Your heart leaped out of your chest upon the foreign view, the Latin music pulsed into your headache while your eyes tried to distinguish every movement taking place in front of you. Some hands were thrown up in the air while others were sensually tracing the shape of the other's body. You were shocked, scandalized by the amount of physical contact in front of your eyes. But deep down, a strong intrigue was surging from where you had suppressed everything you could've already been by now.

You wanted to let yourself go like that too.ba

Oh gosh.

How would you define yourself? That had been a question many people in Cuba had thrown when first getting to know you. What do you like to do? Emptiness had filled your chest when you had found yourself completely unable to answer. A good girl, perhaps? At times you wondered if that would have been a righteous answer. Your whole life had you made sure to preserve the happiness on your parents' faces by reaching the highest grades in school, by acting like a proper lady, graceful and beautiful. But never had you invested into something you liked. Hence, you had never even gotten the chance to find out what you truly liked. And yet again, you had done what commanded without complaints when your parents had announced moving to Cuba for business. There was this thick bubble surrounding you that the friends you had made in this country had desperately attempted to pop. Until now, you had never been interested and so never complied. You and your Cuban friends were reaching the peak of your teens, where you would truly become alive at night.

Curiosity had surged within you when they had spoken about clubs- dancing and becoming one with music. For your whole life, you had only been the dull, perfect girl that obeyed to everything said, and you contrasted so strongly with the crazy and cheerful girls that had nonetheless accepted you in their circle.

Over thirty degrees, the sun was shining its brightest on the spotless sky of Havana. Sweat was prickling on your skin and it was slowly getting unbearable as no amount of breeze was enough to soothe the hot weather. A few weeks had passed since your arrival, though, it didn't seem like you could get completely used to the high temperature just yet. The air fan was on the highest mode next to you, fluttering your hair behind your shoulders as you glanced at your mother from underneath your lashes while she did her thing in the kitchen. Windows stood open and the busy streets echoed against the walls of your new home. The lady walked elegantly out of the kitchen, her dress fluttering beautifully behind her hips as she placed the cool glass of iced tea in front of you. A sweet smile graced her scarlet lips before she took the seat in front of you and resumed the reading of her book. The ice on the bottom of the glass let out a cracking noise as it clicked against the inner walls of the cup. You gulped away the dry sensation in your throat with a long sip of your tea, sighing with satisfaction when there wasn't a single drop left in your cup. The cool icy feeling pulsed against your lips and you pressed them together.

"Mother?" your voice was careful when you attempted to gain her attention. She looked curiously up from the pages with the same smile still plastered on her lips. "Yes, my dear?" She encouraged and you could only hold your thumbs for luck. Although you knew what her answer to whatever you were going to ask was, you still gave it a try, thinking that perhaps you could convince her and your father this one time.

"Well, you know..." You started nervously, fingers hysterically fidgeting in your lap, "My friends invited me out this evening and I thought I'd let you know-"

"What are you talking about, darling? We have a very important party to attend tonight, which is also more enjoyable than any other lousy bar your friends could ever visit, no?" The woman hadn't hesitated to interrupt you, in fact, she never had to hear it all to know where the conversation was going. Lately, you had been insisting on getting to meet up with your friends day after day, only to get the same reply every time.

"What would be so special about a couple of lower-class people anyhow? I do not understand darling." She continued to ponder out loud and with your heart-clenching, you caught up on the exasperation hidden in her undertone.

Never had you ever complained because you had genuinely thought that your parents must have known what was best for your wellbeing. Every time they had told you that they did it to protect you because it was dangerous, you had believed it. But as the days passed, you had started losing trust in those words. There was no doubt in the fact that their strictness had started with the good intention to keep you safe. Though, as those words left your mother's mouth, the meaningfulness behind their actions was just losing its significance. You did not feel protected anymore, you felt trapped. The more your mother sputtered words of disgrace towards the people that you befriended, the surer you felt that this protection of theirs had morphed into an excuse to keep you from reaching out to something that you were desperately longing for. A breath of air. Freedom. Something that could make you find out who you truly were, what you enjoyed. Something that would drive you to rebellion against their plans for your future.

