Nineteen
Remnants Of The Heart
Dara blinked at him. Her brain could not seem to process what he just said. “W-what did y-you s-say?” she asked almost breathlessly. When Jiyong said nothing, Dara started to chuckle until it change to a fit of hysterical laughter.
Jiyong could only stare at her. She was laughing out loud. In normal occasions, he could have smiled as he was able to make her laugh. He could have drooled over her because a laughing Sandara Park is beautiful. But then, he could not seem to do that as she’s laughing at his heart. It was so easy for her to believe his lies but the one thing she seemed to do not believe is the only truth he had ever said.
He sighed. With a shake of the head, he turned around and started going on his way. He was used to physical pain, he had years of that in training and while he was in the field. He never really paid attention to other things but now, he can’t help but be affected with the heavy squeezing of his heart.
“Hey, wait up!” Dara called but he didn’t stop. He can still hear her laughing her heart out.
“Stupid girl,” he mumbled.
“I heard that!”
“Good!” he called back without stopping from his tracks. He knew he was a bit fast but he was just too annoyed to even wait for her or look back to check her condition. Well, since she’s laughing her cute off, then he doesn’t really have to worry that much, does he?
They walked and walked up until she called for a rest. “I’m hungry,” she said.
“Okay,” he shrugged and sat down, leaning against a tree. He pulled out a knife from the bag and picked out a malformed wood.
“Don’t you have anything to eat there?” she asked.
He looked up in a slow manner, his lips curving into a smirk. “Actually, there is something. . .” he trailed, his voice dripping with playfulness and seduction.
Dara’s eyes widened. “Ya!”
“Come here, oh little one and have a taste of me.”
“That is just so. . . you. . . argh! You’re the most disgusting thing that ever walked on earth, you ert!!!”
It was Jiyong’s turn to laugh. It’s better this way, he silently thought. He’s not putting anything in the line. She seemed to take his playful and bully side more seriously than his serious side. It was ironic, really but well, when has life been ever fair?
Dara stomped here and there, rumbling but Jiyong ignored her as he was whistling to himself while carving the chunk of wood in his hand. After some time, the girl got tired and went to find a spot of her own. “Why do you have that bag hidden in the water?” she asked. “And when did you hide it there?”
“My job requires me to have items in the most desolated areas for emergency,” he answered, shrugging.
“Do you really call killing people a job?”
“That’s my source of living, so yes.”
She went silent. Jiyong knew he’d never win against Seunghyun over Dara so there was no point hiding his true nature, of what he is. He was an assassin and that’s it. “Does it make you happy?” she then asked in a soft whisper that he barely heard it.
He paused from what he was doing and tried to think of it. The rush of doing something makes him happy, yes. “The people I’ve killed are usually involved in something illegal and their competitors want them out. . .” he answered, shrugging. It wasn’t really a direct answer but he wasn’t so sure of the answer himself. “Although we’re not allowed to know the reason why someone would want a person dead but I do my research.”
“Are my parents involved in illegal activities?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Maybe.”
“I’m sure they’re not,” she then said. “What probably happened was, they were being asked to join something illegal but they refused so. . .”
Jiyong kept his silence.
“What do you think?” she then asked.
He looked up and smirked. “Since when did my opinion ever matter to you?” he asked with raised brows.
Dara went red and she looked as if she was about to say something when she thought better of it. She pouted and frowned and Jiyong closed his eyes for a moment. Darn it! Why does she have to look so adorable?
He opened his eyes again and avoided looking at her. He stood up and dusted his pants. “Let’s go.”
They didn’t talk to each other as they went on with Jiyong leading the way and Dara trailing behind. He looked down at the chunk of wood that he carved into the shape of a rose. He became thoughtful for a moment, wondering what the best approach would be to give it to her without appearing as if he’s a pathetic dog desperate for her attention.
You haven’t really learned your lesson, have you? She’s going to laugh at you again, a side of his mind said which made him grimace. He inconspicuously looked back at her. she had her head bowed down as she watched her steps but she was still pouting which made his resolve final – he’s going to give it to her, regardless if she’s going to laugh at him or not.
The question was, how?
They were suddenly blocked by a wall of land and uneven rocks. He looked up at it and a smirk curved his lips as an idea popped up into his mind. He placed the carved wood into his pocket “We have to climb this.”
“W-what?!”
“It’s the only way,” he said.
“B-but. . . but. . .”
“If you want to stay here and wait for Minwoo, suit yourself,” he said, facing her. With a shrug, he faced the wall of rocks again and started climbing.
“We could fall!” she aghastly exclaimed.
“You just have to follow my lead,” he answered. “Hold on to the one I’ll hold on and step on to the one I’ll step on.”
