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The Champs-Elysee Theatre is much more grand than Bora imagined.
An ocean of people litter outside the theatre entrance doors, all aristocrats and affluent people alike. Men in their wealthy three piece suits, bowties and top hats. Women, simply divine and pompous in their extravagent dresses, wearing floral hats adorned with jewelled pins to keep them in place.
All of it is for the big premier buzz of a ballet that's been talked to death all month, composed by some hot shot Russian dude named Strastinky, (or is it Stravinsky? Whatever, it's something on the lines of that)
Point is, everyone waiting here is dolled up for him and this supposed, 'Grand Once in a Lifetime Performance That's Nothing Like His Previous Works, Like Ever.'
And then there's her, who sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the ocean of rich people.
She's wearing her own suit for the night, a grey vest and suit pants that dear Gahyeon had tailored specifically for her, topped with knee high boots that if she's being honest -- adores, all because they make her a little taller.
Right around her neck, is her neatly tucked precious cravat that had been passed down by her late mother. She flattens it neatly, then bounces the frills back up again. She repeats this two times until she's satisfied, and hums in glee.
"How many times will you ruin that fabric of yours, Bora?"
She tilts her face up to her friend and dear companion for the evening, Minji, who is giving her a perfectly manicured raised eyebrow. Unlike herself, Minji went for what the other ladies are going for tonight, an extravagent dress of her own.
But the thing is, both of them stick out like sore thumbs. For Minji's dress and her tailored suit are ghastly monochrome compared to the ocean of bright floral colours.
"This isn't just fabric," she retorts, and delicately pats the cravat again like it's her lifeline. "It's expensive silk with history. You don't see me going after you fixing your gothic veil."
"Touche."
Minji's lips quirk into a smirk, and Bora returns it with a knowing smirk of her own.
(They both know deep down that they look the most beautiful and handsome out of everyone, despite their interesting fashion choices.)
And perhaps out of everyone here, Bora thinks she looks the most unconventional anyways. She can feel the stares plenty, especially from a group of gentlemen smoking their cigars by the golden stairs.
She catches the eye of one man, who is in the middle of drunkenly boasting about how big his bow tie is. He stops, blatantly eyeing her while he tweaks his moustache like the rather disgusting animal Bora knows he is, before puffing out smoke in their direction.
"Woman, do you not know that ugly cravats are going out of style now?" He sneers out.
Then he looks back at his men, erupts into boisterous laughter as if he's asked the most hilarious thing in the world. Then he roars out, "I cannot tell from that heavy make up whether you are trying to be a man, or a prostitute!"
Oh.
Oh.
She was planning on ignoring this poor, worthless chap, but now he's done it.
She waits for a hand to squeeze her shoulder, a last effort restraint -- but not even Minji is stopping her this time like she usually does. Good, she thinks. She must be just as silently enraged.
She steps forward, watches the laughter stutter away from him and die down from his men. She can feel a crowd forming around them, watching intently at the drama that is unfolding right in front of their very hungry eyes, and she has to roll her own. These people will eat up anything that entertains them.
But Bora is a people pleaser, and if it's scene they want --
"Hey, you fucking whore, say something --"
The man roughly grabs a fistful of her hair, and something inside Bora snaps.
In one swift motion, she disarms him and knees him right in the groin, and watches with sick satisfaction as he squeals like the pig he is. She knees him again, a lot harder, but lets her knee stay comfy right there. Just before he stumbles to the ground, she grabs his bowtie and pulls him in so that her lips edge his ear.
"I'll tell you something. Your bowtie isn't as big as you boast it is," she murmurs hot into his ear, digging into him again. She leans back, watches his face go purple, and finally releases the bowtie.
He lands onto the floor, writhing in agony and cupping his nether regions.
"You'll pay for this!" he groans out, curses flying out of his mouth. His men back away, the crowd gasp, murmur and women cheer.
But it's all broken by the doors finally opening, announcements ringing and the crowd quickly disperse and forget about him, along with the gentlemen that had been by his side.
Bora dusts off her hands, offers her elbow to Minji who looks a little shocked, and sighs in content. "Shall we?"
But Minji is still looking straight past her.
"Will he be alright?"
Bora pays once last pitiful glance to him, still moaning on the floor. She rolls her eyes. Minji is still as caring as ever to the people that upset her, still a softie even after all these years of them being childhood friends.
"He'll be fine." she waves her hand, voice dry as she says, "He is a big, strong man, after all. A little wee jab like that should be nothing to him, don't you agree?"
And oh, the smile that spreads on Minji's face is a wicked one.
