Curled Horns

26. Recommendation

Compared to the last time Mingi walked the main streets of the town at the foot of the mountain, the alleys seemed to have become dimmer. Shadows loomed around every corner, darker than before, more secretive. This time, Mingi wasn't sure if he could trust them to promise safety and the warmth of a hidden inn with a lovely atmosphere. Every movement startled him, making him look out for a blue-haired pixie wielding a weapon.

Mingi disliked the lack of playing children. The usual merchants were around and open for business, but their faces were grim and the eyes alert. None of them called out to Mingi as he led his horse through the few hurried people by its reigns. Everybody only went out for long enough to do their business before they dipped back inside the security of their homes.

Guards patrolled the streets. Their horrible halberds thumped on the pavement as they idly made their circles. One of them stood near Seonghwa's little shop, and Mingi gladly hoped that he would intervene in case anything happened to Seonghwa. Mingi left his horse tied to a post near the demon, knowing he wouldn't be for long.

With the dutiful chime alerting Seonghwa of his presence, Mingi stepped inside the cosy atelier. Just like last time, it had changed its interior, confusing Mingi anew. Seonghwa sat at his table amongst piles of colourful textiles and dutifully stitched up two pieces of fabric. His hands moved faster than Mingi's eye could figure out the movements; they were that precise in their work.

When Mingi stepped in, Seonghwa rose his head to him curiously. He remained relaxed, even if his eyes held a certain wariness, until he recognised his friend.

"Welcome back. Already in need for another trim?" Seonghwa greeted him brightly as he carelessly swiped the second chair next to him clean of clothes. Mingi giggled at the sight, hoping that Seonghwa's customers didn't know how he treated their ware. (Not that Seonghwa's atelier wasn't spotless of grime and smelled of fresh fruit otherwise.)

Mingi dropped onto the chair next to him, his eyes stuck to the way Seonghwa continued to work with only sporadic glances at the needle. He wanted to watch him for hours, seeing that fabric pull together perfectly.

"I actually came for your services," Mingi grinned at him. When Seonghwa gave him a surprised glance, his smirk grew mischievous.

"Ripped another pair of pants?"

"Yes, but not with my thighs this time." Mingi warningly rose his hand before Seonghwa could deliver a cheeky remark. Lips curled into a crooked grin, the man awaited his explanation. He wore a light blue band around his left horn today. After Mingi had dug out the pants from his bag, he handed them over to Seonghwa carefully. Fascinated, Seonghwa's fingers explored the fabric.

"These are not my pants. They belong to Yunho. But since my horns were the ones ripping them, I found it fair to compensate."

"Your horns?" Seonghwa repeated as if he could have misunderstood Mingi in the quiet atmosphere of his working place. "What were your horns doing at the height of his pants?"

Mingi huffed exasperatedly. He hadn't planned on telling Seonghwa of his development with Yunho right away since he couldn't vouch for its longevity, but his friend read him like an open book.

"It's not as if he was wearing them!"

"Say no more, I got it."

Mingi whined when he noticed his mistake. Chuckling, Seonghwa laid the pants out in front of him on the table so he could make out the rip in the dark fabric.

"Why can I never be subtle around you?" Sulking, Mingi crossed his arms while Seonghwa worked. Their tails nudged at each other, wary if they actually wanted to intertwine. It was their thing. Pretending they didn't like each other when they would go to the end of the world for a simple favour. Yet, Mingi noticed the notable difference between Seonghwa's and Yunho's tails.