[Chapter 26: Together ]

A/N: Dong Wook is actually Se7en's real name haha! So yes, if you're the type who tends to visualize scenes in your head when reading stories (like me!), you can think of Se7en's face when reading :D

*** *** ***

He took her hand in his, and slowly led her up the long flight of steps that lined the winding slope. It was an old place, the stone steps covered by layers of unruly ivy and moss that had grown over the years.

Dara looked around curiously, feeling rather unsure about what was going on as she followed Jiyong’s lead. It was early Sunday morning, a morning which had started off with Jiyong waking her at an abnormally early time. She never was much of a morning person and really didn’t want to leave her warm bed at that kind of hour, but he had insisted that there was a place that he wanted to bring her to. That had gotten to her since Jiyong rarely asked for anything, and Dara wasn’t about to say no on the few occasions that he did so. But she was curious, of course, and her curiosity had been further piqued over the two hour long ride that had taken them away from the city and into the countryside.

“We’re here.”

Dara looked up upon hearing Jiyong’s voice, and found herself at a clearing. They had reached the top of the slope, and were standing amidst a small green field. Dara glanced at Jiyong and saw a faint smile on his face. She turned to look in the direction of his gaze, and gasped softly when her eyes caught sight of the white marble tombstone that stood just a short distance away from them.

Jiyong released her hand and slowly walked forward, his hands clutched around a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. He stood before the grave, head bent in a silent prayer, before carefully laying the bouquet by the side of the grave. He reached out, and gently caressed the photo of the young man that graced the front of the tombstone.

Dara remained standing where she was, still feeling a little lost as she watched Jiyong. She squinted, trying to catch a clearer view of the words engraved on the tombstone.

In loving memory of Kwon Dong Wook, 1986 – 2007.

Kwon Dong Wook? It seemed familiar, for some reason. Dara bit her lip as she tried to remember if Jiyong had ever mentioned the name. It was when she caught sight of the photo that it finally dawned on her. Her eyes widened, and a hand flew up to cover in surprise. Jiyong turned around to look at her just then, and beckoned for her to join him. Still in a state of surprise, Dara gingerly walked towards Jiyong till she came to a stop beside him.

“Hyung, this is Dara. She’s the one I’ve been telling you about, and I’ve finally brought her here to see you today.”

Jiyong then glanced back at Dara, smiling gently. “This is my hyung.”

Dara nodded in understanding. She had guessed as much the moment she saw that photo – the two brothers didn’t look exactly alike, yet there was something similar about them that had immediately caught her attention. Maybe it was the eyes; they had the same dark, alluring eyes.

She turned to the tombstone, and bowed respectfully at the picture of the young man.

“Hello Dong Wook oppa. I’m Dara, and I’m really glad that I’ve finally got the chance to meet you.”

Jiyong smiled as he watched her address his brother as though she was speaking to any other normal person, instead of a cold, lifeless tombstone. It had taken him days of pondering before deciding to bring her here, to be honest. He had been worried that she may shy away from the grave, or think of him as some freak for bringing her to a cemetery. But once again, she had proven his fears wrong. He turned his attention back to the tombstone, gazing longingly at the picture of his brother.

His brother was an important part of his life, and that was why he wanted to bring Dara here. He wanted her to be a part of it too. He had kept her waiting long enough, and now, he was ready to let her into the most sacred bits of his past.

“Thank you, Ji.”

Dara beamed as she nibbled on one of the small sandwiches that Jiyong had thoughtfully packed away in the picnic basket. They were seated near the edge of the slope, and were now munching away on their breakfast while admiring the view of the country houses below.

Jiyong glanced at her quizzically, eyebrow raised.

“For bringing me here. I know it’s a very special place for you…”

His face softened upon hearing her words, and he nodded slowly. He returned her smile, and playfully reached out to ruffle her hair. She yelped in annoyance, and started flinging her arms wildly to swat his hand away. Taking advantage of her distracted state, Jiyong slid an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, such that she was now seated in his embrace, her back pressed against his chest. Dara stopped struggling, her face instantly flushing as she realized how close they were. She lifted a hand and started fanning herself, willing the redness on her cheeks to fade. Seriously, she was never the type to get shy so easily, but somehow Jiyong just had that effect on her.

