The Promise
TEACHING MR. KWON
DARA'S POV
Damn. HE is here.
I don't know how, but I think, I've acquired super sensitive hearing ever since that blasted Kwon Jiyong started his advocacy of making my life a living hell during my lunch time. I even freaking know how his footsteps sound!
I thought I've already escaped from his evil clutches, but apparently, I was wrong. He kept appearing at the halls once the clock struck twelve noon.
Every day I am so tempted to have the time stop before the witching hour, so I won't get to see him. It's a puzzle why he bothers too much to drop by just to annoy the hell out of me.
And it all boils down during that time, when I was in the store with Byul unnie and HE, yes HE, the jerk Kwon Jiyong, for some crazy reason I can’t fathom, came to my rescue. A rescue that wasn’t called for, when I didn’t need one. It was most probably a way to show off his date.
Ok. Honestly I don't know why I feel bothered seeing him with that....that Yoona!
It wasn't the first time I saw him go out with another girl. For the week that I worked under him, he has paraded his women in front of me, more than the number of times I modeled dresses for Byul unnie that day. I changed clothes more than my fingers and toes could count.
And here I am, getting worked up just thinking about them. I never thought I’d stoop this low.
Speaking of the devil, he’s here now as expected. Walking towards me, looking hot and wearing a stupid grin on his face. How I wanted to rub the grin off his face. My brows move to meet at the middle, automatically. If Bom unnie will see me doing this daily regimen, she’ll cause such a ruckus about me getting wrinkles, and then I’d just see myself covered in a goop.
I know he’s looking forward to tormenting the life out of me, as much as I look forward in the idea that there will be a Kwon Jiyong free day. A day where I will be spared from tolerating his presence, much less see him.
Ugh. I definitely hate you Kwon Jiyong.
Oh no. Someone’s coming. Great. We’ll have an innocent bystander as an audience. My eyes caught a bit of the visitor’s face, before the jerk came into my view again.
No. No. Please God don’t tell me I’m dreaming.
DUGUNDUGUNDUGUNDUGUNDUGUN
Wait. Is that my heart beating wildly?
I had to blink my eyes several times, almost fighting the urge to rub them to make sure I’m not hallucinating.
He’s here. He’s really here!
Looking like a mirage in desert, the man who appears before my eyes, approaching with a too memorable smile. I smile back.
My prince! My prince is back!
I felt myself rise from my seat, and as if my feet have a life of its own, I came running to him. I couldn’t see anyone else but him.
“Oppa!” Hurling myself towards my prince, who opened his arms to catch me.
Being in his arms again felt like heaven. I missed him. I really missed, my prince.
-oOo-
Jiyong stares in amazement as he watches how Dara had just thrown herself unabashed at his cousin. His eyes not missing the way Won Bin held Dara in a very gentle, familiar way. Nor the way, Dara nuzzles her head to his cousin’s neck, her eyes closed.
He feels a bit of pain in his chest area seeing them. But he decided to brush it off as the result of being ignored by his hyung and that he never likes the idea of being kept in the dark for such details.
Who would’ve thought that Little Miss and my cousin knows each other?
“Hyung!” He calls out once again, to get his attention.
Won Bin pulls away from the hug, but kept an arm to stay on her waist. Jiyong takes a glance, and when he raised his head, he sees Dara’s face having mixed emotions. Surprise and annoyance. Exactly mirroring how he feels at the moment.
“Jiyong” Won Bin smiles widely at Jiyong.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came back. And from the way you’re asking me now, it means you have not checked the e-mail I sent.”
“Oppa you know him?” Dara says to Won Bin.
“We’re cousins” Won Bin replies.
Dara looks back and forth between Won Bin and the jerk “Cousins?” And when it fully dawned on her what the word meant, her eyes almost fell out of their sockets and asks in a high pitched voice “You two are actually related to each other?”
“Our mom’s are siblings. So yes, I guess we are” Won Bin answers with a chuckle.
“Hyung’s really lucky to have me as a cousin” Jiyong says, his annoyance growing by the minute, hearing the disbelief in Dara’s voice. It pricked his ego “Aren’t you hyung?”
Won Bin playfully responds “Yes, I am fortunate to have you as my cousin”
Won Bin’s response made Jiyong smile smugly at Dara, in a way that seems to say
Boooyyyyaaaah!!!!!
Turning his attention to the silent Dara “I bet my little rabbit’s hungry now eh? I’m hungry myself, let’s go out for lunch.”
Dara almost melted to the floor when Won Bin smiled sweetly at her. Her heart skips a beat.
Aigoo… Can there be a man more perfect like my prince?
“Lunch?” She smiles back again, forgetting once more about Jiyong’s presence. She answers trying to make her voice be calm as much as possible “That would be lovely.”