Although now old enough, you had never known anything but obedience. In the beginning, you had been quite proud of yourself for being such a truthful daughter, but there was no denying in the fact it was getting extremely lonely and suffocating. They would always remind you how you did not belong to the people of this country, but these were just empty reminders because neither did you feel like you belonged to the rich teens of the same social class. Never in your life had you felt as lonely like you had done next to them. It had been on a fancy party, that obviously, held business purposes, that you had realized the aggravating truth. The superficiality of those you were forced to integrate with. They did not really care about you, whether you were a good person or not. They did not bother to know what you enjoyed and whatnot. They only wanted to befriend because they knew you had many treasures, overflowing money. The more money you owned, the more they wished to acquaintance with you.

That was not the reality you wanted to live in. Those were not the people you wanted to associate yourself with.

☾☾☾

"Are you sure that you do not want to come with us, honey?" Your mother asked once again and a frown twisted your lips when she gave your hair a firmer pull with the brush to get through the tangles in your hair. Scented candles were spreading a refined fragrance of vanilla. There was a certain nervousness tickling the inside of your tummy and you inhaled the calming scent for comfort. The candles dimly illuminated the bedroom together with the lights adorning the fancy vanity mirror in which you were sitting in front of. In the mirror, you could see your mother's reflection as she swept the brush through your long hair, something that she loved to do before you'd go to sleep although you had grown out of that age a long time ago. It served as an opportunity to bond with you, to talk with you about how the day had gone, how you were feeling, and you appreciated every second of it.

Her figure sparkled like the finest diamond underneath millions of spotlights. The clock ticked nine in the evening, which you didn't find late at all. Nonetheless, your body was already framed by a beautiful nightgown. It had been a gift from your mother and it wasn't a surprise how it ad became your favorite clothing. You just loved how the silvery garment embraced your body ever so perfectly, its delicate fabric combined lovingly with your pearly skin. But the beautiful nightdress was nothing compared to the reflection of your mother right behind you. That emerald green dress of satin was really doing her justice and you could just not seem to take your eyes off her. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

"Yes mother, I don't feel too well, but don't you worry about me. You should go and have fun with father." You sent her a small smile through your reflection and you hoped that she wouldn't notice the urge in your voice. Your mother smiled back with a nod and placed a peck on the crown of your head.

"Alright then, we'll be back home late so don't you wait for us and go to sleep early, okay?" They were going to attend one of their rich friend's parties out of town and obviously, you had lied about being sick. You weren't feeling particularly enthusiastic to go to another of those parties. They were tiresome and always the same. There were only a few teens of your age at those events and you always found it aggravating, the way it was so clear that they wanted to befriend you only because you were rich too. You knew that not all of them were like that, but to your nonexistent luck, you hadn't met any better. You were tired of these sumptuous surroundings, you wanted to see something different for once, something that wasn't gold and diamonds.

As soon as the noise of your parents' car starting up resounded from outside, you were quick to dig up your favorite red lipstick from your make up pouch. Carefully, you swiped it across your plump lips and pressed them together to spread its scarlet color evenly. The rouge and highlighter applied on your cheeks enhanced your already beautiful features extremely well, you had never felt so pretty. The sparkles on your eyelids and the unusual length of your lashes were so luscious, giving you a hard time deciding where to look.

Fighting the urge to bite your lip, you pulled out the dress that your friend had lent you for this specific occasion. In the beginning, you had tried to refuse, knowing that you had more dresses than you could've asked for back at home, but the girl had been so insistent. She had without any delicacy told you that the way you dressed would've kept away the guys which had left you quite offended, you found nothing wrong with the way that you dressed.

