-Chapter Twenty-three-

Moving

There are so many things in this life of ours that we can’t understand, that we fi9nd absurd. Everything seemed to be a big puzzle to solve and it was as if everything moved in mysterious way. One moment you are happy then soon you’ll be sad but…

Jiyong was giggling giddily beside her as they were walking their way to the faculty room. Dara stopped on her track as she looked at him. Jiyong faked a cough as he stood straight but in seconds broke into another giggling spree. Dara stared at him. Jiyong pouted. ‘I can’t help it okay!’ Jiyong burst in defense as Dara kept staring at him. ‘I have been dying to walk to our school corridor holding your hands,’ he said with a grin as Dara shook her head as they started walking once more with him chuckling and the eyes of everyone they passed by.

Jiyong pushed the door of the faculty room with every eye landing on them. Jiyong bowed down in greetings to everyone as they quickly went to her table. Dara then grabbed a box as she started placing her things inside the box with Jiyong helping her. ‘Are you sure about this?’ Jiyong asked once more. Dara continued placing her things inside the box. She sighed as she looked at him with a smile. She nodded. ‘I am Jiyong,’ she answered. ‘Plus I also wanted to take a break,’ she added continuing to put her things inside the box.

Jiyong let out a deep sigh. He then grabbed one of the photo frame as he stared at it. ‘He just finished painting here?’ he asked staring at the picture as Dara looked at him. She then nodded. ‘Yes, he just finished ‘Innocence’ that time,’ she answered as Jiyong stared at her. He smiled. ‘That’s his best work,’ he smiled as he gently placed the frame inside the box.

Dara looked at her as she laughed softly. ‘He said the same thing,’ she said. ‘Really?’ Jiyong chuckled as she looked at him and nod. ‘He did,’ she said. ‘He even said he will stop painting because he already did his best work,’ she added. ‘It was his last painting,’

Jiyong looked at her as he moved closer to her. ‘Sorry it must be hard for you to talk about him,’ he whispered. Dara looked at him as their eyes met. She thought it will be hard to but now thinking of it, it must be twice harder for him. ‘I thought it will be hard,’ she said. ‘I guess I wanted to talk about him for a long time,’

She was not lying that moment, nor trying to make herself feel better. She really thought that it will be hard to talk about him but then to her surprise it was not really difficult to talk about him. Maybe because she had been silent about him long enough. Maybe there were million of words that she wanted to say about him. She wanted to say that she missed him, she loved him and she was really sorry for his death. That she was still blaming herself for his death.

That she wanted to let go of everything that was left unsaid since the day of his death. 

Jiyong smiled as he pulled her kissing her forehead. ‘Thank you,’ Dara whispered. Jiyong looked at her. ‘For what?’ he asked. ‘For everything,’ Dara smiled as he chuckled. ‘No need,’ he added. Dara then held his hand. ‘No really, thank you,’ she whispered as she squeezed his hand. Jiyong leaned down as he locked his lips with hers as he started kissing her gently, deeply not caring if they were inside the faculty room if there are people looking at them, whispering about them.

It was between him and her and never about them anyway.

They pulled away from each other as Dara bit her lips tucking her hair behind her ears. Their eyes were still locked on each other with a grin on their still wet lips. ‘I have to go, besides you also have class right?’ she asked as Jiyong let out a groan. ‘I will miss working as your student assistant,’ he mumbled pouting. Dara looked at him. ‘Seriously?’ she asked. ‘Seriously,’ he smiled at her.

Jiyong then lifted her box as they walked their way to the door of the faculty. Dara stopped before they stepped out of the room. She faced her co workers who still had their eyes on them gaping. She then bowed down to them with Jiyong doing the same. ‘Thank you for taking care of me for five years, thank you for sharing so many things and moments with me. Thank you for making Seunghyun happy, for making me happy. Thank you for accepting me and Seunghyun. There are so many things to be thankful about. I’m sorry if I have to leave all my works for you all. I am not asking all of you to understand me but please do try,’

She then stood up as she gave her final glance at her co workers. Sohee pushed herself to stand up with tears on her eyes she then wrapped her arms around her giving her a tight warm hug. ‘Welcome back Dara,’ she mumbled in between her sobs. She then pushed herself away from her to look at her. ‘Welcome back! I missed you!’ she said both crying and smiling as Dara broke into a smile. ‘I guess I’m back Sohee,’ she answered as the lady nodded pulling her into another tight embrace.

