➼ shopping district

@♡﹕ jennie kim. he saw her from a distance, pretending to be a customer that was casually browsing through the store. his hands went through the motions of looking for a particular size, but his eyes weren't looking at any of the luxurious fashion items that were displayed throughout. he was looking at her, admiring the way she worked; with passion, dealing with each and every clientele with professionalism. juyeon then turned away, actively starting to actually take the time to look through the racks and shelves of the boutique store. finding a particular wool coat he liked, he scanned through the hangers, until he found his size. taking up the particular article of clothing, he then swiftly walked to the desk.

putting the coat onto the counter gently, juyeon didn't make eye contact with her, instead, he put the small paper bag that was held in his other hand, atop of the countertop. he placed it right next to the coat he was going to purchase, before reaching into the bag and pulling out the scarf. he laid it on the wool coat, looking at them both, before casting his gaze up, looking right at jennie. "do you think the scarf goes with the coat?" juyeon asked, smiling cheekily.

@♡﹕ hong jisoo. as joohyun immersed herself in the array of accessories, her fingers delicately grazing over the glittering displays, little Iseul, wide-eyed and filled with curiosity, seized the opportunity to explore. unbeknownst to her mother, the adventurous toddler wandered off, entranced by the colorful surroundings. moments later, as joohyun turned to share a delighted discovery with her daughter, her heart skipped a beat. Iseul was nowhere in sight. panic surged through joohyun, her eyes frantically scanning the crowded mall. desperation etched across her face, she called out Iseul's name, each utterance carrying a mixture of fear and urgency. the once-familiar shopping haven transformed into a maze of uncertainty. joohyun, now in a race against time, navigated through throngs of shoppers, her eyes darting in every direction. concerned faces blurred together as she sprinted, her voice becoming more desperate with each call. "iseul !"

breathless and on the verge of tears, joohyun rounded a corner to spot a man holding a sobbing Iseul in his arms. panic morphed into relief, but a surge of protective instinct twisted her features. without a second thought, she accused the unsuspecting man, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. "let go of my daughter!" joohyun's accusatory tone cut through the air, drawing startled glances from both the man and onlookers. Iseul, sensing her mother's distress, clung tighter to the stranger, confusion etched on her tear-streaked face.

@♡﹕ park wonbin. “i told you i’m a little over the top. but i have money, and i like sharing it. what’s the point of having so much money when you don’t spend it?” she shrugged her shoulders as she spoke, taking ahold of his sleeves to secure the cuff links onto them for the final touch. once done, she took a step back, eyes giving him a final once over when he does a turn. her rosy tiers stretch to a wide smile of approval, nodding her head as she fished her black card out from her purse, passing it to the sales associate to wrap up the payment.

“you clean up good, wonbin.” she tilted her head, her eyes still not leaving his frame. when her eyes landed on his face, her brows furrowed; a sudden flashback of the little kid she once spent her summers with coming into mind. somehow… wonbin reminds him of him. what was his name again? her brother usually called him by a nickname, she can’t remember. but wonbin’s voice didn’t match what she remembered… then again, puberty changes things. ah… whatever, what are the odds? that kid looked nothing like the handsome man standing in front of her. “hmmm… he still owes me for shoving me in poop, losing my earrings. so who knows. at least he’s a good friend to my brother. i do wonder if he’s changed a little though.” once she got her card back, she turned back to him and tilted her head towards the door. “shall we go enjoy our date?”

() now i’m shortening it. ish.

@♡﹕ shin ryujin. There was nothing that grated on Wonbin more than the feeling of being indebted to someone. Growing up in the countryside, the community thrived on helping one another when the need arose. Yet, at this moment, the expensive attire felt entirely unnecessary and out of place. He emitted a disapproving hiss at the pants, that, to him, seemed far too costly for his taste. They clung tightly to his waist, as if such an expensive piece didn’t belong on him.

Wonbin recoiled slightly when Ryujin abruptly closed the distance between them. “I could find this same jacket at an H&M for a fourth of the price. Where are you going now-“ he muttered as he followed her, tugging at his sleeve. "Yeah, green's my favorite color. But, seriously, you need to stop buying me stuff, Ryu. I think this is more than enough," he cautioned, giving her a nudge on the shoulder as if he’d forgotten that she didn’t know who he was. "At this rate, you're going to spoil me completely. Is this how you treat all your companions, lavishing them with expensive gifts and dressing them up for the first date?”

