He could hear the music blaring as he stood in line. It was freezing outside, but he was getting close to the front of the line. He wrapped his arms around himself and moved forward, trying to keep himself warm. When he got in, his eyes couldn’t adjust to the darkness right away. There were multi-coloured flashing lights on the dance floor, but they weren’t that bright enough to reach beyond that. The blaring bass made the room shake, dancing bodies tangled together while neon signs were aligned to the walls with bright lights hung from the high ceiling. It was very crowded, but he wasn’t surprised at all.

As he made his way toward his group of friends, a few people turned to stare at him.

“Oh great, Jongin’s competing with us.”

“He and his friends are going to win again for sure.”

“Looks like Royal Seoul Academy is going to take the first prize.”

Of course, these comments made Jongin happy and he was proud that people thought of him in this way. He liked that he had a reputation, but he also hated it. People made it sound as if he was born talented and that when he danced, moves just came to him on the spot when the fact was he had practiced just as hard as anyone else. He had actually started dancing when he was just six years old. At a young age, he used his weekly allowance that he got from his parents to use it for dance classes. He had seen people dance when he went to see musicals and ever since then, he wanted to learn how to dance and perform on stage. Overall, when people made it seem as if he didn’t even try hard, or that people thought he was just being praised because of his power and his rank as a chaebol, it made him terribly angry and upset.

“Why are you late?” Junmyeon asked at the sight of Jongin. 

Jongin bowed apologetically at the older male, but said nothing. The others didn’t say anything as well and just looked around the large hall where the current dance competition was being held. 

There are various students from other schools getting ready to perform while a group was already performing on stage. It was the audience who knew whether if a group was good or not. If the group that was performing didn’t get a good response from the audience, this effected their overall mark because the three main judges often took in audience response for almost 35% of the criteria. It wasn’t because the group which was performing right now didn’t have a status, it was because they weren’t good. Jongin didn’t want it to sound harsh, but it was true. Their skills weren’t developed yet and he could see that. The way the three younger males danced seemed forced and sophisticated. Even if the audience played a big role as being critics, it also had a positive effect to it. From their responses, the dancers knew what they had to improve on to gain their attention.

Jongin didn’t want to brag, but his group of friends were more experienced. However, this didn’t lessen down their state of nervousness. Even if they were known as being great dancers among many people, nerves still got to them. Nerves especially really did get to Jongin the most. Yes, he was called the ‘dancing machine’, but before going on stage he got nervous the most, however it was all worth it when he got to perform on stage.

He patiently waited off stage for their cue to be called up. His heart was racing and he could feel his cheeks getting hot. He gripped his school blazer tightly with sweaty hands as he tried to breathe slowly, telling himself that he had rehearsed thoroughly and had nothing to worry about.

A smile then appeared on his face when he remembered his first performance.

His heart was pounding, there were butterflies in his stomach, he was incredibly nervous just like right now. When he walked onto the stage, he tried his hardest to focus on the music and once he got the feel of it, he started dancing more comfortably. Exhilarating, electrifying and incredible. He loved it. It was as if all his feelings exploded together as one and he was only left with the rush of energy, passion and excitement that he just couldn’t describe. Not only that, but he also sent his feelings filled with energy and emotion to the audience. The thrill, he loved the ecstasy as he could give it to the crowd and the crowd would give it back to him. He felt it, the wonder and the passion that he built in them. It was like a circuit of energy, building and flowing between them, the audience and him.  

“Hey, you ready?” He suddenly heard someone ask, waking him up from his own thoughts.

Jongin turned around and gave his best friend an assuring smile. “Aren’t I always?” He smugly asked a rhetorically question with a slight smirk playing on his lips, making Kyungsoo roll his eyes but with a smile. 

---

In panic her eyes searched for a certain boy in the crowded room, but she couldn’t spot him anywhere. Did I miss their performance? She was starting to get anxious, but she didn’t give up and continued to look for him.

Hope was dwelling in her eyes when she frantically moved through the crowd and then there, she saw him walking up on stage with the rest of his friends. A huge weight of relief elevated off her shoulders as she walked toward the front of the stage so she could see him up closer. She was so glad that she hadn’t missed their performance. She knew how important this was to Jongin.

Kyungsoo had finally told Mira the reason why Jongin had been acting so differently. He knew this was wrong of him and that he had intervened into someone else’s business, but he couldn’t continue watching Jongin act so lifelessly. He was deeply concerned about Jongin’s health. Kyungsoo was worried about his best friend. Mira now knew that Jongin was feeling under pressure from his family and that he had made a deal with his dad to attend all the meetings regarding his position as the next heir of the Law Firm so he could participate in this dance competition, but there was only one thing that was running through Mira’s mind when Kyungsoo told her about the situation Jongin was in. She realised how Jongin was so kind-hearted and took in other people’s thoughts into consideration. He didn’t want to cause harm, or disappoint anyone. He was once again doing something which could please everyone when in the end he was the one who always felt stressed and pressured. 

