“Let’s talk, Dara.”

“Unnie, I kind of not want to talk right now.” Dara turned around to her mother once more as she fought back the mixed feeling of betrayal and devastation.

“But don’t I have a benefit of a doubt, Dara? I know you believe what you see, and I know me wanting to make an excuse is pathetic, but I just don’t want to lose you.”

Dara wavered, she did ran out without listening to Ah Young after all.

“Nevermind, I know you don’t want to see me, I’ll just leave now.”

Ah Young turned away hesitantly when Dara called her back, Ah Young turned around with a hopeful look.

“We can talk.”

She smiled. “We should go outside, though, not to disturbed auntie.” Ah Young signaled to the motionless Mrs. Park and Dara nodded. The girls headed outside and settled on a bench. While Ah Young excused herself for a while, Dara tried to settle her emotions.

“It’s true that I didn’t give unnie a chance to explain, I was too scared to hear her answer.” Dara sighed and draw circles on the floor with her foot when she felt something hot pressed against her cheek.

“Have some hot coffee, you probably didn’t eat anything again did you?”

Dara felt another guilt arrow shot through her heart, the unnie who knows her so well that she brought back her favorite latte from the vending machine couldn’t possibly have been her enemy. Still, Dara sat with her back slightly to Ah Young.

“What do you have to say, unnie?”

Ah Young sipped on her orange juice and her lips. “Look, I know what you’re thinking, that I might be the one who killed your father years ago.”

“How would you know?” Dara asked with suspicion.

“Dara, you told me the stories once or twice a week, I can recite it to you word from word.”

Dara chuckled a little and felt ashamed for having let her guard down.

“And I just want to tell you, I’m really not.”

“Then why do you have the dragon tattoo on your shoulder?”

“That’s the part I wanted to confess. Honestly,” at this, Ah Young held the can of juice in her hands and slowly spins it, “I love Jiyong Dara.”

Dara felt her heart sank, Ah Young unnie loves Jiyong?

“But you barely know him! And what does that have to do with your tattoo?” Dara couldn’t bring herself to face Ah Young, afraid she might break down in anger.

“I do know him, even before I met you. We grew up together, so naturally I would know he has a tattoo on him, and I decided to get the same one so we can be a couple.” Ah Young voice grew soft.

“But I don’t remember you ever having it.”

“Of course you don’t, because I cover it up. When I picked you up, you were so broken and scared that I wanted to take care of you. I decided to hide my tattoo because you would get scare of it and would never have open your heart up to me. I didn’t want you to stubbornly go live on the streets.”

Dara admitted that it was true. If she had saw the tattoo, she would never accept Ah Young’s help under any circumstances.

“But I stopped when I moved away, and I didn’t bother hiding it anymore when I met Jiyong again.”

Dara took a peek behind her and saw Ah Young’s girlish expression, an expression shown when you’re thinking about someone important to you, an expression Dara often had around Jiyong. She felt so guilty for doubting Ah Young, even if it’s just a short while.

“I’m sorry, unnie, I didn’t know, I really didn’t. I shouldn’t have run out on you like that.”

Ah Young back-hugged Dara and rest her chin on Dara’s shoulder. “That’s ok, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my head straight either. Forgive me?”

“Do you even have to ask?” Dara smiled genuinely and responded to the typical question with a typical answer.

“No, no I don’t.”

Dara felt a ton worth of brick had just been lifted from her shoulder. She thought she couldn’t be happier when she heard a shrieking laugh, and it came from Ah Young.

“Still so naive, I see, poor baby.” Ah Young cooed and Dara tried to get away from her when she discovered the knife that was held to . She didn’t even noticed that blood was already flowing out from the tiny scratch that was made when she struggled, she couldn’t even noticed.

“Oh Dara, you can’t survive in society like that, you’ll get robbed or scammed.” Ah Young said between giggles.

“Unnie? This is not funny, unnie.”

“Hahaha, Dara, you’re so innocent, like a new doll. And you don’t know how much I want to break you.” Ah Young leaned closer and whispered in Dara’s ear in a voice that could only be described as pure evil. “I am the one who killed your parents, I mean, auntie is never going to wake up anyway.”

Dara grimaced in disgust. How could she have not seen this person's true face all these years?

“I was a bit of a tomboy back then, but I don’t have time to tell you the story. Why don’t you go ask your precious little boyfriend about me? I’m sure he’ll tell you everything.”

Ah Young Dara to the floor and dashed to the closest window. “Ciao, Dara, let’s see each other again soon.” With that, she jumped out the window. Dara gasped and ran to look out side, this was the third floor for god’s sake. But Ah Young was nowhere in the street below.

Dara sank to the floor and heard her name being called.

“Dara!” Jiyong rushed to her side and took a deep breath when he saw the wound on her neck. “I’m so sorry, Dara, I was late.”

Dara shook her head. “No, I’m sorry, about my attitude, I shouldn’t have doubted you.”

He supported her to the chair. “Hey, could you tell me about Ah Young?”

Jiyong squatted on the floor and caressed her cheek. “Yeah, but first, let’s get your wound treated.”

-----

Meanwhile, Ah Young sat on the roof with her legs dangling over the streets.

“Where will he start the story I wonder? The story of the oldest child of the Kwon family?”

Ah Young rested the knife she was playing around with on her lips tasted the blood pours from the cut.