“... About what? I’ve been doing fine in school, father.”

 

Junmyeon shifts uncomfortably in his bed when he’s met with silence.

 

He opens his mouth to say something but-

 

“Doing fine in school? And by that do you mean doing well in a music class?”

 

Junmyeon can hear his jaw slam shut at his father’s words. How in the world did he figure that out?

 

“Don’t joke with me, Junmyeon. I have ears in the school. I thought I told you to take business classes,” his father scolds sternly. “And I’m not done,” he adds, preventing Junmyeon from stuttering out an excuse. “What was it I heard about what you said to Oh Sehun?”

 

That whiny little snitch, Junmyeon thinks, before clearing his throat.

 

“What exactly did he say about what I did?” Junmyeon replies, his eyes slitting as he spots said boy playing soccer outside.

Idiot, he thinks. Who plays soccer in the dark?

 

“I heard that you’ve been threatening him?” His father spits out, and Junmyeon can hear the disappointment and disgust lingering in Mr. Kim’s tone. Junmyeon slightly deflates.

 

Junmyeon snorts. Sehun wasn’t exactly lying, per se, but he definitely made it seem a lot more malicious than intended. That sneaky bastard. Nonetheless, he keeps his voice lighter than the emotions swirling in the pit of his stomach.

 

“Father, while I cannot deny that fact, I had good reason to do so,” he explains. His father’s continued silence prompts him to further explain; “he was threatening my comfort at school, so I took appropriate measures to prevent that from happening.”

 

He hears his father release a tired sigh from the other line. “I’ll let it slide this time, Junmyeon, but don’t let it happen again. The Oh Corporation is a vital part to our system.”

 

“Of course father.”

 

His father hangs up without as much as a goodbye, and Junmyeon holds the phone against his ear until he hears the beeping of a dead line ring through his ears. Sighing, he drops his phone somewhere on his bed before falling asleep, exhausted from the day’s events.

--

“...myeon. Junmyeon.”

 

He hears a familiar voice call his name, but he doesn’t have enough time to register who it is before he’s pulled back to sleep.

 

“Kim Junmyeon!”

 

This time, Junmyeon feels a splash of icy water run down his face as he sits up with a start. His eyes widen and he searches for his attacker when he finds himself face to face with none other than his roommate.

 

“Yixing?! What the heck,” Junmyeon says, completely astonished, but lets out a sigh of relief that it’s his roommate and not some stranger.

 

“I’ve been trying to wake you up for hours,” Yixing exaggerates, putting the back of his hand to his forehead to add to his dramatic act. “The ball’s today, remember? You and I have to get ready. Now,” he adds, pulling Junmyeon up. “Go freshen up. The dressing starts in twenty.”

 

“Only twenty minutes?” Junmyeon cries, dashing towards the bathroom. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?!”

 

Yixing shrugs and laughs at his friend’s distress. “You can’t say I didn’t try,” he replies smugly, watching him in amusement. Junmyeon grumbles something about ungrateful friends, which only adds to Yixing's delight.

 

Twenty minutes later, Junmyeon finds himself in a dressing room with Yixing, Baekhyun, and Yifan.

 

“Where’s Jongdae?” He asks, searching the room for the short brunet.

 

“He’s in the other room with all of our dates,” Yifan replies.

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll see your precious baby soon enough,” Baekhyun teases, and Junmyeon flings a hanger in the other’s direction. “Whoa! Watch it, you almost hit me!” he exclaims.

 

“Whoops,” Junmyeon says simply. “Just missed.”

 

Baekhyun lets a pout settle on his lips. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"

 

Yifan has to hold Baekhyun back from attacking a laughing Junmyeon, but other than that, the rest of the dressing passes by smoothly.

 

“Alright!” Baekhyun exclaims once everyone’s finished putting on their outfits for the ball. “Sit yourselves down,” he says, eyes gleaming. “It’s time for some make up!”

