Though Chan Yeol didn't particularly like to go clothes shopping, he did have his preferences on what he liked. His style was for the most part casual and effortless: jeans, graphic t-shirts, a hat if he felt like it, and a hoodie if it was chilly. But his mother always wished to dress him more "tastefully" (as she called it) whenever she got the chance, and this was what he most disliked about shopping with his mother: she always insisted on her way. But for a free soul like Chan Yeol, following a mold created by someone else was not exactly in his nature.

So with his hands in his pockets, Chan Yeol led the way to one of the few stores in the entire mall he didn't mind shopping in. He felt the gift box in his hands and his thoughts wandered back to Ri Ah's ring. Chan Yeol stole a glance at her neck; the ring was hidden underneath her clothes now, but a part of the chain was still conspicuous.

"Do you always wear that?" he asked.

Ri Ah didn't know what he was referring to. "Wear what?"

"That ring," he clarified while his eyes momentarily flickered to the circular outline of the metal band visible through her blouse.

Ri Ah's hand instinctively went to her neck and she clutched the ring underneath her clothes. "Oh, yes, I do."

Chan Yeol let go of the gift box he had been holding inside his pocket, feeling slightly disappointed. "Why?" he absentmindedly asked.

Ri Ah was silent for a while as they walked. Chan Yeol could see her eyes glaze over in thought, like her mind was elsewhere, another time, another place. "It's a reminder," she finally answered, her voice sounding softer and strained, "for me to keep my promise to someone."

Promise to whom? What did this person mean to her? What was the promise? Was there a second ring? All these questions popped into Chan Yeol's head, but he knew better than to ask. From how Ri Ah was reacting just from the few questions he had already asked, it looked as if digging further would create an awkward atmosphere and Chan Yeol did not do well with awkward; he had a habit of avoiding serious or very emotional situations because he was the mood-maker, the jokester who lightened up the ambience when things seemed to be taking a turn for the worse.

They passed by a group eating food at a table which reminded Chan Yeol of the reason he had come to the mall in the first place. "I almost forgot, I don't have your phone number," he said while taking out his phone. "I wanted to text you to thank you for the lunch you made me. It was really good."

Ri Ah entered her number and handed his phone back to him. "I'm just glad it didn't give you food poisoning," she said with a relieved chuckle.

Chan Yeol slowed down to a stop in front of a men's apparel store where the blaring, American pop music carried outside and the strong scent of cologne could be smelled even from a few stores away. "Well, this is it."

Ri Ah gazed up at the store name and read aloud the numbers, "1-1-2-7?"

"It's pronounced 'eleven twenty-seven', kind of like the 7-Eleven convenience store," he corrected with a grin. He found her ignorance cute and decided to play a small joke. Chan Yeol folded his arms across his chest and stared at the sign proudly. "Actually, this store is named in my honor. My birthday is November 27th."

Ri Ah jerked her head towards him in awe, "Really?!" She turned back to the sign with a newfound admiration, "Wow." This must have been what his mother meant when she had said "your usual store". It kind of was his store.

Chan Yeol broke out into laughter, surprised by how easily she had believed him. "It looks like I'm not the only gullible one."

It took Ri Ah a minute to realize he had been joking about the store name and pursed her lips while her face burned up in embarrassment. In hindsight, it was a pretty incredulous claim he had made.

"Sorry," Chan Yeol said with a wide grin that undermined his apology, "but I couldn't resist."

"So then your birthday really isn't November 27?"

"No, it is, and the numbers do actually mean November 27th, but not because it's my birthday. It's the day the store opened. I just like to think it was named in my honor since it's one of the few clothing stores I actually like."

Even though Mrs. Park hadn't returned from the parking lot, Chan Yeol and Ri Ah went inside 1127 anyways. Since Chan Yeol hadn't come with the intention of actually getting anything, he simply strolled through the aisles without paying much attention to any of the clothes. Ri Ah, however, stopped in front of a rack and sifted through the hangers. She pulled out a maroon, button-up shirt with black accenting.

"How about this?" she asked while holding it up against her frame. "I think this color would look good on you."