(After all these years, Bora has influenced her greatly.)
She steps forward to offer her elbow again to her, only for her boots to get snagged by something akin to fabric. She loses her balance, and stumbles into a person -- a woman, who seems to be in a rush by the way she keeps running without a glance.
"Apologies, madam!" Bora still squeaks out to her anyways, even though the woman is in a distance from them now.
"Perhaps she didn't hear you?" Minji offers kindly.
"Perhaps so," she muses. "It is first come, first served after all."
And if Bora thought that'd be the end of it, the woman does end up glancing back at them, and even though Bora has to squint a little to see her --
Poor eyesight or not, she can see the woman is drop dead gorgeous.
Her jaw almost drops a little, for now her scent has caught up with the wind, inhaling the heavenly fragrance of honey and peaches. She meets her eyes, and the woman's lips seem to curl into a ghost of a smile, acknowledging her, before turning her face away and long disappearing inside the theatre.
"I hope she gets to her seat on time."
Still dazed, Bora laughs anyways at Minji's optimistic tone. Yet her toes twitch to go after the woman to see if she will get to her seat on time.
But she reminds herself that she's here with Minji, and how they've promised tonight they won't pursue beautiful women, no matter what.
"We should get to ours too," Bora says, reminded of how packed it must already be inside. She's still looking forward to this performance, after all.
She offers her arm to Minji, and this time, without any distractions, Minji takes her arm with glee, and together they grace their presence inside the theatre.
(For some reason, she has a feeling this night will go down in history as a legendary one.)
-
They take their seats to the side in the first balcony row.
It grants them the view of the whole theatre, and it amazes Bora at just how beautiful the lighting bounces off the walls and stone architecture. The ceiling is glass, almost in a pattern of a flower, and surrounding the flower are renaissance paintings.
Then she takes in the bottom, seeing the orchestra pit getting ready for the performance to begin.
"I've never seen anything back home as grand as this," Minji whispers to her, in awe, and Bora has to agree. This is the reason why she had visited Paris after all, to see and experience art and grand events, to see a world other then the one she grew up in.
"I know," she whispers back, and smiles at the way Minji's doe eyes sparkle.
The theatre seems to be buzzing alive tonight too, and Bora wonders if it's a normal occurrence for the audience to be talking so loudly just before a performance. Above them she can hear a couple of men ramble angrily about how the composer is Russian, or something on the lines of that.
(Everyone is probably just…excited for it to begin, she figures.)
She scans the audience heads in the ground level rows, and realises every single seat has been taken. A full house.
Bored of counting how many people there are now, she's about to direct her attention away -- that is until she notices a familiar pair of eyes.
Right in the center of the ground floor, sits the pretty woman she had bumped into, and oh --
Perhaps what makes matters worse, is that the woman seems to have noticed her too.
She knows she shouldn't hold her stare, but she just can't seem to lift her gaze away from her, not when the woman's gaze is so…intense, even in their clear distance. Her lips seem to tilt up, as if she's smiling, but Bora can't really tell -- not with her poor eye sight and all.
Then the lights dim, and Bora's tears her gaze away, and it's like she can breathe again.
"It's starting!" Minji whispers excitedly to her, shaking her back to her reality. Bora weakly offers her a smile, and turns to watch the orchestra play the opening solo.
It's a haunting brass sound that pierces the ears, and immediately, everyone around her begins to murmur to themselves about the orchestra.
(Is it normal for the audience to comment during the actual performance?)
She glances to Minji, who is transfixed by the music and doesn't seem to be bothered in the slightest by the commentary around her.
The solo has only begun too, and she hears the neighbour behind her seat scoff, and zeroes in onto his conversation.
"What is that instrument?" he asks, sounding quite baffled.
"A bassoon." Another male voice next to him answers.
A beat, and then he replies back, rather agitated, "well if that's a bassoon, then I am a bafoon."
Whatever the heck that means, Bora thinks to herself.
The solo ends, and she hears scuffling behind her. As if the man who complained about the bassoon instrument or whatever it's called has just left his seat.
Leaving a performance all over an instrument? Bora thinks with a snort. Either he's some hot shot composer who is jealous, or some idiot. Or maybe both.
Then the curtain rises, and suddenly, Bora can't keep up with the sight infront of her.
The orchestra booms into the first act -- a strange sight of a performers in a circle bouncing on the balls of their feet and raising their arms stiffly in time with the harrowing orchestra. Like they're performing some kind of bizarre…ritual. There's jumping and flying, some leaping over others backs, playing leap frog and it's all a very bizarre sight that her eyes cannot seem to comprehend.
