FIRST :
Author's note about the story! EXPLANATIONS!

remember the Prologue Clip ?

(To make it less confusing Jiyong is in this video with his new face even in the scenes when he should have the old face. It's like a hint, because later in the video the guys change places!!!)

Check 0:08 - 0:16: Jiyong realizes that Dara is so much happier with Seung Hyun 

0:16 - 0:29: But he still loves Dara SO MUCH T___T  (love = the spell) he decides to let her and Hand Sung be together but he breaks up with her. She is heartbroken and Jiyong just can't stand seeing her like that. (he still loves her but at this point the love becomes his curse and turns him into a fool. Fool because he starts doing stupid things)

0:29 - 0:48 The stupid things: he is trying to force Seung Hyun to get back together with Dara. He decides that prince is the one who gets the fairy not the fool. Then love, just kills him. (he decides to save Bom alone = to die)

0:48 - 1:18: A bunch of questions, time passes, the story goes on and then Jiyong comes back to Dara's life. The important fact is that actually now, Jiyong and Seung Hyun have changed places! So Lee Hong Ki is Jiyong, at the beginning he was Seung Hyun.

1:18 - 1: 36: "Let me rewrite your life" he has this intention to finally make her happy. he is still the fool, trying to get her and Seung Hyun together. but now he is not a teenage boy any more, he is calmer and cooler and many things have changed. He thinks he doesn't love her anymore. he thinks after making her happy he can just disappear. he thinks it would be useless for her to try to figure him out, he acts clueless and stupid. he thinks it's waste of time for her to believe what he says so he keeps saying stupid things and just flirting with her mindlessly.

1:36- 1:43 but he wants her to trust him in one thing, that "fairy tales are real". He has changed, from a boy who never believed in the beauty of fairy tales into a man who wants to believe into them blindly, who wants to make sure to write one, to make his fairy happy with the prince. Because she is his fairy tale, she has proven to him (by simply existing) that fairy tales can be true, now he knows the meaning of them. Because now, that he had "died" once, he finally found out the meaning of true love. And he thought he would be able to face the heartbreaking reality, to see her with another man and be happy for her.

!:43 - the end: So a a jump back in time, Jiyong is about to rescue Bom and "die" but he realizes that he cares for Dara so much... he has never told her he doesn't care about her, though he never said he does. So, he bitterly thinks she somehow has decided in her heart that he doesn't even care (later she thinks so) but the thing is, he never tells her that he doesn't love her. Then at the very end "there is no what if because Cinderella did lose her shoe" It's a hint that even when Jiyong "dies" that is not the end. The pre story is over and the big question is laid out. "But what if the little Mermaid never died?" Well, you have to read the story to find out^^

It has probably been too long and many must have forgotten. But one of the most important themes in this story has been The Little Mermaid. That question "What if the little Mermaid never died" was mentioned in the very first chapter and has been asked throughout the story. I think in the last chapter one one before that the answer was finally given.

Simply, if she never died we wouldn't have learned what the meaning of true love is. It is to die rather than see your loved one dying. It is to love someone so much you could even sacrifice your own life and give up your biggest dream (even if you don't get anything in return). Love is even bigger than your own selfish desires and needs, pure love is so untainted and precious you will never be able to stain it with sins. You will be ready to give away everything important to yourself, even your life. Just to see your loved one happy.

Since she choose to kill herself instead of killing the prince and the woman he loved she was granted an eternal soul. She choose to love instead of hating and she was rewarded for that. In the original story the prince never fell in love with her yet she choose to love him until her own bitter end, love can be helpless, unrequited, frustrating and painful. And no matter if you even give your everything, you might never be loved back. But true love, if you are willing to protect it, it will reward you. 

In the original Mermaid story the mermaid saved the prince but he thought it was another woman who had saved, he fell in love with that woman but the little mermaid fell in love with him. She gave up her voice, something she treasured the most, just to get a pair of legs (the condition was that it would hurt her to walk as if she was walking on the shards of glass at all times). She spends years with prince but in the end he meets that other woman again and ends up marrying her. The mermaid has two choices, either kill the prince and the woman and get an eternal soul or jump into the water and become the foam of the sea (in other words die herself). But her she was spared because of her selfless choice and granted the eternal soul anyway. In the end of the story the prince is looking for her but can't find and he is really sad (maybe regrets his choice?).

