Harper gave an awkward laugh upon hearing this.
The customer's use of "make do" didn't seem like a polite remark. It was indeed wearable, but since the customer had come to his shop, if he really made do with it and sold an ill-fitting garment, letting others see how it looked on him, he would be ruining his own reputation.
Besides, although the young man in front of him was dressed shabbily when he arrived, he recognized Isaac, who came with him, as an exorcism expert. He hoped to get along well with Isaac and couldn't just dismiss the guest he brought along.
However, is it some kind of tradition at their firm to wear shabby clothes to exchange for new ones...?
Harper sized up the young man in front of him. Vista had typical brown hair and brown eyes, and his appearance was nothing special; he could easily blend into a crowd. He looked unhealthy and was currently inhaling, trying to straighten his back.
Harper secretly compared the young man in front of him with Isaac, finding it hard to believe that the two were colleagues in the same firm.
"Sir, you're not exactly skinny, but you don't have enough muscle mass to fill out your clothes, so that standard-sized shirt looked baggy on you." Harper gestured to his shoulder width. "A size smaller would be too narrow in the shoulders and sleeves, restricting your movement."
"What should we do then? Do we have to order a custom-made set?"
"I can take a finished product and adjust the waistline and bust line to fit your figure." Harper took out a tape measure and measured Li Jiehao's shoulder width, arm length, chest circumference, and waist circumference while writing down the numbers in her small notebook.
"How much more money do I need?" Although there was reimbursement, Li Jiehao couldn't help but ask again after experiencing life for a while.
"It depends on the extent of the alterations. For this one, the estimated cost after modifications is..."
Nine pounds and fifteen pence?
"Sir, this is not a shady business."
"Oh, sorry, it was just a subconscious reaction..."
Harper listed a price, and Li Jiehao looked at Isaac, Isaac nodded, indicating that he had enough money to pay.
Li Jiehao breathed a sigh of relief and took off his coat, "Thank you for your help."
Harper put away the measuring tape. "Come pick it up in two days."
"Okay, thank you." Li Jiehao put his coarse cloth coat back on.
Harper clipped the measured slip into the ledger, and Isaac went to the counter, took out his wallet, and paid.
"Nothing unusual lately, right?" Isaac asked casually.
Harper knew exactly what he was asking, "Everything's normal, nothing strange has happened."
"That's good."
Li Jiehao looked around, wondering if these two actually had a hidden past.
Harper filled out the pickup slip, and Isaac put it in his wallet. "Let's go."
The two walked out of the clothing store, where Fenri was waiting for them. Li Jiehao picked up the rope hanging at the store entrance and said, "Brother Gou, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Dog Bro?" Isaac glanced at Fenri.
"Yeah, it protects me, so isn't it like a big brother?" Li Jiehao paused, then suddenly realized he had also called Isaac" big brother." "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean you and the dog were of the same generation..."
As the two walked back towards the Joint Investigation Bureau, Li Jiehao, seemingly trying to avoid an awkward silence, tried to start a conversation. "By the way, I was thinking in the store just now, wouldn't Dog Bro look even more handsome with a bow tie? A big black dog with a red bow tie, so stylish... Right, Dog Bro, want a bow tie?"
Isaac looked at Fenri and saw that Fenri was walking with her head tilted slightly back, a very small movement that was almost unnoticeable.
Could it be that Fenri actually wants a bow tie? Isaac's thought had barely crossed his mind when it was overshadowed by another possibility.
Fenri's actions didn't seem to be a response to Li Jiehao's words, but rather a deliberate glance back at Isaac as he looked over, as a kind of... reminder?
Isaac didn't look back, but continued walking, becoming increasingly wary.
Fenri's perception of its surroundings is likely far superior to that of ordinary people, so what could elicit such a reaction from it is probably not something trivial.
... Is someone following them?
The thought crossed his mind, but Isaac showed no sign of it and continued chatting with Li Jiehao.
As he reached the corner ahead, he raised his hand, straightened his hat brim, and quickly scanned the area.
There were quite a few pedestrians on the street, some carrying shopping baskets, some leaning on canes, some chatting by the roadside... everything seemed normal.
Isaac put his hat back on and continued walking.
Li Jiehao was oblivious to the little incident, still pondering the color of the bow tie. "Red might be too flashy, how about black? More understated, but still tasteful..."
" Fenri is also black, so you probably won't be able to tell once you put it on," Isaac replied, still pondering to himself.
Fenri wouldn't look back for no reason; she must have sensed something. But since she didn't show any stronger warning signs, it means that "something" doesn't pose an immediate threat.
However, if there really is a stalker, their return to the Joint Investigation Bureau might cause the stalker to give up, since the stalker probably wouldn't dare to follow them directly to the Joint Investigation Bureau. Whether they'll encounter a live stalker next time depends on luck.
Since Fenri is here, we don't need to worry too much about safety. Let's take this opportunity to lure the other party out and see what their tactics are.
"Where else would you like to go next?" Isaac asked Li Jiehao.
Li Jiehao was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this. "Aren't we going straight back to the Joint Investigation Bureau? Where else are we going to wander around?"
"Anywhere is fine, there's still plenty of time."
This was clearly not right, and Li Jiehao noticed it too. "What's going on?"
"Someone's following us." Isaac looked straight ahead. "Behave yourself, don't look back."
Li Jiehao's expression froze. "I-I understand, I'll try my best..."
Despite saying this, a series of thoughts flashed through Li Jiehao's mind: Someone's following me? Who? The Ghoul Cult? Or someone sent by that Morzul...?
He steadied himself, forcing himself to keep his eyes forward, but his heart was racing, and his gait was noticeably stiffer. After all, knowing someone was following him made it difficult to remain natural; not everyone has the experience of being followed.
"Is my current state normal?" Li Jiehao asked.
"Hmm, something doesn't seem right."
"What should we do then...?"
"Go ahead and try thinking about bow ties."
Li Jiehao tried to steer the conversation back to the topic of bow ties. "So tell me, if we were to tie a bow tie on Dog Bro, would we put it around his neck or on his collar? Would putting it around his neck be too tight...?"
His voice was undeniably stiff, but at least he kept the conversation going.
Li Jiehao seemed to be walking on his own two feet, and just wandering around like this wasn't a solution... Isaac pondered, glancing ahead. "There's a coffee shop up ahead, shall we go in and sit down?"
Li Jiehao didn't expect the topic to suddenly shift to coffee shops again, but he nodded in agreement. "Okay, my legs are sore from standing for so long."