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@Nam Dongju "Wow, that's coincidental," Christian mused as they made their way away from the booth. He was confused when Dongju snatched the card in his hand away, scrutinizing both the pictures as if they could carry any hidden flaws. Since his hand was free, Christian pulled out his phone to do a quick search of the group at hand, discovering that they were a top-star duo that debuted five years ago. "Well would'ya look at that," he chuckled, showing the screen to Dongju, "We really did pick one each. They're under DSF. I'm not even into the latest news, but everyone's heard of how that company is barely holding on. Guess these are the guys keeping them afloat." Once his card was handed back to him, Christian chuckled and pocketed Yibo. "My guy looks really fierce. I like that." Eyeballing the rest of the convention that had yet to be explored, Christian agreed readily, "Then we should get going soon. The ride home will be long again with more traffic."

@Christian Yu Fanmade? Not even official? Dongju pressed his lips together, but he accepted it with a clipped smile. "Thanks. We'll, uh, look into it." They took a few steps away, away from the eye- and earshot of the booth girl, and Dongju took Christian's photocard to examine carefully. They were both good looking, but Dongju still preferred how kind and harmless Baekhyun looked. He handed Yibo back to Christian. "That's yours." Before Christian could take it, though, Dongju snatched it back with a suspicious leer. Why didn't Christian pick from the stack of girls' photocards the booth girl offered them? Suspicious—suspicious indeed. Dongju eyed him up and down before slowly handing it back to him. "Then. Let's see the rest of this convention. It's getting late."

@Nam Dongju Christian didn't expect to be looped into the photocard choosing either. Most people would take one look at him and assume that he wasn't going to be interested in the hallyu wave, but it seemed this girl was more open-minded than the others. Since Dongju was already glancing at the boy photocards, there was no reason to ask the girl to put her fanned out stack away and take out the girl groups instead. So, Christian scanned the many different cards and saw one that had a different idol in it. "Hm...he looks pretty cool," he said, picking out his card of choice, "Thanks darling."

"Oh! Fellow Vision fans! 20/20 is a really hot group right now huh? I really like Yibo too!" the girl chirped, collapsing her cards back together into one stack and putting them down. "So since you chose Baekhyun," she said to Dongju, "and you chose Yibo," she said to Christian, "I'm going to give you a fanmade printout of them!" She reached into her binder and pulled out a card, slightly bigger than the two small photocards combined, "And on the back is our kpop fanclub website and email address! We do lots of fun pop-ups and trading card events. You can also buy and sell merch with other collectors. If you could subscribe to our newsletter, we'd really appreciate it!"

@Christian Yu Dongju studied his photocard a little closer once it was gifted to him. Lori had no use for something like this, even if the boy on the card was, in that girl's words, a cutie. Dongju liked these kind of looks. They weren't threatening or scary, and they looked kind and sincere. He pocketed it, glaring at Christian from the side when the older tried to peek. The girl at the booth glanced between them, and a knowing smile appeared on her face. She held out her stack to Christian, fanning them out slightly so he could take a good look at all of them. "What about you, ahjussi? Do you want one too?"

@Nam Dongju “Oh! That’s so nice to have a boy who’s into the boy groups!” The girl chirped. She was decked out in merchandise from head to toe, with clips and lanyard buttons all the way to her leather boots that were probably a replica of her favorite idol's. “It’s refreshing since they usually look for the girl group cards,” she chuckled, picking out the card that Dongju pointed at, “So you like Baekhyun huh? He’s a cutie. Here ya go!”

From behind Dongju, Christian had a hand over his mouth, snickering to himself. This was a show that he didn’t expect, but was enjoying thoroughly. He peered at the card Dongju chose, giving it a little nod. “Not bad taste,” he commented once the girl finished her bit.

@Christian Yu "What's a bias?" Dongju asked before immediately regretting his words. He sounded like a freaking idiot. Of course he knew what a bias was. His little cousins talked about listening to this and to that all the time, and this little girl before him was asking some familiar questions. "Oh, mine is... um... this guy." He pointed at the most pleasing one, though to be frank, he didn't have much interest in judging attraction or paying any particular attraction to how someone looked, unless it was how ugly Christian looked with all those tattoos. "Are you going to give that to me?"

@Nam Dongju "That's one of the major selling points of the fair," Christian explained to Dongju, "Even if you're not a fan of the stuff, we should at least see what the hype is about." Christian didn't listen to pop culture music all too often, but at least the flyer had been right about having freebies. As they reached the center of the kpop arena, he noticed a few tables set up in the middle and there were stacks of binders piled up on the table, presumably with photocards inside. "I guess we start there," he said, bringing Dongju up to get a freebie.

The moment one of the girls working the booth noticed them walking up, she smiled and waved, "Hi! Who's your bias?"

