❝Xinran,❞ Mingyu called out while clutching a bunch of hangers on both hands while more dresses were hanging on his arms, ❝Oi,❞  the male wagged both his heavy arms up and down before using one of his long legs to nudge the girl because he couldn't snap his fingers. ❝Stop spacing out. I'm trying to help you here but your brain's always nowhere.❞ 

Xinran blinked and gave her diluted attention to her best friend. One horribly sad week passed by ever since the start of university, kicking it off with the arrival of Jeon Wonwoo and all of his bad luck raining upon Xinran. Losing Rosengård did not end with losing he scholarship and the theatre play. Becoming a gossip in campus was also a part of the domino effect; Xinran had been the Rosengård holder for three consecutive years ever since her first days in Van Eidel so everybody in the Humanities Department knew who she was. Xinran almost felt scared to enter the Rose Manor (Rosengård in Swedish) because she considered losing the scholarship a huge humiliation. She was doing so well for three years, what happened? 

❝I'm not spacing out. I'm looking at this clothes and can't stop thinking about how overpriced they are,❞ she frowned and let her hand touch the embroidery of a certain dress, ❝My view with these corporate clothing lines changed ever since I found thrift shopping.❞ 

Mingyu placed all of his selected dresses on one circular chair before putting his waist. They were at a high-street clothing brand trying different dresses because Xinran's family would be attending a circus around that week. ❝After all these years, you can still stomach lying to me. Stop, okay? I know why you're distracted: Rosengård.❞ Mingyu lifts an eyebrow.

❝Not Rosengård. Rosengård did nothing bad to me. Rosengård was everything but bad to me. But Jeon Wonwoo,❞ Xinran glared at the floor while biting a finger, ❝Jeon Wonwoo did. That son of a . The things I want to do to him... the nerve—❞

❝The nerves on your forehead will pop if you don't stop thinking about him,❞ Mingyu clicked his tongue with annoyance and noticed female buyers glaring at him for being very close inside the women's changing area. ❝Can you just forget him for a goddamn day and start trying these dresses?❞ 

Xinran mocked Mingyu while picking the dresses she wanted to try before gathering the chosen ones in one huge pile on top of her chest before moving inside a cubicle. There wasn't much space in the cubicle but there wasn't much fuss choosing inside because Xinran fell in love with none. She even hated some of her. Mingyu got slightly pissed after knowing that (because it was somehow a kick to his taste). He figured nothing could quite please his best friend that time other than getting her hands wrapped around Wonwoo's neck until he choked to death.

Xinran's phone rang; it was her mother. ❝Yes, Mama?❞

❝I found the perfect gown!❞  

The two went home and Xinran's mother welcomed them into the empty boutique with a huge powder blue box. She had this proud wide grin plastered on her face as she handed the box to her daughter. ❝This dress is made out of dreams, I can assure you.❞

❝Where did you find it, Auntie?❞ Mingyu tilted his head while Xinran peaked inside the box.

❝I found it at a thrift shop that focuses more on vintages clothing. It was in the wedding section but, what the heck, it's perfect. I don't know if its creator is famous or not but it's Italian. Great quality and a showstopper. They will think my daughter is one of the spectacles.❞

❝The neckline is low as hell.❞ Xinran touched the cream organza fabric. Her mother nodded. ❝This is some La La Land —❞ 

❝Just get inside and change!❞ The mother shoved her daughter in the first cubicle and handed her the box before closing the blinds. She spun around with her chest up, staring at Mingyu with a cheeky grin. She knew the whole story about how Mingyu was her daughter's crush turned best friend. ❝You're going to fall in love with my daughter in a few moments.❞  

Mingyu gazed at the floor exhaled a delicate smile before looking at her. Seeing Auntie with that kind of smile bewildered the young man. It was not that Auntie rarely smiled (in fact, she was one of those people who loved smiling), but Auntie's smile that time hinted him to behold. ❝You think so, Auntie?❞ 

A bunch of high school girls entered the boutique. ❝See it for yourself.❞ Auntie winked before leaving Mingyu alone.

Mingyu waited outside the changing area. This time, he was more relaxed because they were inside the boutique of Xinran's mother and not much was around. He reclined on the plush white sofa outside the cubicles with his head slumped on his palm. It was not like he had better things to do that day, just a few lectures to be reviewed. He heard the curtain sliding open, stirring Mingyu to finally look up.

