Yoori gave him a strange look. “Well, what do you do to successfully court them?”
He thought about it and shrugged.
“I don’t know,” he stated, looking askance. It was as if he was trying to figure out why earth was created. “I walk into a room and girls stare. I choose the one I like, talk to her for a bit, turn on the charm and next thing I know…I’ve made a new friend.”
Yoori clenched her teeth at Tae Hyun’s sinful misuse of the term “friend.” She felt a tinge of jealousy bubble within her when a mental image of Tae Hyun hitting on a girl appeared in her head. She had never seen him interested in other girls, let alone hit on them. The thought of him sweet-talking some random girl made her mad.
Unable to contain her outrage, she demanded, “What charm?”
Was it his constant teasing? What charm was he talking about?
“You have to be there to experience it. I can’t explain it.”
“Show me.”
“What?”
“Show me. I’m curious what your charm is like. Since you know...you have been anything but charming since we’ve met.”
Tae Hyun grimaced at her statement and shook his head. “I’m not going to turn it on for you. If I do, you’d be ready to pounce me. We’re going to move on from this topic. It’s your turn to answer that question.”
Yoori was about to keep pushing the “magic charm” that Tae Hyun insisted he had but decided against it. What if he actually used it on her and it worked? She shook her head mentally at the thought.
She shifted her attention back to the question. She took another gulp of alcohol and played with the brim of the shot glass with her teeth. She didn’t want to share, but she knew she was going to have to since Tae Hyun shared the innocence of his “never gone on a date with a girl” bit.
“Dance,” she muttered, purposely keeping her eyes firmly set on the tiles.
Tae Hyun frowned from not being able to understand her answer. “Are you speaking in duck language or something? Speak louder.”
“Dance,” Yoori repeated, grimacing slightly.
"Oh." Unable to restrain himself, Tae Hyun chuckled at her reply. He smiled gently at her. “Wow. You are definitely a deprived little boomerang.”
“I haven’t had a lot of time for that stuff,” she admitted inaudibly.
Tae Hyun nodded, suddenly standing up and catching Yoori by surprise. Smiling slyly, he extended a hand out to her.
“What?” she asked, her heart racing in nervousness. She hated it whenever he stood up with no warning. Such acts preceded him going off to a warehouse to beat up people or molesting her from behind with an embrace.
“Tonight," he declared, "I’ll get what I want: my first date with a girl. And in return, I’ll give you two things you want: your dance and my charms.”
“Oh God, you want my dancing virginity?” Though she sounded unsure, Yoori was secretly excited. She had never been on a date either.
He nodded and waited for her to grab his hand. When she did take his hand with much nervousness and excitement, he helped pull her up.
“Are you ready for the night of your life?” Tae Hyun asked charmingly, intertwining his fingers with hers and pulling her through the door.
She laughed and nodded her head, happy that she wasn’t bored anymore and that she was about to be entertained.
Without another word, Yoori and Tae Hyun ran out of the lake house, their young hearts pounding in excitement. The moonlit sky and stars welcomed them as they sped into the night.
“I found Paris.”
05: Finding Paris
Little pricks of cold chills ran up Yoori’s leg as they walked barefoot onto the grass beside Tae Hyun’s lake house. Though Yoori didn’t typically fare well in cold weather, this night was different. It was probably the alcohol pulsating in her body (or the fact that she was with Tae Hyun) but she had never found herself more nervous or more excited for something.
A slew of magnificent stars smiled upon them when they descended further from the dim illumination of Tae Hyun’s lake house. While walking, they drew past a family of sleeping ducks. A bitter Yoori entertained the idea of kicking one that reminded her of the duck that attacked her. This idea was quickly vetoed when she decided it was best to not mess with nature’s “friendly” animals – especially when a whole group of them could go psycho and attack her all at once.
As though anticipating Yoori’s violent need, Tae Hyun pulled her away from the sleeping ducks. He didn’t want to deal with getting attacked by vengeful ducks either.
They continued onward, the soothing silence swallowing them whole. Yoori was once again lost in the beauty of all that surrounded her. She didn’t mind that Tae Hyun didn’t share where they were headed. She liked the anticipation leading up to the surprise. If anything, she trusted that wherever they were headed, it would be beautiful. To date, the surprises that Tae Hyun threw her way were breathtaking (leaking boats, vengeful ducks, and unplanned wet t-shirts aside of course). She trusted that this one would be up to par. It wouldn’t be like Tae Hyun not to top his last surprise.
Yoori smiled eagerly with this reasoning in mind. She continued to walk with Tae Hyun across the field, further and further away from the lake house properties, and closer and closer to their own little world. Soon, all that was left was the nearby lake, the swaying grass, the gentle wind, and the moonlit sky. Then out of the night, a flicker of light winked in Yoori’s direction. The faint light did little to illume over the shadows but did much to radiate over her and leave her in awe.
Amid the spell of darkness stood a magnificent white gazebo that sparkled in the calm silence. The structure was enclosed with a circle of eight tall pillars that reached up to its octagonal glass roof. A series of smaller railings inhabited the space between each pillar. With its cupola pointed toward the starry skies, the gazebo was majestic. Yoori’s eyes glistened in admiration when she spotted the white icicle lights that elegantly twirled themselves around each pillar and open space within the gazebo. Garlands of pink and white flowers adorned with green leaves intertwined the icicle lights, making the gazebo appear as if it was sent from the heavens.
