Deadly Sins | Monsta X

Part 29: Breathe

Part 29: Breathe

The next day after a long process of make-up getting smacked in Anya's face and her hair being curled and bathed in hairspray, she stands in her hotel room in front of the mirror and looks at herself in a huge Victorian dress.

The point of the party isn't to be historically accurate but to find a way to combine the modern style with this era. So that it fits her style, she and Elayne chose a gothic style dress with a navy silk corseted top. Panels taper to her waist, then expand over a wide hoop skirt with lace flounces and split at the side to reveal dark petticoats underneath. When she takes a few experimental steps, the skirt trails behind her in a long train.

"Is it comfy?" Elayne, her stylist, asks behind her.

"Comfy?" She lays her hand on her stomach, trying to draw in a deep breath. Even inhaling slowly, she doesn't make it very far. "I can't breathe!"

Elayne chuckles and loosens the corset a little. "You're not supposed to breathe in this!"

"Great!" Anya mumbles. No wonder people back then didn't have a very long life expectancy.

Someone knocks on the door and Anya's assistant Patty opens it. Still looking in the mirror, she sees Kyun entering the room.

With a gasp, she turns around.

There he stands in a white shirt with a tall collar underneath a long dark blue tailcoat, embroidered with flashy golden flowers on the chest and sleeves, down to the waistband of the matching pants. His long black hair is slicked back but a single strand falls into his face.

He looks... perfect.

"Wow!" they both say in sync and it's almost as if the other people in this insanely crowded room, with her stylists, hair- and makeup-artists and her assistant, have disappeared. All Anya sees is him, his perfect face, his perfect smile. A pleasant electric shock runs through her body when he takes her hand and makes her turn in her huge dress.

"You look beautiful!" Kyun grins.

She's grateful to him for saying this even though she knows it is only his common sense telling him this, that his demon eyes can't see beauty.

"You too!" she breathes, her eyes still observing every inch of his look. "And our colors even match..."

He pulls her closer by her waist before tucking her hair over her shoulder. He gazes into her eyes for a lingering moment, and then his gaze falls to her neck. A soft smile appears on his face and his fingertips glide over her necklace. The necklace he gave her for Christmas.

"You're still wearing it!"

With her eyes fixed on his lips, she nods, paralyzed by his touch, his closeness.

"Happy birthday!" Her words are barely a whisper. She doesn't want to make him feel uncomfortable by saying it too loud with all these people around. Kyun just nods and smiles in return.

"Who designed this!" Elayne gasps and rips them out of their moment as she fumbles with Kyun's jacket.

"Kimseoryong!" Kyun says casually without taking his eyes off of Anya, and the artist feels herself blushing under her makeup.

Elayne whips out her phone and types frantically, apparently to write the name down before she forgets it.

"The driver is on his way!" Patty says. Everyone in this room has the same grin on their face. Anya gets why. This is the first time in her career she's actually bringing a real date to an event like this.

"Tell the driver he doesn't have to come!" Kyun lets his fingertips glide down Anya's arm and takes her hand, his eyes following the movements of his hand. "We'll drive alone!"