The Engagement Ball

Deep down, you know that you should have already expected to have the engagement ball turning into something massive.

With two strong, big families joining through marriage, it would have been a scandal to be celebrating the crucial event with a small and simple party.

But never have you imagined that the ball would turn out to be so grand and luxurious, made to be one of the biggest events of the year.

It worries you for some reason. No matter how hard you tried to prepare for this, you were absolutely unprepared to be placed under the spotlight. To be made to stand on an imaginary stage where everyone will be able to see every part of you. You have no doubt that they will take the chance to observe you closer. To judge.

It burdens you to think that you will have to be wary of any reactions you might be showing through the ball or any word you might say as you return their graces throughout the evening.

And your worries are the reason why you ended up here, standing awkwardly on the side of the grand hall where the ball is being held, looking around at the guests and the party as it unfolds before you, while tapping your fingers nervously around the glass you are holding in your hand. From here, you become the one to observe. To see every reaction they are giving, the subtle way they keep glancing at the heads of families as if expecting some kind of drama or to see someone making a slip-up in front of all the guests, and to hear the whispering they share when the hosts are not looking.

"Is there any reason why you are hiding in the shadows, while everyone is here to celebrate our engagement?"

Yoongi's deep voice startles you, causing you to turn away from your secret people-watching. But then his presence calms you when he steps closer to join you in your hiding place. "I don't mean to hide. I just can't stop wondering how big the wedding party will be when a mere engagement ball is made to be so—" You stop with a hesitant smile, trying to find the right word to describe this moment before adding, "So posh."

Yoongi softly chuckles. The sound is so pleasant that you cannot help but grin when you look at him.

"I would have asked for your forgiveness and admitted this as my fault if only there was a chance for me to stop it from happening, but this is my mother we're talking about," he says with a shrug. "I had actually thought about having a simple ball at the Japanese Tea House where we went to last time, but I found out at the last minute that the place was already reserved for another event. My mother overheard when I called my assistant to help me find a new place, and she just took care of everything."

He scans the room with his watchful eyes and sighs. "From the venue, invitations and guest lists, to the appetisers and drinks, she thought of it all and handled everything before I could say a word. I can't even tell how many types of champagne and sweet desserts she ordered for the guests tonight."

Laughing lightly at his comment, you take another look around. "Still, your mother is quite amazing to pull something like this in such a short period of time," you say this with a smile, even if you would have preferred it if it had been a simple dinner ball held beneath the cherry blossom trees instead of a lavish event under these bright and massive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. "Still, you can't blame your mother for getting overexcited about this. She's just happy that his son is finally getting engaged."

Yoongi shakes his head. "Oh, I'm not blaming her, believe me," he says with a sigh. A giggle slips out of you as you see him scrunching his nose when he continues, "I'm blaming whoever is responsible for spreading the extra invitations to make the party grow so big. The RSVPs came in more rapidly than how the invitations got sent out. The more the numbers grew, the more the ideas kept getting added into the party planning."

There is something about his voice, and the expression he is making when he talks about the shenanigans behind the ball, which makes you feel more drawn to him. It brings you back to those years when you were still close to him.

Back when he was a young boy, Min Yoongi hadn't appeared so unapproachable as he does now. Yet the name that he carried with him made everyone grow wary about getting too close, which led him to put up an invisible wall after years of having his peers treat him differently since he was a child.

Until you came into the picture and various circumstances led the two of you to become close. From being placed next to each other in class to being set as partners in class projects, you ended up spending more time with Yoongi than you did with your other friends. Eventually, he began showing more side of himself that made you feel comfortable enough to open up and become his friend.

And ever since you began 'dating', Yoongi has been showing this side of him to you a lot more.

Only to you.

It doesn't matter whether or not he has been doing it on purpose or if it only happens when he feels comfortable when he is alone with you—just like what seems to be happening now—but it warms your heart to be able to see a glimpse of his past self which has been hidden under his good looks that you don't realise that you are staring at him deeply. Almost as if captivated.

A smile grows on Yoongi's face the moment he notices you staring, and your heartbeat picks up. Your cheeks begin flushing with warmth that you have to force yourself to look away so you can break the spell you seem to be under.

"Still, you might want to consider yourself to blame," you tell him once you regain your composure, earning a tilt of his eyebrows. "Do you really think that people wouldn't be curious the moment they heard the news?" You turn to look at him again with a smile. "That Min Yoongi, the most sought-after bachelor and the known heartthrob of the business world, is suddenly planning to tie the knot? After so many women have failed to sway him?"

