(no subject)
Title: The Masquerade
Author: Prinnè aka
rainne_yuumei
Rating: G
Pairing: Kim Jaejoong/Lee Yeonhee
Genre: Romance/Angst
Concrit: I really, really want one..
Summary: Through a ball, they met. Through a mask, they saw each other. Though time, they fell in love.
A/N: Seriously, this is the first time I'm writing fluff and I really didn't know what to write. Everything written in here was just a sudden rush of ideas, especially during economics class. The plot was just something that came across my mind when I saw the poster for this fic. Everything in this fic was inspired from pictures of the main artistes, weird. I know.
I tried to make everything feel Christmas-y but I don't think I achieved it though. xD
Every Christmas eve, all of the most prestigious families in the country come together to attend the annual Royal Masquerade Ball. The ball would always be held in one of the most luxurious hotel in the country, hand-picked by the King himself. That particular year, they chose Seoul for the venue.
As your car enters the perimeter of the hotel, trees would be in sight. Each and every tree in the driveway was decorated with twinkling Christmas lights hanging from its branches to resemble fireflies surrounding the trees. Ice sculptures illuminated by lights of blue, pink, yellow, and lime green were scattered along the bushes of the driveway and in the garden. The most exquisite sculpture was of Cupid’s and it can be found standing on top of the center of the fountain in the center of the circular driveway leading to the glass door entrance of the hotel. Once you pass through these two glass doors, your eyes will feast on the splendor it has to offer. The white marble floors were sparkling under the light given off by the diamond chandelier that was hanging over 20 feet from the ground. The ceiling was designed to be like that of a royal’s during the reign of the French monarchy. The marble walls by the doors that lead to the garden were covered by tapestries embroidered with rich and warm colors of scarlet and gold, made especially for the winter season. If you turn to your left upon entering the glass doors, you can find the concierge sitting behind the table made out of redwood inlayed with lacquer, elegantly crafted to resemble real flowers and vines, as if it grew on the table. Each and every room is styled to perfection, each different from the other to satisfy the variety of tastes their guests have.
Once you enter the Marie Antoinette hall, a ball like no any other will welcome you. Maidens were mingling and dancing along the heavenly waltz played by the orchestra. The men were in their tuxedos discussing the political crisis of the country, accompanied by their dates in their colorful ball gowns, opera-length gloves and romantically styled hair. Not one of them could be recognized by merely looking at them as their faces were hidden behind intricately decorated Venetian masks.
In the middle of the masked crowd, there she was in her red ball gown and her white opera-length gloves. Her long black hair was tied up in an elegant French bun, her skin showing off its glow through the décolleté neckline of her dress.
On the other side of the hall, there he was, smartly dressed in his tuxedo. His hair was made into style, unlike all the other men who had theirs parted and gelled back. He was holding a glass of champagne, having a small talk with the other men merrily.
“Yeonhee!” A woman in silk, pearl white dress called. The maiden in red turned to see who it was that called her as it was easy to get parted from your companions in the event as everyone had masks worn. Only those with wary eyes could see the small distinct designs that differentiated each mask from the other.
“Boa…” The woman in red uttered the latter’s name. Boa skipped her way to her, her curls bouncing up and down.
“We’ve been looking for you, where have you been?” Boa asked as she saw him, the man who was her betrothed. He was exceptionally dashing to her that evening, especially that innocent smile of his that she grew to love more and more each passing day.
“Ryeowook ah…” She breathed, “You’re…” She was at a loss for words. Yeonhee covered her mouth with her hands, showing her freshly manicured nails, “I’m speechless.”
The man chuckled a bit before taking his hand in his, placing a soft kiss on it. “Between the two of us, my fair lady, it should be I that is speechless. It is…” His voice trailed off as he knew that she was getting flushed with embarrassment, Boa was still there, watching them amusedly. And then, he continued, “a crime for you to wear such a mask that hides your beauty, my love.”
