Sharing 14

*****************************

“May I have this dance?” His voice was husky and deep and I couldn’t help but break into a wide smile. Actually, before he spoke, I already felt his presence.  I turned to him and ours eyes met. My heart started racing.

“I would love to,” I say, “but what about Bom?”

We both turned to look at our assigned table inside the gymnasium, now converted into a huge winter-themed dance ballroom. 

Bom is looking at us and waved.

I waved back.

“She said she’s tired and wanted to sit for a while. I told her I’ll ask you for a dance.” Seunghyun looked back at me and offered his hand. Seeing my slight hesitation, he made the initiative to take hold of my hand and walked us in the middle of the gym.

 “I’ve wanted to dance with you all night.” He whispered intimately, feeling his warm breathe near my left ear.

“Me, too.” I answered.

“You look so beautiful tonight, my tokki.” He smiled and I melt in his intense stare. I swear the temperature went up by at least 10 degrees. I feel beautiful just by the way he that stares at me although I’m just wearing a yellow empire cut off shouldered gown and it was simple compared to what the other girls are wearing.

“T-Thank you.” I stammer and look down. “You look dashing, as usual.” And he did look dashing. And more. He has always been handsome but seeing him tonight in a tux, he no doubt stole all the hearts of the female population in our school who’ve seen him.

Bom was so proud and happy to show him off as her date. “I think all of the girls are jealous of me right now. Ke ke” she confided in me when she arrived in the arms of Seunghyun.

“I bet they are” I whispered back with a smile. Bom has a healthy pink to her cheeks and matched the pink princess style gown that she’s wearing. Her wig is off to one side and half braided to the style of Elsa from Frozen.
“I bet all the guys are envious of Seunghyun, too.”

“Oh stop.” She lightly hit my arm and giggled. “Where’s your date?”

Due to the circumstance, I initially decided to not attend the Christmas Ball but Bom swore that she won’t go if I didn’t. Since Youngbae knew the real situation, he offered to be my date instead.

“He’s having a dance battle with Seungri.” 

We looked at the two boys being surrounded by a crowd who are enjoying their dance battle. 

We watched for a while and my eyes eventually landed on Chaerin. She hasn’t been talking to me lately and I feel like she’s avoiding my company. She doesn’t ignore me or something like that … it’s just … different now. 

I feel a gentle nudge on my forehead. I look up and focus on Seunghyun whose withdrawing his forefinger from between my brows.

“You’re frowning” he said, “what are you thinking about?”

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t look like nothing … Am I such a bad dancing partner that I lose your attention?” He feigns hurt and pouts.

I laugh and move closer to him. We were dancing arms apart. It looks awkward but we were being careful. “You may be a terrible dancer but I still love you” I whisper.

“I really wanna scoop you up and kiss you right now.” He’s gazing at me like I’m the only girl in the world and my breath hitch in my throat.

I was sorely tempted to say ‘Why don’t you?’, but it would be a bad idea. “I don’t think it’s a good idea” I voice out breathlessly, and then gaze towards the direction of Bom who is chatting animatedly with Minzy.

I heard him expel a resigned sigh. 

I moved a little farther away from his body. It was hard when all I wanted to do is hug him really tight and savor the moment of our first dance.

We dance in silence until the next song. After a while, he asks “What were you and Joong Ki talking about earlier?”

“Nothing” I answer too swiftly which made him narrow his eyes.

“It didn’t look like nothing. You were talking for 3 whole songs.”

Crap! Do I tell him that I finally got confirmation that Joong Ki really likes me? I don’t think he will like it. “Uhm, we were just talking about the play ...”

The truth was Joong Ki casually asked about Seunghyun during our dance. He said that he was wondering how come I didn’t come with him as my date. He told me that he knew that he was the guy I was referring about. I was about to deny it but he wiggled his finger at me.

“Now, now, don’t you deny it.” He smiled at me. “What I don’t understand is how come he’s with your best friend? Was there perhaps some treachery involved?”He wiggled his eyebrows conspiratorially.

“No, no.” I denied. “It just … happened” I said lamely.

His face fell. “Had I known, I could have asked you as my date myself.”

“What happened to the girl you like?” I asked.

“I’m dancing with her right now,” he dimpled a smile at me.

