Only one? [male Chaeyoung x TWICE]

(6) under all that arrogance

The mall was buzzing with life, its bright lights and cheerful atmosphere mirroring the excitement for the upcoming homecoming dance.

Chaeyoung, Tzuyu, and Nayeon had decided to make a day of it, shopping for their outfits together while enjoying the lively energy of the crowd.

Nayeon, as usual, was leading the charge, darting from rack to rack with uncontainable enthusiasm.

"This one's perfect!" she exclaimed, holding up a sparkly emerald-green dress. 

"Tzuyu, tell me this doesn't scream 'queen of the night!'" Tzuyu laughed softly, shaking her head.

 "It's beautiful, but you might blind everyone with all those sequins."

"Blinding them with beauty is the point, dummy." Nayeon retorted, twirling dramatically before shoving the dress into Chaeyoung's hands.

"Hold this. What about you? Found a suit yet? You better find something good or you're really wasting your face."

"I'm still looking," Chaeyoung replied, scanning a nearby rack of neatly arranged jackets. "Something simple, probably black or navy."

"Boring!" Nayeon teased, sticking her tongue out.

"We need to get you something sharp, like a deep red or even velvet. Trust me, it'll look amazing on you." Tzuyu lingered near a section of pastel dresses, her fingers brushing against the fabric. She picked up a soft lavender dress and held it up, considering.

"What do you think of this one?" Chaeyoung turned to her and gave a small nod. 

"It's nice. The color suits you." Tzuyu's lips curved into a shy smile, her heart fluttering at his simple compliment.

'gosh,' she thinks in her head.

As they moved to another store, Tzuyu's sneaker lace came undone, and she fumbled with the straps, bending down to fix it.

But before she could, Chaeyoung knelt in front of her, effortlessly tying the laces. "Got it," he said, glancing up with a warm smile.

Tzuyu's breath hitched. There he was again, kind and thoughtful as ever, doing something so ordinary yet making it feel extraordinary.

"Th-thanks," she murmured, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink. From behind them, Nayeon watched with a mischievous smirk.

"If this were a movie, there'd be romantic music playing right now," she whispered loudly, earning a glare from Tzuyu and a soft laugh from Chaeyoung.

Tzuyu somehow hated and liked that Nayeon was teasing her. She just has this feeling that Nayeon is the best wingwoman she could ever have had.

But the lighthearted moment was short-lived.

As they walked out of the store, a sharp voice cut through the air. "Well, look who it is."

 The trio turned to see Mina, dressed impeccably and surrounded by a couple of her equally polished goons.

Her arms were laden with designer shopping bags, her expression smug. Chaeyoung's jaw tightened at the sight of her. "Mina."

"Oh, don't sound so happy to see me," Mina said with a mock pout, her eyes briefly flicking to Tzuyu and Nayeon.

"What's this? A little shopping trip? How cute." Nayeon immediately stepped forward, crossing her arms. "What do you want, Mina? Can't you bother someone else?" Mina ignored her, focusing on Chaeyoung.

"I'm surprised you're even bothering with the dance. You don't exactly strike me as the type to care about these things. Or are you finally trying to fit in?"