I Wished For You [Michaeng]

Chapter 14: The Ball

"What should I wear?" Chaeyoung asked.

"You only have two nice outfits for occasions like this, just choose one," Dahyun said.

"Should I try something different and wear the dress or keep it similar to my uniform and wear the suit?"

"Fighting in a dress would be a power move if it comes to that, but I think the suit is more practical. But I'm not the one choosing, so go with your heart."

Chaeyoung picked the suit. It had a red suit jacket and tie, and a black button-down shirt and pants. She was given a couple of nice outfits from the academy for occasions exactly like this one.

She suddenly remembered the last time she wore it. "Remember when we were partners for one of the guard's balls?"

"How could I forget? That was hilarious!"

They reminisced about the story and laughed.

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Four years ago

Chaeyoung stood in the ballroom with a flower tightly gripped in her hands. She was frankly surprised that it hadn't snapped. If someone came up to her and asked why she was so nervous, she wouldn't have known how to respond since there was really no reason to be. The whole purpose of this ball was for trainee guards to learn the proper etiquette of one and what to do. That was it, there was no hidden meaning behind it. 

When Dahyun walked into the ballroom wearing a white dress, it was safe to say the rest of the trainee guards were floored by her beauty. It perfectly complemented her skin and contrasted well with her eyes.

"That's my granddaughter!" the leader of the academy exclaimed.

Dahyun flushed with embarrassment and covered her face. The trainees shouted compliments and cheered which only served to fluster her more.

"You look really beautiful," Chaeyoung remarked.

"You don't look too shabby yourself," Dahyun said.

Chaeyoung handed her the flower. Dahyun accepted it with a wide smile.

"Damn, Son! You really scored with Kim as your partner," another trainee named Han Jisung whispered towards her.

"Yeah, now watch me make a fool of myself. I don't know what the hell I'm doing," Chaeyoung whispered back.

"Don't worry, I don't think any of us do, let's just have fun," another trainee named Lee Minho whispered.

"By the way, I can clearly hear you guys whispering right in front of me. And Minho, you're right. Let's make the most of this! Even if we make complete fools of ourselves," Dahyun said.

"Let's go then!" Jisung exclaimed, dragging Minho to dance.

Dahyun extended her hand for Chaeyoung to take. "May I have this dance?"

"Kim Dahyun! I'm the one who's supposed to ask that!" Chaeyoung exclaimed, slapping Dahyun's shoulder.

Dahyun shrugged. "Ah, who cares?"

Chaeyoung shook her head but took Dahyun's hand with a smile. They started out fine, following the steps almost perfectly. The real difficulty started when they had to switch partners. It did not go as smoothly as it was supposed to. Some people fell, others were barely caught by their new partners. The leader laughed loudly at their mishaps and that just made it all the more fun. The trainees laughed too, although that wasn't proper. It was supposed to be a formal and serious event, but it ended up devolving into chaos. It all culminated in a fit of smiles and laughs when Dahyun slipped and the other trainees dived in to try and stop her from hitting the ground. They all made complete fools of themselves, but at least they did so together.