Hearing this, Yoongi laughs. "Then the blame should be on both of us if that's how you look at it." His gaze softens as he teases you, "I know it wouldn't have mattered if only the news of my marriage wasn't tied up to your name."

Scoffing, you shake your head as you look away. You hate knowing that you cannot possibly deny it. "Unfortunately, that's true."

Your agreement puts a victorious smile on his face. Yoongi looks at the empty glass you are holding and gently pulls it out of your fingers. "With that being said," he says, as he places your glass on a tray carried by a server passing by between the guests, "Seeing that we're the main part of the event, with no way to escape—" He offers you his hand to take as he adds, "shall we make the best of it and give them something to look at and marvel?"

Smiling at him, you take his hand and nod. "As long as I'm not the one running the show. By all means, take the lead."

With your hand in his, Yoongi begins pulling you away from the hidden corner, taking you back to the heart of the grand hall where both his and your family have gathered, just in time for his father to start the ceremony and announce for the dinner course to be served to the guests.

For the rest of the evening, you are seated next to Yoongi. At first, your nerves spike the moment you take your seat and everyone sitting close by immediately turns to greet you, making you feel as if you are right at the center of the party. As if Yoongi understands your predicament, he takes over the situation well, acting like your devoted partner as he returns each greeting politely on behalf of the two of you. It feels unsettling at first—except for the fact that you keep noticing Yoongi's smile at the situation, as if he finds this amusing—but as the celebration continues, you soon find relief in knowing that there is barely any need for you to put on an act.

Everyone pays more attention to the lavish dinner course while chatting among one another, then the speeches shared by members and the heads of both families take everyone's eyes away from you and Yoongi, before the guests raise their glasses by the time Yoongi's grandfather takes the stage to organise a toast.

"For our young lovebirds," he says with mock excitement, and with a dark look in his eyes that draws cold shivers down your spine when he glances over to your father, "may their future shine as much as the summer's sun."

For the rest of the dinner course, you are only made to interact with the guests when they come to your table to congratulate you and Yoongi, or when he needs to introduce you to the influential people that his parents had invited to the ball.

Through the few chances you have to steal quick glances over to the next table, you often see your parents engaging in a conversation with Yoongi's parents. The amicable interaction between your father and Yoongi's father isn't new or unusual to see, as they are both known to be highly esteemed members of the Country Club where business leaders spend their time socialising and doing leisure activities while building their network.

The same cannot be said about your mothers. While Yoongi's mother radiates joy and excitement since the moment the ball began, your mother appears more subdued. She can be seen joining the conversation shared at her table and laughing at the thrown jokes, always smiling when someone comes to greet her or when Yoongi's mother says something to her regarding what is happening at the ball.

Yet, all it takes is to steal one look into her gaze, and you can tell that this is all just a part of her mask.

The ghosts of her secret are there, a flicker of a shadow in her dark, cold gaze. Sometimes, you can even see a flicker of wariness in her eyes as she takes a look around, her gaze often lingering right where the heads of the families—your father, Yoongi's father and grandfather—are sitting together, before her gaze turns darker with rage and bitterness.

You have no idea how she does it. To hide such a secret, and to plan such a scheme which may risk the wellbeing of everyone involved.

"Avenge our fall, ______."

By the time the dinner course has all been served, the guests are split between those who continue celebrating by dancing and those who choose to socialise with other guests and the hosting family members while crowding the open bar. As Yoongi leaves his seat to greet some of his associates who are attending the ball—not forgetting to kiss your cheek before leaving you be—you leave your seat to start browsing through the guests.

You walk away from the tables where your family is seated to avoid speaking to your mother, greeting some of the familiar faces that you cross paths with while trying to find the one person you need to talk to before the night ends.

It was right before dinner began when you caught the sight of Jinhee, Jinyoung's sister, as she came to find her seat. It didn't take long for her to disappear once the guests began leaving their tables, and you are beginning to worry that you might have missed her.

It takes some time, but after searching for a while, you finally find her as you reach across the hall. You see her standing not far from one of the dessert bars that have been set for the ball, in the middle of chatting with a male guest that you recognise as one of your father's subordinates that she doesn't notice you coming at first.

