-Chapter Eighteen-

Retaliation

Sometimes we do things because of love. We do it out of love. We do it because we thought it was love. We fail to see the bigger picture. We fail to see that what we are doing was not love anymore.

Dara was staring blankly in the air for as long as she could remember she then wiped off her tears as she pushed herself to stand up. She walked to the kitchen and then to the sink. She turned the faucet on and quickly splashed water on her face as she inhaled deeply. She then went to her room and wiped her face with the towel as she pulled decent clothes out of her cabinet.

After getting dressed she walked her way back to the studio as she saw him still working on the painting as he was shifting his body here and there, focus still on the canvas as he was his brush, giving details to what he was painting. Dara silently walked to him as she stared at what he was doing.

It was still not complete but then she could already see what he was painting and it left her in awe as she stared on how he applied each detail. She can’t help not to think how he was really detailed in his works which made it more fascinating. ‘You finally decided on the theme?’ she asked.

Jiyong stood straight as he turned around blinking at her. He drifted his eyes on the glass wall on his left only to see the sky slowly lighting up as the sun was rising up. Jiyong smiled as he walked close to her and landing a quick peck on her lips which made her stiff. ‘Well yeah,’ he grinned. ‘Good morning by the way,’ he added as he turned his back and went back to his painting.

‘What is it?’ she asked sitting on the floor staring at him. ‘You’ll soon see,’ he chuckled as she glared at him. ‘How am I going to guide you when you don’t want me to know the theme,’ she mumbled as he let out a chuckle. He then turned to her. He saw her there sitting mumbling things as she was crossing her arm over her chess. He soon placed down the brush he was holding together with the pain as he sat across her with a bright smile.

She levelled her gaze at him as she stared at his face with smudges of paint. He then leaned to her claiming her lips. Kissing her gently as their eyes fluttered closed. He chuckled as he pulled away from her. ‘Sweet,’ he mumbled landing one quick peck on her lips for the last time. ‘Red strings of fate,’ he said still sitting across her.

‘Why?’ she asked. Jiyong grabbed the book on his side and gave it to her. ‘Sorry I borrowed it without any permission,’ he chuckled. ‘I just found out how interesting the myth is,’ he breathed out staring at the glass wall on his side. The sky was starting to brighten up. He then looked at her as he laced his fingers on her hand that was pressing against the floor.

‘I just found out that we are connected by the red strings of fate,’ he smiled brightly at her as she blinked at him like he was slowly going insane. ‘How are you sure?’ she asked. ‘You sounded sure,’

‘Because I am sure,’ he chuckled. ‘The myth said that when people were born they were tied with the red strings of fate that stretches across time and space, it might get tangled but it will never ever break,’

Dara stared at him as he slowly brought her hands on his lips kissing it. He then made her palm open as he pressed his palm against it. His eyes met hers. ‘We are connected Dara,’ he whispered like it was the only truth in the world and everything else were lies. Dara wanted to say something as she opened only to pressed it on a thin line as she drown at his stares that was telling her million things. She stared at him heart pounding in her chest, breath put in halt as her palm were pressing flatly on his.

‘That’s the reason why even there were years between us, even if it was almost impossible, we are here sitting across each other. We are together,’ he said as he smiled at her with her keeping her silence.

Maybe he was right. Or what if he was right? What if they were really connected with each other, they were destined for one another. What if that would be the only explanation why they met, why they were together?

But then what if he was wrong? What if they were just being played by fate? What if they were not really connected?

She brushed every thoughts of her off. She knew the myth was never true anyways and if it was. The one she was connected with was already gone and will never comeback.

She knew that in the end of her own red string Seunghyun was the one there and not him.

Jiyong entered their room with a smile on his face as he dropped his things on his desk. He was greeted by his friends as usual aside by Bom who was sitting on her seat staring blankly in the window. He smiled as he pulled her pigtails. ‘Old hag!’ he called her as the lady just drifted her head on him.

If it happened before Jiyong must have been screaming for help as she was choking him with her both hands but right now she just stared at him barely blinking as he stared back at her in confusion. ‘You’re sick?’ he asked only for his words to be swallowed by her silence. ‘I’m not,’ she answered snapping her head as she stared at her desk. Jiyong shrugged glancing at their friends who just shrugged at him.

‘Hey old hag you left early at the ball why?’ he asked as Bom’s eyes widened by his question. ‘You left early too idiot,’ she managed to say as Jiyong blushed brushing his palm on his nape. ‘I just went somewhere but I came back but you already left,’ he answered shyly. ‘Wow, I didn’t know you were looking at me or noticing me,’ she said in sarcasm as Jiyong stared at her.

He then chuckled as he pulled something out of his pocket and gave it to her. ‘You seemed like you are having your monthly period,’ he chuckled as Bom became red and glared at him. Jiyong handed something to her. ‘I was supposed to give that on the ball but when I returned you’re gone already,’ he explained. ‘Belated happy birthday by the way,’ he smiled as he walked back to his seat as Bom stared at him.

Her heart was hammering painfully in her chest as she felt her tears swell in the corner of her eyes. No one in her friends and classmates greeted her on her birthday. No one knew, no one remembered. But then there he was he remembered it. The last person she thought will remember was the only one who remembered it.

She stared at what he handed her. It was a cellphone strap with a silver bear charm. Her lips curved into a bitter smile as she wiped her tears before it even fell. ‘Omo it’s your birthday last time?’ Minzy asked as she stared at her. She was silent for a moment before she was able to force a nod. ‘Yes,’ she answered with a smile as she soon broke into chuckles.

‘Sorry we didn’t know!!’ they apologized as they started greeting her happy birthday some were even promising her a treat. She just smiled and thank them all as she pushed herself to stand and walked to him who was sitting on the teachers table telling stories to some of their classmates. She then gave him a quick embrace. ‘Thank you,’ she smiled at him as Jiyong chuckled.

‘You’re welcome old hag,’ he answered grinning. ‘Look how lucky you are to have me as a friend,’ he then laughed arrogantly as she rolled her eyes. ‘He’s up in the  space again,’ she said shaking her head as they all laughed.

‘Today we will be going to the library for I want you to find a book that you will do a graphic novel version as this semester’s project for my subject,’ Sohee said earning different reactions from them and most were frustrated reaction making her roll her eyes. ‘You will be working in partners,’ she said as everyone started to  hype up asking each one for partners. ‘I will be the one to partner you,’ she said as everyone’s face and excitement fell on the drain.

She just grabbed her class record and started partnering everyone requiring them to seat next to their respective partners. ‘Bah how unlucky can I be?’ Jiyong whined burying his face on the desk like he was the most helpless guy in the world as Bom rolled her eyes crossing her arms over her chest. ‘Worst day ever,’ she mumbled as Jiyong glared at her. ‘Yah you should be thankful that I’m your partner you old ha