“Jo Daya-ssi?”

Daya turned around again, and a moderately tall male stood in front of her, clad in a black suit, black tie and a white shirt, with sleek black masquerade covering the upper part of his face, yet his lips visibly panting.

Giving evidence of how fast he must have run in there.

For the briefest moment under the semi darkness of the hall, Daya almost, almost thought it was him. But this voice, the plump lips and the smaller frame didn’t belong to Baekhyun, and Daya sighed for the nth time that evening.

And the young man took off his masquerade. “They didn’t let me in until I wore this ridiculous thing.”

His face was very much familiar to her. First time at his book cafe and second time in Baekhyun’s apartment. He had that slight crease between his brows and those owl eyes were as inquisitive towards her as always. “Kyungsoo-ssi?”

“You do remember me.” Kyungsoo stated in a mutter, before annoyedly looking around. “Can we step outside for a moment? It’s freaking loud in here.”

They walked out of the auditorium along a wide corridor, which led straight into the faculty car park. Daya wasn’t sure why Do Kyungsoo walked all the way down to the car park when there were plenty of silence and free areas for them to talk if needed. But she was not doubting him, since the car park was well lit and had more than a dozen people walking among the vehicles, and also, because Kyungsoo did seem decent enough of a guy for her to not feel nervous around. He walked all the way up to a beat-up Ford cab, unlocked it and turned around to face her. “I need you to come with me.”

Daya blinked at him.

“Baekhyun’s not well.” Kyungsoo started rubbing his temples worriedly. “He came to my place this morning saying he didn’t get enough sleep last night, and fell asleep there asking me to wake him up by evening. But-”

“What’s wrong with him?” Daya cut him off. “Why is he sick? He was fine just yesterday!”

“He’s burning up.” Kyungsoo sighed. “I tried to wake him up around the time he told me to, but he’s nowhere near getting off the bed. But then he woke up around nine and gave me your phone number, and asked me to call you and explain why he couldn’t come. But I thought it’d be better to meet you in person. Because I think…” he paused and cleared his throat, showing that he was going against all his principles to take the girl to his friend. “You should be with him right now.”

“Where is he Kyungsoo-ssi?” Daya asked. “At your place? Then take me there. Please.”

“Would you be alright?” Kyungsoo asked, although he was already opening the door to the passenger seat for the girl. “What about Jongin? And are your parents sending anyone to pick you up or-”

“Let’s just get going.” Daya walked past him and closed herself in the cab.

* * *

Jongin was guiding Jisoo towards the drinks station on the ballroom floor when her phone vibrated with a text message. The girl came to an abrupt stop when she saw the sender’s ID as Daya.

“Who is it?” Jongin asked, tearing his eyes off the cocktails displayed and turning back to Jisoo. “Um…” Jisoo smiled, and opened the text. “It’s from Jisoo.”

Daya:

Something came up and I’m leaving to see Baekhyun. We have to take a rain check on what we planned to do tonight Jisoo. I’ll call you later.

Jisoo almost couldn't hide the relief surging through her. All evening, even though she was dancing and pretending to have so much fun with Jongin, she had dreaded the moment Baekhyun would arrive and Daya would reveal everything to the two men. And hearing that encounter is being postponed for even one more day, she couldn't help but be happy for herself.

But she was also worried about Daya.

“Let me make a call first.” she patted Jongin’s arm, and hurriedly exited the hall through the nearest exit. And she turned a corner along the corridor, to find herself in a dark hallway that was far enough to muffle the sounds of the loud music.

“Daya! Where the hell did you disappear to?” Jisoo hissed to her phone as soon as her friend picked her call. “Sorry Jisoo. Baekhyun is not well. I’m heading to see him with his friend.”

“Is he alright?”

“I have to go and see Jisoo. Just…”

“Fine. I’ll cover for you if needed. Call me when you can, okay?” Jisoo ended the call and turned to return to the ballroom.

And she bumped right into a broad chest.

She looked up, and the guy in charcoal grey masquerade and silver hair smirked down at her. “What's with your friend?”

“Oh my god Jongin… I almost screamed thinking you were someone else.” Jisoo released her breath and straightened her masquerade.

“Did your friend just elope with her date for the night?” he asked, still smirking.

“Elope?” Jisoo scoffed. “You and your imagination. Her date is sick and is not coming to the party tonight. So she left to see him and wants me to cover up for her if something happens.”

