"What time is it, what time is it..." Luhan mumbled and fumbled through his pant pockets for his phone. "Ah, good. It’s 3:26, we still have time."

Luhan grabbed Xiumin’s wrist and started speed walking to the cross section of the street. The streets became louder, the cars honked and the scooters beeped. Normal Beijing street. Xiumin kept up with Luhan and did not question him.

They stopped by the sidewalk. It was only a young afternoon and people were already bustling around, pushing here and there.

"Stay here." Luhan told him, and walked onto the road. He raised his hand at each passing taxi. "Tch, 才几点就这么忙。" Several cars passed by, already full with passengers.

Xiumin gazed at Luhan, who diligently stood there, tuxedo-clad, on the dusty roadway. He walked towards him. "Luhan,"

"Go back, it's dangerous, and also dirty. Don't worry, a taxi will come soon." Luhan smiled once again. A really sweet, sincere smile. Seemingly full of nectar from a ripened peach, pink and precious. And all the while Luhan had his arm up for the taxi, a car finally came by and stopped by them. Luhan opened the back door for Xiumin, who went in, and he himself followed afterwards.

"你好，师傅，去世贸天阶。"

"行。" The driver flipped the timer down, and the automatic greeting started from the speakers. He drove off onto the highway.

Xiumin sat stiffly. He rarely went on taxis. The thought of sitting alone with a middle aged stranger in a car was unsettling to him, especially since his Chinese was deficient. He looked up at Luhan, brows furrowing again, but in a questioning way. He slowly opened his mouth to ask, but Luhan cut him off.

"If you ask me what we’re going to do before the show, it’ll be no less than asking me to spoil a book."

Xiumin pouted, "Fine... Be like that."

Luhan grinned and shifted his body so that he was leaning against Xiumin. He snuggled to the latter’s shoulder and hummed a short tune in delight. "Wake me up when we’re there~"

Xiumin slightly turned to throw a slick look at Luhan.

"But what if..? Ah... Okay Luhan, okay." Xiumin exhaled from his parted his lips and winded down. This Luhan kid, how do people cope with him?

The driver kept his side of the window slightly open. The soft breeze flew in, and it grew stronger as they picked up speed, being freed from the traffic. Luhan’s bangs swayed across his hooded eyes. As the wind died down, Xiumin swept back Luhan’s hair from his forehead. Perhaps he really was asleep.

The drive became increasingly frustrating as they got off the freeway and entered the busy city streets. Surrounded by silver, Xiumin stared out, craning his neck to glance at the shining top of the buildings. Above was a musky sky, dotted with stray clouds. The reflections of it were more beautiful than itself.

Luhan stirred awake from Xiumin’s shifts of the shoulder.

"Oh, we're almost there." He mumbled.

Luhan took out his phone once again. It clicked open and he glanced at the time. It displayed 3:58. He pursed his lips.

"世贸天阶到了。"

The car came to a stop and the driver flipped back the stage and the machine began to print out a receipt. The farewell message was played from the speaker.

"三十四块。"

"给您四十，不用找。" Luhan handed him two twenties.

"谢谢啊！慢走。"

The door clicked and pushed open. Luhan stepped out, one leg after the other, and Xiumin got out promptly, dodging the hood. A young couple was impatiently waiting for Luhan and Xiumin to step away. They quickly stuffed themselves into the same taxi afterwards. The girl handed her boyfriend several bags as she stepped into the car.

"Rich people..." Xiumin thought.

"Come on, stop day dreaming. It's already four and we need to get you into a tux!"

"Hun?"

Xiumin stared wide eyed as Luhan dragged him into the center of the walkway.

"This is... A giant LED screen in the sky?"

"Yes," Luhan answered, "this is The Place.

"Wow..."

"At night they show these 3D animation shows. It's beautiful."

"Hmm..."

Luhan slowed their pace and came to a halt. Glancing back at Xiumin, Luhan contentedly assured the latter. "Next time, we’ll come at night."

And he could see the wonder in every ring of Xiumin’s wide eyes, who smiled and began to walk on par with him.