Oh my goodness…
The sight of such splendor took Yoori’s breath away.
Without saying anything, Tae Hyun merely smiled and watched her admire the structure before them. His eyes gleamed of satisfaction with her reaction. He sighed with content and then, as soft pricks of wind caressed their skins, he pulled her with him.
They approached the gazebo, their bare feet touching the cold surface of three small stairs that led up to the white stone foundation. Leaving Yoori to stand in the center of the gazebo, her eyes lost in wonder, Tae Hyun took a seat on one of the railings and placed his iPod beside him. He folded his arms and rested his back against the pillar.
“Do you see that mansion over there?” he finally spoke, his voice waltzing around the serene silence. He subtly lifted his chin in the direction of the mansion.
Yoori turned. Her eyes were greeted with a view of the white mansion in the distance. Little flickers of light emitted from it, indicating to her that someone currently resided in it. She nodded and returned her curious gaze to Tae Hyun. He unfolded his arms and reached for his iPod.
“The man who owns that mansion is one of the older residents in this lake house area.” He turned on his iPod, scrolled through the screen and made his selection. He placed the iPod back on the railing.
He stood up and approached Yoori with a soft gaze in his eyes. Naturally and skillfully, his hands found a comfortable hold around her waist. The charm he boasted about in the lake house came out, successfully enrapturing her.
There goes being doubtful about his charms, Yoori thought breathlessly.
As he pulled her closer, Yoori, lost in the lure of Tae Hyun’s mesmerizing presence, wrapped her arms around his neck. A bashful smile embellished her lips. She met his gaze, this time feeling comfortable enough to keep her eyes firmly set on him.
They took a quick second to smile warily at each other as they waited for the music to begin. The gentle glint in Tae Hyun’s eyes grew more potent while his gaze remained on her. Before Yoori could attempt to decipher his thoughts, the music streamed out of the iPod’s speaker.
It all happened so naturally.
Like wind chimes in the wind, their synchronized bodies glided peacefully under the embrace of the majestic gazebo. The music was soft and slow, perfect for Yoori and Tae Hyun, both lost in their own world.
To Yoori, everything felt right.
Magical even.
Over the peaceful music, Tae Hyun continued his story, his soft brown eyes never leaving Yoori’s. His voice somehow became the appropriate lyrics for the beautiful melody. It sounded perfect to Yoori, who felt breathless while she listened to him. She didn’t understand what was going on with her. She had never been this...enthralled.
“He was a very successful businessman,” Tae Hyun went on, his hold around Yoori’s waist growing a bit tighter with care. “When I bought the lake house 3 years ago, I was doing a little sight-seeing and I stumbled upon this gazebo.” He spared a glimpse at the railing where his iPod rested. “I saw him sitting at that very spot. He was alone. Curiosity got the best of me and I asked him if he was waiting for someone. I didn’t want to intrude if they wanted their time alone. Smiling, he nodded at me and said, ‘Yes, but she doesn’t know that she’s coming yet.’”
Even under her trance, Yoori gave Tae Hyun a perplexed expression.
Tae Hyun smiled warmly at her confused reaction.
“That was my reaction too,” he assured her. “I grew more curious and asked him what he meant. He told me that he and his wife had this big fight. A huge fight in the city and she was furious at him. She told him she wanted a divorce because they were growing apart and she couldn’t hold onto their relationship anymore.”
Yoori smiled sadly at this.
Tae Hyun continued. “He explained to me that he bought that mansion and built this gazebo for her. It was in this very gazebo where he proposed to her. They’re a very argumentative couple so at first, he told me she was hesitant with accepting his proposal. But he promised her that this gazebo would change their lives. They made a deal that should life ever get in the way of their love, they’d come to this lake house and dance in this very spot. It would remind them of all that they’d been through and why their love would continue to endure all the troubles that life threw at them.”
“Did she ever come?”
“As I waited with him, seconds became minutes, minutes became hours and I realized that she wasn’t going to make it. It was getting late and I had to leave, so I bid him goodbye and wished him luck with everything. He laughed at me and told me he didn’t need luck. He had faith that she’d appear soon. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that if she hadn’t arrived already, then she’d never come. Feeling sorry for him, I just nodded and walked off.”
Tae Hyun smiled to himself.
“As I was about to disappear out of sight, I realized that the air had gotten a bit warmer – like there was more happiness to it. I turned around and sure enough, there they were dancing together, all the problems the world hurled at them set aside as they basked in the magic of being around one another. After that, I shrugged and said, ‘Fine, I’ll buy it.’”
“That was a really sweet story,” Yoori remarked gently, her feet gliding in sync with Tae Hyun’s. She really enjoyed hearing it. It brought immeasurable warmth to her soul.
“I thought you’d be the ideal audience for it,” he replied proudly.
Yoori nodded again, her heart racing against her chest.
