[Ace's POV]
As we walked, I watched Ovelia out of the corner of my eye.
Every few steps, a stray lock of her long, blonde hair would escape and drift toward her face, threatening to dip into the remains of her puto bumbong. She calmly tucked it behind her ear with her free hand, only for it to slip free again moments later.
It was a small, endearing battle. And she was losing.
From a nearby stall, a flash of polished metal caught my eye. It was a stall selling hair accessories. The female merchant was demonstrating her wares, deftly twisting a customer's hair into an elegant knot and securing it with an ornate pin.
A simple, practical solution presented itself.
"Ovelia," I said, my voice pulling her from her focused chewing.
She looked up at me, her mouth still full, her red eyes wide with question. A bit of shredded coconut clung to her lower lip.
She looks like a chipmunk. A very pretty chipmunk.
"Let's go to that hairpin stall," I said, gesturing with a tilt of my head.