The man raised his phone, checking the time as their reservation drew near. "It's almost time for our reservation. Is this country boy presentable now, madam?" he inquired, extending his arms in a sweeping 360-degree turn for the woman. “Would you have spent this much money on that farm boy from your childhood? You’re such a fu- weirdo-“ he bit his tongue to keep his usual attitude with her from slipping.

[] shortening it so I can answer faster ndndndndn

@♡﹕ alexaundra schneiderman. upon getting the address to alexa's bookstore, mingi was quick to set up a small 'thank you' surprise for her. whenever he saw her online in the app, she always seemed sweet and thus, he figured a little gift would be no harm – also hoping to motivate her and cheer her on with the news that she's planning for her bookstore. about two or three hours after they had last spoken in the app public chat, the gift arrived to her bookstore. a simple but colorful bouquet with a small note in it.

– i checked with mr florist and remembered you like orchids, right? also they match your hair... kind of ^^' these are a small thank you for always being so friendly with everyone!! keep going, i'll be cheering you on.
ps: don't mind my ugly writing pls

by: ur biggest fan and hopefully by now a friend too <3

https://64.media.tumblr.com/8114f1b008d6b8d249ab521b3495b4a4/4a1f50ce54e2f8fb-53/s1280x1920/76eaed2c2744fb500dc89929cefb8383781a93fe.png

@♡﹕ park wonbin. “mcdonald’s? i love myself a good fish burger but not today. do you know how difficult it was to get a reservation for this place? i promise you, you’re going to enjoy it!” she took a seat on the cushioned couch, leaning back as she typed away on her phone to her brother, mumbling to herself as she typed out her message. when wonbin popped his head out, she placed her phone down and beckoned him to come out from the dressing room. “why? is it bad? i’m pretty sure you’ll look good in it though.” tilting her head, she let out a short laugh. “or are you… shy?” the blush that he had earlier didn’t go unnoticed and she brought it up to tease the other.

walking over to him, she casually pulled open the curtain to reveal the outfit that he has on and tapped her feet. she was right, he looked good in it. nothing wrong with what he had on earlier, he was still handsome, but with a nice suit jacket he looked much more polished and it brought out the mature side of his features. “how do you like it?” she asked. she wondered if he has ever worn something like this in his life and she made a mental note that if the date went well, she’d get a couple more things for him. it was still important to her that he liked it. she’d charge it to her dad’s credit card anyway. it was missing something though and ryujin walked around the shop, looking for the missing piece.

“i don’t think you told me what your favourite colour was. was it green? i think i remember seeing it on your profile.” she was at the accessory section now, looking through the cuffs. there were some really nice ones and a nice pair of emerald-coloured cuffs caught her. “this one, in the emerald and the matching set in blue as a gift.” they looked too perfect to not gift her brother them as well— it’s not like wonbin and her brother are going to ever meet right? so… it’s fine if she got a couples set for them, especially with the discount on the pieces.

[post deleted by owner]

@♡﹕ shin ryujin. The younger beamed a little when his eyes met Ryujin’s, a glint of familiarity in his eyes. She remained the same, just as he had remembered her from a few years ago. Surprisingly, he didn't find her repulsive; in fact, he thought she looked rather... cute? As she approached, he took a cautious step back, still smiling and tilting his head. The look in her eyes were dangerous. "What's wrong with my-," but Wonbin's words trailed off as he finally took in his surroundings
Draped in silver and silk, their attire added a lavish touch to the already extravagant restaurant. “Oh…” he mumbled, but before he could voice another word or protest, Ryujin's firm grip on his hand had already set him in motion, trailing behind her.

“You did say that- ah-.” This woman was the same. The same little girl who often did what she want and when she wanted. It was the reason why Wonbin frequently butted heads with her so much. A bit of a brat. And now she was a brat with her own personalized Ken doll. As he was ushered into the store, he stood there awkwardly, murmuring subdued protests under his breath while gently resisting her. But when the sale’s representative presented herself, the country bumpkin straightened up and sported a practiced smile. He stayed silent. It wasn’t like he knew what to say in this situation. His gazed drifted towards ryujin who was circling him like a little piranha. A cute little piranha. A light blush warmed his cheeks as his date studied him, and he blinked when she swiftly swiped his beanie from his head.