Xinran stepped out with her hands inside the pockets of the A-line skirt. Her hair was also held in a high ponytail with a few wisps of her locks unrestrained. Stepping in a small stage in front of the wall mirror outside the cubicles, she took in more of the sleeveless gown's details: it was made with organza and a satin underskirt, her front and back torso was barely covered by the plunging necklines and its tiny gleaming embellishments, and her waist is nicely cinched, giving her a curvier figure. She tilted her head to the right and she pouted. She watched her her fingertip slowly tracing her skin from the middle of her collarbone down just two inches above her navel where the lacey neckline finally stopped.

❝Oh my god, my daughter!❞ Auntie's excited voice squeaked as she dashed back in the changing room.  ❝Here! Here! Add these earrings. You'll be more popping with them!❞

Xinran's eyebrows furrowed, ❝Where the hell are you learning these terms?❞  

❝Internet, duh?❞ Auntie put a classic drop earring made of pearls and opals on each of her daughter's ears in hopes of completing the look. However, the look needed something more. So she rushed out and grabbed a thing rectangular box and headed back. Xinran opened the box and her mother said, ❝A necklace won't do, but a pair of gloves might.❞ 

Xinran exhaled and followed her mother's advice. Two subtly stoned lace gloves perfectly slipped over her hands and forearm. ❝Gorgeous,❞ Auntie held her breath and she seemed like she was about to drop a fat tear or two. She turned her daughter around, ❝Mingyu, what do you think?❞

Flying insects may or may not already buzzed inside Mingyu's open lips, and the boy would not even care. He had been eyeing his best friend ever since she stepped out of the curtains, and damn was he deeply enchanted.  Flushed cheeks? Check. Dewy eyes? Check. Heated skin? Check. Dazed look? Check. Pounding heart? Check.

Xinran stepped down of the small stage and reached out to touch Mingyu's face, but the later flinched. ❝You okay?❞ 

❝No, he's obviously not okay. He looks whipped as hell.❞ Xinran's brother Minghao leaned against the open way with his arms crossed over his chest. ❝Mom, can I skip the whole circus event? I want to attend a B-Boy event that night and our family can be considered as a circus already: I think I've had enough of circuses.❞ 

❝We are attending. No exemptions. I will take your allowance away, try me.❞

❝Try you— what are you, a millennial?❞ Minghao squinted his eyes before looking at her older sister and pointing at their mother indicating 'what is she on?' look.

Auntie and her two offsprings continued with their hearty family conversation and forgot about Mingyu again. Minngyu, on the other hand, forgot about everything around him but Xinran. That thing Mingyu hid in his chest was banging inside and attempting to break his ribs so it could finally get out of his system.  Ten years worth of feelings for the older girl was not a joking matter for Mingyu; starting seventh-grade high school until his third year in college. However, he believed he stood no chance against Choi Seungcheol.

The circus consisted of only the most intelligent and highly evolved animals on Earth: humans. No tigers or elephants or monkeys, but people dressed as tigers and elephants and monkeys and all sorts from the animal kingdom. Maybe that was one of the reasons why this particular circus family was much beloved by everyone all over the world because they never used animals on any of their acts. They knew better and they were proud of it. They should. These multinational group proved that humans were indeed capable of not only being the most intelligent animals but the most compassionate ones too.

One colossal tent stood in the middle of sporadically located smaller ones, overall, located in a rural area not that far from Seoul. Many locals anticipated for their arrival, and some patrons even took a leap forward and traveled country to country just to follow the circus. That fact amazed Xinran. Minghao, not so much. He even practically yawned when he heard that fact. 

Attractions were not limited inside the tents; there were also a lot outside. Large bubbling cauldrons with different aromatic smokes, endless strings of fairy lights and black Victorian-styled street lamps illuminating the area, food stalls of popcorns and churros and fruit cups and chewy pretzels, the entire circus workforce were deep in characters, a legitimate clock tower in the middle of the whole event, and they even managed to make real snow cascading from above with nobody knowing where exactly the snow was coming from. Xinran only snapped out of the trance when Minghao never stopped nagging so he can borrow her strawberry lip balm. 

❝You two go around and enjoy. But at nine o'clock, go to the main tent, okay? Now you two run along and have fun.❞ Xinran and Minghao's mother hooked her arm to her husband and they left the siblings all on their own. 

Minghao pouted and secured his leather gloves. ❝This place ain't half bad as I thought.❞ He nodded to himself before beginning his expedition, leaving his older sister behind.

Xinran couldn't stop her awe. It was too beautiful for her; a dream coming to life. She slowly spun around looking up above to the falling snowflakes, reaching out an open palm and her eyes twinkled in delight. The girl smiled as much as her heart did. Childlike happiness. Fragile and innocent. Simple but rare moments like that were precious to her. It had been so long ever since Xinran felt something alike. A few more inches of turning and smiling before Xinran caught something else:

Jeon Wonwoo was looking at her.