We need to talk.

Dara read the text for the umpteenth time when she had received it that Saturday morning trying to decipher the meaning of that one sentence. Trying to figure out what they should be talking about. She placed her phone on the table in front of her while she returned her attention back on the television not really caring what is on it. When she read that when she woke up, she only wondered why they need to talk when he was the one who wasn’t talking to her. She had been really distracted while she’s dong her laundry. Checking her phone then putting it back in her pocket. Then reading it and putting it back into her pocket again as if the text message would change. And when she finished late that afternoon, all she did is look at it while she pondered what she’s supposed to think with that as she sat on the couch. No, she didn’t respond. She doesn’t know what to respond anyway. If she would go with her gut instinct, her response would’ve been something like, Where in the hell have you been? Or Are we going to talk about how you have ignored me for the last two weeks, you little dumb. But no, of course she wouldn’t do that. For a year of actually dating Lee Donghae, she had tried to refrain herself from going back to being the delinquent girl that she is and tried to be… womanly. Though at times, her real attitude slips out somehow.

Okay, most of the time, if she had to be honest with herself.

Today is no exception. She didn’t respond because all she wanted is to see him so she could say it to his face. How dare he ignored her?! And not even telling her the reason why! Had she done something wrong to piss him off? But if she did, he would be up in her face about it. Not going the cold shoulder route. He had never done this before. They always bicker anyway so fighting isn’t really something new to them. She could remember the first day when they have offically been together. They end up squabbling in front of her house for reasons she couldn’t remember.  They were both mad at each other and she slammed the door in his face. She was seething at that time and promised herself she wouldn’t talk to him ever again. Only to soften up when she realized he stayed inside his car outside of her house. Probably waiting for her to simmer down.

She crossed her arms as she watched Donghae slide out of his car with a pouty, besseching look as he approached her when she stepped out of her apartment. They stood across from each other.

“I’m sorry,” Donghae said his lower lip jutted out adorably and Dara could feel her irritation flying out in a snap. She tried not to smile but it just crept up on her face making Donghae smile too. He pinched her on both her cheeks. “You’re so cute when you forgive me. That was a stupid argument.”

Dara just rolled her eyes. “That’s because you’re an idiot.”

“That seems to be the only thing I am everytime I’m around you,” Donghae teased referencing what she had said when she confessed to him that day at The Scope.

“Ugh! Don’t remind me of that. Gawd, that was so….” She shuddered as if trying to clear the image.

“Sweet,” Donghae finished for her before kissing her forehead. “Now that I’ve seen you smiling, I can go home now. Lock your doors.” Then he narrowed his eyes threateningly at her. “Don’t you dare dream about anyone else but me.”

Dara met his narrowed gaze and before he could blink, she raised herself up on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the lips surprising him. “Dream about that. Good night.” She waved her fingers at him and walked inside her apartment with a big smile on her face.

Everything after that is pretty much the same. Arguing then making up. Bickering one moment then cuddling the next. She could never forget how blissful her life suddenly became whenever she was with Donghae. Even just the thought of him is sending her heart into overdrive. How obsessed was she going to be? Donghae’s grandmother found out about the bet and she had admonished Donghae to no end. Donghae told her he had no choice as he had to explain his sudden disappearance with Yoona then coming back with Dara as her girlfriend. And of course, why he gave Jaejoong a busted lip. It made Dara gawk at that. Wow, she never had any guy fighting for her. Or over her for that matter. And how Chaerin had known that he was the one who punched Jaejoong, they had no idea. Man, Donghae’s cousin is resourceful. She and Jaejoong stayed friends and still kept in touch even when he already flew to HongKong, much to Donghae’s disapproval. She can only laugh at his pouty face whenever the name of Jaejoong was even mentioned. His jealous face is so adorable she can’t help but tweak it a little more sometimes.

If Dara would have to sum up her life of being Donghae’s girlfriend, there would no words to actually define it. She doesn’t want to tell Donghae but he seemed to be the only thing that makes her world go round. If it is possible to actually love someone more than you thought you did the day before, then it’s happening to Dara right now.

