Dara's POV

 

I've always considered myself a highly logical person.

 

When you're raised to compete, you're bound to develop a keen sense of survival, to always favor wit above emotions and to know how to stay alive in the midst of adversity. At the tender age of five, I learned the distinction between dignity and pride. Most people would see no difference, but for someone who spent years trying to earn her place in this world, those two words couldn't be more opposite.

 

What is pride anyway? Does that come with the knowledge that you're superior than others, be it of physical attributes or pedigree? That you possessed a trait that would naturally demand instant gratification? If it is, then I'm inclined to say that I lack pride. Dignity on the other hand...I managed to have a bit of it left in my system.

 

This is why I usually spend my free time getting familiar with cook books, gardening magazines, the encyclopedia, even brushing up on a fact or two from the pages of House Repair for Dummies. That way, I'd be a little less of a nuisance to Jae Suk.

 

He actually doubted at first, didn't believe I could learn all of it. But then again, I take immense pleasure in proving people wrong. Humans always aim for greatness after all.

 

Well...not all of them as it turns out.

 

With thinly-veiled annoyance, I carefully placed the basket of fresh laundry on the setee and crossed my arms, my foot tapping impatiently on the wooden floor. I eyed the silver bell dangling from Jiyong's slender fingers which he'd been using to, for lack of better word, summon me and momentarily wondered if he got the idea from one of those movies he'd been watching. His royal highness was so absorbed in his own world that I had to clear my throat a couple of times before he noticed my looming figure.

 

Jiyong looked up from his tub of popcorn distractedly, his legs stretched on top of the table and crossed at the ankles as he flipped from channel to channel with obvious dissatisfaction.

 

Inhale. Exhale.

 

"You called?" By virtue of sarcasm, adding your majesty would've made a good comic relief, but the suppressed ire in my system disintegrated the thought as swiftly as it came.

 

He appeared mildly confused, his brows furrowing ever so slightly. A tiny part of me hoped he had the misfortune of contracting some unknown disease that wasn't fatal but would make him ill enough to want to return to the city as soon as possible. But as per usual, fate nipped my fantasy in the bud when he picked up the now empty glass of juice from the couch and casually shoved it in my direction.

 

"Refill," he simply said. Not even a hint of please and thank you.

 

"Okay, that's it," I grunted. Snatching the remote from his grasp, I turned the TV off before grabbing a fistful of his sweatshirt. "Up! Come on, get up!" I prodded his side roughly with my foot that he had no choice but to scramble to his feet.

 

"Ya, what do you think you're doing?!" Despite the fierceness in his voice, Jiyong feebly struggled which was a poor show of recovery from a food-induced coma.

 

"What I should've done three days ago," I fired back with so much angst I'm surprised he didn't burn. "You've been lounging at this couch without doing anything else and I've had enough! You're going to help out." Throwing caution to the wind, I dragged him by the collar of his shirt and marched off toward the kitchen. He had to painfully bend a little since I was a head shorter than him.

 

"This is no way to treat a guest!" He managed to pull his clothing from my grasp and I let him go. It was too late, anyway. He's already where I want him to be.

 

"Didn't you say you wanted to make the most out of your vacation? Well let's do it." I turned around to rummage through the magazine stand below the cupboard, occasionally spitting out months of dust bunnies on the way.

 

I need to have a word with Mino, I mentally noted. Looks like he was slacking off on his duties again.

 

At the bottom of the rack, I finally spotted what I was looking for. Retrieving the old notebook containing home made recipes I found in Jae Suk's room when I first arrived, I straightened and tossed it in the counter. "You can start by helping me prepare dinner."

 

He stared at me like I just told him to jump off a cliff. Which come to think of it, isn't exactly a bad idea. I made sure to store that useful information for future use. Who knows, I might run out of options later on.

 

"But I don't know how to cook," he confessed with a pout.

 

"Hence, the book." Honestly, I thought it was pretty obvious. I started pulling out pots and pans from the cabinet. "That's assuming you can read of course."

 

Jiyong shot me a dirty look. He languidly picked it up, running a finger through the fragile binding. "I'm not really sure this is a good idea," he reasoned even as he flipped through the pages, his eyes gradually filling with wonder, trepidation and dare I say—interest?

 

"Why do you say that?" I asked, easily tying the apron on my back.

