Love Beyond Chains | Enhypen Jake

8

Jake's POV

"Ooh, look. This would look cute on me, wouldn't it?" I turn to look at what Nabi's pointing to: a short floral-patterned top with ruffle sleeves.

"Hmm," I say, pretending to think for a while. I look back and forth between her and the shirt before answering, "You'd look amazing in it."

She smiles happily, then grabs the top from the rack and places it into her basket. "Ok, let's move on," she says excitedly, waving me forward.

I chuckle at her eagerness, then follow her as she moves to another section of the store. She takes her time as she moves through each section but always asks for my thoughts before deciding to take an item.

We eventually make our way to the shoe section, and I can already see the sparkle in Nabi's eyes when she spots a pair of white sneakers with pastel-colored accents.

"What about these?" she asks, holding them up for me to see. She's practically bouncing on her toes, waiting for my response.

"They're nice," I say, giving her an amused smile.

"Good." With a satisfied nod, she adds the pair of shoes to the large collection of items she already has. "Okay, last stop- accessories," she declares, turning on her heel and heading to the jewelry section.

I follow, but I can't help but watch her as she moves through the store. There's something about the way she picks out each item, carefully considering everything, that makes me smile. All we're doing is shopping, yet she seems so happy. But that's what makes most girls happy, isn't it? Maybe I'll do this with her more often.

As she examines a display of necklaces, she suddenly turns to me, holding up a silver chain with a heart pendant. "What do you think? Too simple?"

I step closer, looking at the necklace in her hand, then at her. "It's perfect. Simple, but elegant. Just like you."

She blushes slightly, a soft pink coloring her cheeks, and for a moment, I think about how easy it is to compliment her, how natural it feels. I wonder if she notices.

"Alright, I'll take it," she says, placing the necklace into her basket with a satisfied nod.

My eyes wander off to a display of bracelets, and I walk closer to get a better look. Nabi follows close behind me, curious as to what I'm looking at. I spot a pair of matching bracelets, one black and the other gold, with an infinity symbol. "Why don't we get these, too?" I ask, showing her the bracelets.

She smiles as she looks down at them. "They're so cute. Yeah, let's get these, too."

I nod, adding them to our basket. "Ready to checkout now?"

"Yep, let's go," she heads towards the checkout, and I follow close behind.

Once it's our turn in line, Nabi places the basket on the counter. As the cashier scans each item, I notice Nabi's expression become more worried. She's staring at the price reader, watching as the total price racks up. "Don't worry about that, Nabi," I whisper to her.

"It's too much," she whispers back, her eyes still on the price reader.

"No, it's not. It's worth it for you," I assure her.