 

Yifan groans but complies nonetheless, and the others follow his lead.

 

Baekhyun spends at least 20 minutes on each boy, before doing the same to himself.

 

“There!” He beams, resting his fists on his waist in a triumphant pose. “You all look beautiful. My mission is a success!”

 

Junmyeon glances at the clock. With a little over an hour to spare before the pre-ball ceremony starts, he decides to spend the rest of his time with the other males in the room, fixing small details with their outfits, hair, make up, etc.

 

Eventually, it’s time for the group to depart and meet up with their respective partners. They stroll into the other dressing room and Junmyeon immediately looks for that special mess of brown hair. He spots him sitting in front of a mirror, picking at his hair. He silently makes his way towards the other, and bends down until he can see himself in the reflection of the mirror.

 

“J-Junmyeon!” Jongdae exclaims, startled by the other’s arrival. “You scared me, geez.”

 

Jongdae turns around, and Junmyeon takes a moment to soak in the sight before him. With his hair gelled up, and a faint eyeliner rounding out his feline eyes, he looks absolutely stunning, especially with his white suit snugly fitting his body.

 

“Junmyeon. You’re staring.”

 

“Right,” Junmyeon replies, mentally smacking himself for the unintelligent response. He shakes his thoughts away and holds out his arm. “Shall we be on our way? You look great, by the way.”

 

Jongdae links his arm with Junmyeon before warmly smiling at the compliment he received from the other. “Thanks,” he says simply, pulling Junmyeon a tiny bit closer before dragging him towards the rest of their friends, waiting impatiently for the couple.

 

“Took you long enough,” Baekhyun teases, pulling Kyungsoo closer to him. “I thought I was going to have to fall asleep in this babe’s arms if you two took any longer.”

 

Kyungsoo scoffs, pushing the hair out of his eyes. “You wish. I would’ve probably just dropped you.”

 

Baekhyun pulls away, a pout settling on his plump lips. “What?!” He whines indignantly, tugging on his date’s arm. “Don’t be like that, Soo.”

 

“Then you should’ve taken Yoona,” he snaps, but pulls Baekhyun towards him, holding the other tightly.

 

“Ah, is that what this is about?” Baekhyun asks. “You know I would take you as my first choice.”

 

Junmyeon laughs when Yifan steps in between the couple. “As lovely as this lovers’ quarrel is, we have a pre-ball party to get to,” he states, before linking arms with Krystal and walking out, Jongin and Yixing trailing after them. Baekhyun stares after them, mouth agape, and Junmyeon feels Jongdae tugging his sleeve to follow the two couples.

 

“Come on you two,” Junmyeon calls before he’s dragged away by Jongdae.

--

“Wow.”

 

“Wow is right,” Junmyeon chuckles, watching the brunet look around the ballroom in awe. It was only the pre-party, so the floor was sealed away by a wall, later to be revealed. But nonetheless, the reception room looked stunning -- crystal and glass chandeliers decorated the walls, and gourmet food sat on eloquently-dressed tables.

 

The heir picks two champagne glasses up and offers one to Jongdae. “Champagne?”

 

The singer eyes the glass warily before accepting it. “Aren’t we underage?” He asks, taking a sip of the sweet alcoholic beverage anyways.

 

“Most of the kids here are the kin of famous businessmen and women,” Junmyeon explains, swirling the sparkling drink in his glass. “They’ve all had more than a single glass of alcohol.”

 

Jongdae snorts, muttering something about pretentious kids, causing Junmyeon to laugh at his childish remark.

 

When he and Jongdae are walking around the tables, the singer admiring the plates of delicious food, Junmyeon takes a moment to observe his surroundings. Everyone was with a date. Most were with the opposite gender, but there were quite a few exceptions, surprisingly. The business world was never really a place for people like him and others like Jongdae and Yixing. Most parents didn’t accept any other uality but heterouality, so the number of pairs that stood side-by-side with the same gender was pleasantly surprising for him.

