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“I’m so glad you’re my date tonight, Mingyu,” Hana said.
Mingyu gave her a feeble smile and gentle nod in return.
They could have been mistaken for a famous teen couple, the way their arms were interlocked. Hana wore a gorgeous light pink sweetheart dress that went against her pale creamy skin perfectly. It fell just midway down her thighs, and framed her petite figure in the loveliest way. Mingyu was dressed up too, looking sharp in his well tailored suit.
“What’s wrong?” She asked, worried that he wasn’t satisfied with something.
He brushed her concern away. “It’s nothing.”
Hana, quiet in nature, simply took his word for it. “Alright then.”
Mingyu was really glad Hana wasn’t the type to push matters like this. The truth was, he had a big problem. A problem that couldn’t be fixed by just opening up his heart to his so called “date” he was forced to become arm candy for. No, it was much bigger than that.
He was dreading everybody stopping them throughout the night to ooh and ahh over how absolutely darling they looked. He knew how extremely difficult it’d be to escape all the attention from fellow snobby peers and their impressive parents. He wasn’t interested in being the hot new couple with somebody he didn’t even like.
Attention. This posed an awful problem, when all he wanted to accomplish at the party was sneak away and meet somebody else.
Somebody else. He smiled subconsciously at the thought.
His dreamy smile eased Hana’s tension.
Mingyu pressed the doorbell. It rant with a pleasant tune. A panel in the elegant front door smoothly slid open, revealing a pair of mischievous eyes. If his face were a clock, and his eyes were the hands, the time would read “10:10”. Those were eyes Mingyu could recognize anywhere.
“Password?” The narrow two eyes asked.
“Give it up Soonyoung,” Mingyu said, slightly exasperated. He flicked the person’s forehead through the opening, square in between his brows. Now, under normal circumstances, Soonyoung’s antics wouldn’t irk him. He’d actually play along with friend, but right now really wasn’t the time.
“Ow!” He yelped, and the panel quickly shut. The door majestically swung open.
“It’s Mrs. Kwon. We better go greet her,” the diplomatic minded Hana suggested. He nodded, thinking it was the start to a long night.
“Oh, Mingyu and Hana! You two look absolutely adorable, oh my! I bet your parents are thinking about having you guys get married very soon,” the successful businesswoman droned.
Mingyu’s eyes widened nervously. Yes, he knew this topic was bound to come up and no, he did not want to discuss it. He didn’t want to talk about it, hear about it, or anything to do with the words “arranged” and “marriage”..
“Mingyu, you should go talk with Soonyoung while Mrs. Kwon and I have a lady-to-lady talk, just one-on-one, yeah?” She suggested when he suddenly tensed up.
Sure, he’d never be attracted to her, but he was thankful for her nonetheless.
“What the frick was that flick for?” Soonyoung whined as soon they were far enough away from his mother, and Mingyu’s date. He rubbed the spot, as if it was still sore.
Mingyu rolled his eyes. “Your mom,” he casually remarked.
“Rude,” Soonyoung feigned offense. “No, really, what’s up dude?”
“Seriously. It’s your mom.” Although the comment was meant to be sarcastic at first, the more Mingyu thought about it, the more actual intent there was behind it.
Soonyoung was confused for a moment, then quickly put two and two together. “The marriage comment.”
Mingyu gravely nodded.
He sighed, feeling for him. For this was a problem in the society of rich kids, with parents who run big corporations that rely on heredity to pass on power. Successful people’s kids have to marry other successful people’s kids, and they have no choice who it is. The bride and groom may eventually learn to love one another, or they mutually and consensually meet other people in their marriages.
“There are always ways around it. Mina has a boyfriend. And so do I,” Soonyoung
“That’s the thing. I don’t think she’d be okay with it.”
“Things’ll work out, I’m sure of it.”
Mingyu thanked his friend for the advice and support, and ended the conversation to finally do what he wanted to do this night. He climbed flights and flights of stairs, to rooms unopened to most guests. They had promised to meet there, and with permission from the owners of the house (Soonyoung) they had access.
His destination was the balcony off of Soonyoung’s room. It overlooked the wide estate garden and swimming pool. The starry sky above him was astounding.
Mingyu’s eyes lit up at once as he spotted the back figure of whom he was looking for, positioned over the balcony railing, staring over it. He walked over to the empty space beside the figure and imitated the same position.
“Wonwoo,” he said quietly.
“I just went through some crazy kind of hell,” Wonwoo vented. “I don’t want to go through with this, Mingyu. I really don’t.”
“Neither do I.”
Their eyes locked and they both knowingly, leaned in, and their lips touched gently. Wonwoo’s hands embraced Mingyu’s neck, and Mingyu’s arms were carefully placed on his hips. A quiet smack of their lips could be heard as they pulled away.
“I went through the same shit you had to go through, so stop thinking you’re some special charity case,” Mingyu sarcastically said, kissing Wonwoo’s cheek. “We’ll figure it out together.”