— kkomawo alterations & designs.

@✽ ahin l. “Oh?” Nagyung blurted out softly in surprise. She was genuinely shocked of course, no one really entered her shop just to /browse around./ People would normally enter her store just to hand her something to alter, or maybe purchase something if they already knew that she was selling and creating original designs. This woman was a first, or one of the very few who did that. “Looking around? Wow, thank you!” She couldn’t help but have her energy and creative ego boosted, since this lady probably didn’t know that she was the one who created all the original pieces on display. “Are you interested in any of them? I was…” She hesitated, before fully speaking and revealing herself, “I’m the one who made all the designs that you see on display! But most of the time I actually handle just… alterations. No one’s really taken much interest in the original pieces these days.”

@✽ nagyung l. Ahin didn’t quite know what she was up to in this building though it wouldn’t hurt to explore the fashion shop. It has been some time since she had last stepped foot into a type of store like this and the woman doesn’t recall seeing this kkomawo alterations and design location before, though she may be wrong as she’s only been in Dandelion for a few weeks? Or was it months? …she really doesn’t recall how little or long it’s been.

Enough of that, enough of getting lost in her thoughts anyways as it seems like her walking into the shop has caught a worker’s attention. “Oh—“ she muttered and glanced over at the woman who now stood at the front desk, turning her attention to the unfamiliar woman. She walked over to the other woman and greeted her back. “Hello there. Thank you. I’m simply just looking around .. though I really adore the type of work done here.. it’s all pretty.”

@✽ ahin l. With her slender fingers flipping through an old Vogue magazine she had in her collection, Nagyung sighed. Her other hand rested on the table, her fisted propping her face up as she looked idly through the glossy styled magazine pages. It was a little bored, the past two days being slow (she was terribly efficient with her alteration clients’ needs, finishing them all in one weekend) and she didn’t have much energy to do some original designs that day, even with the handful of pieces settled and possibly collecting dust in her backroom. Maybe looking at some pictures would bring back her spark of inspiration. Not that she lost it completely, it was just on pause, possibly since her mind and heart needed a bit of rest from the stress of handling the business.

The entrance bell rung, signaling that the door was opened. Nagyung of course stood up from behind the front desk, peering and looking forward to see a young woman roaming around her shop. It was curious, since the woman wasn’t directly going to Nagyung’s station, she was more of looking at the girl’s original designs displayed around the central area and racks on the side. Still, with Nagyung’s “on” energy, she spoke up, loud enough for the woman to hear her. “Hello! Welcome to Kkomawo, how may I help you?”

@✽ nagyung l. Kkomawo alterations and designs. She’s heard about this building before, a type of fashion store type that specializes in usually casual clothes but mainly also women’s cloths. It’s something, or one would say, somewhere that has caught Ahin’s eye and she’d wish to check it out whenever she had time to do so.

Today was that special day. Before heading over to her wished destination, she chose to research how it works but of course, it didn’t seem to be too complex, if any, Ahin can simply ask whoever works there or owns the shop. Enough of that, it’s time to head on out anyways while she’s still free so that’s what the woman did. She grabbed a hold of her belongings, just her purse with mainly her wallet, phone, and car keys.

She left her home after getting ready and headed out to her car, going in and beginning to drive to the location of the fashion shop. It took as much as a couple of minutes until Ahin arrived, parking in the parking lot and stepping inside after leaving the vehicle and locking it behind herself. Ahin peeked around her surroundings while she inched inside the shop. “Hmm..” she hummed, opening the front door and going in. “Woah…” she muttered and glanced around.

@✽ jaehyun l. Nagyung wasn’t very good at controlling her face, she was very expressive and easy to read. “I see…” She just stared at the new customer as if he grew an extra head. ‘What a strange dude,’ she thought to herself, shaking her head before she started inspecting the pants, feeling the fabric between her fingers.

She pushed the pile of dresses aside, flattening the pants down on the wide counter. She was unfortunately born with shorter legs than most people so she had to step back and see the full length of the pants. “Tapered at two inches, got it— huh?” She looked up from the garment and at him, as he was suddenly making conversation. Not that it was anything new to her, but normally it would take a few meetings for customers to comfortably speak to her like they were friends. “Mm hm, yes I did.” she answered casually, before pausing. “Well, not always. I did go to a university in Seoul for a few years, so I lived there at one point. Why?”

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@✽ nagyung l. He walked into the building. The small package of treats were settled on the table she told him to.

"Hm? Oh, no need to be baffled. The two cups are mine. You know me with my usual lack of sleep from my schedule handling two jobs at once. Especially the other one where death is involved."

Joshua could hardly get any shut eye the past few years after University and during those times of endless paper and almost bickering with one of the professors. They were both a stressful cycle, but he did chose to enjoy where his path threads him into.

