ambrosia [NCT DREAM]

21. We Have a Spooky Tea Party

"Hey! You kids get back here!" A security guard ran after them as the six demigods ran as fast as their legs could carry them down the platform. Yangyang only strolled behind them, unbothered since the mortals can't actually see spirits.

They turned a corner together and ducked into a crowded street, attempting to in with Japanese citizens walking home from work and cars honking on the streets. It was nearly evening now.

Mark looked around the alley nervously and out into the street, squinting and cleaning his glasses so that he could survey the area better. Jeno tapped Jaemin on the shoulder and when the younger boy was done catching his breath, he sat up and looked at Jeno.

"Your hair dye's fading. Like, a lot." Jeno pointed out softly. Jaemin looked up at his bangs and realized that when the summer began, his hair was blue-ish and ashy, sort of light. Now, it was black with barely any color at all. Only the tips were blue, a washed out and dark shade.

He hadn't had a real mirror or camera since he arrived to camp, so really he hadn't even noticed it. How long has he been away from home? Two weeks, maybe three in total. Where was home, though? Because the U.S was not a home to him, not after what happened to his mama.

"We're wanted for murdering a bird-woman on a train and you're worried about his stupid hair?" Renjun snarked. Jeno pouted and said nothing, only turning away and kicking a pebble on the road.

They walked behind a group of boys headed home from school in matching uniforms but with their orange camp tees, they looked incredibly out of place. So much for blending in.

At one point down the road, the students had suddenly ducked away into a comic book store and the demigods were quite startled, looking around for a place to hide. There were many stores around and along this street, but most of them were very well lit and crowded.

Then Chenle noticed a little shop that didn't have any patrons and was dark inside -much too dark to see anything clearly. It looked mystical and sort of cheesy, like perhaps a rip-off future teller stand at a traveling carnival.

A rather beautiful old woman sat in a small hole-in-the-wall tea shop with silky curtains and no door. She looked to be 60, maybe 70 -but lurched over her table at about six and a half feet tall. If her hair wasn't a dark, youthful raven color underneath her half-tied headscarf, she'd look downright ancient.

"Stop staring!" Donghyuck shoved Jaemin and giggled under his breath. "What're you, into older women or something?"

"Ew! Dude, she looks like my mom. But like, old." Jaemin muttered, lightly shoving Donghyuck back. He really didn't realize he was staring, but something about the woman was so... off.

The group cautiously tiptoed inside, much to the delight of the woman. Renjun didn't take his hands off of his axe, anxious that this woman was another harpy or something like that. But all she seemed like was a sweet, old human lady running a small business, happy to finally have customers.

Jaemin's little hamster squeaked quietly and peeked out of his backpack. It's nose twitched towards the woman and Jaemin reached to hold it in his hand. Unlike with the harpy, though, the hamster didn't seem upset or afraid. Instead, the hamster in his hands squeaked excitedly at the woman, who looked up through her veil and smiled softly. Her eyes were wide and kind but her face was strong and well-weathered.

Jaemin tried to get the hamster to stop squirming, but it chirped happily at the woman and tried to wriggle out of Jaemin's hands towards her. The dark, dim shop smelled like chamomile tea -the scent so strong that it choked Jaemin a little.

"Uh... ma'am? Is this your pet? He seems to like you lots!" Jaemin asked, forgetting that they were in Japan and the hamster was found in Korea. Perhaps the lady had done some traveling recently and left him behind.