My heart begins to beat again when he walks toward me, and I feel every pull of nervousness piling in me. He looks so determined to cross over, and I can’t even move. It seems as if even with his gaze, he manages to pin me down. I can’t look away and move. I wait for him to come and stop in front of me.

The song Style by Taylor Swift melodiously plays in my mind and I laugh inwardly at the chosen song. Why not Love Story? Anyway, it doesn’t matter as the song continues to play and Kai stops in front of me. His eyes still lock with mine when he grabs my hand gently and bows down to kiss it. My legs almost give out on me. I understand why. My whole body feels like surrendering, falling onto him, and right into his arms. But I manage not to embarrass myself by doing that. Somehow I feel like playing into a life that I always read in my book, and unconsciously, I make a gesture of a lady: bending my knees a little as a sign of acknowledgement.

We stare at each other long and hard. Hyuna nudges me on the ribs as I hear her muffled sound of laughter. “Oh my, I think I see my friend there. You will take care of my friend, won’t you?” She asks Kai. I don’t know if she knows he’s Kai. I bet she’s just happy to see someone sets his eyes on me.

“My pleasure,” Kai replies her. But his eyes never leave mine.

As Hyuna darts away across the room, silence falls over us. Unconsciously I bite my lip, feeling very nervous. I don’t understand why though. I’d spent so many times alone with Kai, and I didn’t feel as nervous as right now. Something’s just weird by the way he stares at me and it’s churning my stomach. Oh God.

“Will you do the honor to dance with me?” He asks, bending down as his right hand reaches out.

It takes a second for me to reach out and grab his hand, feeling his firm grasp on my hand. My hands are wrapped by silky gold color gloves, but I still can feel the heat of his warmth radiating through the gloves. My heart beats soundly as I follow him to the dance floor. There are people dancing waltz in the middle of the room as the musicians are playing their instruments.

Kai places one hand on my waist, the other grabbing my hand. My free hand touches his shoulder lightly as he pulls me closer softly. With that, he starts dancing with me. He moves gracefully and beautifully. I can’t believe he’s a sportsman! If he tells me he’s a dancer, I might believe him! The way he dances is so graceful and swift. He takes the lead and I easily follow him. Unknowingly, my lips are smiling up at him.

“You’re so good in dancing,” I say conversationally, acting as if his touch doesn’t affect me.

“I take a few dancing classes when I’m in middle school.” He smiles. “You know, you look like someone I know,”

“Oh?” I gulp, feeling my face heat up.

“I mean to ask you, do you remember me?” Kai asks, his eyes staring right into mine.

Hesitantly I nod. I figure it won’t do any good if I lie and tell him no. “We go to the same school,”

“I believe so.” He grins.

“You say I look like someone you know. Who is she?”

A voluntary bright smile curls on his lips, making him look so handsome. I can feel my heart thumps faster seeing him that way. For the first time since our eyes meet, he looks away. His eyes are staring through before me, no longer capturing mine. He looks far away for a second, before he says, “Someone I like.”

“You…like?”

He had confessed his feeling to me, so I think I can safely say the girl he’s talking about is me. The thought brings more color to my face.

“Yeah. She’s a nice person. Beautiful too, even though she doesn’t seem to know it.”

My heart stops for a split second. Giddiness flies through my body like fireworks.

“What’s her name?” I ask before I can stop myself.

He brings his eyes back to mine, as if just remembering that he’s dancing with me.

“Choi Inna.”

His reply brings me extreme happiness, and accidentally I manage to fool myself. Due to the happiness, I take a wrong move and step on his feet. Ouch. I immediately let go and bow continuously, feeling bad that I’ve hurt him.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I mutter for the umpteenth time.

We get out of the hall as soon as possible and he leads me out to the beautiful garden on the right wing where a fountain is set up. It seems many beautiful places have fountains. It’s like a must.

Kai sits on the round edge of the fountain and I beside him. I think I must have step a little too hard because he walks weirdly on our way out. I give him the ice compression to tend his feet.

“It’s alright,” He mutters quietly. He stares at me for a long time before opening his mouth. “Would you take off your mask?”

It takes a second for me to comprehend what he’s asking. I think about taking off the mask, but many thoughts come to me. What if he’s mad? He’s questioned about the girl in mask as me and I replied no. So many thoughts come to me, running wildly.

It seems that he understands that I’m hesitant about doing that, so he says, “If you don’t want to take it off its fine.”

“No,” I quickly cut him off, “I meant, I’ll take it off.” Slowly, I reach up and take off my mask, letting him to look at my face.

There is a silence. The wind blows softly as he stares at me in the way he only knows how, and I feel my heart beat anxiously in waiting for his response.

“Kai…?”

His lips move the slightest movement. The edges of his lips curl up slowly as he reaches out to touch my cheeks. My face heats up immediately in response. His face slowly moves closer and my eyes drop down as if to wait for his lips to touch mine. And when they do, my heart bursts and makes a mess everywhere.

Sleeping that night is hard. Very hard, indeed. My mind keeps recalling the moment when his lips touch mine, and how they softly mold with mine. His lips were soft, caressing and amazing. He smells like pine tree and grass, the smell of a manly man. I find it really hard to close my eyes and force myself to sleep when the picture of his entrancing smile keeps on haunting me. I guess I really am stupid. Who in the right mind will push themselves into quick sand? Where they could never get out as easy as they fall?

