"Once in a Lifetime"
A Shot At The Night
“Once in a lifetime…..”
It had been 2 years since I had moved to Seoul to pursue my dream of dance. Coming from a small town in southern Korea, the chances of making it in the capital were quite slim. But dreaming was in my blood so as soon as I gathered enough money, I escaped my estranged family and moved here.
“Gong Minji!!” screeched the all too familiar voice, “Go to table 4!!”
I sighed, plastered a smile on my face before tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear and making my way toward the waiting customers.
However upon arriving in Seoul, my dream of dance had to be postponed due to the sudden death of my father and my mother’s illness which left my siblings broke. I became the sole provider for my family during my first year in Seoul. I worked countless of part-time jobs, sending most the money to my family and leaving only enough for me to survive. I slept an average of 4 hours during that first year, but somehow I managed to sustain myself and my family. My mother recovered afterwards and returned to the workforce, cutting my obligations in half but it still wasn’t enough to pay a tuition at a decent school.
“Hello, my name is Minji and I will be your server tonight. Can I get you anything to drink to start off?”
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“Give me a moment!”
I called out to Luhan, my closest friend since high school.
“C’mon Sehun!! Bom is gonna kill me if we’re late!!” proclaimed the twenty-three year old as he paced in my living room.
“Alright let’s go!” I announced as I exited my bathroom.
“Okay lets go and pick Bom up, she’s texting me like crazy!” He replied and made his way to the front door of my apartment. I chuckled to myself imagining Bom’s face right now and wondered what having a girlfriend would be like.
Bom, Luhan’s girlfriend and my childhood friend, had just arrived from Tokyo and wanted to go out and vast in Seoul’s nightlife before returning to our simple college lives. I was majoring in dance while both Luhan and Bom in applied music at Seoul Institute of the Arts. I can’t say I’m not lucky attending this prestigious school, but I wished that I could experience something out of the ordinary just once in my life. I was born to an upper-middle class family with two parents who love and support me no matter what. I have a large social circle with friends of all sorts of backgrounds and I have good grades. But I want more, I want something unprecedented to happen to me. Anything.
“Some kinda mysterious….”
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“Good work tonight, Minji!”
“You too Taemin-oppa! Are you meeting Naeun tonight?” I asked my co-worker and one of my few friends, Lee Taemin.
“Yeah,” he replied sheepishly. “It’s our anniversary but I have no idea what to get her.”
“Hmmm how about some flowers and a song?” I suggested, remembering what the male lead in my favorite drama gave to the female lead.
“Do you think you could help me pick out the flowers Minji? I’m not really good with these things, ya know…”
“I wish I could oppa but…..” I began but I looked up and saw Taemin begin his usual puppy dog pout. “Aishh okay but quickly because I have to get to my other job!” I answered trying to sound angrier than I really was. Taemin pulled me in for a hug and I pushed him off playfully.
“Yah Oppa-ya! get off quickly before I change my mind!” Taemin instantly let me go but not before commenting on my satoori.
“Aigoo I just love making you mad! Your satoori always comes out!”
I stuck out my tongue in response and dragged him out the door. We walked to the really nice flower shop a few blocks down and were relieved to find it still open. The ahjumma informed us that the flowers were half off and Taemin and I exchanged looks.
“Now’s your chance to go all out!” I commented and he nodded.
After paying the kind ahjumma, Taemin and I stepped out with bouquets of all sorts of flowers in our arms. I checked the time on my phone and realized that I had five minutes before my shift at the bar, where I was working, started.
“Crap!” I exclaimed. “Sorry Oppa but I have to go now!” I gave him the flowers I had been holding, and began to run down the busy sidewalk.
“Good Luck tonight!!” I hollered as I stuck out my thumb. Taemin grinned and waved me away before turning the other way. I turned around and ran to the crosswalk trying to catch the walk signal.
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“Aish! What’s taking this woman so long? She was supposed to be ready!!” Luhan complained as we waited outside Bom’s complex.
“I’m sure she’ll be out soon hyung, chillax!” I assured him while I slapped his back lightly. Just then the door opened and out came Bom wearing a form-hugging black mini-dress. Her bright red hair was curled and she wore a white blazer over her shoulders. I side glanced Luhan and couldn’t help but grin at his dazed expression as he stared at his girlfriend make her way towards us.
“Hello Sehun-ah!! aigoo it’s been so long!!” She greeted me with a hug and a light pat on my head.
“Yah Park Bom! What about your boyfriend?!?” Luhan shouted at the bubbly red-head. Bom’s lips formed a pout and she quickly kissed Luhan on the cheek and then quickly got in the cab.
“Your face looks like a tomato, Hyung.” I observed and punched his arm lightly before following Bom into the cab. Once inside I saw that Bom’s face was also flushed and I couldn’t help but laugh at the two of them.
“Don’t laugh Sehun-ah!!” Bom huffed as she puffed up her rouged cheeks and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Aigoo noona but you’re acting so cute! How can I not laugh?” I countered as I continued to chuckle. Then suddenly I felt something hit my arm and I turned to face Luhan with a scowl on his face.
