Chaeyoung

 

I walked to the beach and saw her. She stood there near the seashore, a slight breeze ruffled her stained dress, moving loose strands of hair about her face. I smiled and strode closer. I wrapped my arms around her waist, feeling her little flinch. I caressed her arms and rested my chin on her shoulder. "Aren't you cold?" I mumbled.
 

She glanced to her side and when our eyes met, she smiled. A soft, pure smile. She averted her gaze back to the ocean and leaned against me, sinking into my embrace. "Not anymore" She breathed out, holding my hand that wrapped around her.
 

I hummed and held her chin, turning her head to face me. Leaning closer, I placed a warm kiss against her cold lips. Lightly swept my tongue between her lips, soothing her with small warmth. I gazed at her elegant features. I had never been this close to her and was simply spellbinding by this approximately no distance between us. I had never realized what I had been missing. Her eyes were closed. Her perfect skin that looked so fragile yet so soft and the unerring amount of mole around her features. Cheeks the colour of pink roses and eyelashes mirroring the wings of a butterfly flutter against mine.
 

I blinked, disregarding the thought. Pulling away from the kiss, I booped her nose, "Is that enough heat?"
 

In a moment she was cast in crimson, bathed in a rosy glow. I was mesmerised once more. She chuckled, "Perfect"
 

The sun bloomed on the horizon. Far out to sea, streams of pulsing light saturated the surface with a golden haze. The horizon seemed to be stitched with a line of silver. We stayed and admired the beauty of the rising sun, laminating us with its warmth.
 

"Cut!" Shouted the director, "We are done for today, that's a wrap" A few staff came running to us with a blanket. I thanked them and took it, putting it around Mina. I reached over her hands and walked closer to the set, greeting the directors and all the staff.
 

"That was great. It only takes two cuts. Maybe because of the sweet couples, too much love in the air" The screenwriter complimented, gaining a lot more teasing. Mina bowed in embarrassment while I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, laughing along. We left the set after a while, entering our car. Away from the public's eye, I pulled my hands away off her and turned the heater on. She was sitting beside me, seemingly warming herself.
 

Hoon came and bought a few heat packets. I took it and rubbed the packets together. It slowly heating up after a short time, "Here" I gave it to Mina. "You did well"
 

She accepted it and nodded, cupping the heat packets. Hoon drove us back to the house. I leaned against my seat, sighing. It had been tough this few weeks. I was working with the campaign, and the video commercial was indeed one of the original plans. I had contacted influencers to act but the director suggested that mina and I should also join the starring. And hence explained why we were in here, in this situation. It was a relief the shooting was over. I had a few more things to work with for the campaign. Mina was hard to be convinced since she disliked attention, now a camera recording her, she obviously declined. However, after continuously persuading her, she finally agreed, of course under a condition: I have to be friends with beastie. That nasty, grumpy, annoyingly intelligent dog.
 

He pooped in my shoes, in my damn handmade, ing specially designed brogues. I was near to be convicted for animal slaughter, but Mina managed to save him. 'Coincidentally' he only pooped in my shoes, only in my shoes. He definitely hated me. I would have to think how to secretly get rid of that dog.
 

"Sleep and have some rest" I glanced at her who was ascending the stairs. I flopped on the couch as soon as we arrived. Closing my eyes, leaned my elbow on the armrest and my brows.
 

"Chaeyoung" Her voice called. I hummed. "You promise me, to made up with Ray"
 

Lord. I sighed, "Yeah yeah. I'll walk him to the park tomorrow"
 

She nodded and climbed up the stairs. I stayed, messaging my temple. It was almost nine in the morning. My mind was clouded with plans. How will I deal with that dog, how can I get rid of it without notice? I clicked my tongue, I'd thought of a way later. Brushing it off, I stood and walked to the kitchen. My stomach was growling. I reached for the left cabinet and inside were three boxes of instant noodles. I smiled. I'd been craving for it since this morning. I was about to take a pack when a hand from behind reached to grab it.
 

I turned around. Mina was smiling, standing while finishing buttoning the top of her shirt, her hair wet and smelling of shampoo. "I'll cook it for you," She said, walking to the fridge. I hummed and sat on the kitchen stools, checking emails from my phone. I glanced at her. She was wearing a maroon sweater over a shift of cream-coloured linen, waddling barefoot around the kitchen. Staring at her closely, I examined her body posture, her weird retarded way of walking, it wasn't something common.
 

Averting my gaze back to the phone screen, I spoke, "Do you attend any ballet class before?"
 

She halted. "No"
 

That was a lie. The next morning, I woke up earlier than I used to. As usual, my door was left ajar. I rarely went to the west wing but I did that morning. I wasn't sure what drove me to walk along the hallway and toured that area, but I wasn't regretting. I heard some gentle music started to play and followed the sound. It took me to the dance studio, where the light was brightly shining through the window.
 

