“Dara! Are you sure you want to stay behind?” Chaerin asked.

Dara nodded.

“Everyone’s coming, see? Why aren’t you coming?” Bom asked.

“I don’t feel well,” Dara said instead.

“I shall stay so she will have someone to accompany her,” Seunghyun offered.

“It’s okay, I’m fine really,” Dara insisted.

“No, I’m staying,” Seunghyun insisted more.

“Okay, fine,” Bom said, pouting.

“Tabi, take care of Dara unnie,” Chaerin said waving.

“So, what’s your plan?” Seunghyun asked when everyone left.

“What plan?” Dara said, acting innocent.

“I know you, you’re onto something,” Seunghyun said, a playful grin on his lips.

“Fine, you got me,” Dara said punching Seunghyun on the guts. “I’m preparing a lunch box as a peace offering for Jiyong, but I’m not really good at cooking, you know.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Seunghyun said putting an arm around Dara’s shoulders.

They started cooking. So it won’t be too obvious, they also cooked for the others so that when they come back, they would be eating their hearts out, knowing that they’ll be tired from the adventure they will have today at the next island.

Seunghyun stared at Dara as she chopped the vegetables. He thought about the reason why she’s so persistent on building her relationship with Jiyong. He noticed this when he went to the classroom a few days ago when he finally escaped from the crazy fan girls who blocked his way to the school. She just sat there silently on her desk and at times, stealing a glance on Jiyong who obviously has his thoughts away from the four corners of the classroom. But he knew that Jiyong knew at times that Dara’s looking at him. He’s just pretending. Whatever issue they had with each other, Seunghyun wanted the two to make up with each other. He doesn’t want Dara to look down like this; especially that he just came back. He wanted this to be very special for her. He wants her to be happy, even if it won’t be the happiness it will bring on his side.

“Ouch!” Dara interjected, causing Seunghyun’s reverie to be interrupted.

“Why?” Seunghyun panicked.

“I accidentally cut myself,” Dara said, seeing the blood dripping from her finger.

“Wait, I’ll be getting the first aid,” Seunghyun said, rushing to get the box.

“No, it’s just a small cut,” Dara said.

After they cooked and set the table, at the same time, everyone arrived.

“That was fun,” Bom exclaimed.

“You missed the adventures, Dara,” Taeyang said. “Wow! There are a lot of foods!”

Dara nodded.

“Let’s eat!” Bom said happily sitting on her place.

“Wait, I’ll call Jingyo,” Chaerin offered.

“Uh… let me,” Dara offered. “Eat first, where is he?”

“On the seashore,” Chaerin said, taking her seat.

Dara immediately grabbed the peace offering she prepared with a smile. She was sure Jiyong would like it. She rushed outside and saw his figure facing the sea. It was windy that time. The wind kept on brushing on her face causing her hair to flow beautifully behind her. However, dark clouds seemed to approach now. She has to hurry before it rains.

She cleared first, “Was it fun?”

Jiyong was surprised and turned to her. “Um, yes,” he said hesitantly.

“Good,” she said, awkwardly. “I came to give you this,” she said offering the box full of yummy foods she cooked herself.

Jiyong accepted it and opened the box and was amused by what he saw. On top the rice where the words, “I’m sorry” spelled with peas. And on other compartments are foods he usually eats. He stared at her.

“I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done,” she said, in her small voice.

Oh, right, how could I expect she know? He thought.

“Do you like it?” Dara said, expectantly.

He nodded.

“Thank goodness. Seunghyun helped me with it. You see, I’m not really a good cook, so i—“

“Seunghyun?” he interrupted.

“Yes, he was a big—“

He gave back the lunch box. “I don’t need this.”

“What?” Dara looked up to him but he was eyeing the sand. “I thought, we’re okay now. Why are you like this? What’s happened to you?” she said with a twinge on her voice.

He refused to answer. His hands are still waiting for her to get back the lunch box but she refused to get it back too.

“I thought we’re friends. Now you’re—“

“Friends?” he suddenly looked up to her. “I don’t want you hanging around with me anymore!” he shouted and threw the lunch box to the sand causing some of the food to spill out. Then he left.

Dara was wide eyed. She was just looking at the spilled food on the sand, unable to say anything or do anything. She just stood there rooted on her spot. She doesn’t know what to do.