So Donghae’s icy attitude towards her is a little disconcerting.

Okay, a lot.

Dara remembered noticing it the day when she drove him to the airport as he had a business to attend to in China. He was unusually silent, only answering in syllables. Unsmiling and not meeting her eyes. She had asked him about that.

“Are you okay?” Dara asked in concern when she parked the car.

Donghae didn’t look at her. “Yeah.” He snapped off the seatbelt. “I can go alone. You go back to The Scope now. I’ll see you when I get back.”

Dara could only watch him as he walked inside the airport’s entrance without looking back. Not so much as a kiss on the cheek or a smile to give before leaving.

She had only received a text from him after 3 days saying he’s back. She thought he’s okay now for whatever’s bothering him. But when she texted him if they could have dinner, he said he can’t and he was busy. That was when Dara knew something is not quite right. He always make time for her whenever he got back from some outside trip. He always nag her to skip off work so they could meet because he says he missed her. And if that didn’t work, he would go to The Scope and force her to go out while calling his grandmother for permission to let her off work.

She thought to give him time. Whatever’s bothering him, he would tell her when he’s ready. But two weeks had passed and the Donghae who loves to argue with her endlessly didn’t come back. Just silence on his side. He rarely answers her calls. And when he does, he seems to be always out of it. His voice sounds uninterested and distant. She gave up on calling him because his voice is making her nervous so she just texts him instead but all she got are just one-line answers. And sometimes, she didn’t received any response at all.

There was one time she really couldn’t take it anymore and she dropped by at Fishy Ideas ready to confront him on what’s his deal. Unfortunately, his secretary informed her he was going to a conference meeting with the board of directors and might take the whole day. She can only sigh before deciding to leave. Then she saw him walking with two men in suits through the glass and they were laughing. She could see the laughter glinting off Donghae’s eyes. Just like the way she remembered. Their eyes met and he looked so surprised he halted in his steps for a minute, his smile gradually falling off. Then averting his gaze, he continued to walk alongside the other men and they disappeared inside a door.

She doesn’t know what his problem is but this has got to stop now! They need to talk? Oh, hell yes, they need to talk. And he’d better be ready for it because she’s got a lot to say. She took her phone again and sent a response.

Duh

She smirked without humor. Let him think whatever he want to think with that response. She put the phone back in the table with a clatter and returned in not watching the TV while scarfing on some chips, her forehead creased. This is the longest they had not spoken to each other. Well, the longest where Donghae is not speaking to her. Donghae would always be the one making the 1st move to make up even if it’s her fault so what happened? She racked her brain to recall if she did something to really offend him. Was there another misunderstanding between them like when he thought she was with Jaejoong before and she thinking he went to Thailand with Yoona? She really doesn’t think she had ever did something out of the ordinary.

The door opening made her turn and in came Chaerin and Suzy. The two had hit it off when they had met. They had been pretty crazy together. They always tag team her at every possible turn.

“Hiya Dara,” Chaerin greeted brightly.

“Hey,” Suzy said lugging several paper bags. Oh right. One thing they have in common? Taking classes at the mall with the subject Shopping 101.

Dara only nodded as she popped another chips in , muching noisily.

“You should have seen this dress Suzy bought. It looked so amazing! You should’ve gone with us!” Chaerin said as she plopped down next to her on the couch.

“Some of us needs to take a day off after working 5 days a week,” Dara wryly said.

Suzy placed her bag on the cluttered table and plopped down on Dara’s other side. “My leg hurts from walking.”

“Why’re you so grumpy?” Chaerin said as she took the bag of chips from Dara’s hands.

“Donghae still hasn’t called?” Suzy asked. She knows the woes of Dara’s relationship right now.

Chaerin shook her head. “I don’t know what the problem is with the two of you. You guys are so perfect together. You guys need to make up. One of you has to make the first move somehow.”

That irked Dara. “We didn’t fight,” she said then thought better of it. “At least I don’t think we did. He just suddenly went…this.”

