I can't do this...
Ga Eul willed the nervous rushing of her blood to calm down. It's just dancing, she reminded herself. You were doing this with Woo Bin oppa just a few minutes ago and you were fine...of course that had been different, for one thing Woo Bin hadn't held her nearly so close and for another...well...it was just different.
Yi Jung's motions were smooth and effortless. His fingers on one hand were intertwined with hers, and his other hand was warm and secure on her back, guiding her. Which was a good thing because she had no idea what they were doing or how to do it; she just hoped she didn't look too foolish.
As they moved, she turned her head to the side, almost against his chest, so that he wouldn't be able to see her expression. She was sure her nervousness would have been written all over her face; she'd never been very good at hiding her feelings.
"Ga Eul yang. Relax," he chided softly, and tightened his arm around her, bringing her body in even closer proximity to his. Perhaps the move was instinctive rather than intentional, but she immediately stiffened, and tripped a little, getting her legs tangled up with his.
In the background, if either had been paying attention to hear it, Ji Hoo's violin made a quirky harsh note in mimicry.
"I'm sorry," Ga Eul said, taking advantage of the brief interruption to break away. "I...I'm rather tired." The excuse sounded lame even to her own ears.
Yi Jung merely smiled. He reached out, and before she had the chance (or presence of mind) to back away completely out of reach, ran his fingers along the curve of her neck and collarbone, which were bared by the simple dress she wore.
Strangely, though the contact made her shiver, she somehow understood that gesture was driven more by architectural curiosity than a carnal one, as if his sensitive artist's hands merely sought for a chance to fathom something through touching it.
She was momentarily frozen, unable to look away from his mouth, upon which the smile had faded, as his expression grew more serious.
"Excuse me," she said in a tiny voice.
I have to get away from here--I can't think properly. What is wrong with me?
Ga Eul backed up a few more steps and then turned, not caring how ridiculous she must look fleeing, and hurried in the direction of the broad flagstone stairs leading to the piers below. Away from the lamps of the terrace, the cool evening air was like a welcome blessing as it struck her overheated skin.
She breathed in deeply and exhaled several times, hoping that the action would calm her, but it was insufficient.
"Ga Eul-ah? Are you ok?" It was Jan Di, having left Jun Pyo for the moment to come over to the balcony and call down to her.
She waved back, feeling insincere. "Yes, I'm just too hot."
Her friend nodded in understanding, and gave her a reassuring if puzzled smile before disappearing back behind the stone ledge.
Ga Eul hesitated, only just having made up her mind to return to the cabins when she saw Yi Jung, hands in his suit pockets, coming purposefully down the steps in her direction.
No! Why is he following me! She thought for an instant she might still have time to flee to the cabins via the beach, but it wouldn't be possible. She only had the long stretch of wooden pier behind her now, so she was effectively trapped. Looking around wildly anyway for inspiration, she saw only the velvety black ocean on either side.
There was nothing to do but to follow the pier out to its end. And it did stretch out for quite a distance; the water was endlessly shallow here. Her heels clattered on the wooden boards, followed closely thereafter by the sound of Yi Jung's determined footsteps.
When she could walk no further, she stopped, took a deep breath and felt her still warm cheeks, then summoning up nerve from some inner source, turned around to look at him, a half-dozen steps behind her.
He did look irritated. Ga Eul tried not to feel intimidated by this.
After all, it wasn't as if he was going to push her into the water. Though that might have be preferable to some of the other things he might possibly do.
"Silly girl." His tone was lighter than she'd been preparing herself for. "Where are you going?"
"You were chasing me," she said, defensively.
"I was following you," he clarified. "Because you ran off. In the middle of a dance."
"I was tired."
"No you weren't."
She began to protest but her voice died in her throat at the calm contradiction. His eyes were so dark, so knowing. So...focused. It wasn't fair that she always felt disadvantaged and flustered around him.
"All right," she said, lifting her chin defiantly, deciding it was time to take back the upper hand. "I just...didn't want to dance with you any more."
Bet he doesn't hear that very often. Ga Eul felt she had delivered the lie quite convincingly, and was rewarded by a brief moment of puzzlement crossing his features, as if he had indeed never encountered such a rebuttal.
"Still," he said after a minute. "That's no excuse for such manners."
"I should say your manners are lacking!" Ga Eul exclaimed, stung. "You just--grabbed my hand--you didn't even ask me. Just like in the porridge shop!"
Yi Jung sighed a little as if this were something they had already settled. (Which they had, to his satisfaction at least, she supposed.) "You wouldn't have said yes. Then. Or now."
Though from a logical standpoint she wanted to agree with him, Ga Eul's heart whispered very betrayingly, I might have done anything you asked me, had you only done it nicely enough.
Which was not helpful. She silenced the inner murmur with an angry shake of her head.
Yi Jung mistook this gesture to mean she was disagreeing with what he'd said. He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Confused, Ga Eul stalled for time, wondering what she was supposed to say. Yes--I would have said yes? No, I wouldn't have said yes....Ah! I'm going crazy.
"Well," he said, delivering that smile, which even in the dim moonlight was damnably radiant. "So you will dance with me?"