Jiyong chuckled, finding her adorable, and comfortably laid his head on her shoulder.

“It is. But I want to share it with you… and I wanted the two most important people in my life to get to know each other anyway.”

His words were a little muffled, but Dara heard them perfectly. Her heart swelled with joy when she realized that Jiyong had just referred to her as one of the most important people in his life. Eyes sparkling, she tapped him to get his attention. Jiyong raised his head and looked up, and found himself staring straight into those brown doe eyes that never failed to make his heart skip a beat.

Dara grinned, then swooped forward to plant a kiss on his lips. “You’re important to me too.”

A smile grew on Jiyong’s face as he heard her confession. He reached towards the back pocket of his jeans, and pulled something out.

“Actually, there’s another reason why I brought you here today…”

He opened his hands, and resting on his palm was that charm bracelet that he had bought for her back then. He unclasped it, then reached forward, gently securing it around Dara’s slim wrist. Dara’s eyes widened at the sight of it, and she immediately raised her eyes to stare at Jiyong, mouth agape. Her heart was pounding at the sight of the bracelet lying serenely on her arm – somehow, her instincts were telling her that this meant so much more than it seemed.

Jiyong inhaled deeply, his eyes flickering from side to side as he tried to think of what to say. Dara stifled a laugh at the sight. This was rare; she hasn’t ever seen Kwon Jiyong looking this unsure and uneasy before. He finally glanced up, his tongue nervously running across his bottom lip before he forced the awkward words out.

“You know I’m not like the other guys out there. I can’t bring you on dates the way most couples do, and we won’t be able to even date publicly because it won’t be safe for us if this gets to the organization. And I’m involved in all sorts of bad things…” Jiyong hesitated for a moment, his voice trailing off. He bit his lower lip and raised his eyes to meet Dara’s, and in those dark orbs , she saw nothing but sincerity.

“But things changed ever since you stepped into my life. For the first time ever, I have someone that I want to be with. Someone I want to protect. I know that I don’t have much to offer, and that the road ahead of us won’t be an easy one but…”

He took another deep breath of air, feeling an odd thumping in his chest.

“Will you please stay by my side and be my-“

“Yes.”

Jiyong blinked. He stared at Dara, whose face was currently bearing the biggest smile he had ever seen in all his twenty odd years. Her eyes shone with happiness as she nodded her head vigorously, her brown locks flopping around her as she did so. 

“Yes!” She repeated, before lunging towards him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He fell backwards onto the ground at the impact, bringing her along with him, but that didn’t stop her from planting small excited kisses all over his face.

She finally stopped, and grinned a little foolishly at him.

“I thought you’d never ask. I was intending to stick by you like a leech even if you didn’t, but still, it’s nice to know that the great Kwon Jiyong is officially mine now!”

Jiyong grinned, and ran a hand through her soft brown locks. “The great Kwon Jiyong huh? I never knew you thought that highly of me.”

“What, you mean you don’t know how popular you are in school? I can’t imagine how many hearts are gonna be broken if those fangirls of yours ever find out that we’re together.” Dara quipped playfully, her eyes twinking happily at the thought of it. “I know we have to keep things secret, but can I at least tell Bom and Chaerin please? I really want to show off.”

A loud chuckle sounded from Jiyong upon hearing her earnest plea. He nodded in agreement, and leaned forward to plant a little kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Of course you can.”

He held her gaze for a moment, allowing himself to soak in the warmth of those brown eyes; eyes that pulled him in, willing him to fall deeper. He reached forward and brought his lips to hers again, gently tasting the sweetness of her soft lips. Dara  closed her eyes, and molded against him as she responded to his kiss. She raised a hand and wrapped it around the back of Jiyong’s neck, pulling herself closer to him. A small gasp escaped from as Jiyong’s tongue gently ran along her bottom lip, sending tremors running through her body. He took the chance and slid his tongue into , tasting her as he deepened the kiss.

“Ji?”

Dara asked as she laid her head against his shoulder, snuggling closer towards him. It was past noon now, and the initially empty streets below had since become bustling with life. They had spent the past hour or so just resting on the green field, watching the world go by beneath them, quietly sharing their time together.

