Love Maze

•C H A P T E R 9•

We walk up to the mall entrance and open the doors revealing a huge lobby flooded with people. Ew. People.

Jimin takes my hand and pulls me into this random store. The walls are painted a bright yellow color and the floor is wooden. The room is decorated with masks and costumes. This made me realize we're in a costume shop.

"Wouldn't it be fun to walk around in a full disguise?" Jimin asks me. I notice that he's still holding my hand and I look down at it. He looks at me and squeezes my hand. Finally, I nod and smile.

"Why not?"

After rummaging through all the costumes for 20 minutes, we found the perfect outfits and pay for them. Thankfully they have dressing rooms in this tiny store, so we can change.

We walk out of the dressing rooms looking like completely different people and we laugh once we see each other. Jimin is wearing a red flannel with jean overalls, combat boots, a brown wig, and a grey beanie. Looking like a whole lumberjack.

I'm wearing camo pants with a black shirt and leather jacket, black high heels, and a short black wig with bangs.

"You... look ridiculous," I say laughing.

"And you look like your name is Cleo."

I check my outfit again in the mirror and agree. We both die laughing again and walk out the store.

While we're walking through the mall, I get an idea. "Now that we have disguises, don't we need names?"

Jimin nods. "Of course. It'll blow our cover if we keep our real names."

"Right." I think for a bit. "I'll keep Cleo. You kinda look like a... Johnny. Or Bill. Maybe a Jimmy."

Jimin gasps and his eyes widen. "Jimmy. Like Jimmy Fallon."

Man, this boy cracks me up. "Yes Jimin—I mean Jimmy."

We die of laughing causing some stares, but we don't care. For a day Jimin can go out in public and not get recognized. Since I'm already invisible to the world, I wonder what it would be like to be recognized everywhere I go. The fame world is weird.

We come across a soft pretzel shop making me stare at it intensely.

"What? You want a pretzel?" Jimin asks.

I look at him with puppy dog eyes and nod. "But i'm paying."

He shakes his head and pulls me toward the pretzel place. "No I want to buy you a pretzel."

He pulls out his wallet and I slap his hand. "Gosh damn it Jimmy why do you got to be so stubborn!"

He stares at me with wide eyes and we just look at each other for a second. Then we laugh our brains out.

"Phew, okay Cleo you can pay for your pretzel I guess." He hands me his money to give to the worker. Huh?

"If you give it to them you're paying for it." He smirks as I squint my eyes at him cause he knows he's technically not wrong.

I hand the worker the money and I slip some money into Jimin's pocket. Hehe he didn't notice. Point one for me.

We continue walking through the mall as I enjoy my pretzel. No surprised stares, no paparazzi. It must feel nice for Jimin. Even though he loves to meet ARMY's and talk to them, the fame life I can imagine would be tiring.

"Ooh look!" Jimin points out. "A fortune teller!"

Looking toward where he's pointing I see a store named "Mila's Fortunes." I don't remember ever seeing this here. I've never really believed in fortune tellers, just that they're scammers. All they want is your money and to get your hopes up.

"Do you really think they're legit though? They get their money for lying to strangers about their future."

He raises his eyebrow at me then pulls me to the store. He just thinks he can convince me to do anything just by a look and a pull towards it and it's not gonna work this time.

"Ah Jimin, Y/N, hello! Nice to meet you two, come in come in!"

What the hell.. how the fu— i'm out of here. I turn around to leave, but I feel a hand on my shoulder. Turning back around I see it's the psychic lady.

"You can't run away from everything, Y/N." She gives me a welcoming smile and motions for me to sit. Slowly I sit down in the velvet seat and look at Jimin. Why did he drag me into this?

"Ma'am, i'm sorry but I don't really—"

"Believe in this stuff," she cuts me off finishing my sentence. "I know, and don't worry I don't charge anything. I do this simply because I want to help specifically you two."

Specifically us two? There more I stay here the more I want to get out.

She smiles and flips over her hand to reveal a stack of tarot cards. Oh so she's a magician now?

"Pick three cards," she demands. I pick three cards placing them face down on the table.
(just so y'all know i have no idea what certain tarot cards mean so i'm not gonna name what cards they got in case i mess it all up 😓)

The lady flips over my first card and closes her eyes. "This first card determines your past. You had a pretty boring and miserable past. Tough times, but you got through them with the help of your best friend who is like family to you."

I sit there staring at the card. Did she just—no. Many people had hard pasts. That was just a lucky guess.

"No guesses, just truth," she says causing me to snap my head up.

"I—I didn't say anything.."

She smiles and flips over my second card. "The middle card shows the present. You found your soulmate, the one meant for you. You don't feel ready to rush into something new since you just got out of an old relationship. But you know he's the one so you stay."

I look at her with wide eyes in utter disbelief. I play with my ring nervously and falls off onto the ground strangely not making any noise. She looks into my eyes seriously. "My advice to you is to ease your way into it. Yes he's the one, but heartbreak does take some time to heal. Let him be the one to heal you."

Well damn that hit deep. I nod with a stutter and she flips over the last card.

"This last card predicts the future. You'll have amazing luck and closure with someone from the past that may have hurt you in some way. You'll live the life you may not have dreamed of, but better. Also, stay close to the ones you're close with now. They will help you out with a certain bump in the road ahead." She then winks and packs up her cards.

I open my mouth to speak but no words come out. What do you say in a situation like this?

The lady chuckles and tucks the cards under a silk cloth. "You don't have to say anything young one. Just remember what I told you."

Nope i'm out of here. I didn't know psychics could read your mind no i'm not messing with that crap.

I turn to leave and Jimin comes along. "Goodbye thank you!" Jimin says being the freaking nice perfect guy he is, and we walk out.

We walk toward the exit of the mall so go back to our cars at the coffee shop. "That was..."

"Weird?" I say finishing Jimin's sentence. We both chuckle until I realize something.

"Oh shit! My ring!" I facepalm myself and start speed walking back to Mila's Fortunes.

"Y/N, wait up!" Jimin says running toward me. But I stop dead in my tracks once I see what's in front of me. Or should I say what's not in front of me. Jimin catches up and looks at me confused.

"What's wrong?" He looks at what i'm looking at and gasps. The place that used to be Mila's Fortunes two minutes ago is nothing but an empty locked up room. As of it never even existed in the first place.
________A/N________
i posted this within 4 days and i'm proud 🥳 i could really go for a starbucks cake pop rn haha who wants one? i got a gift card i'll pay 😌 all this writing about coffee got me wanting a frappe also. man. if only i could drive. anyways, plot twist right? haha i honestly like this chapter the best in my opinion. okay i'll keep this authors note short lol. goodnighttt! 💜