“Yah Dongsaeng-ah, get your own girlfriend and leave mine alone.” Luhan growled as he got in the cab next to me, leaving me in between the two lovebirds.
“Don’t worry Hyung! My girlfriend is going to be younger than this ahjumma!~” I replied snarkily and gained two punches on both of my arms from the two of them.
We decided to go out to the bar Luhan’s parents owned in Hongdae, when we almost ran over a person. The cab driver pulled down his window and began to yell at the person. Luhan got out of the car, and I followed him. On the ground was a girl with medium-short auburn hair. She was wearing whitewashed jeans paired with a black hoodie and some old black vans. She looked at us, her eyes widened in fear and her face pale. I noticed that on her hand was a spot of red that gradually became bigger, she was bleeding.
“Are you alright?” I asked kneeling down and took her hand into my own to thoroughly examine her wound. She met my gaze and nodded slowly, staring deep into my eyes and I found myself entranced by her alluring gaze. She was the one to break our gaze first, by standing up. I too got up and dug into my pocket to produce a handkerchief. I carefully took her hand and wrapped the handkerchief around it, making sure it was on securely.
“Thanks,” she replied in a barely audible voice after I finished bandaging her up. She then grabbed her backpack, that was lying on the ground, and ran off without another word. Her auburn hair swayed in the wind until she turned the corner and was out of my sight.
“Yo Sehun!! Let’s go man!” Luhan called me from the car. I turned around and got in the car, my thoughts still on that girl.
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All of a sudden, I saw a flash of light which blinded me and I ended up tripping and falling . I felt the hard ground scratch the palms of my hands, sending a stinging sensation through my arm.
“Aishhh…” I hissed and sat up in the middle of the road. The car that had almost hit me was right in front of me; it was a cab.
“Yah!! Watch where you’re going gijibae-ya!!” The driver called, sticking his head out of the window and waving his fist in my direction. I lowered my head to show that I was sorry and tried to get up without using my bleeding hand, but it was no use and I ended up on the ground once again.
“Are you alright?” asked a male voice. I looked up and met his eyes. He was the most attractive person I had ever seen. He had an oval pale face with a perfectly structured nose. His eyebrows were furrowed and his clear eyes seemed to burn holes in my own. I felt small under his strong gaze. I looked away as soon as I was able to get myself together and used my strength to finally stand up. As soon as I was on my feet I let out a sigh of relief and was about to leave when he took ahold of my hand. It felt as if an electric current was flowing through my whole arm and I felt my face become warmer. He produced a handkerchief and meticulously wrapped my bloodied hand in the soft material.
“Thanks,” I said and gave him a small bow. I felt my heart race as I stole another glance at his gorgeous features before picking up my backpack and leaving. I realized that I was late for work and ran to the bar without looking back at the handsome male.
When I arrived at the bar, my boss gave me a good earful and threatened to fire me if I was late again. I bowed three times and apologized before he let me go. I headed to the locker room and changed into my mid-thigh black pencil skirt and the matching black V-neck blouse. I also put on the white tie and the white vest that were a part of the uniform. I then pulled my short hair into a high ponytail and pushed my bangs to the side securing them in place with a couple of bobby pins. I slipped on my short black heels and tied the red apron around my waist.I went out and began to wait tables.
The bar was more high-end and the pay was better than all of my other jobs. This was the only reason why I dealt with the strict regulations and hard hours. I couldn’t risk losing this job because losing this job meant losing the chance to attend school.
The day was even harder than usual. I had to take over Dara’s tables since she had gotten out earlier, therefore I had double the work. When my break came around, I took a seat in a table at the back and drank down a glass of water while I massaged my aching feet.
“C’mon Hyuna! You can’t leave yet! The night is still young and we need you to get people on that dance floor!” My boss complained chasing Hyuna, the dancing diva of the bar.
“I’m done, Jung-soo! I’m sick of your nagging! Bye~” Hyuna cooed gathering her things and headed out the door. Jung-soo cursed to himself quietly and then turned around, his eyes landing on me. I quickly looked down at my drink trying to avoid the unavoidable.
“Minji!” Jung-soo called me out, and then made his way toward my table.
“Yes?” I answered knowing perfectly well what he wanted me to do.
“I heard you’re an aspiring dancer so how about you take over Hyuna’s job for the night? I’ll pay you double and after you’re done you can go home.”
I sighed knowing all too well that the offer was very tempting. “What do I have to do?” I asked.
“All you have to do is wear a nice dress and get people to dance, not so hard now is it?” Jung-soo crooned.
“Alright...I’ll do it! But I want my double pay tonight!” I bargained. Jung-soo agreed reluctantly and then showed me to Hyuna’s dressing room, where she kept all of her dresses.
“Don’t take too long, got it Minji?”
“Ye..” I replied and closed the door. I looked through the closet and found most of the dresses too short for my liking. In the end I went for a short form-fitting one sleeved black dress. I paired the dress with a pair of red pumps and let my hair down. I went to Hyuna’s vanity and applied some of her make-up. I took one last look in the mirror before leaving. I walked out the door and met Jung-soo by the dance floor.
