✍︎ 𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲 | H.HJ

Chapter X

Moonlight

"Minho... I didn't expect your attendance today."
My voice was strained, yet soft and his familiar sweet eyes found mine with ease. Hyunjin stood between us, eyes not leaving Minho and he fixed a crease on his suit jacket. When he smiled at me he took one more step forward leaving Hyunjin at the side.

"May I have a private word with you for a moment?" Minho requested ignoring Hyunjin's presence and it didn't take long for me to see Hyunjin understanding that Minho knew our marriage was fake.

"No you may not." It wasn't my voice but Hyunjin's recognisable tone which made my heart leap through me. "I'm her husband, any matter, you can speak to me too."

Within the huge crowd surrounding us, we had formed our own space as we stood there, feeling the awkward tension between us never ending.

"Hyunjin, you don't speak for me." I held my hand out to him. "But it wouldn't be right for me to leave his side at this ball... I'm sorry Minho, I truly am, but we decided what we did for a reason, please don't make this more stressful for me."

Minho's suit was a dark purple and it fitted to his body perfectly and it was hard for me to reject him here after how close friends we used to be. But seeing his unchanged eyes, I was certain he knew it was for the best too.

"As you wish, but I'll speak with you afterwards, Arim."

Hyunjin took my hand into his, as I felt the warmth radiating from it sending electric sparks through my fingertips. Before I could reject it he gave Minho an un-genuine smile as he suddenly started to lead me away from him.

Instead of heading towards the front of the room to Chan, he took a swift right turn taking me into a reception room leading off the main hall. As he neared, I noticed how his necklace was no longer straight and the force of movement had knocked more of his gelled hair down in front of his eyes.

"I saw the way you looked at him, that's him isn't it? The man who your heart belongs to." 

Without much effort his hand had wrapped around the top of my arm in level with my chest and we stood in the middle of the spaced, empty room staring at one another waiting for my response. It was amusing how he truly thought my heart fully belonged to him but I had to use that excuse so he believed I wouldn't fall for him.

"So what if it was. I'm following my duty, I didn't leave your side." 

"I saw your eyes contemplating it. He shouldn't even be here, his very presence jeopardises this entire arrangement."

"Hyunjin, yes I have an arrangement to stick to, but at the end of the ball, everybody goes home and I have no more requirement to let you hold my arm like this in private." My hand moved to reach on top of his as I pushed it down off me with a little force. "So instead of getting angry with me, let's just go back and pretend that we're in love while in public."