ㅤmall

@❛ ⚜ ₊ jisoo h. ᵇᶦᵍ ᵇᵃᵈ ʷᵒᶫᶠ chaewon heard the man's tease loud and clear, and this time, she let the smile that crept onto her face stay there a little longer. her ego was savouring the moment, for it had been craving it for a long, long time. "thank you," chaewon said, even after the man's preemptive response. "i get that a lot." a lie. it would have been true if chaewon wasn't in this world right now, but alas.

chaewon watched the man browse through the clothes, playful glint in her eye. there was no real purpose to the game, but was it a crime for a princess to want to be entertained? she raised her eyebrow as the man stopped at the black button up with the interesting details, and when he locked in his answer, chaewon couldn't help but smile.

"you are indeed correct," she said, clapping slowly. "but the item you chose before is a close second." nodding in approval, chaewon added. "i hereby approve your sense of style. it's fit for royalty."

chaewon stepped forward, her fingers grazing over the see-through sleeves of the black shirt that the man had guessed. "you must wear fancy clothes often, i presume?" she said, still looking at her number one pick. "any occasion that you're dressing for?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ jisoo h. ᵇᶦᵍ ᵇᵃᵈ ʷᵒᶫᶠ tw: mention of blood.

“Yes, yes, I’d be blind not to notice the way you dress whenever you have to accompany me around,” Seungwan’s response was idyllic and without her ever leaving her gaze from the magazine. She didn’t have to raise her head to double-check that Jisoo was, yet again, dressed and clad in thick black clothes. It was befitting for his profession, but it wouldn’t have hurt to give him something out of the norm that he could still wear.

“But,” she continued, pausing to close the magazine. “A coat wouldn’t hurt, right? After all, you would look good in it, menacingly good.”

Seungwan pushed herself off the couch and sauntered to the other side of the boutique, shuffling through the racks for something that just screamed ‘right.’ By the sixth hanger, her fingers brushed against a padded shoulder, the fabric soft yet thick in the caress of her hand and the shade — it was perfect. A smile bloomed across her lips as she held it up high, scanning it up and down before she walked back to Jisoo.

Stretching her hand right in front of the male, Seungwan smiled at Jisoo, offering him to take her hand and let himself be guided out of the seat and up on his feet. “Someone famous used to say, ‘Use seltzer water and lemon juice for blood. Or wear red, !’ Now, come, you should try it on and see how you look in front of the mirror.”

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ Though, his ears are quite wide and sensitive to the sound, Jisoo knew how to block some of what he doesn't need to listen. Instead, he feigned ignorance and pushed hangers aside to view the design of the tops displayed better. However, one of the items made him grimace at how awful it looked, swearing to never look at it's direction again.

"It's not that hard to spot a frequent shoppers face when you visit the mall a lot to run errands. Your face turned out to be quite appealing under my eye..." Jisoo turned to her direction for a moment, catching a glimpse of her before returning back to another mannequin right beside him which he used as his new attention stealer. "You're welcome by the way."

Eyebrows furrowed, he didn't quite understood the what she's playing on him. Although, he did enjoy a good challenge, especially when it's in his line of interest. Jisoo looked at her before moving to the racks and shelves before him, making a very random guess using his own taste in clothes as well.

"That black button up with two golden strips on the middle and see through sleeves looks great."

Jisoo put his best smile. Almost sounding a bit more gentle this time with her. "Did I guess right? Or did you mean the item that I chose before this?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ seungwan s. ᶜᵃˡʸᵖˢᵒ tw: slight mentions of blood.

Someone he likes?

His eyebrow raised at the statement that slipped out of not too long ago before he processed this once again. Since when has he ever met someone that he would actually sit down and come to know of? Well, aside from making a meal out of them after the first sight in the woods. It felt impossible for an assassin like him as well, to find someone that he would cherish, to settle down with after he came to fable town.

The wolf had never changed, animal or a mere human man. His heart was still mounted on a peak that rarely anyone would dare to reach from his beastly appearance and murderous intent. This heart was bare with the harsh stir of the wind and ice frosting over the edge until it finally cover its center, resembling how cold the world is for creatures just like himself.

A sigh left the man's lips before shaking his head at her direction from both the choice and the conversation topic he left behind, unable to give an affective answer back regarding the top he'll have to deal with. "Sure, whatever you choose."

His eyes were curious, almost scanning the page out of pure interest of the magazine from the corner of his eyes which she held in her hands before staring back at her, distractions now cut off loose.

"I never had a coat. We, the guys, usually just wear anything dark for reasons you probably uncovered by now." He loves fashion, but looking through them now so carelessly would lead to terrible reputations in his work hours as her bodyguard.

