As Dara got out of the fitting room, she found Chaerin rummaging on one rack of ripped jeans. Her heart still feels a pinch of hurt from what happened just minutes ago. All she wanted was to go crazy in love and just get lost in it with her beloved. It's those times when she just wished for a normal life than one where she basically lives under a glass house.

"Hey, let me take that and pay for it.", Chaerin approached her. Before she was able to take the pair of shorts in Dara's grasp, the brunette denied her. "No, I'll pay it myself.", she told her in a cold but quiet tone. Chaerin, catching her unusual tone, just let her girlfriend be with her eyes filled with confusion. She wondered what could be bothering Dara lately while she waits for her to finish the transaction with the cashier.

The squad of four finally made their way to the famous Malibu beach, courtesy of Jeremy Scott who has rented a beach house nearby. The four of them were enjoying some shots of rum and cups of orange juice chaser.

"Smile!", Harin said before clicking the shutter, capturing a cute photo of her sister and the designer. As the photo printed itself, Harin gave it to Chaerin before setting the camera down along with the other polaroids. Harin laid down on her beach towel and relaxed while Jeremy took out his phone again and briefly recorded Chaerin on video. Giving a smile to the camera, Chaerin asked what it was for. 

"Why do you keep on filming us?", she chuckled at her friend's random antics.

"I'm posting these on snapchat, boo. I'm kinda having a video diary about my adventure with you guys.", Jeremy explained while posting the short clip he just took of Chaerin.

"Wait, you are? But we sort of planned this to be a secret trip.", Chaerin muttered.

"Well, it's not a secret anymore, honey. It's not like you two can keep it for too long, especially Dara.", Jeremy said, with Chaerin just rolling her eyes at him.

"Come on, boo. Just let it go, your secrets are still safe with me. By the way, look at Dara here when we stopped by the pastry shop earlier.", he showed his phone to Chaerin, playing the video of Dara taking a picture of the cupcakes displayed in the shop's counter. "Your girl apparently LOVES big cupcakes.", Jeremy teased, emphasizing the word 'loves'. Chaerin just laughed at his naughty joke.

"And I'm not surprised at all if she does..", he added while glancing at Chaerin's s teasingly, earning a light smack on his arm from his silly blonde bestie.

Meanwhile, Dara is enjoying herself with more alcohol than she usually takes. She was seated on one end of the picnic blanket, Harin laid in the middle, and Jeremy and Chaerin at the other end. Dara was not intentionally getting herself drunk, but rather staring blankly across the horizon between the sea and the sky. As couples strolling by the shore get in her line of vision, she just scoffs a little and drinks more. Chaerin took notice of her again after she was mentioned by Jeremy. While the three of them had three shots each, she noticed that Dara is on her seventh already. She knew that getting Dara drunk is not good.

"Hey, you should slow down, Darong.", she took a seat beside her, taking the rum aside and away from her now red-faced girlfriend. Yep, she's probably close to drunk already. Chaerin thought.

"I'm fine.", Dara said flatly, lifting another shot to . Chaerin, however, caught the glass first and snatched it away from her. "I think you've had enough, babe.", she said, putting the glass down. Dara bit her lip, quite annoyed about her drink being snatched, but there was something more. She was annoyed that she's doing this to herself, getting intoxicated because of a stupid concern, the desire of freedom from all the secrets and pretense. The desire to love Chaerin without any limits and no boundaries. She just wants to lay there by the beach with her Baby Rin and watch the romantic view of the sunset like all normal couples do. It might not really be stupid but her actions on how to handle her frustration about it tells otherwise.

"I said I'm fine, Chae..", she repeated, clearly lost under the alcohol's effect.

Without another word, she stood up, legs wobbly yet still managed to stand, and slowly shuffled her way towards the shore. Chaerin just stared at her dumbly before Harin snapped her out of it.

"Unnie, Dara unnie obviously has something bothering her. She's been very quiet lately. You should really talk to her.", Harin said as she sat up, looking concerned too. Chaerin nodded and as she was about to stand, she saw Dara collapsing to her knees and by the sand, her head just hanging by her shoulders. Chaerin hurriedly went to her, worried so much about what has been bothering the usually cheerful and sweet Dara.

"Unnie, are you.."

"I just want you..", Dara mumbled.

"...Darong..."