Jiyong’s smile froze on his face hearing her response, but it was her sickly sweet smile that she’s giving his hyung that made him want to run towards the bathroom and empty out his stomach of its contents. He could almost imagine her eyes forming into heart shapes.
There was this sudden urgency he feels that he needs to save his hyung from the clutches of Little Miss !
“Hyung….” Jiyong starts, breaking the locked gazes of the two.
“Yes, Ji?”
“Eermm….” Jiyong doesn’t have any idea t all how to save his hyung. “Actually….I…uh” Sensing the puzzled look they’re throwing, as they wait for what he’s about to saym he quickly sends a prayer for an intervention.
His prayer was answered quickly. It came in the form of the door to leading to the CEO’s office, opening. Jiyong lets out a sigh of relief for the slight distraction it provided.
Think brain! Don’t fail me now…THIIIIIINNNNNKKKKKK!!!!
Out came Seunghyun, at first wearing a frown, expecting nonetheless to see Jiyong, by his door and torturing his girlfriend’s sister, who happens to be his very efficient secretary as well.
I really need to talk to Jiyong about his harassing Dara. Bom will kill me if she learns about her sister being bullied by my friend. The same person, who showed up on the date!
The frown slowly cleared from his face though, when his eyes lands on the third person loitering the halls.
“Hyung!” Seunghyun’s long stride brought him in four steps to their side.
Won Bin removes his hand from Dara’s waist and returned the enthusiastic greeting that Seunghyun gave him. Dara step aside a bit to give the two friends some space and time to make their greetings.
“When did you get back?” Seunghyung couldn’t keep the joy from being evident in his voice. Won Bin is almost like family to him just like Jiyong. He is the older brother that everyone looks up to.
“I arrived yesterday” Won Bin adds“Mr. CEO, can I borrow your secretary for lunch?”
“Dara-yah?” Seunghyun glances at Dara “You and hyung know each other?”
“We know each other from way back” Won Bin even winks at Dara, making the latter blush “I invited Dara-yah for lunch. So can I have her?”
If this is a dream then I don’t want to wake up!
Jiyong opens his mouth to raise another protest. But Seunghyun beats him to it.
“Why don’t we have lunch altogether?”
Grabbing the chance that Seunghyun provided, he adds “Yea, hyung why don’t we? It’s been a long time since we ate lunch.”
Seunghyun stares at Jiyong like he had just lost his mind. Dara also whips her gaze back at Jiyong before she looks pleadingly at Won Bin, trying to catch his eyes and send a telepathic message.
Oppa! Look at me! Please don’t say yes. Please, don’t!
However, all the odds were against her today. As a four letter word, seals her doomed faith yet again.
“Sure.”
She sees Jiyong gives a smug smile at her as she darts a wary look on him.
In Dara’s r mind she pictures Jiyong with horns, and a pointy tail, holding a trident and laughing maniacally, as he stares down at her poor, innocent soul.
Jiyong on the other hand, pictures his hyung tearful on his knees, looking up at him, as Dara tied up in a chair, wearing a witch’s costume, pointy hat, shaggy hair, a burlap sack like dress, boots, and she’s even wearing black make-up.
-oOo-
They’re now seated at a table inside a restaurant. Dara is almost not moving in her chair, trying her best not to bump against Jiyong who was sitting next to her, and Won Bin’s right across her.
Earlier, after Won Bin had pulled out the chair and Dara settles on it, Jiyong overtakes him and plops himself on the one next to hers, when Won Bin made a move that he intends to seat next to her.
She lets out a sigh, staring dreamily at Won Bin who is engaged in a conversation with Seunghyun.
My prince! I wouldn’t get tired staring at you
Her phone beeped, jolting her from her reverie.
She faces her side as she takes out her phone from her purse “Excuse me.”
Her head snaps up to take a look at Jiyong, who casually reached for the wine glass and took a sip, even engaging in the conversation with her oppa and Seunghyun.
“Jerk” She mutters under her breath.
“So, Dara-yah, you must have a long line of men following you?” Won Bin starts the conversation, for her join. She knows it was his way of not letting her feel left out.
The mood that Jiyong had spoiled returns in an instant. Smiling timidly at the question though “I don’t” Her face blushing as she adds.” No one’s courted me”
Won Bin didn’t say anything after hearing Dara’s response. He just smiled sweetly at her.
Jiyong says out “Men like their women to be alluring”
Dara knows he’s trying to pick a fight with her. She won’t give in easily to it. Not when a table separates her from her prince charming.
I’ll beat you in your own game, you devil!
“What makes you say that Jiyong-ssi?” She asks politely, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness.
“Women should act and look like women.” Giving her a quick glance over “Not because one is born biologically female, can be called a woman.”
Her temple throbs at what she hears. She also saw how he looked at her awhile ago, her face hurt as she fights to keep the smile on her face.
“That’s quite an asinine assumption don’t you think Jiyong-ssi?” An idea pops inside her head “But then again, I think I do agree with you, since not those born as male can also be considered a real man.”
