Captivating Cadence

"... you are mine."

He was in a bad mood, he had been since early morning when he found out that his hyung had run-away from loan sharks, and now the said loan sharks had switched target from his brother and now to his mother and younger sister. He didnt know what came over his brother to have lent money from those cold blooded bastards, but one thing he was sure of, once his brother resurfaces he was going to kill him for the harassment his mother and sister was going through.

He quietly checked his equipments at the corner while his band mates were playfully and boisterously teasing and talking with each other. He sighed heavily watching their very childlike and carefree nature, he envied them for that. He watched their drummer Hwanhee showed their piano player Brain the "Guillotine" taps out move during the last nights UFC showdown between St.Douglas and Kawashima. He watched as their vocalist KimJun and electric guitar player Bi2 talk and stare about a girl that caught their eye among the crowd.

He sat quietly in the corner trying to control his black mood while he listened to the deafening screams of high school girls of Epic High Academy as the band Farther East motion were performing. He checked his watched and saw that it was just "10:29 pm", there is still around thirty more minutes left before they would yet again perform on stage.

"Hey, I’ll be just out for a while. I'll be back in twenty minutes..." he shouted over his shoulders as he walked to the exit door in the backstage not really caring if he was heard over the loud band playing amidst the screaming.

As he door closed, the noise was decreased to incredible degree that only a muffled type of music and screaming were audible. He breath in the air and closed his eyes before he walked all though the people less hallway. He kept checking on his phone for his mother's call of help, he couldn't dispense of his worry for his family.

He kept walking trying to clear out his mind until he reached and climbed up the stairs. He kept walking and walking until the music and screaming from the auditorium was but a distant inaudible sound. It was then that he heard a very chilling and aerie melody. Chilling but still haunting. It was aerie but still beautiful. He knew he should have turned away and walked back to the backstage but it was pulling him, seducing him, gravitating him to follow.

He walked into the silent, dark and deserted hallway, his steps making a tip-tap sound echoing through his every step. As he walked the melody started to become stronger, more potent, more chilling and more haunting.

The sound led him to a beautifully designed and big closed door. He was positive that the music originated from that place.

He didn’t believe in ghosts or the supernatural but at the moment his heart was pounding in his chest he was coming to realize that anything could be real. He didn’t believe in the supernatural and creatures that hid in the dark but presently his hand trembled as he reached for the knob and he both felt fearful and excited. He was not a religious guy but he couldn’t stop himself from praying for safeguards as he slowly turned the knob to open. He was not a curious guy, hell he would be the first guy to  turn away from the unknowable but his mind echoed the desire to know what lies  in the other side of the room.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself for all and every thing could be in the room - ghost, spirit, phantom, monster, aliens, nothing, mist, wind, a student, a music box, a CD playing piano and etc -- as he pushed open the door.

What he saw arrested every single fiber, every molecule and every cell in his body. The room was anything but he expected -- it was a room with no chair and all mirrors, with no light expect for the moonlight shining through the windows at the left. And there in the center was anything he predicted but much he force desired -- It was a girl dancing, or a ghost, an illusion, a apparition, a vision, a fantasy, a nymph goddess and she was perfection.

'She couldn’t be real...'he thought

He stood there his heart pounding.

He stood there with his body shaking like earthquakes.

And he stood there with his hands trembling.

He went and leaned by the wall, to watch her, stare at her, look at her, and stalked her. He drank her every movement, he devoured her every motion and he breathe in her every action.

All thoughts left him, all feelings disappeared, all logic ceased to exist. And his world closed and watched her.

He didn’t know how long he watched her; it could have been a few seconds, or a couple of minutes, or long hours, and endless days or a lifetime. He didn’t know and he didn’t care.

He watched her move as if she was one with the melody; he stared as she echoed in her movement the music that played.

She was beautiful. Perfect. Arousing. Haunting.

Then the music stopped, halted before it was time. Ended before he could say ‘No’.

She stopped there in her Gorgeousness. Poised. Graceful. Statuesque. And the connection halted.

She stood in the center -- Finished yet still moving, breathing hard but grinning, exhausted but smiling.

Then she saw him and their eyes met. Her surprise was evident based from the expression of her face and the single word from his mouth, "omo...”

His apparition started to run but he ran after her, afraid she would disappear from his sight through the walls, afraid she would be gone from him forever. He didn’t care if she was a ghost because she was still perfection. He didn’t care if she was an apparition cause to him she was real. He didn’t care if she was a vision because she was a vision she would always welcome.

He called her, "Aghhasshi..."

She stopped and looked around to him, and he asked, "Are you a ghost...?"