Dara did not respond and sniffed as her head was still hanging low, her hair covering her face. However, Chaerin knows she's sobbing because of her girlfriend's shoulders shaking. She pulled the brunette to her arms, both sitting by the shore, the sunset in full view in front of them but both didn't care about it as of the moment. One was filled with confusion and concern while the other was filled with loneliness and scrambled thoughts.

Dara let herself be trapped inside Chaerin's embrace for a while and rested her head on her chest. Her eyes were starting to get heavy but her voice wanted to release one more statement before she totally blacks out.

"I love you, Chaerin."

The next day..

Bright lights, which turned out to be the sunshine passing through the window, blinded Dara for a second, squinting her eyes shut again. What time is it? What happened yesterday?, these were the first things that crossed her mind. The last thing she remembered was when Chaerin stopped her from drinking any more rum.

"Ack!", Dara yelped in pain as she tried to get up, hangover obviously taking over. Then a flash of memory suddenly hit her. She was kneeling by the shore, her body was numb but she felt a comfortable warmth enveloping her. She's been held by a strong pair of arms, knowing whose arms they are. Chaerin.

"I love you, Chaerin.", was the last thing she said.

Still holding her head, her elbow propped on her knee, Dara caught sight of her sleeping girlfriend beside her. She smiled instantly as she saw Chaerin lying on her stomach, half of her face buried in the pillow, snoring lightly. She doesn't snore a lot except in cases when she's extremely exhausted. Dara then realized that Chaerin probably babysitted her last night while she was passed out. She held out one hand onto Chaerin's face as she cup one cheek then put away some strands of hair near her eyes, seeing more of her cute bare face.

As she was tracing Chaerin's face with her eyes, her sight caught the dim red light of the alarm clock by the bedside table, 8:13. She should get up and prepare breakfast, knowing Chaerin would not be awake anytime soon. She kissed her cheek before stepping into the bathroom to wash up.

Emerging to the kitchen, Dara was surprised to see Harin cooking breakfast already. She decided to approach her and maybe help her prepare the meal.

"Good morning, Harinnie.", Dara greeted, still yawning. 

"Oh, unnie. Good morning.", Harin smiled at her, then turned her attention back to the onions she was slicing. "Do you have hangover or anything? You were totally out last night.", she added.

Dara leaned to the kitchen nook and observed Harin's way of cooking, which she finds very similar to Chaerin's. "Nah, I think I'm better now. Would you like me to help you prepare?" Dara said. "I'm sorry if you guys got worried yesterday. I ruined our picnic, didn't I?", she added, quite regretful about it.

"I'm fine, Dara unnie, I got it. And about yesterday, it's alright, don't worry. The beach got pretty crowded by sunset anyway. We took you first in the beach house. We played around the house, waiting for you to wake up but you were totally drunk to sleep so we went home. Chaerin unnie was really worried though. She took care of you all the way until we got here. She didn't even let me help and told me to just take a rest.", Harin said while going back and forth to the stove and started putting all the vegetables in the pan. "Just don't get too hopped up on Malibu coconut rum again, unnie, okay?", she joked.

Dara laughed a bit as she took a seat on one chair. "I won't, I promise."

As Harin mixed all the vegetables in the pan, Dara just continued to observe her from her place. "You really look like Chaerin. If I wasn't crazy about your sister, I would've had you two mixed up sometimes.", she giggled.

"I actually get that a lot. And I'm very flattered to be honest. You know, being related, almost identical even, with the baddest female.", Harin answered back playfully. She paused briefly to her cooking and stared at Dara, "And it's really weird but cute that you just said to me that you're crazy about my sister.", she chuckled. She had to admit, it's adorable to see her sister and her girlfriend be crazy about each other. Her Chaerin unnie has always been cute but she gets extra cute whenever she talks about Dara with her.

Dara let out a small laugh hearing Harin's response. "Don't tell her I said that to you."

Before Harin was able to reply, someone already answered for her. "Too late, babe. Already heard you and I know you're crazy about me." Chaerin emerged to the same room, immediately greeting Dara with a morning kiss.

"You're finally awake.", Dara said as they pulled away.

"Yeah, you sure exhaust me last night, I had to put you in my Mickey pajamas because I was too lazy to get you your clothes from your suitcase.", Chaerin replied as she sat beside Dara.

"It's fine, Chae. These PJs of yours are very comfortable."

"Good to know."

"Thanks for taking care of me last night."

The couple smiled at each other before Dara noticed something. "Why are you all dressed up already? Do you have somewhere to go to?"

