fin.

dance with me.
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minji definitely doesn’t like living up to other people’s expectations. it’s not because she can’t, to be fair, it’s only because she knows the burden of growing up having to be what people expected her to be. just like how she grew up in a family whose both’s jobs are in a such cruel business field. cruel; it might not be how people in general see, but to minji, it definitely seems like it is.

today is the day everyone in their high school probably look forward to; winter formal. minji? not really. she had always been someone who doesn’t fancy going to formal gatherings, contrary to how she always had to attend all those boring events her family invited her to (or, forced her to come). or it could also be the reason she hated formal events, now that she thinks about it. how she had to put up this mask to match other people’s expectations of her, smiling all night to people she had never seen before, or having to have small awkward conversations with people who probably don’t even actually care about whatever topic they’re asking about.

being in an all-girls high school, everyone is expected to wear some kind of uncomfortable fancy dresses to the event. the students, of course, had also been talking about the dresses they’re going to wear themselves, as well as how they expected others to. like, i wonder how will minji look like in dresses or i bet minji will look gorgeous in any kind of dresses she wears. well, i guess it’s inevitable, really, when you’re a part of the school’s student council, people starts paying attention to you despite you liking to be the talk of the school or not.

so when she stepped into the room, she didn’t even try to hide her smile when she heard gasped from people around her. along with yoohyeon wearing her long grey dress, minji stood by her side, wearing a black tuxedo instead. yubin came after in her own suit with gahyeon as her date, wearing a black dress. minji doesn’t know whether the gasps are all because others’ expectations of them wearing dresses are crushed, or they’re just in awe really. but to be completely honest, she doesn’t care as long as she could tell people that you can just not reach other people’s expectations and that's okay. so when yubin agreed to wear suits to accompany her, in purpose, of what she said, so minji wouldn’t feel too out of place, the taller found herself crushing the other girl in a tight hug.

the stares are quickly drawn away from them as soon as the emcee starts speaking in signal the event is going to start, which is also when minji could feel herself exhaling the breathe she didn’t know she had been holding just now. she took this time as a chance to look at her surroundings; people are mainly in dresses, a few in suits including her and yubin. she smiles at the thought; the thought of people starting to break stereotypes. her eyes quickly found its way fixed on the girl with a medium-length wavy dark red hair letting loose, a one shoulder sleeveless black dress fits perfectly on her body with the front side thigh-length and the back part longer. minji thinks the girl looks almost.. ethereal. scratch the almost, she’s breathtaking. and no wonder among all the ocean of people, minji’s eyes chose to look at the petite girl instead.

she almost let out a bitter chuckle when she remembers she isn’t supposed to think this way. for kim bora is someone she’s supposed to hate, just because both their parents are rivals in business. so when her own parents advised an eleven years old minji to not get close with that one classmate whom she’s originally had been intrigued to get to know to, she felt her eyebrows furrowed in confusion (although, minji still planned to at least be friends with the latter despite). but when bora looked at her in a stare seemingly cold and full of hatred, she backed down and decided to follow her parents’ advice.

oh, how she was wrong. bora’s hatred towards her apparently doesn’t stop her to be even more intrigued by the shorter girl as they grow up each year being schoolmates. she found herself unknowingly watched over bora who sits at the second row of the class, far right. how her high-pitched laughs always filled the room, her eyes always full of stars and excitement while talking about anything literally, to just anyone. except kim minji herself.

cruel? now minji couldn’t be surer that it’s the right word to describe their parents’ work field.

and yet another expectation of hating bora that minji loves to break.

her eyes widen when the girl stared back, eyebrows raised as to why minji is looking at her across the room. the purple-haired girl looks away right then, trying to focus on whatever the emcee is rambling about. at this point, minji thinks bora might be even more annoyed at her after the girl always caught minji staring, for multiple times by now. and it’s always been so obvious anyway, that minji never treats bora the same way the other always does to her. how minji is always bright and cheerful, to everyone and bora included. but the latter, for some reason, hates her guts and so minji tries to tone down her friendliness and distance herself as well on purpose. it’s not like bora even cares, she thought. but bora, kim bora, still never fails to intrigue minji all over again each time she tries to look away.

she often asks herself, why does bora hate her so much? is it merely because of their parents, or is there something more? what if they weren’t in this situation? will they be friends, or will bora still ends up hating her just the same? minji couldn’t help but wonder sometimes. wondering how if they weren’t supposed to hate each other, will bora also make her clutch her stomach laughing as she always seemingly makes people around her happy by her silly antics, or wondering how will bora's tiny hands fall on top of hers.

minji shakes the impossible thought away almost immediately. she turns to her side, finding yoohyeon looking at her with a somewhat concerned look. “minji, are you okay?” asked the girl, resulting to two more stares added towards her from yubin and gahyeon, who both look just a little confused by the question.