Everyone soon stood up clapping their hands and giving her their farewell embrace telling not goodbye but endless welcome back for their friend who died with her fiancé and was again revived.

Dara and Jiyong were walking their way to the school parking lot where the school director was waiting as he offered taking Dara home. ‘You still have classes right?’ Dara asked him as they were walking. Jiyong nodded. ‘Well missing some classes will not decrease my awesomeness,’ he laughed as Dara rolled her eyes. She then grabbed the box from his hands as he stared at her blinking. ‘How about I send you to class for a change,’ she smiled as he looked at her in disbelief.

‘Are you really going to do that?’ he asked with lips slowly curving into a smile. She nodded. ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Besides we will see each other after you finish your class right?’ she asked as he nodded. ‘Well if you insist,’ he said chuckling as they quickly walked their way to his classroom with him snatching the box from her hold.

‘So see yah later?’ Dara asked as they stopped in front of his classroom with his classmates staring at them. He nodded. ‘Later,’ he whispered as he moved closer to her kissing her on her forehead. ‘Yup later,’ Dara whispered as he brushed his lips on hers and slowly he kissed her. He pulled away from her chuckling. ‘Sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘It’s just that it felt like I have been waiting all my life to kiss you in front of everyone,’ he said in embarrassment as he was rubbing his nape with his cheeks blushing deeply.

Dara looked at him before smiling. ‘I didn’t know teenagers now a days are really into PDAs,’ she said as Jiyong coughed hard staring at her. ‘Aishh,’ he hissed. ‘Just go home and take a rest and wait for me,’ he said out of extreme shyness. Dara shook her head lightly. ‘Bye,’ she said as she turned from him and started walking. Jiyong just stared at her as she was slowly walking away from her and just by staring at her walk away he missed her already. It was as if he wanted to run and locked her in his arms and never ever let her go. If only he could he would.

And if only he could he would even forgot about the air for he will breathed her instead and filled his lungs with her. He loved her so much.

He then chuckled shaking his head as he entered their classroom with his classmates still staring at him like they were actually counting his breath or checking if it was really him. He then snapped his head to them as they all flinched and pretended as if they were not looking at him. He rolled his eyes. ‘Sorry for thinking that your girlfriend is imaginary,’ Daesung mumbled as he took his seat. He just grinned at her. ‘I told you she’s the most beautiful woman in the world,’ he said in arrogance and soon they broke into loud laugh.

Dara settled herself on the passenger seat after placing her things on the back seat. Her father glanced at her before starting the engine. ‘Let’s drive you home sweetie,’ he said as he stepped on the gas and soon they sped off. Dara was silent for a moment as she was staring at the road. There was silence between them with the stereo on in a low volume. ‘Appa,’ she called still not taking her eyes off the windows as the old man just glanced at her. ‘Drive me to the airport,’ she said as she drifted her eyes on her with the old man’s eyes widened in shock for her sudden decision.

She let out a sigh. Maybe she was waiting for something like this to happen. Maybe she was running away not from the memories of Seunghyun, not from the guilt that still hang on her chest but from Jiyong’s love that was scaring her. She was running away from the too much responsibility in accepting his love. And maybe she was thinking that his love was the kind of love that she will never ever deserve.

She doesn’t deserve him nor his love.

‘Please I need to do this,’ she said holding his hand. The old man let out a sigh before forcing a nod to his daughter sudden decision.

It was a bright day as everyone in the Edelweiss Gallery were busy for the opening of their new painting section dedicated only for the young painting prodigy G-Dragon.

He was walking his way wearing his suit as the gallery’s new director was walking on his side reading him things that he ought to know. He removed his shades as he stared at the whole gallery it has been two years since he went to the gallery and the last time was for the school’s annual international exhibit but this time it was because the gallery asked him if they could open a section only for him since the international exhibit was a huge success putting his name almost everywhere in the art industry, internationally.

‘Jiyong!’ he heard someone called as he turned around only to see his friends walking their way to him with a smile on their face. Youngbae quickly patted him on the back. ‘Happy 21t birthday and congratulations dude!’ he said as everyone started congratulating and greeting him. He just smiled and thanked them as he excused himself when he was called by the school director who was there as the event organizer.

His friends just smile and shook their heads as they walk and looked at his paintings, how beautiful they were and how deep rooted they have become. ‘It has been what? 2 years perhaps,’ Bom said as they were staring at the painting. ‘2 years since Ms. Park left without any words,’ Hyunseung added as they all nodded. ‘When he locked himself away from