A smile formed in her lips followed by a soft laugh. It was melodic. Glorious. Dazzling.

She shook her head and answered, "no..". it was only one syllable, with two letter  answer but her voice was wonderful. Breath taking. Unreal.

He stared at her now and she stared back. She was but ten feet away from him and he could see her in her perfection.

Her skin was porcelain like. Silky. Pure. Unblemished. Her eyes were clear. Pretty. Divine. Soulful. Her lips were pink. Elegant. Exquisite. Delicate. And her face was like that of an angel. Innocent yet stimulating. Pure yet arousing. Untainted yet provocative.

He stood there like a school boy, bewildered, dazed and hypnotized. He asked, "Who are you?"

He saw her lips moved but he didn’t hear anything. He was too occupied at staring at her. He was going insane and deaf. He repeated his question, "what is your name?"

She walked towards him and her lips moved again. This time it was clearer as she said. "Jung So min...”

He nodded, and thought 'ahhh what a beautiful name...'. Her name was weird and wonderful, foreign and awesome, Unfamiliar but special.

She asked, "what is your name?"

"Jung so min..." he repeated her name with his mouth

She smiled and laughed softly again, before saying, "your name is also jung so min?"

"Huh… what did you say... Huh?" he asked confused. He stared at her face and she was grinning at him. He groaned knowing tha he was making himself out to be an idiot. He needed to rectify the situation.

‘I was Kim Hyun Joong, I am from SS501. We are popular quite popular for an indie high school band. I am a varsity basketball player. I am not an awkward and dull.’ He reasoned and convince himself

‘I am Kim Hyunjoong.’

He cleared his throat and answered, "ah what I mean was I am Kim Hyun Joong..."

She tilted her head and acknowledged, "I know..."

"You know... How? What do you know?" he exclaimed, he was getting confused and surprised. His tongue was in a tight knot. His stomach was in a tight knot. His brain was in a tight knot. everything in him was tied in a very confused and disarray knot because of her.

Because she talked. because she smiled. Because she laughed. Because she was in front of him.

She laughed and the knot in his stomach became more tied and more frenzied. she then answered, "because you introduced yourself at the start of your set. The vocals was Kim Jun, the guitars was jiwon.." as she bent down and placed one shoe in his right foot.

She looked up at him and continued "the drummer was Hwanhee, the guy on the piano was Brain and you are the bassist, Kim Hyunjoong..." as she placed another shoe on her foot

He watched her in all her actions; he was astonished to realized that she had been bare footed when she danced.

She stared at him and he stuttered in his reply, "ahhhh.. Is that so...?"

The dim light from the moon washed over her whole profile in such a splendor as she smiled at him and tilted her head quite picturesquely. She moved quaintly. Charmingly. Mesmerizingly.

He stood there grounded. Caught. Fixed. Spellbound.

And she stared at him, making her feel like mush and jello but he was still intent on eating her whole profile

*kring*

He stared at her, devouring her whole being

*kring*

He memorized her wholly, drinking her whole aura.

*kring*

"ahmmnnn hyunjoong, I think your phone is ringing" she informed her as a smile formed in her lips

The spell was broken, but his mind was frozen in what he must do and what he was mesmerized to do. His whole being was in turmoil - his mind screamed for propriety and duty to answer his phone. But his heart wanted to shut out everything else, he was here and she was here. Nothing else mattered.

She called again, "the phone... I think it’s important..." reminding him.

Reluctantly he got his phone out and answered in a clip voice, "hello!!!"

"Yah hyunjoong-ah where are you. Our next set is in five minutes, come back pronto.." Brian demanded. He didn’t mind the shoutin, he was more intent in watching her sway in her place. she really was magnificent. Graceful. Elegant. Perfect.

"okay.." he answered abruptly. He wanted the call ended as soon as possible. He needed his whole being centered on her. He needed to know more about her, to question her.

As he closed his phone, he looked back at her and was suddenly alarmed when she walked towards the door. She was walking out of him. Escaping him and suddenly panic ruled his whole being. He shouted his anxiety as he ran after her, "wait... wait... where are you going?"

She looked back at him but continued walking, and answered "well your next set is in five minutes. We need to go back..."

He ran faster and he was by her side in a second, his controlled his breathing as they walk side by side.

Silence fell between them. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to do.

His insides were twisting. His mind was murky. His hands were epileptic. He was at lose at what to do and how to function as a person. And it was all because she was there by his side. All because she was beautiful. Great. Goddess-like. Unpredictable.

They walked through the dark and deserted hallway and down the stairs. He knew his time with her was running out, he needed to know more about her, he needed to know who she was other than her name, she needed to understand her.