So in Just a Big Fat lie, after changing places with Seung Hyun, Jiyong finally understood the reality. Even though he had been the one by Dara's side all this time she still preferred Seung Hyun because Seung Hyun didn't hurt her, he was nicer to her. She never realized the brothers had changed places but she was happier with Seung Hyun around. Jiyong saw it immediately and he was angry at himself because he couldn't love her freely (as if he didn't have voice to speak up his feelings), the whole relationship had been like walking on shards of glass for him.

This was mentioned really long ago, but Jiyong got into the surgery in the first place because he rescued Bom and got hurt really badly, he barely survived. His face got, to say it bluntly, '.ed up' and it was Bom's mother who decided to give him Tae Hoo's face. So she got rid of Tae Hoo, masking it as an accident and fooled Sil Jang by 'producing' someone who looked exactly like his beloved son. Like this it was easy for her to send Jiyong to her enemy's side, a personal spy she could trust. Also because she had saved Jiyong's life he was obliged to be loyal to her. Only, no one knew that brothers had changed places so... this is where everything becomes a mess LOL

Before the accident Jiyong was like the little mermaid. He couldn't speak out about his love, pain, and the whole truth of his miserable life. And though Dara said she loved him, she might have  just been holding onto some old forgotten feelings, or trying to desperately convince herself that it was love. Or maybe she just didn't meet anyone else she preferred (just like the prince in the story who preferred to hang out with the little mermaid just because there was no one else, her or that other woman). 

In the end Jiyong saw that she really liked someone else, not him who had been by her side for so many years. Then he happened to be the one who finally found Bom, totally by accident, and he had the choice of calling Seung Hyun to come and rescue her or just do it himself. But in the end he dropped the call and decided to do it all by himself, he knew it was impossible to survive alone and didn't want to send Seung Hyun to death. Especially after seeing how much the woman, he loved so, fancied Seung Hyun. Instead killing 'the prince' he choose to sacrifice his own life. Also, he was sure that he would kill Dara emotionally if he continued to torture her any longer. Also, in the little mermaid story she is looking for an eternal soul, Jiyong is looking for salvation, freedom, answers and a way out of his mental problems. 

But. What would happen if the little mermaid never died?

He finally found out what is the meaning of the real love by 'dying' once. It's as if he was reborn into another life without any link to his past except Seung Hyun, and even that link he tried to cut so desperately. My own opinion about the little mermaid is that the prince actually regretted not choosing the little mermaid, her death was a lesson to him too. And Just a Big Fat Lie is another chance. What happens in the end, that's still to be written so I will continue this note after finishing up the whole story (it was actually finished =P a few days ago). There will be another chapter to Part 1, then a few short chapters in part 2 and the end.

So after the story totally ends, you will find out what happens if the little mermaid never died. Not necessarily a happy ending but who knows? kkkkk

“One should never be ashamed to cry. Tears are rain on the dust of earth.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Long long ago

Dark and mysterious, the night was cold and the window was left wide open letting fresh chilliness replace warm but stuffy air in the room. Slight wind sent the creamy colored curtains fluttering once in a while and like that the silence was interrupted by busy rustling of rough fabric. Her bed was situated just under the window and despite all the coldness Dara kicked the comforter off herself, feeling stuffy and nauseous. She changed her position and buried her teary face into the pillow, sniffling quietly. 

That night their parents were staying at the relatives, leaving her and Jiyong home alone. Of course, they had taken the advantage of the privacy and had , they wouldn't be a rebellious teenage couple if they hadn't done so. But Dara was not really happy about it. She felt betrayed and lonely because once again Jiyong had abruptly left after the passionate moment was over, he always did that. She craved for his warmth and tender touch she never got. “He is just shy” she tried to convince herself even though the truth was obvious and she knew it. But her heart refused to admit anything. "He must be too shy. That's all."  

Truth to be told and not because Dara didn't know about it but just because she didn't want to say it out loud, she couldn't. All he wanted was to just use her like this and she let him because... Well... because she loved him? Or because she thought she could change him? Or because she pitied him? Or because she also enjoyed it? Or because, after all, she was sure he loved her too? Or because she though he might change his ways? “Because he is just too shy.” Slowly she drifted into a restless sleep, shivering from cold and hugging herself, dreaming of being hugged by him. But in her dream everything was different, it was warm and she was happy. Like the match girl. She was just waiting for the matches to end and then... everything would be over. All the suffering and pain and sadness, everything would go away. She suddenly missed her grandma and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Grandmother!" cried the little one. "Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree!" And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping her grandmother near her."

