“Be my date to the ball.” He repeated the question- I’m not even sure that was a question, it didn’t seem like one. Was it a command? A request? A suggestion? The air was thick inside the car with the two of us sitting at our respective sides of the backseat, eyes steadied on each other, his eyes- calm and logical, my own- wide-eyed and skeptical. There were many thoughts forming in my head, but I can’t seem to muster the intent to ask them. So I settled with the most plausible question in my head, “Why me?”

“Well, you said you wanted to pay me back and this looks like something that’s not easy for you to do.” He said like it was the most logical thing in the world, shrugging his shoulders at the last part like it was a normal request. “So you wanna torture me? And torture me on a grand scale?” I huffed a puff finally releasing a breath I didn’t know I held, it was getting clearer, I mean why else would he bring me as his date when he can have anyone he wants? He knows I don’t do big events with lots of people and here he is persuading me to do the only thing he knows I cannot do.

“Yah, Sooyoung-ah! What are you talking about? Isn’t it an honor to be asked to the ball by me?” What is he even talking about? He’s not even asking, he was demanding. That’s what it was. I finally knew what it was—a demand. “So you’re saying if I say yes, this will clear my name of all the things I’m indebted to you?” I said looking away. “Did I say something wrong again? Aishhh, don’t look at it that way, think of it as a favor for a friend! That’s right! You’re doing me a favor, I really don’t wanna go through that tiring and awkward audition. And the conglomerates’ ball is so long, might as well just spend it with someone I can talk to rather than some arm candy I don't even know… So… again, I wanna ask you, will you be my date to the ball?” He said the last part ever so slowly that I couldn’t ignore the sincerity in his question. I turned to him again, this time touched by his sincere words. I would probably regret this, but my heart melted looking at his eyes and I could only nod in acceptance.

Jaeguk High, Friday
Days flew by so fast that soon, it was already a day before the ball. At lunch time, the girls blabbered about the makeover and seemed more excited at dolling me up than I am, while the Wanna One guys looked like they just accepted Daniel’s poor choice of a date, putting their efforts of searching for the perfect date to waste. I can’t blame them though, even I wouldn’t choose myself as a date if I were him, but then again, Daniel had a point in bringing someone he knew versus someone he barely knew. Jisung-oppa seemed to take the biggest disappointment in Daniel’s decision because he organized the entire ‘search for Daniel’s date’. He looked at me with regret in his eyes, and weirdly, I also felt sorry for their wasted efforts more than feeling sorry for myself for being deemed unqualified to be Daniel’s date. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and muttered an apology and that seemed to jolt him from his inner thoughts.

“Aniyo, aniyo, Joy-sshi, what are you sorry for? You’re beautiful and wonderful and just perfect! Jinjja!” He said, assuring me that my initial thoughts might be wrong.

“If it helps, I promise to try my best…” I told him, still apologetic.

“Eh?” it seemed he didn’t get what I was trying to say. “I’ll try to look presentable so that your efforts won’t go to waste, the girls are also already helping me out, scouting for gowns and jewelry…”, but he still seemed unappeased by my words,

“…I was thinking…