s e o u l | k p o p - o s

106. SHINEE Key - Addressing Feelings

Tumblr : prettywordsyouleft

Pairing: Kim Kibum (Key) x female reader

Genre: fluff / enemies to lovers / fashion au

Warnings: none

Word count: 1196

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"I have no idea where to go next," you exhaled, and your employee Karla glanced at you, soon sharing a sympathetic smile and a nod of her head.

"Me too. Life is hard, but we've just got to carry on, Y/N."

Staring at the younger girl, you soon realised what she meant, and an amused grin crossed your lips. Pointing to the stack of dresses you were marking down, you waited until she noticed what you meant.

Karla merely looked at you for further explanation.

"Thank you for sharing that bit of motivational talk, Karla. Life is hard, but I'm talking about the dresses here. I don't know why they didn't sell! I've already reduced their price, and now it's getting dangerously close to the warehouse value. I know some things don't sell as easily as others, but I had a really good feeling about them."

Karla made an O with her mouth and then inspected her nails. She was a nice girl, and when it came to fashion, she knew her stuff. But she wasn't so supportive outside of that. You realised as her boss and the owner of this boutique store, she wasn't meant to be your sounding board for everything. You just needed to be more assertive to survive in this industry.

And you had done your best with your latest season trends. You had researched daily, keeping up with the hottest styles and accessories. You had sourced out styles that were selling well and ensured the prints you chose were wearable and more unique than the other stores in the local area.

Having a brick and mortar store had always been a dream for you when you first started selling clothes online from within your garage. Now only two years later, you had achieved that dream. The reality was far from the idyllic view you once held of running your own fashion store where everyone loved your vision.

Getting clientele to shop in-store than online was harder than you expected, too.

"That dress is being sold down the road," Karla suddenly mentioned, and you stopped ruminating over your problem, your eyes narrowing on the spoken information.

"Down the road? At Unlock? Why are you only sharing this with me now? For how much?!"

"Boss, find your Zen. Key isn't worth getting worked up over. He has a different vision than we do."

"But he's selling the same items as us again," you grumbled, your heckles still up.

Kim Kibum, or Key as he was more commonly known within fashion circles, was your biggest competition in the area. At first, you had admired the man. He had a way with fashion that always left you confused, yet inspired. Everything, even the most questionable of outfits, seemed to work on him, and when he had first walked into your store and complimented your setup, you had been stoked.

Until after his proper examination of your entire vision and layout, he went and opened a store five doors down that had several key statement pieces of your current collection in his front window.

"That thieving man," you muttered, remembering back to when the dresses came in. You had displayed them in the front window for the first week. You had basically given him the ammunition yourself.

Kibum wasn't the only one selling the dress, though. You knew of a couple more boutiques nationwide stocking it also. The difference was you were both in the same place trying to make the same dress sell.

And it seemed he had managed that whilst you hadn't.

"Karla, mind the shop for me, won't you? I'll be fifteen."

"Zen, Y/N! Don't argue today!"

"Inner peace will come after this, don't worry!" you called over your shoulder before marching down the sidewalk and right into Unlock. Unlike in your store, where you chose music that suited the tone of your vision, Kibum's was edgier and the music was louder. You used it to your advantage to slip in mostly unnoticed and moved right to the racks near a wall.

You found the dress and gasped at the price he had it at.

"Y/N, usually it's always a pleasure to see you, but we agreed we wouldn't snoop around in each other's stores personally."

You grunted at the man who appeared at your side and placed your hands firmly on your hips. "I see your stealth tactics are still ever so impeccable."

The smirk that crossed Kibum's lips wasn't lost on you and was all the invitation you required to scowl at the man.

"Now, Y/N, are you trying to flatter me or insult me?"

"I wish you would play fair."

"I am. This is my store. What you do in yours is completely your decision. And the same happens here."

"You know I'm carrying this dress, and you made me look like the price I've had it at is unreasonable."

"Your price mark-up isn't my concern," he explained and then gestured to his staff only door. "However, if you'd like to have a coffee with me-"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to make my boutique look-"

A handsome man approached you both then, and you noticed the immediate unease in your opponent. The stranger glanced between you both before chuckling. "Ah, so this is that Y/N you like, huh?"

"What?"

"I'm Choi Minho, Key's friend."

"Ex-friend now," Kibum muttered, rolling his eyes and letting out a sigh.

"I'm sorry, you're mistaken. This man has nothing but contempt for me and my business," you clarified, and Minho frowned, looking at Kibum, who was visibly facing inner turmoil.

Feeling some decency towards him, you backed off. You might dislike the man, but you didn't like seeing him suffer either.

However, Kibum reached out for your wrist. "There's a reason for the dress."

"Which is?"

"It got you in here, didn't it? You've avoided me forever now. You've got me blocked on all social media and-"

"Are you serious? You're going to tell me this was to get me in here so you could apologise for snooping on my boutique and taking my clients?"

Kibum, cringed, shaking his head. "No. Whatever you think I've done isn't something I would do. Having a good business ethic matters to me too, no matter what you think of me."

"Then?"

Kibum glanced at his friend, who subtlety gave him encouragement with a raised fist. Returning his focus to you, Kibum's confidence was back together. "Coffee. I want to have some time with you. Not as a fashion store owner. But as the person you are."

"I don't drink coffee," you blurted out immediately, mostly from the shock. Kibum's expression didn't falter, but his eyes grew guarded. Waving your hands around, you laughed sheepishly. "I like tea, though!"

"Tea," he echoed, his lips curling up. "Tea, juice, heck, even water is fine by me. Just give me an hour of your time."

"Deal. And about the dress?"

"I'll pull it from the line and tell people where to find it if you really want me to," he offered, which surprised you.

"You'd do that?"

Kibum grinned wickedly. "Sure, it's online. Everyone can find it there."

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