@Christian Yu Dongju made a face of disgust, and he did not bother to hide it this time. "The k-pop stuff? You like that?" Still, he let Christian lead the way. Free things should never be turned down, and they could always turn out to be something that Lori could use. There were a lot of girls swarming the entertainment area, all dressed up to the nines and carrying at least three plushies each along with an assortment of cards dangling from their bags. Dongju, not being able to stomach if Lori was trampled by one of these girls, picked her up again. "Where the free stuff?"

@Nam Dongju Christian couldn't help but chuckle at Dongju's sudden burst of consideration. "You know darling, I don't need a new tattoo right now," he said with a grin, "I've no open place on my body to get a tattoo in such a public location like this," he added, resting his flattened palm against his chest. He patted Dongju's shoulder reassuringly, though the younger's resistance to the idea of tattoos only made Christian want to give him one even more. Perhaps in the future, they'd get there. "Besides, there's so much more to see here. How about we head over to the other side where all the...Hallyu Wave merchandise is? The advertisement flyers said something about free giveaways in that area."

@Christian Yu Dongju could /not/ stop grimacing whenever he saw the atrocities being committed in the tattooing area. It was to the point Christian noticed and graciously decided to let them leave, but Dongju was a kind person, so even if it was Christian, he couldn't help the regret that welled up inside him. "But we came all this way, and you barely got to see anything," he said, glancing out at the vast display before them. He picked Lori up and cradled her so that she wouldn't get in the way. "Let's go see the rest of it. Get a tattoo if you want. I don't mind. I just... I'll just look at the ceiling."

@Nam Dongju Christian was pleased that his first conversation was with none other than the seasoned tattoo artist Cream, who had a gentle demeanor and spoke very fondly of all his clientele's designs. As they briefly shared stories about how they each began their tattooing journey, they seemed to connect over Christian's belief that, "It's all about the stories people want to tell on their skin. Each tattoo is a piece of their life, a moment they want to capture forever." Cream had deftly wrapped cinch wrap over his client's freshly-inked tattoo, and with his free hand, held out his phone to exchange contact numbers with Christian.

A while later, as Cream was showing Christian a particularly detailed piece he had done for a client, Dongju reappeared, standing awkwardly beside him. Realizing that the younger was probably waiting on him and losing patience quickly, Christian decided to wrap up the conversation. "It was great to meet you man, let's connect again. Thanks for sharing your insights," he said with a smile. "I'm going to head out now." He looked over at Dongju, chuckling, "I don't think my friend here can handle it for much longer."

@Christian Yu Despite being given instructions to wait, Dongju followed Christian. He wasn't a dog or a child, and he was allowed to go wherever he wished, obviously. Christian, ever the chatterbox, struck up a conversation with the tattoo artist immediately, while Dongju hung back and watched the artist in the next chair work on a smaller, less abrasive pattern on a client's forearm. There wasn't any blood here, so Dongju was fine with watching, but it didn't change his opinion in any way. He still couldn't understand why people chose to do something so permanent. What if they changed their minds afterward? He couldn't help the face he made, which probably did not go unnoticed by the client in the chair since he shot Dongju a stink eye, sending Dongju right back to Christian's side.

@Nam Dongju "Woah, aren't we fussy?" Christian noted when Dongju /stomped/ his foot on the ground. He never thought he'd see a grown man do that. Though on second thought, Dongju could barely be considered an adult, so he supposed he shouldn't have been that surprised. Once they removed the tags on Lori's dress though, Dongju's spirits were lifted once more, giving him just enough sass to diss the tattoo artists again. Rubbing the back of his reddened hand, Christian shook his head and sighed, "Lori isn't as squealish as you are, so don't go putting ideas in her head now." They made their way back down the aisles they passed earlier. Though the tattoo artists were still busy, Christian felt that it was a better time to converse with them now, since there were less people gathered around. "Wait here," he told Dongju, slipping into the tent to greet one of the young men who was wrapping up a design on his customer.

@Christian Yu Dongju could only huff and stamp his foot. He had wanted to buy the gorgeous dress for Lori! Why did Christian have to steal the spotlight? Lori was technically his dog—he had all the time in the world to buy outfits for her. As soon as the dress was paid for, Dongju asked for a pair of scissors from the stall owner to remove the tags, and that was how Lori was going to walk around for the rest of the day. Absolutely splendid. Dongju clasped his hands together and cooed, "Who's a perfect princess? Lori is, of course. Now we have to go see your appa's body mutilation thingie. Are you ready? Make sure to stay close so blood doesn't splash on your new dress."

