KAI

While Minah was getting her hair and makeup done, I put on a black, luxurious suit with a tie along with a pair of fancy, sleek, leather shoes (which I prepared last night). I looked at myself in the mirror to make sure I looked handsome to impress Minah. I grin when everything fitted perfectly. Even I thought I looked pretty cool, and I wasn’t a cocky person.

Okay… maybe I was a little bit.

I sat far away from Minah to get my hair and makeup done so I could surprise her later. I glanced over to where she was sitting and found her dozing off. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how much of a child she resembled at times. But, it was one of the things that made me so attracted to her.

After half an hour, my look was complete. My hair was slicked back and the eyeliner around my eyes made my eyes stand out nicely. I smile with satisfaction.

I sat next to Minah and patiently waited for her to wake up. A couple of female customers walked by me and took a good glance at me. “You are really handsome!” “You look so cool!” “Do you have a girlfriend, by any chance?”

I grin upon these compliments I received, but Minah wasn’t. She woke up after hearing someone ask if I had a girlfriend. The way her eyes suddenly open was scary, but at the same time she was cute when she was jealous.

“Is my girlfriend awake now?” I tease. The women looked back and forth between Minah and me. Soon after, they sigh with disappointment and left.

“Yes, your girlfriend is awake now,” she said with a small smile, but she didn’t say anything about how I looked.

“Anything you want to tell me?” I fix my collar and tie, trying to get her attention. However she was oblivious to what I was trying to do.

“Not really,” she said nonchalantly, however I could tell she was secretly staring at me in the mirror.

“I have something to tell you,” I tell her.

“Yeah?”

“You look very beautiful.”

“You told me that a lot earlier,” she said, but she still blushed anyway. She really is beautiful. I couldn’t stop telling her. The stylist did a good job. But I knew even without getting her makeup and hair done, she was beautiful. No matter what she was doing; sleeping, eating, staring at nothing, she was gorgeous.

*****

“Can you please tell me where we are going now?” Minah whines impatiently as we are about to enter.

“We’re going to a ball,” I reply.

“As in… a ballroom? I-I d-don’t know how to b-ballroom d-dance though…” she stutters not so confidently.

“Remember I taught you those dance moves. You said you were getting it,” I reassure her. We were a foot away from the entrance, but Minah stood still.

“I don’t think I’m fit to attend these kind of events… It seems so classy and fancy. Of course it’ll suit you well, but not really me,” she states as she watched couples entered in their rich, fancy attire. I was surprised that she told me her insecurities out loud. It made me feel like she was able to trust me. But, I was upset at how insecure she felt about herself. Why can’t she see through my eyes and see how beautiful she looked right now? It doesn’t matter if she was not part of this rich lifestyle. What matters is that she was here as my date, stealing everyone’s attention.

“Don’t worry about them,” I stood in the front of her to block her view of the couples going in. Her eyes tremble, but stopped when she looked at me. I held both her hands tightly, transferring my warmth to her cold, trembling hands. “Just think of me. Just think we’re the only people there at the ball. Just us, dancing, like how we practiced.”

I hold her hand gently. “Shall we go now?” I ask. She nods, “Yes.”

We made our way straight to the center of the ballroom. I stuck my hand out at her, “May I have this dance with you?”

She chuckles, “Yes you may.” She lays her hand on mine.

Just like we practiced, we dance to the slow tune of ball music. The whole time I was smiling at my beautiful girl that appeared in front of me. When I look at her with hearts in my eyes, she would look down, flustered. But other times, she would look up and shyly smile back.

We continue to dance with smiles on our faces, until I saw a tall man with masculine features approaching us. He looked familiar, but I couldn't exactly tell who it was with the lights dimmed down.

Once he came closer, it was clear to me who it was.
 

"Abeoji?" I ask the man as Minah turns around to see who I was talking to.
 

"How have you been Kai?" my father replies with a raspy voice. It seems as if he has aged a few years from the last time I saw him. His hair was turning gray and there were wrinkles and dark circles around his eyes.

"Ah," Minah says once she understands what’s happening. "Annyeonghaseyo, nice to meet you," she bows carefully in her dress.
 

My father stood still. I couldn't read his poker face or tell what his reaction was when he saw Minah. More importantly, I couldn't tell if his reaction was good or not.
 

"Ah yes, nice to meet you. And you are...?"
 

"My name is Bang Minah. I'm Kai's girlfriend," she says in a serious tone. Was she scared of my father?
 

"Oh, I see. I didn't know Kai had a girlfriend," my father looks at me with cold blooded eyes. I gulp.
 

"Oh..." Minah was in a lost of words. She didn't know what to say to my father. She didn't know anything about him, and my father knew nothing about her. She looks at me, signaling S.O.S. with her stare.
 

"Minah, will you excuse me as I talk with my father alone?" I step up.
 

"Yeah, of course. I'll just sit over at that table," she points.
 

"Let's go talk at the terrace," I s