A/N: i planned on posting the update last AUG 23 to celebrate my first year in writing
but RL had other plans for me....thank you for not giving up on waiting on this story...
i'll try if i can post the next update faster than i did for this one....

LEAVE ME SOME LOVE (comments) and that might do the trick ..pwahahaha...

i don't usually post a song that i use as my bgm whenever i write my updates for TMK, 
it's just too hard to resist.... LMAO
 

DARA’S POV


Currently we’re heading back to the office. I am now riding shotgun beside Seunghyun oppa who is driving the car, taking Jiyong’s place earlier. Jiyong went the other way, fetched by one of the Kwon’s company cars. So apparently, he wasn’t kidding when he was teasing me and mentioned about having a meeting.


The ride is awfully quiet save for the hum of the air conditioner and the soothing music Seunghyun oppa has in the car playing. 


“Dara~ah” Oppa calls out, making me drag my eyes away from the scenes outside the car window and look at him.


“Oppa?” 


It still feels weird calling my boss ‘oppa’ during working hours. Two weeks after I started working, right after I finished taking notes for the meeting he had online with a client, he pointed it out to me that I’m the only person in the company who calls him Mr. Choi. I was of course surprised, not by realizing that I’m the sole worker addressing him formally as work ethic dictates, but by the fact that everyone is using his given name in a familiar way. Seunghyun oppa from that point on requested I call him ‘oppa’ because he feels it’s his father I’m calling. I begrudgingly agreed to do so, with my own condition. That I’d only do so during breaks, lunch or whenever we’re outside the company building. 


“Do you like Jiyong?” He throws me an out of the blue question.


Like? Jiyong? Those two words seem unfit to be together inside one sentence. Since I’m used to harboring such deep hatred for the man, my views about him had changed for a fraction after last weekend.


“I think I do.” I blurt out after taking careful consideration.


It seems that my answer is something unexpected, Oppa whips his head to look at me, the surprise in his eyes is clear. 


Not knowing how to respond to such a reaction, I nod my head instead. Seunghyun oppa is now staring at me like I suddenly sprouted a second head. Laughter builds up inside me and is about to spill out, but it only got lodged down in my throat, because Seunghyun oppa swerves the car to the side and steps on the pedal for the breaks, without warning. The seat belt saved me from having my face being squished against the windshield like a bug. 


My mouth opens, ready to give him a piece of my mind about the evil of reckless driving, but before I could spew out scolding words he beat me to it.


“You like Jiyong?” He repeats in an incredulous tone. “Dara-ah, he’s a wolf! He may seem tame and as fluffy as a sheep but he’s a wolf! He’d eat you alive!”


It took a few seconds of staring at Seunghyun oppa’s face, before it finally hits me. He misunderstood my answer of simply ‘liking’ Jiyong as ‘liking’ Jiyong, two absolute different things. I can’t help but laugh out loud.


“Oppa, I like Jiyong but not in the way you’re thinking” I told him between taking in gulps of air and laughing.


“But you said yes.”


Quelling the laughter that is still bubbling inside me, I composed myself before replying “I did say yes. I like him but not like like him. “


Seunghyun oppa looks more confused with my explanation than he did earlier. I gave myself a mental slap, now that I remember that he is a man and the way I reasoned out my answer is in a language only women could understand.


“I do like Jiyong but I don’t like him the way I like Won Bin oppa.”


I could almost see light bulb lighting on top of Seunghyun oppa’s head when it dawns to him how I feel towards Jiyong. It puzzles me though why he’d ask me such a question and more importantly, why it bothered him at the thought that I might’ve been feeling attracted to Jiyong, which I am certainly not.


“Dara-ah, you should’ve said that the first time” He exhales whatever breath he held inside him. “You had me worried there for a minute.”


“Jiyong and I are just friends. You don’t have to worry about us. I’ll admit that he looks good and any normal woman would fall for him.” I stare directly into Seunghyun oppa’s eyes “But I’m not. If, although it’s impossible, if I begin feeling something else other than friendship or remorse, I’ll immediately go see a doctor, and have myself be admitted to a psychiatric ward.”


Seunghyun oppa reaches over and turns the key to start the car. The car is once more moving and the quiet atmosphere is back. The car parks at the front of the building, before I could step down from it, oppa calls my attention again.


“You can always ask for my help, Dara-ah. Not only because you’re my girlfriend’s little sister, but I see you almost as my own little sister. Just tell me and I’d go beat up Ji’s hide if he hurts you in any way.”


I sense the sincerity in Seunghyun oppa’s words, and I am honestly touched by his concern. Among all the boyfriends Bom unnie had, Seunghyun oppa is the only one I feel comfortable to be around with like I do with Dong Wook oppa.


“I’d keep that tempting offer in mind, only because I want to see Jiyong's getting kicked.” Leaning to his side, I did something unconventional. I place a small kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”


His hand reaches upward and pats my head affectionately. Just as a brother would do to his sister.


“By the way, it’s your fault why I am late back from lunch Mr. Choi” I state before I went out of the car. My tone and demeanor back to being the efficient secretary. “I’ll see you upstairs, sir.”


I’ve already had my back him and taken one step forward, when I heard him let out a hearty guffaw. That brought a smile on my face.








-oOo-






The rest of the day went on smoothly as it had this morning. And my mood has not been brighter as it is today. I went home with the same aura of happiness enveloping me. 


