Evanesce

(Chapter 20) Cream Soda

The days faded in and out quickly, drawing the dreaded party ever closer. The official date was set and four days from now, I'll be in a ballroom surrounded by a sea of creatures who'd love nothing more than to devour me. My stomach churned at the thought, causing me to shift uneasily in the backseat of Suho's slick black SUV. 

Suho decided the boys needed new attire for this new party, I guess they don't buy fancy clothes too often, which gives me the chance to find a ballgown. We swerved in and out of lanes, weaving through the cars on the road, as we neared a large glass building. The exterior glowed gold through the glass, illuminating even the dark overcast lurking over the parking lot. 

Minseok parked next to us, carrying the remainder of the brothers, and we all filed out of the vehicles. I gazed at the ominous grey sky, a chill running through me, when a sudden gust of wind nearly knocked me to the ground. Thankfully Jongin was immediately at my side, standing like a wall to block the wind, and wrapping a protective arm around me. I looked nervously at Jongin then back at the glass building under the impending storm. He just ran a soothing hand up and down my spine. 

"Let's make this quick, we don't have long before that catches up to us." Jongin announced as he led me toward the front doors. As soon as we stepped in, we were greeted by the overwhelming scent of various expensive perfumes and air fresheners, followed by the sight of plastic, beaming smiles of the employees. They bowed respectfully to the brothers, it was clear a few of them were swooning. I coughed, hardly able to contain my amusement. The stylists quickly led the group toward the corner of the store, where the fancy suits and tuxedos were kept.

 I glanced around the store, intimidated by all the glamour and prestige. My mother wouldn't be caught dead in a store like this, mostly because we couldn't afford any of it. A forgotten memory crept into my mind for a moment. When Sunji and I were little, we fogged up the glass of the local boutique, dreaming and planning our individual weddings. Then Jinyoung would usher us away, bribing us to secrecy from our mother. I scowled slightly, the memory suddenly soured by the thought of him. A warm hand suddenly gripped mine, squeezing softly.

"Minji?.." Jongin's sweet, worried voice yanked me back to reality. I blinked up at him, slightly dazed. 

"Sorry, I was just spacing out." I smiled shyly. He nodded, seemingly believing me, before pulling me closer to him. The others were spaced apart exploring the different fabrics and styles, handing off suits to the stylists. I looked back to Jongin, raising an eyebrow.

"Why aren't you looking for one?" I questioned him, gesturing to the racks of fabric. He shrugged, busying himself with my hair innocently. 

"I was thinking, I could help you find a dress first." He mumbled sheepishly, refusing to look at me. I giggled quietly, batting his hands away from my hair and lightly pulling his hand. 

"Come on then, before they have time to find one." He smirked while I pulled him toward the opposite end of the store. 

"You'd be surprised, some of them are pretty meticulous. " Jongin chuckled, easily keeping pace with my shorter legs. I laughed, picturing Baekhyun. 

"I'm not exactly the dress-wearing type, so let's just hope they're more meticulous than me." I shook my head as we neared the racks full of fluffy, frilly, and silky dresses. Jongin dropped my hand as we stopped, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. 

"That's why I'm here." He hummed in my ear, my heart thudded against my chest and chills ran down my spine. He chuckled, pecking me on the cheek before releasing me. I exhaled slowly, collecting myself, before approaching the racks. The dresses were organized by color, making my decision slightly easier. I skimmed the dresses until we were in front of the darker section, blacks, browns and reds. Jongin chuckled behind me, gently tugging at the lacey fabric in front of him.