“Looks delicious”

“Thank you Uncle”

Dara smiled at Chairman Kwon. She visited the mansion and now she’s setting up the table for their dinner.

“I missed your cooking”

“I’m going to tell you on to Mrs. Choi, Dad”, Hyejeong warned smiling at her father.

“I already know”, the old lady cook entered with another dish. “He doesn’t like my cooking anymore”, she added and playfully glare at Chairman Kwon.

“Of course not Mrs. Choi, you’re still the best”, Dara smiled at her.

“Join us for dinner Mrs. Choi and call the others”

“Oh, we ate early. Go on, it’s been a while since Dara visited”, the old lady said then went back to the kitchen.

“How are you Dara? Are you adjusted well now?”

“Dad, it’s been three years since she moved out from here. Why do keep asking the same question whenever she’s here?”

“Really? It’s been that long? It feels just like yesterday”

“Dad! Stop it. You’re giving me goosebumps.”

Dara giggled. “I miss you too Uncle. I’ll try to visit as much as I can”

After dinner, Dara went to the music room. She couldn’t say no to Chairman Kwon when he asked her to sleep over.

“I can see that you haven’t practice for a long time”

“GD! It’s been a while. I don’t have a piano in my flat”

“I should give you one then. Alright! Let’s have some lessons shall we?”

“Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m too stressed out practicing all day; a little relaxation will be fine”

He went to sit beside her at the piano. Dara stares at him as he flipped the music sheets in front.

“What?”

“You’re acting strange. It’s suspicious! You usually stay in the company when you are preparing. It’s still early but you’re home”

“What are you talking about?”

“C’mon spill it out!”

He looks at her and she’s still looking at him intently, pouting her lips. He chuckled.

“I can’t keep anything from you”

“Don’t just laugh and tell me what is it?”

“It’s nothing big, really”

“Hmm…let me guess. Who is it this time? Teddy or Taeyang? You and your temper, stop terrorizing your teachers.”

“Hey! We’re past that stage already, a long time ago. Teddy and I are in sync now. As for Taeyang…”

“Just admit it! you’re such a lousy dancer”

He chuckled. “Those two would probably miss you more than I do since we can still meet each other like this”

“Yeah, it will be difficult to go visit because of the break-up”

“Hyejeong should just go back”

Hyejeong walks in, “Why would I do that? Do you know how much effort it took before I can finally put my own company? And what good it could do? You two! You’re not allowed to see each other for a while”

“As if we have time to do that”, GD smirked at her.

“I just wanted to make it clear. Stop dragging Dara around with you and you! Dara! just stay put where you are, stop following this idiot”

Dara and GD look at each other and burst out laughing.

“Yah! Are you two listening to me?”

********

“Thank you for today Miss Dara”, a staff handed her a bouquet of flowers.

She smiled and says her thanks in return.

“Dara!”

Kwangsoo smiled and catch his breath before giving her another bouquet. “For you”

“Thank you Kwangsoo, this is sweet of you but you don’t have to”, she answered politely.

“I just heard you’ll be here at the station and I was just wondering if you’ll have time to have some coffee…”

“President Hyejeong is asking us to drop by at the office”, Minzy cuts-in.

“I’m sorry Kwangsoo. Maybe some other time”

Minzy laughs looking back at Kwangsoo’s deflated self.  “I’m sure he’s going to be more persistent after the release of the break up news and there will be more”

“Don’t say such ridiculous things”

“The news will be up by Friday, I wonder how it will it be. It will be chaotic for sure”

“I’m worried about Chaera, do you think it will be enough that she’s joining that dating program?”

“Why are you even worried about that? Are you really alright about this?”

Minzy looked at her in worry. She gave her a little smile and nodded.

“No need to worry about me”

********

Beijing, China

“I didn’t realize she’s at the same flight”, Minzy commented when she saw Dara giving Chaera a simple nod and a smile, she’s across them at the baggage counter.

“How could you? You’re snoring even before we take off”, she laughs. Then something…someone caught her eyes.

“Dara…”

“Dara…”

“Dara…!?Something wrong?”, Minzy looks at the way she’s been staring at. She didn’t realize she’s been spacing out for a while.

“Oh, nothing. I must have been mistaken. Let’s go!”

That night Dara is still up in the middle of night looking out at the window of their hotel room.

“Why are you not sleeping?”

Dara glanced at Minzy getting up from the bed.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been spacing out since we arrived”

“Don’t mind me. I’m going to sleep soon”

“Alright don’t stay up too late. We need to be early tomorrow”

She’s staring outside the glass wall again when her message alert tone caught her attention.

********

After spending two weeks in China, Dara is back in the country again, they decided to take a flight in the wee hours to avoid any attention, fans still can’t believe about her break-up with GD and some are speculating that she’s out of the country following GD on his concert tour as she usually does before, to cover up for Chaera’s attendance in some of those concerts.

She went home straight. As she enters her unit, her eyes get wider. She swears beneath her breath. “No wonder you haven’t called me once”, she mumbled and reached for her phone.

“What did you do to my house?!”, she said without saying hello to Hyejeong, she scowled at her own large portrait hanging on the wall. Her old plain walls are now decorated, her black leather sofa was replaced by a new modern curved edged white and pink sofa, and there are plants inside. She even has a new kitchen and entertainment set, far from her previous almost empty unit.

“Did you like it?”, she answered excitedly.

“I have never seen a caring President as you”, she answered back sarcastically

“Yah, yah, yah…you should have renovated a long time ago. I couldn’t even say that a woman is living in your unit. You’re a star, for god sake. And that black and white motif doesn’t suit you. How did you ever manage to cook in there? How could you even accept visitors in that kind of surrounding?”

“I don’t like visitors at home and I’m comfortable with the way it used to be”

“Just sleep, will you? And stop arguing. And will you please change your door code”

Just exactly, she hears her door unlock and GD came in.

“Want to have some drink?”, GD asked lifting the cans on his hands.

“Was that GD? I told…”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight”. She said hanging up the phone.

“Was that Hyejeong? She’ll be here in a minute”, GD said slumping on carpeted floor of her living room.

********