“Dara-ah, are you aware how weird you’ve been acting?” Byul unnie states as she slices a portion of her fish.


My hand holding my glass of juice stops midair, “I’ve always been weird for you and Bom unnie’s taste.” 


“But today you’re like Mary Poppins on sugar!” Then a predatory smile appears on Byul unnie’s face “I think you’re in love with Jiyong.”


I’m thankful that I haven’t taken a drink of the juice yet, heck my lips have not even touched the rim of the glass. Otherwise, I would’ve sprayed it out. I bring my hand down and place the glass back on the table, no longer feeling thirsty. What is it about people thinking there’s something going on between Jiyong and I?


I am laughing again at the notion. 


“Unnie, you’re the second person to say that. And my answer to that is still the same. It’s impossible. I only like Won Bin oppa.”


Byul unnie is giving me her knowing look, the one that says she knows something that I don’t even if it is obvious. The same one she’s been shooting at me when we went to Lotte Park, weeks ago. I am glad though that she decides to let the topic drop and we continued on eating.







-oOo-






I flop unceremoniously on top of my bed, and lazily rolled until I reached the middle. 


“Hey there Tam Tam-ie, Danchoo-ah” I greet my plushies, resting on the pillows. I pluck Danchoo and stare into its crooked button eyes,


“, err I mean, Jiyong is only my friend. I don’t know why people keep on insisting I like him. That’s just absurd right, Danchoo-ah?” My eyes feel heavy “Me and Jiyong...? Psh…” Soon,I had fallen asleep. 






Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.


Stupid phone. I’m going to kill whoever’s calling at this ungodly hour.


My hand searches for my phone. But all I could grab is nothing but air. 


Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.


Eh? That’s not how my phone sounds when it’s ringing. And I definitely don’t have a bird for a pet.

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.


I open my right eye first. And close it. My left eye opens, and then drifts down. I open both eyes at the same time. Stare at the trees towering over me, and butterflies fluttering about, before I let them close once more.


Trees and butterflies in my room….Cool…


My eyes open and in an instant I am wide awake, and now sits upright. I scan the entire area ahead. I don’t need to use much of my brain to guess that I am currently inside a forest. 


To calm myself, I began to gulp some air and fan myself. I’m feeling flustered for some reason. That’s when I noticed my clothes. 


I am now wearing a top with baby collar, and puffed up sleeves, with ruffles at the edges. Over it, is a red and white plaid jumper but the bottom half is a ballooned skirt. And no wonder I feel hot! It’s the middle of summer and I have a cloak. A freaking red cloak!


I tugged at the cloak to remove it. It wouldn’t even budge. Wrestling for ten minutes made me feel more weary and my hands, tired from trying. I gave up and decided to walk instead. 


“I’ll just follow this path ahead. A walkway means people use it to get to one point to another, right? I’ll show that that I don’t always get lost.” 


And so I walk down the path. At the end, I see a pretty little cottage. It looks so homey and inviting. My pace picks up, I’m dying to have a drink of water and something to eat. 


I raise my hand at the door and knocks for a minute or two. I push the door open, and enter the house when no one replied. I didn’t see anyone when I stepped in. Noticing one of the doors to a room is ajar, I tiptoed carefully to it.


“Come in.” a gruff voice came from inside.


Hesitantly, I opened the door, and my eyes fell on the bed. Sitting upright, gazing at me is a wolf dressed as a grandmother. I felt my eyebrows raise a notch. I walk near the bed, until I’m standing next to it.


Really now? Little Red Riding Hood.


“What big eyes you have, granny.” I say to humor this weird dream I’m having.


“The better to see you with it my dear.”


Did the wolf’s eyebrows wiggled creepily at me?


“What big nose you have, granny.” I swat off the thought and continued indulging living out this fairy tale of a dream I am having.


“The better to smell you with, my dear.”


The wolf’s nose twitches as it sniffs the air. It then leers at me. 


Weird, the wolf should only smile, not leer. 


I feel my heart thumping inside my chest, almost wanting to burst out from my chest.


“What big teeth you have, granny.” I continued the dialogue.


The wolf paws encircle my wrists and pulls me down on the bed, and hovers on top of me. I saw the tip of its pink tongue its lips before making a smacking sound. Like magic, I ended up underneath the blankets with the wolf.


The lips look awfully familiar, and it doesn’t have the furs surrounding it seconds ago. All I can see now is a smooth expanse of skin, with light stubbles at the chin and around the moustache area. My eyes widened hearing a male voice.


“The better to eat you with, my dear” 


I am now gazing into the drowning brown eyes of Kwon Jiyong!


“Yah, Get off m---“ 


My scream is muffled by his lips, which later on turned to moans.








-oOo-





I bolt upright on my bed. My entire body is drenched in sweat and my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath. 


“Stupid nightmare.” I cuddled Danchoo against my chest. And as the fright of my dream ebbs away, I stand up from the bed and prepares for the day. Pushing all thoughts of Jiyong, and my dream to the very back of my mind.




 

Jiyong looks so BAMF with his newly shaven head

i had a thought of him being a being the wolf and Dara as Li'l Red Riding Hood

THOUGHTS and COMMENTS

are always welcome and appreciated

THANK YOU

as always for reading

much 

CHET