“I want morning and noon and nightfall with you. I want your tears, your smiles, your kisses...the smell of your hair, the taste of your skin, the touch of your breath on my face. I want to see you in the final hour of my life...to lie in your arms as I take my last breath.” 

—Lisa Kleypas

-when he was 19-

Dara woke up with a stir, her hand unconsciously landing on her chest to check if she still had a heartbeat. A sigh of relief escaped from her as she weakly pushed herself up and scanned the room, her entire being still mostly half-asleep. Her eyes darted to the space beside her, hand skimming at the crumpled bed sheet. Has it only been a dream? She sat herself up and raked the hair away from her face with a despondent expression. 

Maybe he really isn't coming back. 

She switched her gaze to his slightly opened balcony doors. There was a soft breeze that was making his thin curtains sway and it looked just so inviting with the sun streaming through the glass. Should she just give up? From the looks of it, Kwon Jiyong wasn't going to crawl back in her life anytime soon. And she was 23 years old now. 

Seven more years... or maybe even less...

Silently, she found herself walking towards the doors, the sun and the wind lulling her to come nearer. She shouldn't waste her time now that her life is growing more and more limited. Another stabbing pain suddenly shot right through her chest, making her hunch forward and pant. What's happening? She's been having regular medical exams and she's always come out clear of any sort of illnesses or diseases. Ugghh. But there it was again. 

Her trembling hand reached for the door knob when she suddenly heard another door open. 

"Dara?" 

An unknowing sob erupted from her as she heard his voice. She didn't want to look back in fear of her imagination playing tricks on her. Slowly, she found herself crumbling to the ground as her faint cries echoed around the room. Her tears only grew when he put a hand on her cheek to see her face. 

"Jiyong." she breathed. "You're home." 

He didn't answer and only continued looking at her with his impassive eyes. Dara didn't care if that look meant that he was on the fence between hating her or wanting to reconnect. All that mattered was that he was finally here. Jiyong was back and she could finally get another chance.

She heard him take an intake of breath before he asked, "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you." she teared up, holding his hand that was still pressed on her cheek. 

Jiyong's heart ached tremendously.

Why couldn't she have done this back then?

He cupped her face and made her look up and see the faint smile on his lips. Unconsciously, she smiled back and even chuckled while holding his arms tightly. It was as if she was feeling if he really was here. She was content. She was incredibly happy. Dara could finally see him again!

But he was still hurting. 

"Let's go back to how things were." he said. 

He was using her words against her and it pained her more than she could ever imagine. It's been 9 months but their horrible past was as painful as a fresh wound. They could still remember every single thing and every time they looked back on it, they hurt even more.

"Alright." she found herself agreeing numbly.

It was a shame that they didn't bother fighting for each other anymore because if they did...

"Alright." he nodded. 

They wouldn't be stuck in the same loop for many more years to come. 

Kwon Jiyong always thought that he was lucky. Well, how could he not. If he didn't give his father the numbers for the lottery, they wouldn't be owning a multi-million company right now. Ever since he was a kid, he's been struck by the gods with luck. And good luck for that matter. Oftentimes he would accidentally win something he could care less about or walk into something that would bring him fortune and he just went with it. There was nothing wrong with having good luck.

What concerned him was when that good luck is starting to disappear. 

“Fine.” Jiyong suddenly stopped and took out a coin from his pocket. Dara instantly groaned at the sight and looked at him with an expressionless face. He just smirked. “Loser pays.”

“Stop abusing your luck!” she whined.

“Oh c’mon, maybe it’ll turn out different for a change.” It won’t. “C’mon Dara.”

“Let’s just go, Jiyong. I’ll pay anyway.” She frowned.

“Nope. We’re doing this.” Without warning, he flipped the coin.

Dara widened her eyes and instinctively clutched his sleeve, shaking him. “HEADS! HEADDDDSSS!!!” she shouted.

Amidst all the fuss, Jiyong watched her frantic state with another wave of amusement. Since he was too preoccupied with himself, he failed to notice the coin dropping back to the ground. Dara grinned and caught the piece of metal before it went back to Jiyong’s hand. The girl cupped it carefully as she pulled out her tongue in concentration. He rolled his eyes and put a hand on his waist as he waited for the result.

Slowly, Dara lifted her hand.

Heads.

He should've known that his good fortune had changed right then. Never had he lost a game of coin toss against her but luck slapped him out of that fate. 