 

"Well for one, I've never cooked before."

 

I raised a brow. "And?"

 

"And it might turn out bad. I might burn it or something." He made a face. "Or it might not be edible at all."

 

"Maybe. Maybe not. But let me ask you this, when you write a song, do you instantly know it's going to turn out great?"

 

He crossed his arms and grew silent, leaning on the sink as he began to mull it over. After a few moments he went, "No. I usually have a series of drafts before coming out with the final piece."

 

"There you go." I chucked the extra apron at him which he effortlessly caught with his right hand. "Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try, you know."

 

He snorted, clearly unimpressed by my words of wisdom, before slipping the apron over his head. "Just warning you ahead of time that if this turns out badly and it will"—he promised vindictively—"you have nothing to blame but yourself. Kapish?"

 

My response was a fluid eye roll.

 

Three hellish hours, five broken antique plates, and two distressed souls after, we finally managed to set the table just as the men entered the dining room.

 

"Wow," Mino exclaimed as he settled himself on one of the chairs. "This is probably the most food I've seen in my stay here. Is someone about to die?"

 

"I certainly hope not. That'll be a waste of dessert," I quipped as I emerged from the kitchen, carrying a platter of fried rice. Jae Suk caught my eye as I placed the food on the table and he deviously winked. Sigh. I don't even want to know.

 

"What happened to this?" Mino poked the burnt spring roll in front of him. It actually resembled a shriveled sausage more than a spring roll.

 

"That's because someone got distracted taking selcas of himself," I said in a louder voice, my eyes narrowing at the culprit's direction.

 

Jiyong didn't even have the energy to fight with me on this one. He was slumped beside Mino and looking terribly beaten down as if he just crawled out of a military camp. Can't say I blame him. I might've gone overboard with the whole sous chef thing. Besides, it was fun seeing him squirm when I told him to cook the crabs. Apparently, his moral compass made him guilty for causing undue pain to the crustaceans as he watched them boil to death.

 

Weirdly enough, I didn't hear any complains from him when the sweet smell wafted into our nostrils a few minutes later.

 

"Did you cook all of this, Miss Park?" Jiyong's bodyguard asked, gesturing to the full course meal I've—we've prepared.

 

"I've had some help." From the corner of my eye, Jiyong shot me a half-hearted scowl. "And really, you can call me Dara."

 

All I got for an answer was a cryptic smile from the hulking six foot-three giant.

 

"Alright everybody, dinner is served."

 

"Don't mind if I do," Tae Hee enthusiastically said before digging in.

 

I took my place on the other side of Jiyong and had to suppress a smile. He looked as if he was about to puke and to think he hadn't eaten anything yet. He's trying to be subtle about it as he started filling his plate with food, all the while darting nervous glances around the table like he's expecting someone to drop dead at any given moment. I shook my head and nudged him with my elbow.

 

He almost jumped in surprise.

 

"Relax, would you?" I muttered under my breath and helped myself with a generous amount of bibimbap. "If it helps, I actually tasted everything you cooked."

 

"And?" He sounded a bit apprehensive.

 

I shoved a spoonful and heartily munched. "See for yourself."

 

"Thank you for that useless information," he grumbled. He had just picked up his chopsticks when Jae Suk cleared his throat.

 

"What did you put in this?" He curiously asked, picking a crab by its legs and putting it on display at the center of the table.

 

I felt Jiyong stiffen beside me. "It's just garlic and butter," I replied, my voice sounding a bit wary. "Is there a problem?"

 

"The only problem is that you should've made more, noona." Mino's brows were furrowed as he eyed the platter of crabs with a discernible pout. "It's bad enough to battle it out with just hyung here, now I have three other people to share my favorites with."

 

Tae Hee laughed at that. "Sorry, dude. I might have to claim my stake here. This is by far the best crab I've had in months." He the butter off of his fingers and grinned like he just won the lottery. "Real tasty, too."

 

The other guys agreed in unison.

 

"Good job, Dara-ya." Jae Suk held his thumb up approvingly. "With a skill like this, a husband is not too far off in your future."

 

Normally, this kind of remark would've pissed me off, but tonight, a smirk found its way to my face instead. "If that's the case, then they should ask Jiyong's hand in marriage."

 

Jae Suk looked confused. The rest of the men paused their dinner and looked up, obviously waiting for some sort of clarification. My smirk grew wider.