“i am. you know i’m just not really a big fan of fancy events like this.” she offers the other three a small smile, and then feels yoohyeon’s palm on her hand, giving her a little squeeze. it was yubin this time who says, “you know we can always leave anytime you want,” whilst gahyeon gives her a comforting smile.

minji nods, grateful for having the three of them. but she knows they are also those people who look forward to this event, so minji obviously wouldn’t want to be selfish and ruin the night for the three. though it’s been a while since they started dating, yubin and gahyeon still look forward to the two of them dancing on school events just like this one. yoohyeon, is also excited for the event after she scored a promised dance later with a girl named siyeon, her long-time crush, whom is also one of bora’s best friend.

her thought circles around bora again. if only she doesn’t hate minji at least, minji would like to try asking her for one, just one dance. but knowing the reality doesn’t seem to agree that way and seeing how bora doesn’t have a date tonight, the girl probably will just dance with handong, another best friend of hers. and minji? she has no idea herself. she is not one who really wants to be on the dance floor anyway, so she probably will just watch from the corner of the room, or go to the school’s rooftop to gaze at the view she had always loved; the same city lights and night sky combined that never fails to calm her down.

pathetic, minji tells herself.

she wants to try to reach out to bora one day; one day when she has way more courage than now. well, although she isn’t sure whether that would actually happen, remembering how she always felt her confidence telling her to back down every time she sees bora’s cold stare thrown at her. sometimes, she envies her friends who could get to know anyone they want without their parents restricting them to.

and that was why when it’s finally time for everyone to go to the dance floor and minji declined her friends or just anyone who asked her to dance with them, she finds herself ending up at the school’s rooftop, (after making sure yoohyeon got the dance siyeon promised her). breathing the night air in, she would like to thank herself for choosing to wear a suit tonight because with the cold weather, she isn’t sure she could stand here while wearing a dress instead. and just like that, her thoughts drift away again.

it was when she heard heels clicking behind her when she turns around, eyebrows raised in surprise when her eyes met those brown eyes; the same one that’s been avoiding hers ever since seventh grade. the other girl doesn’t look away this time, her stare also fixed on minji. and the way this moment feels so unfamiliar to the purple-haired girl fascinates her, though awkward enough for her to be to one avoiding those eyes first this time.

“uh, i can leave if you want. do you.. want me to leave?” her voice finally croaks, eyes anywhere except the girl who now is just a few steps in front of her. minji was ready to walk away because, well, she thought she doesn’t need to hear the answer. because her to kim bora, is always a no. minji had made peace with that thought ever since the first year of high school.

“stay.”

the taller one finally looks at bora again after the simple one-worded answer without any further explanation, expressions switching back and forth between surprised and confused. but when bora doesn’t move an inch, minji decides to turn around again to face the view she almost memorized after spending so many times staring at it, (just like how she probably had memorized bora’s face as well after the all the secret glances she made ever since their first time meeting each other). she heard the heels clicked again, before noticing the redhead is now standing beside her. not too close, though also not as far as she usually distances herself from minji, but still leaving them with a comfortable enough gap for minji to breathe out the one unknowingly hitched just now.

minji wonders if she should strike a conversation first. a part of her tells herself to just go back inside leaving bora there alone, but a part of her thinks that maybe it’s her chance to try making bora hates her less, judging from how the latter could finally stand being around minji like this. it’s a new feeling, but minji could say she likes it better than just bora always avoiding her like she’s some kind of nightmare the girl is scared of.

“why aren’t you downstairs with the others?”

minji asks, having to force herself to let the words out. she had prepared herself first though, because bora most likely will just end up ignoring her, like she usually does whenever minji tries talking to her. but when the petite girl actually replies, minji finds bora surprising her again tonight.

“why aren’t you downstairs with the others?”

touché, she said to most likely herself, as a small chuckle following suit. “i don’t like formal dances, or formal events in general,” minji answers, stealing a glance yet again at bora who now has a hint of surprise on her face after hearing the answer, seemingly wanting to say or ask something as a respond. and minji waited for the other’s reply, though it never comes. but one more time, she tries again.

“aren’t you cold?” minji turns to completely look at the latter now, which she then notices how the small girl’s a little taller this way caused by the heels she’s wearing. bora looked caught off guard, for minji staring at her openly like this isn’t something both of them are used to. but she clears anyway and answers simply, “i’m fine.”

lies, minji also didn’t fail to notice the slight shiver the other is trying to hide when

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SwoonedbyJess #1
Chapter 1: Wow, what happen next? T.T
zaxxxx #2
Chapter 1: this deserve a sequel, more than one chapter. seriously.
purplespeaknow
#3
Chapter 1: sobs this is so???? amazing. the tension, the banter, them finally opening up to each other. let me cry in the corner. thank you for writing this!!
natsomnia
#4
Chapter 1: Ah the ending makes me curious! I love this! <3
sooyeonjung #5
Chapter 1: bruh what are they gon do after getting out of there ahjssjsj thankyou so much for writing this!