Page 20 of From Paris to Seoul

Who would’ve thought that my aloof, reserved co-star could be this silly when he wanted to be?

I pointed out my drink, “Let me finish this first!”

Baekhyun nodded, then jerked his thumb toward the door with a wink, signaling that he’d be stepping outside for a bit.

Left alone in the middle of the pulsing crowd, I sipped my cocktail, feeling more and more like I didn’t belong. Some people were genuinely having fun, lost in the music, while others just looked outright wasted. The air carried a musty scent, a mix of sweat and alcohol, as bodies moved feverishly, their damp shirts clinging to their skin.

I realized that as the only Asian woman in the crowd, I stuck out like a sore thumb. A creeping panic rose in me as I noticed a few guys glancing in my direction, their eyes lingering a little too long.

Where the heck is Baekhyun?!

A few minutes later, I scanned the dance floor and finally spotted Baekhyun making his way back inside. I felt instant relief.

He mouthed a quick “sorry” and casually draped an arm around my shoulders, steering me toward the bar after noticing my empty glass.

On the way there, I couldn’t help but notice how many people were openly kissing and touching each other. I knew PDA was more common in Western culture, but it still took me a moment to push past the secondhand embarrassment.

Baekhyun handed me another glass of Long Island and led me to a quieter corner.

“Where were you?!” I demanded.

“Oh, sorry, sorry. Just stepped out for a smoke,” he said with that infuriatingly charming grin that made it impossible to stay mad at him.

“Come on, let’s dance.” He grabbed my free hand and started moving it up and down like a puppet master.

“No, I don’t… I don’t think I can,” I muttered through gritted teeth, feeling irritation creep in. I took another sip of my cocktail—too fast, maybe—but I had a feeling I’d need a little liquid courage to get through this.

He waited patiently for me to finish my drink, then placed my empty glass back on the bar before leading me back to the middle of the dance floor. Gently, he lifted my hands and placed them behind his neck, forming a loose circle.

I realized then, as I had to tilt my head slightly to meet his gaze, that even with my heels on, he is still a few centimeters taller than me.

Maybe it was the flashing lights, or maybe the alcohol finally settling in, but when our eyes locked, I could’ve sworn my heart skipped a beat.

His smile was playful, almost mischievous—like a little kid who knew exactly what he was up to. “Better now?” he whispered in my ear, making my skin tingle. It must have just been the ticklish sensation, nothing more.

I responded with a light punch to his arm but found myself swaying to the rhythm with him, falling into step.

He was right—this is actually kind of fun.

We swayed more than danced, my hands still resting behind his neck, the music pulsing around us. It felt almost like slow dancing—close, easy, yet I felt my heartbeat pounding a little too fast in my chest.

He must have noticed the tension in my grip or the way I swallowed hard. Leaning in slightly, he whispered in my ear, “Want to step outside?”

As much as the thrill of doing something so out of character still buzzed through me, I decided this was enough for one night. I nodded, and we quickly made our way outside, stepping into the quiet alleyways and empty streets of Paris. The sudden silence was a stark contrast to the pounding music inside the nightclub.

We walked a few steps in silence before I heard the familiar flick of a lighter—Baekhyun was lighting a cigarette beside me.

He took a few puffs nonchalantly, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. As if we weren’t in Paris. As if we hadn’t just walked out of a bizarre nightclub decorated with sex paraphernalia, where we slow-danced like we had all the time in the world.

Right on cue, my stomach let out a loud protest. “Ah, I’m starting to get hungry.”

Baekhyun held up his cigarette in response.

I rolled my eyes. “No, thanks. How exactly is that supposed to fill my stomach?”

“Well, how do you know if you’ve never tried,princess?”

Ugh, again with the princess bit! Just as I turned to him, ready to land a playful punch, my foot slipped. Before I could react, I felt myself tipping backward—but Baekhyun was quicker. His arm shot out, catching me just in time before my head could meet the cold, hard concrete of Paris.

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