Kwon Jiyong doesn't believe in fate or destiny. It had always been chance... a happenstance for a lack of a better word. He didn't believe in many things but when he did, his mind would stand firm on the belief. Events, things, and people weren't destined to abide by the plans that they were fated to do. Everything was simply a cause of chance or coincidence... something along those lines. 

Fate was something that was beyond a person's control. No one can stop or prevent it. It was like an annoying baby that was throwing a tantrum. No matter what you do to calm it down, you'll end up doing what it wants in the end. That was fate to him, an annoying baby that he wants to kick in the face... of course that's figuratively speaking. 

So in the end, it wasn't fate that brought them together. 

"JIYONG!" 

It was just chance and luck.

"What?" He shot back irritably, picking on his ear. "Can you be quiet for one goddamn second?" 

Dara huffed and sneered at him as she put down the bowl on the counter. "Omma said you're not supposed to add the carrots yet!" she bellowed. 

Jiyong glanced at the stew before shooting back a glare at the older woman. "She said to put it in when it's boiling. I'm pretty sure I'm not blind but I see that it's already boiling." he said sarcastically. 

She punched him in the arm and he winced. "Why are you such a sometimes?" 

"Yeah, then why are you such a ?" 

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!" 

"Children!" Mrs. Park chastised, entering the kitchen. "I just went to the bathroom for a few minutes and you're fighting again?" 

Dara pointed and accusing finger at him while the latter just nonchalantly stirred the stew. "He called me a !!" she tattled.

"Kwon Jiyong." Mrs. Park muttered sternly.

"Noona." he sighed in resignation. "Dara called me a first. I mean, I know how much she ually fantasizes about me but isn't it rude to bring up my body part like that—" 

"OMMA STOP HIM!!!" Dara shrieked, punching the younger man even more. 

Jiyong grimaced at her tiny fists and tried to grab her wrist. "Aisht, stop it! It's not my fault that I'm honest!" he then sputtered a laugh.

Dara blushed a mad shade of red. "Omma!!!!" 

"Aigoo, if you two keep flirting like this, then I want you out of my kitchen!" She shouted, "Now!"

"We're not flirting!" To say that her daughter was flustered was an understatement. 

Jiyong shook his head and ticked his tongue at her. "You're just too attached, huh?" 

He burst out laughing when Dara started chasing him around the house. 

"I'm gonna ing kill you!!!" 

"With those baby hands?" Jiyong snorted, still running. "I doubt it, hag!" 

Jiyong had insisted that Mrs. Park use their kitchen since Dara's house was too small to prepare a homecoming feast for. Being the shy 20-something that she really was, Mrs. Park refused but then her brute of a daughter gladly accepted it. 

"Come here, !" 

Jiyong laughed. "Make me, !"

Sunmi watched them from the corners of her eyes before letting her lips curl into a smile. There was something different about them now, she thought. It was subtle. She honestly didn't notice it at first but when she saw it, she knew. Dara had told her that she's proposed to Jiyong countless of times now but was still refused. The mother should feel shocked by the news but she just wasn't. From childhood to now, her daughter told her everything that was going on with her life. To the time when Dara found out that she liked Jiyong, to the time when she told her the reason of Seunghyun and her's breakup, to the time when she admitted what she's done to Jiyong the day before he left, Sandara Park had told her mother everything.

What she hasn't told her though was that there had been progress. It doesn't take a genius to know that Jiyong had feelings for her too and from the looks of it, the boy was starting to admit to his feelings. 

Jiyong suddenly turned around, making Dara roughly land on his chest. Groaning, she nursed her aching nose while he grinned down at her playfully. Dara grew suspicious.

"What are you—"

Before she could finish, his lips were on hers, earning him a surprised chuckle. Meanwhile, Sunmi's brows shot up amusedly before going back to cooking nonchalantly. Well, well, well. Her suspicions just proved to be right.

It was just a matter of time before things finally fall into place. 

Dara hit his chest bashfully before resting her head on his shoulder. Jiyong smiled, putting his arms on her waist, lightly swaying them to the tune in his head. 

"Are you excited?" he heard her ask.

He pried himself slightly off to look at her face. "About what?" 

Her eyes started to close at the feel of his fingers massaging her scalp. "Your family... coming home..." 

Jiyong shrugged noncommittally. "I call them every night. It's not like I haven't been in contact with them for months." he said. 

