Dance Connection (Eunhyuk x Reader)

Chapter 27

Seoyeon was quietly having her lunch in the cafeteria. Her eyes were reflecting sleeplessness, and her face a broken heart. But she was a professional and had taken her time off. Now, she needed to return to work, even if it meant facing the one person she didn't want to see.

She slurped on her noodles, sitting by herself as she checked her emails on the phone. 'I have a lot to catch up on, damn.' She kept on scrolling when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see who it was. No one. She looked around and saw no one. Shrugging, she turned back to face her food when she saw Eunhyuk sitting in front of her. 

"Shit." "SHIT!? That's your way of saying 'hi' these days?" he exclaimed. She didn't want to see him; she was already sitting next to him and having difficulty focusing on work. 'What more does he need from me??' her insides shouted. However, she remained calm. "Sorry, you startled me. That's all." She continued to eat food. Eunhyuk didn't say anything. He waited for her to finish eating and keep her plate. Then, he finally said, "We need to talk." Seoyeon's heart stopped. Talking was the last thing she wanted to do with him. She tried to maintain her distance as much as possible, but clearly, he wasn't letting that happen. "What about?" "Not here. Let's go to the rooftop." Seoyeon apprehended, "No, no, here is fine." Eunhyuk turned and glared. "Seoyeonaa, you have been avoiding me for a week and are not listening to me. Please don't refuse, or I will grab your hand and take you. I don't care if it creates a scene in the office." Seoyeon got scared. "Fine, fine, I am coming with you. Let's go." "Okay."

Eunhyuk and Seoyeon looked for an isolated corner on the rooftop and stood there. She turned and said, "Tell me." Eunhyuk became agitated. "YOU tell me. What has been wrong with you?" Seoyeon didn't look into his questioning eyes; she didn't want to cry. She focused her attention on the view of the sky. "Nothing is wrong with me. I just needed a break." Eunhyuk brought his hand to her cheek and turned her face to look into his eyes. "Seoyeonaa, something is going on, and I can sense it. I have not seen or heard from you since that morning in the practice room." He had worry in his eyes as he brought his hands on her shoulders. "You know how worried I have been?" Seoyeon removed his hands from her shoulders and walked a few steps away from him. "You shouldn't have been. I don't think your girlfriend will like that." Eunhyuk was getting more and more agitated by her words. "What girlfriend, Seoyeonaa? You know as well as I do that I don't have any girlfriend." She chuckled sarcastically, "Please. Who are you trying to fool? I saw you kissing in the practice room, as clear as day. Remember?" He couldn't take it anymore. "Seoyeonaa, what kind of a person do you think I am??" "I don't know what kind of a person you are anymore, Hyuk!" she had tears in her eyes. "I thought of you as someone else, but I don't know anymore." Tears were now streaming down her eyes. He wiped her tears and hugged her. "Hyuk, let me go." "NO, you listen to me." He held her face close to his chest with one hand, and the other trapped her body next to his. "Jieun came that day, and she kissed me, yes. But I guess you couldn't hear what I said." He brought her face in front of his, clasped in his palms. "I told her that that was the last kiss from me - a goodbye kiss." Seoyeon was struggling with her emotions. "What about the cafe, then? Why were you there with her then if that was a goodbye kiss!?" Tears were not stopping from her eyes. The dam had broken. "She had called to meet me one last time. I broke up with her, so I felt the least I could do was just meet for one last time. When you saw me at the counter, that was me leaving her because I was done with her and could not take it anymore." Seoyeon looked at him as he wiped her tears. "There is nothing else that is between Jieun and me. We are over, for good. We have been, even before I met you. Even if she comes back, I am not going back to her. Okay?" He held her face and looked into her eyes. "I don't know what to believe." She was breaking, and he was feeling helpless. He tried to calm down and talk gently. "That's okay. I am here, and I am not going anywhere. Take your time, but ask me anything that comes to your mind. Don't leave me like that. Please." This time, his voice was pleading.