“Hmm?”

Jiyong nuzzled her hair as he drew her closer, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

“What happened to your brother?”

Dara felt him stiffen at the mention of his brother. She quickly reached for his hand and held it within her own small palms, gently caressing his fingers, willing him to relax. The initially guarded look in his eyes softened at her action, and he turned to give her a smile, wanting to reassure her that he was fine.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel like talking about it … I was just curious. Sorry.”

He shook his head, a lopsided smile forming on his face. “No, I want to. It’s about time I told you more about me… It’s a long story though. You sure you’re up for it?”

Dara nodded enthusiastically in response to his question. She flipped over, such that she was now comfortably lying on the ground, propped up on her elbows.

“I’m all set! You can start now.”

A soft chuckle sounded from Jiyong’s throat. He threw a glance at the white marble tombstone, and a familiar cloud of pain flashed in those dark eyes. He inhaled deeply, and nodded slightly to himself, almost as though he was trying to muster all the strength he had in him. He had never spoken about his brother all these years – there was just too much pain involved in bringing up all those memories that he had tried so hard to bury, and he had chosen silence as the easier way out. But a part of him wanted to share it all with Dara. She deserved at least that much, he thought.

“Our parents died when we were kids. Hyung and I, we had our pride and didn’t want to beg our relatives to take us in when they obviously didn’t want to, so we spent some time living on the streets, surviving on scraps and whatever odd jobs we could find. But we were later taken in by a very powerful man. He may not be a good man in society’s eyes, but to us, he was our savior. If not for him, hyung and I would probably have died on the streets years ago.” Jiyong grinned bitterly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “He fed us, clothed us, trained us… and made us who we are today.”

“He… is he the reason why you’re involved in all these dangerous things?”

Jiyong nodded. “You don’t get rich by working your off at a desk job from 9 to 5 everyday, that’s what he told us when we first came in. Money flows in only when you walk a different route, one that’s less taken by most people. It wasn’t till later when we started going on assignments that we finally understood exactly what he meant. None of us are proud of the kind of lives we’re leading, but it’s true, in a way. Drugs, weaponry, ion, underground triads… that’s where all the money’s at.”

“Then… Top? Seungri? How did you get to know them, are they also-“

“Yeah they’re like me. They were taken in by the Godfather too. We all grew up together.”

Dara gaped at him, not sure what to say in response. That came as a surprise to her, because she hadn’t expected his two friends to be a part of this dangerous game. Though, it did seem to make sense when she gave it some thought. The two men knew too much about Jiyong to be just random friends from school. But still… Top? Her kind, good-natured, subdued best friend, Top? And Seungri! That boy looks like he can’t even hurt a mouse…

“Hyung was the best among all the trainees. He fought well, spoke well… everybody liked him, and everyone, even those older than him, all respected him. In fact, he was the youngest ever member of the clan to be put in charge of actual deals without any supervision from the upper ranks.”

Dara glanced at him as he spoke, watching his every movement. She saw the pride that shone from his eyes as he spoke about his hyung, and in a way, it was a sight that both touched and broke her heart, because she could tell exactly how important the man was to Jiyong. And she could imagine just how badly his death had torn Jiyong apart.

His eyes stopped shining when he continued with his story, and in its place was a shadow of gloom that left his expression dark. He spoke through clenched teeth, his voice tight at the memory of what had happened that fateful night.

“His only flaw was that he was too trusting. He trusted the people around him and in the end, he was betrayed. He got sold out to the cops, and they raided us at one of the transactions. They didn’t give a that some of us were minors, they just grabbed their guns and started shooting at us. And hyung, he-“

Jiyong’s voice broke as he tried to finish his sentence. He swallowed hard, forcing that lump in his throat to ease, and fought to regain his calm, not wanting her to see the fragility that lay beneath that strong façade that he had put up all these years. Dara bit her lip, her heart aching for him as she watched him struggle with the scars of his past. If she had known this was going to be so painful for him, she would have chosen to leave it all unsaid.