 

“Junmyeon?” He hears Jongdae ask. He turns his head away from the couples busily chattering and eating and finds Jongdae holding a piece of an eclair in front of him. “Do you want to try some? They’re really good,” Jongdae says, waving the piece of dessert in front of him.

 

Junmyeon rolls his eyes at his partner’s silliness, but takes a bite of it nonetheless. “It is,” he notes, reminding himself to pick up some eclairs for him on Valentine’s Day. “Shall we be going to our table?” He asks, holding his arm out.

 

Jongdae loops his arm with Junmyeon’s and the two make their way towards the table where their other friends are currently sitting.

Junmyeon’s about to jump into their conversation about stocks before he sees Jongdae reach up towards his face. Junmyeon jumps back slightly in surprise, wondering exactly what the boy wanted.

 

He feels Jongdae’s thumb brush against the corner of his mouth, and Junmyeon forgets how to breathe for a second.

 

“You had some cream on your mouth,” Jongdae says innocently, wiping his thumb on a napkin sitting nearby. But Junmyeon just keeps staring at Jongdae, his eyes slightly blown and his mouth slightly agape. When Junmyeon sees Jongdae’s face flush and his eyes widen, he knows that Jongdae realizes what made Junmyeon so flustered.

 

“Wha-” Jongdae starts, pulling at the end of the tablecloth. He glances over at their other friends sitting at the table, and Junmyeon sees him sigh with relief when he sees that they’re all engrossed in their conversation. “I-I didn’t mean for that to come out like that,” he stutters, his eyes looking down and taking a sudden interest in the patterns on the carpet.

 

Junmyeon finally snaps out of his daze and sheepishly scratches the back of his head. “No no, I understand. Don’t worry about it.” He flashes Jongdae a quick smile, before an awkward silence settles over them.

 

Junmyeon wants to say something, to make that worried look in Jongdae’s eyes disappear, but he can’t find the will to say anything. Instead he joins in on the conversation brewing amongst their friends. Every now and then he catches Jongdae staring at him, and Junmyeon feels his heart sink. He doesn’t know why he can’t say anything.

 

Am I finally too tired of chasing him?

 

Junmyeon shakes his head in frustration, pushing the thought out of his head. Hell no, you can’t just give up after all of that.

 

And only a few seconds later, the wall is pulled away, revealing the long and beautiful dancing hall that leaves most of the crowd breathless. Everyone gets up in an excited manner, making their way to the floor as classical music begins to reverberate throughout the grand ballroom. Junmyeon’s table makes their way to the floor too, every pair separating ways. Eventually it’s only him and Jongdae left at the table, who shifts uncomfortably in his chair.

 

Junmyeon lets out a sigh, but he knows that Jongdae can’t detect any frustration in it. Instead, Junmyeon smiles gently and holds his hand out. “May I have this first dance?” He asks.

 

Jongdae lifts up his head, his eyes wide. Junmyeon almost collapses in relief at the sight of Jongdae’s worry leaving his face.

 

“Of course,” He says, taking Junmyeon’s hand, and the heir leads the way to the floor, where they begin waltzing to the beat.

 

“I’ve never been very good at dancing,” Jongdae murmurs, concentrating on the placement of his feet.

 

Junmyeon laughs, pulling the other closer to him. “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it if you keep dancing with me,” he says, placing his hand (the one that’s not holding Jongdae’s soft hand) against the small of the singer’s back. Jongdae squeaks at how close they are, tightening his grip on Junmyeon’s hand.

 

The other just leads the dance, gracefully and effortlessly. Jongdae tries his best to follow Junmyeon’s pace, and sooner or later, gets the hang of it. Junmyeon hears Jongdae softly humming the lyrics to the song, and decides to harmonize, catching the singer off guard.

 

“I told you we could harmonize nicely,” Junmyeon teases, and Jongdae huffs, burying his face in Junmyeon’s chest in embarrassment.

