“KWON JIYONG!”

Dara?

Is it you?

Why do I hear your voice?

Am I dead too?

“Ya! Wake up! Get your lazy out of that bed of yours!”

Bed?

What?!

I slowly opened my eyes, afraid of what I might see. Dara was the first person I saw. She was beside my bed, her hands placed on her hips. You’re alive.

Instead of being in the hospital, I was back in my dorm room. I looked at Dara and she smiled at me. I saw again that sweet smile of hers. But then again, what was that all about—her breaking up with me, the accident that killed her? Were any of those real?

“Come on, lazy head. Get up,” she said as she reached out to me. With one swift motion, I pulled her into the bed with me. I hugged her tight, confused of what was happening. But despite the confusion, relief flooded me and I couldn’t any be happier.

You’re alive.

You’re actually alive.

I can feel Dara’s heart against mine and that was when I knew I wasn’t dreaming. She was there with me, breathing. Dara gave a little scream when I pulled her.

“Ya! What are you doing?” She stopped wriggling out of my hug and looked worried when she saw my face. “Jiyong…are you okay?”

My tears were flowing generously on my cheeks, but I didn’t bother to wipe them. It didn’t matter to me. It was a pretty small thing. The only thing that mattered to me at that time was her in my arms.

Dara reached out to wipe my tears, and said, “Don’t cry. If you do, I’ll start crying too.”

I laughed through my tears and she laughed back. I missed that dorky laugh she does, and I thought I lost it forever when she died. But now…

She propped herself up and said, “Go eat your breakfast now. It’s getting cold.” She headed towards the door, but before she could get out, she turned back. “And wear something warmer. Don’t tell me that it would still be my job to dress. I already woke you up.”

I looked at myself and realized that I was stripped down to my underwear. I smiled at her playfully and said, “You can dress me up you know, or do you prefer me looking like this?”

She blushed beet red and threw a pillow at me. “Fresh!” she screamed and she went out. I grinned momentarily, until I remember what bugged me. The dream I had was so believable, it was already close to reality.

What if that was reality?

And everything else was a dream?

I grabbed a shirt and a pair of pants on my closet. I suddenly stopped when I passed by the mirror.

January 24.

I remember going to Healing Camp and having our comeback concert. I looked at my reflection and my hairstyle was the same when we just came back from Japan. The ridiculous highlights were nowhere to be seen.

Did time just turned back…

…just so I could have another chance?

Jiyong just entered a whole new dimension of weird. I woke up real early to make him breakfast because I know that he was tired from the previous YG Concert. And now, he just looked at me like I wasn’t supposed to be here at the first place. It was like I came back from the dead the way he just looked at me.

I set up the table, and waited for him to come out. When Jiyong came out, he just asked me a weird question.

“What date is it?”

I looked at him strangely and said, “January 24.” He looked confused as he sat on the kitchen table.

That must be some serious jetlag.

He’s loony.

I sat across him and said, “Sorry if the eggs looked kind of runny. I—“

I stopped apologizing after I saw him wolf it down. I could be serving rocks now and he wouldn’t have noticed it. He just looked…happy and contented. I was happy, but that was so not like him. We fought a lot of times about my cooking skills and he would give me a snort or a snarl whenever he tasted my cooking. I always end up crying in my room.

And to top it off, Jiyong just asked me a question I never thought he’ll ask.

”Given my past attitude, would you break up with me?”

Break up with him?

Our relationship has been rocky the past few months. We always fought about senseless things. He was extremely moody at times, and he gets on my nerves. But that doesn’t mean I would break up with him. We may have hard times, but I definitely won’t give up on him.

He’s my life.

Before I could say anything, he spoke.

“Mianhe. Cheongmal mianhe. I know this was way overdue. I haven’t been a good boyfriend to you. I always push you away, take you for granted. I cancel our dates saying I’m busy. I was never the one who says sorry. So, I’m saying it now.”

My tears fell from my eyes. He was also crying as he continued.

“I wanted to thank you for staying by my side all these years. For being so patient with me, for being with me, for choosing me. For loving me.”

“I may have not said it as often as I should, but listen to me when I say this. I love you. I truly love you.”

I felt every word Jiyong said, and without any hesitation, I leaned in to kiss him.

Her lips on mine were heaven. No, it was beyond that. It reached the stars and the feeling was indescribable. Dara and I were both breathless after the kiss. She laughed and said, “You taste like eggs! And gaah! My cooking tastes terrible!”

I smiled at her.

“I don’t really care.”

This time, it was me who leaned in for a kiss. No words could describe how I felt thankful I was. Fate turned back time and has given me another chance. And this time, she’ll shed no tears because I’ll spend the chance I got doing everything right.