•Lust of Innocence•

The sound of a fingernail tapping against the coffee mug was the only vacant noise that could be heard throughout the apartment. The brown-headed girl was in the middle of having an internal crisis of her own as she stared at her phone in a contemplative manner while gripping her cup of coffee. Nari was in a state of uncontrollable reluctance. She was having a mental battle of whether she should call Jimin to confirm the time of pick up for the following day or to just leave it be and hope for the best. Sighing in frustration, she placed the mug down on the glass table and grabbed her phone, glaring at the dark screen. Words of motivation crossed her mind multiple times, for she needed encouragement to make this single phone call. Nari was painfully close to pressing the home button, but something was painted in her mind that made her slouch in defeat and place the device back on the couch.

She assumed that he was probably working due to the time of night and she did not have any intentions of interrupting him. However, the event was the next day and she didn't want him to arrive at the wrong time. Placing one of the couch cushions on her face, she let out a muffled scream to ease the growing anger at herself that was beginning to invade her emotions. Removing the pillow after a few seconds and placing it back on the sofa, Nari picked up the phone and brought up his contact name. Her thumb hovered over the call icon, but she managed to click it nonetheless and brought the device shakily to her ear.

Once she heard the first ring, the girl bit her lip in anxiousness and regretted ever making the call. She was startled when she heard loud music in the background and a subtle "hello." Nari gulped and quickly replied, "A-Ah, is this Jimin?"

No words were said for a few seconds and only the blaring music was present, but finally he exclaimed, "Nari? Is that you?" His loud tone made her wince, but she managed to suppress a stutter when she said, "Are you working?"

"What?" Jimin yelled into the phone. She rolled her eyes and clarified that he was indeed in the middle of work. Trying to raise her tone for him to hear, the brown-haired girl said, "Just text me when you're not busy!" She heard muffled movements in the background and sighed in relief when he replied, "I'll be on break soon!" He bid her a quick goodbye and the line went dead. Removing the phone from her ear, she grinned in satisfaction because the call wasn't as dreadful as she presumed it would have been.

•••

Nari was in full concentration mode as she was reviewing her notes from the anatomy lesson that was previously taught to her. Before she could continue on to the next section of the notes she had written, a familiar notification tone sounded from the device that was next to her. There was little to no hesitation when she grabbed the phone and swiped to open the text message.

Jimin: Hey, sorry about that. What's up? :)

Nari: I was just clarifying if you'll be able to pick me up at 5:30 for the reception?

Jimin: Of course. Do you want me to come earlier? ;)

She gave an expression of distaste at that comment. Nari couldn't tell if he was being flirtatious or just trying to be nice. Shrugging it off, she quickly typed in her reply.

Nari: No, 5:30 is okay.

Jimin: Great, see you then :)

The woman tilted her head and a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips at his reply. Realizing what she just did, she quickly wiped the grin from her face and plastered on a content expression. All Nari could do was question herself as to why that simple response gave her such subtle joy. Placing a hand on her forehead, she sighed and muttered, "I'm just tired. . ."

•••

They had all sat down in a circle, six women all together on the carpeted floor of a hotel room near the end of the evening. Laughter and bubbly singing within the group of girls made everything seem to draw back on Chae-Rin's mind. She watched them hug each other and have small meaningless arguments like the feeling of sisters being molded together in her companions. There was an entire line of memories from childish adventures and reckless behavior that was shared between these people around her. A tingling rush of that familiar adrenaline pumped through her body, and soon she felt a sudden pain being caught in her throat. She only pushed away the thought and continued to converse with her friends.

"Pass the chips and salsa, please." Each girl handed out snacks and beverages to one another, small "thank you's" were being exchanged as they became comfortable laying around on the ground lazily as all groups of girls did at sleepovers.

"So Nari," one of them spoke out while munching on a chocolate bar, "How's your new boyfriend holding up?"

The brunette that was mentioned had coughed violently beside her, patting her chest to be rid of the leftover food in her throat. Her face burned crimson as she shook her head in reply, "E-Excuse me? There's absolutely no way I have a boyfriend."

Chae-Rin smirked from the other side of the circle, her eyes glimmering with passion as she began to tease her best friend by ruffling her hair and side-hugging her to shush the girl. "Aishhh, Don't lie. I totally hooked him up with you. Tomorrow is when you'll finally have a date that isn't a limited edition, collectible cardboard cut-out, life-sized celebrity in your bedroom closet!" She clapped her hands together playfully. She then plops a candy in her mouth and shivered dramatically, "Lord knows that those were your most desperate times..."

