Dasom blushes and covers her eyes to avoid showing him tears this time. She wants to be strong and powerful, not overwhelmed. She turns her head away, embarrassed. He steps closer, to try to see her and reassure her. He doesn't want to let this moment pass. He wants her to understand exactly what he's done so they can have this chance to be together.
"You are safe with me, I promise. I'll make sure everything is ok." He looks at her with concern as she avoids his gaze. "No one can control you." She pulls farther back from him and he is forced to release her, worried he's gone too far, said too much, too soon. He doesn't want to remind her of the danger he thinks she may be in, he wants her to see him and feel comfort and security. She pauses a moment and then turns back to him, a new look, more determined and in control, almost challenging him with her stare.
"You're here to dance with me?" she asks with a wry smile, as if all the worry and sadness was removed from her. She boldly steps closer to him, and moves into position. She stands in front of him, her arms outstretched in an invitation. He looks around him, somewhat confused by her sudden change.
"There is no music," he reasons. She waves off the idea, dismissing it.
"First rehearsals rarely have music, the first moment together as a company is a chance to get to know each other as dancers, a sort of pas de deux, improvised." She smiles at him warmly and it erases his worries. He laughs as he takes hold of her tiny hand. He bows to her, to begin the dance.
She moves close to him, pausing for a beat, and then steps back, setting the tempo almost of a waltz. He smiles, enchanted by her as she keeps his gaze, capturing his attention with a demure smile, and the sparkle in her eye. He feels strong, he feels ready, and he moves with her, allowing her to lead, but supporting her as she spins around him like a delicate butterfly, teasing him with her grazing touch.
"You're so light," he whispers when she moves closer to him. "It feels like you're floating." He watches her absorb his compliment, and lift herself up to spin around several times in pirouette. He claps for her and she pauses and bows to him. "You're amazing!" He can't contain his approval.
"I don't even have my shoes on yet," she feigns embarassment and brushes off the compliment. She looks down at his leg, noticing something is different.
"You aren't wearing the brace, I hope that wasn't too much." She steps closer to him, as if to comfort him. He shakes his head to reassure her.
"I've been given permission by my physiotherapist to dance without the brace. I've come a long way since my injury." He almost whispers, and the term 'injury' seems to stick in his throat. She notices, but still has some doubt.
"You seem ready, but it's our first day together. We can go easy," she offers and it reminds him of something.
"Is there another room we can go to, to talk, alone?" He looks around the stage, remembering being caught here before with Dasom.
She smiles and nods, remembering the dressing room right off the stage where she first met him. She takes his hand and pulls him along behind her toward the room. Lim Subin is standing at the podium where Jimin first saw him, and he blushes, embarrassed to seem to be eavesdropping on them. Dasom ignores this.
"Subinah, is it alright if I use this dressing room?" she asks, and he nods, and busily shuffles some papers left over at the podium.
"It still is your dressing room. Let me know if you need anything, I'll be in my office." He excuses himself and disappears down the corridor.
Jimin follows Dasom inside the now empty room. He looks around the space, devoid of anything that once made it Dasom's. The walls are bare, the counters empty and the flowers have long since been removed. All that remains are the velvet cushioned chairs, now lined up along the wall as if waiting for visitors to return to them. Dasom shuts the door, closing them inside the dressing room. She turns to him, motioning for him to take a seat. She glides into a seat beside him and turns to him, with a very serious look on her face.
"I understand what you and Subin ssi have done for me. I know the contract is not real, but it gives me a chance to get out of that house. I know it's because of you that I can be here today." Jimin smiles softly at her, noticing the blush of her smooth skin. He can't stop himself from reaching his hand up and brushing his fingertip over her soft cheek.
"I did it for us, Dasomah. Why are you living with your Father? Don't you have your own apartment?" She looks down, as if ashamed, and she nods quickly.
"I do, I have an apartment. I haven't lived with him for years."
"Then why now? Why is he controlling you?" Dasom realizes there is far too much history to relate to Jimin now. Anything she tells him might just make him wish he'd run off sooner. They haven't even had their first date, and these are stories for much later.
"Jiminssi," she suddenly grows more formal and he realizes he might be asking too much from her. "I have a difficult relationship with my Father. I, I didn't even consider I had any family left really."
"Then why now? Is it because of me?" Jimin remembers her Father's warnings at the restaurant. "Does he think I'll hurt you somehow, because I swear I will never let anyone hurt you." He promises with his whole heart. She stares back at him, and, he looks so earnest, she allows herself to believe him.
"Maybe we can focus on getting to know each other first, if you come visit me when I come to rehearse."
"Do you think, maybe, we could have our first date?" he asks, shyly. "We could go to a restaurant," he begins, but he notices her brow furrows at the suggestion. "or maybe we can find another place to go, where we can be alone. We don't need to see anyone else. We wouldn't have to be anywhere in public, not if you don't want. I just want to be able to know you better, as a dancer, and as a woman." She smiles, and blushes at the idea. Her innocence is charming and he slides his hand from her cheek to cup her face. He looks down into her dark eyes. "I want to know everything about you Dasomah, all the good and the bad," he whispers. He feels her body stiffen.