A lightning strike on the sky but she never noticed it. She never heard anything but the same voice echoing in her head. Jiyong’s voice kept on shouting in her head – “Friends? I don’t want you hanging around with me anymore!” the voice kept on repeating itself causing her heart to break. What caused her to flinch was the cold drop of the rain on her skin. And at the same time, a tear fell from her eye and she dropped to her knees, still staring at the spilled food on the sand. She didn’t cry loud. She let the tears flow silently with the rain on her face. Also, her brain’s not working right. She didn’t care if she would get sick. She didn’t dare move on her spot.

Until later, she felt the rain stop falling and a pair of feet appeared in front of her. She looked up and saw Seunghyun holding an umbrella over her head and offering a hand for her. That was when she sobbed. She hugged Seunghyun forgetting that she was wet and he was not.

Seunghyun waited outside the door of her room while she was changing inside. He was waiting for her to call.

“I’m done,” Dara called.

He entered with a hot chocolate on his hand. “Drink this.”

She did and then sat on her bed.

“What happened?” Seunghyun asked concern on his voice.

Dara put the mug on her bedside table and balled her fist on her lap. She started telling what happened a while ago. She tried to stop her tears from falling but they were persistent on falling. But all the time she was relating the story, she just stared at her balled fist. She never once looked up to gaze at Seunghyun’s eyes.

But, Seunghyun was different. He never left looking at her face. He can tell that she’s in pain. He intently listened, not letting anything distract him. Seeing her like this pains him more. He wanted to hug her tightly to him.

And so he did.

Dara clutched on his jacket and buried her face on his chest. Seunghyun her hair, caressing her, until she stopped crying. He finally understood that Jiyong is important to her. He wanted to punch the guy on his face but he knows it’s wrong to judge him. After all, he doesn’t really know the guy. Maybe there’s a reason.

“I want to go home,” Dara said.

Seunghyun nodded. “Let’s just wait for the rain to stop.”

It was around 11 PM when the rain stopped. Dara silently walked along the hallway afraid that they would wake up.

At the car, the way home was quiet. Dara and Seunghyun didn’t talk much. Seunghyun didn’t bother asking what she’s feeling right now. He just let her be, staring once in a while through the rearview mirror. But her eyes were distant, as if in deep thoughts.

When they arrived, Dara waved goodbye to Seunghyun as she saw the car driving away.

She stepped on to their house. And then she heard a few shouts, as if they’re afraid someone would hear. She saw her little sister, Minzy, hiding behind the sofa and covering her ears with her little hands and shutting her eyes tight.

“Minzy, why are you still awake? What’s happening?”

Minzy pointed with a trembling finger towards the kitchen.

What Dara saw caught her off guard. Her dad was lifting a closed fist as if preparing to punch her cowering mother by the wall. But Dara was fast. Instinctively, she ran between her parents causing her to receive the heavy punch her dad was supposed to give to her mother. Her face flew to the right. She felt dizzy and tasted blood on . She felt the warm blood trickling down from the side of . She faced her father with fury on her eyes. Her father had these mixed emotions in his eyes – anger, fear, surprise.

“I—I’m sorry, dear,” he stammered.

“What?! That’s all you wanted to say? How about the fact that you’re seeing that Min Hyo for a while now, eh? Aren’t you going to admit that? Aren’t you going to admit that you’re only fooling mom? Fooling us?” she shouted on top of her lungs. Her voice is louder that the exchange of shouting her parents had a while ago.

Her father widened his eyes. He was shocked hearing these words from the mouth of her eldest daughter who seemed to be very gentle to shout at her parents right now.

“What? You thought I don’t know about your secret affairs?! Well, you’re wrong! You’re damn wrong! I knew it when I heard talking with her on the phone!”

His father was silent, his jaw dropped.

Dara smirked. “So, you’re shocked? As expected from someone like you. You can’t even hide your affairs properly,” then she raised her voice again. “And you know what I think about you since then?! You’re a worthless father! I don’t know if I could even call you a father. YOU STUPID, WORTHLESS MAN!”

This caused a slap on the other side of her face. But she looked up again to his father again. “WORTHLESS!” she repeated as if she wanted to mock her father.

Her father raised his hand again but he stopped himself. His chest heaved up and down.

“What?! You can’t slap me? You already did. What’s the difference?! WORTHLESS!”

And another slap, causing her head to fly to the other side.

Her mother, on the other hand, had her eyes round and unable to speak and do something. She seemed lost that’s why she wasn’t able to help her daughter.

Dara stared at his father blankly. “I don’t know you anymore…” she whispered. “GO BACK TO YOUR !”

Dara flinched as her mother applied some ointment on her wounds.

“This will take long for it to heal,” her mother said.