Mira felt so bad. She felt angry and disappointed at herself for thinking that Jongin didn’t care. She had thought that Jongin was being selfish and that he only cared about himself. She couldn’t be blamed as she was confused by Jongin’s sudden change in attitude, but still she felt terrible for thinking of him that way. He had been thinking about everyone when she just threw a tantrum about how Jongin kept on avoiding her. She knew that he would still continue on with his cold act, but she didn’t care. The most important aspect was that he was doing this to make everyone happy and now all Mira wanted was for Jongin to be happy as well. She wanted to see him smile.

She had heard from many people who stated that old feelings would eventually disappear, but she couldn’t agree with them.

It never faded.

Even if the relationship went away between the two of them, some feelings still remained.

After a few minutes, the group got into their individual positions and then the music started. The audience stopped doing what they were all doing, even the other dancers paid attention to the participants from Royal Seoul Academy while girls started to squeal in joy as they held up their fan-made signs.

Fluid movements, graceful twists and turns could be seen. 

Jongin's hands moved through the air above and in front of him in a graceful pattern while his body moved to the rhythm of the music and in a matter of minutes Jongin was full of sweat, but he felt good. He felt like he was releasing the whole month’s stress. It was almost as if the world spun around him while he twirled, he felt as if he was flying through the air in a leap. There was just something about his general rhythm to the movement of his feet, he found himself drifting out onto the floor. Before he knew what was happening, he was swirling around in the beat the music gave him, gliding around on the floor as if he’d always belonged on it.

Mira smiled at this scene. Even when she knew that Jongin was stressed, he looked so happy dancing on the stage. It was as if he was just dancing by himself without the audience. He was in his own little world. The applause from the audience was almost endless even after their performance ended. They all politely bowed at the judges and then the audience as they got off the stage.  

From the corner of Jongin’s eyes, he could see a familiar face. He couldn’t help his curiosity as he turned to take a peek at the person. His eyes widened at the sight of Mira. She was here. What is she doing here? How did she even know I was here? Within minutes, Mira was standing in front of Jongin with a smile on her angelic face. For some reason, his feet wouldn’t move, it was as if they were glued to the ground.

Was it because of the shock? The surprise of seeing Mira standing in front of him so suddenly?

How long had it been since he last saw her up this close?

“You did really well,” Mira said so melodically that Jongin wanted to pull her into a nice, warm hug. He wanted to hold her in his arms.

“What are you doing here?” Jongin asked while trying to calm down his feelings.

Mira knew that she would still get a cold response from him, but she didn’t mind since she knew why he was acting like this in the first place. Jongin had a reason behind it and that was all that mattered. Even if it seemed that Jongin was making a wrong decision, Mira chose to support his decision and to trust him no matter what.

“I came here to see you dance,” she answered.

For some reason, he was disappointed with her answer. She had just come here to see him dance, that was it. How naive of me? He had thought that maybe, maybe that Mira had come here to visit him, but then that feeling vanished when Mira answered his question. How stupid of him? He had hurt and pushed Mira away so it wasn’t possible for her to come back to him, right? He couldn’t tell if he was seeing the right thing, but he could see tears forming in Mira’s eyes. She stood in front of him with tears dwelling in her eyes.

Mira couldn’t control it anymore. She couldn’t control her feelings and emotions. She was so glad to see Jongin. Even if his question to her was so bland and simple, she felt so happy that she could finally talk to him, that he had taken the time to listen to her.

“It’s so good to see you,” she said, giving him a teary smile.

Jongin blinked a couple of times before finally looking straight into Mira’s eyes. Why was she smiling at him? How could she do that to him? How could she say that she was glad to see him? He had hurt her. He had said harsh things to her, but then this girl kept on coming back to him. She didn’t hate him, or thought of him badly. Instead, she was stating how happy she was to see him again. Even when Jongin tried so hard to push Mira away many times, she was still determined and didn’t stop from going back to him. She wasn’t going to accept the fact that Jongin wasn’t going to see her anymore. 

“I missed you,” her voice trembled as a tear rolled down her red rosy cheek. Jongin’s eyes widened at her sudden confession. His heart started pounding so loud in his chest that he could hear it himself. He watched as Mira wiped her cheeks while she tearfully smiled. “I just wanted to say thank you for everything you have done,” she stated, trying to hold in sob.