It's unlike anything she's ever heard of before. Not like the soft and serene Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky --
This is something different. Disturbing, and yet --
It's absolutely maddening. It's genius.
But the rest of the theatre seems to think otherwise -- like fire to gasoline, the people unravel in what Bora can only think of as unhinged chaos.
"Boo!"
"Get off the stage!"
Everyone is screaming, some going on about about how "This is going against every rule for ballet and art!" and someone in the ground level is screaming and chanting about how "Utterly genius! Genius, this performance is!"
But the show still goes on, and now people from the bottom are throwing their objects at the stage and the orchestra. Just near the orchestra pit, a fist fight has broken out too, and Bora thinks that maybe it's today she'll lose all hope in humanity.
Christ.
"What is going on?!" she hears Minji yell to her, and Bora can't even hear herself reply that She Has No Idea.
"I think we should leave!" she yells to her, but Minji furrows her brows, and signals to her ears that she can't hear her.
"Why are these people rioting?"
"I don't know!" she yells back, but Minji doesn't get to hear it -- not after a man gets flung into her back, knocking Minji down onto the floor as collateral damage.
"Minji!" she screeches, and watches in horror as the beaten man gets pulled away, and dragged by three men out of the exit door, going off god knows where. She snaps her face to Minji, and immediately kneels down and nurses her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" she yells into her ear. Minji flashes her a smile and a thumbs up, all before flopping her face back down onto the floor.
She'll be fine -- she reasons.
Below them, food is now being flung onto the stage and the orchestra, who are still playing -- much to her disbelief. The choreography is becoming messy now, as if no one up there knows which part of the act they're up to.
It makes sense, since no one can barely hear the orchestra, not with how the protestors are the ones drowning them out.
They need to get out of this shit storm of a mess.
She pulls Minji up, instructs to her that they should leave through the exit before it inevitably gets blocked off.
They make their way quickly hand in hand, snaking out of the chairs, avoiding the people that are fighting, and they just barely make it to the exit.
Bora passes the exit first just by an inch, and she thinks Minji will make it too --
That is until a body slams into their linked hands, losing her grip on her and Minji is thrown back again, swept away by the crowd that is now blocking her path to Minji.
Well, this night is just going swell, isn't it?
But also,
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Now what in the flying hell is she going to do?
"Minji! No!"
"Just keep going! I'll be fine!" she hears Minji yell to her admist all the other screaming, and Bora shakes her head in denial. She can't just leave her. When did Minji decide to be the insane one out of the two of them?
"I can't!"
"Just promise me you'll get out of here no matter what! Wait for me by the garden! I'll be there, trust me!"
Bora swears onto her promise, and watches Minji be swept away by the crowd for good.
Fuck.
She bounces on her toes, and a lot of thoughts fly through her head. Maybe she should go after her, or no, maybe she can trust Minji. No she can't. Yes she can -- but Minji always keeps her word. They've been through worse. (Way worse. Like getting kidnapped, for one.)
With a heavy heart, Bora spins on her heels and runs, runs until she's made it down the stairs and out to the ground floor where the real chaos is happening.
The real exit to the theatre is just right infront of her, and Bora is only a few meters away from freedom.
That is, until a flying tomato smashes into the side of her head.
She snaps her neck to the direction, ready for curse words to fly out of her mouth -- until she notices in the distance, the very pretty woman from before, looking distressed and running away by a group of men who seem to be hot on her tail.
And she does what any sane person would do -- go after them.
(Looks like she'll be definitely breaking her promise to Minji tonight.)
--
They've been through way worse, Minji reasons to herself.
The kidnapping incident of 1910 is proof that they've been through it all, and made it out just fine.
But this? Being involved right in the middle of a riot -- this Minji is not sure she'll be able to get out of so easily. She may go as bold as to say she was lying when she reassured Bora she'd be fine.
"Someone call the police!" A man cries out.
Sweet macarons -- has it really gotten that out of hand?
People shove and pull against her, and her first priority, she figures, is to get away from the crowd that is trampling around her. She attempts to navigate through the crowd, and narrowly avoids a flying fist to her face. She had worked hard on her make up tonight, no way will she let a riot ruin it.
But the more she struggles, the more trapped she is by the crowd.
If Bora was here, what would she do?
That tiny woman is…aggressive, and the first thought that comes to mind is that she'd claw and bite her way out. She is a fighter after all. Out of the two of them, Bora was the one that protected them as kids, while Minji was the one that needed the protection.
(Thing is, Bora never uses her brain, and sometimes Minji wonders if she even has one with how impulsive she can be at times.)