“But. . .”
“If you want, you can stay here and wait for me up until I can climb at the top. I’ll tie a rope to a tree then you can tie it around your waist. But if Minwoo would arrive, I’m sorry but I won’t throw the rope down.”
Dara hesitated for a moment. She bit her lower lip down and looked as if she was about to cry. But then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She silently prayed for her life as she started following Jiyong’s lead.
Jiyong had the urge to laugh out loud but he stopped himself. Oh, what a genius he is! The boulder wasn’t that high so when they were halfway through, he pulled the carved rose from his pocket and dropped it.
“Oh no!” he exaggeratedly said.
“What?” Dara asked, huffing.
“I dropped something! It’s very essential to our survival!”
“What?! Why did you drop it, you fool!”
“Someone needs to climb down and get it!”
“You climb down then!”
“I can’t,” he answered. “You’re blocking my way.”
He heard her gasp and he bit his lower lip to stop the urge of laughter threatening to escape him. “You’re joking!”
“Climb down and get it!”
“No way!” she shrieked.
“Then we’ll stay here.”
“Argh! Why are you so. . .?!” she shrieked but he felt her climbing down. “What did you drop?” she asked from below.
“It’s a wood carved into a rose,” he answered.
“I found it!” she called back. “How did this become essential to our survival?”
“I need it!” he simply answered, silently laughing. He stayed on his position, trying his best to control his laughter.
“Go on,” he heard her say, panting. She was almost beside him now. “I’ll give it to you when we reach the top.”
“Ah. . .” he murmured loud enough for her to hear. “The sun is high up, it’s burning my precious skin. Let’s just take the shortcut,” he said and reached for a rock at the side to hold on to and step on to. He then started climbing down to which made Dara look at him in disbelief.
When he was safe and sound back on the ground, he started stretching. He looked up and smiled upon seeing Dara climbing down. He faked a loud yawn as its taking her time to climb down. He could just predict her outburst once she finds out that they didn’t really have to climb the boulder.
When she finally landed on the ground, he started walking to the left, whistling merrily.
“YA!” she called out, running after him. “What do you mean shortcut?!?”
“Let’s just walk through here,” he answered. The trees will protect my precious skin from the sun.”
“You mean, you knew all along that there’s another way aside from climbing that. . . . that thing?!”
“Yep,” he answered, grinning widely to himself.
“Why you. . . .!” she raged on, grabbing his arm and making him face her. “You let me climbed that thing when all the time I was scared I’ll fall off! Then you made me climb down to get this stupid wood rose and you made me climb up again! What do you get from doing all those things!? Does it make you happy seeing me suffering and hurting?! Tell me, what do you get from bullying me, huh?! What –!”
She wasn’t able to finish what she was about to say because he suddenly imprisoned her face in between his hands and kissed her. Dara’s body stiffen, her eyes opening wide. She knew what she had to do, push him away and slap him or better, punch him left and right. But then, she just stood there, all frozen with her eyes wide open. And when his lips started moving, she felt her eyes closed on their own accord while her body relaxed and swayed forward, closer to him.
Her fists balled tightly and the edges of the carved rose dug into the palm of the hand holding it. slightly parted and she knew that Jiyong took that as a welcome. Maybe. . . . maybe if he was being rough or aggressive, she could have pushed him away already. But she just couldn’t find the strength to do so when he’s being all slow and sweet and gentle in handling her.
She was starting to get scared of herself. Surely, a sane person would not welcome a kiss from a man she doesn’t love? She knew she had to stop but why can’t she?
Just when she thought it will never stop, he broke the kiss. “I get to have an excuse to kiss you to shut your mouth up,” he then whispered so softly that it brought goose bumps to her body. Dara can’t explain it but she was having goose bumps. Could it be because he didn’t sound like teasing or bullying her?
Or was it for something else?
He then let go of her and stepped back. Dara almost swayed in faintness but she was able to hold herself up. “I don’t need the rose anymore, just keep it,” he said and he was back to his bullying tone.
Dara stared at his back. She then looked down at the carved rose in her hand and she can’t help the smile that curved her lips.
“Omo!” Jiyong then loudly said. “Are you actually smiling at my rose? Ah. . . jealous of my talent? Hahahahahahahaha.”
Dara looked up and grimace. “I can carve better than you,” she said as she started following him.
“If I didn’t know better, I think you’re falling for me.”
“Dream on!”
“Ah. . . I’m sorry hunny bunchy but I think I’m changing preference. I think I like Seunghyun better than you now.”
“Ha ha. Very funny,” she sarcastically said.
“Yep, I can be funny but I can really be y too. And I know you’ve been dying to get a taste of me.”
“Oh puh-lease!”
On and on they bickered.
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