HIS POV

I have been avoiding Sandara Park since this morning. Every time I get out my room, I would first peek in from left to right to make sure she’s not at the hallway. This time though, I saw her reading something by the lockers. I quietly walked away, afraid that she might notice me.

“YA!” she called.

I knew that she was calling me but I didn’t turn around. ‘YA’ isn’t my name. But she calls me that.

“YA!” she called again.

I quickened my pace but she called me with ‘YA!’ repeatedly. I think she noticed that I sped up so I heard her running footsteps behind me. Without hesitation though, I took off in a sprint, laughing on the process. I looked back to her but I was surprised that she caught up easily. Impressive, eh? She’s as small as a little girl but she runs like a pro. I quickened my sprint and looked back again. Though I must say, I regretted doing that because when I turned, she just jumped into me. I think she was supposed to jump on my back to catch me but since I turned to face her, it looked like I welcomed her into my arms.

I was caught off guard that both of us fell to the ground with her on top of me. She blinked many times. I did too. Then she punched my chest so hard I thought my rib cage got broken. I grunted. She stood up and dusted her skirt.

“YA!” she called again. “WERE YOU RUNNING AWAY FROM ME?!”

I just stared at her, still lying on the ground.

“Help me up,” I said, holding out my hand.

She snorted and slapped my hand away. I held out my hand out again. She stared at it for a long time. I wasn’t expecting her to help me at all so I was about to drop my hand when she held my hand firmly and pulled me up.

Noticing that I was already fine, she immediately let go of my hand. “Did you read it already?”

Oops! I totally forgot. I was about to turn to run away again when she caught my wrist. She started marching towards the library with her grasp on my wrist getting tighter. She pushed me down a chair and went to pull a chair just across me. She stared at me with those usual glares and scowls she does.

“Read it,” she ordered.

“But I’m hungry,” I said, clutching my stomach dramatically.

She stared at me with those fierce eyes that I felt my whole body shiver. I think she noticed because I saw her smirk.

“Brrr,” I said, hugging myself. “It’s cold here.”

I picked up the book which was still in the plastic. She stared at me while I was opening the book and starting to read it. I can’t take it how she stares at me. I can feel the heavy weight of her stare. I tried my hardest to ignore her stares but I failed. My eyes suddenly flew to her. I was met with another glare, so I went back to reading.

I was already on the fifth chapter when the bell rang. I stood up immediately.

“Time to go to class!” I said, cheerfully.

She reached me from across the table and pulled me back to my seat.

“We’re going to skip class today,” she said.

“WHAT?!” I gasped. The librarian hushed me. “What?!” I repeated, in a softer voice.

“We’re not leaving this place until you finish that book.”

I stared at her. She was unbelievable. What’s with her, anyway? And what’s with me? I’m actually following her orders. I could just refuse and leave, right?

But, no. I stayed there. I sat back and continued reading.

I was already on the middle of the book when I stared up to her. She was laughing and giggling to herself while she was reading some pieces of paper.

“What’s that?” I asked.

She looked up. “Oh, these? They’re from…” she paused, as if weighing her options whether to tell me or not. “…Daddy-Long-Legs.”

“Daddy-Long-Legs?” I asked, disbelievingly. I set my eyes on the papers on her hands then back to the book, and then back to the papers, then to her. I nodded knowingly. “That’s why you wanted me to read this, right?”

Her face turned red. Then she creased her brows. “I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” I asked her, closing the book on my hand, but putting on a bookmark so I want lose the page I was reading.

She nodded, avoiding my eyes.

Unbelievingly, I found her cute.

“So, who’s this Daddy-Long-Legs?”

She looked up and thought for a while.

“I don’t know him.”

“You don’t?”

She shook her head. “He never shows himself. He sticks these papers on my locker but never meets me.”

I nodded. I reached out to her and snatched the papers from her hands. She protested but stopped midway.

“I’ll just read a few,” I said as I was reading. She turned silent. “This Daddy-Long-Legs is really doing a great job,” I said. “He never fails to make you smile.”

I looked up. She smiled shyly.

I scoffed. “You call this a joke? This is so lame.”

“What?”

“Whoa, this guy doesn’t have a sense of humor. His jokes are lame. How can you laugh at his jokes?”

She snatched the papers from me and scowled. She straightened some of the papers that got crumpled when she snatched them. I just observed her while my arms are across my chest.

“Am I not enough for you?” I asked.

She suddenly looked up and stopped what she was doing.

“Since Youngbae broke up with you a week ago, I have been staying beside you. You would push me away at times but when I’m not around, you seem to need me. Making you smile is such a hard thing to do. I haven’t been successful. But, this guy was able to make you smile, laugh even.”

“Why are you saying this?” she asked.

I picked up my book and read again. “I really don’t know. Maybe I’m jealous.”

I heard her gasp.

“He seems to be better than me. I haven’t met anyone who’s better than me on making people smile. That’s why I’m jealous. Perhaps I have to find this guy and ask him to teach me how to make you smile.”

She turned silent.

After a long while, I started to yawn out loud, making it obvious so I could get her attention. When I stared at her, she was fast asleep with her head leaning on her crossed arms. On her hands, she was clutching on the papers.