The black dress was, to say the least, tight- tighter than what it looked like while on a clothing hanger and you couldn't help but feel extremely unsure whether you'd ever feel comfortable in such clothing. Its fabric hugged your curves perfectly and the blinding sparkles complimented your milky skin, making it shimmer likewise and you were so astonished by your own reflection. Never had you known that you could've looked like you were doing now. Your eyes fell onto your chest where your cleavage wasn't too exposed but was nonetheless was the most revealing thing you had ever worn and its sensation covered your body like chills on the edges of your skin. The image of your mother's widening eyes at the view crossed your mind and you begged the Gods that they wouldn't find out about your escapade.

Knowing that butlers and maids were still roaming around the mansion, you opted with tiptoeing to the back door, your black heel dangled from the tips of your fingers. It was slowly dawning on you that you were for the first time doing something you were absolutely not allowed to do, something that would disappoint your parents. But something for yourself, when was the last time you had done that? The question replayed in your head until it silenced the restless doubts clouding your mind. While tying the heels around your heels you could still hear the tiniest voice in your head telling you to let it be, to not risk anything, that it wouldn't be worth it. But the adrenaline-accelerating your heartbeat was stronger and before you knew it, your legs had already started sprinting towards the street where your friends would pick you up. The noise of your heels clicking into the concrete echoed into the night.

☾☾☾

Obnoxiously loud music was blasting through the speakers and the way it was hearable even when outside the Latin themed club made your lips twist into a frown. The music was in a foreign language that you could've guessed was Spanish. Your girlfriends were radiating excitement with every inch of their bodies as you stood in line and their faces were enlightened by bright smiles while their hips were already subtly swaying to the music. Upon observing them, you remembered something they had said about music and becoming one with it. You couldn't comprehend what that had truly meant, how you were supposed to do that?- The fact that you had never danced anything but ballroom dance struck you in the face and made you feel like maybe you weren't supposed to be there after all.

Before you could indulge yourself with more self suppressing thoughts, you were pushed inside the club. A surprised gasp left your lips at the extreme change of temperature inside. It was hot, extremely hot, and stuffy. It hadn't been even a minute inside there and your lungs were already longing for oxygen and fresh air. The dance floor was overflowing with people that danced with their bodies tightly pressed together. But that was not what startled you the most.

Your heart leaped out of your chest upon the foreign view, the Latin music pulsed into your headache while your eyes tried to distinguish every movement taking place in front of you. Some hands were thrown up in the air while others were sensually tracing the shape of the other's body. You were shocked, scandalized by the amount of physical contact in front of your eyes. But deep down, a strong intrigue was surging from where you had suppressed everything you could've already been by now.

You wanted to let yourself go like that too.

Oh gosh.

With excited cheers, your friends had already stormed into the crowded dance floor, leaving you utterly confused and out of place, alone by the bar and completely miserable. A sigh pushed past your lips, you should've expected this to happen, they were always one step ahead while you were still trying to integrate yourself in this reality that you did not even know whether you liked or not.

Letting your eyes observe the people dancing, you were to be surprised when they suddenly started cheering extremely loudly and the crowd formed some space for a couple dancing together in the center of the floor. Intrigue surged within you and you squeezed your eyes to get a sharper look. The young man did not look Latin, and yet he moved as if it was that exact blood running through his veins. His hips rolled swiftly and his hand curled around his partner's for the quickest second until it was tracing the outline of her thigh by his waist, pushing it back down. Your mouth was hanging open in astonishment at the extremely...Sensual moves he had just pulled off. They were scandalizing for your innocent eyes, and yet, upon watching, butterflies had fluttered their wings wildly in your belly. Not much attention was paid to the girl, you just couldn't find it in yourself to take your eyes off that man who was like a strong magnet to your eyes, stealing every single spotlight there was to take.

