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The first mistake Isagi makes is telling Shidou where he's going.
"Shopping," he says, casual, checking his phone. "Sae asked me to take Rin to get a homecoming dress."
Shidou looks up from his phone. "The pretty Itoshi?"
"Rin. Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes?"
Shidou puts his phone away. "That's a terrible idea."
"Why?"
"Because you have the fashion sense of a gym sock and the spine of a wet noodle." Shidou stands, stretching. "You need me."
"No, I don't."
"Yes… You need someone who understands aesthetics. Someone who can make the hard calls." Shidou grabs his jacket. "Also… I want to see the pretty Itoshi with his tits and ass out in a slutty dress."
The second mistake Isagi makes is believing Shidou will help him be responsible.
They're standing outside the dressing room, Rin inside with two options—one blue, one black—and Isagi is already sweating.
"Sae said no black," Isagi says, checking his phone. "He has enough black."
"He has three black shirts and a funeral suit," Shidou says. "That's not a wardrobe, that's a depression."
"Well, it's Sae's money and he said no black, so..."
The curtain opens.
Dress #1 is blue. Deep sapphire. Sleeveless. Rin steps out and the fluorescent lights hit him wrong—or right, actually, devastatingly right—and Isagi forgets how to breathe.
Rin looks at himself in the mirror. Tilts his head. Says, "Hmm," like he's judging the dress and finding it adequate. Rin turns, arching his back until his butt sticks out.
The crowd forms immediately.
There's a mother-daughter pair who stop mid-conversation. A store employee who slows to a halt. Two girls who were debating handbags now openly stare, one with her phone half-raised.
"Oh my god," someone whispers.
Rin hears it. Isagi watches him hear it—the way his shoulders drop, the way his chin lifts, the way something shifts in his expression from uncertainty to dawning realization.
Oh, that look says. This is what attention feels like when it's not about soccer.
"Turn around," the bold daughter calls out. "Slowly."
Rin turns. Slowly.
The crowd makes a noise. It's not quite human.
"Okay," Shidou says, stepping forward, suddenly serious. "We have a problem."
"What?" Isagi asks.
"Look at him." Shidou grabs Isagi's shoulders, forces him to face Rin. "Really look. The color. The structure. The way it catches at his waist."
"I see it."
"You don't see it. You're looking with your eyes. I'm looking with my soul."
You mean your dick, Isagi thinks. But whatever. Isagi pulls out his phone. "I'm calling Sae."
"Good. Tell him we need a budget increase."
"I'm not telling him that."
"Tell him!"
Sae answers. "Did he get the blue one?"
"He's trying on two," Isagi says, trying to sound professional. "The blue one looks great, but there's a black one too, and I know you said no black, but he wants to compare. I need to know the protocol if he likes both. Budget-wise. Because you mentioned Spain is expensive, and I'm trying to respect that."
There's a pause.
"Hmm," Sae says.
"Hmm?"
"Let's see if he's serious about both," Sae says thoughtfully. "Sometimes he just wants to try things. See how he reacts to the second one."
"So... wait and see?"
"Measured approach," Sae agrees. "Don't commit yet. Don't buy anything Rin doesn't need. He has a budget for a reason—don't let him go over it."
Isagi hangs up, relieved. "Okay. Only what Rin needs, nothing more." Sounds easy enough. Isagi will just wait and see how Rin feels about the second dress.
The curtain opens.
Dress #2 is black. Shorter. Different neckline. Rin steps out and the crowd actually grows—three more girls, another employee, a man waiting for his wife who gives up and joins the audience.
Rin stands on the platform. Looks at himself. And smiles.
It's small. It's pleased. Maybe even smug—a devious smile like Rin is finally discovering he has power and he likes the taste of it.
"Okay," Shidou says, and his voice has changed. It's lower. More serious. "Okay, Rin. But your ass in that dress—"
"Shidou—"
"—is criminal," Shidou finishes. "That's a felony. Someone should arrest you. Not me, someone else, because I'm enjoying the view."
Rin turns. The crystals decorating the black dress catch the light. The crowd gasps.
