I strangely keep my distance from Sehun after what happened in front of my locker, to the extent that I can’t look at him in the eye anymore. I get too shy. Sehun, on the other hand, gradually becomes a bit bolder.

     “You know, we haven’t really talked for some days, the only talk we do is by text.” Sehun says one day, inside the subway to school, two weeks after the first dance practice.

     I just nod. Sehun takes a strand of my hair and puts it behind my ear. I shudder.

     “You should tie your hair if it bothers you.” he says.

     I just nod again.

     “Shira-ya.”

     This is the first time he calls me like that. “Y-yes?”

     “Let’s go on a date today, if you don’t mind.”

     My head nods first before the question gets into my head. “Huh?”

     “We were doing well, but suddenly you get awkward like this. Did something happen?”

     The locker kiss happened, damn it, I think to myself.

     He touches my forehead. “Or are you feeling sick?”

     I slowly put his hand down. “No, I’m okay. Sure, let’s go on a date.”

     After school, we go to a hangout district near our school, and my mind feels at ease with him holding my hand. I made a mistake, then. Being close with him makes me feel relaxed, but these past few days, I didn’t even really talk to him.

     “Did I do something wrong?” Sehun says as we walk.

     “No, not at all.”

     “Do you need some time away from me?”

     “What? No. Don’t.” I squeeze his hand. Sehun visibly smiles, and squeezes my hand back.

     “The dinner’s this weekend, right? Finally our fathers have the time.”

     “Yes.”

     “Are you ready?”

     I take a deep breath. “Yes.”

     “Dress prettily.”

     I smile, and sway our united hands back and front. “Okay.”

     The next day, the morning starts with the usual talks about prom partners, and the talk slowly gets specific with how-far-have-you-gone. The girls giggle when they talk about how they have held hands, gone on dates, and encountered accidental skinships.

     I glance at my own locker near my seat, and unconsciously smack my lips together. That day’s flashback comes at me, and I silently judge myself on where I sit today. I don’t know what to feel about that memory. I do feel shy, I do feel happy, and I do feel confused. In the end, a smile just forms in my face, and I have to cover my face with a book.

-

     The atmosphere of the dinner is better than expected, and our mothers can’t hide their enthusiasm.

     “Oh my, you two already wear couple rings!”

     “It’s a prize, Mom.” I whisper.

     “That wouldn’t count, Mido-ya, ours will.” Aunt Dana excitedly takes out a small ring box, and reveals two engagement rings from white gold. My eyes widen.

     “Wait, honey, the kids should have been asked too. They only know this dinner as the meeting of two families.” Sehun’s father says.

     What? What does it mean? I try to look at Sehun beside me, but he doesn’t meet my sight.

     “Looking at how close they have been, I don’t think they would refuse.” my mother says confidently. I turn my head left and right, silently demanding explanations, but Sehun starts to also look as confused.

     “Sehun, Shira, would you like to get engaged right here, right now?”

     Sehun and I look at my mother with disbelief. What did she say?

     “Of course we will ask your opinions first.” my father adds. I blankly stare at a glass of water inside of me. Now?

     There’s a brief silence. “This is slightly unexpected, kids. I thought you two have been very close now. I thought you were going to say yes right away. Sehun, what do you think?”

     Sehun takes a sip of water, clears his throat, and inhales. “I have no problem with that, Mother.”

     My heartbeats get faster. Sehun, what are you doing?!

     “Shira?”

     “This is too quick, can we have some more time?” words blurt out from my mouth. “It hasn’t even been a month, I just think that… Well… Yeah.”

     The mood turns cold. I didn’t even realize what I was saying. Damn it. Why couldn’t I just say yes?! This will sound like I’m totally against this engagement. But I’m not. But why did I—oh no. I can’t revise my answer, that would make me look ridiculous now.

     “This may not go as what the mothers expected, but this is still reasonable.” Dad breaks the silence. Sehun’s father nods in agreement. “Well… This calls for a postponement, then.”

     I hang my head down, and the dessert is served. Sehun doesn’t say a word to me, when the parents still try to have some pleasantries with each other. Soon the event ends, as Sehun’s parents need to catch a flight to Jeju for Aunt Dana’s upcoming joint fashion show.