But unlike Bora, Minji is no fighter.
She may be the taller one out of them, but she's weak. What can she possibly do to help herself?
The crowd seems to be moving now, pulling herself along with them, and perhaps instead of struggling against the crowd -- she should just follow it.
It's a risky idea, but she lets herself go limp.
There's more tugging and pulling, but she's moving and moving, and before she even realises it, the crowd has gravitated down the stairs, all the way to the ground floor, just where the orchestra pit is.
And it's here that she finds a gap in the mob to escape out of.
She bolts through the gap, and jumps inside the orchestra pit for immediate shelter. She hides under a vacant chair, and realises half of the orchestra are still playing despite the chaos that is erupting around them.
And then, right next to her, she notices someone who is also hiding under a chair.
A woman, she thinks. Crawled up into a ball, her knees bunched up and her face hiding in them. They seem to be part of the orchestra too, for she's shaking and clinging onto her violin for dear life.
Sympathy grips Minji's heart like how the music had gripped her.
She crawls her way over to her, and lays her hand on the woman's tuxedo clad shoulder gently.
The woman flinches at the touch, and Minji recoils her hand back. Guilt claws at her heart for scaring the poor woman even more, but when the woman slowly looks up at her through her long lashes, the feeling morphs, and dear, sweet macarons --
The violinist is beautiful.
And despite the screaming and chaos around them, it all seems to slow down and drown out when she gazes into her eyes. Sharp, yet so incredibly soft brown eyes that seem to pierce right into her heart.
"Are you alright?" Minji manages out. She can barely hear her own voice, but the woman seems to, giving her a hesitant nod. Her small hands still shaking around her violin.
"My name is Minji," she tries again, and hopes it'll calm her down. "I'm not here to hurt you," she tells her, and hopes its enough for the woman to trust her.
"Okay," she replies, still looking wary. "Siyeon, mine is," she thinks she hears the woman -- Siyeon, say back.
It's a beautiful name for a beautiful violinist.
And all Minji wants to do is reach out and hold her shaking hand, wrap it around her bigger one and gently kiss her fingers, tell her she'll be okay, now that she's here --
But the daydream is cut short when the chairs they're under are flung away, leaving both of them exposed and surrounded by an angry mob.
"One of them is part of the blasted orchestra by that Russian scum! Get her!"
Oh, sweet crumpets.
Where is Bora when she needs her most?
--
Bora doesn't really know when to quit. It's perhaps one of her greatest flaws, she figures.
But when she sees a lady in distress, she will help her, even if it leads her to her most likely (probably) death.
She's been tailing after these men for more than a few minutes now, and they still haven't caught up to the pretty lady, which thank God, really. But Bora is starting to lose her breath, and kind of just wants this cat and mouse chase game to end already.
They're long gone from the ground level, now backstage. They pass by the curtains, and Bora can hear who she believes is the conducter passionately stomping his foot and screaming the cues to the performers still up on stage.
Wow. The show is still going.
But no time to dwell on that insanity for now. It's more quiet back stage, and Bora can finally hear herself try to think of a plan as she follows them.
The men have rounded into a room, and Bora ducks behind the door, realises that the pretty lady has now been cornered for good inside the dressing room.
Now how is she going to get her out of this pickle?
The internal panicking is starting to take over and she's not too sure what it is she's trying to do anymore.
Frick frack on a stick--what would Minji do?
She's the more book smart out of the two of them. Be patient - she thinks wise, calculating Minji would say to her. Wait and look for an opening.
So she will.
And then she hears voices, she expects it to be a male one, but it ends up being a feminine one, and she realises it's the voice of the pretty woman.
"I am not going back!"
Not going back? Bora presses her ear to the door, and tries to listen in.
"Your aunt ordered you to stay inside the castle, and what do you do? Disobey her!" A male voice booms back.
"She may be my aunt but she does not rule over the freedom I desire in my heart!"
"Freedom?" Another man scoffs. "There is no freedom for you outside in the world. Let alone for a woman. Only suffering and pain, one day you will understand, princess."
Bora blinks.
Princess?
"All of you have fed me lies. I already know what she is planning to do to me, and I will not let her take my life all so she can inherit the castle! My father's property! All of you are disgusting, power seeking cowards."
Oh.
Oh.
She feels the ground below her spin.
This is going after uncharted territory. To save a runaway royalty, who is going to get murdered so her aunt can inherit her status? What in god's name has she gotten herself into --
"Foolish woman. If it will not be by your aunt's hand, then it will be by ours--!"