He lifted the glass of champagne and saw the tinsel shine through the contents of the glass. He let out a small smile as he laid eyes on a mistletoe. And then he saw her, what is she doing here? He asked himself as he hurriedly tried to blend in the masked crowd.
“Jaejoong!” He heard her call him.
“Hey Tiffany…” He faked a smile as he made his way towards the woman with smiling, half-moon eyes.
“Where have you been? I was looking all over…”
“I apologize for having you do that extraneous task, my lady.” He lied, placing a kiss on the back of her hand.
Midnight was nearing, the most awaited part of the celebration. The glorious fireworks display made by only the masters of the craft was yet to appear. The orchestra played Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of Flowers, pressing the fact that Christmas was just minutes away. As the gentle music filled the hall, all the men bowed down to ask the hand of their fair lady for the last dance of the night. The women, in turn, placed their soft hands in theirs and started swaying along the music.
She gently placed her head on Ryeowook’s shoulder and let it rest for even just a short while.
He looked away as she looked up into his eyes, hoping that he too would look at her with the same love she had for him. But, Tiffany was wrong.
She let him sway her around as the song’s melody got stuck in his head, soon enough he was already humming it. It was time, he told himself, to tell her those words that truly expressed how he felt about her. Ryeowook held her closer and whispered, “I love you.”
He avoided her eyes, because in doing so, he felt guilt eat him up. By merely holding her, he already felt badly about it, what more with dancing wherein you have to trust your partner in leading you?
And then, it came, the fireworks that turned into vivid ornaments of the night sky. Everyone stopped all of their movements and looked up through the glass ceiling to watch the display of lights. The stars were shining, but the iridescent glow of the light show shone brighter in contrast of the alluring night sky.
He held his head down and then, he saw her. Her silk red gown flowed down to the white marble floors, her milky white skin shone through the night lights, and he found her beautiful. If only I could see her face, he thought to himself.
She looked down from the skies to her betrothed and saw his face watching the light show. And then, her eyes looked past him and saw him. His slightly messed up hair covered a part of his Columbine mask, embellished with shades of green, gold and black, his full and pouty cherry lips stuck out as if waiting for a kiss, his tall nose and well-defined jaw line made him striking even with the mask.
He was looking at her, as she was looking at him. The two of them hand their eyes fixed on each other, as if time had stopped. He smiled at her and it melted her heart almost instantly. It was a good thing that her mask wasn’t like his, hers was a Medico Della Peste which covered her face fully, or else he would have seen her face flushed. As the clock was about to strike twelve, the guests of the party started a countdown, a countdown to the moment that everyone would remove their masks to reveal their identity.
Ten. Tiffany looked down from the skies and tried to start a conversation with him, but failed as Jaejoong’s attention was focused on her.
Nine. Yeonhee snapped back to reality as Ryeowook held her hand, “Beautiful aren’t they?”
Eight. Her betrothed’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He turned from her, and answered it.
Seven. She wore a frown on her face as business took him away from her, again.
Six. “What?” Ryeowook exclaimed with a shocked expression.
Five. He jerked his hand away from her, “I’m sorry Tiffany.”
Four. “This arrangement just wouldn’t work for me, I’m sorry.”
Three. With that, Jaejoong weaved through the crowd to her.
Two. “Yeonhee, your father’s been rushed to the hospital.” He told her.
One. Ryeowook held her hand as they headed for the exit.
Zero. He stood still at the very same spot she had occupied a moment ago, his mask in his hand. She took one last glance at him but he was nowhere to be found. “Merry Christmas!” everybody cheered in unison.
“Yeonhee is there someone else?” He asked as he took a sip from the porcelain cup.
“What do you mean?” She asked, putting down the cup and saucer on the marble table.
“If there’s someone else in your heart, may I know who it is?”
“I don’t know…” She answered truthfully. “I don’t even know if this feeling I have for that person is love.” A smile crept along her face and she turned to him, saying as she reminisced that moment the two of them had their eyes locked on to each other, “I met him at the Masquerade Ball.”
