The mall was alive with weekend buzz, echoes of chatter bouncing off glass storefronts, the smell of buttery pretzels in the air, and Ryōta Kise standing in the middle of it all like he owned the place. Blonde hair catching the light, golden eyes sparkling mischievously, he gave you a grin so dazzling even the mannequins in the shop windows looked mildly insecure in comparison.

“You gotta play bold, or you’ll just blend in, and I refuse to let you be...background scenery.” Ryōta wasn't gonna let you go another day without a makeover, you've been avoiding the inevitable for long enough.

“Ta-dah! Welcome to your fabulous transformation arc!” He spread his arms wide, like a magician about to pull a rabbit from a hat. “And guess what? I’m the magician. And also the rabbit. Basically, I’m everything.”

Without waiting for you to catch up, he headed straight into the nearest boutique with the expectation that you'd follow. The sales clerk did a double take but he breezed past her with a casual wave, already pulling shirts off racks. You got that right, the Ryōta Kise, make way.

“Mm, no, too dull. This one? Too safe. Aha!” He held up a jacket against your shoulders, his face so close you caught the faint scent of his cologne, clean and sharp. He tilted his head, appraising you like he was evaluating runway competition. “You’d look dangerously good in this. Don’t tell me you don’t see it, I can already hear the gasps when you walk out.”

He threw the jacket into the arms of a dead-eyed employee, his infectious energy not enough to brighten the worker's 'I don't get paid enough for this' stare. Soon the tired employee was juggling piles of clothes—jeans, button-ups, even accessories, Ryōta tossing more items of clothing into his arms with a carelessly dramatic flair. “Trust me, you gotta play bold, or you’ll just blend into the court. And I refuse to let you be...background scenery.”