I stared at her peaceful face. She looks as if someone who didn’t just break up with her boyfriend. She looks carefree, without problems in her life. But when I stared closer, I can see a trace of tears that ran across the bridge of her nose. Another tear fell. I was about to wipe it off when her phone rang and she woke up with a start as if she expected the call.

She fished her phone out and answered it with urgency.

Her eyes widened with fear. She opened to talk but no words came out. I noticed her hand tremble, and not long after that, her whole body trembled. She dropped her hand but she stayed still.

“What’s the problem?” I asked.

But she already ran away.

I already had a feeling but I don’t want to think about it. I ran after her but because she was too fast, she disappeared right away. I went towards my motorbike and sped off. I was right when I went to the nearest bus station. She was already crying while waiting for the bus. I called her. She saw me and she never hesitated to run towards me and get on behind me. She secured herself and held on tightly to my waist.

“To the hospital,” she said with urgency in her voice.

“I’m sorry,” the doctor said.

Dara just stood there with her tear-stricken face, staring at her father’s lifeless body. It took her a long time to register what really happened.

“He was the one who gave up, Miss Park,” the doctor said again.

But Dara didn’t budge.

I started to be concern. I reached out my hand. But as my hand touched her arm, she ran towards her father and hugged his body.

“WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LEAVE ME, DAD?! YOU TAUGHT ME NOT TO GIVE UP BUT YOU GAVE UP. HOW AM I GOING TO LIVE NOW? I DON’T HAVE ANYONE WITH ME…”

The doctor and the nurses started to tear up with the scene. I did too.

Dara suddenly faced the doctor. She started hitting his chest but I stopped her. She was struggling to get free but I was stronger.

“I TOLD YOU TO DO EVERYTHING TO SAVE MY FATHER! WHAT DID YOU DO?! YOU…” she stopped and broke down to her knees.

HER POV

It was a week since my father died. I have been absent for a week too.

When he died, I thought I will be alone while getting through it. But I was amazed how Jiyong stayed by my side. While I was paying my respects to Dad, he was beside me, paying respect to him too, even though he doesn’t really know him. I was amazed how he’s so persistent in staying with me when for how many times, because I was still grieving over Dad’s death, I keep on pushing him away. In the end, he won the case. He stayed.

Since Dad died, I became more depressed, more frustrated with life. I even thought of taking my own life to follow my parents but thanks to Jiyong, he stopped me. He taught me that I shall live my life, that I shall continue living, because though I’m the only left among my family, there are still people who expects her to live her life and are living their life knowing I’m alive. I didn’t understand him at all. But I waved it off. Nevertheless, I followed his advice. I’m going to continue living.

When I arrived at school, I headed to the locker. I wasn’t surprised to see a note.

                Condolences.

I silently thanked him.

“!” a voice said behind me.

Since I know I’m not a , I didn’t turn around. But what made me turn around are her next words.

“Youngbae broke up with you because you’re a ,” she said.

I turned around and gave her one of my stares. I didn’t recognize her. But maybe she’s one of those girls who envy me. Truth be told, this isn’t the first time girls confront me. But no one dared calling me . She must be the first.

Behind her, there were more girls and even guys.

“This is called karma, you know. You love playing with boys’ hearts and now you’re being played by karma,” she said.

This didn’t affect me. I knew that, of course.

“And what’s worse? Your father died. Do you notice, Dara? Everyone is leaving you now. Because of your y attitude. No one dares getting close to you. Except that stupid Jiyong. In no time, he’ll leave you too. He’ll wake up from his senses.”

My fists clenched. How dare she mock me on my face? I’m still in my grieving state. Couldn’t they leave me alone now and confront me later when I recovered from my father’s death? And another thing, why is she calling Kwon Jiyong stupid? Does she know him? And while she’s talking like that, she’s the one being y. Not me. I don’t have a y attitude… well, maybe, I did. But that was before.

I took a step forward towards her when an egg flew to my side, missing me just a few inches. I stared at the locker to which the egg hit. I stared back at her when another egg was thrown towards me, but again, missing me. I was about to really take a step towards her to slap or pull all of her hair out when everyone behind her took out the eggs they have been holding for a while now.

I didn’t have time to react. I was frozen on my place, so I closed my eyes and shielded my face with my arms. I finally heard eggs hitting something and breaking. I thought they missed me again. But that was impossible. It sounded as if there were too many eggs to miss me. I opened my eyes and was shocked to see someone in front of me. I looked up and saw Kwon Jiyong’s face tilted to the right so I could see the right side of his face. I can see that they didn’t stop throwing him eggs. They were laughing while doing that. I looked up to him again. His head was already covered with broken eggs. I expect that the front of his uniform is on the same condition too. He smiled at me.

“Are you alright?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

I was able to get a glimpse of his face. Eggs all over. I felt guilty. Why is he doing this? Suddenly, I felt an egg on my head.

“Yes! I finally hit her!” a girl said.

Jiyong faced them, angrily marching towards them. He was about to slap or hit or whatever he has on his mind when a whistle came from nowhere.

In the end, it was me and Jiyong who were punished to clean the place up. I was so frustrated with what the office decided. They saw through the girl’s wrongdoings when they saw Jiyong hit her. They said that what he did was graver. They didn’t listen to the rest of my words when I tried to explain what really happened.

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thanks for the support, readers and subscribers. i'm sorry i can't post on your walls to personally thank you. i'm too busy. please understand. :((