“Did you see his face?” He asked, surprisingly, without any bitterness. He was too calm for a lover at a time like that.
Yeonhee shook her head. “No, I didn’t get a glimpse of him.”
Ryeowook reached out to touch her cheeks. He caressed it with his thumb, “You will find him, and I swear it to you, my lady.”
“Jaejoong what happened to Miss Hwang?” His sister, Minkyung, asked as she was watering the plants in their garden while he was engaged in a book.
“I told her that I cannot be with her anymore.” He told her bluntly. “I wouldn’t stand for an arranged marriage.”
She sighed, “So typical of you my little brother.” She plucked a flower and handed it to him. “You will eventually find your flower lady, so keep this until that day.”
Jaejoong was surprised as to how Minkyung found out about his real reason for ending his engagement with Tiffany, even if he didn’t tell her a thing about the said matter. He thought about her as he spun the red flower in his hand, and he smiled.
Time had passed quickly as winter came. That year, the ball was to be held in Japan, hosted by the Jung family. Jaejoong was quite relieved when he heard that it would be his best friend who would be hosting the event because that meant that he would be able to see through the list of guests and find her. He just longed to see her like so.
“How do you even know she’s going to come?” Yunho asked as he walked around his friend who was painting a portrait of her.
“I don’t know.” He simply told him. “I’m just hoping that she will.”
“Well, if she does come, how will you know it’s her?” He stopped and turned to his friend.
“Well,” He laid the color palette and the paintbrush on the wooden table. He smiled at the portrait and said, “We’ll just see when we get there.”
Yunho peered in the painting and saw a woman in red; she was in the middle of a masquerading crowd. Her back was facing him; she was clutching her mask at her back, as if waiting for someone. “And what do you plan to do when you see her?” His eyes never left the painting. It told him a story, an unfinished story. And he was very anxious to see what was going to happen.
“You know what Yunho?” He stood up from the stool and turned to him, “Just wait and see it for yourself, because even I do not know what will happen ok?” He gave him a small pat on the shoulder. “Patience.” He reminded him before leaving his friend staring at him as he left the room.
“Yeonhee” Her mother shook her softly.
She opened her eyes and sat up straight. She rubbed the sleepiness off her eyes before greeting, “Good morning mom.”
She gently stroked her daughter’s hair, “Your father and I have been talking.”
“It has something to do with Ryeowook breaking up with me, right?” she asked groggily.
“It’s time you get married, sweetie. You’re already at the right age and we decided to have you wed to someone who can give you and your children a bright future.” The old woman hung her head low. She and her husband were not the type of parents who would force their child into something. It’s only that they had no other choice left because Ryeowook left her. They had to do something to ensure her future.
Her daughter saw all of it and smiled, “Mom its okay. I don’t really mind.” She lied. At that exact moment, she told herself that she would see him, for it may be the last time she’ll get to see him as Lee Yeonhee.
That year’s Masquerade Ball, hosted by the Jung Family, resembled a winter wonderland. Stepping inside the party hall made one feel like he or she entered a different dimension. With shades of blue and silver and small hints of red, yellow, orange and pink, it looked like it was snowing inside the hall. Hanging from the ceiling were replicas of snowflakes in larger sizes, replacing the chandelier. And only a select few of these snowflakes had mistletoes hanging from them. The floors looked so slippery that it resembled ice, even the walls. That’s why, for the ladies in their pumps, walking became so frightening for they might lose their balance and fall on their bottom.
The women were in their gowns in shades of white and blue. And she stood out from the rest with her white gown that had the color of ice in Greenland. Around her waist was a thin, silver belt that showed just how slender she was, her arms had black gloves and a silver bracelet on her wrist. On her feet was a pair of midnight blue shoes that had metallic silver embellishments. Her long and dark hair was curled at the ends, tucked behind her ears.
And there he stood beside his friend in welcoming the guests, of course in their masks, in hopes of seeing her. He wore the exact same mask he did the last time, hoping that she would recognize him by it.