"Let's go back to the floor, it has been quite some time, and people must be wondering," Seoyeon said. Eunhyuk let go of her and stepped back a little. "Sure, go ahead. I will come back in a few minutes." "Okay," Seoyeon started walking away. "Oh, Seoyeonaa?" She turned. "Yeah?" "I am dropping you home tonight, and I am not taking 'no' for an answer." Seoyeon fell silent for a few seconds. "Okay."

Seoyeon worked late that day, hoping that Eunhyuk would give up and leave for his home or class. But he didn't. He lingered around working or talking to colleagues. At 9 pm, she gave up and started packing her things. "Ready to go?" "I guess there is no escaping, huh?" "Nope. I am taking you home. Come on." Seoyeon quietly followed Eunhyuk to the car.

The drive was silent. 'Growing pains' kept on playing on the player. Seoyeon was looking out of the window, and Eunhyuk was driving. Some stolen gazes were all the consolation that each had to console their spirits. They finally arrived at the destination - Seoyeon's apartment. Eunhyuk, however, passed it. "We missed my place!" Eunhyuk was stern. "I know." He pulled over at a less-lit corner near the apartments and stopped the car. Seoyeon reached for the door lock, but Eunhyuk locked it. Seoyeon looked at him, "What??" "You still don't believe me?" Seoyeon sat back into position. "I want to, Hyuk, I really do. But, I am scared of being hurt again." "Look at me." Seoyeon twisted and looked him in the eyes. "Why did you get hurt?" his eyes looked at her as if he had caught her bluff. "Uhh, I mean, I was hurt because I thought of you as someone else, but you turned out to be someone else. You know?" Seoyeon was trying not to meet his eyes now. "So, even if I had got back with Jieun, which I clearly didn't, why were you hurt? Why should that change your view of me?" Seoyeon was panicking inside. He was probing her, and she didn't know how to respond. Eunhyuk looked at her face - his suspicion was correct. He bent to get something from the backseat of his car as Seoyeon looked at him, surprised. "Here," he gave her a wrapped box, "this is for you. I am performing this weekend at the same resort we went to on our team trip. There is this private party, and if you believe me, I would really want you to be there. The invitation is in the box." Seoyeon just stared at the box and then him. "You don't need to answer now. Take your time; you have the whole week to decide. In any case, keep this as a gift from me." Seoyeon took the gift box from him apprehensively. "Thank you." "No, thank you." He bent forward and hugged her. "I really, really hope that you come." He broke the hug, and Seoyeon gave him a nervous smile. "I should go now." "Okay, have your dinner and get some sleep. You haven't been sleeping well, I can see." Seoyeon's nervous smile continued as she unlocked the door and got her bag. She turned from outside to look at him. "Good night." "Good night." He watched her as she walked away and drove off.

Seoyeon sat on the bed with the gift box. She looked at it nervously, took a deep breath, and started opening it carefully. When the wrapping was out of the way, she saw a white box with an invitation on top of it. She opened the invitation, 'You are cordially invited to...', she wasn't interested in the details. She kept it aside and focused on the box. She lifted the lid, and her eyes went wide. She lifted the fabric and revealed a beautiful, soft white dress. In the box, there was also a note. She quickly kept the dress on the side and opened the note.

'

I really hope that you come and wear this dress to the party. I will wait for you.

- Hyuk.

'

She didn't know how to react. She picked up the dress again and admired it. She tried it on and kept on looking at herself in the mirror. Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Eunhyuk.

'Do you like it?'

'Yes, I do. It is gorgeous and lovely, and it fits me perfectly.'

'I am glad.'

'How did you know my size, though?'

'I was in charge of dresses for the annual night.'

'Oh, yeah. Okay.'

'Now, change and get some sleep. You have five days to get rid of those eyebags. You need to look pretty for the party.'

'I never said I was coming.'

'I am still hoping that you do.'

'We will see. Good night, now.'

'Good night. Take care.'

Seoyeon kept her phone on the side stand and sat at the corner of the bed. She looked at the phone with smiling eyes, 'You don't need to convince me, Hyuk. I think I already am.'