Outdoor Market

@β Tuan Mark Taemin smiled and nodded, handing over the sweet drink. He grinned and shifted the bag of banana milk more comfortably in his arms and followed the other boy. Taking a bottle for himself, he jabbed the straw in and took a long sip, sighing to himself in the sweet bliss. Ah. His love for banana milk will always be a strong one. Bouncing after the other, he questioned curiously, "So where are we going?"

@β Tuan Mark Carrying the large amount of banana milk bottles in his arms, Taemin certainly had a bit of trouble navigating his way back to the other male. Once in a while, a stray bottle would slip loose and roll away as the omega was weaving through the crowd, which prompted him to sigh in mild irritation and hunt down the runaway bottle. Eventually though, he reached Mark again and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry it took a while, these darn things keep trying to run away. Anyways, want one?" grinning, Taemin offered a banana milk to the other.

@α Jung Soo Jung Eating didn't really deter the latter from continuing to talk to him either. Yifan was beginning to get pretty tired of this act. He went out to eat by himself and was only accomplishing half of that goal. He had no interest in having company with someone else. "That's great. I'm Yifan, and I wouldn't have been able to figure it out because I have no idea who you are." He said, waving his chopsticks at the girl. Slowly, he was going from being bothered to being very annoyed. However, he was going to stand his ground and not leave the table. He had gotten there first and was going to stay there until he was finished eating.

@β Tuan Mark The omega nodded and scurried off into the crowd to buy his precious banana milk. He just couldn't live without that stuff. It was so addicting and he didn't even know why! Humming to himself, he scanned the market stands before finding what he was looking for. "Aha! On sale too. Sweetness~" he smiled to himself in victory, buying a bunch at once.

@β Tuan Mark Taemin smiled once more and nodded at the other. "Oh but first, I need to buy my banana milk. That's why I came here in the first place," he explained to the beta, "I hope that's okay with you?" Taemin really really needed his fix of banana milk before he went crazy.

@β Tuan Mark Taemin nodded at the other's words, only half listening to them. "Um...then would it be alright if I just stuck with you for the rest of the day?" he asked in a quiet voice, "I want to take some candid shots...Only if it's okay with you of course!" He scratched his head awkwardly.

@α Wu Yifan "So basically you're stuck with me. Doesn't seem so bad in my opinion." Soojung could tell the male was frustrated. She was out of ideas and really just wanted to talk normally with an old friend. The food looked good and Soojung wished she would have ordered something before she set her sights on the other male. She was tempted to pick up a tooth pick and take a piece of his food but decided against it. She wanted to keep her fingers. Instead she watched every bite he put in his mouth."It's me Soojung. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out." She laughed her posture more relaxed as she rested an elbow on the table. She expected his expression to change any moment from neutral to a smile.

@β Tuan Mark The smaller male sighed in relief and smiled up at the other again. "T-Thank you for agreeing," Taemin said meekly. He really was glad the other male agreed to his offer. He knew he would get an awesome grade in his photography class now.

@β Tuan Mark Taemin fiddled with his camera nervously and looked up at the other male. "I-I was wondering...if you'd maybe...ifyou'dliketobemyphotographyclasssubjectbecauseyou'rereallybeautifulandIhaven'tseensomeonelikeyoubefore?" he asked in one nervous breath, looking down at the ground shyly. He inwardly cursed himself for stuttering like an idiot, feeling his cheeks grow slightly warm.

@β Tuan Mark Taemin quickly snapped out of his reverie and almost ran after the guy. He knew he just had to photograph him for his class at university. Someone that beautiful doesn't just turn up everyday. When he got close to the other boy, he bit his lip and shyly tapped on the other's shoulder.

@β Tuan Mark Taemin hummed to himself and sipped his green tea latte, his precious camera slung around his neck. He had ventured to the outdoor market because his banana milk supply was running low and he could not have that happening. A banana milk-less Taemin was not a happy Taemin. Scanning the stalls, Taemin walked by before something caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks. 'Wow' Taemin thought to himself, 'he's beautiful...' Taemin openly gawked at the stranger before realizing and catching himself shyly.

@α Jung Soo Jung "I'm not letting someone ruin my day by their following me around. I feel like telling you to get lost wouldn't work anyway. Declining your offer and trying to ignore you didn't work." He said, turning his attention to his food. Yifan was going to have to try the ignoring her strategy again. He really wasn't going to leave just because someone was annoying him. He was going to do what he wanted to do. If the girl wants to leave, Yifan had no intention on stopping her.

The only good thing about this all happened to be that the food was good. It was just spicy enough and didn't give off that cheap taste of his usual microwavable meal. There was something about it that was enjoyable enough that if Yifan concentrated hard on only his food, he could ignore the fact that he was still being pestered.