I blushed.

“I should have been more bold and braver” he declared. “Alas, I was so sure that you and Seunghyun are already lovers that my poor heart already resigned to its fate.” He ended dramatically.

I smile at him. “What gave me away?” I asked, curious.

“Aside from the fact that he looks like he wants to rip my guts out whenever he sees me talking to you?”

“You are such a drama queen” I .

“Milady, ‘tis life is indeed a drama. Mayhaps ‘tis a comedy? ‘Nay, methinks ‘tis more of a tragedy.”

We laugh at his antics and that was that. No dramatic declarations of love. Joong Ki was cool about it and I’m glad to have him as a friend. As a friend, though, he warned me about being too selfless.

Seunghyun gives a brief nod but looked like he wanted me to elaborate. I squeeze his shoulders. “Let’s not talk about other people” I say, “We may never have the chance to dance together again tonight.”

“You’re right.” Seunghyun agreed. “But I don’t want you dancing with anybody else after this, okay?”

“Even with Taeyang?”

“I guess Taeyang is okay.”

“How about Seungri?” I .

“Fine. You can dance with Seungri, too.”

“How about -?”

“Ya!” He pulls me closer and gently squeezes his hands on my hips. “Just those two monkeys.”

“Aye! Aye sir!” I saluted with a laugh and a wink.

**************************

“Thanks, Taeyang. Drive safely!” I say as he climbs back in the driver seat of his car. 

He smiles and waves goodbye and calls out, “You, too!” He then looks over behind me. “’Bye man!”

Seunghyun waves back. “Thanks, man!”

We watch him back away from our driveway until he was completely gone.

“Did you wait too long?” I asked, stepping into Seunghyun’s open arms and he gives me a kiss on the forehead.

“Just a few minutes.”

“How’s Bom?”

“I dropped her off safely. She was tired, but she was very pleased to win the crown.”

I smile. “She deserves it.”

He nods and we walk towards the patio swing hand in hand. He lets me get in first and follows, sitting beside me. I rest my head on his shoulder and he snuggled me closer, wrapping his arms around my middle. We stay there like that for a while, enjoying the silence around us.

After may be half an hour or so, I gently nudge him. “Seunghyun? It’s getting pretty late.”

“Hmm mmm”

“Are you asleep?” I ask.

“Let’s stay like this for a little while longer” he murmurs.

“I don’t want you driving out so late in your motorcycle.”

He kisses the top of my head. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

“Me, too.” I pulled myself away from his embrace to face him. “Thank you for tonight.” I know he knows what I meant.

“Anything for you.” He reaches out a hand and caresses my face. His other hand circles the back of my head and pulls me closer.

I go willingly.

He kisses me like there’s no tomorrow and it frightens me a bit. This intensity is frightening and exciting at the same time. We briefly come up for air and I put my palms on his chest and I feel his heart beating wildly.

“I think we should stop” I say shakily. 

“Too intense?”

I nod. 

He rains soft kisses on my face. “I can’t help it when you’re with me.”

I smile and kiss him briefly on the lips. “If my mother catches us, I’ll be grounded until I’m fifty.”

I got off from his lap. How I got there, I do not know. “Come on.” 

We step out from the swing and gaze at each other. “Goodbye Seunghyun.” I said, sadly.

“Goodbye, my rabbit.”

Neither of us moved. 

He still has my hands firmly grasped with his. 

I see his head leaning down and his eyes seem intent on my lips. A heartbeat more and we could have been kissing again but the light on our front porch lit up and we separate like two opposing sides of a magnet.

I see my Mom’s head peek out from the front door. “Is that you, Dara?”

“Yes, Mom. Seunghyun is just saying goodbye.” I call out.

“Drive safely, Seunghyun!” she told him.

“Thank you, Mrs. Park. I’ll be leaving now.”

I waited for him to mount his motorcycle and leave before I went in. Inside, I find my Mom with her arms across her chest.

“I don’t like what you’re doing to that boy.” She declares disapprovingly.

Oh, crap! She must have seen us making out!

Before I can utter a word of defence, she continues, “I can see how he looks at you and how you look at him. It’s clear that you two love each other so I don’t get why you have to play this pretend game with him.”

I look at her, confused for a while.

“I get it that you want Bom to b