Another Tale Of A Nine Tailed

Chapter 9: Dog on demand

Woo Bin said nothing and rocked him back and forth, like Chi Un did to calm him down before.

Yi Jeong couldn't stop crying and he started humming the melody of a song, that brought back his most treasured memory and he hoped somehow, it would help his friend to calm down and remember who he was.

It took a while, but Yi Jeong calmed down eventually and focused on the melody.
It brought him back to a day that was the most life-changing day he had ever experienced up until then.

-

It was 2028, Woo Bin and Yi Jeong seventeen at that time. It was late spring, the night of a school dance.
The first time ever, they had to dress up and attend an event like that.
A whole bunch of girls were inside, waiting for Yi Jeong to ask them to dance, but instead, he was sitting outside, on a bench in the school yard, hidden behind a tree where no one would find him right away.
For a while, he thought he was just shy or it just wasn't the right girl... But when a girl suddenly appeared and asked Woo Bin to dance and he agreed, he felt his whole world shatter into pieces.
It was a very sweet, shy girl and they looked amazing together on the dance-floor.
They often talked about the dance and asking a girl, but now that it was time to actually do it, Yi Jeong didn't want to. He hated himself for wanting that Woo Bin wouldn't want either. He wanted to support his best friend, but it hurt so much that he couldn't breathe.

„There you are..." a familiar, way too soft voice ripped him out of his thoughts.

„Woo Bin-Ah.... Why are you not inside, dancing..? Yi Jeong asked quietly, trying not to tear up.

„Because I couldn't find you.. Are you okay?" Woo Bin sat down next to him and he forced a smile.
„I am. You should go back to that girl. She seems nice."

„Yeah, well... She's sweet but not my type." Woo Bin mumbled and suddenly, it clicked. „Oh boy...I hope she's not the one you wanted to..."

„No!" Yi Jeong interrupted. „No.. I.. I don't wanna dance at all. But you should go back and have fun. Please don't make me the one who ruined it for you."

Now Woo Bin laughed. „You never could be, I promise. She was kind and I didn't want to disappoint her having the courage to ask me. Without you it's not fun anyway."

„But why did you dance with her, then? You're usually not the type who cares about other people's feelings if you don't care for them."

„Because you looked a bit lost and I thought when I dance, it might encourage you. I know you were looking forward to this. You checked those dance lesson pamphlets, you dressed up like a fairytale prince..." Woo Bin smiled and nudged him with his elbow.

„Well... I guess it's not fun when you can't dance with the right person.."

„Yeah... I know how you feel. But you could at least try to have some fun anyway, until the right girl comes around. There's a whole line-up, waiting for you."

Yi Jeong dropped his gaze and played with his fingers. „What.." he took a shaky breath, „What if I don't want to dance with a girl.. at all."

„Who do you wanna dance with?" Woo Bin asked, sounding nervous now, too.

Yi Jeong wasn't answering nor looking at his friend and Woo Bin stood up.

„Yi Jeong.." he said and Yi Jeong looked up. „Maybe I'm making a fool out of myself now, but... Do you wanna dance with.. me?" he offered him a shaky hand and looked at his friend with hope and fear in his eyes.

Yi Jeong didn't know how to react. Was this really happening? Was Woo Bin making fun of him? But he knew his friend. This look on his face... he was serious. And he was scared.