“You did not just say that,” She challenged.

 

“Sorry to disappoint you, tigress, but oh yes, I did.” He spat back.

 

The two glared at each other, no one backing down.

 

Dara placed her palm on Bom’s forearm and whispered, “Bom, please.”

 

Bom turned her head sharply to face Dara. “He called me fat! Goodness, I'm not fat, I'm just curvy. And y.”

 

Seunghyun snickered and rolled his eyes. He turned to Dara and asked, “Why do you have a friend like this?”

 

Bom pushed her hair behind her shoulder, and pulled the piece of cloth on her chest, revealing her cleavage a little more. “I.am.curvy.”

 

Flustered, Dara’s hands flew to block the “view” from the two men. She then adjusted Bom’s clothing in an attempt to cover up her assets as much as possible.

 

“Bom, please!” Dara hissed under her breath, while stealing glances at the two men opposite them as she whispered to Bom, “Don't show them your chest.”

 

“Why? I have nice s!” Bom screamed, causing everyone around them in the restaurant to stare at them.

 

Dara’s face flushed red in embarrassment. “I know, Bom,” Dara whispered again, “I know… So just calm down, please.”

 

Bom flipped her hair again, and glared at Seunghyun in full mockery. “And how good does he think his figure is?” Bom teased.

 

Jiyong sipped on his glass of red wine, totally unfazed at the drama unfolding in front of his eyes. He watched as Seunghyun tried to defend himself.

 

However, before Seunghyun was given enough time to speak, Bom dismissed him in a wave of her hand. “Jiyong is the complete opposite of him. Through that black shirt of his, I could already see his full six packs. You turn me off,” She scoffed, “But if it was Jiyong, I would him all day.”

 

Jiyong choked on his drink and began coughing while he straightened his shirt.

 

“You're hot Jiyong,” Bom winked.

 

Jiyong cleared his throat. “Why thank you, Miss Park, but… I'm not making out with you.”

 

Seunghyun interrupted, “My buddy wouldn't be that blind.”

 

With that, the two began bickering again.

 

Dinner for Dara and Jiyong.

 

_________________________________

 

Jiyong’s steps haltered. He spun around to face Dara.

 

“What-” He scanned around, yet, Dara was nowhere to be found.

 

“Dara?” He called out from distance in the cold, empty street. He hissed under his breath in annoyance and worry. Taking fast steps, he started to run in the opposite direction. He shouldn't have allowed Dara to drink after dinner. He shouldn't have believed Dara when she said she wasn't drunk. He shouldn't have left Dara to walk behind him.

 

He ran street after street, asking people after people if he had seen a lady in her twenties. His breathing started to turn more ragged and heavy. Worry, apprehension, and panic weighed heavily on his shoulders, pulling him down. He never believed in Gods, but if there was one, he would pray most earnestly that Dara could be found.

 

He passed through a small alley before  reaching the side of the main road. His eyes immediately lay on a petite girl clad in a long down jacket. A strong gush of wind blew, sending the scarf around her neck flying a small distance away, landing right on the road. The lady stood up groggily, the alcohol sending her walking in a zigzag manner. Jiyong thought she was going to topple over, but she proved him wrong multiple times. She squinted her eyes a little more to see a clearer view of what was in front of her. She bent down and reached forward to pick up her scarf, but a strong, bright beam of light landed on the side of her cheek. She squinted to catch a better view of what was happening. A truck was speeding in her direction.

 

fell agape and her feet were stuck rooted to the ground as she stared at the oncoming vehicle. She closed her eyes, hugging her scarf and the bag of octopus close to her chest. She was ready for this. She was ready for a second round of death. She's tired of living and dealing with the truth anyway.

 

However, Dara has never been a planner. She was always an improviser. No doubt her plan to kill herself hadn't succeeded, because Jiyong was always the better one in getting what he wanted through his plans. This could be proved through the numerous number of business deals he managed to clinched. Dara felt a pair of strong arms on her shoulders pushing her over. She felt herself fall behind, and a loud yell from the man on top of her. Her plan had failed.

 

“What was that?!”

 

Dara opened her eyes slowly. She gazed at the man in front of her. Jiyong supported her weight, lifting her up while the two lay by the road. She remained speechless, looking absent-mindedly at his face. She noticed the wrinkles forming by the side of his eyes. He must be frustrated. Dara realised whenever he gets upset or goes into deep thought, they would start to crease.

 

“Dara! What were you thinking-”

 

Before he could finish what he had in mind, Dara grabbed onto the hem of his shirt and tugged it hard. Jiyong’s chest slammed against her forehead. After a while, Jiyong felt something damp on his chest and Dara’s small frame began shaking harder. Her sobs grew louder even though Jiyong knew she tried her best to keep them muffled.

 

Cautiously and uncertainly, his palm started making its way up Dara’s back, patting it lightly, before travelling to the crook of her neck, then stopping behind her head. He pushed the back of her head closer to him, burying it in his chest. Her two arms wrapped themselves around his torso and pulled it close, seeking his warmth, seeking his comfort.

 

“Jiyong,” Her voice broke. “I keep pretending to be fine, but I'm not. I don't know what to do anymore,” She sobbed. She found refuge in him. She allowed herself to be weak in front of him.