Chaerin sighed, "Yeah, I'll be meeting with Peter oppa to talk about the event I'll be doing in Mexico."

"Oh.", Dara said shortly.

"Okay, breakfast is ready!", Harin interrupted the couple's conversation, serving the food on the dining table in front of them. Chaerin was about to praise her sister's fragrant dish but she noticed something missing.

"What?", Harin asked, still standing, as her elder sister looked at her.

"Where's the rice?"

"Omo! I forgot to turn the rice cooker on!", Harin yelled in panic.

Chaerin and Dara just laughed at her. "Aigoo, Harin-ah! How old are you? Turn it on now before we all starve.", Chaerin said, still laughing at her dongsaeng.

"Okay, you guys go to the poolside while waiting.", Harin said, facepalming.

"Why?", Chaerin asked in confusion.

"I'm embarrassed, okay? Just go, you two! I'll call you out there when the table is COMPLETELY set.", Harin tried to push them outside.

Once they were out, Chaerin and Dara were still laughing about Harin's fair share of cuteness.

"You two really are sisters.", Dara teased.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Harin could be so cute when embarrassed."

Chaerin chuckled, "But I'm cuter, right?"

Dara teased even more as she put her forefinger on her chin and looked up thoughtfully. "Hmmm, I don't know..."

Chaerin playfully protested, "Yah! You know well that I'm the cutest, Dara unnie.", she said in her aegyo voice.

"Aigoo, your aegyo. Yes, you're cute! My very cute Baby Rin!", Dara said as she pinched Chaerin's cheeks lightly. The younger girl, getting more cheerful, moved to Dara's back and started grabbing a bunch of her hair to tie. "Let me braid your hair, unnie."

Dara felt so peaceful and happy as Chaerin do wonders with her hair like she always do ever since. These were the little things she loved to do with Chaerin. As the blonde finished braiding her hair, she decided to fish her phone out of her pocket and take a picture of Dara with her adorable hairstyle she just did for her. Chaerin can't help but smile as she captures her girlfriend's youthful looks with her phone, amazed until now by how Dara stays so young-looking all these years.

Harin finally went outside to call her unnies. She saw the couple taking selcas by the poolside. Feeling that they might need her assistance, she walked towards them and offered to take a picture of them by the poolside, considering the fine weather as well.

"Give me your phone, unnie. Pose silly by the pool.", Harin instructed, and the two did pose silly by the pool, laughing at the outcome of the photos.

The three of them got back to the dining room and finally sat to eat breakfast. Before Chaerin could take her first bite, her phone suddenly vibrated, alerting her that someone is calling.

"Gotta take this, be right back.", Chaerin took her phone with her as she excused herself from the table.

"Chae unnie sure is busy.", Harin said while chewing on her food.

Dara said nothing about it as she kept on feeding herself with Harin's cooking. "You're really a great cook, Harin-ah. This is delicious.", she spoke, mouth half full, trying to change the topic.

"Thank you, unnie. Eat more, okay?", Harin flashed her eyesmile to Dara.

"I will.", Dara smiled back before she took another bite of her breakfast.

"Hey, unnie. Since Chaerin unnie is going somewhere, want to go out with me later?"

Dara stopped eating for a second to look back at Harin who's staring at her with hopeful eyes. "Are you asking your elder sister's girlfriend on a date?", she joked.

Harin laughed before she decided to ride with Dara's humor. "Yes! Just a sisterly walk around town. I know you love touring places. Plus, I wanna know my sister-in-law more.", she smirked.

It was Dara's turn to laugh. "Sister-in-law, huh.."

"Yeah, so will you, sis?"

"Okay okay.", she agreed with a chuckle.

"Yay! I guarantee you we'll have a good time.", Harin clasps her hands together with joy before she stuff some rice in .

Dara just nodded while they continued eating. She randomly picked up her phone to look at the time.

"Hmm, I just realized that I haven't posted anything on Instagram since I got here. What should I post?", she wondered, scrolling to her phone gallery which contained recent photos of herself and with Chaerin these past few days.

Harin was once again cut off by her sister who just got back from her phone call.

"Sorry, guys. It was kinda important.", Chaerin said as she sat back beside Dara. "So what were you two talking about?"

"Chae, what should I post on Instagram? It's been a while, our fans might be looking for me again online.", Dara chuckled at the thought of their fans panicking whenever she's not active on SNS.