"Jinhee," you gently call her, smiling at her as she turns away from her new companion. With an apologetic smile, she ends her conversation with the male guest who returns to the bar while Jinhee meets you halfway.

"_______, I thought you would be too busy with your guests and families to spare some time for me," she says as she opens her arms to give you a hug, which you happily accept.

"It was getting too much so I had to get away," you tell her with a bitter chuckle as you pull away from the hug. "And I remember seeing you." A flicker of a smile grows on your face. "I just had to make sure that I'd have a chance to talk to you. Thank you for coming tonight. I wasn't sure if you'd come when I sent the invitation."

Jinhee shakes her head. "The moment I got the invitation in the mail, I just knew I had to come. A fancy engagement ball with free delicacies and drinks and the chance to see all the famous socialites I've always admired? I wouldn't miss it for the world." You both share a laugh. You have always loved her blunt and easy humour. It was something that she has always shared with Jinyoung.

"How have you been doing, by the way? I know you've been busy with work—" She briefly stops, and you almost wince, feeling guilty for using the excuse of working to avoid meeting her from time to time. She doesn't seem to notice it when she merely teases you, "And now this? A wedding plan? You must be swamped."

"I'm doing quite all right," you answer with a smile. "Exhausted, for sure, since I had to deal with a ton of workload once I got back to work again after—" Swallowing hard, you try not to think about the time you spent mourning and continue, "But I manage, and I didn't have a lot of planning to do for tonight's ball since Yoongi's mother has been taking care of everything. Yoongi and his family will also take care of the wedding since our wedding venue is a part of his family's property."

You let out a sigh. Talking about your engagement and your wedding plans with the person who was supposed to be your sister-in-law feels quite odd. "But how about you? I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to catch up with you. I should've contacted you the moment I heard that you went back to university right away."

"Oh, it's fine," Jinhee says, waving you off. "I've been keeping myself busy with school. It helps give me a good distraction to forget everything else that's been happening at home. I've also been spending more time in the dorm than I am back home." She exhales a deep, heavy sigh, and her eyes are downcast when she continues, "Sometimes it's still hard to be home. He rarely spent time there since he began working downtown, but there were still traces of him left behind, so it feels empty being surrounded by his memories, you know? But I'm getting by, and I know I'll get used to it eventually."

You stand by her side, watching the party and the people around you enjoying themselves while biting your lips. Neither of you seems to know what to say as memories of Jinyoung come flashing by.

Tonight would be the first time you and Jinhee are seeing each other again after her brother's funeral and the wake. Once again, it feels odd to be in this position; to have her here with you, a part of your past, as she joins you in celebrating your next step into a new future.

"It must've surprised you to hear the news," you finally speak, "I know that it seems like things are happening so soon, but—"

"Oh, no! I mean, yes, it was a surprise. I've already heard rumours about your budding relationship through the grapevines but I never cared to call and confirm it. But I wasn't too shocked when I heard that you made it official with him," she teases you with a gentle voice, drawing a smile out of you. "But I totally understand."

She looks away with a sad smile on her face. "I always knew that you would eventually have to move on with your life, after all, and it's actually quite a relief to know that you are taking the chance to do so," she says as she turns to look at you again. "I'm glad that you can find the courage to move on. It wouldn't be fair to let you get stuck in the past."

The smile on her face looks warm when she gently adds, "And you look happy as well. It's obvious that he's helping you set yourself up for a more promising future, so I can't stop you from finding your happiness. And I know Jinyoung would understand too."

While her words sound reassuring, there is something about her comment which sticks with you.

Happy?

Happy.

After everything that has happened, the word seems so foreign to your ears. How long ago since the last time you ever felt such emotion? You cannot even remember the last time you ever felt any semblance of happiness.

But is that how everyone else sees you right now? Have you been playing your part so well that everyone can see how happy you are about planning your future with Yoongi right now?

You are not too sure if that seems to be the case at all, or if that is truly what Jinhee sees as she looks at you right now.

You're not entirely sure what to feel at this moment at all.

Deciding not to think too deeply about it, you shake away these thoughts and focus on what actually matters; the main reason why you had to make sure to be able to speak to Jinhee tonight.

"Jinhee, I've been meaning to ask you something. I was worried that I would sound insensitive if I had brought this up earlier, but—" You stop to gauge her reaction before continuing, "Did Jinyoung ever talk to you about his work or what he used to work on in the company? Had he ever mentioned if he was doing any side jobs aside from the responsibilities my father had passed onto his hands?"