His hair was dark with streaks of red melting into his black locks, reaching his nape and his fringe parted neatly on his forehead. The button-down shirt hung loose on his body as he moved, though most of the buttons were popped open for everyone to see the way sweat glistened on the smooth skin of his chest along with the many necklaces placing themself right in between his defined pectorals. Your little staring game was abruptly interrupted when his eyes suddenly met your gaze and you felt yourself flaring up, immediately turning around to face the bartender. For some reason, your throat was feeling extremely dry. Embarrassment was all you could feel. Great. Not only were you on your own but also embarrassing yourself in front of handsome guys. This was not how you had planned for your little rebellion to go. It was painfully obvious how you had never been here before. Regret started kicking in, why had you thought that doing this was a great idea? What part of your brain had convinced you that going to a completely new place you knew nothing about had been great?

And as if that hadn't been enough, a tipsy guy who could've never been up to any good had found interest in your lonely figure by the bar, reaching you with a playful smirk on his lips.

"Can I get you a drink, gorgeous?" you groaned inwardly yet kept your composure on the outside as you shook your head.

"Thank you, sir, but I'll decline." You refused politely and your answer brought a frown on the man's face. "No need to be so formal sweetie, don't be shy, I insist." His eyes twinkled mischievously upon watching you and you felt shivers going down your spine.

"I insist too, no thanks." You gritted through your teeth, hoping that the man would finally understand that no meant no and you shouldn't have to repeat yourself. Though he seemed really stubborn as he slid closer to you, elbows leaning against the bar counter as the cocky smirk on his face only grew wider. Sigh, he was a lost cause, did he think you were playing hard to get? "Oh come on!" He whined, tugging at your hand which you immediately yanked out of his hold.

"What do you think you are doing!?" You felt yourself raise your voice and the boy raised his hands in defense as if he hadn't just attempted to invade your personal space.

"Why so feisty?" He cooed, the alcohol in his system rended him incapable to understand your signals as to his overly sweet smile just grew fonder second after second. Truthfully, you wanted to leave and you were about to until you felt the slight touch of a chest brushing against your elbows when someone stood behind you.

"Alright," A sultry voice called, directed to the person who was bothering you. "I think it is time to stop bothering the lady, hm? Before I tell the guards." The man spoke calmly while sounding rather friendly, but you caught on the hidden threats underneath the sugarcoated words. Relief washed over you when the man huffed annoyedly and left without another word. Turning around, you felt as if your tongue had tied itself into a tight knot upon seeing the person looking down at you. Indeed, it wasn't any other than the young man you had seen dirty dancing on the dance floor just a few moments ago. To say that you were surprised to see him right behind you was a huge understatement. For some reason, your heart had started pounding excitedly in your chest when you met his sparkling gaze. His eyes who were like the finest green emeralds intrigued you more than anything, but you were not going to let him notice that.

"Everything okay?" He asked, concerned, and you almost forgot to answer when so engrossed into his perfect looks. How did this man look like he just came out of the hottest vintage movie even with sweat glistening on his skin? Quickly regaining your senses, you gave him a nod and a faint smile. "Yes, and thank you, sir, he was not going to leave me alone."

"You can call me Baekhyun," He introduced himself smoothly, finding your politeness very unfitting for the environment, but was nonetheless endeared by your impeccable manners as he sent you a playful smile. You had to fight the smile from breaking on your lips at the way he had just managed to introduce himself without having you ask for it.

"Are you here by yourself?" He finally asked what he had been dying to know, to which you could only shake your head dejectedly.

"I'm here with my friends, but instead of helping me integrate, they immediately jumped into the crowd." You explained, not bothering to mask the disappointment behind your words. Truthfully, maybe your imagination had been very different from what the reality was. Your friends were great dancers while all you had ever learned was ballroom dancing for the luxurious parties that you would be forced to attend. You had imagined how your friends would've dragged you with them to the dance floor and encouraged you to come out of your comfort zone, but that had been nothing but a pretty image that your imagination had created.

Baekhyun's eyebrow quirked at the information and you could tell that what you had just told him did not sit well with him. But as if a light bulb had enlightened above of his head, his eyes suddenly widened with excitement and he extended his hand toward you. The smirk on his lips made flowers bloom, tickling your insides while his green orbs allured you to place your hand in his, but you did not give in just yet.

