You pinned the last strand of stray hair into place, looking at your reflection in the mirror. You picked up the powder puff that was resting near your right hand before patting it lightly over your nose. Tonight was an important night for the young people currently attending Princeton University and you knew that a shiny nose on a young lady was less than becoming. It was to be a night of mingling with fellow classmates in celebration of the end of the year, and of course the night that many hoped they'd finally fall in love. Being a student at one of the top schools in the country had its ups and downs, and most would consider the fact that maintaining a relationship was nearly impossible as a definite down. With a final nod of self-reassurance to your reflection, you stood up before heading to the door, and out to the evening's festivities.

+++

A drawn out sigh left your lips as you stood outside the Great Hall. Your mother was hoping that you would meet a suitable partner tonight (as she mentioned on the phone numerous times), but you resisted that notion mightily. You were a physicist, not a show pony, and definitely not housewife material. Reluctantly, you took timid steps toward the door. 

"Welcome, miss _____" 

You smiled politely and nodded to the doorman, thanking him quietly as you walked in. The university was really going all out with this evening's soiree. You smoothed out the skirt of your new dress and surveyed the room. It appeared as though none of your friends had been able to make it, which meant that you would be left to fend for yourself. 

"Great, just great," you mumbled as you began walking toward a a table in the corner. 

You decided that sitting in the corner and keeping to yourself was your best bet at that point in time. Though you weren't exactly introverted, it took a lot for you to open up when you had to face a social situation on your own. You took a seat at the table and rested your forearms on the white linen of the table cloth. Pouting your lips slightly, you decided to allow your eyes to make another sweep around the room. There were all sorts of people scattered about the hall. On the large wooden dance floor, there was an array of couples swaying to the smooth music that the small band provided. In the corner opposite to yours, you noticed a small group of girls whispering amongst each other and eyeing the boys at the table adjacent to theirs. And finally, at a table not too far away from yours, you noticed a boy who was sitting alone just like you. He had his hands clasped and placed neatly in his lap. His dark hair was swept off his forehead, but not slicked back in a stuffy fashion, and his heart shaped lips were downturned lightly. You frowned a bit yourself. Even though you were doing the exact same thing as him, you couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. You soon found yourself staring, but quickly looked away when he met eyes with you, the corners of his mouth upturning ever-so-slightly. The centerpiece on your table suddenly seemed much more interesting. 

+++

As the night wore on, you found yourself having less and less fun. The boy you'd been stealing glances at had seemingly disappeared and you hadn't left your table for more than a few seconds to grab yourself a drink. You couldn't deny that you felt just a tad bit disappointed in how tonight had turned out for a couple of reasons. One, you still couldn't get the gumption to get up from the table and mingle. Two, the mesmerisingly attractive boy was now gone, truly leaving you alone with your thoughts. You were starting to feel ridiculous just sitting at a table and feeling sorry for yourself. At this point, you decided that your best plan of action would be to leave, go back to your room, and take a nice warm shower. You stood up and collected your small bag from the table top before making your way back to the door. You were almost to the door when you felt a feather light tap land itself on your bare shoulder. 

"Excuse me...? _____?" 

You turned around slowly, surprise crossing your features briefly when your eyes met with the owner of the hand. It was the very boy who had caught you staring at him more than once. 

"Yes...?" you asked cautiously, looking around the two of you just to verify that he really was talking to you.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize that you were leaving," he gestured to the clutch in your hands before rubbing the nape of his neck. 

"It's okay, I don't need to go just yet," you smiled in a way that you hope would be somewhat reassuring. "Did you need something, -" 

You trailed off the end of your sentence, realizing that you didn't know his name. 

"Kyungsoo," he finished for you.  

"Oh! We're in the same astrophysics course, right?" you finally put two and two together. 

"That we are," Kyungsoo let out a good natured chuckle. "Now that you recognize me, would you like to dance?" 

"I would love that," you nodded with a light smile. 

Kyungsoo smiled back at you before holding his arm out to you. You linked your arm with his as he lead you over to the dance floor. On the way you left your purse on a random table, making a mental note to come back and get it later. If anyone did decide to steal it, they'd only get a couple of dollars and half a pack of gum- you'd take your chances. 

+++ 

"You're kidding, right?" you raised an eyebrow, a laugh threatening to bubble out of you. 

"I wish I was," Kyungsoo shook his head lightly. 

The two of you had spent the last hour together swaying to the steady notes and rhythms coming from the bandstand and talking about anything that came to your minds. At the moment, the two of you were happily chatting about mishaps in the physics lab. You had to admit, you were extremely glad that you hadn't decided to leave earlier. 

After your laughter subsided, the music slowed, and Kyungsoo looked at you with a softer expression. You couldn't quite place what it was, but it had you feeling the most intense round of butterflies in your stomach you'd ever felt before. 

"Hey, ____... Can I tell you something?" he asked, his lower lip tucked between his teeth. 

"Of course," you nodded. 

Kyungsoo cleared his throat before speaking again. 

"Promise you won't think it's weird?" he looked incredibly unsure. 

"Kyungsoo, I promise I won't think it's weird. Would you just tell me?" you tilted your head slightly. 

He took a deep shaky breath before he pushed a stray lock of hair away from your face, your cheek softly as he did so. 

"I'm not one to jump into things like this quickly, especially when there's no scientific basis for it..." he cleared his throat. 

"And?" you raised an eyebrow, needing him to continue. 

He kept his mouth closed for a moment, the two of you continuing to sway to the soft jazz music in the background. 

"And, I think I'm in love with you," Kyungsoo looked at you, gauging your reaction. 

You looked at him somewhat blankly, more from sheer surprise than anything else. Your heart was pounding in your chest and your cheeks were turning a most vibrant shade of pink. 

"I knew I should've kept my mouth shut," he sighed, still keeping his hands on your waist. 

"No, don't say that. There's just one thing I want to know," you stated, the corners of your lips curving up into a smile. 

"And what is that?" Kyungsoo smiled wryly. 

"What theory do you propose for this most interesting concept of love?" you looked up at him, a hint of a smile still on your face. 

"I propose the theory of everything,"

-----------------------------------

Okay, so I think AFF glitched and posted what I had written down before I was finished. So, if you read some of it, I hope you read the rest! Here's a bit of good ol' cliché romance. Hope you enjoyed! 

-Yeona 

P.S. I might make this a two-shot or write a sequel... or even write an entire story based on this.