 

"If you must know, Jiyong cooked everything. I merely supervised. So really, it's him you should be thanking and not me."

 

An awkward silence filled the room before it exploded.

 

"And here I thought you were just a pretty face," Jae Suk said with an enigmatic smile.

 

Tae Hee appeared to have swallowed something bitter as he leaned back on his chair and leveled Jiyong with a withering look. "Dude, seriously. Do us mere mortals a favor and stop being n perfect." He tossed an empty shell at him. "I hate you."

 

"Hyuuung," was all Mino managed to say.

 

Mr. One-of-A-Kind turned every shade of red from all the praises he's receiving which I thought was odd since he's a superstar. Wasn't he used to being ogled at?

 

Anyway, the applaud went on for a few more minutes before Samchon decided that it was time to resume eating before the food gets cold. Jiyong had visibly relaxed after that. He even threw in a couple of punch lines before Jae Suk countered with one of his own and had the whole group almost choking with laughter.

 

It was when we finished eating and started doing our assigned chores that Jae Suk chose to place a firm hand on my arm with the other one resting over Jiyong's shoulder. "Since the two of you prepared dinner, it's only fair that you get exempted from cleaning duty," he announced.

 

"Really?" I asked, my voice chipper than usual.

 

"Yes, really. Here." He handed us a box of chocolate chip cookies. "Consider it your reward. Now go find a place to eat it." He hurriedly waved us away.

 

I silently took the offered gift and motioned for Jiyong to follow me upstairs. I knew the perfect spot. When we reached the landing, I grabbed two coats from the cabinet and continued walking past a couple of rooms before stopping at the end of the hallway. I turned and handed Jiyong the jacket. He cocked his head to the side before putting it on.

 

"What exactly are we doing?" He asked after zipping up his coat.

 

Securing the scarf around my neck, I reached for the latch on the trapdoor over our heads and pulled it down, revealing a wooden ladder that leads to the attic. I had to stifle a smile as I watched Jiyong's mouth fell open.

 

"What?" I crossed my arms and looked smugly at him. "Never saw a trapdoor before?"

 

He shook his head. Huh. Would you look at that.

 

"Well? Are you just gonna stand there the whole night, your highness?" That brought him back to reality.

 

He flourished his hand and did a mock bow, the edge of his mouth tilting up. "Ladies, first?"

 

 

GD's POV

 

Here are 5 interesting facts I learned about the little tokki:

 

#1 SHE HATES PICKLES. She plucks it out of her burger and dumps it on her plate. Most times it ends up on my head.

 

#2 STRAWBERRY LOVER. She finds both chocolate and strawberry delectable, but prefers the latter when it comes to ice cream. With sprinkles, I might add.

 

#3 TAM-TAM. Her cat. Personally, I think a more apt name would be devil's spawn, considering it was black and was downright cursed evil. It bit me. Twice.

 

#4 SHE'S A TECHNOPHOBE. Or at least she behaves like one. The other day she gave me the stink eye from across the living room when I didn't pick up my phone despite how loud it was ringing. Then she ranted about how I shouldn't take people for granted before walking out. What she failed to notice was that the sounds she heard were message notifications from Seungri who had been sending me profile sheets of various women who are qualified enough to become the future Mrs. Kwon—his words, not mine—while he was doing his photoshoot and only because he was bored.

 

#5 SHE'S INTO STARS. I'm pretty super, but not the kind of star she's into. We're talking about the real deal here. The kind that'll get you killed if it falls out from the sky.

 

"Can you really see them from here?" I asked as I cautiously padded my way through the wooden beam that connected the attic to the flat roof where Dara was currently crouched at.

 

"Mostly," came her muffled response. "If the skies are clear enough, you can."

 

I walked to where she was hunched at and was surprised to see that she had already lit up a fire from a makeshift heater. She sat on a not so sturdy-looking plank and motioned for me to do the same.

 

"Do you come here often?"

 

She nodded, bringing her knees to her chest as she tilted her head back, her eyes fixed on the dark blanket above. "When the world gets a little too much, I come up here." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a peaceful smile gracing her features. In the scant light offered by the moon, Dara's pale skin seemed to glow in contrast to her dark clothes.