"Then would you let me attend you?" Baekhyun offered sweetly, using the same polite manners that you had shown him before. You couldn't lie to yourself, you were extremely tempted to run your fingertips against his beautiful inviting palm that was so eagerly waiting for you to hold it, whose skin seemed like silk underneath the blinking neon lights of the night club.

Deciding to play hard to get, you returned the sugarcoated smirk, quirking a curious eyebrow. "I rejected the other man, what makes you believe I will go with you, Mister?" You challenged, but Baekhyun did not look the slightest taken aback by your advances, instead, he leaned his side on the counter to come slightly closer to you. In his orbs shone mischievousness mixed with confidence and you could already see your defeat coming, he knew exactly what he was going to use against you.

"Well..." He murmured huskily, and his sultry voice was still so clear in your ears even though the loud music was vibrating through the walls. Eyelashes kissing his cheeks, Baekhyun gave you a little glance from underneath his lashes before meeting your eyes completely, daring to tuck a couple of your stray hairs behind your ear. You had no idea why you had let him do that while the touch of the previous male had disturbed you so greatly. Yet, Baekhyun had been so careful, so gentle while never letting the confidence in his demeanor dare to crumble. You felt entranced, anticipating what he would say next with that pretty voice of his.

"You were watching me so intently while I danced, it seemed as if you were dying to let loose some too, am I wrong?"  No, he had been completely right, indeed, within that minimal eye contact you had shared as he had danced, he had been able to figure out exactly what had gone through that mind of yours.

Not knowing how to respond to his accuracy, you looked away in contemplation, lips tugged between your teeth. You could not tell if you were like an extremely predictable book to Baekhyun, or if he was just really skilled in reading people's expressions. For when you had left him hanging to try and fight back, he had rolled his eyes as if knowing exactly that you were solely trying the hide the fact that you wanted to dance. "Oh come on Kitten, just give in," He encouraged you knowingly, grabbing your hand and tugging you with him where everyone was letting loose.

That night ended up being slightly blurry because of the many delicious strawberry ciders you had drunk. You were not yourself, the sweet and fizzy alcohol had taken its toll on you. Despite everything, there were some things that your fazed conscious wouldn't miss. And that resulted to be the many laughs bubbling from your throat at the funny things Baekhyun would say. Baekhyun's beautiful voice and his warm breath fanning the shell of your ear. His delicate hands gripping your hips tightly from behind while his chest pressed against your back. Baekhyun; a beautiful stranger and yet a well-known dancer in the clubs. Baekhyun who had not needed to stay with you the whole night as he had done. Baekhyun who took you home.

Baekhyun who would've forgotten about you the morning later- And then there was you, who would've remembered as if the most precious memory.

☾☾☾

03:00 am

The streets were asleep as you quietly made your way to the porch, keys dangling from your perfectly manicured fingers. Even though nighttime, the heat had never budged the slightest from the air, leaving a thin layer of sticky sweat on your skin after the extreme dance session back in the club. The picture of Baekhyun dancing with you was still freshly imprinted into your head, so clearly so that you could still recall his intense green eyes and sensual movements right in front of your eyes. How the neon lights had painted his milky skin in every color. You knew you were probably never going to see him again. But this was an experience you were going to write down, one you would treasure dearly. Because it had finally made you realize something about yourself.

You had loved dancing. Even if not so very talented, you had adored every second of the freedom you had gotten when completely abandoned to the music pulsating through the speakers and into your veins. The friends of yours had never understood your complaints. Sure, maybe you had everything you could have ever wished for; an overflowing wealth, a luxurious house, every dress you wanted within a matter of seconds. But what meaning, what benefit would all of these things give to you if you had no freedom? You were bound to comply with anything that your parents had planned out for your future, and if you dared to speak against it, you were going to be considered a shame to the family, a failure.

Just a little puppet, that was what you were after all.