“H-he tried to protect us. He knew the cops were not going to let it go so easily, so he grabbed the few of us younger ones and hid us in one of our vans. He said he was proud of me, that he loved me, and that he wanted me to stay and protect the rest of the kids. Then, he…he ran back towards the cops and fired at them.” Jiyong closed his eyes, squeezing them tightly shut as the scene replayed before his eyes once again, a scene that had been haunting him all this time. He spoke after a moment of silence, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I didn’t realize it back then, but it was a suicide mission. He knew he wasn’t going to make it out alive…”

“He said he was gonna come back for me once he was done, but he never did. He never came back. And I sat there in the van like a fool, watching as my brother ran towards his death.” His voice shook, his fingers clenching into tight fists by his sides as the wave of guilt came slamming back into him. “Hyung didn’t deserve to die. If not for us, he could have run away with the rest…”

His eyes flashed open just then, and Dara had to bite back a gasp when she saw the guilt and pain reflected in those dark orbs.

“I don’t deserve to be alive, Dara. He died for us. For me.”

It was then that she realized just how much Jiyong had blamed himself for his brother’s death – he was angry at the world, angry at everyone who had caused his brother’s death. But most of all, he was angry at himself for allowing it to happen. Dara reached out for his hand and held it tightly in hers. She could feel him trembling, trembling from the guilt that racked his entire being, trembling from the hatred that he held for himself.

“It’s not your fault, Ji. You didn’t cause his death.” She whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she watched him fight the demons that had been haunting him all these years. She tightened her grasp on his cold hands, wanting to share some of her warmth with this man who was hurting so badly inside. “Your brother loved you. He wanted you to live, and I’m sure he won’t be happy if he knows how much you’ve been blaming yourself all this time. You need to move on, and start living a good, happy life, Ji. I’m sure that’s what your brother wanted for you. And even if you don’t want to or think you don’t deserve to… you have to. For your brother’s sake, you have to.”

A lone tear trickled down Jiyong’s face. He tilted backwards with his eyes closed, his head facing the skies above. Dara’s words struck a chord within him, and he found himself realizing that perhaps, just perhaps, she was right. Hyung would have wanted him to be happy.

"Don’t turn cold like me, Ji. Stay warm, the way you are. We’ll get out of here someday, I promise. We’ll leave this damned place and head somewhere else, maybe somewhere near dad and mum’s graves. We’ll start over, just the two of us, and build a better life together. We’ll grow up, meet our future wives, have huge families and find that warmth we’ve been missing out on all this time. And when that day comes Ji, you better still be the clown you are now."

That was what hyung had said to him on his sixteenth birthday, just weeks before the shooting occurred. He still remembered how elated he had felt after that, because all he could think of was his hyung’s promise of a better tomorrow for them both. A new beginning. A life away from violence and murder, a life that belonged to no one but themselves. He hadn’t thought much of it back then; there just wasn’t any reason to even think that a joker like him would ever turn cold, not when he had so much to look forward to. But it all changed, the night life robbed his brother away from him.

 Memories of the good times he shared with his brother; the laughter, smiles and joy of the man he had admired and respected so deeply, came flooding back into his head like a photo reel, tugging at the strings of his heart. He felt his chest constrict, and bit down hard on his lip to prevent the tears from falling. Could he move on? Did he even deserve to?

A pair of slim, warm arms s their way around his waist. Jiyong’s eyelids fluttered open, and he glanced down at Dara who was hugging him tightly, her face buried in his chest. Her eyes were wet with tears, yet she held onto him with fierce determination, as though she wanted to protect and shield him from all the pain in the world. A soft sigh escaped from Jiyong’s lips as he allowed himself to wallow in the comfort of her embrace, allowing it to heal the scars that remained as reminders of his past.

“That very night, I made a vow to hunt down the people who caused my brother’s death.” Jiyong spoke, his voice now tight and harsh. “The ones who shot him, the ones behind the raid… I vowed to hunt down every single cop involved, and make them pay for killing my brother. And that traitor too. The one who played with hyung’s trust, then him and sold him out to the cops. He caused my brother’s death. They all did. And they all deserve to die. Every single one of them.”

Dara’s eyes widened as she saw the raw hatred flashing in Jiyong’s eyes. She tightened her grip on Jiyong, wanting to chase away this side of Jiyong that scared her. She opened , closed it, then opened it once again to speak, her voice hushed.  “Then… then are they now…”

 “Yeah. They’re all dead.”