"ahh.. So are you a student here?" he half shouted and half whispered his question. He was like a clumsy nerd.

she turned to him and nodded.

They walked through the hallway. Deserted but private. Isolated but personal. Dark yet dimly lit.

He continued his questions, "Is that your classroom up there?"

She nodded again

"Are you a senior in this school?"

She nodded again

"I know that this is an arts school, are you majoring in dance?"

She nodded again.

"Do you like the music we play..."

She nodded again.

"Will you stay until the end of the performance?"

She nodded again

"Will you watch our performance?"

she nodded again

Then she stopped. She was in front of the door to the auditorium. the muffled sound of the band echoed in magnitude. Separation was inevitable and he couldn’t do anything about it.

She turned to him as he punished himself for his confusion, weakness and inability to do what he needed to do.

Then she leaned in and whispered to his ear, "You will watch my performance this Saturday in Geunngie Theater right? It will be on 1 pm, 2nd floor. Just ask tell the receptionist your name. I will be expecting you Hyunjoong..."

Before he could catch her the door closed and she was gone. He ran after her, opening the door, he held the door to prevent it from closing but she was no where to be seen. She disappeared amidst all the riotously screaming and jumping girls. She was gone among the populated auditorium hall.

It was the last he saw her.

Four days of endless confusion and misery. All because of her.

All because of a girl named Jung SoMin, who is senior high school student in Epic High Academy.

All because of Jung Somin, who he saw dance in one deserted and dimly lit room like a vision.

All because she mesmerized him.

All because he couldn’t forget her. 

And now he sat in the front row of 2^nd floor auditorium of Geunngie Theater on 1 pm.  Not really knowing what he came for but doing so because she would be their. All because she would perform.

And perform she did.

Like four days before, he was captivated. All thoughts escaped his mind. All senses abandoned him. The three hours performance was all about her, and all for him.

He saw her dance. Graceful. Elegant. Poised.

He obsessed about her face. Perfect. Arousing. Haunting.

He heard her voice. Wonderful. Breath taking. Unreal.

He memorized her porcelain like skin. Pure. Unblemished.

He stared at her eyes. Pretty. Divine. Soulful.

And he heard her sing. Melodic. Earthy. Stirring.

Everything about her, captivated him. Ensnared him to her. It Imprisoned him with just a smile. It traped him with just a voice. It bounded him to his obsession of her.

The play ended but he wanted more.

He went to see her and she was surrounded by people and fans. And like him, they were captivated by her.

She saw him and she smiled. She beckoned him to her, and like a slave she followed. 

She held his hand and she said, “What took you so long?”

He was confused,‘what is she saying?’

He was way early for the show. Hell he was already sitting on his seat thirsty minutes before the show started. He had always been late comer in everything. He was late for his elementary school graduation. He was late for his relative’s wedding. He was late for every class he had. And this was the first time he had even been way early than the correct time.

He did it for her because four days without seeing her was like hell.

Four days of envisioning her was like a pure ongoing torment. Four days of questioning about her was making him daft. Four days stalking every other lead to her with nothing but dead ends was making him go insane.

He looked at her and she repeated, “What took you so long?”

And he asked about his confusion, “What do you mean? I was 30 minutes early for the show…”

She smiled and replied, “I have been waiting twelve years for you…”

He was shocked. Confused. Baffled. Perplexed.

“What do you mean?” he asked

“Don’t you remember me?” she asked in her angelic voice full of patience but with a hint of pain and hurt.

“Huh?” He was was lost. He didn’t know what she was saying.

“what do you mean by that? We meet in Epic High Academy…” he repeated

She shook her head and frowned, “hmmnnn… well I guess it can’t be helped, it’s been twelve years…”

She straightened her back and continued, “You are Kim Hyun joong, eighteen years old and a senior high school student at Seuikie High School. You are the son of Kim YoungKi and Han Hyuna. You’re siblings are Kim Young Joong, 21 and Kim Hana, 14. And you are my fiancée…”

He was shocked as she continued to reiterate, “we were engaged since birth. And I have been waiting for you for twelve year since your whole family disappeared due to your father’s death. And now you are back…”

She smiled and ended by saying, “…and you are mine…” leaning into him for a kiss.

As her lips touched his, his shock was enormous. From her confession to her kiss. His lips touched her tentatively, then more aggressively. Realizing what was happening all he could do was kiss back. She was the vision, he obsessed about and he was in his arms. And he smiled kissing her back…

...as distant memory came tumbling of a brat and loud pigtailed little girl that had the same clear eyes as the women he was kissing...

- the end -