Chapter 21

“Emm, SoEun si, I-I hope you won't look me as if I'm poking my nose into what isn't my business. After the time you made me wearing the high heels, I realized how the pain was like for people who putting on something not fit their feet, particularly for the girls." The word from Kris caused SoEun can't help but giggle a bit as that scene mentioned by Kris replaying in her mind. She was just want to make Kris shrink back from difficulties in the first place by asking him to do it as she said.

"Absolutely no, I'm appreciating your work from me. Thank you!" Right then, SoEun waved goodbye to Kris and entered the apartment without looking back and Kris left the place when he watching SoEun off.

“Just gotta let you know, I will be here if you need my shoulder.” Once again, the kindness from Kris was so heartfelt for SoEun during this heartbroken time.

A 'ding' sound from the elevator showed that it brought SoEun to the floor where her flat located. SoEun opened the door with the shoebox under her arm. After she getting into her own apartment, her cellphone was ringing loud from her pocket.

"Appa!" SoEun answered the phone with one hand. During the time, she put the shoe box on top of the shoe shelf next to the door and the key as well.

"Kim SoEun, you finally back home. Come over to my place now." That caller was SoEun's father. Living at the same floor as SoEun, he found out when SoEun came home at the time he heard twitch screeching turn when someone opening the door. Simply reply to her father, she put back her shoe and made her way to her father's house over against her apartment with a little walk before grabbing her house key from the shelf.

"Appa, what's the matter?!" SoEun queried her father for the reason of seeing her in this hour as she lowering her head to take off the shoe.

Out of nowhere, the metal key dropped to floor from SoEun's grip with a clatter when she looked up and the person sitting on the sofa leaped to her eyes. She stood transfixed for a moment like she was petrified with terror before her father calling for her.

"Kim SoEun, why you just standing here?! Chanyeol was paying me a visit after this two-year absence. Where are you going this whole night?!" The thing between SoEun and Chanyeol wasn't a novelty to SoEun's father. It must be an excuse for visiting me; the one Chanyeol want to meet must be my silly daughter for sure.

Following her father's word, SoEun slowly merged to the living room and took the seat aside of her father with some distance away from the position where Chanyeol was sitting. SoEun's action caused her father feeling helpless, do you know what are doing now Kim SoEun?!

"I haven't seen you for awhile, SoEun ah. How was you doing these past years?!" Trying to be nice, Chanyeol broke the silence and spoke up by asking SoEun recent development, which he earned a awkward smile from SoEun as she had no preparation to see or even talk with Chanyeol after the incident from yesterday.

"Are, you just went out for a date by any chance?!" Once again, Chanyeol threw out a question to SoEun in a gingerliness way since he didn't receive any response from SoEun. Simultaneously, some strange thoughts swirled around Chanyeol's head with anxiety.

"What?! I-, you can say that." SoEun got no clue that why this idea will popped up in Chanyeol's mind out of nowhere. Unable to find the correct word for Chanyeol's question in a short period, SoEun just simply spit out these few words as her reply for the question after she gained back her composure.

"If that so, then I think it is the right choice I came here tonight." As words coming out from Chanyeol's mouth, confusion started to fill up SoEun and her father’s minds. Just then, they had their eyes glued on Chanyeol’s direction and waited for him to speak up.

“Next week, I have to attend a charity gala. My companion promised to attend but then she begged off, so I am here to ask if SoEun you can be my companion.” While giving out the explanation, Chanyeol kept his smile on his face that showing his white enough teeth as usual. His words offended SoEun quite unintentionally.

Park Chanyeol, are you trying to make reprisal? Or flaunt in font of me? What kind of response you want me to give you? Saying yes? Or reject your offer? I don’t think I would be able to confront you personally that soon. Therefore, SoEun made up her mind and planned to turn down Chanyeol’s invitation by saying so.