Oh dear God.
Her sweaty hands fling for the nearest object, a solid metal bat in the pile of props, and without thinking now, she rams herself through the door. She doesn't spare a glance at the pretty princess, knowing if she looks at her now, she may stumble and make an absolute fool out of herself.
Without a moment for the men inside to process what in the world is happening -- she lets out a bloody screech, seeing red, and charges straight at them.
--
Right. So now what would Bora do in Minji's situation?
Surrounded by a very angry mob, outnumbered and nowhere left to run.
Both of them slowly raise to their feet, and Siyeon fumbles with her violin.
"Miss," she hears Siyeon stutter, and one of her trembling hands squeezes her arm, slotting her warm body close to her side. "They want me, not you. Run away. Please."
Usually Minji will listen and beckon the call of any woman, but Siyeon is absolutely insane if she thinks Minji will leave her with a starving mob.
And then Siyeon does something that stirs her heart.
Her calloused fingers pinch at her wrist, up to her elbow, and it's like each one carries oxygen to her starved lungs. Minji is not sure if Siyeon even realises what it is she's doing to her.
But each touch feels like a silent plea that she does not want to be alone. That she actually does need Minji.
It flares up something rather unfamiliar inside of her. Almost primal.
(Is this how Bora feels when she's about to lose all sense of rational thinking?)
She inhales slowly, glances at Siyeon and hopes her eyes show how apologetic she is for the stunt she is about to pull on the both of them.
"Forgive me, darling."
It's the last thing she says, before she roughly yanks Siyeon's dear violin off her with one hand and points it like a sword to the crowd, who gasp and jump back.
"Hey, my violin--!"
But Minji silences Siyeon with one arm going around her throat, fist now resting under her chin, pulling her back tight to her chest and holding her into a lock.
(But she loosens the grip immediately, of course. She won't be able to forgive herself if she hurts even an inch of Siyeon.)
"None of you come any closer! She's mine!" she almost growls out to the mob, who blink and jeer back in shock at these turn of events.
One of the men try to test the waters, stepping a foot closer, but Minji hisses and jabs the violin in his direction.
"Don't you come a step closer! I have a violin and I am not afraid of using it on you or her!"
"What in the world are you doing?" Siyeon shrieks out, and Minji blanches.
"Just follow my lead, I know it's hard but just trust me, please," she murmurs hot into Siyeon's ear, and feels Siyeon's throat hitch. Like the gears in her head are turning, and then, she finally goes slack.
"Oh, no! Dear goodness! This woman has taken my pride, my violin, and now my dignity as her hostage!" Siyeon cries out, rather dramatically. "Oh, whatever will I do now?"
If it wasn't for the blood thristy mob staring them down, Minji would've laughed at her acting.
But instead, she hardens her glare and begins to slowly walk back, and as gently as she can, drag Siyeon back with her.
"I am taking her. None of you will put a hand on my prize." She says, waving the violin threatingly at them for extra measure.
"Your prize?" One of the men sneer. "Haven't you heard of sharing?"
And that seems to rile up the crowd again.
"Yeah, share with us!"
"How dare you claim her!"
Each accusation stabs at her slowly dwindling facade, and she gulps.
"Unless she's one of them too!"
"Get them!"
One of them leap at them, and Minji immediately pushes Siyeon away from the danger, screams at her to Run. Then with the energy she has left, uses both hands to swing the violin right into the man's cheek, knocking him and the now broken violin onto the floor.
The crowd gasp and surround the fallen man.
"My violin!" Siyeon screams in horror, stopping to stare at the remnants.
Minji grabs her hand, dragging her off before the crowd realises they're escaping.
"Just keep running! I'll replace your violin one day!" she screeches to her.
That is, if they even make it out alive tonight, of course.
--
The three men's bodies lay on the floor, Bora in the middle, breathing hard as she drops her metal bat to the floor.
The loud metallic clang brings her to reality that she just beat the living shit out all these three men in her blazing fury with that very same bat.
She picks the bat up again slowly, and uses it to poke at one of their stomachs. He coughs and sputters, before passing back out again.
Good. They're still alive. She can have another go at them later.
"You…"
A soft voice, and Bora looks up and realises in horror that the woman had just witnessed all of that.
No wait -- The Princess.
Bora drops the bat, stalks her way over, and immediately sinks on her knees infront of her.
"Madam," she gasps out. Her left cheek aches, all from a punch that had landed there without her realising until now. "Please, forgive me for the scene you had just witnessed, I--"
"No, please," her hand lays ontop of the crown of Bora's hair, stroking the tresses. "There is no need to be by my feet. Stand, and let me see the face of the one who saved my life."