Isagi looks at Shidou. "You said you'd help me be responsible."
"I am being responsible," Shidou says, not looking away from Rin. "I'm responsibly acknowledging that he looks incredible and that depriving the world of either dress would be a hate crime. He needs both dresses."
"You said Sae complains about money!"
"Sae complains about money because he likes when you worry about him. It's foreplay for you two. I don't care about that." Shidou finally looks at Isagi, and his expression is genuinely serious. "Isagi. Look at his face. Look at the crowd. This isn't about dresses anymore. This is about letting him blossom into the beautiful diva that this boring shopping mall desperately needs."
Isagi stares blank.
Rin does a dazzling twirl in front of the mirrors.
And Shidou's eyes follow every movement, obsessed.
"His ass is blossoming, his butt is in full bloom. Do not get in the way of this," he tells Isagi.
"What?"
"Call Sae."
Isagi calls.
"He likes both," Isagi reports. "The crowd is forming a cult. Shidou has defected and is now sexually harassing him—"
"I'm complimenting his assets!"
"—and I need guidance because this is escalating."
Sae is quiet for a moment. Then: "Is he still on the platform?"
"Yes."
"Letting people take photos?"
Isagi looks. Rin is indeed letting the bold daughter adjust his hair while the mother takes pictures with her phone. He's not smiling anymore, but he's... preening. There's no other word for it. He's preening.
"Yeah," Isagi says.
"Get both," Sae says.
"Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"But you said to wait—"
"He's not trying them on," Sae says softly. "He's performing in them. He's serious. Get both."
Isagi hangs up.
Shidou looks at him expectantly.
"He said get both."
"Of course."
"And whatever else he wants."
Shidou grins, fully enjoying this. "Rin. Hey. You want shoes?"
Rin looks up from his photoshoot. "Shoes?"
"For the dresses," Shidou says. "You can't wear sneakers."
Rin considers this. Then he looks at Isagi. Not asking—just checking. Seeing what he'll allow.
Isagi looks at the bags. Looks at Rin's face. Sighs.
"Yeah," Isagi says. "Yeah, fine. Shoes."
Rin smiles. He grins—wide and wicked and knowing. He loves it when Isagi gives in to him.
"Good," Rin says. "I saw some earlier. They're expensive."
"Of course they are."
"I'll show you."
The shoes are three hundred dollars.
Isagi calls Sae.
"Get them," Sae says.
"He has shoes," Isagi tries.
"Not for the dresses," Sae says. "Get them."
The jewelry is "on sale" but still costs more than Isagi's monthly food budget.
Isagi calls Sae.
"If he likes it," Sae says.
"He likes everything…"
"Then get everything! If that's what my little brother needs then, whatever, it's fine—take my card and charge it."
Sae hangs up.
"He doesn't need it," Isagi mutters to himself, standing in the middle of the jewelry section, surrounded by bags, watching Rin try on necklaces while a small crowd offers opinions. Rin has changed. The uncertainty is gone. Now he's sitting on the display stool, legs crossed, letting employees clasp things around his neck like he's royalty and they're servants.
He's becoming a princess right before Isagi's eyes. A spoiled, pretty, knows-exactly-what-he's-doing princess.
An employee places a tiara on Rin's head. It matches the necklace. Of course it does.
"He's getting worse," Isagi says to Shidou.
Rin sits there admiring the necklace.
"He's getting better," Shidou corrects. "Look at him. He's glowing. He's radiating. Rin, baby girl," Shidou calls out, "Your ass in that necklace, Rin—"
"Oh my god…"
"—is divine," Shidou finishes. "Heavenly. Biblical."
Rin touches the necklace. Looks at himself in the mirror. "I want this one."
"Which necklace?" Isagi asks tersely.
"Both."
"Rin—"
The employee brings out a third necklace, diamond encrusted, and presents it to Rin with white-gloved hands.
Rin takes one look at it.
"Both," Rin repeats, firmly.
"Rin, there's three necklaces and a tiara," Isagi says, pointing out how "both" isn't a clear answer. "Just pick one."