Black helps conceal them like a wool to be kept under the night's darkest corners. Most of his plans of killing would regularly occur in the night, where most of his targets and their guards are kept in a low for him to attack. Hiding the amount of blood splattered across their clothes wouldn't be a problem either with how dark its hue is. No one would suspect a thing, batting an eyelid or a single sniff after he washes them.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ jisoo h. ᵇᶦᵍ ᵇᵃᵈ ʷᵒᶫᶠ It was not hard to capture the tinge of annoyance in Jisoo’s voice, and that cracked a smile underneath the gentle seam of her lips, but she it in, whatever bubbling joy that was threatening to slip out seconds ago, back to where it belonged, deep down in her guts. Mayhaps, she had annoyed the man a little bit this time by making him choose something as meagre as the tops she had to pick from the line of the newest collection. “It wouldn’t hurt for you to try, and if you chose the one I didn’t like, you could give the one you chose to someone you like instead. I see that as a win-win situation for me, for you, and for the lady who’s here to help us out.”

Sending a smile at the staff, she turned her focus back on the man and moved each piece up and down — another child’s play to get the other more vexed with the ordeal.

And when Jisoo had made his choice, she turned towards the staff, letting her take them away for good. “Then, I’ll get the darker one.”

Despite the mellow music seeping through the store speakers and the quiet chattering outside, Seungwan could still hear the sound of her heels clicking against the floor tiles as she settled down on the ottoman in front of her companion. Her eyes lingered on the coffee table, the flashing and flickering of lights from the cameras caught in its reflection. And there was Jisoo’s reflection as well, dark yet bright at the same time in an explainable manner. It brought a smile to her face. Despite how nice it was to be frolicking here and there, pretending she cared about worldly things, Seungwan opted to apologize for dragging the male with her. After all, this was not necessarily in the contract they had agreed upon the day they met.

Jisoo was only there to cut the loose threads for her.

“A coat.” She repeated, pulling at the end of the corner page of the magazine on the table and flipping it open. “But you do wear them, rarely, right? Get one — something that you wouldn’t regret wearing when you have to wear it. Consider it a gift from me.”

@❛ ⚜ ₊ jisoo h. ᵇᶦᵍ ᵇᵃᵈ ʷᵒᶫᶠ chaewon immediately regretted speaking her mind so loudly, the six months spent in the human world at least gifting her some sense of social awareness. she imagined how silly it must have looked to the other shoppers, but as a princess, she held her head high despite the blood rushing into her face.

yet, there was someone who had the grace to entertain her comment, and chaewon quickly turned to face the voice who had replied to her.

of course, it would be the man with the dark, distinctive style. a man of such class would definitely have recognised a princess like herself, and chaewon was more than pleased that he had replied to her comment made to no one in particular.

"oh?" chaewon exclaimed, with a raise of an eyebrow. "i see that you have some confidence in your sense of style." she looked the man up and down pointedly, as if to give it some thought. after all, a princess should not be too quick to feed the ego of others, especially when her ego had been hungry for the past few months. "but your confidence is not unfounded," chaewon stated as matter-of-factly as she could.

chaewon scoffed at the man's light tease, but it lifted the corner of ever so slightly. it was amusing to see someone so bold. "well, i've seen many interesting things today," she said, with a fake pout for dramatic effect, "and unfortunately, you weren't one of them."

chaewon looked around the shop and hummed in thought for a while before turning back to face the man. "well, you know that i have a good eye, but i'd like to confirm your own eye for fashion." she gestured at the racks and shelves around, "why don't you tell me which of these here caught your eye?" chaewon asked, a playful glint in her eye. "let's see if they're the same as what i had in mind."

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@❛ ⚜ ₊ seungwan s. ᶜᵃˡʸᵖˢᵒ Jisoo felt his eyebrows upwards upon her new selection of tops displayed in front of his eyes.

"What if I did choose but you end up not liking my choice either?" The man challenged her while his back was slouched on the black cushions of the seat while he squinted his eyes. Maybe if he chose faster he might get a good pay and probably food at the end of the trip that she dragged him into. Positive thoughts rendered the man's head, only money and food involved. "Maybe the light pink one? You could go for the darker, but I think I might lose you easily by just staring at it on you if you wore it everyday."

It was fair to back since she does it so often during their business together. The experience made it a little less boring on his opinion if he watched her whine about every single statement he throws back.

Jisoo turned to the mob of photographers, letting out an inhuman growl at the bottom of his lips from all the flashes. He hated the attention, even if it wasn't directed on him. Though, this expression soon dispersed upon what she told him next.

"Me? A coat? You know I rarely wear those, right princess?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ jisoo h. ᵇᶦᵍ ᵇᵃᵈ ʷᵒᶫᶠ “A bit of patience,” Seungwan turned around while holding up two blouses with the same shape and style but of different shades of pink. “Could prove to be rewarding, you know. Spare me a bit more of your time, and I’ll ensure the wait is worth it. Now, do one of your ‘eenie meenie miney mo’ one last time and choose either one.”