Chaerin looked at her with narrowed eyes. “But he said you guys had some argument or something. That’s what he told grandma when she asked why you weren’t coming over anymore.”

“What?” Dara asked looking confused. Argument? What kind of argument they had that she doesn’t even know of?

“Did you asked him why he’s not calling or texting you?” Suzy asked diplomatically.

“No,” Dara said crossing her arms over her chest. “I had some pride, you know.”

“So… you guys are going to ignore each other until someone ate their pride?” Chaerin asked sarcastically. “Which is probably going to be a big sacrifice that neither of you wants to do.”

“He probably wants to because he texted me first,” Dara said, for once feeling glad that Donghae was the one who sent her the message first.

“I knew he wouldn’t last that long without you,” Suzy said with a smile.

“What’d he say?” Chaerin said munching. “Sorry for being a dumb , let’s make out tonight? Ugh, If so I need to stay away from him for a couple of days until that sappy look on his face dsappeared. You have no idea what I am always going through everytime he comes and visit grandma after a date with you. Ugh!” She shivered in horror at the recolletion.

“He just said that we need to talk,” Dara said and It surprised her that both Chaerin and Suzy suddenly  froze in their seat. Her forehead creased as she looked at them.

“He said you guys need to talk?” Suzy asked slowly.

Dara nodded picking her phone up again and showing them Donghae’s text message. She saw Chaerin and Suzy sharing a meaningful look that she doesn’t understand before they turned to her.

“The last time you saw Donghae oppa… how was he like?” Chaerin asked tilting her head.

Dara shrugged. “He seems to… he seems to be thinking about something. I mean, I understand that he probably had a lot of problems at work and—“

“Does he seem distant?” Suzy interjected.

“Yeah,” Dara said. Suzy only knew that they were having problems in their relationship but she never really got into detail. “Like… like he’s not even with me, you know?”

“Cold?” Chaerin piped in.

Dara nodded again remembering the icy attitude of Donghae at the Fishy Ideas.

“Like he wouldn’t meet your eyes? Only answering whenever he was asked?”

She nodded her head again. Chaerin covered with her hand while Suzy pursed her lips with a sorry look in her eyes that was directed at her.

“What?” Dara asked. Should she be asking Donghae about why he’s dong that?

“Did you remember when he started to be like that?” Suzy asked.

Dara tried to recall when it had started. “I think… I think it was after we visited his grandmother. His grandmother was teasing him about great grandchildren. He was like… suddenly quiet the next morning. I mean, his grandmother always teases him about that so I don’t think that could’ve been the reason.”

The two girls shared another look and Dara threw her hands up. “What the hell? Will you please stop sharing that look and just tell me?”

“You tell her,” Suzy told Chaerin.

Chaerin shook her head. “Oh no! Not me!”

“You’re his cousin!” Suzy said. “If they need to talk, then she needs to be ready. This is her first relationship and she’s completely clueless, as you can obviously see.”

“But—but—“ Chaerin tried to protest.

“She needs all the help she can get. Her pride is something very important to her so she needs to be warned,” Suzy said.

“Okay, stop talking about me like I’m not here?” Dara said. “What the hell was that about? What warning?” She passed her gaze from Chaerin to Suzy to Chaerin again.

Chaerin bit her lip before meeting her eyes, sighed, then covered Dara’s hand with hers as if for comfort. “Dara… Donghae oppa is breaking up with you.”

Dara was blank for a second. “Huh?”

“Donghae oppa probably… he’s probably just waiting for the right time to tell you the truth,” Chaerin added.

It finally sunk in Dara’s mind. “What?!!” Dara stood up feeling her head is going to blow up at the news. “He—you—what?!!” She couldn’t even manage to string her words together as her brain suddenly worked so fast it felt like all the things she wanted to say came flowing out at the same time.

The two girls just looked at her without saying anything, both had doleful look on their faces as they watched her pace in front of them. “That is—“ she was trying to be coherent. “Why—I was—You’re—He said—did i—“

“Try to find your vocabulary first,” Chaerin said nodding her head ruefully and she was not even joking. Dara threaded her