Beastly Beauty ✓

25. The Dance that Ignites

*Boy Meets Evil is for Hoseok's solo. The song above that, titled "Experience" is for Jangmi and Hoseok's dance together*

25 | THE DANCE THAT IGNITES

"You want me to dance with you?"

Hoseok's eyes glimmered. "No. I want the honor of dancing with you."

A breath of disbelief slipped past my lips. "I thought you couldn't get away from me fast enough the other night."

His gaze fell to my neck, following the silver chain down to the glass pendant. He confirmed what I had already started piecing together.

"This was the problem, right?" My fingers traced the curves of the teardrop. "It bothers you somehow."

"It does."

"Are you going to tell me why?"

He hesitated. "No."

Fighting the hurt that wedged into my chest, I managed a smile. He watched as I unclasped the chain and dropped the necklace into my bag.

"Now you owe me," I said as I found his eyes again.

A single brow arched, arms crossing over his chest. "And what exactly do I owe you?"

My smile remained, ready to test his bounds. "Before you get the privilege of dancing with me, I get to see you dance on your own."

He narrowed his eyes. "You've already seen me dance before."

"No, that was just you running through the choreography you made for me. I want to see you perform one of your own dances. One that nobody else has seen."

"What makes you so interested in that?" His voice came out light, but he was still guarded.

"What makes you so interested in dancing with me?"

He gave no response. As he silently stepped closer, I leaned back until my shoulder blades were pressing against the cold metal of the ladder. His gloved hand raised toward my collarbone, freezing just a centimeter from my skin. He slowly trailed the back of his fingers over my shoulder, tracing down along my arm without ever touching me, but my skin still radiated with heat as if he had.

"Only for you," he whispered in my ear, and the sound sent warm tingles sprawling over my neck. Then he reached beyond me and when he drew back, a small speaker was in his hand.

He moved past the curtains to the upper stage, placing the speaker down to the side. As he scrolled on his phone, he glanced at me to see that I remained frozen against the ladder.

"Is that where you want to watch from?"

"Sure," I said, still breathless. Was he really going to show me just because I'd asked?

Soft, strung-out violin notes played from the speaker, and Hoseok took a deep breath as he straightened up and rolled his shoulders back. He went to center stage where he was illuminated by the gentle radiance of flickering lights and candles. I stayed separated from him in the shadowed edges of the stage.

The building rhythm of the music carried my excitement with it, and my pulse synced with the piano notes as they intensified.

As soon as the first swell came, Hoseok began his routine, moving with intensity as if his body was the very thing that controlled the music.