Chaerin, however, had her own panic painted on her face after she heard Dara. "Could you not post anything while we're here?", she asked gently.

Dara furrowed her eyebrows, her upset feeling surfacing again. "Why?"

"We're on a secret trip, right? You know that.", Chaerin said.

Secret. Dara was beginning to despise that word since she landed in LA. Her inner pain that she kept on hiding for the few days she has been there built up within her and she cannot contain it anymore. She gripped her chopsticks too hard but the pain in her heart is hurting her more than the chopsticks in her grip.

"I'm tired of this, Chaerin.", Dara mumbled with grit under her breath.

"Dara unnie..", Harin called softly, noticing the sudden change in Dara's mood.

"I'm tired of secrets, Chaerin!!"

Dara finally exploded, slamming her chopsicks on the table with anger, which alarmed the two Lee sisters with her.

"Dara.."

Chaerin tried to calm her down but Dara stood up from her chair and stared at Chaerin with unusually sharp eyes, one that could stab straight to the soul. This was the first time she saw Dara erupt with deep anger boiling through her while she shoots daggers at her with those dark orbs that used to be so innocent and angelic, but not today.

"No, Chaerin. I travelled across the world, expecting to spend all of my time with you and you only. I flew all the way here in this ing city for you, hoping to get lost in love with you.", Dara continued to burst as tears started to escape her eyes uncontrollably. "It hurts not being with you these past months because of our schedules. I felt so empty inside despite having to work my off almost everyday, because you were not there with me. That's why I cried of happiness when you cheered me up when I did an event back in the Philippines.", Dara paused as her chest ached of trying to keep herself from crying.

"You're my everything, Chaerin.", she said with hurt evident in her voice.

Chaerin was taken aback by Dara's words. She never thought Dara was suffering too much because of their separation. It hurts her too that's why she took Dara in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, time and her work are not letting her completely free to be with her lover.

"Dara, I was just being careful..", she tried to explain.

"Don't you think I'm not being discreet enough? Yes, I'm tired of hiding, Chaerin, but I'm not an idiot to get us in trouble. I'm posting stuff online to let all of my thoughts and feelings out in a way that I could express myself  truthfully without exposing everything. It's the best way to tell the world that I love you so much without everyone noticing.", Dara cried. "If you just took me here for that photoshoot, you should have told me so that I should have taken a flight back to Seoul without hurting even more than I already was when I'm separated from you."

She turned her back on the table, Harin still in shock by the sudden outburst, and Chaerin who was dueling with herself inside her mind because she has gravely hurt Dara. She stood as well and followed Dara to the living room, now the two of them alone.

"Dara, let me explain.", Chaerin held her wrist to stop her from walking away.

"No, Chae.."

"Please.."

She turned her around to face her, Dara's puffy and watery eyes looking back at her with hurt still filling them up. Chaerin was weak at that moment, knowing she will hurt Dara even more after this but she has to tell the truth.

"I haven't been completely honest with you."

Dara creased her forehead in question. Receiving no response, Chaerin held her hands and kissed them before she continued.

"Our photoshoot together yesterday was not a project for Jeremy. I asked him to do me a favor. The photoshoot was not real.", Chaerin explained, her words mostly caught in as she choked in her tears.

Dara inhaled sharply as she felt like she was stabbed to the heart repeatedly. "You lied to me?", she barely breathed as she pulled her hands away from Chaerin's grasp.

"Dara, listen to me..", Chaerin pleaded as Dara slowly backed away and turned her back on her, pacing towards their room.

"I DID IT FOR YOU!"

Chaerin screamed her last statement which made Dara stop on her tracks. Dara's back still facing her, Chaerin felt the world halt around them, she cannot move nor walk towards Dara, knowing she might hurt her more.

She breathed, "I did it for you. I missed you every single day, Dara. You were not the only one hurting here. It pains me whenever I try to hide our relationship to the world. You may be good at being discreet but I'm not like you. It's best for me to try hide everything than to risk it all then lose you after.", Chaerin cannot help but let her own tears fall down her cheeks.

"Jeremy asked me to be part of his campaign. I thought it was a great opportunity to take you with me but Jeremy already had the complete line up. I practically begged him at least for a small shoot because I want to take you again here in LA to be with you without any complications. I had to convince Sajangnim that it was a project for both of us so you'll be permitted to fly here. I had to do it. I'm desparate, Dara. I can't be without you. I am so lost without you."