Bora immediately obeys her.
She raises to her feet, and hesitiantly meets her eyes --
And oh, she feels the wind leave her lungs. For the woman infront of is far much more beautiful up close.
Sharp cheekbones, so different compared to her soft, lush lips. And Bora watches, transfixed, as her gentle brown eyes scan her and take her in up and down.
"You're injured," she breathes out, and traces her finger lightly on her tender, bruised cheek. Bora holds her gaze, despite the warmth that prickles the back of her neck.
"Does it not sting?"
"It does," Bora blurts, honest.
She doesn't miss the way her eyes flick down to her lips, then back up to her eyes. The finger drags down her cheek, under her chin, and the finger tilts her chin up ever so lightly.
"What is your name, Miss?"
"It is Bora, Madam," she breathes heavily, then asks, with a surge of boldness, "would it be rude if I asked for yours now?"
The woman laughs, a deep and rich one that melts Bora to the very core.
"My name --"
But before she can finish it, the finger to her chin comes down to her shoulder, squeezing it, before she is swiftly thrown to the side.
She yelps, stumbles to the floor, and looks up just in time to see one of the resurrected men be kneed in the groin by the princess. Her gaze cold and hard as she glares down at him like he is nothing.
And God -- is it a rather hot sight.
"You bitch!" the man howls out, in pain, making a ruckus that slowly stirs the other men on the floor awake.
Then the woman turns to her, gaze soft again as she valiantly outstretches her hand to her, and gives her a dashing smile.
"My name is Handong, to answer your question."
Oh. The beautiful name makes her heart flutter.
Bora takes her outstretched hand, and the smile on Handong's face turns into a playful one.
"But I believe before we become of acquaintance, we should run away first."
"Oh, yes, let's do that." Bora agrees with a rather breathy laugh. She lets herself be pulled up, and led away by Handong out of the room.
She has no idea where Handong is running them off to, but all she knows is that she may as well follow this woman to the ends of the earth.
--
They escape the mob by locking themselves up in the theatre's female bathroom.
Minji doubles down by the sink, watching Siyeon throw her back against the door, before sliding down to her knees.
"My violin, it was custom made..." is the first thing she groans out, and Minji winces.
"I apologise again," she mumbles, resting herself ontop of the sink now. She rubs her nape. "I don't normally act like some…savage animal. I don't know what came over me. Do forgive me, but if you cannot, I understand that too."
Siyeon looks up at her through her lashes, and Minji's heart rattles in her ribs. Her gaze pierces straight through her, as if she's searching whether or not she's being truthful.
"I forgive you. You did what you had to do, after all."
She's still looking at her, and her gaze forces Minji to look away. "I will replace it for you. I swear."
Siyeon shuffles herself off the floor, and Minji turns to her, sees the way she's approaching her slowly.
And it's now that she realises just how handsome and sharp Siyeon really looks with the tux on, dark hair combed back, despite how scruffy and dishevelled she is now.
All of it is her fault anyways.
"I apologise for being rough with you earlier. I ruined your tux and everything."
Siyeon cocks her head to the side, like what she's just heard is endearing.
"You're quite cute, for someone who just wrecked my violin."
Minji's voice dies a little at that, watching Siyeon still walking towards her. She even has to sink herself down a little when Siyeon is only a few inches away from her face now. Her arms come to rest on the basin, trapping her on the sink, and something…shifts between them.
"But what if I told you I liked it when you were rough with me, miss?"
Minji's throat goes dry, and Siyeon edges closer to her lips.
What?
"D-do you take pleasure in being held hostage like that?" Minji whispers out, almost hissing it out like it's blasphemy.
Yet the laughter that Siyeon lets out is a sweet one.
"No, silly. Not like before." Siyeon giggles, and fingers come to pinch Minji's forearms. She leans in, past her cheeks, warm breath fanning her ear, sending a jolt of electricity down her spine when she whispers,
"But I do take pleasure in being taken from behind."
Her words rise heat to her cheeks and startle her, greatly so that her knee rises up, accidently pressing in-between Siyeon's thighs and dear God -- the way Siyeon immediately grips onto her and moans into her ear, is enough to make her weak.
And then, it's like a cork that's been finally popped.
Her hands come to Siyeon's small waist, squeezing it, the urge to feel and push their fronts together is almost too filthy for words now. "God…" she groans under her breath. What is this sinful woman doing to her?
She flips their positions so that now Siyeon's the one on top of the sink, trapped in her front embrace.