But, it wasn’t there by Yunho where he found her. It was somewhere else, and it looked like it was taken out of his portrait of her. She only stood by the dancing couples, watching them longingly. Oh how much she had missed dancing with someone special.
He approached her with a light tap on her bare shoulders. She turned to him, first with a surprised expression which slowly turned into a happy one, as she gave him a smile. She knew it was him.
He held out his hand to her, “May I have this dance with you?”
Without even thinking, she took his hand, which made her feel warm all over. They danced, as if no one else was there, just the two of them. Their eyes never left each other’s gaze. No words were uttered through out the dance; it was just silence and pure bliss.
When the dance ended, it was only then that Yeonhee turned to look somewhere else. Jaejoong noticed this and lifted her face up to look only at him. “What’s wrong?”
Tears started to surface, but she held them back. “I think, I really am in love with you.”
He smiled at her. “Same here. Why don’t you and I talk somewhere private, sound good to you?” She nodded as he led her away from all the others, hand in hand.
“Before anything else, I just want to tell you that this might be the last time we meet as we are.” She told him as she sat down.
“And why is that?” He asked her calmly.
“I am bound to marry someone else.” She bit her lip.
“Now, that’s two things we have in common.” He once again, smiled at her, making her feel happy. Only this time, he smiled at her without his mask, he removed it.
The sight of his full face sent shivers down her spine. She had seen him before in a photograph shown to her by her mother. “You’re Kim Jaejoong, am I right?”
“How did you know who I am when I haven’t told you yet?” He asked. “You must have been stalking me!” He joked, causing a smile from the other.
“I have seen you in a photograph my mother had shown me not too long ago.”
“And?”
“Are you really Kim Jaejoong?” She asked, not fully believing that he was him.
“I really am Kim Jaejoong. And you must be Lee Yeonhee, my bride.” When she heard the last words that left his mouth, she could no longer hold the tears back. It was of happiness and she couldn’t hold back. He wrapped his arms around her as she cried in his arms, contented. Never had either of them thought that through a masquerade, something would bloom from two strangers who knew nothing of each other.
Author: Prinnè aka
rainne_yuumei
Rating: G
Pairing: Kim Jaejoong/Lee Yeonhee
Genre: Romance/Angst
Concrit: I really, really want one..
Summary: Through a ball, they met. Through a mask, they saw each other. Though time, they fell in love.
A/N: Seriously, this is the first time I'm writing fluff and I really didn't know what to write. Everything written in here was just a sudden rush of ideas, especially during economics class. The plot was just something that came across my mind when I saw the poster for this fic. Everything in this fic was inspired from pictures of the main artistes, weird. I know.
I tried to make everything feel Christmas-y but I don't think I achieved it though. xD
Every Christmas eve, all of the most prestigious families in the country come together to attend the annual Royal Masquerade Ball. The ball would always be held in one of the most luxurious hotel in the country, hand-picked by the King himself. That particular year, they chose Seoul for the venue.
As your car enters the perimeter of the hotel, trees would be in sight. Each and every tree in the driveway was decorated with twinkling Christmas lights hanging from its branches to resemble fireflies surrounding the trees. Ice sculptures illuminated by lights of blue, pink, yellow, and lime green were scattered along the bushes of the driveway and in the garden. The most exquisite sculpture was of Cupid’s and it can be found standing on top of the center of the fountain in the center of the circular driveway leading to the glass door entrance of the hotel. Once you pass through these two glass doors, your eyes will feast on the splendor it has to offer. The white marble floors were sparkling under the light given off by the diamond chandelier that was hanging over 20 feet from the ground. The ceiling was designed to be like that of a royal’s during the reign of the French monarchy. The marble walls by the doors that lead to the garden were covered by tapestries embroidered with rich and warm colors of scarlet and gold, made especially for the winter season. If you turn to your left upon entering the glass doors, you can find the concierge sitting behind the table made out of redwood inlayed with lacquer, elegantly crafted to resemble real flowers and vines, as if it grew on the table. Each and every room is styled to perfection, each different from the other to satisfy the variety of tastes their guests have.