"Shut up," Nari was flustered and annoyed, but chose not to whine and make a big scene out of the situation. "Its not like I asked for him to come."

"I know, which is why I invited him!" A burst of laughter emitted from the bridesmaids, Nari still in a state of defense mode as she moved on to binge on the bag of chips laid out before her. The night continued on with gossip and reminders of their adventurous past, the food soon running out and the space was now holding excited whispers of "Goodnight" and "See you tomorrow, queen!" from the group. As they were getting up to go to their own reserved bedrooms, Chae-Rin pulls on Nari's arm from the under the covers. Her eyes dulled and watery, she murmured a soft "Stay."

"For goodness' sake, you're an adult. I'm sure you can sleep by yourself." The younger girl released her arm from her friend's grip. Chae-Rin, however, didn't give up easily, "Dude...I just need you to listen to me for once. Please?"

The brunette watched as the elder's expression darkened with sadness, a sympathetic aura urged her to comply. With a deep sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair and nudged the girl to scoot over onto the other side. Turning off the light on the nightstand beside the bed, she made herself comfortable under the blankets and there was concern buzzing in her mind about the unusual seriousness in her friend's attitude. But when Chae-Rin spoke, she regretted ever agreeing to lay down with her in the first place.

"I don't want to get married."

Nari instantly sat up on the mattress and furrowed her brows at the girl in the new shade of darkness that surrounded them. The black-haired woman adjusted herself to face the younger one, small drops of tears sliding over her nose. She grabbed her arm and pulled her back to lay down correctly, clearing her throat and sniffing. Nari couldn't believe what she just heard and nor did she want to. Her eyes tried to search for an answer within this now unlit room. She gritted her teeth, "What do you mean? The wedding is tomorrow, Chae-Rin!" She whispered, "Why are you changing your mind now?!"

The latter, unaffected by the anger, slightly shrugged, "Just think of how much I'm going to miss being able to break up with him numerous times and come back like nothing ever happened between us. We both argue over the silliest of things and now that we are getting married, it's harder for me to imagine us fighting and not being able to simply split without any damage being done. We could even go days without communication and imagining the distance is so terrifying. You know I'm the worst person at commitment and I would hate to hurt him if I mess things up like I always do."

It was typical to think such a way for a bride right before her big wedding day. She's stressed out and has to deal with different opinions from her family and friends, and even be on the same terms as her fiancé in that matter. She drowned in her own nervousness and the distressed scenarios in her head that dared to ruin her if she made the slightest mistake. Her thoughts were jumbled with an imagination of a depressing and lonely marriage, one that was impossible to fix and a love so disordered that it could make her go internally insane for her husband. And no one was brought to the attention about those heart-clenching feelings haunting her mind except for the lady herself. Nari had to take that realization to the deepest of her consideration and finally nodded slowly to calm her surprised reaction.

She exhales, "Alright, I understand. But before we go out and let everyone know...I have one last question just to make sure that you are really on board with your decision," she pauses for a few seconds. Chae-Rin was practically already set in her mind that she wanted this, but Nari still needed that confirmation that her best friend was truly ready for it.

"You must be honest with me - and I mean the cheesy, brutal, forever loyal kind of honesty," The brunette ordered. The elder sighed and locked their arms together in signal that she was prepared to answer. Nari continued, almost hesitating to mention the first sentence she had been willing to say. "The night that your brother had passed away in the tsunami case when he had traveled to Japan, I just want to ask you who was the one who took care of you while your parents went off to get him and how did they do it?"

Chae-Rin was utterly silent for a good five minutes, but her companion waited patiently. The girl finally had enough courage to speak after recollecting all the beautiful memories behind all the chaotic sadness that had destroyed her family for months. "Min Ho and I had been dating for a solid week, taking things slow and nicely unlike my other relationships in the past. He was over at my house just visiting on the night we got the call," she gulped, patting her chest to get rid of any unnecessary coughing, "And my parents ran out the door cursing the world while I was too busy crying to realize at that time that he had decided to make me food and comfort me as I let all the tears out. It was raining for days and there was no response from my family when they left me at home, but he stayed put. I shoved him away from me many times so harshly, and yet he would sit in the corner of the room for hours with blankets and snacks waiting for me until I gave in."