- The Little Match Girl

Asleep, Dara didn't know that the mattress sunk lower under the weight of another person. A person who's cold thumb wiped that tear away, a person who covered her with the comforter letting her feel warmth again, a person who silently cried by her side not knowing what he was doing either. It definitely wasn't because he was too shy. Jiyong lied beside Dara and hugged her whispering never ending I'm sorry into her deaf ears. 

She suddenly stirred in her sleep and gave him a fright by slightly opening her eyes. He held in his breathe thinking this was it, that he had gotten caught but she just smiled goofily and closed her eyes again. “Jiyong” she mumbled into his chest, her arm snaking over his stomach. He felt heavenly bliss spread all over when she held him like that, he wanted to shake her awake to tell her that she was pretty and that he loved her but his body had become like a stone and he couldn't move an inch.

“It's just a dream” he whispered.

“I like this dream” she giggled. “I wish I never wake up.”

“Me too” was his honest answer.

“Do you really like me?”

“Yeah” he chuckled freely and her hair. “A lot.”

“Then why are you nice to me only in a dream?” she inched closer to him.

“Because...” he sighed and sniffled. “Because I'm... bad.”

“But why?”

 It's because I like you, I don't want to be with you. It's a complicated emotion.  

-Finding Nemo

“Dara” Jiyong's voice wavered. “I am so sorry. I am so bad, I... I'm scared to love you because” He suddenly adjusted his body into a better position and hugged her tightly, burying his face into her hair. “Because... I wasn't supposed to be born” he muttered with trembling lips. “Why? Why is it so bad for me to exist? Why? I don't understand” His hands her hair clumsily while he whispered his pain away. “Tell me, why is it so bad?”

“But I am happy... to have you here now.”

“Dara..” He called out. “Dara.” Tell me you forgive me, tell me you will always love me, tell me you will never abandon me and I... I will be yours. “Dara...” She didn't answer and he assumed she was asleep. However, she was just pretending. “But I love you... but I hate you.. but... I'm so lost” he whispered hastily. “My dilemma, my sweet dilemma. Always and forever, lost” He closed his eyes, his moist cheek pressing against her hair and he listened to her steady breathing, his heart... fluttering in his chest, his heart as vulnerable and beautiful as a butterfly can be. It didn't take him long to fall asleep too. In her arms, he could always sleep so well with a rest assuring feeling calming him down, she would always be there when he wakes up. Always.

When sure Jiyong was asleep Dara carefully pulled away from him, as quietly and slowly as possible, holding in her hitched breathe.Meek pink spread over her cheeks as she watched his face sink onto the pillow. He looked exhausted, his cheeks were still moist an his skin red from crying. He must have cried before he came to her. Carefully she ran her fingers trough his hair and moved his bangs away from his forehead, wiping away his tears with the back of her palm.  

Dara sat like that for a long time, marveling over his relaxed sleeping face and his hair, knowing he loved that. Earlier he had trembled but now he was sleeping calmly, his lips slightly parted. He looked finally at ease. “Yeah, you should take a rest” she whispered. So it definitely wasn't because he was so shy. “Then what's bothering you?” She couldn't be serious for long because soon a satisfied giggle escaped her lips and she covered with the sleeve of her shirt, her white teeth soon sinking into it. “Tsh. He loves me...” Very much satisfied she lied across from Jiyong and leaned in to steal a kiss, he smiled at her in his sleep and his hand blindly fumbled for her. Once it had s around her waist he pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, mumbling something incoherent. And she... she closed her eyes leaning her forehead against his chest and inhaled his scent, knowing for sure that he loved her. For sure. All along, she had known and that made her forgive his every silly mistake. Because she knew for sure, he loved her.

 “A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”
 ― Charles Dickens

Jiyong took a seat across from drunk Dara. Her upped body was sprawled over the table and she was gripping on one of the soju bottles, the rest were lying around, empty. He sighed and looked at her, worry filling his heart. She was the last customer at the street stall where she would always drink when she was upset. But why always here?

“Who are you?” she slurred.

“No one.”

“But you are someone.”

“Can't you see?”

“Sorry mister, when I am drunk I can see only shadows.”

“Then I am a shadow.”

“Girimja sshi [Mr Shadow]” she uttered a laughter. “I like your voice.”

“So... why are you so drunk miss?”

“Haha” she moved, attempted to sit up but fell back on the table and buried her face into her arms. “Aisssh, I don't know anymore.”

“Hmmm, but why did you choose to get drunk here?” he asked curiously.