“You’re a natural at this, by the way,” Tae Hyun commented as they continued to glide with the music. The gentle wind accompanied their dance. “I figured you’d be stepping all over me by now.”
“It’s hard not to be a natural when you have a setting like this bestowed to you,” Yoori commented with a shy smile.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, she found it harder to make eye contact with Tae Hyun. There was something different in her eyes that she didn’t want him to see – something she had never let out before: her fragility.
She gazed at Tae Hyun and felt the walls around her lift. She finally understood why she was overwhelmed with all these foreign feelings. For months now, she had been holding back on her feelings for him. She could feel the warm endorphins seep through her while she held her arms around his neck, never feeling safer in someone’s arms. She could feel the clouds lifting her up as their legs continued to dance, completely oblivious to the unblinking stares their masters were giving to one another.
More than once, as the cool wind whispered across their skins, Yoori parted her lips to say something to break the silence that ensued because it was in her nature to break the tension. But every time her lips would part, she found herself unable to utter any words.
When it appeared as though Tae Hyun was about to say something, he instead lifted up a hand and slowly rested it on her flushed cheek.
Every part of her body – every fiber, every atom—her very essence, they were all waiting in anticipation as if they all knew what was to come. She couldn’t deny it and she knew then that Tae Hyun felt everything she was feeling. The emotions…the desire…the tension they had built up from being around each other…all of it exploded. All it took was one magical night to unleash everything they had hidden from one another.
And just like that, the wind dissolved into oblivion, the moon and stars disappeared, the lake evaporated, and the dancing grass slept. All that was left in Yoori’s presence was the majestic gazebo and the feel of Tae Hyun’s fingers on her cheek – stroking her, caressing her skin as he gazed at her with the same spellbound look. He was unyieldingly mesmerized with the breathing temptation before him.
For the very first time in their lives, both Yoori and Tae Hyun were left without witty words. The very tactical weapon they used against one another was rendered useless as the walls to their fragility cracked. It was all gone now; the walls were crumbling. Their fragility and irrefutable desire were now, slowly but surely, being unleashed.
His soft fingers glided down the frame of her warm cheek. After they landed under the contour of her chin, he ever so gracefully moved his thumb up and rested it on the tip of her lips. His touch was hesitant. It was as if her lips were a fragile treasure he was afraid of even remotely hurting. His touch, though hesitant, was powerful enough by nature to take her breath away. If she could, she would’ve closed her eyes and enjoyed every whisper of his touch.
She gulped awkwardly and continued to stare up at Tae Hyun. His eyes were vulnerable, genuine, and mesmerizing. He, himself, had never appeared more alluring for Yoori than that very moment in time.
There was so much desire in the air. So much desire as the silence of their anticipation hung in the cool night’s air. So much desire as they each bit their own lips with anticipation, each yearning to quench that captivating attraction they had for one another.
It was intense.
Yoori’s blood boiled, her heart raced, and her lips went mad with yearning while their breaths mingled in eagerness.
Soon after, just as the world around them waited with bated breaths… something occurred.
Yoori, no longer able to suppress her desire, instinctively lifted her short frame up using the tips of her toes…
At the very same instant, Tae Hyun, no longer able to hold back on his own desire, bent his head down. With his hand lifting up her chin, they moved in, their lips attracting one another like magnets.
A kiss.
A simple kiss.
That was all that happened when th
eir lips met: a simple, scintillating kiss.
They touched and an explosion occurred.
Suddenly the sounds of the twinkling stars were heard again as they frolicked in the night’s sky, the gasp of the moon permeated into the ripples of the tranquil lake, the once sleeping grass danced in unison as a stream of delighted wind grazed upon it.
The world breathed into life as if whispering, “Finally.”
It started out as a simple kiss. Yet as their lips crushed upon one another, they found themselves eager for more. With each deepened kiss, their bodies surged with more energy. With each deepened kiss, they tilted their heads, Tae Hyun’s fingers stroking Yoori’s long black hair and her fingers stroking his short black hair. Their lips grew greedy for more attention and care. Each time they withdrew their lips thinking it was enough, a second later, their lips would meet for more – each meeting lasting longer than the last.
They were so overwhelmed, so overwhelmed with primal emotions.
They wanted each other.
They needed each other.
As they prolonged their kiss, their hearts beating as though doused with ecstasy, streaks of a frenzied blur began to take form as the world spun at lightning speed.
The only thing suspended in this space and time was Yoori and Tae Hyun.
Oblivious to everything, their lips continued to find one another, their grasp on each other tightening with the utmost care.
From the crown of her head to the tip of her toes, Yoori felt her whole body grow weak. She was lost in the enchantment of Tae Hyun’s hold. She tightened her hold around his neck, feeling the weight of her body faltering as it fought to stay balanced on her weakened toes.
She was struggling and slowly losing the fight with gravity…
Even when Tae Hyun fought to hang onto her before her heels crashed to the ground, it was too late. Akin to falling off the clouds, the heels of Yoori’s bare feet collided with the hard surface of the floor, ending her daze.
Crash.
That was what occurred.
An assault of reality flooded over her, overwhelming her senses. She tried to acclimate her distracted mind with reason.
The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2) Page 7