     “I thought I would be on the plane feeling that I already have a daughter-in-law.” Aunt Dana says. “But this means that I have something to anticipate soon. Goodbye, everyone!”

     We part ways with Sehun’s family, and in the car, I have prepared myself.

     “Why didn’t you just say yes, Nam Shira?” Mom says through her gritted teeth on the way home. The traffic ahead of us guarantees some good scolding time. “Can’t you see how disappointed Dana was? Sehun already agreed! Just how much of a difference would a postponement make?”

     Dad calms Mom down and the drizzle outside mirrors my teary eyes.  I suppress my cry, and we arrive at our apartment’s basement. Mom is still talking, despite Dad’s efforts, and tears stream down my face when I slam the car’s door. I walk out of the basement, and there’s heavy rain outside. After making sure that my parents didn’t come after me, I decide to go through the rain, to the next building.

     I arrive in front of Sehun’s door, completely drenched from head to toe, in my dress. My shaking hand reaches for my phone in my purse, and I dial Sehun’s number.

     “Hello?”

     “Sehun-ah…”

     “What happened?”

     “I’m sorry.”

     “Shush, it’s okay. Did you arrive home safely?”

     “Actually, I—“ tears brim again on my eyes, and I can’t let out any words. The door in front of me is slammed open, and Sehun, still in his suit, presses his phone to his ear in panic. He sees me, and puts his phone down.

     “I knew it. I have a feeling. Come in.” he drags me inside, and hurriedly gives me a towel. He leaves for awhile, and comes back bringing dry clothes. “It’s mine, but I think that would also fit your size. Go change in the bathroom. There’s also a hair dryer inside, dry your hair.”

     I’m shaking because of the cold, and go to the bathroom. After changing my clothes and drying my hair, I come out and Sehun already changes into regular clothes. He puts on a thick sweater on me, and takes my hands.

     “Your hands are still cold.” he holds them tightly. “Now, come here.”

     He pulls me into a big hug, and I shriek a bit. “Why—“

     Sehun laughs. “You don’t have to be a doctor to know this. I’m trying to make our body temperature equal. Stay still, get yourself warmer.”

     Soon, I can feel my heart pounding so loud, Sehun might be able to hear the sound as well. We stay like that for awhile. It gets too comfortable for me, and I think I was going to fall asleep on his embrace. I also wrap my hands around his body, and I realize something when I touch my own fingers.

     “I left my ring on your bathroom…”

     “It’s okay, sooner or later the real engagement ring will take its place.” Sehun says. “I would care a bit if it were the engagement ring… But since you postponed what we were supposed to do, just let it be.”

     “Are you mad?”

     “No, not at all. I understand that you need some time. But waiting for too long will be frustrating for me, since I have nothing more to prove to you.”

     “I will tell my parents as fast as possible.” I promise him. “I really regret what I did.”

     “Okay.” Sehun holds me tighter. After I get warm enough, he sits on the sofa, puts a cushion on his lap, and signals me to come closer.

     “You look sleepy.” he says. I smile, and lies on the sofa, with his lap as my pillow. He my hair repeatedly, and soon I fall asleep.

-

     I wake up in a room with dim lights, and I realize it’s Sehun’s room. I look at my surroundings. I’m on his bed, and the owner himself is sitting behind his studying desk in front of me, with a table lamp providing light to something he’s writing. He heard the sound of me moving, and turns around.

     “Is something wrong?”

     I shake my head.

    “Did you have a nightmare?” he gets up from his seat, and approaches me. I shake my head again.

    “Thank you for being here.”

     Sehun smiles, and pats my head. He turns off the light on his studying desk, and gets on his bed beside me. I slightly get nervous.

     “Sleep, put on the blanket properly. I’ll go to sleep too.”

     I nod, and awkwardly face his opposite side. A soothing intro of a song starts playing from Sehun’s phone, and I identify it as VIXX’s Someday.

Sometimes, there are those days

When I miss you even more

I can’t explain any more, I fall in love

Like a boy in love

The more time passes, I lose my rationale

I only want to be with you

I only want to hug you

I don’t care about other’s eyes

As if we’re alone right now

     I move on my spot, and my heartbeats get faster. How can I sleep now?

     “Shira-ya.”

     I slowly face his side. “Yes?”

     Sehun looks at me, supports his weight with his elbow, and kisses my forehead. I freeze.