"What do you mean with side jobs?" She tilts her head curiously when she asks, "Are you asking me if Jinyoung ever had any extra projects or work outside of the company?"

You nod. "Yes, that's what I was wondering. He used to tell you everything, so I wondered if he was more open with you about taking side projects than he would have with the boss' daughter."

Jinhee starts giggling. "Yeah, that makes sense," she says, "But I'm afraid I never heard anything about Jinyoung taking other jobs or doing stuff outside work. Yeah, he did tell me everything about his life, career, and dreams, just like how he told me about his secret crush on the boss' daughter."

She smiles when she sees you rolling your eyes, then she gently shakes her head. "I spent more time at the university due to my assignments last semester and the past few months before his accident. We only kept contact through phone calls and texts, and Jinyoung always made sure to not let his job or any problem he was facing at work get in the way of the time we had together. So aside from telling me how your Dad had kept him busy from time to time, I don't recall him mentioning anything else."

"Hmmm—I see," you answer with a sigh.

"I'm sorry I can't offer you much help," Jinhee says with an apologetic smile. "Is there something wrong? Why are you asking me this now?"

Forcing a smile, you merely shake your head. "No, it's nothing. It's just that I'll be the one unofficially taking over his place in the company until my father chooses someone else, so I'll have to continue most of the work that Jinyoung left behind. I was wondering if there were things that I'd need to look into while I'm at it, and I wondered if Jinyoung might have been working on something else on the side that none of us knew anything about."

Jinhee grins. "Well, good luck with that. You know what kind of a workaholic Jinyoung was. I wouldn't put past him for having smaller jobs on the side just to keep himself busy."

You join her when she laughs. "Tell me about it. That's why I wanted to make sure," you add with a sigh, before bringing up another matter which has been in your mind lately.

"Has your family made any decision on what to do with Jinyoung's apartment? Do you have any plans on selling the place now that he's gone?"

Jinhee makes a humming sound and shakes her head. "No, I don't think so. I don't think my parents even know what to do with it," she says with a bitter chuckle.

"Well, I still have the keys to the apartment, and I still have a ton of my belongings left behind," you begin to explain before asking, "Will be all right if I keep the place?"

Jinhee's eyes light up. "Actually, that would be a good idea. Jinyoung bought that apartment specifically for you to move in after the wedding, so it would only be right if you had it. Perhaps you can put it to better use than any of us would," she says with a smile, not realising the pinch of guilt that you feel inside for feeling like you are deceiving her.

But then she continues, "Our family had never gotten involved in any of Jinyoung's business or dealt with his properties, anyway. You can consider it as a last gift from Jinyoung, and us, to you."

She takes your hand with a small smile on her face which, for some reason, makes you feel even more uneasy. "If you agree to take it, I'll deal with my parents and let them know your decision. I can handle the paperworks too while I'm at it. I can drop everything along with the spare keys I still have to your office when I'm through with everything."

You return her smile and pat the back of her hand. "I feel bad for troubling you with all of this. But thank you. I really appreciate it."

You stay with her for a moment longer before you share one last hug as she bids her goodbye. "It's late, and I have to be back at the dorm soon. I'll call you when I have everything ready."

"I'll be waiting," you say to her. "We should meet up and have some coffee together whenever you are free."

After promising one last time to call, Jinhee turns to leave. You watch her as she makes her way to the exit, the skirt of her ballgown flares around her as she gracefully walks between the guests, and you find yourself admiring her. She looks so confident and brave for someone so young. And for someone who had just lost the person she was close to.

You turn away once Jinhee is gone from sight, hoping to return to your table for some drink. But then you see Yoongi, slipping between the guests and making his way towards a different exit across the dining hall.

He doesn't seem to notice you, being quite far away from him, and he doesn't seem to show any sign of stopping for anyone. Not even for the people greeting him with smiles on their faces.

You watch him slip away through the side door before you begin moving, following him from a distance. You keep your eyes on his retreating back so as not to lose sight of him. Yet as you encounter a group of guests who are eager to greet and congratulate you one last time, you eventually have to make a brief stop to respond to them kindly.

By the time you reach the side doors and find your way to the outer corridor, there is nothing welcoming you out here but silence. You have lost sight of Yoongi, who seems to have slipped into the darkness, leaving you and the party long behind.