 

He didn't say anything, and in absolute silence, guided her to the pavement and the two sat down.

 

“I was murdered,” She said all of a sudden. This piece of news threw him back a little, and her necklace started glowing. Frustrated, she clenched her first tight and began hammering her the piece of metal against her chest, the impact leaving a red mark below her neck.

 

He grabbed onto her arm. “Stop, you're hurting yourself.” He said so coldly and so matter-of-factly as though Dara didn't know that.

 

A tear rolled down her cheek. “You knew it long ago, didn't you? That I'm not huma-” She paused and looked away, “You knew that because it wouldn't stop glowing. It just wouldn't stop!” She hammered it one last time, before her arm slipped down her chest and hit the ground beside her.

 

“It's okay,” He told her, staring into a distance away.

 

Wiping her tears with the back of her palm, she asked, “What?”

 

“It's okay if it glows in front of me.”

 

She turned her head and stared at him. She knew he could feel her gaze on him, but nevertheless, he didn't turn to face her back. “It's not okay for it to glow in front of any… human…”

 

Jiyong let out a small smile, the muscles in the right side of his cheek tweaking a little. “It's okay because it's me. I'll pretend I didn't see it. I won't ask anything about it.”

 

Dara smiled back, “I think I told you that you're a cold, unfeeling, stoic and emotionless cyborg before.”

 

“Yeah,” He chuckled a little.

 

“I know I really annoy you at times as well. It's just… I'm used to things going my way.” Dara fiddled with her fingers. “You put up with me without complaining though.” Dara joked, “Maybe I finally know why I was stuck with you instead of anyone else and why I fell right into your backyard and not anyone else’s. Probably because you're the only one who can stand me.”

 

Jiyong’s lips twitched again. This time, the smile was a little bigger. “I have no idea what you're babbling about again.”

 

Dara looked back at him. “You do. You know I'm not… You know I'm an ang-”

 

Jiyong’s palm flew to and cupped it tight. “I don't know. I don't know what you are and I don't care what you are. I don't care about the weird things I overheard Bom telling you outside the washroom. I don't know anything. So never mention such rubbish to anyone or let anyone else find out.”

 

He sighed, and released his palm from . In an almost inaudible tone, he repeated to her, “I don't know anything at all.”

 

Through her tears, Dara managed to smile. “I've also told you, I really like it when we don't bicker right?”

 

Jiyong turned away from her and transferred his gaze to whatever was horizontally in front of him. “Yeah,” He laughed.

 

“I like it when you're being nice too,” Dara told him, her eyes shutting a little. “I'm really tired. Could you carry me home?”

 

Again, Jiyong didn't say anything at all, but silently picked her up and piggybacked her. Within a mere second, he could already feel her head dropping onto the crook of his neck. He sighed.

 

The truth is, Jiyong knew. Jiyong already suspected things were not right ages ago, but her conversation with Bom outside the female washroom only shocked him further. She was an angel. She had already died once. He stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly to take a sneak peak of her sleeping face, careful not wake her up. He couldn't let her die the second time.

 

He continued his journey, until a whisper against his neck startled him.

 

“Miss Elaine Im.”

 

The whisper was hot and misty. Another whisper blew against his neck, but this time, this was a little hotter and louder.

 

“Miss Elaine Im, Dad, what are you two doing…?”

 

Elaine Im... That was the name of Jiyong's mother...

 

_________________________________

 

“Miss Elaine Im, Dad, what are you two doing…?”

 

“No...Nothing…” Her father pushed the lady behind his back and stuttered nervously. “She's just here to get some documents for Mr Kwon. It's business.”

 

Dara furrowed her eyebrows in doubt. She was Mr Kwon’s mistress, but she wasn't his private assistant. What would an artist like her know about business management? Nonetheless, she nodded and decided not to press further. She didn't want to get herself involved in any serious business of the adults.

 

Dara extended her arm for a handshake. “Nice to meet you, Miss Im, or… Mrs Kwon…?”

 

She smiled kindly and extended her arm as well to shake Dara’s hand. “Miss Im please, I'm… not married to him. Nice to meet you, Miss Sandara.”

 

Dara’s eyes zoomed in to the necklace on her neck. “It's beautiful,” Dara complimented. It was a masterpiece in the shape of an angel’s wing, decorated with blue crystals on the corners of the wing.

 

Dara paused. Like time had stopped in her dream, she stared at The Angel’s Wing.

 

“Miss Im, your necklace-” She looked up to face the lady, yet, she was left alone in a spacious room. The room was started to get darker, and colder. Dara shivered, glancing around nervously for help. Just then, Elaine Im’s screams filled the room. Dara cupped her ears and shuddered in fear and helplessness. The floor opened and Dara dropped down, right into the pits of hell. Dara let out a long ear-piercing scream.

 

Dara jerked up in her sleep. Drenched in sweat, she hugged herself tight in an attempt to calm herself down, her arms around her small frame. Jiyong rushed out from his room and came to her side.

 

“Is everything okay? I heard you scream.”

 

She looked up at him slowly, her hands still shivering.

 

“Jiyong,” She croaked, “I know… I know your mother…”