"Please just let me kiss you," she noses her neck, gripping onto Siyeon's thighs. She inhales her intoxicating musky scent, all the way up to her jaw, until her lips hover over Siyeon's. "Please, before I become mad with lust."
"Oh, you already have," Siyeon whimpers out, wrapping her arms around her neck, pulling her in to finally kiss her, bruising her lips hot and hard.
Siyeon is absolutely incredible.
"This is how you'll make it up to me -- you know, for the violin," is the last thing coherent thing Siyeon manages, before she buries her face into the crook of her neck to muffle a loud moan.
For the violin -- Minji thinks with amused lust-filled haze, before sinking down onto her knees, tugging Siyeon's suit pants down along with her.
--
It is freezing tonight in Paris.
But Handong's hand around hers is enough to fill Bora's cheeks with warmth. It does feel rather nice to be the one that gets lead for once, she thinks to herself.
They're still running down the empty streets, even though Bora's pretty sure they've lost the men chasing them down a long time ago. Her lungs are beginning to burn now, and she's sure she's fulfilled her daily exercise for the whole week.
"Over here," Handong says, laughing that expensive rich laugh of hers, and nods her to a dark and narrow alleyway.
And Bora follows her, like a keen dog to their master.
They go deep into the alleyway, and immediately collapse their backs onto the wall, side by side, collecting their breaths.
"That was…" Bora begins, and gulps for air.
"...Absolutely crazy," Handong finishes, and their gazes meet, before they both burst into laughter.
"Are we just going to hide here?" Bora asks, in between laughs, and sees the way Handong's lips curls up.
"Perhaps so. How should we pass the time, my woman in… bleeding cravat?"
Confused, her eyes dart down to her cravat, and she grimaces. Even in the dark, she can see just how stained red her precious cravat has become.
"Those damned flying tomatoes," she curses under her breath, and groans as she attempts to scratch the red off from the silk. "This was my late mother's, now it's all ruined."
"Dear, going at it like that now won't do you or your mother any good," Handong murmurs, and shifts herself infront of her.
Bora's throat hitches, now feeling Handong's soft and smooth hands ontop of her moving ones. The scent of peaches and honey return, and her knees almost go weak when Handong leans in a little.
"You look as if you murdered someone with the red. May I take this off?" she asks softly, looking up at her between her lashes. Bora nods mutely, and her cravat is gently untied around her neck.
Yet all Bora can do is stare at Handong's lips. At how kissable they look, even in the dark --
"It will wash out eventually, fear not. I'm sure your mother will understand if she had watched the whole thing from up there. It's beautiful silk, by the way."
Bora blinks away her trance, and her heart stutters when Handong presents the cravat back to her, now neatly folded in a little square.
"Thank you, madam," she bows a little, and gently accepts the cravat back and places it safely into her pocket. "My…mother hemmed it herself. I have many cravats at home, but this is one is rather dear to me."
"Of course, it is your late mother's after all," Handong replies with a tender smile.
God. She's so perfect. All she wants to do is kiss her so badly right now.
"But enough about me and my cravats," Bora tears her gaze away. "What is your story, madam? Or should I say, princess?"
"Oh."
And it hurts Bora to see Handong's eyes fall, as if it settles in what she's been running away from the whole night.
"I fleed my home, but my aunt caught on eventually. She'll do anything to take my late father's property, even if it's resorting to murder."
Bora winces, and Handong sighs.
"So I ran, ran until I found a place where I thought they wouldn't find me. But in the end, they did."
She lowers her gaze to the cement ground, and a deep sadness clenches Bora's heart.
"I'm sorry," she offers quietly, and feels pathetic that it is all she can do or say. Sorry that I cannot be the one to take the pain away. Sorry that you are going through this, sorry that I cannot make it any better for you.
"My life had flashed before my eyes when they cornered me back there, for I was sure I was going to die," Handong says, and a small laugh escapes her. "But then, you came rushing in. Swinging around with your metal bat, screaming like a banshee and all, and I thought -- ah, how is it that I still deserve a knight to rescue my pathetic self?"
Bora frowns at that.
"You are anything but that," she blurts out to her, and nibbles onto her lower lip. "You deserve to fight for your freedom, and I --" she looks away, heat creeping up her cheeks. "You're so strong, and I…I think you fight lovely, too. You are far from pathetic."
Handong's smile is a sad one. "My family all seem to think otherwise."
Her tear ridden expression rises something out of the bottom of her stomach.
"Well -- be damned with your family. And your bloody aunt!"
Handong seems to be startled by that, and herself too, at the way her voice echoes down the alleyway.