Nari smiled, "That's really sweet of him, don't you think? I mean, surely no other guy would be able to tolerate that mess of a person you are. Losing someone that precious is like losing your brother again. He means too much to you to just brush off that easily. But it's your decision and I will not pressure you like many other people would. As your best friend, I'll end this with a good night and that I love you," With that as the last words of the conversation, the brunette snuggled back into the covers and hugged Chae-Rin's arm despite how unresponsive the other was at the moment.

Before anyone even knew, the bright early morning sun had risen. When Nari woke to no one beside her, she was settled with the thought that the bride had staged a runaway princess scene, but she heard a whimper from the large closet across the room. The woman sat up with her messy hair and sore muscles, eyes that could barely open to see that there had been clothes and hair products scattered along the floor. She groggily slid herself off the bed and carefully wobbled over all the stuff, seeing a struggling half-naked woman before her trying to put on a white corset.

Chae-Rin felt Nari's presence behind her, turning around and blowing her dark hair away from her face. "Don't just stand there, you meanie. Help me get this damn thing on so I can get the dress zipped up before the girls come in here!"

The latter cheekily grinned, happily following the bride's orders.

•••

The woman narrowed her dark eyes at her reflection. The mirror showed her whole figure; her short legs, the black dress with lace sleeves that fit so slimly on Nari revealing slight curves that she didn't realize she had until now, and the slightest bit of cleavage that she tried to hide by awkwardly pulling the dress up. Her brown hair was up with her bangs curled and down to the side of her face, not too much makeup so that it would enhance her features without looking caked. She had just gotten ready in different clothing since she had returned back from the wedding ceremony earlier that morning. She wanted to dress more comfortably now that she'd be on her way to the reception soon.

Taking a peek at the wall clock nearby, her eyes widened at the time. If he wasn't late, Jimin would be arriving in five minutes. She felt beads of sweat beginning to form on her forehead, causing her to grab a white hand towel and dab the moisture away. The last thing the girl wanted was to have her makeup smear off.

Was it normal to be this nervous? Nari could already feel anxiety rising from the deepest core of her emotions. Her mouth suddenly felt dry at the mere thought of her date. She couldn't pin point the exact reason for her unexpected reaction from thinking about the handsome man that suddenly accepted attending a wedding with her even though they barely knew each other, but she was nearly in shambles. Nari was immensely conflicted at the cause of this sudden internal panic. Was it perhaps because his occupation wasn't exactly the kind she expected herself to be associated with? Or maybe because he is undeniably attractive in every way possible and she was just nervous to be in the presence of someone like that?

A knock on the door made her slightly jump. Letting a sigh escape from between her lips, Nari muttered words of encouragement at herself and gave one last glance at the mirror, scanning herself up and down for any sudden imperfections. Gulping, she patted her hair and maintaining a cool composure, the brown-headed woman walked to the door and didn't hesitate to open it. Her eyes slightly widened in awe at the man who stood before her.

With his hands in his pockets, he turned to her from the sound of the door. Jimin wore a black suit and a matching bow tie that seemed to fit him and his character so beyond perfectly that it was impossible to tell he wasn't a rich man. His orange hair was slicked back, showing every part of his unblemished face, especially his sharp jawline and features that seemed to lack any flaws. He looked incredibly handsome and Nari couldn't help but feel like she shouldn't even be seen with someone as good-looking and alluring as him.

A grin gracefully appeared on his expression as he innocently eyed her up and down, taking in her perfect attire and admiring how she looked. His voice was soft and gentle when he snapped her out of her day dream, "You look great." Those three simple words made her cheeks flush a bright shade of red as she muttered a "thanks, you too," and tried not to stare at him for too long.

Nari quickly locked the door and turned back to him, trying to give a respectful smile to acknowledge him properly. She didn't hesitate to notice the bright expression that appeared on his face, his eye smile hard to miss when he said, "Are you ready to go?" Jimin motioned with his hand as if to say "after you," and she nodded, walking in front of the man. About to reach for the door handle, the girl stopped herself when he swiftly took ahold of it and opened it for her, causing Nari to be impressed by his gentleman-like manner. She bowed her head politely and entered the vehicle. After a few seconds, Jimin stepped into the car himself and started the engine.

