Joohyun

"No."

"Oh c'mon!" It was her time to whine now.

"No. After the sick stunt you pulled the last time we went out, I won't trust myself to go anywhere with you."

It was true. I needed a reprieve from my schedule that one time and agreed to accompany Sooyoung on her nightly adventure. Instead, I was almost molested by a drunk brat with no telling what would have happened to me if Kim Seokjin hadn't come at the right time.

I got home after our brief encounter in his suite and took a long shower, almost pruning my skin.

Just because that place, Bound as people call it, is a cornucopia of delights for the filthy rich and privileged, it does not validate the disgusting behaviour of its patrons towards women.

I've always heard stories of places like that, where they initiate all sorts of debauchery and filth, sex and drugs being the vital point of entertainment. Of course, I wasn't sure Bound was the same but it clearly fell in that category.

"I was dancing with this handsome hunk, Joohyun!" She was livid. "We were so into it I didn't notice when he led us to an empty corner to make out tha-"

"I don't want to know, Sooyoung."

"Oh please," she stood with her hands on her hips, clearly exasperated with the ongoing argument for the past twenty minutes.
"I know I did wrong to not look after you. I'm sorry. It's just that.. it's a place to unwind. No one looks at anyone in Bound. I thought it would be a perfect chance for you to get all wild and free and that totally backfired. All because of that stupid, leery jerk of a human being."

I was silent, looking at her with tired contempt.

"He was this close to molesting me, Soo. Nobody wants that."

"I'm sorry," She sighed. "I really want to make up for it. I really really do."

"By making me to go this masquerade?" I raised one eyebrow at her proposition which she flung at me as soon as I opened my front door for her. Without a freaking apology in sight.

"Yeah!" she was beaming with delight, her mistake of not accepting her mistake totally lost on her. "It's one of those fancy balls with champagne flutes, soft music and men in tuxedos. Just the way you like it."

"Seriously? Tuxedos? That's what you're excited about? I thought men in tattoos and ripped jeans with leather jackets were your favourite," I chuckled.

"We're talking about you, Joohyun." She deadpanned.

"Why, that's so sweet of you."

"So? You're coming?" She asked. I could sense her frustration with me. The girl just wanted fun. Unlike me.

I sighed. "No. I'm not so keen on this. And with the writer's block, it's getting harder to fulfill the deadlines."

"Then there's no reason for you to decline this invitation," she spoke while rubbing her hands, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

I quirked an eyebrow.

"Listen, sophisticated folks with knowledge as their weapon, schmoozing to people mightier than them amidst clinks of glasses and high powered conversations. Isn't that a perfect fodder for your new book?"

Interesting.

"I'm listening." I gestured for her to go on.

"Imagine this. Your hot protagonist meeting his intellectual rivals in this godforsaken party, bouncing complex theories and studies off of each other in a charged atmosphere. Some disagreements, some ass kissing. Hero's pissed but poised. Wants to break away from there but spots our female lead in an argument of her own with a bunch of old geezers. He swoops in to support her in a gallant show of his wits and knowledge, completely befuddling our lady and making him irresistible to her."

I blinked.

Not fucking bad at all. Sooyoung just knows when to push the right buttons. It's what made her so successful in this business.

"Remind me why you aren't an author, my friend? I saw visions of my career deteriorating for a second there."

She laughed loudly in amusement.

"I edit stories for a living, babe. Some of the creativity rubs off on me "

"I'm genuinely impressed," I say warmly. I can't stop the smile from peeking out.

"Oh. And the intellectual conversations are your creative license. Tweak it up for a bit of romance."

"Yes, sir."

"So does that mean you're coming?" Her voice sounds unbelievably hopeful.

I nod. I wasn't going to lie. Her idea really got me to forget about our previous debacle. "Yes, ma'am."

"Yes!" She fisted her hand in the air for a dramatic effect.

"But no abandoning me halfway. I want you beside me all the time."

"Don't worry about it. You'll enjoy yourself to the point you won't notice me gone."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Don't you dare, Sooyoung."

"Yes ma'am." She raised her hands on mock surrender. "Here."

My friend is unbelievable. She immediately fished out a dress, wrapped in transparent plastic, from her oversized bag and handed it to me graciously.

"Woah," I exclaimed, eyeing the beautiful piece of fabric in my hands. "You were so sure I'd say 'yes', weren't you?"

"To be honest, I wasn't. It was my wishful thinking and I'm happy about it." She smiled, showing her perfect white teeth.

I smiled back and took out the dress from its wrapper. It was a gorgeous long grey gown, studded with tiny embellishments at the hem which flowed upward in waves till my waist. It also had a long slit which exposed my left leg, which would show off my thigh.