@α Wu Yifan "Oh I meant my words kindly, you couldn't decipher that from such a simple statement?" She smiled sweetly once more. Knowing that she had indirectly called the male stupid. That had to annoy him to at least a minor extent. He didn't seem like the type think nothing of petty insults. "I'm not following you. You have forced me to leave or banished me from your presence. Maybe it's that you want me around? Do I intrigue you to some extent? Don't worry about telling me, you probably couldn't express it eloquently anyway." Soojung let out a laugh after her statement and waited for any type of response. She was starting to feel guilty for building so much on this 'prank', maybe he would really leave and they wouldn't cross paths again.

@α Jung Soo Jung Yifan doesn't try to be rude, he really doesn't, but sometimes it's hard not to. Like right now for instance. He doesn't understand that why out of everyone in the market, he's the only one being followed around. Why him?

"Not always. I prefer different kinds of meat." Yifan answered just so that maybe if he indulged the girl in what she wanted - or what he felt she wanted - she would go away once satisfied. It was a theory he was willing to test out if it meant that he would be left alone. It was odd. Nobody had ever been so persistent to talk to him before in the past. But it was his wolf that was running out of patience. "Do you always just find one person and decide to follow them around? For someone who just commented about my lack of kindness, calling me weak isn't exactly nice either."

@β Kim Woo Bin He felt cool for the time he had his nice meal but once it was gone, he could feel the heat radiating against his neck again. It was more uncomfortable than Yifan remembered from the trip there. Most men and women walking past him into the market had hats or something to cover the skin they didn't want to be burned on while Yifan had nothing. Yifan learned that hard way that even though werewolves heal fast, they still have to deal with burns every once and a while.

Groaning as he threw his trash away, Yifan spotted the male from inside sitting at a table with all his bags. Holding back a sigh, Yifan made his way over to the table where he saw the male sitting. When he was close enough to where the male could hear him clearly, Yifan said, "Still haven't found your way back, huh? I can help."

@α Wu Yifan Soojung sat down at the table across from the male. Smiling as if she knew she was bothering him. She started out with the intention of conversation. But seeing how her presence seemed to be a nuisance to him, she wanted to see how far she could politely push before he lost his cool. Soojung was very tactful able to guide a situation and manipulate emotions. And from their recent interactions the man seemed to be good at controlling situations and being courteous while doing so. Soojung would poke at him, annoying him progressively until he was ready to rip out and then she would remind him of their friendship and they would laugh or he would shove her out of frustration but take her number anyway and call her. It was a perfect plan.

"So do you always eat that?" Soojung asked offering a friendly smile. "I love snack foods, the stalls are the best. Buying them at the store or making it at home just isn't the same as buying it. You agree." Soojung had began her slow attack. Phase one was speaking for the other male. "You don't look like you eat well. You look weak, height isn't everything." Soojung was still wearing her smile as if she wasn't berating the man. She rocked on the balls of her feet ready to follow him if he made an attempt to excuse himself.

@β Kim Woo Bin Until he had given his order, Yifan couldn't remember who the tall male was. He nearly had to roll his eyes at himself when it finally dawned on him that the male was from his pack. He was surprised at himself that it took so long to remember. The woman taking his order had to repeat herself twice before Yifan actually responded. Luckily, he his order was easy to prepare and he got out of the shop quite quickly.

With every table taken and his meal in his hands, Yifan decided it was time to leave himself. He could sense that the beta was still around somewhere but he had a head start on leaving. Yifan wasn't sure if he was going to be able to catch up to begin with, though if they were both planning on going back home where the rest of the pack most likely should be, Yifan supposed that they would eventually meet again somehow.

Comfortably eating his meal, Yifan exited the market at the first sight of where the shops ended. The sun was out but he didn't feel too uncomfortable in the heat. In fact, the sun almost felt refreshing as he ate his cool meal. It made his outing so much better within seconds.

@β Kim Woo Bin The place he had in mind had a line. He supposed that even human noses could pick up how good the food smelled. In line, the people in front of him weren't really moving. Tables were filled with people and it looked like the owners were rushing to get the food prepared within a timely manner. It gave Yifan a rush of normalcy that he hadn't felt in a while. He was feeling normal - a brand that was taken away from him the first time he was followed by a hunter.

From behind, he heard and felt himself be addressed. When he turned around Yifan was surprised to be face to face with a male of similar height of his own. (He had gotten used to towering over the average Korean.) "It's an outdoor market, can't you just retrace your steps? As long as you get outside, you could always walk around the perimeter until you find the direction you came from." With a slight crinkle of his nose, Yifan realized this male was a wolf as well. "Follow the scent if you get lost."

@α Jung Soo Jung His wolf was now on edge, wondering why this girl who smelled so clearly like a wolf, was persistent about talking to him. The only reason he was being standoffish was because it made him feel uncomfortable. The touching - though Yifan had always considered himself to be pretty tactile with his packmates - was not something Yifan liked. He felt as if the scent of another wolf was what was making him uncomfortable. The smell was so unfamiliar, so odd, that Yifan couldn't bring himself to look forward to his meal.