 

Junmyeon chuckles at the other’s flustered state, before sending a suggestive wink at the direction of an approaching Yixing and Jongin, in which both give him a playful eye-roll. They then swing by Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, who are in the midst of bickering; Junmyeon would’ve been worried if it weren’t for the twinkle in their eyes. Right before the dance ends, he scans the room for Yifan and Krystal, who he sees at the end of the hall, dancing elegantly like royalty. Junmyeon almost snickers at the awe-inducing and intimidating aura surrounding the couple.

 

Then, as soon as it had started, the song comes to a close, and some couples, like Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, move to sit down and rest.

 

Others, like Yifan and Krystal, stay dancing, almost ignoring the pause before the next song.

 

“Junmyeon,” he hears Jongdae say, looking down to see his favorite feline-looking friend tugging on Junmyeon’s sleeves. “It’s stuffy in here,” is all he says, his eyes looking anywhere but into Junmyeon’s.

 

The older of the two lets out a breathy laugh, before muttering a word of acknowledgement.

 

“Let’s go outside then,” he says, guiding Jongdae out of the ballroom.

 

Junmyeon sees Jongdae immediately let out a sigh of relief when they’re greeted by fresh air. It’s now dark, shades of blue and purple swirling in the night sky. The plants in the garden are illuminated by the moon’s soft beams and Junmyeon watches as Jongdae lets his fingers brush against the leaves of the bushes lining a path.

 

“You coming?” Jongdae asks, cocking his head to the side. Junmyeon stutters a small apology before catching up to the other, and the two walk in silence for a while, enjoying the moonlight and each other’s company.

 

Junmyeon steals glances at the boy walking beside him, and the heir finds himself absolutely winded. Jongdae looks stunning, the way the moonlight reflects off of his white suit and the way his lips are curled in that cat-like smile that’s so unmistakably Jongdae.

 

It’s cheesy, yeah. But Junmyeon could care less, being next to the boy he’s been pining after ever since he entered the academy. And it’s most definitely strange, given the fact that Junmyeon’s never really been interested to guys.

 

Yet, here he is, sneaking peeks like a middle school girl crushing over the most popular kid in school.

 

“You’re really bad at this whole subtlety thing,” Jongdae suddenly says, tearing his gaze from the flowers peeking out of the bushes.

 

Junmyeon immediately flares up, and he can feel the crimson red coloring his face.

 

“What do you mean?” He asks, taking a step back when Jongdae turns away from the path to look at him.

 

“Please,” Jongdae replies, eyes rolling in the process. “And I thought I was nervous.” He lets out a shy laugh, fingertips sweeping across white petals. “I saw you looking at me. Um. Well, at least I think you were.”

 

Junmyeon blinks, his lashes ticking the skin under his eyes. Baekhyun did tell him he was a bit obvious with his staring, but he didn’t think it was obvious enough for Jongdae to notice.

 

“It’s okay,” says Jongdae, his slender fingers still admiring the white roses. Junmyeon is surprised to find the singer smiling, with a shy pink dusting his cheeks. “I… I don’t really mind it.”

 

A silence settles between the two, and Junmyeon can’t pinpoint exactly what kind of atmosphere they’re in. It’s not exactly comfortable, but for some reason, it’s not as awkward as it should be. Jongdae doesn’t break eye contact with Junmyeon, and the latter can’t bring himself to look away. Junmyeon feels his pulse speed up, but he doesn’t know why. Maybe it’s the way Jongdae’s looking at him, or the way the stars are reflecting in his deep auburn eyes. Maybe it’s the way he can see Jongdae’s breath in the cold air, slightly brushing against the side of his cheek.

 

But when Jongdae places his hand over Junmyeon’s, silently telling him to continue with their walk, Junmyeon suddenly doesn’t care about that anymore.

 

It’s not exactly the romantic ending that Junmyeon was looking for, but the white rose he finds in his hand is more than enough for him.