I think it’s me. And Kai is that quick sand. Quick sand I don’t mind falling into; after all.

Kai let out a breath for the umpteenth time as he stares up at the ceiling blankly. A smile never leaves his face. The memory of Inna taking off the mask kept on disturbing him. In a good way though. He can’t believe what he feels when the mysterious girl finally took off the mask. He feels immense surprise and relief; both at the same time. In a way he somehow has the feeling that the mysterious girl is Inna, but at the same time he feels surprise because he just can’t believe that she’s really her. One way or another, he knows no matter that is behind the mask, he’ll always choose Inna. Because she’s the one he really likes.

“Hey,”

“Hey,”

Hyuna smiles hesitantly at Hyunseung, who is walking toward her. She stares at him openly as she waits him to stop beside her.

“So…”

“How are you?” Hyuna takes the initiative to ask, tilting her head to the side as she asks.

Hyunseung stares at the bush in front as he answers, “Good. How are you?”

“I’m fine, just a little tired I guess.” Hyuna smiles shyly. “With all those dancing and twirling, my feet are killing me!”

Hyunseung looks down to see her feet, and it takes a moment before he swiftly moves in front of her and kneels down. He takes off her heels much to her surprise. Hyuna’s eyes widen as she stares at him with questioning eyes. He grabs her heels with one hand as he crouches in front of her, his back facing her.

“Hop on,” He says and Hyuna swallows.

She has dreamed for this kind of moments to happen and when it does, Hyuna finds herself frozen. Why is it when you give advice to your friend about love life, everything just seems so easy? But when you are in that kind of romantic moment, you are absolutely helpless about what to do.

Hyuna takes a deep breath and slowly wraps her arms around his neck. She keeps a safe distance but Hyunseung suddenly pulls her arms, tightening them around his wide shoulder. Hyuna feels her cheeks blushing like crazy and hopes that Inna doesn’t see her in this situation. She’s going to till the end of her life if she knows.

Hyunseung stands up easily and Hyuna feels her heart thumps. She feels her heart clenching and unclenching in irrational speed as Hyunseung wraps his arms under her parted thighs, slowly begin to carry her. He walks steadily and slowly as if he’s also trying to keep the moment longer.

They are quiet, not saying much. They just enjoy the moment that happens once in the blue moon.

Hyuna just hopes; that one day, these kinds of moments will happen even more often.

“Wake up,”

“Uh…” Hyuna rolls to the side, covering her face with the pillow. I huff, staring at him with sharp eyes. I know Hyuna is a corpse when she’s on a bed, but today she’s extra dead.

“Wake up!” I shout but Hyuna stays, not hearing my voice.

Sighing, I shake my head and walk toward the wardrobe to take out my clothes for the day. I don’t know what time Hyuna went in last night, but I suppose she came back late. See how her piggy self still on the bed, lying down. I take out a white, short-sleeves t-shirt and brown knee-length pants.

After taking a long nice morning bath with jasmine scent bath soap, I walk back out to the room in full clothes. Hyuna is still sleeping; she even snores shamelessly. Shaking up my head for the umpteenth time this morning, I decide that it is enough. A smirk curls up on my face when I crack my knuckle and begin to applause loudly while shouting, “FIRE! FIRE!! WAKE UP!!”

Hyuna falls on the floor.

“I still can’t believe you did that!” Hyuna grumbles. We grab a plate and begin filling up our plate with the foods in the hotel restaurant for morning buffet. I hum in response to Hyuna’s annoyance. “Ugh, I was having a really nice dream…”

“Oh?” I ask nonchalantly as I grab a glass and fill orange juice in it.

We walk toward a four-seat table because we know we’re going to fill up the table with many more plates.

“Now you’re interested?” She raises an eyebrow. I shrug; a smile on my face. “Now that I’m actually looking at you, I realize that you’re being overly too happy today. Is something wrong?”

My lips don’t even pull down. “Nothing’s wrong! Everything’s good. Too good actually.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t happen a lot.” Hyuna mutters.

“What happened last night?” I ask as we finally settle down.

“Nothing. Just that, I met someone and we talked.” Hyuna tiredly says, but there is a hint of bliss on her face.

“Oh?”

“He even piggybacked me to our room!” Hyuna says triumphantly, her eyes twinkling more obviously. “I mean, we didn’t even talk that much but he just offered to carry me!”

I smile at her antics, feeling her happiness. I can safely say I had a good night too.

“How about you? You went with Kai all night long and after that you’re back to our room before me.”

“We danced and talked. Then he decided it was too late already and walked me back home.”

“Ouhhhh…” Hyuna smirks. “Does he finally know that you’re that masked girl?”

After a moment of pause, I nod my head shyly.

“Oh my God!! OMG OMG. What was his response?”

“He just said that he kind of knew. I’m not sure how though.”

“Hmph, I bet he’s truly surprise.” Then Hyuna furrows her eyebrows. “Are you guys a couple now?”

My eyes bulge out. “No.”

“W-what? But why?”

“What why?” I shake my head. “We’re just getting to know each other. Besides, even though I like him… I don’t know about being in a relationship. It’s just plain weird for me.”

“Ugh, you’re such a !” She shakes her head.

“As if you’re not yourself.” I retort in annoyance.

She doesn’t say anything back but her face flushes red.