 

I realized I was staring and I didn't want to be that guy so I faced forward and mimicked her actions. She had been right. The night air though a bit chilly was indeed crisp and clean. Much different than that of the city.

 

"So this is some sort of escape for you?"

 

She shrugged. "Perhaps."

 

"Don't you mind the cold?"

 

She shook her head. "On the contrary, it helps clear my thoughts."

 

I glanced at the whole roof, taking my time to survey the area. "I mean, once you get over the fact that one wrong slip could lead to a possible gruesome death, I guess it's not a bad place to be." She snorted. I turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised. "Be honest, you didn't lead me here to kill me, did you?"

 

"Trust me, if I did, you would be dead by now."

 

I physically cringed away from her. "How can you say those stuff in front of me without breaking? I swear, you're the weirdest girl I've ever met."

 

She let my comment slide as she offered me the box of cookies. I deftly picked one and took a bite. For a few moments, we just sat there and ate, not saying anything as we watched the clouds slowly disappear.

 

"Let's play a game," I told her while brushing the crumbs off my hand.

 

"What kind of game?" Dara sounded a bit wary.

 

"Well, back when I was a trainee, my members and I lived in a single dorm. Sometimes it gets pretty tedious especially when we wait hours for our seniors to finish their rehearsals so we kind of play a game to pass the time."

 

"So video games were not your thing?" She asked, a smile tugging on her lips.

 

I chuckled. "Nah. Eats up too much electricity. We'd rather save the money for food."

 

Dara frowned. "Wasn't your food and lodging free?"

 

"The stay was free, everything else our parents had to pay for at the beginning. But that was only until we debuted and started earning money."

 

"I see," she replied with a nod.

 

"Anyway, back to the game. So each of us would take turns in providing a word and then we say the first thing that comes to our minds. That simple. Are you down?"

 

She pursed her lips before answering. "Okay."

 

"Cool. I'll go first." I sat up straighter, twisting my body so that I was straddling the plank and facing her. "Mmmm...Blue."

 

"Sky," she answered instantly. "Warm."

 

"Hugs."

 

"Really?" Her brows were high enough that it almost reached her scalp.

 

"What?"

 

"That's like the most cliché answer, ever."

 

I scowled. "You're not supposed to question the other's answer, you know. That kind of defeats the whole purpose of spontaneity."

 

She raised her hands and sighed. "Fine, I'm sorry."

 

I narrowed my eyes at her before continuing the game. "Sweet."

 

"Ice cream." Of course. "Daring."

 

"Red. Hmm...Friend."

 

"Cats."

 

"Like that's a shocker," I sniggered. It's her turn to admonish me with a look. "Sorry, just had to. I won't interrupt again. Okay, go."

 

It took her a few seconds to come up with the next word. "Destiny."

 

"Night club," I answered with a smirk. "The bar, specifically." Her face didn't hint any change in expression and if we weren't sitting that close to each other I would've missed it, but I definitely saw something flash in her eyes before she blinked and it was gone.

 

Oh, you sly little rabbit.

 

I pretended not to notice and continued the game. She'll come around, eventually. "Melancholy."

 

She scrunched her nose. "Endings. Happiness?"

 

"Music. Deep."

 

"Thoughts. Flower."

 

"Daisy," I said with a grin.

 

She raised a brow at this. "Am I allowed to ask why?"

 

"Nope," I quipped. "Childhood."

 

"Band-aids." I started to open my mouth, but she cut me off with a snarky, "And no you can't ask why."

 

I rolled my eyes and waved for her to continue.

 

"Magical."

 

"Concerts." She was wise enough not to comment this time. "Life."

 

"Fleeting." Her voice cracked a little, but she quickly covered it with a cough. "Dream."

 

"Legacy. Home."

 

Dara blinked a few times before dropping her gaze to her shoes. Now that I was actually paying attention, I noticed her hands started doing that thing again, something I've seen her do multiple times when she's uncomfortable.

 

Was it something I said? Come to think of it, she's living with Jae Suk who happens to be her uncle. Where's her real family? Does she even have one?

 

Without thinking, I reached out, my hand circling her wrist to stop her from tugging her bracelet.

 

"Dara," I softly called, my thumb tracing circles at the back of her hand to soothe her. She stilled under my touch. "It's okay. Um, we can stop the game if you want."

 

She slowly raised her head and looked at me through her unruly bangs. She didn't even have to say anything, I understood what her eyes were saying.