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@Nam Dongju "Who said anything about my shop doing poorly?" Christian asked, laughing at disbelief that Dongju would even take an opportunity like this one to jump on his case. Well given that the younger would go to the extent of leaving rotten meat in his store, a verbal jab probably was on the lighter end of things. Christian watched as Dongju fawned over Lori, truly wondering how a person could be so extreme between himself and her. "She does look good," he admitted, standing back and eyeing his girl affectionately. "So cute, aren't you baby girl!" he cooed, bending down to pet her. Lori cozied right up against him, which Christian then declared firmly, "I'm going to buy this for her." He didn't let Dongju reach into his bag (since Christian was conveniently holding onto it anyway) and he paid for it at the first available vendor.

@Christian Yu "Ew, what? Then it wouldn't be a gift from me." Dongju jerked the bag away from Christian before he could do anything to /Lori's/ food. "Just 'cause your shop isn't doing well doesn't mean mine is. Now hold my bag, I have to help Lori try on her dress." Entrusting Christian with his personal bag and keeping the bag of treats on his arm, Dongju knelt to guide Lori into the frilly gown, letting out a wheezing gasp when it was slipped on easily, without a fight from her. She was the cutest, most obedient dog Dongju had ever met, and he was even more attached than usual since she always settled so easily against him. He adjusted the hat on her head and lifted her to show Christian. "Look! I'm gonna get her this dress too."

@Nam Dongju Christian had only thought to buy one item for Lori, as a little souvenir to remember the fair by, but Dongju seemed to have a completely different idea. When the younger came rushing back to them and started calling the shots on the clothing too, Christian noticed the bag of doggy treats in the bag hanging off his wrist. "Let me see what you bought-" he said, taking it over and opening to see what was inside, "Why'd you buy her so much?" he gasped, his eyes widening since he remembered seeing some of the prices of these treats. "How much did it cost? I'll pay you back."

@Christian Yu Maybe Dongju went a little overboard with the treats. He bought the pie, a peanut butter cupcake, a box of dog-safe cookies, and several bags of organic treats. They cost quite a pretty penny—maybe even a whole day's profit for Dongju at this point—but it was all worth it for the princess named Lori. Once it was all bagged up, Dongju rejoined Christian and Lori at a stall that only sold outfits for pets. "Oh my goodness," he exclaimed. "She looks like a lady! Let's get her that dress to match." Dongju pointed at a frilly pink dress complete with a lacy petticoat. "That one! Ahjussi, can we get that one to try?"

@Nam Dongju "Be careful, your Christian-repellant might mean you have to get your own ride back home if it works too well," Christian noted casually. The more they continued down the aisles, the clearer the sections made themselves. A lot of artists had also set up in the "Artist Alley" section, filled with fanarts and merchandise of the most popular manhwas and animated cartoons. Christian found them to be a tad too colorful and bright for his palette, but it was still interesting to see why this was the most crowded area. After that, food stalls began to line up, and then the pet-friendly section. Lori began to sniff out her surroundings with extra curiosity, which Christian couldn't blame her for. While Dongju was picking out some snacks, Christian's attention was drawn to a cute pink fedora that looked like it would fit on Lori. "Come here girl," he called her, clicking his tongue. Once she was within range, he reached over and placed the hat over her. "Gorgeous!" he praised her affectionately, "You like that baby? Isn't it so pretty on you? Pink is your color, yes it is!"

@Christian Yu "Yeah, it's my Christian-repellant," Dongju said, completely unashamed about what it was meant for. "Maybe there's some down that corner we haven't passed. I smell normal baked goods in that direction." As Dongju predicted, all the food-stuffs were organized in that corner, complete with the dog snack section, too. There was a plethora of doggy toys, beds, shampoo, and even hair dye, although Lori was probably a bit too dark for bright dyes. There were other dogs in attendance, too, all of which Dongju kept a close eye on while letting Lori sniff out whatever interested her. "Ooh, look, sweet potato pie. I think Lori would appreciate something healthy and not greasy for once."

@Nam Dongju When Dongju emerged from the stall a while later, Christian shoved his reddening hand into his pocket, playing it off casually as he examined the offending plant inside the pot. "Wow, it'll be new in your shop. You're going to put that on display?" he asked, though he didn't try to reach out for it. "Good, now we both have something from the convention," he chuckled, turning the attention to Lori, "So it's your turn, girlie," he cooed to her, once again holding back from petting her in case Dongju saw his red hand and belittled him for it. "Did you see any of the dog bakeries yet? I don't think we passed them on our way over," he mumbled, pulling out the map to examine with his good hand again.