Fear clenched your heart upon seeing the dimmed lights of the hallway from the windows. A part of you told yourself not to be surprised about what was going to occur, but the uncertainty was too strong. You had broken the rules, your parents' trust, and now, two very important things to you were balancing upon a scale. Their happiness and your freedom.

Which one were you going to value the most?

The door closed with a click behind you and you held in your breath nervously. For as soon as you had stepped inside, footsteps had already been hearable coming from somewhere within the house.

No more holding back, you told yourself. No more.

"Where have you been!?" Your mother's hysteric whisper came your way, her eyes pooled with what seemed to be worry and fury. She was taking deep breaths while trying to tame her anger, the hair was slightly tousled and you understood that her distress had been genuine when you noticed that she hadn't even bothered to remove the glittering make up from her face. Something that she normally would do right away when back home, as it would damage her skin if kept for too long.

Meeting her gaze, you answered calmly, "I was out dancing with my friends." Your words were sincere as you spoke, but your calm demeanor had failed their purpose to tranquilize your mother. Blood rushed to her face while your father was running his hands soothingly down her arms.

"How insolent!" She yelled with disbelief and anger dripping from her lips. She stormed toward your figure and you felt freeze in your spot. With your feet glued onto the floor, your heart started crashing against your ribs and its noise was resonating within your ears as if the most powerful bass.

"How could you sneak out like that? Without saying anything?!" Your mother's voice was gradually becoming more breathy the more she spoke. Tears gathered in her pretty eyes. "Do you know how worried we were?! Don't you ever dare to do that again!" Teeth dug into your lips. Your fingers were shaking against your sides. Heart drowning in guilt but all at once pulled away by the strings of restraint, a flame had burst within you, and it had already grown into an untamable fire.

"But you would not allow me to do anything, this is the outcome, mother." Her eyes widened at your statement, and before you knew it, a loud noise resounded in the hallway as your mother's palm collided with your cheek. You gasped for air at the burning sensation taking over the side of your face, the shape of your mother's hand lingered on your cheek.

"How dare you,"

You had no idea what took over you at that moment, infinite courage that you would one day regret to have taken over you. A rage so strong, enough to cloud your senses and make you talk back to your parents. Tears were offuscating your view and quick puffs left your trembling lips. For how long were they going to keep you locked in this house, expecting you to be okay with it? Just for how long were they going to keep you from living your life however you wanted to?'

"Oh, I dare mother!" You screamed back, " I've asked of your permission so many times but you just would not budge. Never have I ever disobeyed you, I've always lived up to your expectations and done everything you wanted me to, but why do I not deserve to choose for myself this once?" Despair clawed through your voice and your parents were looking back at you with shock and confusion distorting their faces. Though, it quickly morphed int exasperation.

"What have we ever not given you to make you this unhappy?" Your father questioned dejectedly, " Why would you act so ungratefully?" Ungrateful? You wanted to laugh, but you swallowed down the lump in your throat.

"You do not understand, father, I..., I feel trapped, I don't feel like I am the person I want to be, like this," By now, all the energies had been out of your body by the intense conversation. Your muscles were screaming for rest while your eyes begged for sleep. But your parents wanted more explanations.

"I want to experience life on my own, to make my decisions, to find my friends, and create relationships."

That they were confused was e big understatement. Their spoiled minds could just not wrap themselves around the fact that you might've felt much more comfortable in an environment that was not necessarily the sparkling reality of richness and wealth that you had been born into.
"W-what?" Your mother stuttered.
You inhaled deeply as an attempt to collect your emotions and find the right words.

"I do not want to limit myself to the way we're living right now. Neither do I want you to decide on my future. Please," You pleaded, "I beg of you, try to understand and consider what I am saying." Nonetheless your tries, the confusion didn't subdue from your parents' faces.
"What could you ever find out there that is better than what our world has to offer?" Your mother scoffed, blinded by her society, induced to not know any better- to not even try and see what more there was to life.

