Young-i hummed lightly, a sweet, almost absentminded sound, as she and you strolled together through the mall. The tune didn't seem to belong to any particular song, but it carried the faint lift of her excitement—shopping days always put her in this kind of mood. Her steps bounced ever so slightly, her sneakers squeaking against the glossy tiled floor as the two of you wandered past store after store, neon signs flickering in the background, mannequins dressed in the latest seasonal outfits staring out from their glass prisons.

Young-i had been determined to find new clothes today. She'd been talking about it all week, texting you every night with links, screenshots, and wishlist items from online shops, half-joking, half-hoping that at least some of them would be purchased in person. Still, despite her excitement, the shopping trip wasn't going entirely how she had envisioned.

So far, you'd stopped into Victoria's Secret, Hollister, Claire's, and a handful of other shops scattered throughout the mall. You had dutifully carried her bags, wallet at the ready, paying for nearly everything without so much as a complaint. Young-i, however, had yet to find much that truly spoke to her. She was picky—always had been—and even when racks were overflowing, she could swipe through hanger after hanger and frown, unsatisfied.

Sure, she had managed to pick up a few small treasures along the way. At Claire's, she'd lit up at a dainty pair of butterfly earrings, the wings painted in a delicate gradient of pink and lavender. She'd squealed and spun toward you, holding them up against her ear to ask, “aren't these so cute? they're totally me, right?” Then, at another shop, she stumbled upon official merch from one of her favorite k-pop groups, and that had been an easy choice. The hoodie practically disappeared into the pile of items you carried before Young-i even finished arguing with herself about the price.

But aside from those little finds, the rest of the mall felt strangely disappointing. Even though the shelves were fully stocked—row after row of colorful sweaters, jeans folded neatly into perfect stacks, shiny handbags perched atop stands—it all blurred together in Young-i's eyes. Bland. Lifeless. Not special enough. She wanted something that would make her heart jump, something that felt like her.

“ugh, boring,” she muttered after flipping through yet another rack of cardigans. “doesn't this mall know how to stock something actually worth buying?” She rolled her eyes dramatically, tossing her long hair back, though her pout was only half-serious.

You laughed softly, shifting the weight of the shopping bags. “you've been saying that since hollister.”

“because it's true!” she whined, dragging out the syllables in mock despair. “all this stuff is uglyyyy. don't you think so?”

Before you could answer, though, Young-i's attention snapped toward a store at the end of the corridor. Her humming stopped mid-note, and her eyes widened, glittering with recognition. There, just past the glowing sign and the swinging glass doors, was the unmistakable logo.

LABUBUS.

Her heart practically leapt into her throat.

“oh my god—no way!” she gasped, gripping your sleeve as though she'd just spotted a celebrity. Without waiting for permission, she tugged, half-dragging her companion toward the entrance. “do you see that?! it's labubus! they have a whole section!”

Her voice lifted into a squeal, echoing just enough to earn a few curious looks from nearby shoppers, but Young-i didn't care in the slightest. She was already skipping ahead, sneakers squeaking faster against the floor, and when she finally reached the shelves, her gasp turned into a delighted scream muffled behind her hands.

There they were.

A glorious display of Labubu figures, plushies, and limited-edition sets lined neatly from one end of the shelf to the other. The sight was dazzling—colors exploding in every pastel shade imaginable, sparkly packaging catching the fluorescent lights overhead. It was like stumbling upon a shrine dedicated to everything she adored.

And then, as if fate had been waiting for this exact moment, her gaze landed on it.

A set she hadn't bought yet.

Her mouth fell open, and her knees nearly buckled from excitement. “oh my god!” she squealed again, spinning around so quickly that her hair whipped across her face. She lunged forward, grabbing you by both shoulders with a grip that bordered on frantic “do you see this?! labubus!! they actually have the new set! this is insane—I didn't think they'd even have it here!”

She didn't wait for a reply. She was already pulling you closer, practically dragging you against the shelf like an overexcited child eager to show off a secret treasure. Her eyes darted frantically from box to box, scanning through the rows. There were so many to choose from—each one shining, each one tempting. Her hands hovered, trembling, as if she couldn't decide which to touch first.

Of course, there was one tiny problem.

Each of them cost around 40,000 won.

Young-i bit her lip, cheeks flushing as she realized the price tags weren't nearly as friendly as the packaging. She let out a soft groan, bouncing on her heels in indecision, then spun toward you with wide, pleading eyes that could melt even the coldest heart.

“which one should i get, huh?!” she demanded breathlessly, holding up two boxes for comparison. “pick one i don't have yet!!! i swear you're better at remembering which sets i already own than i am.”

Her grin widened as she shoved the boxes closer for inspection, her entire body vibrating with excitement. “come onnnn, don't just stand there! help me choose before someone else snatches it!”

Her voice lowered suddenly, almost conspiratorial, though the sparkle in her eyes gave away her mischief. “or... should i just get them all?”

She giggled, knowing exactly how outrageous that sounded, but she didn't seem to care. To Young-i, this was the kind of discovery that made all the dull stores, all the bland racks, all the sighs and disappointments of the day worth it. Standing there in front of the Labubu shelf, with you at her side and her arms full of pastel boxes, it finally felt like the shopping trip she had been waiting for all along.