"I don't usually let people I don't know touch me. It's called personal space." Yifan faked a grin, taking his wrist back completely. It was easy since he wasn't being held onto very securely. "It doesn't matter. If you're trying to be kind, when I decline, you should probably just understand that I've declined." He heard the old woman behind him, calling for him with his meal in her hands. Although he didn't want to turn his back on the latter, he wanted his food. If the girl already thought he was rude, turning his back on her shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

"Thank you," he said kindly, smiling genuinely this time for the old woman. She looked like she was about to say something but was called over by another customer, whisked away by another conversation. Yifan, pleased with the way his meal smelled, ignored who was behind him to move to the table he had spotted earlier, groaning when he felt the scent still lingering behind.

@β Kim Woo Bin It wasn't often that Yifan traveled outside his own territory but there came times when the mountains was too boring to linger around anymore. The markets had just enough people that he would be hard to notice. He would be just another person in the crowd. Of course his wolf didn't enjoy the numerous unfamiliar scents but he himself didn't mind it at all. It was almost a calming factor to observe other people - maybe some other wolves - all around him.

Breathing in deep, Yifan rubbed his hands together before tucking them away into his pockets. His eyes had wandered to a small stand selling food. It smelled so good for typical human food. His wolf liked the taste of raw foo, food he could hunt in the woods though Yifan preferred otherwise. Avoiding contact with other people, Yifan weaved through a small crowd, gradually making his way to his destination.

@α Wu Yifan Soojung was growing annoyed and her wolf didn't like being brushed off repeatedly. Her friendly smile was starting to turn into a grimace. Even if he didn't remember her he was being unnecessarily standoff-ish. In their youth he was friendly, that was the reason they had met because he had spoken and played with her even though she was a stranger. Now it seemed as if anyone he didn't know automatically turned into an enemy. She wondered what had occurred that made him so guarded.

"What made you so adverse to the kindness of strangers?" Soojung asked bluntly. Being kind didn't work so Soojung would try other methods. Male wolves received immense kindness and respect so maybe a bit of disregard for status would force him to acknowledge her either negatively or positively. "I can assure you that I have no ill intent." Soojung added. She bit her lip nervously even though a moment ago she had been bursting with annoyance, her heart would drop if he told her to get lost but she would do so. At least her curiosity about what had happened to her old friend would be satisfied. Even if her want to rekindle the friendship wouldn't be.

@α Jung Soo Jung Wondering why the girl hadn't left him yet, Yifan just nodded. He didn't make a move to shake her hand though. Instead, Yifan's expression remained the same as he sensed she was a werewolf as well. He was a bit surprised at the fact but he wasn't going to act on it in the middle of a crowd in an open market. The last thing Yifan wanted on his one day out was to be recognized and cause trouble of some sort. "Yifan," he answered finally, though his tone was a bit short. He turned, keeping one eye on the girl while he listened in on the woman making his meal. He was secretly wishing that the food would be made quicker so he could take it and leave.

Of course things weren't going to go that way. Looking down he saw slim fingers wrapped around his wrist. He naturally jerked slightly, but not enough to wrench his wrist from the latter's grip. "No, thank you. I'd rather just sit down and eat." Yifan flashed a quick smile that was more courteous than genuine. He wasn't quite sure why the girl was persisting on staying near him. The name Soojung didn't ring a bell either. Nothing about the girl was familiar yet she was still there as if she was trying to get Yifan to remember who she is. While some might not mind it, part of Yifan was finding it to be annoying. His wolf whined, wanting him to be more patient, but it was hard and he was hungry.

His little outing to get food and go home was going nothing like he had planned.

@α Wu Yifan "I'm Soojung." Soojung said extending her hand to the male. She smiled friendly, not ready to give up on getting his attention yet. She had already made an odd if not bad impression and figured giving him a name to place along side her peculiar nature would help him remember her if they met again. She was surprised he didn't know her position, but maybe he had been consumed with his own pack and hadn't bothered to search for his old friend. Soojung thought it would be better that way, no pressure or need to live up to expectations with him. She realized that the stall worker was preparing a meal for him and he would probably be off after receiving the food.

"I've wasted quite a bit of your time, allow me to buy you a drink to go with your meal. There is a convenience store near here." Soojung gripped his wrist nodding toward the direction of store. Pulling away quickly when she realized she was once again being too friendly. She glanced around awkwardly avoiding his gaze, and waiting for a reply. She didn't feel like the lead alpha at that moment,but rather like a silly girl too eager to impress. She took a deep breath deciding that her behavior would change if he said 'no' she would wish him a good evening and hoped they met again. Next time she would definitely make a good impression.