“Looks like some things will be happening between them tonight.” he took a step closer, and his smirk turned a tad more devious. Jisoo scoffed again, and shook her head. “You don’t know her Jongin. She’s not the type to…”

“Not the type to what?” Jongin asked, his smirk now fading as he raised his hand to the back of her head.

“What- what are you doing Jongin?” Jisoo asked, taking a step back and feeling the cool wall touching her back.

“Taking off this damned mask so I can see your face.”

“But we danced so much and my face must be so sweaty under that-”

He untied the strap behind her hand and let the mask drop to the floor. “You look stunning.” he smiled, soft and gentle. Jisoo bit her lip, feeling her cheeks redden under his gaze. “This is going to be unfair unless you take off your mask too.”

He shook his head. “First things first.” he leaned down, and placed his lips on hers. Taken aback by his sudden move, Jisoo took another step back and felt the wall press against her back. “Your friend gets to spend the night with her date and am I not even getting a kiss?” he asked, not distancing himself from her lips. “I didn’t dress up just to dance you know.”

“Jongin-”

He left a small peck on her lips, cutting her words off. “Yes, my beautiful fiancee?”

A chill ran down her spine. “I’m not your fiance Jongin.”

His eyebrows furrowed ever so gently. “Why not?”

“Because-” Jisoo held her breath, wondering if she could just blurt out the truth. But no, the voice inside her head was begging for another few moments with him. “Because we’re not official yet.”

Jongin closed his eyes for a moment, propped an arm on the wall behind her and lowered his head, making his hair brush over her cheeks. As Jisoo watched him in silence for a moment, all she could think of was untying his masquerade to see his gorgeous face.

He lifted his head when she took the gray masquerade off him. “Are you afraid that things will not work out between us?”

Jisoo nodded.

“But our parents arranged this by themselves didn't they?”

“But we might break up.”

“What kind of girl mentions breakups when she’s in such a stable relationship?”

“Jongin that’s not what I-”

“Do I look like a playboy to you? Someone who would leave you for other women?”

“No Jongin!”

“Then what?”

Jisoo bit her lip. She knew that in his point of view, she looked like nothing but a whiny girlfriend who was looking for a fight with no reason at all.

And she was absolutely not ready to give away her secret without Daya nearby for help.

“Stop biting your lip like that or I’ll…”

Jisoo closed her eyes, and tilted her head towards him, an indication that her arguing had ended.

And he kissed her again. It started as an agonizingly slow kiss, where he lingered for a long while on the bottom lip she had been biting, and then his hands started moving, one around her neck and the other around her waist. She was pulled away from the wall and pressed against him, her neck arching back as he leaned over her and deepened the kiss. His lips kept on molding with hers until she pressed her palms on his chest and gasped for breath, and then he moved them onto her jawline. He traced his way down her neck with soft smooches while bringing his hand down from her neck, towards her shoulder. Jongin then ran a finger along a glittery spaghetti strap of her dress, and hooked the finger under the strap to slowly lower it along her arm.

And his lips followed its path.

Jisoo couldn’t stop him, and didn’t have the courage to stop herself either.

Then Jongin's hand reached for the other strap, while he raised his head and his lips caught hers again.

“NO PARTYGOERS ALLOWED IN THE LABORATORY HALLWAYS!”

Jongin tore himself off Jisoo in lightning speed, making the girl gasp at both the loss of contact and the screaming voice down the hallway. “A lab assistant.” she looked back at Jongin, to see him more out of sorts than she was.

“NO MAKING OUTS IN THIS DEPARTMENT! YOU TWO THERE! BLUE DRESS!”

And they saw the dark figure striding towards them from the far corner of the hallway. Jisoo heard Jongin neutering a curse, and he readjusted the straps of her dress before taking her hand and dragging her away from the person advancing on them. “Come’on. Let’s get back to the darned ballroom. I guess your friend is the only one who’s going to have a good time tonight.”

* * *

Kyungsoo led her through the door into his house. Daya entered a warm looking small living room, and looked at Kyungsoo with the only question she had. “Where is he?”

Kyungsoo pointed at a closed door at the far corner of the living room. “My mom is away at the moment, but I’m not sure when she will be returning. And she won’t be happy to know that my friend is having a girl over at my place.”

“I will leave before that.” Daya quickly replied.

“If you can.” Kyungsoo nodded. “But if she arrives before you leave, stay inside until I make sure she’s in her room and take you out.”

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