“Emm, I don’t think I can” However, before SoEun can express her words, her father interrupted SoEun by accepting Chanyeol’s invitation on SoEun’s behalf. In shock, SoEun reached out her hand and took hold of her father’s arm to show her bafflement.

“No problem, Chanyeol ah! Kim SoEun will make herself available for the party!” The answer from SoEun’s father broadened the smile on Chanyeol’s face. The good news has taken a load off his mind. Attaining his goal, Chanyeol excused himself and left the house not long after as night wore on.

“Kim SoEun, go walk Chanyeol out!” Under the extra help of her father, SoEun managed to leave her father’s house with Chanyeol individually. Appa, I know you meant to help and hook up Chanyeol oppa and me, but now was the not the best time to do something like this.

“It was well on in the night, I could leave by myself. I’ll see you sometime later, Goodnight!” After exiting the SoEun’s father’s house, Chanyeol told SoEun that she don’t need to him to leave, and then he said goodbye with SoEun as he entered the elevator and vanished in front of SoEun’s eye.

“Ah, what should I do? What can I do?” her hair randomly, SoEun murmured her troubles repeatedly as soon as she got into her own house. She threw her body facing down to the sofa with frustration. Then she turned her back against the sofa and gazed at the ceiling.

“Should I call Sandara Unnie for help? Andwe, since Chanyeol oppa is back now, they must be live together again. Or Yoona?” Suddenly, SoEun jumped up from the sofa and began to talk with herself. Soon after, SoEun took out her phone and tried to contact Yoona; yet, no one picked up the phone, which disappointed and upset SoEun a little. Without doubt, she probably went on a date with SeungGi oppa now; I shouldn’t disturb them because of my personal affairs. But, who can know helping me out?

Just then, someone and some words popped up in SoEun’s chaotic mind. Not wasting any second, SoEun immediately dialed a number and the call got answered at the fourth rings. That was Kris’s voice sent through the phone.

“Kris si, I know that I’ve been troubled you recently, but there won’t be anyone else can save me now, except you.”

“SoEun si, what’s happening?” Since he was totally out of the loop, Kris asked SoEun for more details as he felt clueless about what was SoEun talking about. Wasting no time, SoEun gave out an explanation to Kris about the hardship she will need to go through on the next few days.

“I haven’t got a chance to tell Appa about the stuff between Chanyeol Oppa and me. Now, he was so keen on playing the role of a matchmaker. What should I do now? I have no experience attending to a ball before.”

“SoEun si, calm down yourself first. No need to worry, Come to my place the night after tomorrow, anya we should start it as soon as possible since you don’t have much time left. I will see you tomorrow night at my house.” Their call ended with SoEun’s nod and her appreciation for Kris’s help. The night drifted away as dark clouds enveloped the sky and anxious swirled around SoEun’s mind in every second.

Tomorrow Night

“I remember there’s a spare key.” Recollecting the memory from last time the first met with Kris’s mother, SoEun followed the word from it and found the key under the carpet in front of the door. Shortly, she picked up the two large brown paper bag that full with grocery and entered the condo before Kris back from work.

While waiting for Kris return, SoEun prepared the dinner for both of Kris and herself in order to show her gratitude for the help of Kris in advance. Before the meal ready to serve, a click sound echoed from the back and then Kris made his way to the house after opening the door. A savory aroma wafted into Kris’s nostrils as soon as he set his foot inside his own house.

“Kris si, you are back? The meal will be done in 10 minutes, you can just go to freshen up yourself first.” Nodding his head, Kris closed the door and headed toward the guest restroom to clean up himself a bit from tiredness as SoEun said. If not knowing it, both of them just like a newlywed, which SoEun was playing role as a housewife who waiting for his husband to come home.

“Let’s dig in!” Soon then, Kris and SoEun both sat on the counter height table face-to-face and enjoyed their dinner alone together. It was western cuisine. In order to break the silence atmosphere, they exchanged conversation for the present as Kris started it up with introduction about what to expect in the charity balls.  

