Dance The Night Away

CHAPTER 2

"Daldal!" Hana shouted at her puppy who had excitedly chased after a butterfly. The girl ran behind her dog, cursing at her brother, who was supposed to take their pet for a walk. Her hair blew into her face, which only annoyed her further.

“Ugh! I should just fucking chop all of this!” She pulled it all into a ponytail, securing it with a rubber band before running again in search of Daldal.

Soon, Hana had lost her way. The area was deserted, away from the main part of the park and only a few trees and benches were present.

"Shit, shit, shit.” she cussed under her breath. The girl reached for her phone but found that its battery had died long ago. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she tried tracing her steps back to the place she had started.

“Fucking assholes. Who makes a park this big?!”

After around half an hour of walking, Hana sat down on a nearby bench, exhausted. The sun was directly overhead, and did a wonderful job in making sure everyone in the park were sweating bullets. Hana wiped her forehead with her hand and took a much needed sip of water from her bottle.

Suddenly her ears picked up the sound of distant barks. “Daldal?” The girl got up from her place and walked swiftly towards the sound. But no sooner had she neared it, she was obstructed by tall hedges.

"Daldal?!" She shouted just to see if it was her own dog behind the bushes. Loud barks came in response to the call, and Hana exhaled loudly. “Oh my god. How do I even get in there?" She looked to the sides, but there seemed to be no entrance. The girl walked slowly, searching the hedge for any sort of entrance, through which she could enter.

Eventually, she found one but hesitated to go through it as the opening seemed a little too small for her. Hana called again for her dog, but she got no reply. Dread crossed her heart, and she shouted louder this time, yet to no avail.

“Fuck it.”

Hana moved closer to the hedge, and after taking a deep breath, pushed the leaves in front of her, entering the thick bushes.

***

“Hwang Hyunjin! Where do you think you are going?”

The said boy stopped dead in his tracks and groaned loudly. He turned around to find his manager standing in the middle of the corridor, arms crossed and a stern look on his face. “Hyung, please?” Hyunjin whined.

“No.”

“Aw please, please, please. Just half an hour. I’ll be back before you even know it.” The younger boy pleaded, his mouth in a pout.

“I said, no. You have practice in an hour. If Ji hoon hyung finds out, I’ll be the one getting in trouble for letting you lose. Don’t think he has forgotten what happened in Japan.” The manager was saying bitterly.

“But Hyung, this is different! I am only going to the park opposite for some fresh air. And I promise to wear my cap and mask at all times. Just once, huh? Please? I’ll come back and practice twice as hard.”

“Don’t show your puppy eyes at me. Okay, fine. Come back exactly in thirty minutes. Now go– OUCH!” the man yelled when Hyunjin jumped on him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best manager hyung i’ve ever had!”

“I am the only manager you ever had.”

“Exactly.” Hyunjin said cheekily before running over to the main door. “Brat!” Joo Hwan called out after the boy, shaking his head. Don't get into trouble, kiddo.

Hyunjin crossed the road and made swift strides towards the park, his pretty face hidden beneath the black cap and mask. It was a hot day, and within minutes, he was itching to take them off but kept himself grounded out of fear. With his face plastered on advertisements and billboards, the twenty year old had to take extreme measures so fans wouldn't bombard him when he's in public.

Even now, with his face covered and long, blonde hair — his trademark — tucked securely under the cap, Hyunjin received a few curious glances from passers-by. Hence, he moved quickly and reached his usual picnic spot.

This part of the park was deserted, not many interested in the overgrown hedges and trees, but to the boy, it was paradise on earth. He walked to the entrance of a circular structure made of tall hedges. Hyunjin reached the centre of the area, where a small fountain stood, surrounded by flowering trees and plants. 'Fountain of Youth' — he called it — a pretty clichéd name. It wasn't because the water had mystical powers that made you younger. Rather, it reminded him of the times he visited the place with his mother — his childhood.

At that time, the park didn't exist, nor did the high-rise buildings or traffic. The fountain and its surroundings were a popular picnic spot before the government decided to build an area around it. And when the hedges came up, it lay forgotten, only visited by birds of different types and a growing teenager who found solace in its beauty.

Hyunjin removed his mask and cap, letting the breeze blow his hair and dry his sweat. He breathed deeply, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers and grass. He then sat on the raised platform and looked inside the fountain.

Though the pipes that squirted water high up in the air no longer functioned, like a magical well, the fountain never dried up. Even during the hottest of the summer days, there was still water in it. However, there never seemed to be any water source other than rain to fill it up. This, as Hyunjin perceived, was one of the many mysteries of the place.

The boy was enjoying the sound of birds chirping when he noticed a movement in the bushes towards his right. Hyunjin got up cautiously from his place and stared at the spot. All of a sudden, there was a yap, and a white furred pomeranian ran into the clearing.

Hyunjin let out an unhumanly scream — which he was sure he would have been made fun of by Yunho — but recovered when he realised it was only a dog. The dog barked around before chasing its tail until finally it fell on its back and bicycled its legs in the air.

"Aw! Aren't you a cutie!" He exclaimed, kneeling down beside the animal and scratching its belly. The dog reminded him of his own dog — who now lived with his cousin.

“What’s your name, bud?” Hyunjin reached out for the collar and scanned the locket hanging on it.

“Daldal-” He started when another voice rang through the air, “DALDAL!”

The dog began barking excitedly, hearing the voice of its owner. It then jumped on Hyunjin, knocking him onto the ground. “Hey, hey! Calm down! I’ll get you out of here.” he slowly petted the animal, and once it calmed down a bit, he got up.

But then the call came again, which got the dog yapping excitedly in Hyunjin’s arms. The boy groaned softly, trying to hold Daldal in place before it could run away somewhere. He picked up his cap from the ground and slowly walked to the entrance of the circular structure.

Suddenly, there was a loud shout, and a body slammed into him, causing him to trip and fall. The dog wriggled free from his hands and jumped around excitedly. Before Hyunjin could recover from his shock, he felt something really heavy settle on his back and an arm wrapped around his neck,

“How dare you try to steal my baby?!”

***