32 Balconies and cheekbones

Looking into her mirror and marvelling at the reflection that stared back, Ji-ho wondered if this was how Cinderella had felt.

Sun Young-mi had features that were soft and delicate but her plump lips added a dimension of sensuality to the innocent-looking visage. The stunning pink creation that was draped over her lithe young form was as she had suspected, a perfect fit across every inch of her body. From the mid-thigh down, the dress was just sheer enough to display the silhouette of her long slender legs. Her neck was bare but that allowed the eyes to appreciate her beautiful collar bones and swan-like neck. Sun Young-mi already had an attractive physical foundation but the classy wrapping gifted by Seung-ho elevated her into the kind of woman she could see being escorted into high society.

"Seung-ho, you sure know how to pamper someone," she said with reluctant appreciation. Not even taking into account what she was wearing, the service of his lawyer alone would have bankrupted her if the actor insisted on collecting what she owed him. It was a reminder to Ji-ho about the dilemma of relying on him too much even if it was an emergency.

Her phone buzzed, a message from the actor telling her that he had arrived. Her stomach did a little flip when she thought about the crowd of famous people she would be rubbing shoulders with tonight. Remembering that Seung-ho would be by her side, the butterflies made themselves scarce.

How had she come to trust him so much?

_______

The street lights were on above a sleek black car parked right across the gate of her apartment. Ji-ho began walking towards the car and she saw a man, the chauffeur of the vehicle, holding the door open for her. Despite the darkness, she could see the striking side profile of Seung-ho who looked entirely too delectable in his finely tailored suit. His gleaming black hair was brushed back and styled in an elegant cut that made him appear like a refined prince.

And when he turned around to glance at the approaching Young-mi, their eyes met. In a very subtle movement, the actor's gaze dipped, taking in the entirety of Sun Young-mi in the fineries that he had chosen with care and paid for. It was too dark for Ji-ho to see the flash of appreciation that appeared in his eyes.

Wordlessly, Ji-ho stepped inside the vehicle. Their chauffeur closed the door and she was left sitting in silence with the man whose magnetic presence filled the inside of the car, making her feel like the oxygen was running out too fast.

"You look even better than I imagined," Seung-ho told her with a smile that sent another bout of tingles in her stomach.

"Likewise, Seung-ho," she replied, not betraying the nervousness that had come out of nowhere, like some ghost determined to ruin her night.

*You are a grown-ass adult woman, Park Ji-ho! Come on! just be cool! Tell him he looks handsome! You can do it!*

"You always look so handsome ah, that it feels kind of useless complimenting you." She sounded cool and suave, not like the shaking piece of leaf that she truly felt like at that moment. Good looking people were a scourge upon the Earth, she lamented sorrowfully.

Seung-ho's mouth flickered then, communicating his amusement without taking the trouble of smiling.

"Should I be flattered, Young-mi? You're always praising my face. I almost feel," he paused dramatically, "objectified."

Ji-ho turned away so she wouldn't have to look at the shameless man acting like a victim of his good looks. "Woe is me," she sighed sadly. "I'm Seung-ho, burdened by the heavy curse of winning the genetic lottery."

This time, the actor couldn't keep the amused smile off his face.

"-cheekbones like balconies," Ji-ho said out loud though it was meant to stay in the privacy of her mind where she was making an observation, strictly for scientific purposes, of how his features harmonised to create such an objectively pleasing face. At his confused expression, she recovered quickly by blurting out more bullshit - "I mean that in a good way. Your cheekbones are sculpted like artistic balconies-"

It seemed that Ji-ho had really reached peak stupidity because it was confirmed by the sound of Seung-ho's velvety laughter.

*Balconies? Balconies?!*

She needed one right now so she could jump off it to unalive herself. Preferably taking Seung-ho down with her. And also the chauffeur whose shoulders were shaking suspiciously.

"It wasn't even that funny," she peevishly informed him, trying to suppress her own smile since the actor's good mood was so infectious. "Ya! Stop laughing. Kim Seung-ho!!"

He hadn't had this much fun interacting with anyone in a very long time. The actor's features appeared softer when he was smiling so genuinely.

"You are a delight to be around, Young-mi," he told her with a chuckle. "Never change."

_____

The venue for the small and exclusive party was an hour's ride to a mansion on the outskirts of the city. It was the home of the director, Yeon Jin-ho. He had invited all the actors and actresses of the drama, the staff, as well as two media houses who would record the event and broadcast it to the fans of the drama series.

Ji-ho peered out of the window as their vehicle entered the heavy gates of the mansion. Several cars were already parked in front of the mansion and she could even see a few guests milling about the courtyard where a camera was set up to broadcast their arrival.

"Young-mi, do you need time to prepare yourself?" She heard Seung-ho ask. He must have seen the tense lines of her shoulders as the young lady observed the video camera.

Appreciating his concern, Ji-ho shook her head and smiled. A little bit of anxiety was good for keeping oneself alert for danger, not that there was any. It was the thought of being seen with the famous actor that made her worry. But then she also realised that she was no longer in company Y. If the fans got too rowdy, S.S. would be there to back her up.

"Come, let's go," Ji-ho told the actor as she held out the crook of her arm like a gentleman about to escort his lady.