“So SoEun si, straight into the topic, I know that you’ve been studied in culinary school before, so I assume that table manner should not be a problem for you. However, most of the charity gala event often held in the ballroom. At the venue, the guests will enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres there followed by dinner. More than that, there will usually be dancing and a charity auction.”

*Hiss* “Dancing huh? I have two left feet to be honest.” Listening every single word from Kris carefully, SoEun made a sharp sibilant sound as of the letter s to express her negative view of herself.  Chanyeol oppa been tried to teach me music, but then we discovered that I was beat deaf.  

“If that so, then I think our first lesson will be dance lecture. Finish the food, then I will teach some basic steps of ballroom dance.” With hesitation, SoEun nodded her head to show her response to Kris’s word. Even though it shattered my confidence while thinking about the failure, but Kris si was here just to help me out. I should not be discouraged like this due to previous experience.

Ballroom dance is always done in pairs. Perfect the posture as the first step; Kris elongated both his and SoEun’s neck and body. Next, Kris raised his left hand holding SoEun’s right hand with palms facing each other. Kris’s right hand connected with SoEun’s shoulder blade and SoEun’s left hand on his right shoulder.

“Since you’re in the women’s role, you would need to step backward to start. And the man generally takes the lead.”

“Ok, now we are going to practice counting, ok? One, two three, one two, three, one…” After position their body, Kris taught SoEun the basic waltz box step and started by tapping out a small box on the floor. SoEun nodded her head in understanding as she lowered her head and looked down on her feet. “Look up! Try not to stare down at your steps!”

“One more time! But this time, we will make a box with our feet. One, two, three, one two three, one, two…Ouch!” While the counting feels natural, Kris moved to the next step as they began to practice making box with their feet. To make the first half of the step forward with the left foot—which is ‘one’—and slide the right foot to meet it and then step to the right (two). Now the weight should be shifted to the right foot so the left slides to meet it (three).

“I’m sorry, Kris si! I did not do it on purpose!” However, SoEun was unable to control her feet at the time she straightened up her head to the front. She stepped on Kris’s foot accidentally due to her poor body compatibility in movement. SoEun immediately rose up her head and apologized to Kris repeatedly as she kept on stepping on Kris’s feet.

Kris shook his head in which to show SoEun that he was fine, it was not a big deal. Tolerating the pain, both of them continued practicing the counting steps and thirty minutes passed by. Once SoEun was able to loosen up while keeping time with the beat, they started to try out turning suggested by Kris.

Turn slightly to the right as they both step on one and two; next step, they will begin traveling as they keep the basic box pattern. Unintentionally, as SoEun tried her first turn, she was losing her foot and falling right in since she was the least bit careless.

Seeing it, Kris stretched out his arm as support to pull SoEun back in which to prevent her from falling apart from anything else. However, both of them were lack of luck, or maybe too good at luck. Since things happened very sudden, Kris lost his balance before he able to help SoEun out. SoEun’s back heavily banged to the hard ground with Kris on top of her.

During this time, the distance between two of them not too far yet not too close which still have few centimeter away. Even like that, the breath they both let out tickling each other face and attacking both of their hearts, especially the one of Kris.

Observing the face that clear and close to him, weird thought gathered up Kris’s mind, plus plucky and he intended to move more forward as their eyes interlocked for moments. In these circumstances, SoEun who been pressed on the floor by Kris, became immobile and froze with surprise at the sight. Shortly, she screamed out Kris’s name when Kris getting closer and closer to her face. 

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Hello everyone, I was very sorry for disappearing for almost two months. I hope you guys won't mind about it. I truly running out of idea for the writing. and plus, school stuffs got into my way. Now I finsihed the exam and have one week break for now on. I tried to work on some more of the fanfiction and share it to you guys within this week. So hope you guys now enjoy your time by reading this chapter first. The dance lesson with Mr. Tutor Kris, how do you guy like it? Please tell me about it... will something nice gonna happen next time?