The employees froze for a moment.
They thought Noa was either a lunatic or bluffing.
He still looked like a teenager, and his rough condition made him look pitiful. But now he was asking them to wrap up a nearly $1,000 hat like it was nothing.
That's why they hesitated, observing him with suspicion.
Noa didn't care about their opinions and continued giving instructions regardless. "Add that dress as well," he pointed at the dress Hana had been secretly eyeing for a while. "And those shoes beside the mannequin. Size seven for her."
Hana nudged his sleeve.
She wore a concerned look on her face, noticing the high price tags and the clerks' expressions.
Without wasting a single second, Noa knelt down and flicked her forehead. "Don't worry. We don't care what these blind employees think."
He said it confidently, just loud enough for them to hear him.
That was his way of retribution for their previous comments.
Hana chuckled, and feeling proud of her brother's actions, she stuck her tongue out at the clerks.
These women blinked, taken aback.
They had strongly believed that Noa was just a broke student at best.
He wouldn't even be able to afford one plastic bag here, but now he was asking them to pack not one but three premium items.
So they hesitated again, not knowing how to react.
One of them even grinned, thinking that Noa was acting tough in front of his sister.
But as she was about to expose him for his stupidity, Noa raised his brow and repeated the same mocking tone he used before. "I thought this store would have competent employees. But instead of assisting me, you are trying to guess my bank balance."
Then he took out his card and slapped it on the counter.
"Scan it," he said, his face remaining expressionless. "But do it quickly, we have better places to be."
For a moment, neither of the clerks moved.
The air froze, making the already tense atmosphere even tenser.
Finally, the one who assumed Noa was only bluffing in front of his sister moved and picked up the card.
The total was $5,512—a huge amount even for her.
She then slid it under the reader smoothly.
She seemed calm on the outside.
But inside, she only hoped the reader would beep in red, declining Noa's attempt to purchase the clothes.
Beep.
The color was green.
And the screen showed neatly arranged letters that the woman didn't want to read.
Approved.
Even the receipt began printing, leaving the woman in disbelief, her head low.
Noa didn't stand idly. He reached out for the receipt, pocketed it, and urged the woman to give him the bags.
She was still looking at the terminal.
The words she wanted to utter and make fun of Noa were stuck in her throat, making her unable to form even a single sentence.
The second clerk, too, looked confused.
She couldn't fathom how a brat like Noa managed to pay that money.
But their questions would remain unanswered, as Noa's gaze made them feel small compared to him.
It was his time to look down at them.
And Noa played the role perfectly by ignoring their presence altogether and leaving the store without sparing a single glance.
With that, Noa and Hana stood in the center of the mall, surrounded by more shops to explore.
Before they chose the next one to visit, the little girl whispered,
"Brother… you are amazing. Did you see their faces? They looked so silly that they couldn't even talk back."
Noa patted her head. "What can I do? You are lucky to have me as your big brother."
Hana nodded her tiny head.
Though she loved to argue with him and call him childish slurs, at the end of the day, she had nothing but respect for him.
"Now let's go and buy clothes for you," she declared suddenly. "And leave the fashion to me, you don't have a sense of it."
Noa was unable to go against her.
So he followed her lead, letting Hana select his outfits.
Hours went by quickly, and the siblings spent the time wisely, completely transforming their image.
If before Noa looked like a starving kid with no home, thanks to the clothes Hana selected, he gave off a completely different vibe.
Yes, he was wearing casual outfits, but they no longer looked worn and cheap.
A gray Gravex hoodie with silver lines on the sleeves, paired with Driftline pants that had clean edges at the bottom, made him feel rich.
On his feet were white Kyro sneakers with blue laces.
It was like he was wearing and walking on clouds, their softness hugging his skin.
Hana, too, looked like a girl born in a high-class family. Her long, colorful dress made her cuter but also gave her a sense of authority.
"Is there anything you want to buy or do?" Noa finally asked after visiting almost every major store in the mall.
The little girl narrowed her brow.
Everything that happened today was too much for her to take in.
It felt like a dream, and she was having so much fun she didn't want the day to end.
But above every item Noa had bought for her, she cherished the time she got to spend with him. With that in mind, she wanted to do one more thing.
"Can we watch a movie?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Sure," Noa nodded.
He loved taking Hana to the movies, but lately, he hadn't been able to. The endless hours of work got harder for him to handle—the exhaustion catching up with him.
That was about to change.
He then led Hana to the theater on the top floor of the mall.
After selecting the anime she wanted to watch, Noa decided to go all in and bought the most expensive tickets.
It was $100 each, but he was happy to pay for it.
With a private screening room, comfy seats, and the best screen the theater had to offer, IMAX was truly the world's most immersive movie experience.
The new One Piece movie made Hana laugh more than once.
Seeing this, Noa leaned back in the soft chair, glad to see her having a great time.
When the show ended, Noa checked the time.
Soon, he would have to stream as night started to approach, but before that, he made his way towards the trendy diner on the bottom floor.