My Virtual Lover

Live 40: The Ball Dance-off!

Jury point of view…

The two exchange glances in disbelief, no one would ever have thought that the two fated online partners are meeting in real life. It was as if the red strings of fate connect them both on the same path. Jury doesn’t know the thumping feelings inside her chest, circulating inside her chest are her raging emotions.

Bursting in happiness, she holds Kevin’s hand as she says her true feelings to the nerdy man.

“I have always admired you playing APEX! I also like your personality!” Jury yells out of nowhere, surprising Kevin. “I’ve always been admiring you, so that’s why it’s a surprise to see you in Surabaya”.

“Same goes with me, but why are you suddenly being so honest? You embarrassed me” Kevin blushes. “Not to mention you just yelled it too! People are peeking in our direction you know!”.

Kevin is right, the people around them look at them conspicuously. Jury bows her head in shame, possibly apologizing for the ruckus she causes. Seeing how the party still goes on, the two games are bored out of their minds. None of them wants to return to their seat either, they want to keep talking as long as possible.

Suddenly Kevin had an idea in his mind, he proposes to Jury that they will escape the birthday party. Jury raises her eyebrows in confusion, she doesn’t seem to be on board with that new idea. She warns him that none of their parents would be happy to see their children escape the Gala birthday party.

“I guess you’re right about that” he sighs heavily. “I don’t know if my aunt and uncle allow it, but I have spare money to call a taxi anyway”.

“You mean GrabCar” she fixes it for Kevin.

He nods, he doesn’t mind escaping the Ball festivities for a while if Jury wants to escape with him together. Such an intriguing proposal baffles Jury’s mind, she wants to escape with him but she fears her father’s wrath once he finds out that she’s going out with someone she just met, an online friend even.

The mc on the stage suddenly announces a break time, a certain background music play in the background which repulses the woman. It’s ball dancing music, the royalty vibe that every child loves. The gentleman announces that anyone can use the break time to dance with a random partner, surely supervised since it’s a children’s birthday party.

Several bodyguards gather on the edge of the dancing hall next to the stage, the door to the dancing hall is packed with teenagers and young adults trying to enter the hall to spend their time with their loved ones. The children are also enthusiastic to dance in the vast circular magic hall.

Jury’s eyes gaze longingly at the golden door next to the stage, the door that leads to the dancing hall. As if knowing what she wants, Kevin extends his hand to Jury as he blushes at the woman. He stutters uncontrollably, making Jury wonders what Kevin wanted to say. He then bows his head while he lifts Jury’s hand.

“Would you like to dance with me Ms. Jury?” he asks with a reddened face. “Just so you know, I’m being nice to you cause you’re my friend”.

Jury accepts his hand, the two walk side by side to the dance hall door, hand-in-hand like a couple. They had to queue, but it was worth it after they see the grandeur view of the dancing hall. The hanging chandelier shines brightly, filling the entire hall in royalty as the sparkling crystals of the chandelier reflects the light elegantly.

She can feel her father’s stare from a distance when Kevin takes her hand, leading her into the center of the dancing hall. Jury hesitantly circles her arm around his neck, only to realize an agonizing truth. She’s way shorter than the APEX gamer, her forehead only reaches his chest area which baffles Kevin himself.

Kevin almost lets his laughter escape, but then he feels the cold glare coming from Jury. Kevin lowers his hand to her waist, which is hard for him since he’s tall. Her hand can only reach his shoulder, hence she holds onto his shoulder desperately. Kevin holds his laughter, his cheeks puffed when he sees her struggle.

“I’ll put mine on your back then, shorty” he circles his arm around her back. “I know that you’re short, but you’re as short as what the rumor said”.

“Shut up” she growls in annoyance, glaring at him. “Just move your leg”.

The two awkward partners move according to the fantastic ball music, but since none of them have ever tried dancing before; their movements are the epitome of disaster. Jury lost her footing and step Kevin’s foot, Kevin on the other hand move too fast that the tiny woman barely could follow in his footsteps.

“You’re moving too fast!” Jury complains.

“And you’re stepping on my feet!” he retorts back. “Well, we’re pretty bad at this”.

The other young adults and teenagers giggle as they enjoy their time together, romance blowing in the air. She can smell it, the smell of romance flourishing between the partners as they smile at each other. Yes, the disgusting smell of those positive vibes couple; something that Jury can’t relate until this day.

However, her heart palpitates fast the moment her arms are around his shoulder. Kevin’s raspy breathing causes her to swallow her saliva. The young man’s hand is sweaty, perhaps the man himself is nervous as well, he slows his pace since the woman complains that he’s too fast. Jury is also more attentive, not to step on his foot.

Their proximity causes the two to be in an uncomfortable spot, watched by the crowds they only can chuckle in silence. Kevin enjoys looking at Jury’s blushing expression, even Jury can tell that much from his childish smirk whenever Jury accidentally made a mistake on her footwork.

“You’re like a gorilla” he scoffs. “So rough! Are you sure you’re not the almighty-”.

“No! Focus on me” she lowers her head as she watches her footsteps so that she won’t screw up anymore. “I’m counting on you”.

The two then become serious, Kevin proposes to her that to make it easier they should just consider the ball as a dancing game. Consider the shiny marble floor has a direction pad were to step on, Jury nods at Kevin’s suggestion as she thinks of the time when she plays the arcade dancing game on the game center.

Kevin follows her, possibly following her rhythm as they dance to the calming music. Not noticing that the crowds’ eyes are on them since the two of them make strange movements instead of dancing altogether.

* * *

“Mum? What are they doing?” a random child commented on the sideline.

“They’re having fun! Dancing as we do, Berto!” she tells her cute son as she kneels to wipe his drool. “We should be having fun as well”.

“But they’re dancing weirdly!” the son looks at Kevin and Jury in curiosity. “Is that a new dance style?”.

Jury can hear the comment from afar, her face reddened as her head still watch her footing so that she won’t step at Kevin. As expected, they treat dancing as if they’re dancing on the arcade machine. The sound of their footstep is loud enough for the public to hear, their footwork suddenly becomes quicker than ever.

Jury asks Kevin to slow down his pace, but he’s in his game mode to hear what she says. He’s imagining the ball dance exactly like the dancing machine. Kevin doesn’t seem to realize that the public eyes are on them, Jury grits her teeth nervously when she notices a small laugh escape one of the crowds.

“I told you to stop, i***t!” she whispers to Kevin. “We’re bad at this, and there’s nothing we can do to fix it!”.

“What are you talking about!? We’re on a combo streak!” Kevin answers enthusiastically, his onyx eyes are full of determination. “You’re slow and you’re doing a great job!”.

“How do you even know that you’re on a combo streak? You’re hallucinating Kevin!” Jury grumbles annoyed.

Kevin raises his head, his eyes focusing on Jury’s orange ones when he finally answers her with a laidback attitude.

“You haven’t stepped on my foot! That’s progress!” he chuckles.

Jury rolls her eyes, wanting to curse the dense man in front of him. He always says the most insensitive thing to a woman, similar to his bully online persona. She will rename his contact as ‘Bully Darius’, that sounds fine for a man who likes teasing her too much. Not long after, the mc calls the dancing participant to return to the dining hall to continue the show.

The dancers stop dancing, including Kevin and Jury who dance wildly as if they’re on the game center. Since the ball is no more, the two finally lost interest to attend the birthday celebration. They already felt the joy and hardship of dancing, they decide not to do any ball dance ever again, it is troublesome.

“Alright, let’s escape for real now Jury” Kevin grabs Jury’s wrist out of the blue, while the dancers mostly already exited the hall.