Jiyong nodded grimly even before she completed her sentence, not noticing the look of stricken terror on Dara’s face upon hearing his confirmation. His eyes then darkened as he continued.

“Only one is left.”

Dara swallowed hard, willing her heart to calm down as she tried to make sense of whatever she was hearing right now. Images of dead bodies flashed across her head, and slight nausea rose within her. She shook her head slightly, wanting to wave it all away. This was a part of Jiyong, and he had warned her about this beforehand. She had chosen to accept him for whoever he was, so as wrong as all of this may seem to her logical mind, she had to get used to the idea of murder, gangs and whatever else that happened in their dark underground triad lives. She inhaled deeply, and looked straight into Jiyong’s eyes.

“One? Who is it-“

“The traitor.”

“The one who betrayed your brother? Was he from your organization too? Or else how did he-”

“Yes he was. He was part of us for a while. And we never once thought that he would turn on us…” Jiyong turned to face her, his dark eyes flashing as he stared straight into hers. Dara recoiled for a moment at the sudden intensity of his stare, and found herself unable to breathe. There was something in his eyes that unnerved her, something that told her that he was still holding back. Something that told her that there were words that had been left unsaid.

 “Because he was hyung’s best friend.”

*** *** ***

“Ahh, here come the lovebirds.”

Seungri announced, grinning at the sight of Jiyong and Dara walking towards their table. The guys had since grown to accept Dara’s two friends as a part of them, and the six friends often lunched together in their corner of the cafeteria. It made it easier for the couple to date anyway, without attracting too much attention from the rest of the school population.

“Dara!” Bom squealed upon seeing her friend. “Guess what, Chaerin’s trip got cancelled so we can have our usual summer getaway after all!”

Dara glanced questioningly at Chaerin as she settled into a chair in between Bom and Jiyong.

“Your trip got cancelled? Weren’t you supposed to head to Europe with your parents? I remember you telling me about it last week.”

The blond girl sighed dejectedly and lowered her head. “They’re still going to Europe, but I’m not allowed to go. I failed my finals.”

A loud peal of laughter sounded from Bom, which irked Chaerin. “Shut up Bom! It’s not like you did that well either.”

“Hey! At least I passed half my papers.”

“Wow, like that’s something to be proud of-“

“It’s still better than failing everything.”

“YAH! PARK BOM!”

“Stop it, you two-“ Dara intervened, sighing as she waved a hand in between the two, who were currently shooting immature glares at each other. She frowned, then turned to Bom. “What were you saying just now? What summer getaway?”

Bom’s eyes lit up right away at the mention of it. She turned to Dara, and playfully slapped the latter’s thigh. “How could you forget! We’ve been having it every year for like, ages.”

“Oh…” Dara grinned as understanding finally dawned on her. Her face broke into a wide smile as she nodded excitedly at her two friends, “Oh my god, I can’t wait! This is going to be so fun, I’ve missed spending quality time with the both of you!”

The three girls squealed in excitement as they huddled closer together, chatting and talking animatedly about their summer getaway, not realizing that three pairs of eyes were currently watching them in complete confusion.

Seungri cleared his throat loudly, wanting to get their attention. To his utter dismay, the girls barely even heard him. Brows furrowed tightly in displeasure, he cleared his throat once again, even louder this time. That did it. The girls stopped their chattering and turned to look at him questioningly, all eyes wide.

“Can someone explain what you girls are squealing about? It sort of feels like you’ve completely forgotten that the three of us are still here.”

He whined, lips turning downwards into a pout.

Chaerin rolled her eyes, quietly muttering under her breath about how guys nowadays tend to be nothing more than a bunch of whiny boys. That obviously didn’t go unnoticed by Seungri, who threw a glare in her direction.

“Oh,” Bom chirped happily, clapping her hands together as she spoke. “It’s just our tradition. Every summer we’ll spend a week or so at my parent’s holiday villa down in one of those little seaside towns! We can’t all afford to go on holidays every summer, so that sort of makes up for it. Plus it’s always nice to get away from the city once in a while.”

