si-hyun’s thoughts.

She stared vacantly at the doll in her hands.

‘Should I buy just one as an experiment?’

With that thought, she tightly grasped the doll.

She couldn’t possibly like dolls, so this would be an experiment to prove that.

Feeling content with her judgment, she nodded to herself.