She couldn’t look at him, her heart hurt and she felt so guilty. She felt so guilty about leaving Jongin to do all the hard work, she felt angry at herself and she regretted not initiating anything first. It was too late now and she hated that. Tears kept on rolling down her cheeks. She even felt worse because she was ruining the mood. Some people nearby stopped whatever they were doing to watch the two of them, wondering if Jongin was the one who made Mira cry. His friends also watched in worriedness and panic. They didn’t know why Mira was suddenly crying her eyes out in the large hall. They were also surprised to finally see some expressions and emotions come out from her.

The title of ‘Ice Princess’ finally vanished when they saw Mira in this state.

Mira didn’t care that people could see the vulnerable sight of her. All she wanted to do was to show her emotions to Jongin. She wanted to show him that she was glad to see him once again. She had missed him so much, but she felt terribly bad about the state Jongin was in.

He needed more comfort than her.

He was the one who was feeling lonely.

He was the one who needed a helping hand.

“I’m so sorry,” she breathed out while she wiped her last teardrop. She didn’t want Jongin to think that she was doing this in order to get his attention. She wasn’t like that.

There had not been any response from Jongin till now, but step by step he started to walk closer toward Mira. “What are you sorry for?” He asked as he lovingly stared into Mira’s eyes who couldn’t help, but let her tears roll down her cheeks.

“For being selfish,” she honestly replied. “Sorry for always thinking about myself. I’m sorry for always childishly sulking about how unfair my life is when I clearly didn’t think of others. I couldn’t tell that they also had their own problems to deal with.” She talked in third person, she didn't want to mention Jongin's name because then she would feel guiltier which would result in more tears. 

Jongin felt as if she was referring this whole statement to him. He had never thought of Mira as being selfish and immature. What Mira was apologising to him for what just so silly. He had never once thought of Mira in this way.

He chose to listen to her problems.

He chose to be there for her.

He chose to love her.

“You’re an idiot you know?” Jongin interrupted Mira who blinked multiples times, trying to process what he meant. “I can take care of myself,” he said with a smile.

He smiled. Mira couldn’t help, but cry even more when this situation felt like Déjà vu. She remembered that day when they had a misunderstanding and it had been her who had told Jongin these words, but now it was reversed. 

They were so close that Mira could feel the heat of Jongin’s body warm her. She could hear the soft whisper of his breath as he exhaled. She unconsciously inched closer as she looked up at him, his soft brown eyes already locked on her. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek, his thumb running along the curve of her cheekbone. She nestled into his hand, feeling his warmth seep into every nerve of her body.

Jongin then leaned in, lips parting slightly as his eyes rested on Mira. “I’m going to be selfish for now.” He said, making Mira confused as ever, but her heart nearly leaped out of her chest when she felt his lips press against her.

His kiss was soft, but urgent and then their lips moved in unison. It was gentle, but yet captivating, transporting them to another universe. With just the two of them there, the rest of the world seemed to disappear. Desires ignited the world around them as they become lost in a sea of lust and love. It was a piquant and powerful combination that sent waves of passion crashing over them. Finally, as their lips pulled apart, a gentle breeze fluttered over the flame reducing the heat which both were feeling. Their breathing came out in short, desperate gasps. The intensity had washed away. Then slowly, the rest of the world was coming back to focus. 

---

Love.

He could feel it.

He could sense it.

He could see it.  

All because of Mira.

Now, Jongin knew what love was. In fact, he felt as if he had known it all along with the time he had spent with Mira. He cared about her and wanted the best for her even if it meant putting his needs last. He saw the best in her, despite her flaws. Jongin believed in her even when she didn’t believe in herself, he noticed and appreciated every good trait in her. He knew that nothing mattered when they looked into each other’s eyes.

Mira on the other hand didn’t want to admit it, but she had thought about Jongin all time and when she thought about Jongin, she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She dwelt on repeating the conversations which they both had when she was with him, nothing else mattered and no one else was on her mind. However, she greatly regretted that she had done nothing much for Jongin while he had done so many kind and caring things for her. The most important thing that Jongin had done for her was to make her smile. Simply being with him, made her smile. This was how much he affected her and she had finally realised that now.

Right now, being in Jongin’s warm embrace, she felt safe and as though every single problem that she had encountered melted away. Most importantly, they both accepted the faults in them and chose to be there for one another and cherish each other.

Mira finally looked up as Jongin called her name, a boyish smile was plastered on his face just like she had remembered. He pulled her in for another hug and leaned down to press his lips to hers again. He couldn’t help himself. Her lips being naturally bright pink made him want to take a quick peck of it. 

The kiss at first was gentle, like he was afraid of hurting her. He knew that Mira had suffered a traumatic event and he knew that she still needed more time and comfort to let go of the past. His love for Mira was overpowering his own desires as he always thought of her first. 

This showed Mira how much he cared for her by the way Jongin waited for her to open up to him. He didn’t pressure her and waited for her to response.

