Twenty Two
Remnants Of The Heart
Dara felt like a dam of water broke loose and she was being drowned in it. Her tiny body hitting boulder by boulder as the water came crashing on her, waving, splashing, and carrying her body angrily towards nothingness.
With a deep breath, she buried her face in her hands. Why does everything have to be so complicated? Why can’t she just go back to those days when she was just a girl who went to school, laugh with her friends, going around with Seunghyun or playing with her parents? Why can’t she just go back to those days when all she saw in Jiyong everytime she looked at him was someone who loved bullying others most especially her? Why can’t she just go back to those days where the words knight in shining armor only referred to Choi Seunghyun?
It was funny, actually. She believed and trusted Seunghyun more than Jiyong but the intensity of her feelings upon knowing the latter lied to her was definitely stronger. She was lost in her thoughts when out of nowhere; she heard a loud bang that made her jump in her place. Her body started trembling as her eyes widened at the birds that suddenly flocked together and flew away. “Jiyong. . .” she whispered and started running.
Her heart pounded heavily against her ribs, her feet clumsily stepped on some broken branches and rocks. She could not feel her arms and legs. The wind was whipping against her face, stinging her eyes in the process. She started hearing faint voices from afar and it made her falter in her steps. She strained her ears to try to hear more of it, her body tensed. She relaxed a little upon recognizing Seunghyun’s voice.
“What did that dear old branch did wrong to make you shoot it?”
A frustrated growl came as a response. With balled fists, Dara slowly went to a large tree and hid herself there; making sure that she will be within earshot. She can barely see the two because of the gigantic trees and bushes and it was fine with her as long as she knows they weren’t fighting and trying to kill each other.
“Jiyong, you know you can’t leave. . .”
“What if I want to?” Jiyong asked in return, making Dara’s insides freeze. “I don’t even know why I’m bothering doing all of these things when I could just go back to my uncle, ask for forgiveness and go back to killing people.”
There was a sigh. “Do you really want me to say it? Look, I’m a thief and I’m not much of a fighter. Whether I like it or not, Dara needs you. Did you really think I’ll let you live with the way you’re eyeing her the way you do if I knew I was capable of protecting her?”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit selfish?” Jiyong scoffed. “How do you think I feel watching you two go all cuddly?
There was silence.
“The three of us. . . .” Seunghyun slowly started. “We’re like a bunch of fated people that –”
“Oh please cut the crap,” Jiyong interrupted. “I’ll just give up, she’s fixed into hating my guts. After this, I’m gonna have to leave the country.” Dara felt about to open and scream No when Jiyong added, “besides, girls throw themselves at me with just a wink, hahaha. I won’t be that lonely.”
Dara’s eyes narrowed, her fists balling tightly. With a huff, she stood up, not bothering if she was making unnecessary noises as she stomped her way back to the cave. When she was a few good meters away, she started rumbling to herself. “Huh!” she scoffed. “One wink?! Overconfident conceited ugly jerk! Who does he think he is? Huh. . . . He isn’t even half as handsome as Seunghyun! Argh!! So damn annoying!”
Upon returning back to the cave, she scooted at one corner with a pout on her face. It wasn’t long after that when she started hearing their voices. To her surprise, Kwon Jiyong was laughing. He must have felt her staring at him because he looked up. She expected him to grimace but instead he just gave her a nod like she was just some normal acquaintance of his. It surprised and confused her at the same time and even before her mind could think of how she should react, he already tore his gaze away from her and turned to Seunghyun. “I’ll just go get us something to eat.”
“I’ll go –,” Seunghyun started but Jiyong cut him off with a laugh and a wave of his hand, making the former frown.
“What’s so funny?” Dara can’t help but snapped. His happy disposition was riling up on her nerves for some reason.
Jiyong ignored the girl. “Just stay and watch over her,” he told Seunghyun, nodding his head towards Dara. “I’m pretty sure she’ll prefer to be in your company than mine. Besides, it’ll involve some killing of poor animals – I can’t really have your hands tainted any further, can I?” he finished with a laugh. He then glanced at Dara. “Should I come back late? You don’t really want me to see you and Seunghyun doing it, do you?”
“Jiyong,” Seunghyun warned as Dara blushed deep red. “Dara isn’t –.”
“That’d be better,” Dara interrupted, constricting. “We’ll be needing time to wash as well.”
If she was expecting him to growl or glare at her, she was utterly surprised when Jiyong suddenly burst out laughing. “Okay, okay. I’ll take my time. Jeez. . .”
Silence engulfed between Dara and Seunghyun as Jiyong left. Seunghyun was staring at Dara’s face – which was a mix of surprise, annoyance and disbelief while the girl was staring at the spot where Jiyong just occupied. “That rascal!” she scowled.
“You heard us talking a while ago, didn’t you?” Seunghyun asked quietly.
Dara turned red. “I wasn’t eavesdropping!” she half-screamed. “You. . . I. . . I was just wondering what’s taking you so long and. . . I. . . I was a bit worried. I mean, you know how Jiyong is, he might get violent and. . .”
“You’re worried he might get back at me after what I did to him when he was bounded?”
A frown marred her forehead at first but then her face brightened up. “Yes! That’s exactly what I was thinking!”
A smile curved Seunghyun’s lips then. “Come here,” he whispered softly, gesturing her to come close with his hand.