"Mother..." You coaxed, hoping that your composure would ease her upset mood, "I think I want to try out dancing." There. You said it. You could only squeeze your eyes shut in front of the blow that was about to come. Because of that, you missed the way your mother's eyes widened with shock. Your father had his silent ways to deal with the news as he kept quiet, probably battling with himself within his thoughts. Compared to your mother, his patience would last the longest while the smallest of things could send your mother ballistic.

"No. Absolutely not." She concluded, making you snap your gaze to hers, letting her see the disappointed tears merging within your orbs.

"But why?!" You cried, looking at your father this time, pleading him silently with your eyes and you were to be disheartened by the doubt on his face. It did look like he had something to say, but your mother beat him to it, and he did not oppose it.

"I should not even have to explain myself." The level of unfair was making a very strong desire to scream surge within the darkest pit of your being, the frustration and rage you were experiencing at that moment was the strongest emotion you'd ever felt. Never in your life had you seen yourself reacting this way to your parents, with your blood crazily boiling in your veins and a restless strength in your body that made your fingers curl into fists.

"And this is the end of the discussion. We are not playing around, we are here for strict business. Remember that." Your mother threw the cold truth upon you, mercilessly. "No more escapades at night and no more of those friends of yours. I should have known they were nothing but a bad influence." She snarled, scanning your body from head to toe.

"Now change out of that...Dress, and go to sleep. I do not want to hear such nonsense from you ever again." You had always loved and respected your mother for the brilliant woman she was, as a person, and obviously in her abilities within the business. But this, the way she just broke your heart to shreds and ripped you from your freedom, you were afraid you could never forgive that. Not this time

☾☾☾

Tension. That was probably not the appropriate word to describe the thick, awkward aura that floated in the air when you and your parents sat the dining table for breakfast the next morning. The crisp scent of the freshly toasted bread along with the newly washed strawberries set on the table would have by now made your stomach grumble excitedly. But seeing their faces had been enough for your hunger to get chased away. They spoke casually though it was obvious how last night's argument was weighing down on their shoulders.

A deep sigh left your lips when you finally had enough and stood up to leave. Swinging your purse up your shoulder caused your mother's eyes to find you warily.

"Where are you going?" She urged with an accusatory tone in her voice. Swallowing down the need to snap back, you answered calmly: "I am going out for a walk around the blocks. Just like I do every morning." Indeed, that was a part of your daily routine and you almost smirked when your mother's lips pursed together. For she could not take away something that you had been doing since your arrival in this country, and it was not going to change because of a fight.

As you made your way through the busy streets you wondered what place to visit, your morning walks were always a great opportunity to explore new areas that you could find near your home. A soft breeze fluttered your shirtdress, making a sweet hum tumble down your lips at the refreshing contrast against the unbearable warmth from the sun. But most of all, you loved the noise of the cicadas singing in the summer heat, the fragrance of coffee deriving from the many cafeés down the streets. The chatters, the children playing.

The more you walked and looked around, the more posters on the wall started appearing, announcing a Latin dancing contest. Its bright colors caught your eyes right away and without any hesitation, you ripped the piece of paper off the wall to have a closer look. In four weeks. You had no experience, and yet, even for a little moment, you couldn't help but imagine yourself dancing in the middle of a stage, standing out in between all the other couples as you danced a dance that was different from the others. One that screamed freedom. Just the thought made your legs feel ticklish, your heart beat excitedly in your chest. Oh, how you wished to participate.

Your train of thoughts was abruptly interrupted by the noise of two people screaming. Brows furrowed on your face, you looked around, only to find out that the hollers were coming from a glass door just a few meters away from you. Without thinking, you followed the noise and entered the little building. There was an empty reception and not too far away, an open door, in which you could make out a man and a woman conversating animatedly. You quickly realized that it hadn' been a simple conversation when the girl suddenly swung her palm to the man's cheek, imprinting her hand onto his face with a scarlet red. The noise echoed loudly and without being able to contain your curiousness, you scurried closer, getting a glimpse of how big that room actually was. Its walls were covered by mirrors, reflecting the two people from every angle.