 

Thank you.

 

I gave her my real smile and earned the same in return. She softly squeezed my fingers before letting it go. For some strange reason, I wanted to keep holding her hand. It was soft. Warm. And really small.

 

Aigoo, this cold front was messing with my head.

 

"Sooo..." I cleared my throat. Why are we here again? Oh yeah. "Stars. When am I going to see them?"

 

"Right about now."

 

She pointed to the sky and I looked up. One word: breathtaking. I haven't seen this many stars in my life. Or maybe I did, but I was probably too busy to appreciate it.

 

"Did you know that scientists from NASA deduced that two years from now, the comet Halley, which is the only comet visible to the eye will appear again sometime around Spring. It orbits the sun every seventy-five to seventy-six years so it's something you really shouldn't miss."

 

"Well in that case, we should camp out and bring cookies then," I suggested with a hearty laugh. "Although, we'd better choose another location, preferably somewhere less drafty and more safe."

 

Her hair whipped the air as she turned. "We?"

 

"What? Don't tell me the viewing is by invitation only? It's a natural phenomenon Dara, don't be stingy." I bumped her in the shoulder good-naturedly.

 

"It's going to be two years from now."

 

I rolled my eyes. "I know how the calendar works, ahjumma." She flicked me in the forehead. "Oww!!"

 

"What I'm saying is that you're not seriously going to come here just to watch the comet with...us. You'd have to be busy by then."

 

I shrugged. "I'll make time." She doesn't look convinced. "I will, I promise."

 

Dara shook her head, but her eyes looked a little hopeful. "Don't make promises you can't keep," I heard her mutter under her breath.

 

"You know, you doubt people too much." I released a sigh and grabbed her right hand. She looked surprised and curious at the same time as I lifted her pinky finger—man, was it tiny. I looped my own pinky with hers and completed the so-called pinky promise with our thumbs in contact with each other.

 

"What are you—"

 

"I, Kwon Ji Yong, do solemnly swear, to come and watch the meteor shower with Sandara Park sometime around Spring two years from now. I also swear not to forget and to always be reminded that she's a psychopath and might hunt me down if I break this oath. Let the moon and this creaky hazardous roof be the witnesses to this promise."

 

I jiggled our hands to finish the ritual.

 

"You're crazy," she mumbled with a chuckle.

 

"Says the girl who lured me outside on a cold winter night just to eat cookies and gaze up at the sky." She hit me on the shoulder.

 

"It's not, by the way."

 

"Mmm?"

 

"It's not a meteor shower," she mumbled and started giving me a lecture I didn't ask for. "A comet is not a meteor and a meteor is not a comet. You see, a comet is sort of like a snowy dirtball which is made mainly out of ice and gases. When it orbits the sun, it goes through the process of outgassing and creates the illusion of having a tail. A meteor is a term used when a meteorite, usually a fragment from a comet, enters Earth and starts burning up."

 

"And that, ladies and gents, is how you lose a guy in five seconds." I clicked my tongue. "Men don't like girls who are walking encyclopedias, you know."

 

"Boys don't like girls who are opinionated. Men however, respect women enough to know when to shut up. There's the difference."

 

"Wow," I said in fluent sarcasm. "I can't believe I just got schooled."

 

"You're welcome."

 

I brushed it off with a laugh. "Why do you like stars so much, anyway?"

 

Dara chewed on her lower lip, obviously contemplating whether to tell me anything or not. To my relief, she chose the former. "Whenever my father was away, I missed him terribly to the point that I'd cry myself to sleep. Then one day, he told me that if I ever feel lonely, I just have to look at the stars and remember that no matter the distance and no matter how far we are from each other, we will always be under the same sky, looking at the same stars." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It was silly, of course."

 

"But it worked, right?"

 

She turned her head to look at me, our gazes locked on each other.

 

"Every single time."

 

We stayed there for a couple of minutes more before she sneezed in succession and I decided it was time to go inside. Today was indeed a day of firsts for me. First time to be bossed around by a girl other than my immediate family. First time to be praised with something so mundane like cooking and I got to admit, it felt pretty damn good. First time to eat cookies in an actual roof. First time stargazing.

 

First time doing a pinky promise with a girl...and a friend.

 

That night, I dreamt about stars, cookies...and a warm little hand.