Masquerade

Masquerade

When you realize that everything happens in a blink of an eye.

He reluctantly placed his pale pink tuxedo as he faced the body-sized mirror; his blonde hair covering his tiger-like eyes. He sighed in disbelief as he realized what he has got into after agreeing to his Baekho hyung about the annual Night of the Stars ball. He never liked that ball, but something about it makes him move closer.

"Minki-ah! Are you coming or what?" the sing-song voice of the leader, JR, echoed throughout the dorm. Ren, being called as Minki much to his dismay, sighed and picked up his phone. He closed his room's door shut and walked fast, away from their now-closed dorm.

"Do you think Jin-hye will attend this year's annual ball?" the oldest member of the group, Aron, asked as the maknae hopped in the van. The name gave Ren the shivers, making him more silent than ever. He leaned back, took a deep breath and placed his iPod in his gray slacks. The whispers quieted down as he closed his eyes and the van's engine roared to life, driving past the dorm's block, making its way to the ball's event.

- - -

Jin-hye waited silently at the event's lounge, checking her Anne Klein every minute. She looked around and sighed. What was taking her friend so long in the comfort room?

She leaned back and closed her eyes, until someone tapped her shoulder lightly.

"Jin-hye-ah! NU'EST's coming!" she squealed, her friend's voice echoing inside the empty lounge room. Jin-hye's eyes opened wide, unable to speak after hearing the group's name.

She cleared , "You sure, Hye-lim?"

Her friend, named Hye-lim, nodded and checked her iPhone 4 again, "Jung-rae told me they're on the way, and they're right behind SHINee." Jin-hye nodded absentmindedly and reluctantly stood up, picking up her glossy pink purse and followed her friend to the main hall.

Jung-rae is one of Jin-hye's best friends - and her cousin - who is obsessed with Korean artists also. She started to go out with SHINee's Jonghyun after she stalked the group for almost two years.

Jin-hye sighed as she remembered what her cousin said when she followed SHINee. She used to date one of the hottest members of a rookie group, but because of the media and her private life, she broke off and lost contact with him. Yes, she enjoyed the limelight and the V.I.P. treatments, but she never got any chance of alone time during those days.

"Yah! Shin Jin-hye! Let's go!" Hye-lim snapped her out of reality. Jin-hye bit her lip as she wore her lavender mask, and placed on her ever-so-fake smile.

- - -

Baekho looked around to check any sign of the girl that Ren dreaded to meet, and pulled them all to the main lobby.

"Aish, Baekho! You ruined my sleeves!" Minhyun growled, fixing his white tuxedo sleeves. The white tiger rolled his eyes, "Stop being a perfectionist, Minhyun-hyung."

JR sighed and walked towards the concierge, asking to where he should sign-up s. Meanwhile, the remaining members waited by the lobby, obviously wants to go home and relax than to dance with complete strangers.

"But it'll be fun!" Baekho beamed, jumping in excitement, "plus SNSD sunbaenims will be here!"

Minhyun's and Aron's ears perked. "SNSD? The So Nyeo Shi Dae?" Minhyun blinked, making Baekho nod.

"Well what are we waiting for?! Let's strut this stuff!" Aron told them and walked in front of them with Minhyun, showing off their sparkling black and white-patterned tuxedos.

"What's the problem of those two?" JR asked as he returned to the remaining two members' places.

Baekho sighed, "When they learned that SNSD sunbaenims are going, they started to act like that." Ren chuckled lightly.

JR rubbed his temple, "I'm ashamed of having them as my members. Come on, our debut single's being played now. We should dance for them though." The maknae sighed and went beside his Baekho hyung, scared of what's going to happen throughout the stranger-filled night.

- - -

As soon as Jin-hye heard the song, she looked around for the possible entrance of the arriving group. She quickened her pace, trying to catch a glimpse of the once-rookie group that caught her heart.

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw five amazing boys dancing to the beat of their debut single; their tuxedos sparkling against the spotlights above them. People around them cheered as they strut their moves, while girls wearing their sequined masks swooned over them. For now, they must choose the man they want to dance with later this evening.

"Jin-hye! It's Ren!" Hye-lim squealed, making Jin-hye startle. She bit her lip as she watched the youngest member of the group capture the girls' hearts, wanting him to be their date.

