Dara watched with pride and joy bursting in his heart as Jaejoong descended the stage to receive his Best Supporting Actor award. He was accompanied by a standing ovation.

 

 

 

       He stood at the podium, seemingly nervous.

 

 

 

       “Wow,” he started. “Thank you, Busan International Film Festival. I’ve been nominated here three times. This only proves, third time’s the charm.”

 

 

 

       Laughs from the audience.

 

 

 

       Jaejoong looked straight at her.

 

 

 

       “First, I’d like to thank my Empress. She did choose my clothes tonight and I think I look good enough to hold this trophy. Thank you, baby.” He raised the trophy in her direction. “The past weeks have surely been interesting. Whew!” He gave a short laugh. “But here we are now. We survived.”

 

 

 

       Laughs and more applause.

 

 

 

       Daras face was on fire but it was giddiness she felt.

 

 

 

       Jaejoong was being mischievous again, and at the BIFF, to boot! She could only imagine the headlines tomorrow. But whereas the first time he did this at the GDAs she was so mortified, now she felt like crying in happiness.

 

      
 

 

        

 

      
 

 

       “Dara?”

 

 

 

       Dara was surprised that GD would approach her in public like this, after all the mess that happened between them. “GD…”

 

 

 

       “Can we talk?”

 

 

 

       She glanced behind her. Jaejoong was some meters away, being congratulated by his peers, looking victorious.

 

 

 

       She faced GD again. She’d give him a few minutes, for old time’s sake. “S-sure, GD.”

 

 

 

       He seemed to struggle with what to say. Strange because GD was one of the most confident performers she’d ever worked with on and off the stage.

 

 

 

       “GD, I know it’s been a while…”

 

 

 

       “Yeah…How are you?”

 

 

 

       He shrugged. “I’m sure you know…”

 

 

 

       She’d heard rumors that he and CL have split. But gossip ceased to matter to her since she and Jaejoong got together. Her focus was all on Jaejoong that she didn’t care anymore about her issues with GD  and CL, not even with the fact that JAEDARA had completely dominated the gossip headlines the past weeks, making Skydragon and anything connected to the couple irrelevant and lackluster.

 

 

 

       “I’m sorry,” she simply said. She really didn’t want to ask about CL. What was happening to their marriage was their business. She just hoped GD was handling it well.

 

 

 

       He smiled. “Don’t be. It’s for the best. It hasn’t been working for some time now.”

 

 

 

       She was surprised by his reply. The tabloids had been screaming Skydragon PDAs for years.

 

 

 

       “I’ve filed for divorce. It’s official. It’s done. And you’re the first to know.”

 

 

 

       She didn’t want to be the first to know.“W-why? I thought…?”

 

 

 

       “It really hasn’t been working from the start, Dara.”

 

 

 

       Well, , how would she respond to that revelation?

 

 

 

       “I know I messed up so bad, Dara. With you.”

 

 

 

       “GD, please. It’s in the past. I’m over it. Totally.”

 

 

 

       “But I’m not. I never have.”

 

 

 

       She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Please GD. You’re not even divorced yet.”

 

 

 

       “I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me, Dara?”

 

 

 

       Damn. Should this actually happen at the BIFF? “I’ve forgiven you a long time ago.”

 

 

 

       A big smile broke on his lips. “Then we can be friends again?”