Raising both pieces of clothing, she gave him a playful smile. Perhaps she was starting to feel bad for the man. It was understandable for him to be upset about the situation he was thrown into — after all, he was a part of a pack of wolves. They might never have thought of finding themselves in a mall, of all places. But a bit of teasing wouldn’t hurt at this point. She wanted to try to enjoy the trip too.

Coming to one of the most luxurious outlets of the clothing brand she endorsed and being photographed with the latest release were all part of the day’s job. Though, the clicking sound of cameras outside the store outlet ended up bothering her in the end. The photographers had been at it for the last hour since she arrived at the store, and she could only wish they had gotten the photos they needed.

As much as Jisoo wanted this to be over, she, too, wished for the same. Giving him a bright smile, she playfully urged him to help her decide on a piece while the staff trailed next to her. "How about we get a coat for you too next?"

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ An assortment of trousers, simple shirts, and hoodies piqued his interest. Though, it wasn’t enough for him to take and try on, given the loud designs printed on the back and front of the hoodie. Jisoo is more of a minimalistic type of person. One illustration found on the right part of the chest from a shirt would be enough for him. Even more if the colors were dark.

His ears were attentive enough to hear another voice he knew all too well. Jisoo may consider this moment as one of his breaks, but would never let his senses down, no matter where he is outside. You’ll never know who you’re up against and you can’t trust anyone. A few simple lessons he learned upon his arrival in the human world. The universe that each fable despised of which many of the humans call as their reality.

“It is. Could I interest you in giving suggestions for your own choice of shopping? I have quite the eye, you know.”

Jisoo turned to the female who spoke, crossing his arms on his chest before approaching where she stood. But far enough to give the both of them a bit of space.

“I expect to see you come by knowing you also have an eye for fashion yourself. Seen anything interesting besides me?”

He lightly .

@❛ ⚜ ₊ seungwan s. ᶜᵃˡʸᵖˢᵒ Jisoo works hard for money.

Everyone in his gang had a similar goal with him, where they’re given different tasks from their clients. These requests always involved killing and stealing, but this time, Jisoo’s brother sought a new assignment that he knew he could trust him upon. Sure, it brought a significant amount of income into their keep safe. However, the subject in mind brought the wolf greater questions circling his head. Today served as one example of it.

He rests his palm underneath his chin in boredom, dark brown eyes roaming each clothing item found the females section while he sat on the couch available. There were a series of pinks, blue, and brown on one corner which didn’t catch his interest as much as the person he accompanied with in the store.

He spent three hours waiting for the woman. According to his own set of time on his mindset, the other would beg to differ.

“Did you find something you want now?” Jisoo mumbled from his breath.

@❛ ⚜ ₊ jisoo h. ᵇᶦᵍ ᵇᵃᵈ ʷᵒᶫᶠ chaewon was, once again, at the mall.

shopping had always been an interest of hers, from back when she was still in the storybook. back then, the joy she derived from shopping was from the purchase and possession of beautiful things; now, the joy she derived was from getting a glimpse of the life she once had, and the life she now strived so hard for. although chaewon could only make a purchase every once in a while, she still enjoyed window shopping, trying on a few clothes and imagining herself wearing them out.

since chaewon couldn't always buy what she wanted, she enjoyed looking at the purchases her fellow shoppers would make. today, her target was one of the regular shoppers who had first caught her attention with his dark and bold style. out of the corner of her eye, she looked at the mannequin that the man had approached and she wished she could unsee the atrocity that was put on display for the poor, unsuspecting eyes of the population.

as a princess back in her kingdom, chaewon could always speak her mind, and others would listen, with few who would even dare to disagree. unfortunately, chaewon had yet to get rid of this habit even after 6 months.

what should have come out as a mutter under her breath, came out as a remark that was loud enough for the people around to hear. with a raise of an eyebrow, chaewon said, "that's an interesting choice."

@❛ ⚜ ₊ chaewon p. ᵖᵉᵃ ᵖʳᶦᶰᶜᵉˢˢ Finally, he could breathe out a sigh of relief.

Jisoo spot a top one day that a mannequin wore during his little missions around the mall three days ago. But since he had little time on his hands and a scant amount of income from his wallet, he didn't dare to approach and try the item on for himself. Confidence ruled the man's aura that maybe, just maybe, he would get more funds from the new client they tasked him from and swore he will comeback for the black and white, button-up shirt.

During the days forward, he would volunteer to take a job that was commissioned from his gang and set off, quickly finishing them just for the sake of gaining more money until the item would lose its stock. But he prayed that wouldn't happen. It would be such a waste of everything he has done just to get them.

Upon his entrance from the mall, Jisoo made a beeline over to find the top he eyed once. "Excuse me, but do you have a size that's large?"

He asked one of the retail assistants who came to his aid and waited until they came back. Though, this didn't stop Jisoo from venturing a little to see anything new from the hangers displayed in the area.