Leo was familiar with waiting. Much of his time relied upon the strength of his patience; the way he could thread a needle for the tenth time without losing his temper, the intricate detail that he applied to nearly every garment he made… That same attention he paid to Junmyeon’s suit. It took a little longer than he perhaps would have preferred. Dahee had spent much of time at his side, fascinated by the process. Their newest addition to Acacia excitedly compared the designs to the forming creation, pointing out any differences along the way. “I’ve never seen you make something that wasn’t a dress before,” she’d said teasingly, “It’s kind of fascinating.” Leo simply scoffed and pressed on with tiny adjustments until it was accurate enough that he would not be humiliated when showing his client.
In the month that passed, not once to Leo think to doubt the identity of the professor that he’d met outside a cake shop. The story itself was absurd enough. That Leo was untrusting by nature should have given him a moments warning before the clouds gave up the weight they carried and the lies cascade down with each raindrop.
Kim Junmyeon. Suho. Leo frowned at the dark material laid out before him, not a crease to be found in a single seam. Suho. Kim Junmyeon. The name spoken on the radio that Sunyoung had insisted on listening to would not have caught his attention were it not for the call he had made to the professor - the performer - just days prior. He had sounded rushed off his feet, and Leo has supposed that was to be expected. But the cacophony of voices in the background… Leo sighed. Who was he? This person, who had invented an entirely no identity, if Leo was correct, for no reason.
But that was not entirely true. Of course there was a reason. Why else did anyone pretend to be someone else? They wrapped a cloak around them and hoped it would shroud them in darkness enough that they could blend it the shadows. And for what? To hide from themselves? Or others? Perhaps both.
Junmyeon dragged the rain in with him. The droplets clung to his coat, the door chiming to announce his arrival. Leo watched him, face a perfect mask of normality. He did not smile, though he nodded his head in welcome. It was not too out of the ordinary for Leo. But it was more noticeable these days when his faint smile fell away to the old pretence he clung to. “Thank you for coming so quickly,” he said quietly. “It’s… very nearly finished. Some sections may need altering. We shall see if- if the original measurements were correct.” Leo would see if anything was correct.
The scent of the shop was the same as Junmyeon remembered it. He had intended to come earlier for his refitting but time had got away from him from the pressure of his comeback and all his numerous appearances on music and variety shows. The man had nearly forgotten that the suit even existed until his passing by of the shop a few days ago. By then, it had been months. Guilt made Junmyeon interpret the shopkeeper’s expression as not very impressed...or perhaps that was the expression the man always had from the beginning. Whatever it was, Jun decided to be terribly polite to avoid any disturbances beyond the calm guise of the puppet show they both put on. “Of course, lead the way. I’ve been looking forward to the results.”
The two walked the familiar path back to the other side of the store where the fitting rooms were located. The smell of old wood and what seemed to be like potpourri to him perfumed the air with each of their steps. With the immense popularity of KoKo Bop, Junmyeon wouldnt be surprised if Leo knew the truth by now. If anything, EXO’s leader should have been more crafty with concealing his identity if he wanted to go that route or simply have told the truth from the beginning. He regretted it so terribly by now. He hoped that Leo was not secretly hurt. Split second made decisions lead him to where he was now. Whatever the consequences, he decided sternly, then and there, that he would bear it. However, the tailor really did not give away any hints that anything between them changed. Why was this man so expressionless in the first place? Why did it look like he had no joy in his life? Or was he merely good at concealing it? Perhaps this was the professional role of a tailor, to betray no emotion.
Junmyeon’s head swelled so large with all these thoughts and questions that he very much expected to see his head take on the shape and size of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. Instead, he saw himself as always. Baby faced and pathetically pale, how disappointing. Dark eyes slid to the tailor who was presumably busy in procuring his new suit for him. Anticipation built up in his chest like brand new bricks being laid for a building on a busy cross street. It was under these circumstances that Junmyeon was coaxed to break the tension between them once and for all. “So Leo ssi, How have things been going? The shop? You?”
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