"Jiyong?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

They were in his room. Jiyong wanted to rest but Dara just barged in his room and laid on the bed. Jiyong's parents went out to buy ingredients for a special dinner tonight for celebrating Jiyong's return. They had no idea where Seunghyun went. Dara was lying on the bed, her body on the mattress while her legs were dangling out. Jiyong was lying beside her, trying to catch some sleep. He rested his arms over his eyes.

 

"Have you had a girlfriend before?"

 

"Why are you asking me that question?" He asked without moving. Dara rolled her body so her stomach was resting on the mattress. She plopped her elbows and rested her head on her palms. 

 

"I don't know. You have the face that GIRLS like. But a personality that EVERYBODY hates." She chuckled. Jiyong was just silent.  

 

"So, you hate me?"

 

"Ummmm..."

 

"I thought so." Jiyong didn't bother to wait for Dara's answer.

 

"I want to rest." Dara just nodded and stood up. She walked to the door but stopped her tracks.

 

"You are a jerk, Jiyong. But I don't think I hate you at all." With that, she left his room. A small smile crept on his face. He sighed and shook his head. Dara is too innocent. 

 

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Jiyong's POV

 

"OPPA!"

 

"OMO! YOU MUST REST AT HOME!"

 

"OPPA! I MADE YOU SOME COOKIES!"

 

I hate school. The girls were already crowded in front of me. Dara was pushed all the way to the back by the fangirls. Aigoo. Her body frame is too small. She got shoved that easily! Every girl tried their best to start a conversation with me. Aisht. Annoying. I pushed all of them away and grabbed Dara's arm. I pulled her away from the crowd and went our way to the classroom.

 

"Jiyong..." She whispered. I glanced at her once and continued walking.

 

"You should just accept their gifts, you know." I stopped at my tracks. So she is telling me what to do now? I let go of her arm and turned my body towards her.

 

"Why must I?"

 

"Well... The gifts are out of sincerity..."

 

"I don't need their sincerity. We are late." I annoyingly replied and walked ahead of her. I heard her sighed heavily and followed me from the back.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

They reached the classroom and once Jiyong stepped in the classroom, every female student went over him and asked about his condition. Some ran up to Dara and thanked her for "saving" Jiyong's life. Dara responded with a shy smile and a small nod. She scratched her neck while bowing down. She was embarrassed but yet proud of the attention that she is getting.

 

"Our Dara is popular now!" Bom spazzed beside Dara when she returned to her seat. Kevin just chuckled at the cute antics Bom was doing.

 

"Soo...heroine, huh?" Kevin teased. Dara nudged his shoulder and he snickered.

 

"Alright class! Settle down!" Their teacher came in and asked for everybody to take their seats. Dara's eyes wandered around the classroom when her eyes met Jiyong's. When Jiyong realised that they were looking at each other, he coughed and looked away. 

 

"Class, we are going to have a new classmate today." Chaos errupted when the students questioned the gender.

 

"Quiet!" Their teacher demanded. Everybody went silent and all eyes darted towards the door.

 

"You can come in,now." 

 

Once the new student entered the classroom, gasps and murmurs filled the air. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls were gushing on how pretty she is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The guys were drooling over her.

 

 

 

 

 

The female student darted her eyes to Jiyong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Kiko?" Jiyong whispered to himself.

 

 

 

 

 

"This is Kiko Mizuhara. She is a mix of Korean and Japanese. I hope you welcome her and treat her as appropriate." Kiko bowed to the class and flashed her beautiful smile. The classroom were full of gasps when she did that.

 

"Could you please take a sit beside Jiyong? Jiyong, raise your hand so that she could see you." Jiyong raised his hand. Kiko smiled to the teacher and went to Jiyong's direction. She sat beside him and put her bag down.

 

"What's up?"

 

"Why are you here?"

 

"To compete with you in academics. Just like old times."

 

It didn't went unnoticed by Dara. She was bewildered at the sight of Jiyong talking to someone he just met ( Dara didn't know that Jiyong and Kiko knew each other). Kevin nudged Dara to pay attention to the teacher. She just nodded and glanced back at Jiyong. She shook her head and went back to the teacher.

 

She don't find the need to listen anyway.

 

She never understood what the teacher had been saying for the past few days...

