-Chapter Twenty-two-

Accepting

It’s funny how you met someone and he will make you laugh, he will give you hope and he will make you realize that there was so much more to life. And when you are with him you forget how empty you felt before.

Dara slowly entered the studio with a bowl of three sliced apple with her. She stared at him as he was finishing his seventh painting. He was just adding the last details in it. She then sat next to him as his focus were all drifted on the painting. ‘You’re really wonderful,’ she whispered staring at his painting. He smiled as he stopped painting turning his head to her. He then ate the slice of apple she was about to bring to .

He then pulled her and made her sit between his legs as he went back on painting. Dara stared at him. ‘Isn’t this difficult?’ she asked. ‘No it’s not,’ he answered with a smile as he kept on working with his details. Dara then shrugged as she brought a slice of apple on his lips which he ate quickly. ‘Thanks,’ he chuckled.

Time flies so fast that their second month together will soon end. She froze at the thought of it. She heaved a sigh pushing a piece of apple on . She wondered if it will be okay if he left. If she will be able to live again on her own. She felt like she would be lying if she says it will be okay for she knew he was all over this house. Like Seunghyun, he was all over this house.

‘Jiyong,’ she called out to him as Jiyong stopped to look at her. ‘What is it?’ he asked. She stared at him, she knew there were so much that she wanted to say but then it was as if it all faded away. She shook her head. ‘Nothing,’ she breathed out eating one slice of apple once more.

Then they were swallowed by silence as he kept on working with her sitting and looking as he tried finishing his works. She can feel his warm skin against her. She can clearly hear his breathing, his heart loudly thumping against his chest and in that instance she knew she will miss him.

Just thinking of him leaving she was missing him already and it made her want to beg him to never leave her side. ‘Jiyong,’ she called out to him once more as Jiyong stopped looking at her. She then stood up. ‘After you finish your painting,’ she breathed out looking at him. She then tried her best to smile at him. Her lips curved into both faint and forced smile.

Jiyong stared at her as he felt his heart being squeezed tightly by the relief and happiness clashing inside his chest. ‘Let’s go out,’ she said as she walked away leaving him staring in the air eyes widened as he felt oxygen left his body. He blinked several times before drifting his eyes on the door.

His lips soon curved into a smile as it broke into chuckles. He bit his lips as he buried his face on his palms suppressing his giddiness as it kept on leaking that he felt like he will soon combust and become a ball of fire of super happiness.

He then heaved a sigh as he tried to pull himself together only to fail and went back on giggling like a smitten idiot. ‘Yah!’ he exclaimed. ‘You have to finish your work!’ he said as he looked at the canvas in front of her and soon he smiled.

After finally able to finish his painting after minutes of talking to himself to just calm down he was finally standing in front of the mirror looking at himself. He was wearing a black coat and leather tight jeans and like always he was fashionable as ever but no matter what he does, he can’t seemed to get satisfied. And to think it was his nth time of changing. He raked his hair as he was soon drifting to panic. He wondered if everyone on their first date felt the same way. He felt like he was about to ride a wild rollercoaster that his insides were twisting out of anxiousness and he was even sweating even though the weather was damn cold.

He was so busy freaking out that he didn’t even noticed Dara leaning on the door frame of his room looking at him blinking as her lips soon curved into small smile. He looked adorable. ‘I think I need to change,’ he mumbled as he was about to open his cabinet to get new clothes when Dara finally broke her silence. ‘Why? You already look handsome,’ she said as he stared at her blinking.

His blood soon raised in his cheeks as he started to panic. Dara let out a chuckle as she walked towards him. He was burning red out of damn embarrassment. Dara shook her head lightly as she opened his cabinet grabbing something. He then turned to him as she gently made him wear his leather gloves. She looked at him and their eyes met. ‘There,’ she whispered. ‘We’re good to go,’ she said as she turned around and grabbed his hand as he just looked at their hands in disbelief before drifting his eyes as he stared at her as she was pulling him out of the room.

He smiled as he started walking beside her lacing his fingers with her. Dara stopped and looked at him for seconds. She then wrapped her scarf on her covering up to her nose as she pulled a cap on. Jiyong groaned. ‘Fine,’ he chuckled. ‘Let’s go,’ he said.

It was already three in the afternoon when they left their house and went into places. They first went to the town’s shopping district holding each other’s hand as they walked together. They both entered a café. As they sat down on their chosen table before taking their orders. They were having their usual conversation with Jiyong still full smiles and can’t seem to hold his giddiness. He then remembered something as he stood up and sat next to him as he pulled out his camera and soon he started taking pictures. Dara just shook her head at his habit but never voiced out any complaints regarding it as Jiyong just smiled at her.

Their orders soon arrived as they started eating. They were eating like usual when someone stopped in front of their table. ‘Well hello,’ Bom greeted smiling. Jiyong face fell. ‘Hi Bom,’ he greeted in monotone as Dara lifted her gaze meeting Bom’s eyes. ‘Hello,’ she greeted back as Bom took the empty seat in front of them making Jiyong glare at her as Bom ignored him as she called the waiter to order.

Ever since Dara returned teaching Bom has been giving her cold shoulder and she was not hiding her bitterness towards her which Dara took lightly understanding where it was all coming from. ‘Yah old hag!’ Jiyong called to0 her as Bom lazily looked at him as the waiter was placing her order right before her.

‘Can’t you see we are having our date here?’ he asked hissing in annoyance. ‘And so?’ she asked as Jiyong rolled his eyes. ‘Give it a rest Jiyong, it’s okay,’ Dara said as Jiyong pouted. ‘But!’ he whined like a child as Dara looked at him she then chuckled as she just drifted her attention back to her cake. Jiyong just smiled as Bom looked at the two. It was her first time seeing her smile after his death.

Bom had saw her before. She was one of the judges together with her fiancé for the contest she joined once. She will not deny it she really looked different before. She was happier before, she has a friendly aura and it was as if her life was perfect. And she witnessed how she was when she was with her fiancé. How they loved each other, how they looked like they were the only one in the world and it actually made her dream of finding her own perfect love just like her.

She let out a small hiss as she took a bit of her triple chocolate cake. ‘Choi Seunghyun, Kwon Jiyong,’ she mumbled. ‘Big names… Psh, painting genius magnet,’ she hissed as she lifted her gaze meeting the eyes of the two. Dara was frozen for seconds but then she just let out a sigh. She guessed she just accepted everything. She accepted the pain, the sins and everything in between. Maybe she really wanted to move on. She wanted to give herself a space. She wanted to find herself that she lost after dealing with everything.

Most of all she wanted to return everything to Jiyong. She wanted to give him a chance for he deserved his chance.

Jiyong glared at Bom as the lady just rolled her eyes. ‘Why are you really here huh?’ Jiyong asked gritting. ‘I’m here not for you moron,’ she fired back as Dara shook her head. Bom then sighed as she looked at Dara. She was really there to talk to her. She was really planning to do it tomorrow at school but then she saw them walking inside the café. She can’t even think how they could do such reckless thing. I