It was a style that his mother would always try to get him to wear when he went shopping with her, and which he normally rejected on the grounds that it took too much effort to put on. But Chan Yeol was in an unusually willing mood today and decided to try it on.

When he emerged from the fitting room, he saw that his mother had finally joined them and was looking at a collection of ties nearby.

"I like it, I think it suits you," Ri Ah said as she examined him.

Mrs. Park dropped the tie she was holding and crossed the aisle with eyes sparkling. "See, this is exactly what I'm always telling you to try on. Look at you!" She proudly smiled at Chan Yeol as she adjusted his sleeves. "My son could be a model, couldn't he?" she asked Ri Ah.

Ri Ah nodded with a small grin. It was endearing to see Mrs. Park fawn over her son so much. "I bet you must have been very popular with the girls in high school," she said to Chan Yeol.

"Must have been?" Chan Yeol scoffed. "I still am. How many guys in this country have my height, my looks, my voice, and my body?"

"I'm glad to know that I raised a modest son," Mrs. Park sarcastically said with a disapproving look.

Chan Yeol responded with a smug smile. He approached his mother from behind and wrapped his arms around her shoulders in his usual attempt to be adoring and dispel any of his mother's frustrations. "Mom, just for today, I'll try on anything you want."

Mrs. Park's eyes brightened noticeably as she turned her head to look at him. "Really?"

Chan Yeol nodded and his mother was off on a mission to grab every article of clothing in the store to dress her son, an opportunity which came once in a blue moon.

"I thought you said you didn't like shopping with your mom," Ri Ah pointed out after watching the mother-son exchange.

"Well, she is the one who feeds me," Chan Yeol replied with a shrug, then more seriously with a smile at the sight of his mother, a pile of clothes already in her arms, "And she's been having such a good day so far, I can do this much for her if it keeps her happy for the rest of the day." When he turned his attention back to Ri Ah, he found her shrewdly staring at him, like she had something on her mind. "What?" he asked.

"A grandmother in my town once told me how a man treats his mother is a good indication of how he will treat another woman," she wisely repeated and then glanced up at Chan Yeol with a benign smile. "I think that more than your height, looks, voice, or body, how you treat other people is probably what makes you so popular."

Chan Yeol was rarely left speechless by a compliment. That was because the ones he received were usually regarding his physical features, which he was already confident and aware of, having boasted of it himself only minutes ago. He rarely received praise for something other than the traits that were largely a product of the fortunate combination of genes from his parents. But when he was, he became atypically shy and unsure of how to respond. The feeling was foreign, but a good one.

"Okay, try these on while I look on the other side of the store." Mrs. Park unloaded the pile of clothes into Chan Yeol's arms and quickly strode off with a mission.

Chan Yeol stared slack jawed at the mountain before him. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Ri Ah giggled and nudged him towards the dressing room. "Go, I want to see my puppy play dress up."

There were those words again, my puppy. Chan Yeol involuntarily grinned and obediently did as he was told. There wasn't a single word of complaint or show of annoyance as he tried on every article of clothing his mother gave him.

Mrs. Park gushed over her son as usual with her praises on how well the clothes suited him. But it was Ri Ah's reaction that Chan Yeol found himself nervously anticipating each time he stepped out of the fitting room. While she was too polite to say if something didn't suit him, he could still gauge her opinion from the way she would quietly stand to the side with a small smile if the trousers he was wearing weren't to her liking, or the way she would grin widely and even clap if the shirt he had on matched him well. It was by this method that Chan Yeol chose what he wanted. For some reason, gaining Ri Ah's approval made the usually chore-like shopping experience bearable and even enjoyable.

So after nearly two hours of going back and forth into the fitting room, Chan Yeol finally was able to rest, lying on the couch in the store and closing his eyes while his mother checked out. Ri Ah smiled at Chan Yeol's crossed legs that hung off the armrest of the sofa because he was too tall, sympathizing with how tired he must be feeling. She stepped outside the store to explore the immediate surroundings, particularly the shop across the aisle where custom-made hats were for sale. It was surprising the different designs that were available, from hats that looked like monsters were eating its wearer's head, to themed lids that could really only be worn on certain occasions, to more technological ones that lit up like a disco ball.