Once you enter the Marie Antoinette hall, a ball like no any other will welcome you. Maidens were mingling and dancing along the heavenly waltz played by the orchestra. The men were in their tuxedos discussing the political crisis of the country, accompanied by their dates in their colorful ball gowns, opera-length gloves and romantically styled hair. Not one of them could be recognized by merely looking at them as their faces were hidden behind intricately decorated Venetian masks.
In the middle of the masked crowd, there she was in her red ball gown and her white opera-length gloves. Her long black hair was tied up in an elegant French bun, her skin showing off its glow through the décolleté neckline of her dress.
On the other side of the hall, there he was, smartly dressed in his tuxedo. His hair was made into style, unlike all the other men who had theirs parted and gelled back. He was holding a glass of champagne, having a small talk with the other men merrily.
“Yeonhee!” A woman in silk, pearl white dress called. The maiden in red turned to see who it was that called her as it was easy to get parted from your companions in the event as everyone had masks worn. Only those with wary eyes could see the small distinct designs that differentiated each mask from the other.
“Boa…” The woman in red uttered the latter’s name. Boa skipped her way to her, her curls bouncing up and down.
“We’ve been looking for you, where have you been?” Boa asked as she saw him, the man who was her betrothed. He was exceptionally dashing to her that evening, especially that innocent smile of his that she grew to love more and more each passing day.
“Ryeowook ah…” She breathed, “You’re…” She was at a loss for words. Yeonhee covered her mouth with her hands, showing her freshly manicured nails, “I’m speechless.”
The man chuckled a bit before taking his hand in his, placing a soft kiss on it. “Between the two of us, my fair lady, it should be I that is speechless. It is…” His voice trailed off as he knew that she was getting flushed with embarrassment, Boa was still there, watching them amusedly. And then, he continued, “a crime for you to wear such a mask that hides your beauty, my love.”
He lifted the glass of champagne and saw the tinsel shine through the contents of the glass. He let out a small smile as he laid eyes on a mistletoe. And then he saw her, what is she doing here? He asked himself as he hurriedly tried to blend in the masked crowd.
“Jaejoong!” He heard her call him.
“Hey Tiffany…” He faked a smile as he made his way towards the woman with smiling, half-moon eyes.
“Where have you been? I was looking all over…”
“I apologize for having you do that extraneous task, my lady.” He lied, placing a kiss on the back of her hand.
Midnight was nearing, the most awaited part of the celebration. The glorious fireworks display made by only the masters of the craft was yet to appear. The orchestra played Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of Flowers, pressing the fact that Christmas was just minutes away. As the gentle music filled the hall, all the men bowed down to ask the hand of their fair lady for the last dance of the night. The women, in turn, placed their soft hands in theirs and started swaying along the music.
She gently placed her head on Ryeowook’s shoulder and let it rest for even just a short while.
He looked away as she looked up into his eyes, hoping that he too would look at her with the same love she had for him. But, Tiffany was wrong.
She let him sway her around as the song’s melody got stuck in his head, soon enough he was already humming it. It was time, he told himself, to tell her those words that truly expressed how he felt about her. Ryeowook held her closer and whispered, “I love you.”
He avoided her eyes, because in doing so, he felt guilt eat him up. By merely holding her, he already felt badly about it, what more with dancing wherein you have to trust your partner in leading you?
And then, it came, the fireworks that turned into vivid ornaments of the night sky. Everyone stopped all of their movements and looked up through the glass ceiling to watch the display of lights. The stars were shining, but the iridescent glow of the light show shone brighter in contrast of the alluring night sky.
He held his head down and then, he saw her. Her silk red gown flowed down to the white marble floors, her milky white skin shone through the night lights, and he found her beautiful. If only I could see her face, he thought to himself.
She looked down from the skies to her betrothed and saw his face watching the light show. And then, her eyes looked past him and saw him. His slightly messed up hair covered a part of his Columbine mask, embellished with shades of green, gold and black, his full and pouty cherry lips stuck out as if waiting for a kiss, his tall nose and well-defined jaw line made him striking even with the mask.
