Fresh off the flight from Japan, you and Lauren were exhausted but still buzzing from everything you’d seen and done—Tokyo Tower, Harajuku, ramen shops, Disney, everything. But instead of resting, Lauren looked at you in the Uber back from LAX with that mischievous little smirk and said, “So… wanna go shopping?”

You blinked. “Now?! We just got back!”

She grinned and shrugged, “Jet lag doesn’t exist when you’re built different. Plus, we need to restock our California wardrobes. No more fluffy Japan coats—I need sundresses.”

So there you were, barely unpacked, walking into a mall back in California like you hadn’t just crossed the entire Pacific Ocean. Lauren had already slipped into full shopping mode, pulling you into Zara, Urban Outfitters, and literally every store that had even a hint of something “summery and cute.”

“Hold my bag,” she said for the fifth time that hour, handing you a mini mountain of clothes while she disappeared into another dressing room.

You just stood there outside, arms full, sipping your iced coffee, watching people walk by with that “I’ve-been-dragged-here” boyfriend look.

“Okay, rate this—1 to 10,” she called from inside, pulling back the curtain to reveal an outfit that made you stop for a second.

You raised an eyebrow. “11.”

She blushed, did a twirl, then smirked. “See? Worth dragging you here.”

After a few hours, she let you pick out something for yourself too—though she still gave final approval, obviously. By the time the sun started setting, you were sitting at an outdoor café with your shopping bags around your feet, sharing a pastry and laughing about the fact that you were literally in Japan this morning.

Lauren leaned back in her chair, sunglasses on, iced matcha in hand, and said, “Okay. Back in Cali, bags full, boyfriend happy—life’s good.”