RIPPLE | P.JM

24

SEVEN

"Taehyung~ I told you." I say with a smirk, holding up a Southern coin I'd found deep in my pocket. "Wait right here, okay?"

He laughs as I spin the coin on my fingertip, a smile broken on my lips as I head towards the vendor. I was absolutely starving, and so was he.

"Two honey buns, please."

With an uncontrollable grin on my face and two freshly baked buns in my hands, I head back to Taehyung. His deep blue hair makes him easy to find among the crowd of people here, all out buying things or selling them.

"Thanks, Seven." He says with a relieved sigh as he chews a bite of bread. "I'm stupid. I should've brought some money."

I raise an eyebrow. "You do know Northern dollars don't work here, yeah?"

He smiles sheepishly, taking another bite of the delicious bun.

"But don't worry." I say, shaking out my hair under my hood. "I can always gamble or play some poker. If you know how to play here, it's basically money itself— hey! Taehyung!"

For a top assassin, he gets distracted easier than a kid in an amusement park.

"Don't wander off." I say sternly, sighing in relief when I spot his blue hair. "You're lucky that you have such bright colored hair. I'd never find you otherwise."

"Sorry." He says bashfully, but only a second passes before I find him pointing excitedly at a vendor, selling cotton candy.

"Do you have some change, Seven?"

"You better damn focus after this." I sigh, spending the rest of the remaining coins on buying Taehyung cotton candy.

Cotton candy.

He happily tugs at the candy with his teeth as we walk— well, where he walks, and I follow. I could only hope he knew where we were going.

"Taehyung."

"Hm?"

"We are getting somewhere, right?"

"Of course." He laughs, chewing happily. He has this easy look on his face that's throwing me off, and I fall silent for the rest of the way before we finally stop in front of a small house.

I raise an eyebrow when he knocks on the door.

"Hello." He says, offering a smile towards the lady that comes to answer it. "I was wondering if Madame is in? I would like to talk to her, please."

The woman seems to shake out of a trance, which makes me stifle a laugh. She has this wide-eyed look, like she'd just waken from a dream.

"Madame— yes, I'll inform her that someone's here to see her. Please wait here.

I let my laughs free when the door swings back shut, ruffling Taehyung's ocean-toned hair. He looks at me with innocent eyes, and I tilt my head at the direction of the house.

"You could literally get anyone to do anything for you, Tae."

"What?"

I sigh, shaking my head to the side. "Never mind. But it's dangerous when you don't know what you're capable of. I should probably tell that girl you like cotton candy and little kittens."

He blinks. "Seven, I'm confused."

"Your face." I say flatly, my patience run out. He just looks even more flustered and confused at my words, and I just sigh again when the door swings back open.