Dara still had her head hanged low, she was hurt too deeply knowing that Chaerin lied to her for the first time. She wanted to turn around and slap her but she knows that Chaerin was as hurt as she was right now. All the emotions were fighting in her system that she wished she could just throw it all up. The atmosphere went silent for both of them before Dara finally spoke.

"But you just lost me."

Dara locked herself to the room, regretting the last thing she said as soon as she plopped down the bed, taking off the braids Chaerin did to her hair in frustration, as she cried every bit of pain out of her until she fell asleep. Dara's last words echoed through Chaerin like a broken record that she wanted to break even more. She was back to her consciousness when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Harin, who just emerged out from the dining room, called out to her sister. She heard everything.

"Unnie.."

"I have to go, Harin.", Chaerin sullenly said without looking back at her dongsaeng.

"But you haven't ate yet."

"I'm fine."

Both of them knew that Chaerin was lying about being fine but it was the only way to escape that time as she walked out to head to work again, leaving with her heart bleeding and shattered.

Chaerin wiped her tears from her eyes and cheeks, not caring if her makeup would get ruined, as she went to a nearby cafe to meet Peter Chun for her upcoming schedule. She was lucky to have her sunglasses hanging by the collar of her shirt, so she wore it on the way to hide her gloomy eyes.

Luckily, she arrived in the venue first so she had time to retouch and fix herself, her makeup and her scarred heart, making it seem like nothing happened. Despite her appearance looking better than minutes ago, her mind and chest still ache from remembering the last words Dara said to her. She sat by a table for two by the window, just looking at nothing in particular outside. 
 

But you just lost me.

It kept on ringing in her head, it makes her sick. Chaerin buried her face in her folded arms on top of the table, trying her best not to cry and just forget everything. Where did it all go wrong?

All I wanted was her, to be with her, but why did it end up like this? Lying to her, hurting her, not being able to give her all of my time. I just want to love her with everything that I could give. That was all she thought at the moment.

Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. "Hey, Chaerin."

Chaerin, slowly lifted her head and saw Peter looking at her worriedly. l fell asleep?

"Hey..", was all she said.

"You look so tired, do you want to meet some other time? You might need some rest.", Peter consoled while he took a seat in front of Chaerin across the table.
Chaerin managed to put a smile on her face, trying to convince Peter, moreover, herself, that she's okay. "No, we're both here already so let's just get it done. Don't worry about me."

Not wanting to bug her anymore about it, Peter just got on with their supposedly business for the day and discussed nothing else, which was a relief for Chaerin.

After two hours, they finally settled their meeting as done and finally walked out of the cafe.

"So, I'll see you soon, oppa."

"Yeah, I'll contact you for other concerns." He leaned face to face with her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're fine?", he asked, locking a tight gaze on her own sorrowful ones.

"Yeah, I am.", she managed to say before putting her sunglasses on.

Although not convinced, he just dropped it and squeezed her shoulder before they parted.

All alone, Chaerin did not know where exactly she was going. She didn't want to go home yet because she knows Dara is still mad at her. She wanted to call Harin and ask about Dara but she wanted to give her girlfriend some space and time to cool down. She was not even ready to talk to her as of now anyway. 

Without realizing, she ended up by the hillside where she used to hike. Chaerin looked onto the path ahead with wonder as she took her sunglasses off. She thought this might be the perfect place to think and reflect. Reaching to a big boulder resting still into the calm woods, she sat on it and let herself relax for a bit. She needed to breathe.

As she closed her eyes, the first image that appeared was Dara, her back facing her from a distance. 

But you just lost me.

Chaerin squeezed her eyes too tightly, writhing in pain inside her as the heartbreaking memory kept on haunting her. She was trying to fight her tears again. It hurts a lot for her that she just screamed out loud in the middle of the woods. She doesn't want to cry anymore, but she still ended up crying alone.

After somewhat calming down from her emotional breakdown, she pulled her phone out and decided to dial someone. I hope you won't get mad at me for calling you at this time., she thought as she waited for the other line to pick up.

The ringing stopped.

"Hey, Bommie unnie.", she said.

A/N: Hi guys. Just wanna clear it out and remind you all that the part mentioning CL's Mexico schedule was still not canceled during this timeline of the story and I have written this chapter before it was canceled as well. So..yeah.. I hope you all are liking this so far. Do comment, they are very much appreciated. See you in the next chapter. ^^