The air in the room washed over with a soft scent of floral perfume that she had sprayed over her body and floated around the room. Rubbing her wrists together and tapping them on both sides of her neck, Yeonbin glanced at her own reflection in her mirror for any minor detail to be fixed.  

In at least an hour or so, the fundraising gala would start and by her parent’s favor, she would have to arrive with them to greet the guests early and oversee the venue. Huffing out an air of frustration and annoyance, Yeonbin reached for her phone that was placed on her vanity and snapped a photo of herself in the mirror and a selfie. As she had promised, she sent a series of photos to Seulgi.

As she waited for the gynecologist’s responses, she found herself reading the messages she and Baekhyun had exchanged from the past two days. Their conversations lasted long especially in the night when they were more available. Reading them back, she couldn't help but smile at their exchange - nothing much has changed besides the drop of formalities and the use of emoticons. 

From what she noticed, he used more emoticons and abbreviations than she did which was awfully adorable. 

A banner appeared at the top of her screen which was a notification from Seulgi’s messages. 

GORGEOUS

AMAZING

STUNNING

LIKE NO OTHER

you look amazing <3

Yeonbin chuckled as she responded back.

Do you think so? I think I look pretty good

Of course?!! You look beautiful!

Thank you ><

Drink some nice champagne but not too much! 

Have some fun tonight but not too much

Haha~ I’ll try not to get myself into trouble

Turning to the mirror, Yeonbin smiled softly at her reflection. She didn’t do much with her hair except tie it into a low bun, leaving a few loose strands - a great indicator that she didn't really care about the event but still put in the effort. Glancing down at her figure, the silk dress she was wearing had yet to be worn before as it was gifted not too long ago, she figured this occasion would be the perfect opportunity to wear it. She did look pretty good.

The left strap of the dress slowly slipped off her shoulder. Sighing, she then fixed it. She hoped it wouldn’t slip off during the evening, it would be mortifying for it to happen in front of the guests. She regretted not trying it on earlier to fix and adjust it.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, she didn’t need to check it to know that it was her father calling. Pressing the green button, she held her phone up to her ear. 

“Hi sweetheart, are you almost done getting ready? Your mom and I are on our way to pick you up,” her father said.

“Pretty much done, I just have to grab some things and I’ll be out the door,” Yeonbin responded as she reached for the cardigan on the edge of her bed that she planned to wear in case the strap of her dress fell and she was too lazy to fix it.

“I’ll see you when I get there. I love you.”

“See you. And I love you too,” she smiled.

Shutting off her phone, Yeonbin ran through a mental checklist and looked around her room to see if there was anything she had somehow glossed over while getting ready. After a few minutes, she concluded that there wasn’t anything left to look over. Taking one last glance in the mirror, she strolled out of her bedroom and waited.

-

Sitting in silence within the car, Yeonbin watched as some of the staff in their formal attire entered the banquet hall to prepare for the event. The instant dread formed in her as seconds passed and the car was slowing down by the stairwell that led up to the building. If only she could’ve stayed home but then again, how else will she fulfill another part of her job?

As the car soon came to a stop, she straightened her posture as she prepared herself to exit the car. The door to her seat opened which prompted her to hold onto her clutch tighter before exiting the vehicle. The air was slightly cool and a small breeze managed to send a short shiver down her back as it touched her skin ardently. Walking alongside her parents, her heels softly clacked along the stone stairwell - luckily it wasn’t too loud or else she would have received the attention she wasn’t prepared for.

Inside, the building was nearly quiet as it was early. Of course, there were some guests that decided to come early but there were only a handful. Yeonbin noticed her parents had already slipped away toward their colleagues and greeted some of the guests while looking around to admire the building. She was left alone and as she looked around, something caught her eye - food and drinks.

Making her way toward the food table, Yeonbin stood by and picked up a nearby glass of champagne before taking a sip from it. The drink coated with its bubbly, strawberry flavor. It lingered in after she swallowed it. Holding the glass in her hands nonchalantly, she surveyed the large room.

This year’s theme was Secret Garden according to her parents. The ceiling was decorated with hanging soft-colored fabrics of mostly blues and greens accompanying the numerous chandeliers. And with the name, gorgeous floral decorations hung in almost every crevice of the venue which only made the place reminiscent of the hospital’s garden but with more variety and a magical essence behind it. She had to admit, it was a gorgeous sight to see. 

From the distance, her parents glanced over at her direction and beckoned her to come over. They were surrounded by a small group of people who were also glancing over to see her. Yeonbin fixed her cardigan and sighed before making her way to them, planting a small smile on her face.

As time passed, more guests were starting to arrive and Yeonbin was quickly running out of the energy to talk to any more people. She could say she had talked with at least twenty people - way more than she wanted. Luckily her parents had let her go on her own to her relief. The building was starting to become loud and warm to her unease, however, not far from where she stood, the terrace was open and it looked nearly vacant of guests. 

Yeonbin quickly made her way to the terrace to escape the revelry of the event. To her comfort, it was quiet as there were only a few people around. The air felt more crisp and breathable. Leaning herself onto the stone railings, she wistfully gazed at the distant city line and down at the courtyard below. Taking a long sip from her champagne glass, her mind trailed off to wonder what she’ll be doing once she comes home once the event ends.

“There you are, I didn’t think I would be able to find you here.”

Snapped out of her trance, Yeonbin jumped from the nearby voice and turned to the direction from where it came from. Standing before her stood the person she would’ve expected the least to attend this event. Her eyes widened and coughed out her champagne.

Baekhyun’s hand patted her back firmly with a worrying look on his face. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he chuckled softly as he rubbed his hand on her back. “You okay?”

slightly burned as she tried regaining her composure. Her heart was racing not only from the unexpected shock but also from his warm hand placing itself on her back so comfortably. “Baekhyun,” she called softly. Her heart leapt again from his appearance as he stood next to her and rested his elbows on the railing. 

His hair wasn’t much different - maybe just extra mousse, since there wasn’t a single loose strand of hair hanging over his forehead, yet some were loosening themselves from it. By a short glance, he wore a simple dark suit. It was simple yet he looked as perfect as a fairytale prince.

“Baekhyun? Does that mean that you’re okay or something,” he asked with a slight teasing tone.

“Sorry, yeah, I mean I’m fine now,” Yeonbin responded while flustered. had a slight burn from the drink, prompting her to cough one last time. “I was just shocked to see you here.”

“Yeah, you must be wondering how I got invited when I should be working or sleeping in at home.”

It was true, she did wonder why he was here. It was uncommon for medical professionals to attend in fear of the hospital being short staffed. Yeonbin nodded while slowly turning to him. “I did.”

“Your father invited me and I really couldn’t pass up the opportunity from the hospital’s chairman himself. Besides, it’s just one night of dressing up and eating nice food. And you know, seeing you all beautiful in a pretty dress.”

Yeonbin scoffed at the last sentence but deep inside, she was giddy. Glancing down at the stone railing, she smiled shyly before glancing up at the night sky. It was as if she was floating to heaven by sitting on those clouds from his simple words. 

“Not hiding it this time, huh?”

“Huh?” Yeonbin turned to him dumbfounded. Her smile faded, her lips slightly parted.

“Remember when we talked about what I like about you back at the garden? And I said I liked how you would react whenever I say something sweet towards you?”

“That I always hide it, deny it even?” Yeonbin raised a brow.

Baekhyun finished his champagne glass in one long sip before nodding. “Yeah, but this time you’re not. I kinda like this more when you’re open - your smile is beautiful.” He broke into a smile th