I peeked inside and saw her, standing in the middle of the studio. She began to move, dancing along with the music. I leaned against the doorframe and stared at her. She was focused and relaxed all the time, to even acknowledge my presence.
Her skirts swam about her slender feet and the scanty tops jingled softly with each slight movement. Every swaying movement of her hips, with each alluring twist of her body, she was flowing in graceful arcs. Elegant at its finest.
 

She was a ballerina. The reason she lied, why she stopped dancing, why she hid it from anyone's knowledge. I was in no position to force her to answer. However, that explained her body posture and I could never see her the same way I did before.
 

She was graceful as a lonely swan.
 

Swan. I spy through the spotting scope of black swan on the lake's edge. Sighing, I glanced to my far side, where beastie was sitting in rigid, annoyed look plastered on his face. Damn you. I didn't want to be with you in here either, wasting my goddamn precious time. It was almost five in the afternoon now. I was taking this dog for a walk in the park. That was what I told Mina but I brought this dog to a different place instead. What I saw in the morning, I brushed it off. I didn't want to peer into her life. She didn't include that inside her list and I had the right to scold her since it could put doubt in our 'relationship'. But it didn't matter. As long as I knew now.
 

As for this dog, what should I do? I was holding to his leash, with a pistol in my pocket. I stood from the bench and walked away, he was on the lead. We were crossing the lake by a small bridge. I roamed my eyes around and there was no one nearby. This place was empty. It was a private golf course. Perfect place for perfect crime. I pulled out the gun.
The aim was assured, the trigger pulled and I fired.
 

I intentionally missed. It grazed his legs instead. A wail could be heard coming from him and he fell. He fell to the lake. I looked over the bridge and he was unmoving. I examined him and scoffed. Dramatic beastie. I walked away, leaving him there to pay a quick visit to the company then drove home.
 

When I had arrived. . Beastie was there, sitting in front of the main door, drenched. I narrowed my eyes as he aggressive growling at me. I gulped, he looked like he was about to rip me into pieces. I slipped my hand inside my pocket, holding the gun. Next to beastie was Mina with her arms crossed. Her eyebrows were pulled down together, with wide open, glaring eyes. Her upper eyelids raised in a cold stare. I had never seen that expression across her face. I took a step back. She was hella mad.
 

"You are trying to drown him?" She spat, clenching her jaw. I glared at the dog who turned to Mina. He was whining and groaning.
 

I mentally rolled my eyes. Damn you beastie for setting me up. "The lake is literally only ankle-deep"
 

She narrowed her eyes on my pocket and huffed in disbelief. Her eyes widen as she takes a step ahead "You planned to shoot him?"
 

"It's a tranquillizer pistol" I explained, taking out the gun, showing it to her.
 

"Still a pistol" she retorted.
 

"I didn't even shoot him. He is putting a show"
 

She scoffed, "You are going to shoot him"
 

I shrugged, "I'm going to take him to the local animal shelter"
 

"Son Chaeyoung!" Her voice raised an octave, I flinched. That was her very first high-pitched voice I'd heard. Beastie started to bark. He was unleashed and growled as he ran towards me. My breaths come in gasps and I felt like I would collapse but my anxiety screamed for me to escape. I panicked as I ran away, pointing the gun towards the wild pissed terrifying creature chasing after me.
 

"Ray!" Mina was seemingly shocked as I am and followed us, calling for the dog. She tried to stand in between me and beastie, yelling the dog to calm down while demanding me to put the gun down. "Son Chaeyoung, put the pistol down, you'll hurt him. Ray, stop! Both of you!"

"Stop chasing me, you ugly dirty beast!" I threw anything I could grab from my pocket towards him. Beastie wasn't bothered even when my phone hit his head, he strode closer. I aimed his head and was about to pull the trigger when the gun slipped off my hands. I quickly crouched down to take it when Mina suddenly jumped on me.
 

"Stop" She gripped my thighs to lock my legs then turned around to face Beastie, "You will be grounded" The dog growled and came nearer. Mina picked up the gun. I managed to snatch it from her but she was quick to shove me down, pushing me to lay on my back, holding my arms, with her on top of me. Her hair sprawled all over my face, I froze. The tip of her nose touched mine as her brown eyes stared deeply. I blinked and pushed her away. She was lowkey heavy for my weight damn. Brushing it off, I groaned when a sudden sharp pain hit me. Bewildered, I looked down and saw a tranquillizer stuck on my stomach.
 

My breathed hitched. Mina followed my gaze and gasped. That expression across her face. That annoying dulled-penguin-sickening face again. Maybe not that graceful."Oh my God, Mrs Son! Are you okay?! Chaeyoung!"
 

My vision went blurry. Everything became fuzzy; then I saw nothing at all. My consciousness was floating through an empty space filled with a thick static. I gritted my teeth, "You!----" the only word I could utter before the blackness took over.

Damn it.






 

  - to be continued-
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✒ JunKudo

A/N: this chapter is only a filter. The story progress on the next chapter.