The first couple minutes of the ride were painfully awkward, an uncomfortable aura causing tension to roam the air. The woman looked out the passenger window as she watched the buildings go by while the orange-haired man stole a few side glances at her, tapping the steering wheel with his thumb anxiously. Clearing his throat, Jimin quietly asked, "Music?" And Nari turned to him while nodding, glad that there would be something to distract her screaming thoughts.

She watched as he clicked a single button and immediately an angelic voice sounded through the speakers of the car. Jimin immediately stiffened in panic and was about to quickly change it until her soft voice stopped him when she said, "No, keep it here. This song is. . . Wow." Nari didn't know how to describe it. The voice in the song was a man who had a high-pitched but soft melody. He sang so beautifully that she didn't think it could get any better until a sudden high note made her perk up in astonishment. She believed this was a voice that could only be heard in heaven.

"D-Do you like it?" He expectantly stuttered, but she ignored it. Nari sighed in disbelief at the beauty of the track when she replied, "It's amazing. . . Who is this?" The man next to her pursed his lips in contemplation at the question before responding, "Just some guy," she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes in relaxation, focusing on the harmonious melody. Jimin noticed this and let a small smile approach his lips.

•••

The walls, coated with pearl-white paint and glittery curtains draped across the ceiling had made the large reception hall seem like a snow-palace. The tables covered with a pale silky spread and matching chairs equivalent to the scenery being displayed. Everything really looked like a world full of classic white decorations to fulfill the feeling of pure innocence and a hint of glittering light for the representation of love being in the air. A simple color, yet holding a meaning of many small details within its form.

To make the place less boring, as Chae-Rin is a woman who loves a tad of magic, she added her fair share of glimmering gold balloons and party favors to complete the scene and that was how Nari had noticed it when first making her way in. Her eyes widened at all of the expensive-looking dishes and glasses of high-end champagne being served to guests sitting down in their assigned seats. Because she had helped coordinate the guest list, she led an amazed Jimin over to a three-seated table with their names cursively drawn onto a card on top of their chairs. The gentleman didn't hesitate to pull out her chair and smile sweetly as she accepted his gesture. The two were taking in the beauty of the wide room, wondering how much it had all costed the couple to arrange the décor.

Nari in particular had seen the bridesmaids huddled together at a different table across from them, whispering and gushing over her overly handsome date that had attended the reception with her. The brunette tried her best not to scoff and proceeded to initiate a conversation to make the best out of the evening. With all the cheesy classical piano music playing loudly in the background and the families of both sides of the newlyweds laughing at memories of their younger days, the aura had been a long ponderous air that held nothing but silent thoughts.

Nari took note of how Jimin's face was full of blandness as he had still been taking in the large space they were currently sitting in, and she leaned closer at his side to speak over the music which had drastically began to play pop genres out of nowhere. "You must be used to luxury, huh?"

The orange-haired man snapped out of his hazy thoughts and glanced at the woman beside him to confirm that she was the one speaking so suddenly, "Me? Well no, not really..." he awkwardly shifted himself to sit properly and adjust his bow tie, "I don't hang out in fancy places like this."

"Really? From what I can perceive, you get a lot of money thrown at you every night and I'm pretty positive that entertainers spend that on expensive luxury for themselves," Nari had some disbelief written over her expression as she shrugged his reply off quickly without giving it a second thought. Jimin pressed his lips together at the stinging sensation burning in his chest, almost as if he had been directly hit by her snide comment. He continued to leave it be, for the layers of forgiveness that laid within his heart had pushed his mind to make it ineffective for the time being.

The small talk between the two was not as time consuming as Nari had hoped it would be, due to her lacking the tolerance for the eerie awkwardness that tended to associate itself between her and Jimin. As the reception continued to run smoothly and delightfully, the brown-headed girl and her date would glance at the couples letting loose and clearly having a good time, causing a feeling of envy to invade Jimin's emotions. During their occasional moments of silence, he would take quick glances at the girl, worried that he wasn't pleasing her.

The trendy pop music that blared throughout the area was replaced by a new track; it was slow, yet had an instrumental tone that portrayed an intense feeling, but was perfect for lowering the vibrant aura that seemed to have consumed the duration of the reception. The couples dispersed themselves into twos, dancing slowly and delicately to match the vibe of the music. It was an obvious slow dance and Nari caught site of the bride and the groom. Her best friend had a wide grin on her face as she giggled with her husband and the two seemed to look so infatuated with one another while they held onto each other and swayed to the music. Nari smiled to herself, for she knew Chae-Rin made the right choice to marry the only man she has ever been in love with.

