Jeonghan doesn't really see himself as an interesting character. He's not someone you'd find in a modern day fairytale where his Prince charming in shining uniform would whisk him away. Even so, he doesn't really want that. Jeonghan is fine living in his hand-me-down shop/apartment. He had been through what most probably his age would be doing and decided he liked this better. He liked taking care of dusty antiques and only talking to his neighbor and cat. He liked the simplicity in his life.

“Bitty baby, treat!” Jeonghan cooed in a lily voice as he held up the small cat treat. He giggled as a huge mass jumped up onto the glass counter. The gigantic animal sat down and waited eagerly for his second treat today. Jeonghan cooed as the hard treat was quickly snatched out of his palm. He happily ran his hands through the fur on the gluttonous beast. In return, the pet nuzzled into his owner's hands. He did the same to his owners face after he was littered in kisses. Carefully, Jeonghan scooped up the cat.

“My bitty baby. Such a good boy for appa.” the cat purred and nuzzled into the cheek of his owner. Having been spoiled since near birth, he was quite accustomed to Jeonghan. He was very affectionate for a cat, something that was definitely Jeonghan’s doing. Paying too much attention to pets since they're babies tends to make them fall into Bitt’s case. Though his weight was an entirely different matter.

Jeonghan still bounced the pet like a baby as he looked to his buzzing phone. He huffed, sliding it open. A day didn't go by he didn't talk to his neighbor, but did the man really have that few of customers?

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
I found photos of your old long hair. I miss it so much T^T

AngelJH_Antiques
Why do you have to be like this

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Can I not mourn your beautiful hair? I thought you loved me

AngelJH_Antiques
You're such a baby.

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Yes but I'm Jeonghan's baby ;)))

AngelJH_Antiques
Don't talk to me or my son ever again

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Don't tell me your cradling that fat cat like a baby again

AngelJH_Antiques
So what if I am?

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Hannie,  I say this for your health. Please stop loving that cat so much

AngelJH_Antiques
Don't you dare try to separate me and my son. Just because I love him more gives you no right to act up

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
I can preform an exorcism.
Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Maybe he's the vessel of a gluttonous demon that is slowly trying to become big enough to eat you

AngelJH_Antiques
MY BABY IS NOT A DEMON
AngelJH_Antiques
AND YOU ARE NOT PERFORMING AN EXORCISM ON MY CAT

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Just a suggestion Hannie

AngelJH_Antiques
I hate you so much

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Aw! I love you too babe!

Lord_Savior_Jisoos has been blocked. See here for more details

Jeonghan buried his head in the thick ball of fluff in his arms. “Don't listen to him baby. You're not a demon. Youre just a big fluffy angel.” Bitts meowed approvingly before escape his owners arms. He made a loud “thump” as he hit the wood floor. Jeonghan turned back to his laptop. He had a bad habit of incessantly checking over and over when his packages would arrive. He reloaded the page for the fifth time today as there was a familiar figure in the doorway. Jeonghan didn't even look up to him from his spot. He was just glad he was gentle with the cheap glass door this time. One instance Jeonghan had pissed him off so bad that he ended up slamming the shop door open and breaking it.

“You know you can just use the back room door. You really don't have to stomp through my front door every time you're angry.”
“Why did you block me you depressed cat lady?” Jisoo countered. He stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips and a pout on his lips. Jeonghan flicked his eyes up at him. His head rested on his palm, forcing the bored look he already had.
“I'm not depressed. And I'm not a cat lady.” He grinned as he scrolled down on his laptop. His head tilted as he singsung his words, “I'm a cool cat daddy.”

