Treacherous

15 - slow dancing

"By all means, to be diffused at the right time and place, and has to be magical, is this?"

Seokhoon's voice rang out beside me as he surged in the situation we're heading to before reverted back to meet my eyes. With classical music and cheery chatters in the background, we stood at the side with everyone's stares charmed on us.

"So I said."

Sipping on my non-alcoholic wine, I watched the Halla Hall swarmed in with people mostly I never knew about. Basked in fancy suits, fancy dresses, and fancy themselves, the grand ballroom was anything but quiet. It lit under the faint hues of yellow light, praising the brown Persian carpet spread on the floor everybody strode by.

As they talked and greeted each other in full delight due to the happy occasion, the congratulatory messages kept on flooding endlessly. Somehow, we became the main treat of the night, not the delicacies.

Three days before us, the dinner at the penthouse with our family successfully produced a good result in smoothing my plan. To prove we were capable enough, I persuaded Chairman Shim to let both of us arrange our own engagement. When I said me and Seokhoon already have our wonderful visualization for the best party of the century, he and Jaein were so eager which they immediately approved my blabbering talk. Leaving no room for Seokhoon's father to intervene in the discussion.

For that reason, I scheduled the mighty event to be held at the Shilla Hotel in Jeju. Right where it all started.

"Tell me again, why do we have to do this?"

I looked up from Seokhoon's left hand to him. We were now standing in the center, performing as a lovely couple on the designated stage. It was all too ridiculous when I remembered back the summer last year with just how fast the days passed our status like a cheap farce. Like fate itself tried to fool us with all the things that happened in the third year of our last youth. How a simple talk between old men became a turnover of two people, from strangers to completely in tangle.

It both astonished, and fascinated me.

Slipping the silver band to his ring finger, I whispered, "What do you mean why do we have to do this? This is our engagement, you do know that."

"You know what I refer to," he whispered back. A little louder to my ear to get through the applause sound resonated around us. They threw their blessings toward us as if we were standing to the vow on the altar of a cathedral somewhere.

Glazing over him sideways, I saw the robotic smile on his face mirrored mine as my arm looped through his. "Just keep that pretty face on display, Seokhoon. You don't have to be so concerned and on edge. We can't let everyone know how doom and gloom this event is," I mumbled.

His face slightly turned sour, twitching for millisecond to show his discomfort. He schooled it quickly before anyone noticed. He led the two of us to the center of the dance floor; getting ready to move and sway after we're done with the exchanging rings agenda. All eyes followed us as we stood close to the heartbeat. It felt more intimate than ever with the crystal chandelier which was dimmer than before.

However, much to my dismay, the grip on my hand that was so firm I hitched a breath, with the way his large palm graze on mine, was an exemption. He wickedly showed his rage through the strength he controlled which I glared in return, though he blatantly ignored it. Without a doubt.

"No need to be so physical, Joo Seokhoon."

"You're one to talk."

I loosened the pressure my nails dug on his shoulder blade. "Forgive me for my hand has a mind of its own," I taunted him.