"You may think that now," she protests and he shakes his head already refusing the idea. "I'm afraid I'm not always what I seem, and there are people around me who aren't very easy to deal with." She looks down, feeling sorry for herself. He lifts her chin to face him again.
"I don't care about any of them. You are important to me, and I want to spend this time with you." She seems satisfied with his response, and an idea comes to her.
"Do you have somewhere we can go, right now?" He looks at her shocked.
"Now? You just got here." She nods.
"I have many hours, before Mr. Lee returns. We can spend that time here, dancing, rehearsing, but wouldn't you rather go somewhere else and be alone, truly alone?" He looks at her confused, surprised, and doesn't know how to respond.
He seems to consider what she's suggesting for a beat too long and she smiles softly as if she knows exactly what to do to convince him. She stands up in front of him, her body close to his. He looks up at her, uncertain. She smiles at him as she lowers down to take both of his hands in hers, surprising him.
"We could go to your place," she offers.
He swallows hard, not expecting this, so soon. Not expecting her to make this suggestion, even though he knows it's just a place to go to be away from public view. It's not something he intended to suggest to her for many days, if not weeks, because they barely know each other, and, he does not want her to think he is only interested in 'one thing.' He stammers, unable to find the right response. Her body seems to drift nearer to him, her knees brushing against his as she stands in front of him. She raises his hands, clasped together, and holds them in front of her heart. He can just feel the fabric of her leotard and the curve of her breast with the edge of his hand. He can almost feel the pounding of her heart in her chest as the blood rushes through it.
"I trust you," she whispers, staring down into his hopeful eyes, and in that quick moment, a lightning bolt of electricity surges through his body, making him, for a moment, unsure if he should really trust himself. He swallows hard, surprised at his thoughts and the physical reaction to her gentle touch. He pushes down his base instinct and the desire to rise up from the chair, and kiss her, more forcefully and passionately than the gentle kiss of longing they had shared. He fights back the urge to slide his hands down every curve of her body and hold her tightly against him.
"I- I can call my driver." He chokes back the words. He nods to her. She takes a slight step back, feeling satisfied.
"I will tell Subinah that we will be gone for a few hours. I'm sure he will understand."
Jimin watches as she disappears through the doorway, leaving it slightly open to the empty hall. He stares hard at the spot, and exhales deeply, trying to regain control of his breathing. He never expected to bring her back to his place today. He quickly scans through the images of his apartment and wonders if everything is tidy and in order. He wants to make a good impression on her, and, he wonders what food or drinks he has at home. He doesn't even know what she likes. He bites his lip, deep in thought as he quickly messages his driver to come back. He sends the text just as Dasom comes back into the room, and smiles broadly.
"He will tell anyone who calls or comes by, that I stepped out for a costume fitting and will return." Jimin nods, it seems like a good plan. We feels an excitement rise up inside him and he watches as she sets the bag she retrieved down on the counter. She turns to him. "You should take your bag with you, just in case someone comes through." He nods. It seems as though she's thought of everything, and he wonders for a moment how many times she might have had to set up scenarios like this previously to avoid an intrusive Father or his henchmen.
"I'll go get my bag from the stage. Mr. Gu will be here in just a few minutes."
She nods as Jimin steps out of the room. He walks back to the stage to find his work out bag next to the curtain where he left it. He bends down to open the bag and sees the phone he's brought for her, and the necklace. Today is definitely the day to give her both. He's bringing her back to his place, and, maybe they can share a meal and some drinks and have a first date, in private, where he won't have to worry about anyone seeing them and sharing the news. He won't have to worry she's be scooped up and taken away from him again. They can't get to her now. He carries the bag back toward the dressing room just as his driver alerts his phone that he's outside. He stops at the dressing room, and calls to Dasom.
"Dasomah, your carriage awaits," he teases. She opens the door fully, smiling at his joke and she stands up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek in gratitude.
She moves past him toward the exit in a flurry of fabric, her skirt flowing behind her. He follows after her, and opens the side door first, looking out to be sure his car is there. Mr. Gu gets out of the car immediately and opens the door for Dasom to get in, allowing Jimin to walk around to the other side of the car to get into the back seat with her. He checks once more around him, to be sure no one is watching them, before he closes the door.
As the car pulls out of the lot, and onto a side road, Jimin sits beside Dasom, and stares down at her small hand, lying across her lap. He wishes he could take hold of it, but, he realizes that might embarrass her in front of Mr. Gu, although he smiled at her as though he knew all about her already. Jimin fights to hide a smile and turns to look out the window at the passing buildings as they merge onto the busy road.
At the very back of the theatre's lot, almost in the lot of the storage facility across the street, a dark car starts its engine, and sits, idling. Mr. Lee, in the driver's seat, sits in silence, as if deciding what to do next. He's watched the car pull out of the lot, with two passengers in the backseat. He recognized the car, and the driver. He knows Dasom is with Jimin.