It was perfect.

Graceful with the right amount of sultry.

"Wow." I said in awe.

"I knew you'd like it," Sooyoung hurried out of the living room and was putting on her shoes. "Now, go. Get ready. I'll head to my place to get into my dress and pick you up in an hour."

By the time I could answer her, she was gone.

"Damn you, Soo."

_________________________

A/N: You may want to listen to this while reading this part.

The valet took Sooyoung's car keys and drove off to park it. We were standing in front of the hotel where the masquerade was being held.

Leysan.

The place where I met Seokjin for the first time. Or should I say second?

Our brief eye contact in front of The Gala Hotel wasn't that long to be called a first meeting but it was the most impactful ever.

The sight of him, standing there alone and smoking on that clear windy night, will be forever etched in my memory.

Before him, I never knew danger existed. His eyes held that promise. The promise of impulsive decisions and pure sensual need. I knew then, that if I would ever meet him again, I wouldn't leave him with just a formal hello.

And I wasn't wrong.

Not one bit.

What if he's here tonight?

If he is, then Lord protect me, he won't just stop himself from having me if he ever saw me.

I smiled at the thought. I wouldn't want that anyway.

"Do you know what you do to me, Joohyun?"

Oh, I know. I perfectly know that, handsome.

"Do you know who all would be coming to this ball?" I asked Sooyoung who was walking beside me as we entered the ballroom.

It was huge. The aesthetics screamed elegance and art. The decorations were marble and gold, with a purplish hue adorning the whole interior. Drapes, the colour of mottled grey, were hanging around, sofltly billowing from the ceiling to give the place a mysterious look.

Men and women, dressed sauve in tuxedos and rich gowns, were dancing to a random piece of saxophone. It was beautiful. A few of the guests were sprinkled around in the room in different corners, speaking in whispers and joyful chatter.

I felt instantly at ease. This was my element.

"Thank you for bringing me here." I turned to Sooyoung, who was equally mesmerized by the whole ambience.

"No. Thank you," she turned towards me wide eyed. "I love this."

"Me too." I smiled. She was looking beautiful herself. A maroon gown with a pair of black heels and dark makeup paired with a maroon coloured mask.

That was all it took for her to slay that look.

I, on the other hand, opted for a plain silver coloured metal mask which only covered my eyes. It accentuated my cheek bones and highlighted the colour of my lips which were glossy red.

Needless to say, we both looked ravishing.

Sooyoung wouldn't have to worry about grabbing attention. I could easily sense a few undisguised stares coming at our direction. She was one gorgeous thing.

"Oh, to answer your question, I don't know who all came. I got this invitation in the morning yesterday on my desk. It was beautifully wrapped with a bunch of petunias and liquor chocolates, I couldn't find myself to say no. The sender was unknown and it all added to the mystery!" 

I stared at her, completely dumbfounded. "And you're telling me this now?" I whisper yelled. This..this girl.

Her face immediately wore an expression of worry. She knew she fucked up by not telling me about this sooner. But before I could say anything to her, the music changed to a slow haunting rhythm and people flocked in pairs on the dance floor and began waltzing to the beat.

"Couple dance!" She rejoiced and grabbed my hand, leading us to other dancing people.

"Wai—" She fucking threw me into a stranger's arms and started dancing with her own partner.

A few seconds later, I was twirled and pushed to another stranger.

It's a partner exchanging dance?

I was caught and grabbed by gentle hands, my feet automatically adjusting to the steps produced by my partner.

"Oh." I looked at the man I was dancing with.

"Fancy meeting you here, noona." It was that boxy smile.

"Kim Taehyung?"

"Yep." He was dressed in a crisp brown suit, adorned with a purple necktie and a deep purple mask which covered half of his face.

"What are you doing here?" I can't believe I asked that. For all I know, he must be the host.

"I threw this party."

Bingo.

"But I didn't expect you here."

I smiled.

"But it's a good thing. He would be delighted to see you here."

I narrowed my eyes at him. Does he mean—

And then, I was twirled again and pushed towards a random person. But this time, I could sense it.

I took hold of the man's shoulders and he grabbed my waist in a possessive grip, without breaking our dance. His fingers were burning ice. Scorching yet cold.

I looked at his face and wasn't surprised to see a pair of dark eyes behind a grey mask looking at me and a smirking mouth which I was dying to kiss since I first saw them.

He pulled me flush against him, his hard chest colliding with my breasts, that I let out a drawn out gasp which only I could hear.

I could feel his hot breath gliding over my face when he spoke, his voice thick with desire.

"Now who's going to stop me, Joohyun?"