@α Jung Soo Jung Yifan was never the kind of person who liked to be approached. He liked to take first action where he knew and had thought out what would happen and where it would take place. This was not something he planned and he knew for sure that this girl was unfamiliar to him. Yifan had never been good with remembering faces as well as he is with names and scents. It stumped him that the girl was spoke to him at first with such familiarity before using a more distant way of addressing him.

"No, that's alright. I don't really like sea food." Yifan shook his head, glancing over his shoulder to see if he could spot the person the girl was supposedly speaking about. He saw nobody. "I'm more of a meat person. Seafood doesn't really do it for me, thanks." He gave a weak smile, backing away to see the old lady finally come his way to take his order. Digging through his pocket, he managed to pull out a few crumpled bills as he gave his order. Happily, the old woman grinned at him, took the money and went to go prepare his meal.

@α Wu Yifan Soojung stepped back when the man spoke to her, blinking a few times shocked by his cold tone. She wasn't used to being addressed in such a way. But her past affection for him over shadowed her want to snarl and growl at the disrespect he was showing. Maybe he had forgotten about her, a handsome male alpha was likely to come across many people all vying for a spot in his memories. She didn't mind if he didn't initially remember her, because she was sure it would all come back to him if they spent a bit of time together. She didn't want to create false memories for him so Soojung decided to pretend to be stranger and wait until he realized it was her. It seemed like a decent plan.

"Oh sorry sir, I was talking to one of the stall workers behind you. But since I have your attention anyway, would you like to share a meal?" It was odd to ask and Soojung couldn't help but bite her lip nervously waiting for a response. If she had been asked the same question she would have rejected politely. "It's just the seafood is really good and you don't look like you're from around here. Want you to have a good impression of the area." She added, hoping that she hadn't made him any less likely to say yes.

@α Jung Soo Jung The woman that was serving kimchi and rice smiled when she spotted him, making a gesture that said, "I'll be right with you." He was a bit nervous since it was the first time in months that he chose to treat himself like this. The time spent in the city - not in the lonely mountains - was so familiar but at the same time, whatever experience he had felt like a distant memory.

Vaguely he could sense people moving around him from behind. Scanning the few tables for customers, Yifan noticed that all of them were taken so he remained standing. Even if a stranger didn't mind him sitting with him, he wasn't sure if he wanted to get too close.

Ears perking, Yifan heard someone say something to him. His brows naturally furrowed before he could control his response. The girl speaking to him didn't seem familiar but she was speaking to him as if they knew each other from somewhere. "Can I help you?" he asked, skipping a greeting altogether. The unfamiliar scent and appearance made Yifan confused.

@α Wu Yifan When Soojung reached him she naturally extended a hand to touch his face. Gasping at the thought that it could actually be him. She thought of all the time she spent with him as a child, when her life was simple. Running and wrestling and behaving freely. The thought of those times causing a comforted feeling to spread through her chest. His eyes were different now, something cold and guarded in them but she didn't care. She withdrew her hand quickly, recognizing that even though she instantly knew who he was, he would probably have to spend a few moments trying to identify her. "Hello." She spoke gently. She looked at him, his once boyish face hidden under maturity, sharp jaw and drawn mouth. He looked different than she imagined he did sometimes. Somehow his appearance was more worn than she would have thought it would be. But it didn't matter she was just happy to have his presence again.

@α Jung Soo Jung As much as he felt at home in a place where so many others were around him, Yifan couldn't get comfortable. Too many distracting smells and sounds around him unnerved Yifan more than it used to. It was disturbing. No only that but it wasn't very hard to spot him in a crowd of people. A few people matched his height but not that many where he could get away if something were to happen. Yifan sniffed the air, attracted by the familiar scent of his favorite food. From what he brought with him, he estimated that he had just enough money on him to eat something.

Not detecting any kind of danger, the scent of anything that would make his wolf uncomfortable, Yifan moved on. A few people moved past him in the opposite direction, making it seem like Yifan was going against the crowd. A shorter woman serving kimchi with bowls of rice caught his eye, causing him to stop short. For the past few months he wasn't eating like an animal, but at the realization that he hadn't eaten some of his favorite foods for some time now made him realize that it was possible that he was.

Soojung had visited the outdoor market alone in the evening. She didn't like to roam around the forest to reflect, it always had an eerily feeling to here. Forcing her to recall what she had done years ago. The market was crowded and exciting it distracted her from reaching those dark places in her mind and allowed her just to sort through what she needed. She received a few stares, wolves who recognized her and humans who were curious about her. She never focused on their attention, but when she turned around and met with a pair of familiar eyes she gasped dropping her purchases. Without a second thought she approached the figure eyes wide in disbelief. She stared at him silently, as if experiencing something wonderful. The market had fell into a hushed whisper after her actions. But Soojung was in reverie.