Magical Night
The Other Side of the Mirror
Sehun let out a little sigh as he shifted in his stiff tuxedo. Jina was leaning too close to him for comfort and even if he did like her, it was getting kind of irritating.
He glanced to his right and saw Sunmi laughing as she chatted with Kai beside her. A small smile crept up his lips unconsciously and he looked away to hide his smile.
Jina was a little annoyed that Sehun's attention wasn't focused on her and she stuck closer to Sehun, completely plastering to his side.
"Sehun oppa," Jina cooed. "What do you think of me in this dress? I don't think I look really good." She looked positively self conscious and unsure but her friends knew better.
They knew what she was doing, as she did so often. She was fishing. Fishing for compliments.
Sehun glanced at Jina distractedly. "Don't be stupid Jina you look okay." He murmured.
Jina suddenly looked stiff. Okay? Only okay?
"You could have bought your dress a few sizes larger though," Sehun continued, not noticing her rapidly widening scowl. "It looks too small for you."
Fat. He called her fat.
Jina was about to burst a vein from how incredulous she felt. Excuse me? The dress was FITTING alright? Emphasized her curves and what not.
Jina took a deep breath and touched Sehun's arm again, trying to get his attention on her once more. Her friends snickered quietly, seeing how her "fishing" was failing miserably.
"Sehun oppa-"
Before Jina could finish whatever she was about to say, Sehun already turned away from her and was whispering in Sunmi's ear. The girl giggled softly and flushed, whispering back.
Jina scowled deeply and huffed, which put extreme pressure on her tummy since her dress was so tight. Darn it, why was Sehun's attention so wholly caught up with Sunmi even when she had done her best looking y and seductive?
The emcee for the night interrupted everyone's soft chatters as he spoke into the mike. "Now that the dinner is almost done, may the dancing commence." he grinned. "All straight and gay couples, please make your way to the centre of the hall."
A slow romantic music was put on and slowly, few rose up from their seats and started towards the dancefloor. The atmosphere was instantly changed. Soft smiles lit people's faces and dreamy sighs could be heard.
Jina immediately grabbed onto Sehun's arm, a little too tight for comfort. "Sehun oppa, join me for the first dance." she tugged on his arm, urging him to go with her. Sunmi snapped her gaze towards the two without meaning it and realized she must have looked like a jealous possessive girlfriend.
Clearing , she forced herself to look away and to focus on the joke Chanyeol was saying. She couldn't get a word in.
Sehun's eyes slowly trailed to the girl sitting on his right and he bit his lip. Well, he should be going with Lee Jina because he did like her right? Even if she wasn't the real Lee Jina he was in love with back in his world, this Jina was pretty fine too. He should grab this chance for a romantic first dance with her, right this instant.
However, Sehun didn't know why he forced an apologetic smile in Jina's direction and instead turned to Sunmi. "May I?" he murmured.
Sunmi blinked at him in astonishment, her eyes clearly depicting the confusion she felt as she shot glances at Jina. "But-"
"You're my girlfriend." Sehun reminded, suddenly glad of this status they were supposed to be in. "Are you going to turn me down?"
Sunmi shifted her gaze back to his and bit her lip. If he phrased it that way... She put her hands into his and his face lit up brilliantly, smiling. He led her to the centre of the dance floor where people parted a path for them, his heart thumping rapidly in his chest.
"Do you even know how to dance?" Sunmi whispered as Sehun pulled her closer, one arm snaking around her waist. Sehun just grinned as he looked her arms behind his neck. "Nope, but most people around us can't dance either. They're just swaying around with the music. I think we can manage that. I'm not a total block of wood you know."
Sunmi chuckled softly and nodded. "It's still a wonder how you asked me to dance first before grabbing the first opportunity to dance with Jina." she commented.
Sehun shrugged, not knowing how to answer. He didn't have a reasonable explanation for it and he didn't really want to rack his brains to think about it when she was in his arms like this.
They swayed around to the music for a couple more bars, comfortable silence reigning between them. A small smile crept on Sehun's lips as he gazed down at Sunmi who was humming along to the song with her eyes closed.
She looked like an angel. Perfect for the Angel Boy like him huh?
His gaze shifted when he felt stares on them and noticed how a few males around were taking a little too much interest on Sunmi for his liking. His grip on her waist tightened and he pulled her closer, frowning. She was his girlfriend damn it, fake on or not.
Sunmi looked up at Sehun questioningly when she felt the change in his grip. Sehun just shook his head innocently, secretly pleased that it was him dancing with her while those guys could only watch from the side.
"You've attracted quite a few stares." he muttered, gesturing to some boys who were waiting at the side to whisk her off to dance once Sehun's turn was over.
Sunmi chuckled in amusement. "They're only paying me attention because I'm your supposed girlfriend, you know that?" she mused. "They wouldn't even notice me before this. There's this certain attraction to a female if she's associated with Oh Sehun you know."
