Before We Fall In Love

Chapter 1: First dare

"Waeyo?" she asked with a frown.

"Because I'm not a kid anymore?"

'And I'm a celebrity now.' He mentally added that.

"Oh. Well for me all my life I have been this pristine, good girl who does everything she is supposed to. Don't get me wrong, I love my life and job but it gets too comfortable sometimes. I don't want to be that girl who does what everyone expects her to anymore. I want to take risks, live in the moment. Why should you settle down? Being matured doesn't mean you can't have fun and take risks," she explained, pausing to look at the charming man before her, seeing his features light up with interest.

"Are you sure you aren't just saying this because you've numbed your rational thinking with alcohol?" He laughed lightly as she lolled her head from side to side in disagreement; evidence enough that the alcohol was having some effect.

"Not a chance, I know too well my alcohol." She pointed her index finger into the air to make her point before crashing it down against the bar once more. "Geunyang.. I just want to feel free! I need to take a leap, go crazy. Sure we're celebrities but we're human first, so why should people dictate our lives, you know?"

"I think you might be right." He smiled a little as he watched her nod with confidence before smile triumphantly.

"I'm always right, Nam Joohyuk. You're a quick learner." She teased.

"You are something else, Bae Suzy." He pondered his compliment as she smiled.

"How about it? I know we are two strangers and this probably sounds crazy but let's take a risk."

"What did you have in mind?" He eyed her curiously.

Suzy really was magnificent. Joohyuk had never met anyone like her, he made him want to do anything, be anything and he knew right now that whatever she propositioned him, he would take it without hesitation, commitments and responsibilities be damned.

"A game of dares. We dare one another, no matter what it is; we accept game or no game. Each time a game is set we exchange a piece of insurance that we will keep our promise. Do you have anything we could use, something significant maybe?"

Frowning, Joohyuk poked around his pockets but unable to find anything, his eyes landed upon his pinky ring. Slipping it off without hesitation, he placed it on the bar between them.

"It looks important?" Suzy frowned at his sentiment as it sat on the bar before them.

"It was my halabeojis," he admitted, looking away from her at the point.

She could feel the tension between and knew as he rubbed his little finger subconsciously that this was exactly what they needed. Part of her was curious to ask about his past tense statement but the wall he was now standing behind told her that it was not her place. Not right now.

Changing the mood around as quickly as it had turned, Suzy spoke again, more enthusiastically this time.

"Perfect. Once you accept, there is no backing out. No matter how long or short, good or bad the dare. Are you capable or aren't you? Game or no game."

Like a bee to honey he was caught. Sliding the ring across the bar towards her hands, the game had begun.

"Go over to my date and make an excuse why I will be leaving with you this evening. Game?" Joohyuk raised his eyebrows in challenge as Suzy smirked and stood, slipping the ring on her index finger as she went.

"Kol," she responded easily, walking with a sway in her hips as she sauntered over to her table.

As Joohyuk watched Suzy leave, he moved across the bar casually to see her fulfill her dare, smiling with satisfaction as she did so.

"Excuse me. Joohyuk-ssi wanted me to tell you that he won't be able to finish this date, primarily due to the fact that he doesn't generally go for blind dates. Oh and secondly because he will be leaving with me." Suzy smiled awkwardly, accepting the abuse she was given by the lady before sauntering away from a flustered looking vixen and back towards Joohyuk.

Joohyuk smiled in amusement as Suzy's date sat bewildered a few tables away.

Soon enough she was next to him again and without warning, she had slipped his ring off her index finger and back into his hand, her fingers linking with his momentarily as they both felt a spark ignite at their touch.

Whispering in his ear with a mischievous smile, Suzy spoke. "Let my date down gently, won't you? Game?"

Pushing himself off the bar, he didn't need to be told twice as he strutted towards the well dressed man sat at Suzy's table.

"Excuse me, Suzy-ssi wanting me to let you know that this date will not be continuing because although she has had a lovely evening so far, she noticed you had rather small hands and well, you know what they say about small hands." Joohyuk clenched his teeth with an awkward shrug before continuing.

"Don't worry the young, vixen lady on the next table is looking for a replacement date and you may just meet the requirements." Joohyuk nodded before finally adding his goodbyes. "Do have a good."

The smirked on his face a he shook his head was enough to make her laugh into her martini glass.

"What did you say to the poor guy?" She laughed, supping her martini with appreciation as Joohyuk came to stand in front of her as she perched against her bar stool.

"Oh, just that he has femininely small hands." He shrugged in a rugged tone as a smirk started to grace his perfect lips.

As he watched her lips turned into an 'o' before breaking into a small but curious laugh.

"I'm intrigued why you would assume his little problem would have any effect on my satisfaction." The words had playfully slipped from her teasing lips before she could stop herself and when she wasn't expecting it, he leaned in close so his lips were dangerously close to the shell of her ear before speaking.

"Because you are Bae Suzy and you don't deserve anything less," he drawled suggestively in a low tone which sent chills down her skin. His breath on her neck elicited her to close her eyes tightly.

When he pulled away, he smirked in appreciation to the obvious effect he had on her. As she slowly opened her eyes, she quickly straightened herself.

"Touché."

She didn't want to give him that satisfaction of a complete confirmation so instead she opted for an indirect response which he seemed to take easily.

"I'm glad I meet your new seal of approval. Now did we make these excuses for a reason or are we going to sit here all night?" he asked, once again slipping the ring from his finger. "Let's get out of here?"

"Where?" She paused for a moment, contemplating his request as he presented the ring to her in between his index finger and thumb.

"Anywhere," he shot back in a whisper as he smirked at the glimmer starting to show in her curious eyes.

"What if someone sees us? Aren't you afraid of tomorrow's possible headlines?" She shrugged as she watched his expression change into a playfully, dangerous smirk.

"'Suzy and Nam Joohyuk spotted walking.' - how's that for a headline?" He offered honestly as he allowed her to catch his gaze.

She was lost in his eyes. What she saw told her she could trust him. She saw a burning desire in his eyes that matched hers, like fate had drawn them together and now more than ever, she needed to take the leap. Jump.

Finally, Joohyuk broke the silence, blinking her out of her reverie. "Game?"

"Kol." She smiled confidentially, presenting him with her index finger.

Allowing him to grasp her hand in his, she took pleasure in watching him slip the gold ring onto her finger as tingles of electricity shot through their bodies.

He smirked once more, offering her his arm before they departed together.