Jisoo groaned as he finally actually stepped into the shop. He boredly looked through the antique trinkets he'd seen a hundred tines as he spoke to his neighbor.
“Hannie you're the farthest thing from cool.” Jeonghan hummed. He barely listened to Jisoo anymore. Most of their relationship at this point was just teasing till death threats got thrown.
“Really now? What makes me so uncool, Mr.I unironically run a bible store?” Jisoo gasped as he covered his chest in mock offense.
“Religious dedication is not uncool. You're just angry because you run a dusty antique shop and only have an overweight cat and a weird neighbor to talk to.” Jeonghan laughed and slapped the counter. Even though Jisoo’s words were mean, he grinned seeing Jeonghan laugh.
“Weird is not how I would describe my neighbor honey.”

They bantered for several minutes. Both rarely got customers, so it was common for them to waltz into each others shops and just start talking. It really comforted Jeonghan to see Jisoo just walk in and start talking up a storm. Most days, he'd come in ranting about some absurd customer or issue online.  That was the original reason they had their shops conjoined. Jisoo could spend time with Jeonghan and still be able to hear the bell in his own shop if he needed to.

“Hey Hannie?” Jeonghan looked up from his place squatting, rearranging decorations. Jisoo sat on the counter, staring attentively at him. Jeonghan raised his brows,
“Yeah?” Jisoo kicked his feet as he thought over his words. Jeonghan slowly brought his arms to his legs. If Jisoo ever hesitated, you knew it was a heavy question. As he would say he was “raised to be a beautiful gentleman”. He'd usually try to refrain from anything invasive unless it was really chewing him up. Jisoo let out a puff,
“Why haven't you ever tried to meet people outside of me?” Jeonghan went to protest this. He had met Jisoo’s friends. Granted they were other nearby shop owners but still. Then he realized those didn't even count. They were Jisoo’s friends. He wouldn't have met them were it not for his shop neighbor. He looked down to the dusty floor in thought. He had his parents who had given him the shop and he had his younger sister. But outside of his family he really didn't have much else. He really lost all contact with his hometown friends after he left for college. Now that he ran the shop he really only interacted with the other people working on the street.

“I don't know? I guess I don't really feel a need. I don't feel lonely living like this,” Jeonghan shrugged and went back to reorganizing. Jisoo accepted it, or at least didn't have a response. He just continued to scroll through his phone and occasionally show shitty jokes to him. Jeonghan still found that question looming over him however. Why didn't he want to be around other people?

////////

“Good afternoon! Looking for anything specific or just browsing?” Jeonghan cooed as an older couple walked in through the door. The woman smiled at him with so much elderly sweetness it nearly gave him a toothache.
“Oh no honey. We're just looking.” Jeonghan smiled back at her and nodded to the taller man trailing behind her.
“Well if you need anything I can help.” They both hummed in response before slowly making their way through the store.

Jeonghan pet Bitts gently as he watched them talk and point things out to one another. He was used to older couples coming in. They were often the only ones that did. Usually they'd come in, look around, spot him, and then start fawning over the fact someone was so “young and pretty and running a business all by themselves”. He always ended up talking more to the eager wives than the husbands that more than likely got dragged here. Though now that he had chopped off most of his long hair, he saw both beginning to approach him.

“I'm getting more dishes like that soon if you're interested in them. The order was supposed to arrive today but it got delayed. I got a lot of new things like that recently since someone came in and nearly bought the whole store.” He giggled shyly as he explained. At the mention of the new dishes, the woman turned to him. Her eyes then passed between him and Bitts, who lay stomach up on the counter.
“Who is this character?” She pointed one of her shaky fingers at the fat loaf that Jeonghan called his cat. Jeonghan looked down to the lazy ball of hair purring underneath his hand.
“Ah, this is my baby Bitts. He's really friendly if you want to pet him,” Jeonghan offered her happily. He loved to show of his precious cat.
“No I shouldn't. My allergies will act up all day if I do. He looks so sweet though,” she spoke through a motherly smile. She stared more at Jeonghan rather than the cat she was speaking about. Jeonghan easily lifted up Bitts. The cat softly protested with a long meow but made no move to leave Jeonghan’s arms.
“Oh he's great. I've had him since he was a baby so he's used to someone fawning over him. My friend Jisoo says I spoil him too much but he's just jealous.” She laughed as she nodded. Her husband gave up looking around and just joined her side. He stood taller than her, but not by much. He seemed older, or at least he showed more signs of aging than his wife.