 

____________________________________________________________________________

 

Dara's POV

 

Woah. What just happened?

 

Did Jiyong just talked to a stranger?

 

Woaaaaaah. The world is really going to end.

 

"Dara, what do you wanna eat?" Bom linked her arms with mine. It was recess time and Bom is becoming a monster. I do not want to face her wrath because of her hunger. I need to reply her fast! But I can't think of what I want to eat. My eyes were wandering around the canteen. I'm looking for someone. And that someone isn't here.

 

"Dara, before I pull your hair and you become bald, you better answer me fast!" Uh oh. Warning sirens blarred to life in my head.

 

"Anything." I replied to her quickly and my eyes roamed around again.

 

"Yah! Who are you looking for?!" She slapped my arm. I looked at her lazily and continued searching.

 

"Jiyong." I answered shortly. Bom gasped. Is that a gasp of horror?

 

"YOU FELL FOR HIM TOO?!" She grabbed both of my shoulders and made me face her. She looked deep into my eyes. When I didn't reply, she shook me violently and scared the hell out of me. FALL FOR HIM?! Pssssshhhh, noooooooooo. OF COURSE NOT.

 

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently too.

 

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!"

 

We looked like a bunch of retards, both shaking each other's shoulders. Aigoo.

 

Kevin stood beside us and darted his eyes to me and Bom.

 

Then...

 

He shook his body front and back...

 

You are no use, Kevin. HELP ME!

 

"What are you girls doing?" Kevin was still moving his body front and back while Bom FINALLY stopped her craziness and calmed down.

 

"Where is Jiyong?" I asked Kevin. He looked at me weirdly but still answered me anyway.

 

"With the new girl. On the bench beside the Science Lab. Why?"

 

Thump.

 

Was that my heart that beat loudly?

 

...

 

...

 

...

 

Nah. Probably an escaped elephant nearby.

 

___________________________________________________________________

 

 

"Go back to your cage, Kiko." Jiyong snarled at his rival.
 

"Oh Ji... you haven't changed a bit!" She ignored his rude comment and laughed heartily. Jiyong was getting annoyed. He was planning to have an "alone time" at the bench when the "BABOON", as what Jiyong referred her, followed him from behind. She decided to rub it in his face that the QUEEN OF ACADEMICS has returned. 

 

Being with her made Jiyong insecure. He hated it.

 

"Listen up, Baboon, you may have beaten me in pre-school and middle-school but not now. So stop showing your face in this school and do yourself a favor. GO BACK TO TAMA ZOO (a zoo in Tokyo)!" Kiko was not shaken by his harsh words because both of them know for sure that she could beat him in grades ANYTIME.

 

"We are in college now, Jiyong. Grow up." Kiko sneered. Jiyong was beyond pissed and he stood up. Kiko did the same. She smiled at him and held out her hand.

 

"Rivalry aside, you've grown into a handsome young man. This may surprise you but I'm glad we meet again. Don't ask why, I don't know it myself." She gave her sweetest smile and nodded towards her hand, asking him to accept her handshake.

 

Jiyong mastered a fake smile and shook her hand.

 

"I guess baboons have a great taste in men."  He smirked and marched off. Instead of feeling hurt at Jiyong's words, Kiko smiled.

 

"I'm really glad I met you." Kiko whispered to herself.

 

 

Meanwhile...

 

 

From : Tabi

 

Hey Dara! I'm fetching you after school today. Let's get something to eat and I will bring you around Seoul. ^^

 

 

 

Dara smiled at his text message. She gushed on sweet he is. Not like Jiyong. That thought made her pout but she decided to push that thought aside and replied to him.

 

 

 

 

 

To: Tabi

 

OKAY!! :D Meet me at the gate, 4pm. Ppyong!

 

 

 

The bell rang, indicating the end of recess. Bom was still munching her muffin happily when Dara dragged her hair back to class. Bom didn't fight back though. She was still munching on her muffin.

 

 

3:55pm

 

 

"Alright class, before I dismiss you, I would like to announce that there is a singing competition. Well, you can rap too... You might register as a solo, duo, groups... WHATEVER! JUST HAVE FUN!" Dara was delighted at the news. But she was unconfident of her voice. She pouted.