     “Good night.”

     I warily smile, and he still looks at me. He gets closer again, and this time he’s not aiming for my forehead. Slowly our lips meet, and the warmth sets a flame inside of me.

     We both pull away, and he awkwardly lies back, pulling his blanket to cover his body. “Sleep tight.”

     I know we both just pretend to sleep for the next few hours, but soon I succeeded to sleep again.

-

     I collected my courage to tell Mom about my wish to have the engagement happen as fast as possible, and she responds with a “As you should.”

     On the next dinner, Sehun and I exchange rings, and we say goodbye to the rings we won on the pepero game. A month before the prom, the news that a couple has gone quite the fastest to the extent of engagement has spread, and I receive endless looks of disbelief, jealousy, and envy.

     “I can’t believe this.” Heeyoung says it for the hundredth time today. “I can see it if you date, but engagement? You’re on different level, Shira.”

     I just smile. “You should get engaged to Yixing too.” Heeyoung just laughs.

     The prom night is nearing, and Aunt Dana creates another dress for me, because “I have more inspirations now that you’ll soon become my daughter-in-law.” Sehun’s apartment becomes our own fitting room, and Sehun also has gotten his suit to wear to the prom, and he simply looks dashing. My fiancé, Oh Sehun.

     It’s D-day. Sehun picks me up from my apartment as scheduled at 7 PM, and smile never escapes his face after he sees me all dressed up.

     “From the first time I saw you, today you look the prettiest. Wait—you always look pretty, but today is special. I’m not saying that you didn’t look pretty before.” he stutters.

     I just laugh, and I put my arm around his. In the elevator, there’s nobody else but us two.

     “Do you bring your lipstick?” Sehun suddenly asks.

     “Yeah, why?”

     “Just in case… It’s erased off…”

     He bends down, and I know of what’s to come. I already close my eyes, waiting for the moment to come…

     Ding.

     Sehun hurriedly steps back, and the elevator door opens. My father looks at us, slightly surprised. “Oh, I thought I wouldn’t see you off because of work.”

     Sehun formally asks my father to bring me to prom, and Dad lets us go. We wait until he’s safely inside the elevator, then we continue walking in the basement to the car.

     “I didn’t know you can drive.” I say.

     Sehun laughs. “I can, but I don’t usually drive. It’s my father’s car.”

     The prom is festive, and the mood turns romantic as the slow dance session starts. Weeks of practice finally come to actual use, and almost everyone can flawlessly do the dance now.

     I have my head on Sehun’s shoulder now, and his hand caresses the engagement ring on my finger. “Have I ever confessed to you?” he asks.

     I recall the previous times. “Figuratively.”

     “Should I do it clearly now?”

     “If you want to.” I plainly answer.

     “I love you, Nam Shira.”

     I didn’t expect the effect to hit me this hard, I thought I wouldn’t be that affected. I should have known. “I love you too.”

     In the end of the prom, the prom king and queen will be announced. And, shocker, the selected couple is us.

     “I wonder what this thing is.” I look at the big wrapped present that the committee gave to us on my lap. Sehun glances at it and laughs, as he drives us home.

     “That better be something good. It looks heavy, just put it on the seat behind me.”

     I do as he says, and unknowingly we already arrive to my building’s basement. Sehun stops the car, and we stay still.

     “We need to thank the prom for bringing us up until here.” Sehun says.

     I nod. “Don’t say ‘up until here’… You sound like you’re going to die.”

     Sehun laughs. “I’ll take you to your door.”

     He reaches out to me, I thought he’s going to unbuckle my seatbelt but he actually makes my seat decline flat, and now I’m basically lying down.

     “Wait, what—“

     “Since the prom is over, it’s okay if your lipstick color is not that vivid, right?”

     Sehun’s body is on top of me, and he gradually goes lower. He plants a kiss, and this one is much longer than the ones we have ever done.

     He breaks the kiss, and slowly wipes my lipstick stain on his lips. “I didn’t know lipstick tastes a bit sweet. Or is it just your lips?”

     I hold my laughter, and he kisses me again before I can say anything.

     “I don’t want to go home.” I say, when I pull away a bit.

     “Not like I’ll allow you to.”

     I think he’ll kiss me again and again until my lipstick is completely gone.