⚠️ Content Warning: This chapter has some mature content that some people may not be comfortable reading. Please proceed with caution and at your own risk.
-
A knock was heard in the room where she was staying at. With her outfit, hair, and make up done, she's definitely ready to attend the event at 2:30 pm.
Startled, she asked her staff to lock the door. She let out a small giggle, as she already knows who's behind it. "Don't let him in."
But it was too late. Before her staff could strode towards the door, the knob turned, revealing a very dashing man in a white dress shirt and bow tie.
Realizing what her staff was about to do, he said with a smirk, "You're locking me out?"
By this time, her glam team left the room, leaving the two to themselves.
"I am." Grabbing a huge eyebrow palette on the table adjacent to her, she covered her face. "I don't want you to see me yet."
Too late again. He already saw a glimpse of her before she could hide. Still, a momentary glance was never enough for Hyun Bin. "I want to see how gorgeous you are."
"No." She said sternly.
"Please?" He asked, and she already knows he's sporting his signature pout that he knows she can't resist.
The dashing man was too charming for his own good.
Slowly, she removed the cover on her face and stood up as she removed the coat that came with her dress. Needless to say, he was out of words. Well, except for that 'A-a- ah' that he kept repeating since he saw her. Leaning on the armrest of the sofa behind him, he slowly descended to the seat, eyes widened and mouth left open.
"You're overreacting." She said, giggling at his reaction.
He shook his head, eyes glued to her as he closed their distance, "Wow."
She raised her eyebrow, partly glad she got that reaction from her beau. His arms snaked her waist as he pulled her towards him, eliciting a soft yelp from her. "Hey. Someone might come in."
"I locked the door." He bit his lips and licked it after. A mannerism she had grown to love but would've given everything for him to stop doing at this time, because Hyun Bin in a formal outfit + that gesture = death of her.
Bin and Yejin have already agreed that she will ditch the coat on the event. He already knows how gorgeous she is, but seeing her in this dress, she might just have created another level of gorgeousness for her to be described with. He's now having second thoughts on leaving the coat behind, knowing that all eyes will be on her.
...considering how she's the most beautiful woman in the world.
"I think that coat goes well with the dress. You should keep it, baby." She looked at him disapprovingly, as if saying, 'we already talked about this.' and 'NO.'
"Worth a try..." he said softly. The soft look in his eyes turned to something else when he caught sight of her in that very close proximity.
He planted a small wet kiss on her shoulder, looking at her suggestively afterwards. Fiddling on the thin strap of her dress, he slowly lowers it down.
Smirking, Yejin softly hit his hand and broke free from his hug.
"Behave, Hyun Bin-ssi."
"How..." He said, breathless, "..when you.. looking.. like that?" he lift his hands in the air in submission.
Yejin laughed. He couldn't even use his words properly. Knowing his boyfriend, she already knows what's going on in his dirty little mind of his.
...and so she decided to torture the man.
"Okay then." Yejin went up to him once again and pulled him for a kiss, one hand in his cheek as she controlled their pace. She pulled from the kiss when she felt his hands on her back.
She looked at him with hungry eyes while licking her own lips.
"Behave in Baeksang, and we'll see."
Casting an evil smile, she sat on her seat casually, leaving Bin dumbfounded.
"Baby, can you kindly call my make-up artist?" she said, brushing her thumb along her lips, "I think my lipstick was ruined."
-
"Can you tell me again why we need to arrive in two separate cars?"
Sighing on the phone, Yejin repeated herself for the nth time to the man on the other end of the line, "...because we don't want another Dispatch and Koreaboo article now do we, baby?"
"Yes," he replied, echoing his woman's lamentations.
"...and i would also like to reiterate about our no touching rule."
"But i need to make sure you won't trip your dress..." She can imagine him pouting right now, but guessing from how he stopped, he must have remembered their agreement. "...I got it. No touching, no staring, no flirting, no everything."
"We can look at each other and have small talks, baby." She let out a playful laugh, "Everyone will be suspicious if we act like strangers."
He sighed.
"Well then I can't wait for this to be over so I won't have to act like you're not the woman I love so much."
Trust Hyun Bin to make her heart flutter every time. Regaining her composure from that moment, she continued, "You're acting for 17 years now, Hyun Bin-ssi. You can do it for another five hours."