"Tuxedo?"

"Yes, my favorite store too! Riiight here," they entered the one of the left sections of the building, "and then we take the elevator to the third floor."

The elevator doors opened and both stepped in. Luhan pushed the button while Xiumin stepped around the vacant spaces, looking at the framed advertisements, then back at Luhan.

"But..."

"No questions Xiumin! No questions~"

"Luhan!" Xiumin softly exclaimed and pouted.

*Ding*

"Come on, follow me." Luhan said, leading the latter out by clasping to his milky wrists

Stepping out into the black marble floor seemingly dotted with little stars as if on a night sky, they walked through glass doors, welcomed by the workers.

"鹿先生，您好。先生，您好。今天有我们能帮您的吗？"

Xiumin bowed his head with alacrity as the attendee greeted him after Luhan.

His eyes began wandering. He had no idea what they were talking about anyways. The store was gorgeous and detailedly minimalistic. So modern and vintage. Majorly expensive.

The clothing were hung on racks out of transparent plastic, seemingly floating in midair. The designs were captivating until Luhan patted his waists with both hands demonstrating his dimensions. Xiumin arched back and bulged out his eyes, looking at Luhan.

The manager broke out a long string of words, speaking too fast to be comprehensible. He led the two young men to the back and quickly slipped out a suit with its own matching dress shirt floating in midair then flipped through a stack of dress pants and pulled out another.

Xiumin was instantly ushered into a fitting room and gracefully handed his clothing.

"For me? But Luhan..."

Luhan gave him a thumbs up. "Just give it a try, if it doesn't fit, we’ll measure you."

Xiumin slowly nodded closed the door, soundless; it was quiet except for the piano song playing in the background.

Sometimes, he just wondered why. Why is he here, now, today? Has he not ever only been a normal boy who was a little bit softer than the others when touched, who had cheeks a little bit squishier than the rest?

Xiumin pulled away his shirt and slipped on the dress shirt. It was white, detailed by ribbed lines across the chest and small frills around the collar. He his heels and ruffled his hair at the mirror. Xiumin then changed into the sleek dress pants, sliding it on. He didn't even need a belt.

He just stood there, head down. Hesitating, he slowly altered his gaze to the mirror beside him. His face was hot, burning, but it was colorless all the while. Xiumin placed a palm on his cheek, tending it.

It must have been his turn with the crown. Xiumin openly gazed up and down his own body, admiring himself, full of vanity. He was shocked, scared, even. How on earth? If only he could afford this.

Xiumin stepped out of the room. "Lu.. Han? Sorry for taking so long..."

There he was. Luhan stood there between two racks of clothing, flipping through them all. His arms were loaded with formal clothing, one piece dropped to the floor as he promptly turned at Xiumin’s voice.

"You're done? Oh!"

Luhan hurriedly turned around. He looked all over, and finally stepped to an empty ledge and threw all the clothes he was previously holding onto it. He then ran back to Xiumin.

"You look amazing! I've been picking others in case this did not fit you, but that is not the case!"

Luhan marveled at Xiumin, also fixing the collar and patting down some wrinkles. His hands slowly smoothing down the waist, he pulled the shirt downwards with two quick tugs.

"It's perfect!"

Luhan waved for the manager, who lifted a scissor off the countertop with his left pinky, and walked towards them. He came and fumbled over the shirt that Luhan just fixed, and cut away the tags.

"Woah woah woah!" Xiumin exclaimed. He stepped back, slightly bumping into the manager.

"Be careful, he’s holding scissors!" Luhan waved at him.

"No!"

Xiumin shook his head.

"I can't take this outfit. Maybe when I can afford it, but not now..."

Luhan tilted his head to the right. "It's okay, it is my gift for you, for accompanying me to the opera."

"The ticket for the opera must also be expensive! I can't repay you for such deeds..."

The manager glanced with indifference and stepped away.

"Xiumin, this is on my own free will, and you are not obligated in any sense, any bit, at all to repay me, you never will. So please accept them?" Luhan pleaded with his wide eyes.

