‘A guy with a confident face, looking as if he’d sucked out all the energy from the gloomy one…’
What kind of relationship could they have? They seemed mismatched in age to be friends, yet there was something awkward about them that didn’t quite fit lovers either.
The gloomy one was constantly watching the radiant one’s reactions. Judging by the face of the Helio man who seemed to have lived his entire life without hesitation, Miloa wondered if they might be in a master-servant relationship. But someone wealthy enough to employ servants wouldn’t visit this clothing shop.
If they were involved in shady business, it would make sense. People from the back alleys unnecessarily created hierarchies among themselves, even when they had nothing. The Helio man’s large frame and the faint scar spread across the gloomy handsome man’s cheek strengthened Miloa’s suspicions.
‘It’s none of my business anyway.’
As long as they bought clothes from the shop, their identity didn’t matter. Miloa came to this conclusion lightly. Her interest was already fading.
Straightening her posture, Miloa decided to prepare her sewing tools in advance. Though they would quickly choose clothes, she needed to be ready for alterations. Given their long limbs, there probably wouldn’t be much to alter.
Raina, master tailor Miloa’s only assistant and the shop’s only employee, was paying close attention to the conversation between the customers. Or rather, she was listening to one person’s one-sided monologue.
The man with golden hair like threads from the Eastern Continent was busy selecting clothes for someone he called his senior. Occasionally, he would ask questions of this senior standing right beside him. But he didn’t drag out his decision—fortunate from the attendant’s perspective.
“I’ll take this one,” said the man apparently called Amun, pointing to a men’s suit that the tailor cherished. Unlike the other outfits displayed with the same design but different fabrics at various price points, this was the only one of its kind.
“You have excellent taste. An outstanding choice,” Raina responded.
“Really?”
“You won’t find a suit with such fine fabric at this price anywhere else in the district.”
Except at the high-end tailor shop three blocks away. She swallowed that comment.
“That’s fortunate. I don’t have time to have new clothes made.”
Looking satisfied, Amun smiled slightly. It was a handsome appearance, though not to her taste.
Having finished his conversation with Raina, Amun turned his full attention to the man beside him—the one he called his senior.
‘What’s going on…’
Raina’s expression momentarily clouded before returning to normal. It struck her as odd how the quiet man seemed restless before his junior.
The atmosphere surrounding the two was bright. Yet through that brightness wafted something unsettling. More precisely, the unsettling air came from the one called Amun.
“Now it’s your turn, senior. Since I chose your clothes, you should choose mine.”
“Yes. But, um, I think it would be better if you chose.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t have a good eye for these things…”
“That’s alright. We can get help from this person.”
Meeting the fidgety man’s eyes, Amun smiled. It was quite an affectionate smile.
Raina’s eyes narrowed as she watched the two men. They simply didn’t seem like ordinary senior and junior colleagues.
At the very least, it was clear that this Amun was playing some sort of game with his senior. There seemed a good chance they were already involved in an unwholesome romantic relationship.
Raina found herself discreetly observing the men who had come to the shop. The face of Miloa, who would tell her to mind her own business, filled Raina’s mind. Still, she couldn’t help but be curious.
The senior was led around the shop by the dubiously trustworthy man. The way he constantly checked not only his junior but also the distant tailor and even Raina herself created a somewhat pitiful impression.
Soon her attention was drawn to something other than the people. The man appeared captivated by a suit hanging on the wall. It was designed for young men preparing for their coming-of-age ceremony—similar to a debutante ball for young nobles, though with less significance.
After a moment of deep contemplation before the garment, the man lowered his gaze and looked for Raina. When their eyes met, Raina smiled gently as if inviting him to speak.
She wanted to compliment him on his excellent choice, as she had done with his junior, but hesitated, fearing he might feel uncomfortable.
“Could my friend try this on?”
“Of course, certainly.”
Raina answered quickly. The person who would wear the clothes was equally hasty in speaking.
