Jiyong's POV

From the moment our eyes met, I know that she finally remembered what happened last night. Her eyes are having emotion this time. "Do you want to walk around?"

She stopped for a moment then inhale deeply as she nodded. No one talks even we reached the shoreline of the beach. We just walk in silence, the sea breeze is very soothing and I honestly like this silence between us because it's not the same silence she used to have. She probably getting her thoughts in order so I give her time. Few more minutes passed, we stopped at some point, sat down then just looked at the sea until she inhale deeply. "When my Mom died, plenty people went to the funeral..." When I glanced at her, she is just looking at the sea. "I suddenly don't know how to interact with people. I just stayed in the corner. No tears, I just felt..." She inhale deeply again. "nothing. Her death was so sudden that I don't know how to grieve properly, how to mourn. Few months after she died, Dad became too busy with his business. Maybe that was his way of coping mechanism for Mom's death. Then I met Woo. He was a new kid in the orphanage, he was already sick that time but he was persistent to pester me until I realized that we are friends already. Well, that's according to him." I just chuckled. "We grew up together that we became insperable to the point that I asked him to marry me." When I looked at her, her eyes are warm. I have expected it to be sad but it seems, it's a gaze of relief. "I've got rejected obviously, then that became main topic of some people for quite some time. I don't mind it anyway. Hae just always mention it to me before, he was being nuisance as usual, trying to get a reaction from me."

When she paused, I looked at her again. She is smiling a bit. "You were lucky that you have them around you."

She met my gaze, her eyes are sparkling then she looked back at the sea, still with that small smile. "I am." She inhale deeply again. "I am not good in dealing with people in general but those two were an exemption. They understand me somehow." Then another silence filled between us while looking at the sea. "I'm sorry." That made me look at her as it was unexpected but she still looking at the sea. "I know I've been a  to you..." When she finally looked at me, my chest pound hard. "I acted like that because I just don't want another Woo and Hae in my life." When I frowned, she inhale deeply once again. "Woo's death was very hard for me to accept. Until now, it still stings. With Hae, he will marry someone else in the future. Letting someone to enter my life is never a good thing for me. Everyone is leaving anyway." Then she got startled as I found myself tapping her head. As I stopped, I stared at her.

"I know you are scared, to the point you guarded yourself too much so you can protect yourself and that is okay. However, it is not okay if it's making you punish yourself for something that is not your fault in the first place." Then I tapped her head again. "When I was in college, one professor told us that people come into our lives for a reason, for a season or for a lifetime. There is a role for everyone we meet. Some will test us, some will use us, some will love us, and some will teach us. There are also people who will bring out the best in us which is why they are worth to be part of our lives no matter what."

She did not say anything after that. I just let her to process her thoughts then we stand up after minutes of silence. When we went back to our hotel room, she looked at me. "I'm going to meet the land owner tonight."

"Do you want me to go with you while talking to him?"

She shakes her head. "I have to do this by myself."

I chuckled. "Donghae will be happy to know this."

She just snorted. When the evening comes, we drove to the land owner's house. I just stayed in the car. To kill the time, I brought my sketchpad then draw whatever is in my mind at the moment until she entered the car. When I looked at her, she looks baffled. I was about to ask her but she gripped her hands over her lap.

"Hey, you okay?"

She looked at me. "He said yes."

My face brightens. "That's a good news!" Then I frowned. "But why you looked like he said no?"

"I just can't believe it that I was able to persuade him."

I chuckled as I grabbed her hands. "You did well, Dara." That seems to startle her. "What? You really did well." I started to massage her hands to soothe the tension there. "I wonder how you did it."

"I wonder too."

I laugh then start the car's engine. "Let's have a drink, you have to tell me everything."

I brought her to a local pub, to avoid many tourists. As she started to tell the story, I just looked at her in amusement. When she finished, she frowned at me. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I chuckled. "I just feel good."

"What do you mean?"

"You used to tell me things in shortest way possible so hearing you talk long like this, it's really nice."

She cleared . "Whatever."

I just chuckled again. When we started to drink, I only drink very moderately. Aside from that I'm going to drive, I discovered last night that she has low alcohol tolerance. As she started to drink her second glass, I subtly observe her while we talk random things. When she finishes the second glass, I almost laugh. She is now officially drunk. This will be another long night. After two more glasses, I stopped her from drinking. I laugh as she glared at me. "We have to go back to the hotel now."

She pout. "It's still early."

I checked the time. "Yeah, but I still need to drive. We will just buy at the convenience store then we continue this at the room."

She sigh. "Whatever." When she stands up, I chuckled as she really tried hard to compose herself. I grasped her hand. "What are you doing? I can walk by myself."

"I just want to hold your hand."

She snorted then murmured something that I did not hear properly. I asked her about it but she gestured to walk already. I just chuckled. While I drive, she open the window then she l