“Well...” she lifted up her head and squinted her eyes, trying to see better and for a second Jiyong was scared that she'd recognize him. But then again, he had different face now so it wouldn't even matter. “I come here only when I miss Jiyong.” she sighed and dropped her head back into her arms. "Here... he once got really angry at me because I got drunk without him and it was my first time too.” she giggled. Jiyong looked at her dully, how touching... she choose to tell such things about him to a stranger. Tsh... “And that's when I knew...” she whispered. “That he must love me a lot.” His body stiffened and a helpless look spread on his face, look of regret and unexpected surprise which soon was replaced by a goofy smile. He cleared his throat, asking with shaky voice: “Oh really?”

“And I loved him too.”

"Who is this Jiyong?"

Dara snorted. "It's hard to say, who or what... He might have been just an alien all I know" she chuckled. "Or maybe I imagined him all along. He is just a fool."

Jiyong tapped his fingers on the table "Why did you love him?"

"You sure have many questions" Dara pointed out, sounding suspicious.

"I'm a curious person."

"I loved him because..." she grew silent for a while, thinking what to say next. It turned out she actually didn't have any answers. "Why do people love anyway?"

"That's what I am asking you."

"But why do people love?"

"Why do people ask questions?"

"Tsh, of course because they want to know the answer."

"So, why did you love him?"

"But why do people lov..." Dara finally realized what he was getting at. "You... Haven't you ever loved anyone?"

"I'm not sure..." Jiyong sighed. "What is love anyway?"

"It's a nice feeling."

A chuckle escaped Jiyong's lips. "So, every nice feeling then must be love."

"No no no" Dara waved her hands in the air, finally able to sit up. She rubbed her face and blinked "You are very strange Girimja sshi" she slurred. "Why think about it so hard? Love is love and people love because they do. That's all."

"But why did you love this Jiyong?"

Dara raised up a finger. "Let me correct you, I love him, still do."

"Even after he hurt you so much?" Jiyong asked dumbfounded, by now his cheeks were bright red and his heart was pounding uncontrollably. How could she still be feeling the same after all these years and why did he suddenly feel so lightheaded and happy?

"How do you know?" Dara asked with drunken suspiciousness. "That he hurt me."

"Well, you wouldn't be drinking like this if he hadn't hurt you."

"Aish, you are giving me a headache, you confusing Girimja sshi" Dara whined. "He hurt me but I guess I have forgiven him."

"Just like that?"

Dara took a sip straight from a beer bottle and hit it against the table. "Just like this, officially, now, I forgive him. And you know why?" She announced and Jiyong waited for her to continue but she didn't.

"Why?"

"Because I love him" she smiled sheepishly. Obviously it was useless to talk with a drunk person about anything serious. Jiyong let out a frustrated groan, lowering his head in despair.

"Maybe I don't love him in the same way I used to but I will always love him in one way or another. And I know he loves me too."

"Just how do you know about that?" Jiyong raised a brow.

"In one way or another he still loves me and always will." Even though Dara kept slurring she sounded firm.

"It amuses me how sure you are about this all."

"Don't make fun of me Girimja sshi. That fool is a very pitiful person, I have no idea what was his problem, I never understood that but when he told me he loved me I knew it was the truth."

"He might have lied..."

"No" Dara hit the table with her fist, a frown appearing on her face. "He couldn't have, not about that."

"Ho-" Dara silenced Jiyong by raising up her hand.

"Eeep, I knew you'd ask and I have prepared an answer." She cleared . "I am actually a fairy and I put a spell on him, so he is unable to let go of his love for me" she whispered, leaning a bit forward."

Jiyong chuckled at her answer, probably she was right.

"But truthfully speaking, he always told me he loved me only when I wasn't listening or he though I wasn't listening. So it must mean he really loved me because... if he wanted to lie he would have just lied about it. I mean" Dara flashed a knowing smile. "If a guy confesses his love to a girl who is asleep, how can that be a lie?"

"I see, you have thought about this a lot..." Jiyong stared at her in disbelief. He was surprised she was talking about this with a smile on her face.

"I have thought about it too much perhaps" she chuckled. "I wonder if he will ever come back?"

"What if he he comes back and you won't be able to recognize him?"

"My heart will."

"Maybe I am Jiyong?" It was supposed to be just a silly joke but for some reason Jiyong's body grew rigid. What would be her answer? Dara didn't say anything, just squinted her eyes at him, she was silent until he couldn't take it anymore.

"What?" Jiyong whispered. She still remained silent. "What does your heart say?"

"Girimja sshi" Dara sighed, lowering her head. "I think I will throw up now."

Jiyong's eyes widened in surprise. "What now?"