He was looking at her, as she was looking at him. The two of them hand their eyes fixed on each other, as if time had stopped. He smiled at her and it melted her heart almost instantly. It was a good thing that her mask wasn’t like his, hers was a Medico Della Peste which covered her face fully, or else he would have seen her face flushed. As the clock was about to strike twelve, the guests of the party started a countdown, a countdown to the moment that everyone would remove their masks to reveal their identity.
Ten. Tiffany looked down from the skies and tried to start a conversation with him, but failed as Jaejoong’s attention was focused on her.
Nine. Yeonhee snapped back to reality as Ryeowook held her hand, “Beautiful aren’t they?”
Eight. Her betrothed’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He turned from her, and answered it.
Seven. She wore a frown on her face as business took him away from her, again.
Six. “What?” Ryeowook exclaimed with a shocked expression.
Five. He jerked his hand away from her, “I’m sorry Tiffany.”
Four. “This arrangement just wouldn’t work for me, I’m sorry.”
Three. With that, Jaejoong weaved through the crowd to her.
Two. “Yeonhee, your father’s been rushed to the hospital.” He told her.
One. Ryeowook held her hand as they headed for the exit.
Zero. He stood still at the very same spot she had occupied a moment ago, his mask in his hand. She took one last glance at him but he was nowhere to be found. “Merry Christmas!” everybody cheered in unison.
“Yeonhee is there someone else?” He asked as he took a sip from the porcelain cup.
“What do you mean?” She asked, putting down the cup and saucer on the marble table.
“If there’s someone else in your heart, may I know who it is?”
“I don’t know…” She answered truthfully. “I don’t even know if this feeling I have for that person is love.” A smile crept along her face and she turned to him, saying as she reminisced that moment the two of them had their eyes locked on to each other, “I met him at the Masquerade Ball.”
“Did you see his face?” He asked, surprisingly, without any bitterness. He was too calm for a lover at a time like that.
Yeonhee shook her head. “No, I didn’t get a glimpse of him.”
Ryeowook reached out to touch her cheeks. He caressed it with his thumb, “You will find him, and I swear it to you, my lady.”
“Jaejoong what happened to Miss Hwang?” His sister, Minkyung, asked as she was watering the plants in their garden while he was engaged in a book.
“I told her that I cannot be with her anymore.” He told her bluntly. “I wouldn’t stand for an arranged marriage.”
She sighed, “So typical of you my little brother.” She plucked a flower and handed it to him. “You will eventually find your flower lady, so keep this until that day.”
Jaejoong was surprised as to how Minkyung found out about his real reason for ending his engagement with Tiffany, even if he didn’t tell her a thing about the said matter. He thought about her as he spun the red flower in his hand, and he smiled.
Time had passed quickly as winter came. That year, the ball was to be held in Japan, hosted by the Jung family. Jaejoong was quite relieved when he heard that it would be his best friend who would be hosting the event because that meant that he would be able to see through the list of guests and find her. He just longed to see her like so.
“How do you even know she’s going to come?” Yunho asked as he walked around his friend who was painting a portrait of her.
“I don’t know.” He simply told him. “I’m just hoping that she will.”
“Well, if she does come, how will you know it’s her?” He stopped and turned to his friend.
“Well,” He laid the color palette and the paintbrush on the wooden table. He smiled at the portrait and said, “We’ll just see when we get there.”
Yunho peered in the painting and saw a woman in red; she was in the middle of a masquerading crowd. Her back was facing him; she was clutching her mask at her back, as if waiting for someone. “And what do you plan to do when you see her?” His eyes never left the painting. It told him a story, an unfinished story. And he was very anxious to see what was going to happen.
“You know what Yunho?” He stood up from the stool and turned to him, “Just wait and see it for yourself, because even I do not know what will happen ok?” He gave him a small pat on the shoulder. “Patience.” He reminded him before leaving his friend staring at him as he left the room.