“One year or ten years, I don’t care. I will wait, I will wait until you fully open up to me.”

Mira thought back to when Jongin had stated that to her. That day when she really felt as if she wasn’t alone. The feelings of emptiness inside of her had vanished right away when he had said those words which meant a lot to her. Slowly when Mira began to kiss him back, Jongin ran his fingers through her hair and pulled her closer, before pulling away from her completely so they could catch a breath. 

"What was that for?" Mira breathed and put a hand to her tingling mouth.

Jongin just gave her his boyish smile and pecked her forehead for an answer. They didn’t need to tell each other how they felt about one another, they could both feel it. Their eyes dwelled with love whenever they looked at each other, anyone could tell that. No words needed to be spoken when everyone could see it.  

“Why do I feel like I’m responsible for this?” Kyungsoo asked with a happy smile plastered on his face.

Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s mouths were both dropped open. They couldn’t believe what they had just saw. Was it really Jongin? The boy who was lovingly staring down at a girl with his arms around her? Was he really their so-called friend? The way Jongin wrapped his arms around Mira almost so delicately as if she was fragile, shocked them. Jongin was known for viewing girls as objects, but by the way he was so caringly handling Mira absolutely shocked them out of their sockets.

“I’m glad Jongin found someone to take care of,” Junmyeon dreamily sighed while smiling as he watched Jongin and Mira look at each other with so much love.

For the first time after a long time, Sehun smiled genuinely. He was happy for his friend. He was happy that Jongin had finally found someone to care for. He was also thankful of Mira as well. Sehun always seemed cold and distant from others, but he cared a lot for his friends, especially Jongin who was just a bit older than him. Sehun knew that Jongin had the most worries among the rest. He understood and knew the pressure Jongin was feeling even though he didn’t show it. Nevertheless, it was Mira who showed Jongin those emotions in the end. She was the one who comforted Jongin. She was the one who made Jongin smile for ‘real’ after a long time. Sehun had noticed that as he always knew there was something going on between his friend and Mira. It wasn’t only just Kyungsoo, but Sehun as well. 

Tears started gathering in Mira’s eyes as she looked at Jongin. Did this really just happen? Was she seeing the right thing? Was Jongin really in front of her? She wasn’t dreaming right? Her brain just couldn’t function well, she couldn’t believe it. After suffering from a heartache, everything turned out to be ok. For the first time in her life, she was feeling happy. Legitimate happiness swelled into every nerve of her body. Now, she felt as if she was the luckiest girl in the world.

Mira had never once thought that after when her parents passed away, she would start feeling emotions again, but here she was with tears rolling down her red rosy cheeks. The key, the key to unlocking her heart had finally been found by none-other than Jongin. It was all thanks to him that now that she started to feel all sort of different emotions again.

“Thank you,” she shakily breathed out in between her sob.

Jongin softened at the scene. And yet she still thanks me after all the mean things that I had purposely said and done to push her away. He cupped both her cheeks with his hand and made her look into his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re this happy to be kissed by me,” Jongin joked, making Mira cry even more because she had missed this sight of him. She had missed his down-to-earth personality as well which always didn’t fail to make her smile. “Oh god, you’re still crying,” he cutely whined as he wiped away Mira’s tears. “Are you alright now?” He asked.

Mira simply nodded with a teary smile. “Never have I felt this happy in my life,” she honestly replied, making Jongin pull her into a hug, once again.

“I’m happy too,” he commented, still hugging her.

All of a sudden, someone purposely coughed, trying to get their attention. Jongin and Mira broke away from their hug and turned around to be greeted by Baekhyun. “I thought you said there was nothing going on between the two of you,” he accusingly pointed a finger at Jongin who nervously let out a laugh.

“I know, what is the meaning of this? We get off stage and we turn around, only to see you kissing her,” Chanyeol joined in, making it even more awkward and uncomfortable for Mira.

She wasn’t used to this much attention. At first, she had almost forgotten that she was in the hall where the largest dance competition was held. She had also forgotten about the rest. She hadn’t even thought twice about how there were people watching her while she had her reunion with Jongin. 

“I should go now,” Mira suddenly blurted, surprising the others while Jongin had a neutral facial expression.

He quickly turned around and grabbed Mira’s wrist. “I really want you to get along with my friends,” he stated, only to Mira’s surprise. She had thought that Jongin would understand her situation and let her go. “Don’t you think it’s time to finally move on now? You have to let go of the past so that the future can come in its place.” Jongin encouragingly said with a smile.

That’s when she knew he was right. She had to let go of her past first to be able to take a step into the future which was ahead of her. She had to show Jongin that first and she was willing to do it. She was willing to do anything for Jongin. "Hopefully I’m not too awkward with them.” She retorted, making Jongin smile like always.