"No! I want both! I mean—all, give me all of it!"
Isagi looks at the price tags. Looks at Shidou, who shrugs like, what did you expect? Looks at Rin, who is watching him with big eyes and that tiny, mischievous smile, already knowing he's won.
Isagi buys both necklaces. And by that he means he buys all three plus a fourth necklace that Rin finds at the last second, running it up to the counter before Isagi has had a chance to swipe Sae's card.
By 4 PM, they have a following.
It's not just shoppers anymore. It's an ecosystem. The shoe salesman calls Rin "young sir" and brings out options unprompted. The pretzel guy at Auntie Anne's gives him extra cinnamon sugar "because you're pretty." Random girls keep stopping to compliment his cheekbones, and Rin—Rin accepts it all with grace, wearing his diamond tiara and flashing his cute little smile, like this is his due, like he's always known the world should look at him.
He's walking differently. Shoulders back. Chin up. Letting his hips sway just slightly, enjoying the eyes on him.
"He's drunk on attention," Isagi observes.
"He's hydrated," Shidou corrects. "He was dehydrated before. Now he's drinking."
"No, you're just thirsty," Isagi thinks.
But Shidou doesn't deny it. He just trails behind Rin carrying his bags, following Rin's every step.
Then Rin stops. He pauses in front of Auntie Anne's.
It's the second Auntie Anne's they've passed in the mall. The air smells warm and bready.
Rin makes a cute needy little whine. "Isagi…"
"No. Rin— No, we just ate at the other Auntie Anne's."
"I want a pretzel," Rin pouts.
"Rin—"
"And a lemonade."
Isagi pulls out his phone. "I'm calling Sae."
"Do you have to call for everything?" Shidou asks.
"Yes! Because someone has to be the adult!"
"You're not the adult. You're the secretary."
Isagi ignores him. Sae answers.
"He wants another pretzel," Isagi reports. "And lemonade. And we've spent—" he does the math, makes a dying noise "—so much money. So much. And he wants more, and he's being very... very..."
"Cute? Adorable? Absolutely perfect like a cute adorable perfect little angel?" Sae replies.
Isagi pinches the bridge of his nose. That's not the way Isagi would phrase it. "No," Isagi says. "He's being a princess! A diva! He's walking like he owns the mall!"
"Is he still smiling?"
Isagi looks at Rin, who is currently letting a little kid compliment his tiara, looking pleased and smug and soft all at once.
"Yeah," Isagi says quietly. "Yeah, he's smiling."
"Get him the pretzel," Sae says. "And the lemonade. And Isagi?"
"Yeah?"
"Get yourself something too. You've earned it."
Isagi hangs up. Stares at his phone.
"Well?" Shidou asks.
"He said get the pretzel."
"And?"
"And the lemonade."
"And?"
Isagi looks at Rin, who is watching him with big eyes, surrounded by bags, his tiara catching the light, looking every inch the spoiled little brother who has discovered the world will give him things if he just asks nicely enough.
"And he said I earned something," Isagi says, blushing at the thought.
"Of course you did," Shidou says. "Rin, what does Isagi want?"
Rin considers this. "He wants… my Nii-chan. And the cinnamon sugar pretzel nuggets."
"How do you know?"
Rin smiles, small and cute—pleased. "I know what my personal shoppers like."
"I'm not your—" Isagi stops. Laughs, helpless. "Yeah. Yeah, okay." Isagi can admit there's something irresistible about the Itoshis. And he's genuinely enjoying his time with the youngest one. "Okay, Rin. I'll have the Cinnamon sugar."
Isagi goes to buy pretzels for his ridiculous, spoiled, little diva princess named Rin who is, against all odds, becoming something like family.
Behind him, he hears Shidou say, "Your ass in that tiara, Rin. Criminal."
And Rin, giggling, actually giggling, saying, "Shut up, Shidou," but not meaning it, not even close.
Isagi smiles at the Auntie Anne's menu and prepares to spend Sae's money.
It's worth it.
If Rin is happy, then it's worth it.