To ItsmeJazz! Thank you for upvoting! (bows)

Soulmates. That’s a Darahae fanfic by Carpediem. My most awaited fic to update nowadays. It has a really different story that’ll make you really think and crave for more updates. Argh. Love it.

“Am I really seeing what I’m seeing right now?” Bom said with still opened for a bit as they walked inside her own safe haven.

Dara ignored that and just continued making soft blue on the canvas. Paintbrushes. Cans of paint. They’re all scattered in her room, from the bed to the bathroom’s door. The word, messy, wouldn’t be able to describe how total mess the heiress’ room was. Dara had her hair tied into a bun, wearing that black shirt and jumper on. Gray and blue paints stained her hands, arms and clothes but there she was sitting on a wooden stool with a smile clearly painted on her lips.

“You’re painting.” CL said with that tone of disbelief. She sat at the edge of he bed while Minzy climbed onto it, pushing some of the painting materials to the side.

“What’s so shocking about that?” Dara smirked at her. “Are you not my friend for you to not know that simple fact about me?”

“No.” Bom tilted her head to the side. She just stood in front of her bestfriend. “But it’s shocking to find you painting again after Uncle Suk threw all your precious paintings and stuff.” She glanced at CL and Minzy. “And that’s six years ago.”

Dara just shrugged, her eyes not leaving the image she was painting. “I just feel like doing it. That’s all.”

“Really?” Minzy asked.

“Really.”

Bom went to her side and looked at the image. “Wow.” The confusion on her face from her friend’s sudden recovery of her passion was replaced with admiration she always had whenever Dara paints something. “You never change at all.”

“Nailed it?” CL asked while trying to have a glimpse of it.

Dara grinned and turned to show her finished artwork to the two. CL clapped her hands slowly while Minzy beamed a smile from lying on the bed. “Nice!” She shouted.

“High five?” CL extended her hand and Dara just shortly laughed as she returned the gesture. She studied her painting again and gave a satisfied smile.

It was an image of a blue rose under the moonlight.

“It’s very beautiful, eonni.” Minzy complimented and Dara smiled at her.

“This calls for a celebration!” Bom announced a little too excitedly while CL and Minzy nodded at the back.

“Celebration for what?” Dara creased her brows, putting back the painting on the stand and wiping the stains on her arms with a clean cloth.

“For getting your inspiration to that passion of yours back!” CL exclaimed.

Dara shook her head at the three totally hyped friends of hers. “Nah. I’ll pass.” She told them and walked to the bathroom to clean herself. They heard the trickle of water from the shower as they looked at the closed door.

“Why not?” Bom crossed her arms.

“I wanna rest!” Dara shouted from the shower room.

“Rest?”

No answer.

“Why do you need to rest? Are you tired?” CL shouted back.

“I’m going to be!” She shouted again. “I’ll be leaving later on Christmas eve, remember?”

“Oh. Right.” CL looked at Minzy in understanding. It was the 24th of December that day. Dara, along with Jinwoo, Soo Hyuk and ShinHye, had their flight scheduled to Hongkong. “What time?”

“1 A.M.”

“You’re boring!” Bom pouted and lied beside Minzy on the bed. She was disappointed they couldn’t hang out this Christmas eve. That means to party like wild animals in the top clubs of Gangnam. “Christmas in Seoul is better than Hongkong!”

“Tell that to my father!” She shouted again from the inside.

“Shut up!” Bom kicked the mattress. “You know I can’t!” Even they have been friends with the Yang daughter ever since they were kids, having a conversation with the head of Yang has been so . . . racking. Of course, he was fine with his daughter mingling with the children of the elites of South Korea but that was it. Well, they don’t expect to be close with YG. How could he be welcoming to his daughter’s friends when in the first place, he isn’t to his own daughter?

Minzy just laughed at their exchange. “Bom eonni. You’re leaving the country too, right? Sydney?”

Bom looked at her and nodded. “On the 26th.”

“Why?” CL asked her.

“Well, my cousins are there and . . .”

“And?” CL and Minzy asked doubtingly with the way she her lips were curved into that sneaky smile.

“I’ll meet Choi Siwon there.”

“Choi Siwon?!” The two shouted at her but the idol just nodded her head teasingly.