Dara’s eyes widened in alarm and she took a step back away from him. “Ahm. . .” she started, hesitating. “Seunghyun. . . I’m not ready yet. I’m. . . I can’t. . . .”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, his forehead creasing in confusion.
“I just got pissed with Jiyong and all that’s why I said that. It’s not that I don’t want to, you know, with you but I just. . . I’m not ready for –.”
“Dara, I’m not thinking of having with you right now. I just wanted to hug you.”
She stared at him like he was some sort of a ghost. “Oh!” she mumbled, blinking while her mind was still processing everything he said. When it all came down on her, she let out another soft oh then blushed deeply.
With a playful smirk, Seunghyun shook his head and clicked his tongue. “You shouldn’t spend so much of your time with Jiyong. You seemed to have adopted the way he thinks.”
“I am not a ert!” she indignantly said. “Besides, I was left with no choice. Only Jiyong knew how to protect me!” she finished, pouting and crossing her arms in her chest. She failed to notice how Seunghyun paled at first but when she did, it was already too late to take back what she said. She tried to say something and even reach out to him but she found her arms weakly falling to her sides. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t have to say sorry, Sandara. You didn’t do anything wrong and besides, I am grateful to Jiyong for being able to keep you alive.”
“Jiyong. . .” Dara started, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Jiyong isn’t all that bad. Although he can really be annoying at times but he’s. . . . all right.”
“I know,” he answered with a smile. “Now come here and give me that overdue hug.”
Dara bit her lower lip to stop her smile from reaching her ears. Spreading her arms wide, she then ran to Seunghyun, unable to hold her laughter back.
Seunghyun lost count as to how many times he told Dara to stop pacing back and forth and just sit down two and a half hours later. “What’s taking him so long?!” she asked for the nth time.
“Dara, Jiyong knows how to take care of himself. Just sit down for a minute. You’ve been going around in circles for the past –.”
“I know he can take care of himself, but still. . . aish! Did he really take what I said seriously? To take his time? Stupid jerk!”
Unable to bear her watching going back and forth, Seunghyun walked up to her, grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him. “Stop worrying, I’m sure he’s fine.”
“It’s not that. . .” Dara said. “It’s –.” The rest of her words left unspoken as her eyes went past Seunghyun’s shoulder, widening in disbelief. Shrugging Seunghyun’s hands off of her shoulders, she started marching towards the newcomers. “What do you think are you doing?” she demanded hysterically, staring back and forth at Jiyong and a pretty girl with him. His arm was around her shoulders while the other was holding fishes which he most probably caught.
“What?” Jiyong asked innocently. “You can’t really expect me to be all alone and cold tonight, can you?”
“I’m sorry,” the pretty girl said. “I don’t have any bad intentions, I got lost and all and Ji was kind enough to offer some help.”
Dara can’t help but raise her brows as the girl called the rascal Ji. “Stop being rude, Dara.”
“I’m not being rude!” Dara hissed. “You know very well the situation we are currently in right now! We can’t afford to have an extra baggage just because you don’t want to be cold and alone!”
“Dara. . .” Seunghyun stepped forward, putting his hands on either side of her shoulders. “Calm down.”
“I. . . I-I should leave. . .” the girl mumbled.
“You don’t have to leave, Sunhwa. I won’t let you,” Jiyong said, making Dara gasp out loud and stare at him in shock and rage.
“What did you just say?”
“I take it you two already maximized the two hours I’ve given you? Can you two give us time alone then as well?”
“What?” Dara demanded, outraged.
“Let’s go, Dara,” Seunghyun whispered to her ear.
“No!” she protested. “What do you think are you doing, Kwon Jiyong?”
“Seunghyun, can you just leave us for a moment?”
Seunghyun looked hesitant for a moment. “I do hope you know what you’re doing, Jiyong,” he then said and started bringing the protesting Dara with him.
“Seunghyun, let me go!” she demanded but Seunghyun seemed to not have heard her or chose to ignore her as his grip on her tightened even more. “What exactly do you think are you doing, Choi Seunghyun? How can you take that guy’s side?! I demand you to let me go! I need to knock some sense into Kwon Jiyong’s obviously thick skull!”
“Dara, I’m sure Jiyong knows what he’s doing.”
“No, he doesn’t!” she exclaimed. “He totally lost his head! Can you just think of the gravity of what he’s doing? This could risk our lives!”
“Dara, you’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting?!” she demanded shrilly. “Ugh! And did you hear what that girl called him – she called him Ji! JI! And oh, he knew her name as well! I mean, how long have they known each other to be on a first name basis? This is just total recklessness! He’s bullying tendencies just –.”
A loud sound of a gunshot interrupted Dara’s rant. Her eyes widened as she turned to where the sound came from. It came from the place where the cave was, where Jiyong was.
“JIYONG!” she shrieked, her body already moving towards where the sound came from, not really minding if No Minwoo awaits her there.
- - - -
A/N:
Sorry if it's taking me time now to update. No worries, this story is almost at its end already, anyways.
Oh, to those asking for DL links for my stories, sorry, but I temporarily pulled them off because of some issues I've encountered with people reposting my stories, sorry. I'll post notice soon if there will be any updates.
This chapter is dedicated to:
lemonfresh - mian, it took me up til Monday to post this up.
pammie - happy now tadpole?
princesscc01 - prinsesita smelly! mwahehehehe..
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