Noticing that it was already her turn to get out her car onto the red carpet, she bid goodbye to her lover, "Baby, I have to go."
"I'll come shortly after you." Hyun Bin said, fixing his coat.
"See you?"
"See you."
-
As he went inside the huge hall, her back was the first one he saw.
He was all too familiar with that back.
An empty chair stood beside her. 'It was safe to assume that seat is mine, right?' he thought to himself.
As he sat beside her, she looked at him and smiled. She hoped that he recognized that smile, as it was reserved only for him. So even though they have to act aloof and distant, he'll know just how much she loves him, and acting as if she doesn't is also killing her just as much.
They locked eyes, and exchanged meaningful smiles.
-
One hour has passed by so easily for everyone, except for Hyun Bin, who remained very conscious in his actions to the point of him being physically exhausted from restraining himself.
Their 1 meter distance is very helpful for him. If it wasn't for social distancing, he would've been on her ears all afternoon, whispering away his thoughts. Or he might have been too eager and forgot they're in public and hold her hand or something.
Yejin was exceptionally proud of Bin. He hasn't talked to her since earlier. She also hadn't caught him stealing glances-- Well, that's what she thought. Media thought differently, though. At this point, a screencap of Bin biting his lip and looking at his left is already making rounds on social media- but of course, she didn't know yet.
He was the one who caught her staring.
"Do you need anything? Are you thirsty? Are you hungry?" He asked discreetly. "Are you cold?" He was ready to remove his coat there and then if she said she was,
"I'm good." she replied.
"I'm not." he quickly said. "You're so beautiful I can't help myself."
"I told you." Yejin giggled, but quickly added in a low sweet voice, "You should not have seen me in this dress in private."
If he didn't know any better, she would think that Yejin is teasing him. In public. But everything made sense when he realized that the awarding is taking a break and the cameras aren't rolling.
He was thankful for that, and he literally prayed it wouldn't restart anytime soon, because the way she was looking at him was making him feel things.
...One that involved pants tightening and being unable to stand without being branded as indecent. He covered himself subtly with his hand, and when Yejin figured what was happening, she whispered a soft "sorry!" before trying to bite her tongue to stifle her giggles.
-
They received the popularity award smoothly. In Yejin (and Bin?)'s vocabulary, smoothly constituted of having zero skinship and no unnecessary glances and talks. (But then again, the camera caught some.)
On their way to give another 'thank you' message that will be posted on Tiktok, they walked side by side, knowing that there won't be any camera that will follow each of their steps. He held her hand in this dark hallway.
Looking at her in that sinful dress, she definitely shined like a goddess that she is.
"I really like that dress." Bin said, feigning innocence.
"Really?"
"Yes I do. You know where this dress would look better on?" he asked, looking straight at her.
She looked at him questioningly before he replied in a low voice that could pass off as soft growl.
"On the floor."
-
Bin and Yejin hated every moment of their ride back home. Still in different cars, they couldn't wait to meet and share how the event went for both of them even if they were just 1 meter apart. From thoughts to silly anecdotes, they just couldn't wait to talk to each other.
Now in their shared home, both couldn't wait to talk and to do other things...
"I loved your speech." Bin said as he removed his coat, carefully putting it on a chair.
"Really? Which part?" she asked curiously.
"That one where you said 'Thank you so much' in English." She laughed, knowing damn well he has a thing for her speaking in different languages, "You looked so beautiful."
"Kansamnida." She replied, as she went closer to him and gave him a peck on the lips. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist as she continued, "Xie Xie. Arigato. Terima Kasih. Salamat. Grazie. Merci. Thank you so much."
She pulled him in for a passionate kiss.
"Did I do well today, baby?" He asked teasingly, as he planted light feathery kisses on her face with each word.
She nodded.
"Well then permission to rip this dress off you?" Bin said as his kisses travelled down to her neck.
"This dress costs me more than ten million won." she replied in a muffled voice, completely enjoying what he's doing to her.
Planting wet kisses on her shoulder once again, he said sternly, "I don't care."
She doesn't, either.
So as to reward the man who had been tortured for the past 5 hours, she decided to give him a sweet little taste of heaven.
Not a minute later, a torn Ralph Lauren dress laid discarded on the floor.