“Dara’s classmate in Med school?” CL asked.

“Your out of the blue partner in Yule Night?” Minzy squinted her eyes.

“Yes. That Choi Siwon.” She smirked playfully at them.

“You guys had already?” CL just blurted that question out.

“Chaerin!” Bom looked scandalized for a second before answering, “Not yet.”

Minzy covered her face with her palms as she laughed. “Notice the use of the words, not yet.”

CL made a high five with her. “You sly one! He’s the hottest in Med school.”

“I know.” Bom replied with that tone like she caught the largest fish in a fishing expedition.

“Sydney, huh?”

“Yeah.” Bom put her cellphone out and took a picture of her and Minzy together and posted it on IG. “He’s supposed to go back here yesterday but his father arranged plans for him so . . .”

“Why? He’s gonna fetch you from here with his private plane?” Minzy teased and posed more on the camera.

“Ani.” Bom put another photo with a caption, With Atty. Mingkki! Advance Merry Christmas everyone!!! “He’s supposed to help his friend with some financial problem.”

His friend? The two girls thought of the friends he always hangs out with. “Kim Heechul ssi?” CL asked in disbelief. “How come he has financial problems?”

“Not Heechul.”

“Park Yoochun oppa?” Minzy shook her head on that. “That’s impossible neither.”

“It’s not Yoochun.”

Minzy rubbed her nose with her newly painted finger. “Then who?”

“Is there a student in YG University who has ever take financial matter as a problem?” CL waited for Bom’s response.

She put her phone down and looked at the two but then closed her eyes firmly. “Ahh. What’s the name of the guy again? Siwon mentioned it to me when we were talking last . . . Hmmm.” And then her eyes shot open and clapped her hands loudly. “I remember the name!” She pointed at her friends. “Lee Donghae.”

The three girls almost jumped out the bed when the bathroom’s door just banged on the wall with the way she opened it. The heiress in a black bathrobe hasn’t blow-dry or even comb her hair yet as tiny drops fell on the floor but she could care less about that.

“What problem?” Dara asked her friends and the three could only look at each other.

“We might just go back to Mokpo. Maybe put a little business there. Rent an apartment smaller than a shoebox. Stop schooling and work in a construction site all day and night. I will never be an idol. Not even gonna be able to experience auditioning. Never will a woman like me. I’ll live alone and miserable. Forever. When I die, no one will even remember my name. Hospitals would accept dogs to cure but never my dying body. This is so tragic. No dime to save for a coffin or a penny for a mere candle. I’ll just rot where I’ll draw my final breath and nobody would care. Nobody.”

Donghae could just gawk at his bestfriend. “Can you not?”

“Quiet!” Eunhyuk growled at him. “You know it’s true! You’ll suffer the same fate of mine!”

Is that a curse? He thought.

“Look at the clock!” Eunhyuk pointed at the wall clock near the cashier. “It’s past 11 and still no single soul has ever landed his feet here!”

Donghae ignored him and continued drinking his cold water. It refreshed him for a bit after standing outside the restaurant for almost three hours of shouting and smiling to strangers while holding a menu. Truth be told, he couldn’t blame Eunhyuk. This no customer for the whole day has been going on for two weeks. Last November, a fancy, buffet restaurant was built just across theirs. One moment, Eunhyuk’s father told them that it could mean a healthy competition. A week after its grand opening, he described it as an all-in massacre. Everyone loved buffets! The array of dishes they offered, from Asian to Mexican to Italian and even pizzas! They even thought of different marketing strategies. 50% Discounts. Coupons. Eat-All-You-Can Korean barbecue. Singing and dancing waiters. Still, no method worked. There came a time when even the staff resigned and transferred to the nearby restaurant monster. That left four working staff. Eunhyuk, his parents and Donghae.

He already called his school friends, Heechul, Yoochun and Siwon but they’re all out of the country this holiday season. Well, he didn’t really tell them their problem was. Actually, he didn’t know what kind of help he was asking them. He just said, There’s a little problem. Little means going bankrupt and starving on the coming year 2017. He couldn’t add more to what he answered when they all replied with, We’ll be coming back before New Year. Let’s talk about your tiny problem then. Make sure it’s not about a Pharmacology assignment or we’ll kill you.

