CINDERELLA'S CONTRACT | pjm √

twenty

“young and beautiful.”

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"Since I'm your boyfriend, I should bring you out for a date." Jimin speaks gently, eyes peeled to the ceiling.

The two of us were in Couple Syndrome. Symptoms include random cuddling on the bed, attentive head caresses, and whispering of sweet nothing's. This moment in time felt just so right, and I whispered silent wishes for this to never end. However— just like the bloom of a thousand year flower, all good things come to their demise.

But for now, I made up my mind to enjoy the deadly sweetness of his touches; unbothered and unperturbed.

"Where are you taking me, then?" I turned to face him, whose cheeks are more flushed than normal.

"You'll see when we get there." Jimin answers with a knowing smile.

……

"Baby," Jimin inches close to my body, pulling the strap. "Your seatbelt's not down."

I watched; obviously smitten by his every movement. Jimin combs his hair back before propping his arm onto the wheel, eyes gazing upon me closely.

"Do you....like orchestras...?" He suddenly questions, resting a finger on his lip.

"I...haven't been to one before. Are you taking me there?"

Jimin smiles upon my question. "Vienna Philharmonic. I got tickets to their premium show."

Vienna Philharmonic. Greatly known as the world's finest orchestra, where the waiting list for a ticket goes on to years on end. A premium show is even harder to obtain, and only the rich and famous were considered during the picking process. And even if you owned wealth from the gods, it required special connections to be able to receive a vip ticket.

And then it hit me. He's taking me there. To the greatest show on earth.

Before I could comment, the car rerves up to a stop. I turned to look at him, baffled as to why we were still on his property, in a different building.

"I got them to perform for us privately." he explains nonchantly, pulling the car over. "With the recent controversy about us, I can't risk going out to public."

"How did you even get them to...." my face materialised in shock.

Jimin shoots me a wry smirk. "It's a secret."

As I alighted from the Porsche, the sight that beholds me sent me to an absolute oblivion— and utter brilliance. The grand medieval pillars, diamonds, and a bay of lights illuminating the mid sunset; it was a scene from a 90s movie. Water flowed down the glowing fountain like a hypnotic trance, hiding the muted light of a thousand coins. The grand gate opens, allowing us to walk into the path leading to the entrance. Along the impressive gardens adorned several ornaments, a little gazebo, and rose bushes.

It took us a while before we reached the orchestra hall in the grand building. The Vienna Philharmonic were already on stage, in position with their copper polished instruments. The lights of the hall dimmed slightly, and we seated ourselves in the front row, my eyes taking in the brilliance that was upon me.

They start playing. A muse of symphonic melodies eases me from my nerves, and brings me to a trance. Jimin slides an arm around me as the music shifted to a romantic rapsody.

And there we sat, alone in a huge hall, with the symphony of a hundred musicians. I closed my eyes and the voices of the singers filled my senses, like a hauntingly beautiful fairytale.

"Will you still love me, when I'm no longer young and beautiful?...."

I opened my eyes again, the lyrics stuck on my mind.

"Can I ask you a really weird question?" I circled my fingers on his palm that laid freely by his side. Jimin held me tighter in his arms, humming a tune to indicate it was alright.

"If you woke up one day - and I'm no longer what I used to be, would you still love me?"

With that question, Jimin's expression turns into a euphoric smile. He stared at me helplessly - like I was a drug... like I was something he needed. As his gentle fingertips begin brushing across my back, an exhale escapes from his lips.

"Whenever I'm with you, my feelings grow and ebb like the tide. It's a storm that leaves only destruction in its wake, or a comforting embrace to my heart. It burns, yet it heals me. It is when I'm holding you like this, that I've come to the realization that I'm completely in love with you..."

As tears begin to flood my eyes, the orchestra fills the silence, with the same , hauntingly alluring lyrics as before.

"Will you still love me....when I'm no longer beautiful...?"

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