“Did you see anything you wanted sir?” The man shrugged.
“I'm just here to help her out. I'm not really the best at this. She has more aesthetic sense in one finger than I have in my whole body.” The woman snorted and elbowed him in his side.
“Hush Seokwoo. Don't give me any more credit than I deserve.” Jeonghan, despite himself, broke into a fit of childish giggles.
“You two are adorable. Are you a couple?” As though they were freshly engaged twenty year olds, they both raised their hands to flaunt the matching rings. Somehow Jeonghan managed to softly clap with the fat cat in his arms.7
“We've been together fifteen years now I believe. He still manages to flatter me and say I'm better than I am though.” She said it with a wistful look in her eyes. She smiled as she just brought her head down shaking. The smile directed at Jeonghan afterward caught him off guard however. She looked like a prying little sister.
“Do you have anyone like that-”
“Jeonghan”
“Right, do you have anyone who flatters you Jeonghan?” She said his name tentatively. It was as if she used his name as a replacement for a wink. She was eager while Jeonghan was just questioning why this question kept coming up. His life had become a low quality romantic comedy in the span of one day.

“I don't have anyone like that no. I haven't seen anyone in a long time. Like I said, I just have me and my neighbor.”

Jeonghan nearly got whiplash from how quickly she just gave up and turned back to the shop. Her husband seemed just a surprised. She completely dropped the subject but she still carried a coy smile. Jeonghan watched in a dazz as she picked up a tea kettle she had been eyeing and set it on the counter. He blinked rapidly before convincing himself to start packing it up for her.
“I want to see those dishes when you get them. Is there anyway I'll be able to keep in check?” Once again, the woman surprised Jeonghan. He ran her sentence through his head before nodding slowly and smiling bashfully. He slipped a card out of the holder that was rarely ever disturbed. She looked over the business card with much more interest than would be deemed necessary.
“I don't think you'll need it but my Insta is on there too. I put just general updates on there. You'll probably just use my number though.” Jeonghan explained calmly as he wrapped and stuffed the fine China with layers of paper. Softly, he set it down in a bag for the couple.

“Thank you so much. Sorry if we took up a lot of your time.” Jeonghan laughed at this. Her husband had barely said three sentences to him but he enjoyed him regardless.
“Don't worry. I have plenty of time to waste.” The couple made their move to walk out. With a final wave, the strange woman cooed to him,
“I'll ask my son about this whole “Insta” thing. I think you'd like him.” Jeonghan waved her off pleasantly.

What the fuck just happened?

8:26 pm

AngelJH_Antiques
Do you ever feel like your customers are going to kill you?

Feeling_Woooozi
I feel like I'm going to kill my customers

theonlyKwan
Can't say I'm surprised

CallmeSOON
I get that feeling sometimes

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
What person walks into an antique store and thinks, “Imma kill someone”

Feeling_Woooozi
I would

TheonlyKwan
Jihoon would

AngelJH_Antiques
No you guys don't understand
AngelJH_Antiques

This woman was w e i r d

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
You two have something in common then

TheonlyKwan

AngelJH_Antiques
You guys make me wish she killed me

CallmeSOON
R O O D

Feeling_Woooozi
Fuck you too

AngelJH_Antiques
I think she thought about trying to set me up with her son. I didn't even say I was gay

Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Do you really need to say it?

AngelJH_Antiques
Eat ass

theonlyKwan
That's your job
Lord_Savior_Jisoos
Im screaming
CallmeSOON

Jeonghan tossed his phone beside him on the couch. He looked back to the tv as he bit at his lip. Something about that women felt off. She wasn't threatening she just left an odd imprint on him. Maybe he should just call it weird superstition and move on. He picked his phone back up at the chime.