"Nonsense." Sehun wrinkled his nose. "They're only staring because you're the most beautiful gir-" he caught himself, averting his gaze. Most beautiful girl in this room. Most beautiful girl in the entire school. In the world.
Not likely according to statistics, but at least to him right then at that moment, she was.
Sunmi's cheeks flushed pink as she caught his unintended words. She hid a smile as she looked away, biting her lip. She felt pure elation rising up her chest. The feeling when someone praised you, that sort of elation and satisfaction...well this was a thousand times stronger.
"You dress up nicely yourself." Sunmi murmured softly, fixing his bow tie without looking at him. She wasn't sure how her face would look with her heart already racing like a F1 race car. Another look in those brown orbs of his, she was a goner for sure.
Sehun smiled and rested his chin on the top of her head. Sunmi burrowed deep in his arms and closed her eyes, her lips still twitched up in a smile.
When you watched movies in the past, they often described how characters could be completely immersed in their own little worlds and you would have thought, nah, how could it be? With so many people watching them at the side, so many distractions, it was impossible.
But Sunmi knew now that it was possible because she could hardly take notice of anything other than Sehun. Since when did he have such a great effect on her, really. From the complete hatred for the Devil to this, she didn't even know when she began warming up to Sehun. Warming a little too rapidly, perhaps.
She was vaguely aware of Sehun her hair and she half-wanted to scold him for messing up her precious curls which she spent so much time doing, but she didn't, just leaning against him and turning a deaf ear to everything happening around them.
"I wish this dance doesn't have to end." Sehun whispered. "I really don't like to hand you over to the other boys."
Sunmi giggled softly. "You sound like Suho when his fatherly instincts act up." she blurted. Sehun's face immediately darkened at the mention of his hyung and he scowled to himself. He glanced at the EXO-K table and saw Suho watching them dance, like a hawk.
Instinctively, he held Sunmi closer and buried his face in her hair. Hah, get that Suho.
------
The inevitable had to come sooner or later and Sunmi found herself dancing with Suho a few moments later. Her dance with Sehun dragged on for three songs until Kai complained that it was his turn and Sehun finally let go of his faux girlfriend.
He was immediately whisked off by a couple of girls and was forced to dance with them, looking tortured every moment of it, but his gaze never really left Sunmi even when he wasn't by her side.
Sunmi took turns to dance with the EXO-K boys and it was Suho's turn with her. Sunmi waited for the expected flush on her cheeks as he took her hand and was surprised to find nothing.
She was crushing on him not too long ago, so what was wrong?
Sunmi smiled up at Suho and he beamed back, guiding her flawlessly through the dancefloor. She marvelled at how perfect Suho seemed to be at everything, even dancing. What did this guy not know, really. He was a jack of all trades, master of all. He wasn't even human, heh.
Sunmi thought back to the first time she fancied herself crushing on Suho. It was the time when she saw him climb up a tree to save a kitten when they were eight. He just looked so masculine and brave then that Sunmi decided that he would make a very good husband material.
If there was a boyfriend test, Suho would just ace it completely. He fulfilled every single one of those little desires and wants that girls had for their ideal types and he was EXACTLY Sunmi's ideal type.
It really wasn't a wonder that she liked him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Startled, Sunmi snapped her gaze up to look at Suho. She squirmed uneasily and bit her lip. "Nothing much." she murmured. "Just how perfect you seem to be since we were children." she confessed. "Remember how I once told you I thought you were a perfect human being? I still think so."
Suho laughed, shaking his head. "There's no such thing as a perfect human being, Sunmi. I have my flaws too." he shrugged.
"Yeah if there's one flaw about you, it's being too picky with girls." Sunmi joked. "How come Mr Perfect hasn't gotten himself a girlfriend yet?"
Suho chuckled. "Being perfect doesn't have anything to do with it. The right girl hasn't come along." he shrugged. Sunmi waited for the pang from his statement but was surprised that she didn't feel it. The brother comment had dragged her back to reality and she stopped dreaming. Now that she stopped fantasizing, she realized it didn't hurt anymore.
"And besides," Suho continued. "Love doesn't have to be perfect. You think I'm perfect because you're using your brain to analyze my every quality, but love isn't using your brain. It's feeling with your heart." he muttered.
Sunmi swallowed as she took in his words. Feeling with her heart?
She closed her eyes and let Suho lead her through the moves, dancing mindlessly. She tried to find that same blessed feeling she had when she was dancing with Sehun, the same elation when he her hair, the same satisfaction when his arm s around her waist.
She waited for the jittery feeling as Suho took her hand, waited for anything, just anything to give her a sign that it wasn't her brain but her heart and all she got was a confirmation.
A confirmation that it was her brain all along.
Sunmi let out a sigh of relief as she finally understood her obsession with Suho. She liked him because she was everything she ever wanted, but she also didn't love him because he was just that. Because love was embracing the other person's good qualities and flaws and there weren't any flaws she found in Suho. He was too flawless that he was untouchable.
And as for why the dance with Sehun felt so magical compared to the dance with Suho....that was another problem she reserved for another day.
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