“Stop- my bea-“ he touched his head, his jet-black hair now a disheveled mess as the shop representative firmly took his arm, guiding him toward the dressing room. Another representative trailed along, swiftly plucking items from the racks and shelves. "Are you sure this is okay? I'm perfectly fine with just McDonalds- Ryujin-!” He complained right before being pushed into the dressing room. A short while later, he peeked his head out, a slight glare cast in Ryujin's direction. "This... looks..."

@♡﹕ park wonbin. her eyes scanned around her surroundings upon receiving the message. he said he was here but where is he… her eyes fell upon a tall man who seemed to be staring at her. she should have seen him at the start; he stood out like a sore thumb. amongst the people who were dressed in semi-formal attires, was a man in sweatpants and a beanie. it was cute, sure, but it wasn’t appropriate for the venue. his face matched the one on the app, which she had open just to make sure she doesn’t forget how he looks. walking over to him, she gave him a once over before offering him a smile.

“wonbin… right?” she asked, eyes still distracted with the outfit he had on. they’d be kicked out of the restaurant at this rate. “i know this is going to sound really weird, but how about i take you shopping right now. we need you a little more… dressed up to enter the restaurant. you’re cute and all in that, but it needs work. we still have some time before the reservation expires.” without any hesitation, she reached out to grab his hand, pulling him along and down the busy street to where the luxury chains were lined up side by side. money wasn’t an issue, especially not when there’s a perfectly handsome life-sized ken doll for her to play dress up with. “i said i’ll be the first to hold your hand, didn’t i?” she laughed, trying to make conversation as she dragged him into the first store. dior— they’ll have some nice stuff for him here. she had bought a couple of outfits for her brother here in the past, it’ll fit wonbin nicely too.

a sales associate joined them and ryujin wasted no time in telling her what she needed. “i’m thinking he can keep the shirt he has on, but we’ll need some new pants and a jacket.” walking around wonbin, her gaze inquisitive as she scanned his outfits. “something fitted would look nice.” turning her attention back to her date, she reached for the beanie on his head and stuffed it into her purse for safekeeping. “now, go try them on and don’t worry about the price of anything! we have a… very good relationship with the owner.”

() i did not proof read anything rip

@♡﹕ shin ryujin. [text: shin ryujin (app)]:
I’m dressed and will be there in about 5 minutes. The bus was late!

Wonbin's gaze remained fixed on his phone, the tension evident in his clammy palms. This marked his first venture beyond the confines of the dating app, a prospect that brought a mixture of excitement and nerves. Ryujin, his best friend's sister, was no stranger, having once been the feisty adversary during a summer feud in their youth. But she appeared to have no recollection of their past encounters. To her, he might just be another random guy she had swiped right on. Needless to say, he was still a little nervous despite his outward show of confidence. He chewed on his lips as the bus neared the last stop, a ‘ding’ signaling that it was time to get off. “.. should I just go back home-“ he mumbled, fixing his beanie in the side mirror of the bus after getting off. He looked down at his outfit, nodding. Clad in Nikes, gray sweats, and a button-up shirt with a tie, he considered his outfit nice enough. He jumped when another message vibrated in his pocket.

[text: shin ryujin (app)]:
I’m heeereeeee! Walking up the steps now!

With a simple smile gracing his lips, the countryman ascended the stairs in a light jog. His Bambi-like eyes darted across the room, scanning for a familiar face in the crowd of other customers. Their curious stares didn't bother him; his only concern was finding his date. When he finally spotted Ryujin, he paused, pillowy lips parting slightly in awe.

@♡﹕ park wonbin. [text: park wonbin (app)]
- location attached -
hey! here’s the location, it’s near the shopping district so hopefully you won’t get lost! dress nice :)

she had sent the text a couple of hours ago once she managed to get a confirmation of her booking at the restaurant from an acquaintance she knew. it was a nice restaurant, with a waiting list that was way too long, but due to her family’s connections (and her own) she had managed to slide herself into a booking at the last minute. the perks of an influential family. it was a bit of an overkill, considering it was their first date. calling it a date wouldn’t quite fit it as well, maybe a get together? ah, the specifics didn’t matter honestly. she was bored, her schedule was free and it looks like her date’s was as well.

donned in a pretty pale blue dress with fine jewelry from name brands neatly sitting on her neck, she was the perfect vision of class and poise as she stood waiting for the other outside of the restaurant. she tapped away on her phone, reading a couple of messages and emails before sending another quick teasing message to her date.

[ text: park wonbin (app)]
making a lady wait? i hope i’m not getting stood up.