“Alright, I want you to simply go out there and dance like you’re having the time of your life. Pretend to be one of our customers and dance with countless people. Your goal is to attract people into the dance floor, make them tired, so they can buy some drinks. This could be your one shot to a better job, Minji so don’t lose it. Got it?”
I nodded and Jung-soo left me to my “work”. I took a breath of air and looked around. A pair of eyes suddenly caught my attention and I made my way over, putting on a confident smile and trying to be as charming as possible.
Just have fun….you’re getting paid to dance! What more can you ask for??
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After dancing with Jong-In, Jonghyun, and Key for a while they asked me if I wanted something to drink.
“Umm.. water would be fine.” I answered.
“Water?” Jong-In asked a little surprised. “I didn’t know you were such a good girl, Minzy.”
I blushed and then told him to get something for me. “Surprise me Jong-In oppa.”
He smiled and then the three of them left, leaving me at the table. I looked at Jung-soo and saw him nodding at me direction. I got up and headed toward the dance floor again. I went all the way to the center and began dancing by myself. I closed my eyes and swayed my hips to the music. I was so immersed in the music and my dancing, that I didn’t realize that I was dancing with someone. Our movements were so in sync that it was almost as if we were one. When the song was over I opened my eyes and turned to face my partner. I then found myself staring at the same pair of eyes that had helped me earlier in the street.
His cold eyes were now big and rounded, obviously surprised to see me again in such a small gap of time. We stood there in the middle of the dance floor just staring at each other. The music along with the buzz of chatter was drowned by my thoughts and I felt as if we were the only two people in the bar.
This time it was him who darted his eyes away, breaking our gaze. I blinked and mentally cursed myself for being so obvious. I tried to shift away but couldn’t; his arms were still around my waist. My face flushed as I looked up at him. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at me confused. I tried to moving again and his attractive eyes became huge once again.
“I’m really sorry.” He said, and removed his arms from my waist.
“Thank you, and I’m sorry,” I apologized too, rubbing the back of my head and occasionally stealing looks at him.
“Why are you apologizing? I’m the one that just started dancing without your consent.” He replied meeting my gaze and chuckled a bit. I laughed too but not because of what he said, but because of how he said it. I noticed that he had an adorable lisp. His expression changed after seeing my reaction.
“Did I say something funny?” He asked, his voice turning severe and his eyes turning cold. I stopped laughing and coughed awkwardly, I was caught off guard by his sudden change.
He surprised me even more by laughing at me.
“Hahaha!!~ I’m kidding! Is it because of my lisp?” He asked smiling and slightly sticking his tongue out at me, his eyes shining under the bright dancefloor lights. I nodded slowly still not being able to take in this strange man in front of me. I shook my head and realized how much of an idiot I probably seemed.
“I’m sorry,” He began, after an awkward silence. “I’m just...ah nevermind...I don’t think I ever caught your name.”
“It’s Minji, Gong Minji,” I answered, a little too eagerly.
“I’m Sehun, Oh Sehun.” He replied smiling, making my heart race inside my chest. “So were you in such a hurry to come here that you were willing to risk your life?” Sehun asked humorously.
“What can I say, I love to dance.” I replied grinning.
“I can tell, you’re really good Minji-ssi. Better than some of my sunbaes back at SIA.”
My ears perked up at the mention of one of Seoul’s most prestigious art schools. “You go to SIA?!” I asked.
“Uh yeah, I’m gonna major in Dance.” Sehun replied, a little puzzled at my sudden enthusiasm but went along with it matching my eagerness. “Why?”
Just when I was about to answer, Jung-Soo called my name.
“Minji!! Less time flirting with the customers and more working!! I hope you realize that we are losing money!!!” He scolded me and pointed to the sober people leaving the bar.
“Yes Boss!” I answered, and bowed a perfect 90 degrees.
“Ah~ So you work here!” Sehun’s voice rang in my ears making my face turn red with embarrassment. I turned to him and was surprised to find him smiling instead of giving me a disapproving look.
“But wait, aren't you a little too young to be working at a bar?” He asked, tilting his head to the side.
“I’m 20 years old, how old did you think I was?” I asked a bit surprised.
“I just figured you were younger, you’re really small! Wow~ we’re same age chingus!” He replied happily. “But wait! You’re not from Seoul right?”
“Oh no!” I moaned, embarrassed. “Is my satoori really that noticeable??” I asked, putting my hands in front of my face in shame. Then out of nowhere, I felt a pair of hands on my own. Sehun took my hands into his and put them down and away from my face. He then looked into my eyes and seemed to almost peer into my whole being. I held my breath.
“It’s alright, I love the sound of satoori. Your’s in particular is quite adorable.”
I thought my heart was going to lead out of my chest because it was beating so fast. Slowly the space between us began to decrease until our bodies were just centimeters away from each other.
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So this is part one of my two-shot~ hope you guys liked it!
I've been shipping Sehun-Minzy for a while now~ Oh and then there's LuBom too :3
I will be puting up part two soon :)
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