At a certain seven-star hotel. A large, magnificent ballroom had been meticulously set up for what seemed to be a very important and very high class event.
The chandeliers that dangled from the ceiling provided little sparkles of light from one end of the room to the other, giving the room a feeling of being under a bright, starry night sky. Many round tables were dotted around the room, decorated tastefully with a red and gold motif, colours of which represented wealth, prosperity and good fortune.
This masquerade ball certainly was a display of wealth and prosperity, from the crystal champagne glasses and silver and gold cutlery to the stunning paintings and decorations on the walls. But that wasn't what caught one's eye! Inside the ballroom were groups of people, each wearing millions of dollars worth of clothing, jewelry and other accessories.
The women's jewelry - their earrings, necklaces, bracelets, tiaras, rings - altogether shone brighter than the lights inside the room. Anyone who caught a glimpse inside the room immediately knew that this was a gathering of the most influential, rich and powerful people. And of course, this being a masquerade ball, each person, man and woman, wore a mask which covered a part of or all of their face, adding even more mystery to the already mysterious identities of the people inside.
It was the scene, Kelvin saw when he walk in side by side with Mr. Black Leather Jacket. His eyes became as wide as saucers and his jaw dropped in awe. He thought their family already has it all. But this.. This.. He had never seen so much extravagance in his life!
The tables, the decorations, the people! Oh My God! No wonder Cris Yoon sent a very expensive clothes, accessories and shoes.
He definitely didn't want to be embarrassed by him at this important affair. He was also now extremely grateful that he had asked Leslie to help him dress up tonight, otherwise, he would have felt very out of place; not that he didn't already feel so.
He knew that the rich threw parties all the time. He's aware that his father always do so. But he never attended, so he doesn't have any idea what to expect.
His brothers had told him stories, though, of the parties that they have attended and he imagined what they would be like in his mind but this… this exceeded his expectations to no end.
He never imagined that parties was such a luxurious affair. He thought parties like this only existed in fictional books he loved to read.
He snapped out of his awestruck daze when Mr. Black Leather jacket guided him towards the champagne fountain. He took a glass and gave it to him before taking one for himself.
"Thank you," he said, taking a small sip.
"For the nerves," he replied as a smirk formed on his face.
He was about to look for a certain handsome creature when he felt a strong presence behind him. Kelvin's skin tingled and he immediately knew that he didn't need to look for him anymore. Large, smooth hands landed on his shoulders as he leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"May I have this dance?" His deep, sexy, masculine voice sent shivers down his spine and before he could react, Cris Yoon had already taken his drink and placed it back down on the table. He took his hand and guided him towards the dance floor, where a few other couples were also dancing.
Kelvin started to panic. They're both men. It's not appropriate—. But all of his thoughts cease when he saw a few same s*x couple dancing around them.
He turn to Cris Yoon, speechless. And let him took one of his hands and smoothly placed it on his lower back and held the other one in his hand. He then slipped his arm behind Kelvin and pulled him close to him, leaving no gap between their bodies.
Kelvin's brain had stopped functioning altogether at this point and all he could do was follow his lead.
He's aware that there were places that entertain LGBT+ personally and held them in high regard, but he still couldn't believe that a high class place like this, was also such a place. No, that's not what matters now, right? This people, they were all wealthy people. And they were okay, seeing same s*x couples dancing in front of them. Is he really in the right place?!
His mind might have been in turmoil, but Kelvin was still glad that his grandfather taught him how to dance back when he was just a teenager. However, he never would have imagined that he would use it on a night like this and with a person like Cris Yoon.
Kelvin looked up at Cris, and wondered. He never thought that dancing with him would feel like this - suddenly exhilarating, intense, magical and so much more. And wondered if Cinderella felt this way when she danced with his prince for the very first time.
Kelvin let his eyes wonder around them, then looked up at Cris once again. His heart started beating so loudly inside him. He's nervous, but strangely enough, he didn't feel tense. He was dancing with Cris so smoothly, just following his lead and Kelvin knew he shouldn't be amazed but he was.
He was just so good at this. The way he touched him, the way he led him, the timing of his every movement were all perfectly in time with the music. He was extremely graceful that even he, could tell that his movements could only be formed from constant training from a young age. It's probably because he was an ex member of a Globally known Boy Band Group?
Not only that, he was sure that it could also be from the constant attendance with other noble people of similar backgrounds at events like this. He was noticeably graceful in his movements and adding to it a slight hint of arrogance that was probably drilled into him from birth, he could not think of anyone else who drew everyone's attention without trying, not even the most amazing and successful actors in the world could compare. He was simply magnificent.
Now that he was this close to him, Kelvin finally had the chance to study his face.
His nose, his lips, his jaw and every contour of his face was just... perfect. There was no other word to describe it. Even though he was wearing a mask, he could still see his grayish eyes through them and they were simply spell-binding. He felt like if he ventured close enough, his eyes would pull him in like quicksand, where there was no escape, and he felt like that was what was happening to him right then.
"Penny for your thoughts?" the man finally spoke, startling him from his reverie.
Kelvin somehow quickly regained his composure as he responded, "I didn't expect that you would bring me to a party like this."
"Don't you like it?"
"I wouldn't say that, but… This is my first time attending a party like this so I feel a little overwhelmed," Kelvin confessed and then Cris gave him a soft enchanting smile, flashing a set of perfect, ultra-white teeth. If only his eyes would smile as well.
"You find this kind of party overwhelming, but not me?" He taunted, seemingly quite amused before his mood shifted yet again. "Tell me about yourself," he added, now serious.
Hmm. He doesn't know who I am? Kelvin was suddenly surprised. "I am the youngest child and I'm currently living with my family."
"Are you a student?" Surprisingly, he didn't ask about anything else.
"No, I graduated last year."
"What course?"
"Music."
"What do you do now? Create music?"
"No. I'm working in an orphanage right now. I assist the teachers, read stories to the kids and teach music lessons as well." Kelvin didn't know why he wanted to know these trivial things about him and he couldn't fathom his interest at all, but he continued to stare at him with those penetrating eyes, as if his normal life's story was somehow interesting.
Kelvin knew it was far from interesting. He really didn't have anything worth telling him, now that he thought about it. His life was utterly normal and peaceful, so peaceful that most people would think it was boring. He could not think of a single interesting thing to tell him because nothing interesting happened to him before he showed up in his life.
So before the man could ask again, Kelvin was quick to beat him this time and asked him a question first. "Cris Yoon, who are you really?"
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