Seungri’s eyes widened, his pout instantly transforming into a wide grin. “That sounds nice!”

He turned to the two older guys who were sitting quietly beside him, and waved his hands in front of them to get their attention. “Hyung, let’s join them, we barely get to go on holidays!”

Bom’s mouth fell open. She stared at Seungri, blinking nervously, then slowly raised her hands in front of her as though she was trying to deny something.

“No, as in, it’s a tradition for just us three to go… And the villa’s not very big, there’s only three rooms so there may not be enough space for all of you-“

“It’s okay Bom noona, we can sleep on the couch! The floor is fine too.”

Bom turned to Dara for help, her eyes wide. She seriously wasn’t too keen on having the guys over. All she wanted was a week away from the city, away from all the thoughts that have been messing around with her head, and most importantly, away from Top and everything related to him. She hadn’t seen him much outside of school ever since that day when she had followed him to the bar, but even so, that day alone had left her crumbling the way she always did when it came to him. As hard as she tried, she just couldn’t seem to quell her feelings. No, not even his harsh rejection was enough to turn her away. So yes, she really needed a break away from all that mess.

“Seungri, the villa’s really not big enough for all six of us. And I’m sure Jiyong and Top wouldn’t wanna come for such a silly getaway! You shouldn’t force your hyungs into doing something they don’t wanna do, you know.”

Dara spoke, trying to persuade the younger boy. Bom shot her a quick nod of gratitude, and she grinned in response. She’s known Bom for years, and she knew that girl all too well to understand why she was so intent on preventing the guys from joining them.

Seungri’s face fell upon hearing Dara’s words. He sighed, and nodded in defeat. It was true, Jiyong hyung and Top hyung weren’t the type who would enjoy such things. Especially Jiyong – the man was so anti-social it would probably take an army to get him to even step out of his house for any form of group outing.

So it definitely was to everyone’s surprise when Jiyong looked up and said, “I don’t mind it actually.”

Stunned silence fell across the table. Jiyong stared back at the five pairs of wide, shell-shocked eyes, not quite understanding why they all seemed so surprised. Sure, it wasn’t his kind of thing, but he wasn’t about to let Dara spend a whole week away in some small town tucked away in the countryside. His intuition was kicking in and he knew things weren’t going too smoothly on the organization’s side. He still had his suspicions about the Godfather, and no one was going to be safe for sure till that’s all been resolved. Even if it was nothing more than over-thinking on his part, he wasn’t going to run the risk of letting Dara out of his sight for even a minute, if he could help it.

Dara blinked in surprise, and was the first to break the silence. She leaned forward and peered closer at Jiyong’s face, frowning to herself as she did so.

"Are you sure? It’s not like you to join us for such things…”

He nodded and gave her a lopsided grin. “I want to. And I’m sure Top wants to too.”

Top snapped out of his silent stupor and glanced at Jiyong, his brows raised in confusion. What was the guy talking about, he wondered silently to himself, this obviously wasn’t his kind of thing. He opened his mouth, ready to refute Jiyong’s words, when he felt a slight kick at the base of his chair. He glanced up, surprised, only to find himself staring straight at Jiyong, whose smoldering eyes spoke for themselves in telling him that he had no other choice but to back him up.

Sighing, Top nodded grudgingly, his face looking anything but delighted at the thought of it.

Seungri bolted out of his chair, jumping excitedly. “SUMMER GETAWAY HERE I COMEEE!”

Bom’s face fell immediately, and she groaned aloud whilst burying her face in her hands. This was not the summer getaway that she had had in mind.

Nowhere close.

*** *** *** 

I'm not really satisfied with this chapter actually. I typed it out, frowned, redid it, frowned, redid it and sigh, somehow I still don't really like it. But I decided not to drag it longer in case you all thought I was on a disappearing act once again haha ;)

And I've been toying with a couple of ideas for new stories recently... I won't start on them till I'm done with this story, but still, it's pretty fun thinking of  new ideas for the next one :) Funny thing is that the two ideas that I currently have in my mind are complete opposites. One's more along the lines of something pure, whilst the other's more... sinful. Haha not sure how to put it, but feel free to let me know which type you prefer! I can't really seem to decide anyway :)