 

"I'm joining in, of course." Bom whispered from the back of Dara's chair. Dara looked at her best friend and gave two thumbs up. They both gave each other a high-five and Kevin laughed.

 

"Oh my, if it is a dance competition, I would have join!" Kevin stood up from his desk and gave a y wave. Bom and Dara went into fits of giggles. Dara then remembered something. She quickly packed her bag. Bom noticed her hurry.

 

"Dara, you seem to be in a hurry." Bom commented.

 

"Yeah. Going out with Tabi." Bom squealed and hugged Dara.

 

"Have fun!" Bom waved. Jiyong's spider sense kicked in. He pulled Dara's bag towards him.

 

"Going out with who?" He squinted his eyes.

 

"Jeez, calm down grandpa. I'm going out with your cousin. He is bringing me around Seoul. Ta-ta!" Dara skipped merrily. Jiyong followed from behind. She glanced back and ignored him, thinking that he probably was going on his way. A minute has passed and Jiyong was still walking behind her. She stopped and looked and Jiyong.

 

"Where are you going, now?" Dara asked out of curiosity.

 

"Around Seoul."

 

"With who?" 

 

"With my cousin."

 

"But your cousin is going with me..."

 

"Yeah."

 

"So, what do you mea- oh. You wanna follow us?"

 

"Why sound surprised? Can't I?" Jiyong asked and raised his eyebrow.

 

"I thought you would be spending time creating chemicals rather than going out..."

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

 

Jiyong was on her right.

 

Seunghyun was on her left.

 

She was sandwiched in the middle.

 

Holding a cotton candy.

 

Awkwaaaaaaaaard....

 

"Um... this cotton candy is ummm... sweet?" Dara started to doubt her own existenece. This is too awkward.

 

"I bet it does." Jiyong showed her the "duhh-i-know-because-this-is-common-knowledge" look. Seunghyun patted her head and stayed close to her. Jiyong just crossed his arms over his chest and decided to ignore that small interaction between them.

 

Just as Jiyong was about to turn to his right too look at shops, he turned dizzy.

 

His sight were blurred.

 

He blinked his eyes, hoping that his sight will come back as per normal.

 

"I'm just going to the restroom." Jiyong walked unsteadily to the restroom that was just a few steps away from them. Both Seunghyun and Dara was not aware of Jiyong's condition at that moment and waited outside the restroom.

 

5 minutes...

 

10 minutes...

 

15 minutes...

 

"I'm going in." Seunghyun sensed something was wrong. Dara just nodded and waited outside.

 

"Jiyong?" Seunghyun called out. There was no response.

 

He kicked the only door of the cubicle that was closed.

 

 

 

 

Jiyong was laying there, unconscious.

 

 

 

 

 

"JIYONG!"

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

 

Seunghyun and Dara was standing beside his bed. Panic was all over their faces. They have not contacted the Kwons. Jiyong's eyes fluttered open. Both Seunghyun and Dara took a sharp intake of breath.

 

"Dara..." The first name that came out of Jiyong's mouth. They were too consumed with worry that they did not notice that.

 

"I'm here." Dara held his hand that was over his stomach. Just in time, the doctor came in with the reports.

 

"I'm sorry but both of you have to wait outside. I have to examine him." The doctor said.

 

"Of course." Seunghyun replied and led Dara out of the ward. Once the two stepped out, the calm face of the doctor turned into worry.

 

"Bad news?" Jiyong asked the doctor. The doctor just sighed.

 

"I take that as a yes. I told you from the start of the treatment, any bad news must not reach my family." Jiyong said sternly.

 

"Jiyong, I don't understand your condition. I've operated you. I removed a large part of the tumor. But it grew. It grew rapidly. It's a rare case. I can't operate you. It will bring damage to your brain. You will fall into a deep coma. You will be permanently paralysed from head to toe. It is good as dead."

 

Jiyong closed his eyes.

 

The doctor sighed.

 

"So, what now, Doc?"

 

The doctor looked at him with pity.

 

He held Jiyong's hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"One year. You have exactly one year to live, Jiyong. I'm sorry."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writer's Note :

 

I already figured out the ending. I just have to trace backwards. This is my first fanfic so don't expect much! Hehe. 

 

I don't remember putting Jiyong and Dara as high schoolers. They are 19. I guess them being a college student fits the age criteria. Ppyong!