"Tell me more!" Orea was squealing in the car. Minwoo was going shopping that day because he needed new clothes for his school life and Orea tagged along for free food.
"The BTS members are so handsome, that even without makeup, they look like fashion models," Minwoo said, swooning over them. He was showing off the pictures he took with them and Orea was so excited.
"Oi, you said you'll get me RM's autograph!" she reminded him.
"Girl, I was too tongue tied in front of him!" Minwoo claimed. "Have you seen those luscious dimples?"
Both of them sighed dreamily, gushing over their celebrities. Minwoo would occasionally send her pictures of his celebrity friends which made Orea extremely jealous of her friend. They had been best friends since childhood and even joined the Light together after their parents were killed. They also shared similar interests in men.
"Is Jin really that handsome in real life?" Orea gaped. "Woah!"
"Yeah, well all of us are quite handsome," Minwoo said proudly.
"But…" Orea frowned and turned to him. "Your friends in the entertainment industry don't know about your sexuality, right?"
"Are you kidding me?" he scoffed. "Of course they don't! If that happens, my career is over and the leader will make me the janitor at the Light."
"Doubt he'll give you that role considering how bad you are at housework," Orea muttered. "He'll probably make you the family pet."
Minwoo scowled at her and looked outside. It was the weekend and there were a lot of people outside but he was not so concerned about being spotted. His men were secretly following them to keep away any tabloid reporters from them. Moreover, they were going to an exclusive shopping mall which was owned by Minwoo himself.
The shoppers were mostly elites or celebrities who seeked privacy so no one was allowed to enter the place with cell phones or cameras. They would have to hand over their gadgets at the entrance and the devices were returned only after they were on their way out of the premises. Not even pens were allowed to be taken inside the mall by any unauthorized person.
Minwoo's trailer drove straight into the parking lot which was situated inside the building. The van parked at the designated spot. Minwoo's men scavenged the area for any unwanted person before giving him the clearance to come out. He wore a cap and sunglasses to hide his face. It was the typical disguise of a celebrity but his face was too well known by fans anyway. Disguises would rarely work for him so he just had to resort to lay low. He put on a face mask to further hide his appearance.
"Let's go," he said to Orea who excitedly climbed out. He led her to the elevator and pressed the button to the first floor.
"Woooooah!" Orea gaped as she stepped into the paradise in front of her. She had heard a lot about Minwoo's shopping mall but words were not enough to describe it. Set outside the city, it was a five-storey double arcade mall with many layers. The octagonal shaped lobby was the highlight with a domed ceiling made of colorful glass and wrought iron bars. The floor was completely made of brown and black mosaic tiles.
She gaped at the beauty as the rays of sun peeked through the colored dome, creating a pretty mix of rainbow patterns.
"Let's go," Minwoo shrugged.
"Oi, how the hell did you make this?" She squealed. "If you were straight, I'd have married you just for this mall!"
""Please don't, prefer my BTS oppas."
"I have dibs on them!" Orea threatened him. "If you don't get me their autographs, I'll shave your head!"
They bickered all the way as they walked towards the luxurious stores of the mall. There were over 2000 luxury brands in the mall, all catering to the creme-de-la-creme of the society. Orea was stunned by the intertwining arches which led to the different sections.
The shops were no less. All of them were creatively designed according to their brand requirements, each adding a charm to the aesthetics of the building. She could smell the organic ingredients which were being used to produce different kinds of cosmetics and was almost blinded by the dazzling jewelry in another segment.
"Man, if I was into these things, I'd have spent all my money here!" she moaned, staring at the cosmetics.
"I thought you're here for the gadgets," Minwoo pointed out.
"Yes, I am but I like to look at pretty stuff too," she said. The people around them were shopping merrily or gaping at the architecture. Minwoo bought Orea a cup of boba chocolate shake and they were so engrossed in their shopping that they did not notice a familiar figure walking into the mall.
"Master Myung."
Prime Minister Lee's Secretary, Ahn Jaejun, bowed in front of Myung who merely nodded. Jaejun was in his early forties and had been with his father for almost fifteen years. Myung was aware that this man also carried out his father's dirty deeds and was one of the most dangerous men in his father's cabinet. With his straight laced appearance and intimidating demeanor, Jaejun was ruthless and cruel when it came to eliminating any enemies.
Myung disliked this man but his father had assigned Jaejun to train him for his future political career. As part of the training, Myung was required to inaugurate a store in this mall. The authorities would not allow a single camera nor media but there would be prominent politicians and celebrities who would attend. This was Lee's way to showcase his successor.
"The store is on the second floor," Jaejun informed him. "The inauguration would start in five minutes."
"Whatever," Myung muttered. He was not interested to spend his weekend with this git but there was no other choice. Once Lee ordered something, it had to be done.
Jaejun ignored the young man's rude attitude and led the way. They entered the elevator, surrounded by their bodyguards. Myung felt suffocated in the lift and was desperately thinking of ways to escape his unwanted escorts. Once the elevator reached the second floor, they stepped out of the lift and headed straight towards the new store.
Quite a group of people had gathered around. Myung recognized many of the celebrities and politicians who were cheering for him. He smiled and nodded at them, shaking their hands as he walked by. One of the store owners came forward to welcome him.
"Welcome, Master Lee!" he exclaimed. "Thank you so much for agreeing to inaugurate our little shop."
"You're welcome," Myung said a little warily. "Shall we start?"
The owner led him to the entrance where a ribbon was being used to block the way. Someone handed Myung a pair of scissors. He picked it up and forced a smile on his face as he cut it. The host then led him to a podium. Myung was already bored but tried to stay awake while the host made a long speech about his brand.
End this torture already, he winced inwardly. Jaejun stood nearby, watching over the proceedings. Some of the shoppers stopped to watch the event, curious about the VIP who just inaugurated the store.
"What's going on there?" Orea asked. They were on the second floor and noticed an event was taking place.
"Some store is getting inaugurated today," Minwoo shrugged. They walked closer to see what the fuss was about. Minwoo, who was taller, frowned when he saw Myung at the VIP table.
"Who's the guest?" Orea asked as she tried to see who it was while standing on tiptoes but she was too short. "BTS?"
"No one special," Minwoo said. "Let's go."
Orea scowled but followed him. Meanwhile, on the podium, Myung lost all interest in the event and glanced around only to pause. He just saw a very familiar person backing away from the crowd. There was no way he would be mistaken about those wild curls.
"Orea?" he frowned. It was her! She was walking away, chatting with some tall guy whose face Myung could not see. Was that her brother?
Thankfully, the host was done with his speech so Myung was free to go. Jaejun approached him.
"Sir, your next appointment-"
"Tell him we're coming after lunch!" Myung snapped. "I want to check out the shops here."
Jaejun raised an eyebrow but said, "Very well. Please take the guards with you."
Myung grumbled but there was no other choice. He had to take his annoying guards with him. Without another word, he hurried towards the place he saw Orea enter.
"Stay here while I shop," he ordered the guards. They stood outside the store, highly alert while Myung entered the shop. He scanned around until his eyes fell on Orea. She was humming to herself as she picked out clothes for Minwoo.
"Ore-" Myung began but froze when he saw the tall man appear beside her. He had temporarily taken off his cap to reveal ash hair. Myung knew that shade too well.
"Kwon Minwoo?" he whispered.
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