Dara leaned to the side, feeling how everything she had consumed that evening was coming up , it was so bitter tears appeared in her eyes. Jiyong quickly stood up from his seat and ran to her side with tissues in his hand. He squatted next to her and grabbed her hand when she was about to wipe with her sleeve, instead he draped with a tissue.

"I guess my heart is not enough" Dara whispered and hiccuped. Jiyong thought she was cute and smiled. "I guess if he has changed too much I won't recognize him."

"Just love is never enough" Jiyong whispered, ruffling her hair. "Miss, you are too drunk. How about going home?"

"But I am curious to find out how long he will be able to pretend."

"Just wait and see."

"I will wait" Dara mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "And definitely see. And in the end I will find out it's him anyway."

"So persistent."

"Because no one loves me like he does, it's very special."

"How so?"

"It just is."

“The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” 
 ― Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

In the middle of a quiet street a man suddenly bumped into Dara's shoulder. He had come unexpectedly from the side and had been walking really fast, as if agitated by something, so she didn't have enough time to move out from his way. His shoulder bumped into her so hard she yelped, dropping the stack of papers she was holding.  

The man abruptly stopped and turned to look over his shoulder, he saw a woman crouch down to pick up scattered papers and he felt guilty for being so rude. Without a word he walked back and helped her to pick up the papers, he was quick with his moves for he was in a really bad mood at the moment. His face was serious and he was frowning, his pouty lips scrunched in an unsatisfied manner. She took a quick glimpse at his handsome face from under her cap but didn't have enough time to memorize it because he abruptly stood up and handed her the papers he had picked up. But because he wasn't looking he accidentally threw over her cap.

Dara tried to grab it before it fell over but missed and instead her hand grabbed onto her hair. The man turned to look at her once more his angry facial expression transforming into very stunned. She looked at him and he took a step back as if suddenly afraid of something. Dara flashed a quick smile, grabbed her cap from the ground and bowed before turning away from him.

“I'm sorry” she heard him mumble.

“It's okay, no problem” he heard her smile before she walked away.

Jiyong ran his hand trough his hair, what a crazy day this was. To bump into her on the street like this. How insane. Once more he looked at the direction she had walked to and smiled sarcastically at himself. Just now, didn't his heart skip a beat when their eyes had met? “It's okay, no problem?” Why did he suddenly feel at ease? Because he was stupid, a fool. Like she'd ever forgive him. And he had seen it, that ring on her ring finger. That damned ring. So it was true, she was getting married. Really. That damned... that... ring. He wanted to rip it off of her finger.

Dara thought the man had been really handsome just now. But he did seem kind of arrogant and rude, never mind. She already had someone she loved a lot. She smiled by herself, thinking she was acting silly today. Somehow that man had attracted her in some special way but she choose to ignore it all. He was no one, a stranger, she convinced herself. After all, what are the odds for you to bother remembering a random face in the crowd? Maybe sometimes, you should... But why did his sorry sound like... it had meant so much more than just a simple sorry?

Before you came into my life...

I missed you so bad.

"You, you are..." Bum Sang's eyes widened. "You must be..."

"What?" Seung Hyun flashed a conceited smile. "Say it."

Bum Sang's gaze shifted at me and he looked a little helpless for a while. "Dara, it's pretty confusing" he breathed out. "I am not sure if my brain can handle this."

"What?" I shrieked. "What the he.ll is going on?"

"I don't know either" Bum Sang whispered. "78 times 9 is 702. 702!"

I stared at him my eyes wide open. Did he really go crazy? Seung Hyun does have that kind of effect on people.

"Seriously, what are you mumbling about?"

"And that divided by two is 7 and 2" Seung Hyun suddenly spoke. "7 and 2" he confirmed.

"No it isn't" I raised a brow at him. "What the hell?"

"It is" A crafty smirk appeared on his beautiful lips.

"7 and 2."

Jiyong, those were our numbers, weren't they?

The numbers on the backs of our basketball shirts.

You and me.

While playing together, one on one,

78 times you lost to me and I lost only 9.

Two weeks passed like in a dream, like a gust of wind. I can't even tell what happened, everything remains a beautiful and colorful blur as if I had been on drugs. The power of love? I felt like a fool and it was wonderful, looking at the surrounding world trough pink glasses wasn't that bad because I was so happy I thought I'd die.  

Calling each other every hour just because we missed each others' voices, walking on the street hand in hand and exchanging kisses once in a while, leaning on each other in the movie theater and bus, our feet rubbing each others' legs under the table at a restaurant, ridin