The beauty walked down the Midas Shopping Strip and checked the next two storefronts.
Unfortunately, the first, an antique shop, was closed 'Due to maintenance issues,' and the second, a blacksmith shop with an overgrown exterior, was closed 'due to ongoing shop needs.'
With a slight huff she went on to the next shop. As she opened the door, it tripped a small ball that ran around the nearby window, down some pegs, and through several other contraptions before it finally hit a small bell that announced her arrival.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" An old man bellowed feebly from the back. As he came around the corner, he stopped short.
"Who are you?" He added. "Surely you're not here for one of my puzzles."
"No, unfortunately. I'm actually here for information about one of the shop owners, a young man named Il Ji?"
"I should've known. For all his talk about not wanting a woman, the young brat was just
waiting to bust my chops." The old man muttered.
*Ahem.* "Mr. Addlesby." He didn't respond. "Mr. Addlesby. Mr. Addlesby."
Right before she woke him, the man stirred and began to pelt her with a quick onslaught of verbage. "You're asking about Il Ji, right? The young man is nothing but the best of the best of the best of the best. In fact, I passed my family's legacy on to him. Aye, he's a kind soul, no problem for anything or anyone, but he always keeps his wits about him."
"That being said, I don't want to talk about it. Anything else?"
The beauty collected herself from the man's verbal onslaught. "No, that'll be all."
"Alright, then. There's the door."
Slowly, the beauty walked towards the door, and opening it, she left the store.
IMMEDIATELY!! Mr. Addlesby reached for his store phone. "Midas Family, Midas Family, we have a problem! I repeat! We have a problem! Code Popo. Code Popo. The police are looking for Il Ji. They've sent a young, beautiful woman to interrogate us. DO NOT- I repeat, do NOT, speak with her. Do NOT let her enter your shop. I repeat-"
The young beauty walked over to the next shop. One of the shop employees was quickly putting a 'We're Closed' sign up. He mouthed the word, "Sorry" before going back behind the counter.
Undeterred, the beauty went over to the next shop, only to find it closed as well. And so was the next, and the next. She licked her finger. "Not here, sooo…"
Walking behind a shop, she disappeared in a flutter of petals and reappeared on the other side of the strip. Smiling, she walked around the corner and opened the unlocked door.
"Hello, and welcome to- Oh, it's you."
The beauty lifted one of her eyebrows icily.
The shop owner didn't care, though. "We here at the Midas Shopping Strip keep to our own, and Il Ji doubly so! Back off, popo. You are unwelcome here. Stay here any longer and I'll call the Chao City Police Master himself to have him arrest you on charges of trespassing."
"...….."
The beauty left and walked out the door. Exasperated, she turned back out around the corner before teleporting to the store that started it.
She unlocked the door from the inside and pushed open the door.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Once again, the voice came from the back. "Oh, and here I was thinking-"
A sheer volume of pink petals fell from her shoulders to cover her dress. Reaching into her soul space, the woman pulled out a mask and placed it on her face.
The old man stammered- "Y-Y-You- Y-You're the-"
"Yes, I am she. And I hate having to do this, but now that you've seen my face, I'll have to erase your memories of this moment afterwards. You understand, right?"
Mr. Addlesby gulped and immediately nodded his head three times. In his haste, he dropped the puzzle he was carrying.
Before it hit the ground, the icy woman floated it back to his hands. She shifted it to his chest.
Gratefully, the man picked it up and placed it on the counter. "Then, how can I help you, Lady of the Flowers Myriad?"
"Tell me about the young man known as Il Ji. I want to know EVERYTHING. And that does mean EVERYTHING."
"Well, he's got a loooong-"