“You want me to try it on right now? Why? Afraid it won’t fit?”
“…No. What if it doesn’t suit me.”
The man mumbled, avoiding Amun’s eyes. His awkward, stiff expression and stammering speech made him seem like someone who had only recently learned to talk, despite having no issues with pronunciation or intonation.
“I look good in anything.”
Yes, how nice for you, Raina thought to herself after hearing the other man’s response.
Raina took the suit down from the wall. Observing them was one thing, selling clothes was another. The conversation didn’t continue further, thanks to Miloa, who saw Raina taking down the clothes and guided Amun to the changing room.
After receiving the clothes, Miloa immediately followed Amun into the changing room. Soon, the sound of Miloa drawing the outer curtain of the changing room echoed throughout the shop.
Raina picked up the other man’s clothes that had been selected earlier. She planned to hold them ready for when the tailor emerged, as these would need alterations too.
But soon she found herself relieved of the clothes by the senior with startled rabbit eyes. He had misunderstood when Raina’s foot caught and she wobbled, thinking she couldn’t manage due to the length and weight of the garment.
Raina repeatedly told the man she was fine. But he wouldn’t listen. Finally, she gave up trying to reclaim the clothes and chose to stand quietly beside him.
‘How embarrassing.’
Ahem. Clearing her throat internally, Raina glanced at the man beside her. Waiting silently for the other customer to emerge made her mouth itch to speak.
“You seem particularly close with your junior. It’s rare to see senior-junior colleagues visiting a tailor shop together.”
Raina casually addressed the man.
“…Is that so.”
“Ah, you should try on your clothes too. I’ll guide you to the changing room later.”
“No, that’s alright. I’ll take it as is.”
“Hmm. It doesn’t seem like it would be too short or long or small, but… I’m a bit concerned. The tailor absolutely doesn’t allow returns.”
Standing at the crossroads of whether to interfere or not, Raina let her words trail off.
“It’s fine if it’s a bit big and long. We don’t have time to have both suits altered.”
The man responded with an impassive expression, as if it wouldn’t matter even if the length was so off that he’d have to drag the hem along the ground.
He probably just meant it was fine. Raina accepted the man’s words. After all, there were plenty of customers who disliked showing their bodies to the tailor or having others touch them.
If the man beside her was an Omega, he might feel especially uncomfortable with Alpha tailor. In such cases, she could accompany him inside, but this man didn’t seem to want that either.
“So, please don’t worry about me. I just want my junior’s clothes to fit perfectly.”
“So checking your junior’s outfit included alterations.”
“The alterations, yes, but… I want to find something that suits him better and have him wear it. Though he looks handsome in anything without any awkward parts.”
That’s right. He’ll look handsome in anything. Raina responded lightly. She decided not to bring up rejected suggestions again, to avoid making the customer uncomfortable. Don’t burden the customer—another principle she reminded herself of today.
“You must like the clothes your junior chose for you.”
It was fine to bring up something else.
“You’re holding them so preciously.”
Raina smiled at the man who was holding the clothes she should have been carrying. He was hugging them carefully, even though she had told him he could place them on the table.
“…Yes. I like them.”
With an awkward smile, the man gave a brief answer. There was an undisguised shyness in his two eyes as he looked at the closed changing room and in the unnecessary way his hand smoothed over the clothes he held.
Raina thought she should adjust her suspicions about the two customers in a slightly more positive direction. Just slightly.
“Ah, he’ll be coming out soon.”
Raina said, hearing the busy sounds leaking from beyond the curtain.
“You probably don’t need to consider choosing different clothes. You’ve already found the best. In my eyes, what you’ve chosen is the most…”
However, she couldn’t continue because the man who had entered the changing room threw the curtain open dramatically as he came out. It was such a mentally taxing and urgent entrance that Raina thought it fortunate the curtain rod didn’t crash to the floor.
His junior had simply emerged, properly dressed in the clothes.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