She scoffed faintly and put her head back on his shoulder. "They're still family, idiot." 

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright, Mother Teresa, they're my family. I get'cha." 

"I'm not appreciating this sass right now, Kwon Jiyong."

"I'm not appreciating your existence yet you're still here." 

Dara puffed a big breath and Jiyong instantly put his fingers in his ears. "OMMMMAAAAAAAA JIYONG'S DOING IT AGGAAAAIIINNNN!!!!" 

He landed on the couch with a laugh when she pushed him. "What exactly am I doing?" he snickered.

"You're being a little ." she sneered, landing on top of him to squish his puny body. Jiyong's response however was more laughter and '-ry'. 

Jiyong continued to mentally torment her while Dara continued to fall for every childish thing he'd shoot at her. From an outside perspective it was like they were in their own little world. No worries or concerns crossed their minds and the thought of the future didn't even pop up. They were just caught in a state of happiness and bliss—just the two of them, everything seemed perfect. 

"Ahhhh!" 

The younger man was able to catch her by the wrists and restrain her on the couch, with him hovering on top of her. There was a mischievous grin on his face while a grim scowl adorned the latter's. 

"Caught'cha." And like the adult that he was, he stuck his tongue out at her, much to her immense displeasure.

"One day, Kwon Jiyong." she huffed menacingly. "One day."

He raised an amused brow. "One day what?" 

A smirk suddenly crossed her face. "I'm gonna put a ring on that finger and I'm gonna make you my ing slave." 

"Your ing slave?" he snorted, letting go of her. "Geez woman, tone it down on the ual fantasies—"

"Kwon Jiyong!" 

Nope, that wasn't Dara who shouted his name... well, she was about to before she was so rudely interrupted. Bemused, they both turned to the voice, shocked to see that their expected guests had already arrived. 

"Noona?" Jiyong said, a little too incredulously. 

Dami grinned and ran up to him, knuckling his hair affectionately and earning her a loud whining moan. Eventually, he pushed her off of him, giving her the cue to switch to the older woman beside him, catching her in a long embrace. Delightfully surprised, Dara hugged her back, eyes roaming towards the old couple that was now talking to Jiyong. 

"Why didn't you call that you were here?" Dara asked as they pulled away from each other. 

Dami shrugged, smiling, "Everyone loves a surprise, right?" 

Dara smiled sarcastically at that and the latter chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm on vacation." she announced. "And I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could so, here I am." 

"Here you are~" Dara hugged her again. "Welcome back." 

From the corner of her eye, Dara caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar man that was coming in the front door with some of their bags. Guessing that it was the help or the driver, she paid him no mind. But when he suddenly went up to Dami and kissed her on the lips, the woman was left slightly speechless. 

Dami snagged herself a hot driver.

"Dara unnie, this is my fiancé, Jay Park." she said, her hand resting casually on the man's chest. 

"Whoa, whoa whoa, whoa—" Jiyong paused, hand on his sister's shoulder. "Whoa."

"Can you believe that you're related to that?" Dara snickered. 

He glared at her before glaring at his noona's supposed fiancé and back to Dami. "I thought he was your boyfriend." he said carefully, discreetly shooting daggers at the smiling man. 

"Well, he proposed before we boarded the plane and I said yes so..." Dami finished off with a grin before she turned to Jay and kissed him in the lips. Her younger brother grimaced while her childhood friend 'aww-ed'. 

Amidst his disgust, he felt a nudge on his shoulder. "Awwwwww he proposed." Dara said tightly, a forced grin on her lips. "He proposed and she accepted. Hahaha they did what they're supposed to do. Isn't that just so sweet?" 

If Jiyong wasn't the smartass that he was, he would've wondered why she was emphasizing certain words. Jiyong had to roll his eyes at her not-so-subtle subliminal messages. The older woman was definitely trying to sound him out and it annoyed him to some extent. He snarled, mentally telling her to cut it out, earning him a pout. 

"Dami-yah!" Dara's mother shouted happily.

"Unnie~" The latter replied, throwing her arms around her for a hug. Meanwhile, Dara was left to groan. 

"Why do you people keep calling her the wrong thing?" she mumbled sourly, head rubbing on Jiyong's shoulder. 

He glanced down at the crown of her head with an amused expression before he flicked it away. "It's not my fault if you're mom's hot."

"YAH! MY MOM IS NOT HOT!!!" 

A sudden laugh i