And yet, she can't seem to stop herself.
"Damn anyone who goes after you and your pursuit to freedom. No one deserves to even be called your family if they resort to murder of all blasted things. Perhaps I may be too bold in saying this, madam -- but I think you should kindly never refer to them as your family ever again!"
She inhales in a huge breath of air after that, and sees the way Handong blinks at her, then again, her expression unreadable now.
And oh God. The regret is sinking in now. What in flying hell did she just ramble on about now?
She opens her mouth ready to blurt out an apology, until Handong suddenly leans in, and all train of thought leaves her when heavenly soft lips press against hers.
She melts into it immediately, almost sighing into it as she kisses Handong back slowly, fluttering her lashes down.
But the warmth leaves her lips as soon as they come, and Bora flutters her lidded eyes open to see Handong panting slightly, looking a little kiss-drunk as she murmurs to her,
"I've been wanting to do that all night to you."
"Well then why didn't you do it earlier?" Bora whines back.
"You and that sailor tongue of yours," Handong murmurs, a hand resting on top of her cheek. "Every single word that leaves out of you makes me want to kiss you, but after that? I want to do more than just kiss you silly."
Christ.
Bora's neck flushes. "What else do you want to do to me?"
The smile that spreads on Handong's face is a filthy one, making her go absolutely weak in the knees.
"If you let me, I can show you," Handong replies, dark and husky as she plants a kiss to her jaw.
And Bora lets the sinful woman show her, all while they're still in the middle of the empty alleyway.
--
"Don't forget about replacing my violin," is one of the last things Siyeon says to her.
Minji had inquired about where she should deliver such a thing, all while Siyeon helped zip the back of her dress up again.
"There's only a few orchestra halls in this city. I'm sure you'll find the address eventually, miss."
All before pressing a final kiss to the back of her hand, and leaving the theatre for good.
But it's a mystery Minji's willing to take, all so she can see her again soon. Perhaps she can even convince her to come to Rome with her the next time she meets her.
She makes her way out of the bathroom, freshened up again and sees that the performance, shockingly enough, is still going with half of the orchestra. There's only half of the theatre left now as well, and she contemplates whether or not she should sit down and watch too, perhaps even humor Bora a little --
Oh.
Oh, sweet macarons.
Immediately, she bolts out of the theatre exit, and straight towards the garden.
She hopes Bora won't be mad that she broke her promise that she wouldn't, at all costs, pursue after beautiful women for the whole night.
--
"What will be your plan now, madam?"
"You can call me Handong, you know. We are equals, after all, Bora."
Gosh. She'll never get tired of hearing her name being rolled off her tongue the way Handong does for her.
She watches her keenly, Handong wiping away her chin ever so delicately, and Bora averts her gaze back to the buttoning her vest. Tries not to think about what just happened.
"Will you not answer the question, Dong?"
Handong looks up to her, as if she's surprised by the new nickname. Then she lets out a soft laugh. "How can I answer, if I do not even know myself?"
She stops buttoning the vest. "You should come with me. After my visit ends here, my friend and I will be visiting Rome soon. My dear friend, Minji, her name is -- "
Oh.
Wait a minute.
Is Minji even alive?
"Yes…? Your friend, Minji?" She hears Handong offer, and Bora slaps a palm to her face.
"I don't even know if she's even alive to come to Rome with us!"
"Pardon? I don't seem to follow -- "
She plants her hands onto the sides of Handong's shoulders. "Forgive me, but I must go. I need to see if she's okay. But I do want to stay in touch with you, too. Same time at the garden tomorrow, maybe? Or will you come with me tonight for shelter?"
She searches Handong's eyes, who seem to look hesitant for a moment.
"I…will be alright for now," she answers, and smiles. "I know a friend and her wife who can board me in for the night."
"Oh," she sighs in relief. "Good. That's absolutely swell. Will I see you--"
But she's interrupted by a kiss to her cheek. "Yes, you fool. Tomorrow, I will be here. Now go find your dear friend already!"
She stammers, and stumbles, before laughing a little and she bolts out of the alleyway. "Right, of course!"
She looks back at her one last time, sees her wave to her and Bora waves back. She even contemplates on blowing a kiss to her, but she knows that perhaps that is a little Too much for the both of them.
The area where Handong kissed her cheek still tingles, and Bora lays a hand on top of it as she runs, a giddy smile spreading on her face.
God -- does she have a story to tell Minji when she reunites with her again.
(She also sure do hopes Minji will not get mad at her for breaking their promise of not going after beautiful women, too.)