"You're such a jerk Byun Baekhyun! Do that damn dance contest on your own!" The girl shrieked before storming off. Her thundering gaze met yours for the quickest second, and it had been so extremely chilling that you praised the Lord that she did not stop to talk to you. Her loud stomping responded in the small studio, resembling such noise as of a pack of horses.

Byun Baekhyun...Baekhyun, that name sounded incredibly familiar indeed. A little gasp left your lips when you gave the man a better look. Of course, how could you ever forget those black curls with flaring scarlet streaks melting within his strands? The green jewels that were his eyes and the low cut shirt flaunting his toned chest? His whole figure was familiar, well, except that red handprint on his cheek, that is. Stifling a little laugh, you allowed yourself to be seen and stepped inside what seemed to be a practice room.

"Are you okay, sir?" You called out softly, "I think I can feel that slap on my own cheek," You could not refrain yourself from teasing the man while gracing your fingers on your own face. Upon hearing your voice, he snapped out of his gaze and you were surprised when the confusion on his face did not last longer than a second. The realization made a smile curl his pretty lips, and only then did you notice how a golden ring was embracing his protruding underlip, rendering him unnecessarily attractive.

"Oh? Isn't it the lost kitten from last night," Baekhyun recognized you immediately and a  pleasant feeling fulfilled you. Perhaps, what you felt was a tad stronger, you realized. Inside of your chest was a whole jungle of flowers blooming and you were uneasy with the fact that you could not explain to yourself why you were feeling that way. The whole night you had told yourself that you were probably never going to see him again, and yet, there he was right before you, only the next day.

"How can I help you, Princesa?" For a second, you were completely taken aback by the sudden endearment that had rolled off his lips. The fact that your cheeks were clearly flaring up for him to see flustered you to no end. You were no master in the Latin language, but you knew enough to know how flirty he had sounded. It hadn't been random of him to call you that, by saying princess, he was very clearly teasing you about the polite manners you had shown yesterday in the club and how painfully they had contrasted with the environment.

"Well, I..." You started once back to your senses, a bit confused as of how you were going to answer the question since you were not sure why you were there either. The dancer quirked an amused brow and you cursed your cheeks for heating up uncontrollably. Truthfully, the man had the most intense- the most entrancing gaze you had ever encountered, and the blame you put on his beautiful eyes as well as the red eyeshadow placed on his waterline to give further depth to his stare.

"I was just taking a walk when I stumbled here, what kind of place is this?" Although the difficulty to answer just a few moments ago, the question you had asked was nothing but genuine.  For the shortest moment, you caught on the distressed feeling flickering on his face before he masked it with a confident smirk. To be honest, he conveyed it so well that you for a while wondered if you had hallucinated his previous expression.

"This is my dance studio." The word dance made fireworks explode in your chest as you showed Baekhyun your eager expression.

"Woah! So you are a dance teacher!" You exclaimed, not being able to contain your enthusiasm. This was the perfect opportunity. Your mother could do as much as keep you away from your friends and going out at night, but she could most definitely not stop you from doing whatever during the day. She was constantly busy with work, so you figured out she would not even notice your further absence. Baekhyun bit his lip hesitantly and your eyes moved on their own as they took in the way his lip ring disappeared behind his drilling teeth.

"I used to teach, but that's not the case anymore." He explained without any details which only made your interest grow.

"May I ask why? I apologize for listening to your conversation with the lady, but I believe you were going to participate in the dance contest?" At this point, questions were flowing nonstop out of mouth and Baekhyun had to hush you to answer.

"You're a curious one, aren't you?" He murmured with a hint of sarcasm to which you only smiled sweetly at him. Normally, he wouldn't have given in so easily, but your curious demeanor was endearing to him and he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his pretty lips. "Why don't you take a seat?" Baekhyun offered, leading you to a round glass table where he kindly took out a chair for you before his own.

"Where were we...Ah, yes, the dance competition." Baekhyun