Now that they’d mention it, he has this Pharmacology assignment he hasn’t finished. Tsk.

“Appa and I don’t want to burden omma even more.” Eunhyuk said downheartedly.

Donghae straightened his back, not wanting to entertain negative thoughts to his still burning spirit. They are his family now and he’ll do anything to help them! “Then, don’t lose hope!” He quickly stood and grabbed the menu. “The war has just begun! We will go all out!”

Eunhyuk looked at him like he just got out of mental institution but he wasn’t able to react when Donghae grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to the entrance door. “Yah!”

Donghae shoved another menu to his friend’s chest before flinging the door open. “FIGHTI . . . !!!”

The two almost stumbled out the door when a lady’s alluring stare greeted them. She was playing the ends of her straight ash-colored hair with her red painted nails. “I like the energy.” CL smiled at them and took the menu from Donghae’s hands. “But I’ll take it from here.” She said before entering the restaurant.

The two were left outside, staring back at the door like it was the most bizarre thing ever. “Ahem.” They turned front again and Eunhyuk’s eyes were bulging out in shock. It’s Park Bom! The number one Kpop idol! He felt his heart stopped in a very fangirl like way. “Thanks.” Bom smiled and took the menu from Eunhyuk and entered the restaurant too.

The aspiring dancing idol hasn’t recovered yet when he gasped when he saw Gong Minzy passing by them and entered again. He was thinking he was going crazy already. He’s not drunk. Not takin’ drugs. Not hallucinating. Or maybe he is? Why are the 2NE1 members here?! Eunhyuk was drowning in this shocked state of his that he didn’t notice his bestfriend standing just quietly beside him.

“You know I never want that feeling of being in debt to someone. It is never my type,” told the smirking half shaved hair girl in a V-neck, royal blue, long sleeved dress and black LV heels. “Consider this as your payment for helping my brother.”

It’s near 2 in the afternoon, the atmosphere was a bit chilly this holiday season but the temperature was nothing with the way the customers lined up three blocks from the entrance door. It was insane! Well, who wouldn’t want to have a taste of the barbecue meat of All Rise Silver Restaurant? When you’ve got, CL, the hailed hottest woman alive straight for three years welcoming people on the entrance door. The queen idol, Bom, serving your food and the most talked youngster in politics, Minzy, in the cashier. Yeah. Who wouldn’t want to eat there?

Eunhyuk’s task was to clean the tables and bring the dishes to the kitchen while Donghae was inside and washes them faster than normal. Hyuk’s parents do all the cooking on this real life dinner dash.

“Bom eonni.” Minzy called. “Change for Table 9.”

“I got it.” Bom ran and took the bill from her.

“Oh! And this take out from Table 14.” Minzy handed the paper bag to her.

“Okay!” Bom turned and grabbed it too. “Eunhyuk ssi. Table 8 for clean up.”

Eunhyuk blushed just by hearing his name be called by the celebrity. “O-okay.” He quickly went to Table 8 and sprayed and wiped here and there.

Donghae took a glance outside and saw how jampacked the place was! Thanks to 2NE1! Everyone was so into it! They didn’t mind stopping for a second. They had smiles glued as they entertained the customers. Even the girls are willing for selfies and groufies with the customers. Well, except her who has never failed to intimidate those guests and they could just sit there and admire her beauty silently. Sometimes, take stolen shots of her.

He watched her approached the new customers in Table 8 with small post it notes and ballpen on her hand. Dara is the one who takes the orders. “What’s your order?” She asked flatly when they haven’t even touched the menu. They immediately scanned for anything. Dara clicked her tongue, not really the type who waits for people. “Say it!”

The customers almost threw the menus on their hand as they looked at her in fear. They just remembered a line from the Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Such beauty yet deadly. “Y-your b-bestseller.”

She shrugged and wrote the word, bestseller, on the note. “That’ll be 50 dollars.” She flatly told them and left to give it to Minzy. The table 8 customers looked at each other not really understanding what it was they are going to pay for. With Yang Sandara as the ordertaker, three seconds is the longest time she could wait. Piss her off and she’ll order it for you. That means taking all the money out your wallet.

“Bestseller.” Dara gave the note to Minzy and turned her back when someone asked for water. “Self-service.” She glared at the poor highschooler as he ran his way to the water s