DIVINITY ♛ LEE JENO

FIFTEEN

"Do you know what girl's day is? Is it a holiday?" Meilin pondered, sitting down in the black leather. Jeno started the car, stealing a glance of the Princess' puzzled expression. "What's the context?" he asked monotonously. "Baek Seorin invited me out to celebrate girl's day tomorrow, she told me to inform you I would be out of the house." she backtracked.

"A girl's day. It's when girls hang out and do... girly shit, I guess. She's just asking to hang out with you." he shrugged. There he went again, bobbing his shoulders up and down. Meilin's mocha eyes lit up in excitement. "How fun! Am I allowed to go?" she leaned towards him over the middle console with pleading eyes. Jeno's eyebrows crumpled up in confusion, pushing her head away with his pointer finger. "I'm not gonna stop you." he mumbled, turning the wheel in his hands. Meilin felt like she should've taken offense to his gesture, but she couldn't help but to giggle. At least he wasn't responding with silence anymore.

"I bet you're gonna be so bored without me." she pressed her bottom lip forward, leaning back into her seat. Jeno scoffed, shaking his head immediately. "Didn't know Princesses could double as comedians." he replied bluntly. Meilin smiled wide. "I think that's the first nice thing you've ever said to me." she gleamed. Jeno kept looking straight, on route to a familiar building. "I guess sarcasm isn't a thing over there." he mumbled again.

"We're here, did you want to stay in the car?" he parked under the same sign that had been standing for decades. Meilin's expression drew downwards. "Of course not." she crossed her arms. She hated car rides, let alone freezing outside in one. The General looked left and right, then eyed her attire.

"Tie your hair up and put this hat on." he threw the baseball cap onto her lap. Her face spun into confusion. "You're here to hide. You can't be recognizable." he explained. Meilin's hands reached up to her heavy head of hair— that was still turning white each night— gathering it into the palms of her hands. Then, she paused for a moment. Too long of a moment.

"Don't tell me you don't know how to tie your own hair." Jeno threw his head back. The Princess looked down in embarrassment, her face turning warm. "I'm sorry, I never learned. I know it's stupid." she sulked. Meilin never realized how much she hadn't learned living in a royal castle. "In our kingdom, hair was sacred. You could only style it in updos during royal events and the men braided theirs to represent power in battle." she explained.

Jeno sighed in response. "Turn around then." he motioned. Meilin craned her head to the opposite window, lips forming into a frown. He reached his hands to her silky locks, holding all of it while he grabbed a hair tie from his wrist. Meilin's eyes grazed over the buildings up close. The street wasn't too busy, filled with dead leaves at the base of bare trees. Although, the sight of a sign caught her eye.

LEE JIN'S PHARMACY

"Hat and mask." Jeno cut through her thoughts, throwing a disposable mask on top of the baseball cap. She set the hat onto her head, feeling it fall a little below her eyebrows, then put the mask over her now suspicious expression. Jeno got out of the car first and she followed, walking towards the pharmacy that made a million questions pop up into her head.

A jingle rang overhead that wasn't new to Jeno, and surprisingly, nostalgic for the newcomer. A head of blonde popped out from behind the register. "Jeno Lee." she smiled. He walked up towards her, exchanging a grin as a greeting. "Hey, Miyeon." he responded. Meanwhile, the Princess trailed behind slowly, heels clacking onto the old tile floor.

"Who's the lady?" Miyeon questioned. She stared at the girl with a mismatching outfit- the hat being the confusing point. Meilin didn't quite hear the blondie, instead focusing on the scent of incense that filled the aisles.

"I'm sure Mark has told you about Princess Meilin." the General spoke with little excitement. She then snapped her head towards the two, a nervous grin reaching up to her eyes. "I apologize for my lack of courtesy." Meilin bowed quickly. "Princess Meilin... as General Lee already said." she looked up awkwardly.