He shook his head. "No clothes this time. I actually wanted to check in with you? I don't think it's that bad to relax with a few treats on the table now would it? Even you would want to enjoy a pastry while you design. Who knows, you might come up with a brilliant work up your sleeves." He didn't know where to start through the conversation. Bringing about the topic of a loved one's passing is a very heavy topic to delve into.

@✽ nagyung l. she doesn't remember, and probably for the best. jaehyun can't help but let out a soft chuckle as he recalls his first encounter with the girl. he still finds the way in which she had fallen face-first into the cake, hilarious. he stops laughing, remembering where he is, and most importantly, /who/ he is talking to. "sorry. just thought of something funny." jaehyun quickly adds. he decides to not bring up their first meeting, not wanting to explain the funny but awkward moment that had happened that time. he also doesn't want the girl to feel embarrassed. it was pleasant to see a familiar face in the new town, albeit that she wasn't a friend of his.

"right, the pants." he affirms, returning to his prior regular demeanor. "my dad just wants the ends tapered by about two inches or so." he looks over her face, unable to internally process how different the sober version of the latter was, compared to the intoxicated person he had seen before. it was as if it were night and day; two polar identities somehow coexisting within one petite framed body. "question, did you always live here? - in this town."

@✽ jaehyun l. The day went on like usual for Nagyung, she woke up early, washed up and had a light breakfast, all before going to her store to work at the typical hours. Her customers would come in and out, some newcomers and others being friendly regulars. One of them, a girl around her age, had come in with 4 vintage dresses, begging Nagyung for help. Of course she obliged and she’d been studying the dresses, carefully inspecting and analyzing them since they were vintage and /very/ delicate.

While checking the sleeves of the 3rd dress, a particularly long dress from the 70s, she heard someone’s throat clear within her store. She looked up from what she was doing, giving the new customer her signature smile and bowing from where she was standing. “Good morning, good morning!” she chirped, before laying the dress down delicately on the counter and sticking her arms out to receive the pants from the guy. “What needs to be done for the pan— hm?” Her head craned forward as she stared at him, clearly confused. She did not understand the context of his statement and she just nodded. “Mm hm... life is strange, I get that. So, the pants?”

@✽ joshua h. Nagyung was upstairs on the second floor of the building, loitering around the area of her sister’s photography studio, before she heard the little ‘ding’ that notified if someone entered the ground floor. She squinted at the small screen nearby, seeing only the top of the head of someone who seemed to be holding a lot more food than he should be. Where were his clothes that needed mending?

Just a tad bit confused, Nagyung rushed downstairs, the connecting flight of stairs bringing her to the front desk of Kkomawo Alterations and she managed to enter her business floor right when he, Joshua, called her name out and mentioned the food he brought. She waved him over so he’d come to the counter, gently tapping the wood so he could place the donuts and coffee on it. “Joshua, hey! Why do you have so much coffee… I can’t drink all of that you know, I’ll get palpitations—” she joked after bowing to him as a greeting. “What are you doing here?”

@✽ nagyung l. It was as if two stars had crossed and aligned itself from the path he was currently treading upon. No one, not even he would expect the trip he usually planned from the top of his head would collide with a certain business partner he work with often. Though, this time the matter was something he related to once before.

Joshua didn't ask any further, but bought simple treats of freshly baked jelly donuts on the way to the shop he knew too well of. The other hand carried three cups of coffee situated in a cardboard holder making him hold them with the box of donuts just to push the doors open. The short gasp from the air outside welcomed him in the vibrant hues coming from the various cloths and wooden brown floor boards of the shop.

"Nagyung? I come with bearing treats and a cup of hot brown morning potion."

The man took a quick look around for the woman's presence.

@✽ nagyung l. the stereo in his car turns off as he pulls the ignition, but jaehyun still continues to hum and mumble some of the song's lyrics. reaching over, he grabs the pants that are neatly folded in the front seat, before picking them up and unbuckling his seatbelt all in one motion. leaving the car, he locks it with his key fob, now holding the pairs of pants upon his one palm, as if he were delivering a box of pizzas. he then strides over to the shop's door and opens it, entering inside. remembering that his father had stated that the alteration place was actually upstairs, jaehyun spotted the flight of steps and immediately began to walk up—taking two stairs at a time.

reaching the end of the stairwell, he sees a girl by the counter, holding up a dress, particularly examining the length of the sleeves. jaehyun clears his throat, softly letting the storeowner of his presence. the girl looks up. "good morning, i just have some pants..." he trails off, studying the person's appearance. her face was so familiar. jaehyun walks closer to the counter. it's then in that close proximity that his thoughts are confirmed, his lips curving into a small grin. "wow, life is strange." he knew life had some bizarre and crazy coincidences from time to time, but the girl—her reappearance into his day was just unusual—random, unconventional and ironic. jaehyun puts the pants onto the countertop before them, wondering if she had realized yet, or if she even knew what he knew.