ch. 49

"everything comes back to you."

-this town

"yo wooyoung, why are your eyes red? and eunbi, why is your skin slight red at some parts?"

wooyoung and eunbi have returned to the dance after ten minutes of figuring out how to escape the classroom without breaking anything. there was no simple way out, so they eventually jumped out the window since it was only the second floor. everyone else decided to take a break from dancing and settle themselves at their table, drinks hanging from their hands.

"we were taking a walk along the garden and i tripped into a bush," eunbi explains to her friends, rubbing her date's hand reassuringly. "wooyoung caught me before my whole body fell, and i accidentally smacked his eyes really hard with my arms."

making eye contact with yeosang, she notices how much he is squirming in his seat with anxiety as he takes a sip of his pepsi. his hand slightly squeezes the can while his eyes burn with fury, and this causes the girl to excuse herself from the group along with the blond male.

outside the building, her friend immediately gets his hands on her shoulder and shakes her frantically.

"did he do anything to you?" he worriedly asks. "where did he touch you? i swear to god i will personally send him to the hospital if he-"

"i'm fine," she intervenes, a small smile on her lips. "nothing happened."

"don't lie to me, eun."

"i'm telling the truth; we had a nice, long talk while walking around and that was it."

"please explain the red blotches on your legs and the redness of wooyoung's eyes. you did not take a nice walk around the garden for, i don't know, two fucking hours."

"i'm telling the truth," she lies once more, not wanting to involve him in this matter. "he didn't do anything to me, just trust me for once."

hearing this allows him to let out a sigh of relief and release his grip on her, the sensation of ease washing over his body. his heart that was once pounding against his chest relaxes as his gaze softens.

"if i find out that you are lying to me-" he slides his thumb across his neck, "you're as good as dead."

she chuckles a little before nodding, patting his shoulder out of reassurance. the two of them head back inside the multipurpose room and join the rest of their friends, who are chattering with one another.

except, eunbi slyly slips into the hallway of the building when yeosang is not looking.

she quietly goes to her dressing room for the second time since her performance was approaching. when she enters the room, she does not see anyone rummaging around the room. knowing that her teacher has already left due to how late it is at night, she prepares her attire herself and adjusts her makeup.

now wearing a long, poofy, baby blue dress, she adjusts the color-matching mask resting on her face before pulling it over her head. she warms up her voice a little as she stares in the mirror, observing the slightest movements of the dress.

she then hears a knock on the door and turns around to see someone peer into the room.

"hello miss," they greet with a small smile. "let's get you on stage, shall we? your performance will be happening in a few minutes."

with that, the two of them leave the room and head to the backstage. the person escorting her communicates with someone on their earpiece, notifying that they are on their way, while the performer silently goes over the song in her head.

in a minute or two, they arrive to the stage and the dj has recently left the spotlight. the stage crew scurries along the platform, hands filled with equipment, as the announcer entertains the audience for a little.

noticing her arrival, the mc transitions into introducing the next performance, earning a loud applause from the crowd, before they allow her to walk onto the stage. all eyes are on her, and everyone whispers about her presence.

ethereal, she hears them say with their fingers pointing at her. the most delicate, beautiful person who stepped into the dance.

and for once, she agrees with them.

eunbi settles herself behind the piano and hovers her fingers over the keys. silence washes over the crowd and a short breath echoes throughout the room.

"full of loneliness," she sings quietly along with her piano. "this garden blossomed, full of thorns. i bind myself in this sand castle."

"what is your name?

do you have a place to go?

oh could you tell me?

i saw you hiding in this garden."

averting her gaze from the piano, she looks up to see people gathering around the dance floor with their partners in their gentle grasp, swaying one another to the music. the girls lean their heads against their date's chest to listen to every beat of their heart.

"and i know

all of your warmth is real

the blue flower your hand was picking

i want to hold it..."

her eyes subconsciously lock onto a particular couple as she continues to perform, the blooming pain slowly growing in her heart.

"but this is my fate

don't smile on me

light on me

because i can't get closer to you

there's no name you can call me."

in her view is san with that same girl she has encountered today dancing together in harmony. they do gentle twists and turns with a small smile pulling on their delicate lips as if they are in their own world. when the black-haired male makes eye contact with the performer, she immediately diverts her gaze to the keyboard.

"you know that i can't

show you me

give you me

i can't show you a ruined part of myself

i wear a mask again and go to see you

but i still want you."

it hurts so much.

so so much.

she can feel the tears pricking her eyes, but she fights the urge to break down.

"bloomed in a garden of loneliness

a flower that resembles you

i wanted to give you

after taking off the stupid mask."

take the stupid mask off, a voice repeats in her head. take the stupid mask, and he'll be yours.

she slightly shakes her head at the thought, already knowing that it will not calm the storm brewing within her.

"but i know

i can't do that forever

i have to hide

because i'm a monster."

a chilly sensation travels down her spine and a shaky breath leaves her lips.

"i am afraid

i am shattered

i'm so afraid

that you will leave me again in the end

once again i put on a mask and go to see you."

every step the couple takes together presses onto her already broken heart, yet she perseveres through the pain.

you are used to this, she reminds herself. this is nothing new.

"the only thing i can do

in the garden

in this world

is to bloom a pretty flower that resembles you

and to breathe as the me that you know."

she sighs.

"but i still want you."

she gives herself a break by playing the piano, the melody flowing along with the accompaniment. each chord progression rings in her ears, dragging her lower to the depths of her emotions.

"i still want you."

she lifts her focus from the keyboard to see them once more, closer than they were ever before. her playing becomes more aggressive, fueled with jealousy, and her voice comes back alive with desperation.

"maybe back then

a little

just this much

if i had the courage to stand before you

would everything be different now?"

she should have expected this.

she should have expected that one day, someone would fall in love san and make him the happiest man alive. everything about him is absolutely lovable: his beautiful smile, his cute laugh, his mesmerizing dance moves, his adorable clingy personality...

absolutely everything.

"i'm crying

that's disappeared

that's fallen

left alone in this sandcastle

looking at this broken mask."

a tear manages to stream down her face.

slowly, she stops playing and silence overcomes the music, causing everyone looks over to the performer. her hand brings itself to her baby blue mask and her fingers gently wrap themselves on its edges. realizing the situation, the audience slightly gasps at the sight and begin anticipating for the reveal.

"the truth untold" by bts.

a song about hiding your broken side with a facade, being afraid that your loved ones will leave if they ever see the truth.

she wants to take this stupid mask off- she really does.

and so, she gradually pulls off the mask until she notices a moving figure on the side. she halts in her movement and focuses on the person, recognizing them in an instant.

jeong yunho.

in the back, he frantically rushes to the exit leading to the garden while everyone is distracted. his fingers get a hold on the handle and he pushes door, allowing the moonlight to seep into the building.

with his beautiful side profile in view, the girl could not help but stare at the magnificent view before her. the way the moonlight sharpened his jawline, the way the moonlight brought out his lovely brown eyes, the way the moonlight sparkled onto his light skin, the way the moonlight caused her heart to race at the sight before her.

it was as if she fell in love with him all over again.

she subconsciously brings her mouth closer to the microphone and whispers...

"but i still want you."