Chapter Twenty-two: Handcuffs

“I thought we’re going home?”

She wondered why they were heading back to the convenience store. She initially thought that he parked on the streets and not at their company that’s why they were heading that way. However, she soon realized that they were not going to his car.

He stopped and turned to her. “We’re just going to buy something,” he explained.

An image of a box of condoms flashed in her mind. They weren’t there for that, were they?

She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a light tap on her forehead.

She heard him chuckle. “Not that, silly. What are you thinking about?”

She quickly lowered her face. “Who’s thinking about what?!” she retorted. How did he know?She thought. Was she that transparent?

With masked annoyance, she followed him.

When the sliding doors opened, they were welcomed by the sight of the old lady sweeping the floor.

“Your royal highness, how are you?” Taemin greeted.

The woman turned to them and smiled. “Naeunnie! Taeminnie!”

They bowed and walked up to her. “How have you been?” she asked the woman.

“Never been better! I just joined a book club.” She smiled excitedly. “I had been reading a lot these days,” she proudly added.

She then set the broom on the side then looked at them with suspicion. “Don’t tell me you’re also here to buy condoms?” she asked.

“What? No!”

“Of course not!”

They both chorused. What made her think they were there for that?

Naeun frowned and wondered why condoms were the recurring topic of that night.

“Good.” The woman nodded in satisfaction. “That brat, Jong-in, was here earlier to buy condoms and his girlfriend was on her period! Can you believe that?”

Naeun bit her lip to suppress the laugh that threatened to come out.

Kai and his purchase of condoms and feminine pads. That explained why the woman assumed they were there for that.

Kai would surely never live that down.

Taemin snickered. “Jong-in was here?” he innocently asked.

The woman nodded. “He was.” Then she pointed a finger at Taemin. “Don’t be like your friend. Don’t try to sleep with our Naeunnie when she’s on her period.”

Taemin smiled awkwardly. “Ah, yes.”

Naeun, on the other hand, wanted to disappear right then and there. Their conversation would have been funny if not for the woman’s last statement.

Before their conversation could get worse, Taemin took the initiative to end it.

“It was nice seeing you, your royal highness. We’ll just look around,” he said and nudged her to start walking away.

When they got to a corner, he made her sit on one of the chairs. “Stay here,” he instructed.

“Where are you-”

Before she could finish, he was already gone.

“Is he going to buy snacks?” she pondered.

After a while, he came back holding a plastic bag.

“What did you get?” she asked.

He squatted down in front of her and took out a pair of slippers from the plastic bag. He then placed the slippers next to her feet.

“You need to switch to these,” he said.

Before she could protest, he proceeded to take off her heels.

“It’s okay. I’m fine,” she objected. However, he had already taken off one of her shoes when she tried to protest.

She was about to step her bare foot on the floor and then snatch her shoe back from him, but he was too quick. He caught her bare foot and examined it.

“Look,” he said, pointing at her reddened foot.

Blisters were about to form on the back of her heel and the sides of her foot.

“I just bought these that’s why,” she reasoned. “I just need to break them in.”

It’s true. The pair were a new addition to her growing collection of shoes. They were pretty, but not very comfortable to walk in. She thought it would be okay since they would be seating most of the night. However, she did not anticipate that they would be doing a lot of walking.

“Just wear these,” he insisted. “You will get blisters if you keep walking in those shoes.”

Knowing that he was right, she nodded. <