Jimin cleared his throat, which caused the woman to turn to him questionably. His expression was hesitant when he asked, "Should we dance?" The brown-headed girl took another glance at the couples and gulped when she reluctantly nodded her head in approval. His face looked animated, pleased with her response when he took her hand and slowly led her to the dance floor. Nari didn't even ignore the winks and satisfied looks her fellow bridesmaids and friends gave her and she playfully glared at them in response.

He turned to her and his once lively face contorted into an unsure one. She took notice of him looking at the couples, wondering what he should do next. Nari snorted a bit before asking, "Need help?" She could tell he was flustered with embarrassment when he put his hand on his forehead in irritation at himself and sheepishly nodded. The woman took his hand in hers and put her other on his shoulder, looking up at him and saying, "Now put your hand on my hip." Jimin slowly listened to her guidance. Even though she gave him consent to touch her, Nari was still startled by his touch. She was very taken aback by his hesitance to even dance with her this way, especially since he has done a lot more for his job.

Jimin was content with what was happening. He liked having the girl close to him like this. When he danced at the club, it was close and too intimate for his liking and it was for women he didn't necessarily enjoy being around. They were slowly dancing gracefully and sequentially, but he would sometimes lose his footing and tilt his head down in embarrassment. Nari was baffled at his inability to slow dance and in the middle of the song, made the conscious decision to ask, "Have you ever done this before?" He looked down at her and bit his lip, shaking his head awkwardly which earned a wide-eyed expression from his date.

They kept their close proximity with one another when his voice trailed as he said, "This type of thing is foreign to me." The song was over right after he said that and they detached themselves from each other. Quite a few couples left the dance floor to take a break and the two followed suit. On the way back to their secluded table, Nari chuckled, "That was very surprising." Confused by her sudden comment, he rose an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

She couldn't believe he was so clueless by her statement. Being the gentleman he is, Jimin pulled the chair out for her to sit down on like he did earlier, but as she took her seat, Nari replied, "I would have assumed a stripper like yourself would at least know how to slow dance." The feeling that overtook the man was worse than a thousand needles piercing through his skin. Her response caused anger to boil in him that he didn't know he had. Clenching his fist, the orange-haired man could feel his face heating up when he harshly said, "Are you done?" Nari glanced up at him from her seated position and was startled by his change of attitude. The smiley man that she had spent the last couple hours with was replaced by a side of him she had never seen before. He was glaring at her and it caused her to gulp, "I-It's just that you're an exotic performer and I just thought-"

"A stripper; is that all you think of me as?" The question made Nari's mind go blank. She didn't know how to respond and she knew that her wording was crucial and that she had to be careful. The girl knew that she had just made a terrible mistake, but she was clueless as to what to say to him. He looked up in irritation and smiled negatively in disbelief as he said, "Unbelievable. . ." He couldn't even look at her without feeling ashamed, but he urged himself to and narrowed his eyes at her, "I truly thought that of everyone I met, you would be the one person that is mature about the work that I do, but it seems I have misunderstood."

"Jimin-" He cut her off when he rubbed the back of his neck and said, "This was all a mistake. I'm gonna go." Nari could feel regret bubbling in her emotions as she watched him grab his glass of champagne that only had a small amount of the liquid substance and he gulped down the remaining alcohol and slammed it back down on the table, "Have one of your friends drive you home." She was so speechless and didn't know what to say. He glanced at her one last time and turned to take his leave, but stopped mid-way when he tilted his head towards her and said with harshness laced in his tone, "Oh and just so you know," Jimin started, staring at Nari with a displeased expression, "Entertainment is my job, not my life."

He didn't stop once more as he walked away, leaving the girl to stare at his back as his figure distanced itself from her. Nari knew she messed up and that she ruined the entire supposed date that they had. She had misjudged him ever since she laid her dark eyes on him. . . and she began to hate herself for it.

•Lust of Innocence•

~Hello everyone :) We apologize for the long delay, but school has been a pain in the ass for the both of us, so we hope you understand.

~Hiya! As Kat has mentioned, we have been busy recently and lacked on keeping the updates on schedule, but we do appreciate everyone reading the chapter and we'd like to hear about your thoughts on it! Thank you very much and we'll see ya in the next update! ^.^