@Christian Yu Christian reacted like Dongju stabbed him with a tattoo gun. The leaves of a white Mexican rose weren't even sharp! They were just a little prickly—firm at best. Since it repelled Christian, though, maybe it would cleanse Dongju's store and bring him back some good luck and business. It was reasonably priced for being in a convention hall too, so of course it was coming home with him. Once it was packaged nicely in a little bag for Dongju, he bounced with Lori back to Christian, giving him a jab with his own finger this time. "There you are. Look what I got." Dongju opened the top of the bag to show off his newest child. "Tada~"

@Nam Dongju Christian was usually very en guard about his allergies, taking precautionary medicine even when it was deemed unnecessary by others sometimes. To forget them today, while knowing fully well that Dongju was coming to the fair to view flowers was such a rookie mistake on his end. He all but jumped back and yelped when Dongju pressed the tip of the succulent against his hand. "!" he cursed on instinct, pulling his hand away as if had been burned and cradling it with the other one. Then, when he realized that his reaction had been a bit too much for such a small action, he backed away and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "You caught me off guard. I'll be over here looking, you take your time," Christian said, quickly removing himself from the scene. Even with that little brush, Christian's skin was already reddening by the time he made it outside of the stall.

@Christian Yu "Of course not, although that's a common misconception," Dongju said, picking up a small pot shaped and painted like a porcupine to examine the white Mexican rose nestled perfectly inside. Its tight leaves were firmly puffy and green—an indicator of excellent health. "Just because they're from dry environments doesn't mean they don't need water. Actually, succulents are used to periods of dryness followed by a heavy rainfall, meaning each watering should soak the plant completely. People also forget drainage holes, too, so their plants just suffocate in the soil." He turned to Christian and pressed the spiky top of the plant against the back of his hand. "Boink."

@Nam Dongju Dongju's spirits had been pretty high since they arrived, so Christian was fine with following the younger at his own pace if it meant it would minimize any grumbling for the rest of their trip. They had finally traversed from Christian's world into Dongju's when they reached the greenery, and it was very obvious when Dongju bounded towards the plants. Christian lingered behind at first, remembering the one important task he had forgotten today: He didn't take any allergy medicine. The thought of sniffing the plants already had his skin crawling. But when Dongju called him over, he could only hold his breath and make his way over, careful not to touch any of the plants on display or to breathe in their fumes. "Oh...yeah, not bad," he commented, though he kept his distance even from the seemingly harmless succulents. "I heard that succulents are supposed to be easy to care for though- I thought that was why so many people like them?"

@Christian Yu "Sometimes, bleeding means you definitely aren't going to live." Grateful that Christian decided to delay this corner, Dongju allowed him to lead them to the other end. They would inevitably have to return and Dongju would have to face it, but he might be in a better mood after seeing all these flowers the convention had to offer. Seeing all the greenery was a breath of fresh air to Dongju. All the stress immediately left his body, and he led Lori to the closest stand of little succulents. "Lori-yah, look!" Then, he remembered Christian beside him. "Oh... you can look too," he added. "Little baby succulents? Aren't they so cute? The pots are so pretty... They're really hard to take care of, though."

@Nam Dongju Christian never thought much about having to stomach anything as part of his job. Perhaps he had overlooked the possibility that Dongju was scared of needles. Or blood. Or both. Realizing that the younger was getting antsy over the sight of tattoos being openly inked, he gently grabbed Dongju's shoulder and turned them around, heading down the next aisle to explore something else. "You know, maybe I just got used to it. Or I just never thought it was something bad in the first place. Blood flows within you to keep you alive. Bleeding and feeling pain is just a sign that you're still living." Deciding the change the topic, he tried to recall where the plant vendors were, "If we keep going to the other end of the warehouse, I think they put the plant vendors near the open windows for sunlight."

@Christian Yu "No, I don't!!" Why did Christian keep asking Dongju questions about tattoos like he was ever going to change his mind? They were trashy and crude, and they never meant anything good. He would never get a tattoo, and he would never be interested, and he would never admire them either. He watched with a scrunched up face as the tattoo artist in the station closest to them wiped at the blood off his client's back. Dongju nearly vomited. "Is this what you do all day? How do you... stomach it?"

@Nam Dongju "Ouch," Christian replied, pretending as if he had been stabbed over the heart. "Short /and/ ugly? I could be one, but I didn't know I was both," he said. He wasn't the shortest man to exist, but with the milk that kids these days were drinking, Christian was hardly above average height. And as for ugly, well...Dongju made it very clear what he thought about Christian's tattoos. The younger's reaction wasn't the first of its kind either. Managing to keep his money in his wallet as they passed through more stalls, Christian finally came to the tattoo stalls. Boards and signage around the stall listed the types of designs and their prices, which were quite similar to the prices Christian set in his own shop. Dongju's shock towards the tattoo artists doing their job had Christian chuckling, "No, not today. I wanted to do some networking. But most of the artists are busy right now, so I'll come by and talk to them later. You see any designs you like?"