He has changed so much, Jin-hye thought as she backed out from the audience, making her way to the table where Jung-rae and Hye-lim are.

- - -

Ren sat down on the table where their group should sit. Minhyun and Aron are busy flirting with both idols and girls, JR is out with the other groups' leaders and Baekho looks for where the buffet table is. The maknae sighed as he watched the others dancing to different tunes of artists present, until one particular beat made him stand up absentmindedly and look for the girl he still yearned for.

- - -

"Jin-hye-ah! Are you coming?" Hye-lim asked as she approached her lonely best friend.

"I'm fine, Hye-lim and -- wait, is that Super Junior's Sungmin?!" Jin-hye asked, eyes widening like saucers. The man beside her best friend was wearing a slick black tuxedo with a pink-stripped bowtie. He was smiling at her - a first to her since it has been so long that an idol was smiling at her directly.

But only him can make me swoon, she thought.

"Yeah, it's him. Can't you believe that he asked me out?!" she squealed, making Jin-hye feel a bit deaf. She chuckled, "Well, good for you Hye-lim. Oh, and Sungmin-ssi?"

"Yeah?" Sungmin looked at him, using his powerful eyesmile.

Jin-hye giggled, "Take good care of my best friend, arasso?" Sungmin nodded and took his partner's hand, leading the way to the sparkling ball with other idols with their dates.

Jin-hye couldn't help but smile at her friends, feeling contented with their partners. She sighed and since she can't make any idols attract her, she stood up and went to the lounge room. She wore her mask with complete care and left.

She was already walking halfway across the main hall when somebody pulled her and hugged her tight. The familiar heartbeat made her goosebumps, shivering at the thought of him.

Choi Minki.

- - -

"I don't care who you are and whatever your fan club is, I just want someone to hug and to dance with. And I miss a certain someone in my life," he mumbled against her ear. She felt his warm minty breath brushing off her cheek, making her feel dizzy.

Ren pulled back and stared at her covered face. He fixed her hair and led her to the dance floor, making her feel sparks inside her body.

They both swayed to the slow music - her face inches away from his, his hands on either sides of her waist, his arms wrapped around his delicate skin. It was all like the first time they've met years ago - when everything was perfect and Jin-hye was contented with Ren.

With every beat of the music, their heart beats as one. Ren couldn't remove his eyes from the stranger's, since he was familiar with her face; on the other hand, Jin-hye couldn't believe he was holding him again after so long. She missed his touch and staring into his deep brown pupils. She knew she belonged to him, but why did she let go?

He knew that I was worthy of his time, while I knew that he was not the one for me.

He loved me with all his heart, but I only left him.

Now he's at the top of his game, while I'm here bleeding.

She placed her head on his chest, and let her warm tears spill on his tuxedo. Ren felt her tears, pulled her closer, and swayed a little to the beat of the music. For the first time, the both of them never felt happier than ever.

- - -

Time Skip, Three Months After

Ren lied down on his bed, inhaling the sweet chocolate scent from the inside. It has been months that they have been preparing for their comeback, and the maknae still can't regain all of his energy.

He then remembered the day when he encountered the stranger that he danced with during the ball. Up until now, he is still curious with the girl behind the mask.

"Miss, who are you?" he asked as he brought her to the hotel's garden. The girl bit her lip; she knew that this was coming. She was about to open when her phone rang, "Yoboseyo?"

He just watched her - talking rapidly and ocassionally biting her lips - until such time that she stood up. "Mianhae, Choi Minki. I have to leave now. Maybe next time?" she said and kissed her forehead, leaving him speechless.

He stared at the open, completely heartbroken. He did not know what the girl's name was, and she reminded him with so much of the girl that she once loved - and still loving her.

Shim Jin-hye.

Just as he was about to stand up, a white handkerchief caught his attention. He picked it up, and scanned it. He decided to put it in his pocket when he saw the girl's name on the handkerchief - sewed perfectly in lavender and shines:

Jin-hye.

The maknae looked at the handkerchief on his hands, slowly breaking down as he realized that nothing is ever going to change.

AsianFanfics

Masquerade

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