“Yeonhee” Her mother shook her softly.
She opened her eyes and sat up straight. She rubbed the sleepiness off her eyes before greeting, “Good morning mom.”
She gently stroked her daughter’s hair, “Your father and I have been talking.”
“It has something to do with Ryeowook breaking up with me, right?” she asked groggily.
“It’s time you get married, sweetie. You’re already at the right age and we decided to have you wed to someone who can give you and your children a bright future.” The old woman hung her head low. She and her husband were not the type of parents who would force their child into something. It’s only that they had no other choice left because Ryeowook left her. They had to do something to ensure her future.
Her daughter saw all of it and smiled, “Mom its okay. I don’t really mind.” She lied. At that exact moment, she told herself that she would see him, for it may be the last time she’ll get to see him as Lee Yeonhee.
That year’s Masquerade Ball, hosted by the Jung Family, resembled a winter wonderland. Stepping inside the party hall made one feel like he or she entered a different dimension. With shades of blue and silver and small hints of red, yellow, orange and pink, it looked like it was snowing inside the hall. Hanging from the ceiling were replicas of snowflakes in larger sizes, replacing the chandelier. And only a select few of these snowflakes had mistletoes hanging from them. The floors looked so slippery that it resembled ice, even the walls. That’s why, for the ladies in their pumps, walking became so frightening for they might lose their balance and fall on their bottom.
The women were in their gowns in shades of white and blue. And she stood out from the rest with her white gown that had the color of ice in Greenland. Around her waist was a thin, silver belt that showed just how slender she was, her arms had black gloves and a silver bracelet on her wrist. On her feet was a pair of midnight blue shoes that had metallic silver embellishments. Her long and dark hair was curled at the ends, tucked behind her ears.
And there he stood beside his friend in welcoming the guests, of course in their masks, in hopes of seeing her. He wore the exact same mask he did the last time, hoping that she would recognize him by it.
But, it wasn’t there by Yunho where he found her. It was somewhere else, and it looked like it was taken out of his portrait of her. She only stood by the dancing couples, watching them longingly. Oh how much she had missed dancing with someone special.
He approached her with a light tap on her bare shoulders. She turned to him, first with a surprised expression which slowly turned into a happy one, as she gave him a smile. She knew it was him.
He held out his hand to her, “May I have this dance with you?”
Without even thinking, she took his hand, which made her feel warm all over. They danced, as if no one else was there, just the two of them. Their eyes never left each other’s gaze. No words were uttered through out the dance; it was just silence and pure bliss.
When the dance ended, it was only then that Yeonhee turned to look somewhere else. Jaejoong noticed this and lifted her face up to look only at him. “What’s wrong?”
Tears started to surface, but she held them back. “I think, I really am in love with you.”
He smiled at her. “Same here. Why don’t you and I talk somewhere private, sound good to you?” She nodded as he led her away from all the others, hand in hand.
“Before anything else, I just want to tell you that this might be the last time we meet as we are.” She told him as she sat down.
“And why is that?” He asked her calmly.
“I am bound to marry someone else.” She bit her lip.
“Now, that’s two things we have in common.” He once again, smiled at her, making her feel happy. Only this time, he smiled at her without his mask, he removed it.
The sight of his full face sent shivers down her spine. She had seen him before in a photograph shown to her by her mother. “You’re Kim Jaejoong, am I right?”
“How did you know who I am when I haven’t told you yet?” He asked. “You must have been stalking me!” He joked, causing a smile from the other.
“I have seen you in a photograph my mother had shown me not too long ago.”
“And?”
“Are you really Kim Jaejoong?” She asked, not fully believing that he was him.
“I really am Kim Jaejoong. And you must be Lee Yeonhee, my bride.” When she heard the last words that left his mouth, she could no longer hold the tears back. It was of happiness and she couldn’t hold back. He wrapped his arms around her as she cried in his arms, contented. Never had either of them thought that through a masquerade, something would bloom from two strangers who knew nothing of each other.