FOR FASHION
Their car was already nearing Robin's hotel, so it wasn't entirely surprising that he was already waiting in front of the building. What's more surprising was the amount of luggage he's carrying. Aside from the huge suitcase, he was even carrying a big duffel bag.
"Oppa, didn't you pack too few clothes?" Haeun asked, eyeing Robin's luggage from her seat beside him. With a hint of concern, she added, "What if you run out of things to wear?"
His mother, sitting in the passenger's seat, also showed a look of worry. "I should have insisted that you bring more."
Haneul had only brought a regular-sized suitcase with him, but it was efficiently packed with sportswear, sleepwear, underwear, casual clothes, toiletries, skincare products, and an extra pair of shoes. In his previous life, he had learned from a co-worker who practiced minimalism how to fold clothes in the most space-saving way. As a result, despite the suitcase's modest size, he managed to fit everything he could possibly need.
"Mom, remember what the PD said about the place where the contestants will be staying? It has a laundry area, so there's no need to worry. I can just wash my clothes and never run out of things to wear," he assured them.
"But what if people online criticize you for wearing the same clothes repeatedly?" Haeun asked, her voice filled with concern. Then, as if a new thought struck her, she quickly added, "Actually, with Oppa's face, they probably won't even notice you're wearing the same clothes."
Haneul didn't know whether to laugh or cry at his sister's comment. It was obvious that she was complimenting him, but the way she said it was so comical that he found himself caught between amusement and embarrassment. Her earnestness, paired with the unintended humor, made the moment both endearing and ridiculous. In the end, he could only smile and pinched her sister's cheek.
"Okay, don't overthink it and just enjoy watching your brother on TV. We don't want to make Mom and Dad worry unnecessarily with all this talk."
"Mom and Dad will still worry unnecessarily no matter what," his mother suddenly chimed in.
"That's definitely true," his father agreed immediately.
Afterward, his father pulled up in front of the hotel. He stepped out and helped Robin load his luggage into the trunk. Once that was done, they both got back into the car—his father returned to the driver's seat while Robin settled into the back seat beside Haneul.
"Thank you, Uncle Hyunwoo and Aunt Eunji, for picking me up and allowing me to join you," Robin said after greeting everyone.
"Robin, I told you, there's no need for such thanks," Aunt Eunji said gently but firmly. The look she gave him clearly conveyed, 'This is only natural, so there's no need to thank us.'
"Robin Oppa, Mom's not scolding you," Haeun said with a grin. "She just means that you're like family now, so there's no need to thank us for something so small."
Haneul nodded in agreement. "It's just how Mom shows she cares."
Eunji's face turned red hearing her children obviously teasing her. She looked back and narrowed her eyes at the two. "You, brats. Aren't you having too much fun?"
"Don't get angry at the kids, honey. They're only telling the truth," Hyunwoo said with a smile.
Eunji glared at her husband. "Just drive, will you?"
Hyunwoo made a fake salute before starting the car. "Yes, ma'am."
Robin chuckled as he watched the playful exchange. He truly liked this family. Their warm welcome had a way of easing the homesickness that sometimes crept into him. Aside from that, because of his constant visit to their home, his formal speech had advanced by leaps and bounds. He mainly used it to talk to Aunt Eunji and Uncle Hyunwoo.
He had to admit, he probably wouldn't have put much effort into learning formal speech if it weren't for Haneul's reminder. Haneul had pointed out that viewers of the survival program they were participating in might misunderstand him as being disrespectful if he didn't use formal speech. Robin thought that made sense, so he diligently followed Haneul's advice.
He was very thankful for Haneul's thoughtfulness, as well as the warm, welcoming attitude of Haneul's family towards him. Yet, despite that, it sometimes made him miss his family in France even more.
Last night, knowing it would be a while before he could have another long conversation with his family due to the survival program, he spent hours talking with them—his father, stepmother, and younger brother. Afterward, he made sure to connect with his Omega father as well.
All of them, including his Alpha father, wished him good luck and assured him they would be cheering him on. His Omega father even offered to encourage his social media followers to vote for him once the survival program opened the voting to viewers. Robin respectfully declined, explaining that he wanted to succeed on his own strength, though he deeply appreciated the gesture.
Robin glanced at Haneul, who quickly smiled back at him. Yeah, he really hoped the two of them could debut together.
But before that, there was something he had been curious about ever since he got into the car. Leaning closer to Haneul, he whispered, "Haneul, why are you wearing glasses? Do you actually have bad eyesight?"
Haneul laughed awkwardly when he heard the question. How could he say that the glasses actually helped to reduce the effect of Yeomra's 'black magic'? It was also something he discovered accidentally just a few days ago.
His classmates were messing around, and one of them offered him a pair of non-prescription glasses to try on. He put them on just to humor them. When someone jokingly commented that the glasses actually toned down his 'seductive aura,' he immediately decided to buy a pair for himself. Thinking of using it during Boys Odyssey.
It wasn't that he didn't want to take advantage of the 'black magic' Yeomra had given him; he just believed it would be more impactful to save it for performances. That way, the effect would be a thousand times stronger.
Additionally, it would help people behave more naturally around him, which was for the best. After all, how could he practice properly if everyone around him kept staring?
Of course, he chose a pair of glasses that would complement his appearance, avoiding anything that might obscure his eyes or drastically change his look.
Haneul smiled at Robin and replied, "No, it's more for fashion."
Robin stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded as if agreeing that he indeed looked fashionable.