“It’s not asinine. Because I know women well.”
Scoffing, Dara raises a challenge at Jiyong “I don’t think going out on dates with various women, even at the points when it was within the same period, makes one an expert on such things.” The grip she has on the knife tightens as she cuts the meat, imagining it was Jiyong she’s butchering, her knuckles turn white “I actually believe that men who are into polygamous relationships have low self esteem and have issues with their manliness.”
I won’t let you win, witch!
Jiyong stares pensively at Dara as she continues to murder the meat “Hmm…Funny, you should say that. Since I also have the same sentiments for a woman of limited experience, probably basing her knowledge about men on the movies she watched, self help and romantic books she read, which for me is all bull.”
“How can those books talk of bull, if they were made by educated people who have the credentials? The results were based on studies they conducted over a period of time. They’re the real experts. A player is just a pathetic, insecure male, superficially appeasing his whims.”
Sneering at Dara, who is about to take a bite on the meat “I’d rather listen to a player, than a grandmother saying things she barely knows of”
A fork clatters on a plate.
“I may be a but I’m not a grandmother you erted jerk!” Banging her palm against the table, she hovers over Jiyong.
The area of the restaurant all hushed. One would hear a pin drop at the silence that ensued. Dara felt all eyes were on her. It was only then that she realized that she’s been sparring words with the jerk, right in front of Won Bin!
Gaaaahhh! Please kill me now!
She could feel her entire being turn beet red “I’ll just go to the washroom. Excuse me.”
-oOo-
“My little rabbit’s really grownup” Won Bin begins to chuckle as he stares at Dara’s retreating back.
Jiyong does not like the amused expression he sees on his cousin.
"Why did you return all of a sudden?" Seunghyun inquires while taking a sip of the wine, changing the topic.
Won Bin replied with a smile on his face "Because I made a promise to myself. And I’m back to fulfill that one."
“Promise?” Jiyong suddenly becomes intrigued since his hyung is glancing over to the area where Dara disappeared to.
“Yes, it was let’s say, my motivation to succeed. I made that promise before I left to study abroad. And I think I came back exactly at the right time to make it come true.”
Jiyong meant to interrogate his cousin more about it, but he sensed him wanting to drop the conversation on it, when Dara reappeared.
-oOo-
During the drive back to Seunghyun’s company, Dara is awfully quiet. Still feeling distressed over the way she took the bait the jerk dangled right in front of her.
“Thank you” Dara mutters as they stand outside the car, averting her eyes. She couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in Won Bin’s eyes.
Won Bin ruffles her hair “You don’t have to worry about what happened over lunch. It was refreshing to see you debate with someone as stubborn as Jiyong. I’m impressed”
“You are?” Dara feels her burden has been lifted.
“I am. I miss you, little rabbit” Won Bin cups her upturned face gently
“I miss you too, oppa”
”Let’s see each other again ok?”
Dara is too happy to hear those words from Won Bin, she could only nod. She blushes again, when he pulls her close, and places a soft kiss on her forehead.
Not far from them Jiyong and Seunghyun stood and watches the two.
“Small world. Who would’ve thought that Dara and Won Bin knew each other?” Seunghyun says his eyes observing Jiyong instead.
“Yeah. Small world” Jiyong mumbles with a scowl.
-oOo-
Later that night Won Bin joins the boys in their usual hangout.
The conversations were more lively than normal. Young Bae and Daesung asking about his life abroad and the achievements he received, while Seungri inquires about the women. Earning laughs from the rest.
Seunghyun is observing the silent Jiyong, who kept staring at Won Bin. He noticed the younger guy acting weird, upon learning that Dara and Won Bin knows each other. He’s surprised himself, but there’s something really weird going on. Something he can’t point a finger at.
The exchange of words between jiyong and Dara, he witnessed earlier, confirms that the two knows each other prior to the date. That’s what he needs to find out.
Jiyong couldn't hold it any longer. His mind has been tormented with questions from the time they had lunch. He has been restless for the rest of the day. The conversation they had over lunch kept playing on his head.
"Hyung" Jiyong calls out.
"Ji?"
"What do you mean by what you said this afternoon? During lunch?"
A frown mars Won Bin's forehead as he tries to recall the earlier conversation. "You mean, the promise?"
"Yes" A muscle ticks in Jiyong's jaw as he say the words through gritted teeth "The promise"
"I promised myself that I'll wait for my cute little rabbit to grow up" Beaming widely, he adds "So I can make her mine."
aigoo.... it's been a month since i touched this monster
and i missed it...hope you do too...
now that it's back..care to shower it with love
so i'll have the strength for the next update? LOL
THOUGHTS and COMMENTS
are welcome and appreciated
THANK YOU
as always for reading
p/s
off to do the second update... (^_^)
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