"As long as you don't have any odd intentions..." Xiumin dropped his head.

"I’m sorry." He looked up at Luhan, furrowing his brows again.

"We’re going to a party, and we’re not even done getting ready yet! There’s no time or reason to be penitent."

The Chinese boy pulled the latter to a halt then continued to advance towards the entrance. "Charge the usual!" He called back, raising his empty hand. The glass doors stood opened and the workers bowed slightly as they walked out. Or rather for Xiumin, pulled out.

Luhan reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He put it back too quickly. Xiumin didn't take a glance.

"Shoes!"

Xiumin jolted his head downwards, realizing that he was still wearing his boots. They looked okay, actually. Maybe just a bit ratted out. The patent shine stood out too much, yeah... But it would be wasteful and not to mention expensive to buy a seperate pair of shoes.

"Aish," Luhan swatted at Xiumin’s shoulder, "the store is just upstairs."

Xiumin became embarrassingly happy. It was true; no one has ever treated him the same way before. This was the kind of thing he would hear happening to kids by serial killers before they kill their prey. But, that probably wasn't the case. Luhan? Killing? Yeah right. He was just a Bambi, a little, human version of a Bambi.

"Luhaaan~"

"Yes?"

"I'm gonna tell you a hypothetical situation okay? And then you have to answer a question."

"Ahh... Okay? Sure."

Xiumin softly giggled at Luhan’s silly expression and continued as they got on to the elevator.

"So a girl was at her mother’s funeral and she saw this guy who was very attractive. But, she didn't get the chance to get his number. A few days later, she killed her sister. Why?"

"Why did she kill her sister?" Luhan asked.

Xiumin nodded in response.

Luhan pondered. The elevator dinged as they reached the floor.

"Ahm..."

They kept walking to the right corridor.

"Hmm..."

"Jeez just say something, there isn't really a right or wrong!" The Korean boy exclaimed.

"Okay, okay. So, maybe the guy was her sister’s boyfriend?"

Xiumin threw a sly look at Luhan and smiled. "Hehehe, no. But it's a good thing!", he paused. "You see, that was a serial killer test. If you were a serial killer or had that kind of mind, you would have answered that she was trying to see if the guy will attend her sister’s funeral, but you're clean."

Luhan gaped, "Wow... Oh wow. Wow, wait. You thought I was a serial killer?" He stopped his steps and leaned forward.

"No."

"Hmmm... Really..." Luhan slowly and ominously pulled back.

"WA-CHAAAA!!"

He launched himself at Xiumin, who stumbled back a few steps until his back rammed into the wall, but it did not hurt for Luhan’s arms were wrapped around him already.

"So, are you dead yet?"

Xiumin giggled until he hiccuped. His eyes were squeezed shut and he wiped away his tears with one hand and swatted Luhan away with the other.

"Come on, come on. Stop being so silly~ We’re going to be late, right?"

"Ah!" Luhan widened his doe eyes. "Yes, let's go."

Translations:

"Tch, 才几点就这么忙。" : "Tch, it is only this hour and it's already this busy."

"你好，师傅，去世贸天阶。" : "Hello, sir, we'd like to go to The Place."

"行。" : "Sure."

"世贸天阶到了。" : "We are at The Place."

"三十四块。" : "¥34.00 (34.00 yuan, 元, Chinese currency)"

"给您四十，不用找。" : "Here's ¥40.00, keep the change."

"谢谢啊！慢走。" : "Thank you, ah! Have a nice day."

"鹿先生，您好。先生，您好。今天有我们能帮您的吗？" : "Hello Sir Lu. Hello, sir (to Xiumin). Is there anything we can help with today?"

Hmm I took a long time again didn't I... Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I didn't intend for it to be so long, and once again, this was supposed to be together with the next chapter, but yeah it got too long hahaha. Now I have to start writing the next chapter! ; A ; Wweh!

Oh, just google The Place. It has a giant freaking LED screen on top of the entire long walkway. Crazy Chinese people...

I should make a poster for this... (´･ω･`) Hmm...