"There you are," said Chan Yeol as he approached Ri Ah from behind. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I got bored waiting and wanted to look around. Are we leaving?"

"No, my mom's still checking out." Chan Yeol lifted his head to glance at the wall of hats in front of him. This store he liked, hats he knew, Chan Yeol didn't have to pretend to like shopping if he was here. He picked out one of the more "tamer" designs, a hat with just words across its front, and tried it on, checking himself in the mirror before placing the hat back in its spot on the wall.

"Try this one," Ri Ah said next to him.

Chan Yeol turned around to find her holding out a hat with a dog face printed on the front and lid and two small, floppy ears sticking out at the top. He giggled and leaned down to let her place it atop him. "How do I look?" he asked as he tilted his head adorably.

"Very cute," Ri Ah replied with a big grin.

Chan Yeol took a look at himself in a nearby mirror and laughed. He scanned the other lids on the wall and found another animal hat of an orange tiger. "Here, you should try one on too," he said as he pulled it off its hook and fitted it on Ri Ah's head.

It was a little too big for her and kept falling down her forehead and covering her eyes, which Chan Yeol thought adorable.

"We should take a picture," he suggested as he pulled out his phone. He stood behind her and leaned down so his chin rested on her shoulder and their cheeks were inches apart, then held his camera at arm's length in front of them while his free hand went around her shoulder and made a peace sign.

Ri Ah was caught off guard for a moment at their close proximity, but when he started to count to three, she quickly brushed aside her shock and faced forward with a smile.

After the camera flashed brightly, Chan Yeol pulled away from her to assess the final product. He grinned and turned the screen to show Ri Ah. "It came out well."

Mrs. Park finally came out of the store at this time and gestured for Chan Yeol and Ri Ah to hurry up. The three made their way to the parking lot and as they approached the car, Ri Ah immediately went for the back seat.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to sit in the front?" Chan Yeol questioned as she placed her hand on the handle.

"But you're here now. Shouldn't the elder sit up front?" she innocently responded.

Chan Yeol exaggerated a loud sigh. "You promised you'd act more casual so that I don't get in trouble." He held open the front door for her and smiled. "Get in, while you still have dibs."

During the car ride, Chan Yeol pulled up the picture from earlier and grinning to himself as he played with his phone's settings and then began composing a text message.

In the front seat, Ri Ah's phone sounded with a message:

I made our picture my new wallpaper. Hope you don't mind, but if you do then all I can say is mehrong :P Kekeke

[Mehrong: word describing the action of sticking out your tongue in a teasing manner]

She smiled, and after saving Chan Yeol's number in her contacts, typed back a reply which left Chan Yeol laughing out loud at their childish banter:

I don't mind :) But if I did, I'd just pretend I forgot my phone and borrow yours so I can delete it. Little Puppy, you still have a lot to learn before you can outsmart this tiger (=^_~=)

"What's so funny?" Mrs. Park asked as she glanced at Chan Yeol in the rear view mirror.

"Nothing," Chan Yeol answered but then asked, "Who’s smarter, mom? A puppy or a tiger?"

Mrs. Park looked confused as she asked whether this was a joke. When Chan Yeol said he was serious, she hesitantly answered, "Wouldn't a tiger be smarter?"

"I agree," Ri Ah said with an approving nod.

This led Chan Yeol to defend the puppies of the word by arguing that they were trainable, unlike tigers, had a better sense of smell, unlike tigers, and were more people-friendly, unlike tigers.

"Okay, fine, the puppy is smarter," his mother gave in, still unsure as to the whole purpose of the conversation in the first place.

Chan Yeol leaned between the front seats and rested his arms on either one. "Right?" he stressed as he stared directly at Ri Ah with a triumphant grin.

Ri Ah pouted slightly as a show of defeat, and then chuckled at Chan Yeol's persistence on the trivial topic, even roping in his mother to agree with him. She realized this particular puppy really was intelligent when he put his mind to it.

Originally Posted: June 20, 2012, 9:26 PM | Revised: January 11, 2014, 10:30 PM