Dara was talking and laughing at Seunghyun’s jokes as they walked down the corridor toward the function hall when her eyes caught a familiar figure.

Her lips formed into a smile as she confirmed that her eyes aren’t lying to her that it is really Jiyong standing and talking to Bom outside the function hall. He was smiling while talking to her friend and Dara thought it was a good thing. At least Jiyong’s in a good mood.

“Hey, Ji. It…”

Dara called out to him but abruptly stopped when Jiyong turned to her. She saw how his smile vanish as their eyes met. The smile on Dara’s lips froze.

So he was not happy to see her after all…

“What are you doing here?” she asked wearily. She was originally wanted to greet him cheerfully but those words came out of before she can stop them. Jiyong’s jaw tightened upon hearing Dara’s tone.

“Why, am I not welcome here?” his tone was accusing but Dara decided to ignore it. She was not in the mood to argue anymore with him.

“What do you need?” she asked, dead tone.

“Your father’s worried sick about you. So I’m here to fetch you.”  Jiyong replied in the same manner.

So it was only because of her father, huh? Well, what did she expect?

“I’ll stay here. I still have to finish things, I’ll just call Dad. You can go, Seunghyun can take me home.” She said as she looked away from him. Dara failed to see the sharp look on Jiyong’s face at the mention of Seunghyun’s name.

“I’m staying too.” Her eyes shot back at Jiyong. “Bom said that you lack volunteers so I’ll stay and help with the packing.”

It’s true, they need volunteers to help out at their relief operation for the victims of the typhoon. Yet, Dara found herself unwilling to let Jiyong help.

“You can’t…” she argued but Jiyong had already entered the function room by himself.

“Dara, it’s okay. He’ll be big help with the man power. And he’s just going to pack relief goods.” Bom shrugged her shoulders and followed Jiyong inside.

She could not believe it. Have Jiyong charmed Bom too? To think that she clearly explained to her best friend about her situation with him during her birthday, when they met in the bar and restaurant.

“Yeah, Dara. We really need a hand here. It seems harmless,” Seunghyun seconded.

“But…”

“Sandara,” one of her officemates called out from the corridor. “Can you help us out here? We can’t seem to get the logistics very well for the operation due next week.”

“Go now, Dara.” Seunghyun said, tapping her on the shoulder. Dara nodded and the rest of them proceeded inside the function hall.

She took one last glance inside the function hall and found his fiancé smiling sweetly in front of her officemates. That guy, how can he feel at home that easily? Now, he’s laughing—no wait, flirting— with those women from another planet.

After a couple of sending death glares to Jiyong’s direction, Dara her heel with a pout on her lips.

--

“You know how to play ice hockey? Wow, how cool! I at balancing so much that I can’t even ride rollerblades, much less ice skating.” Said the woman in front of Jiyong. It was so obvious that she’s acting cute in front of him.

“No, it’s not that difficult.”

“Really? Can you teach me?”

“Ehem!” Dara yelled,  wearing a feigning look of innocence on her face to grab Jiyong’s attention.

“Dara, ready to go hime?” Jiyong asked her so casually.

“Me? Of course. You? I don’t think so.” She said drily. Jiyong was about to approach her when the girl he was talking to earlier call out to him.

“Hey, Jiyong, call me.” The girl said with a flirty smile plastered on her face.

“Sure.”

Without her knowing it, Dara was glaring at Jiyong so hard the whole time. She walked ahead of him out of the function hall.

‘Hey, Jiyong, call me. Wow, what a flirt!’ her mind irritatingly commented inside her head. ‘Then that jerk just said sure that casually!’

“Yah, Sandara. Are you okay? You don’t look good.” Jiyong said then was about to damp his palm on her forehead, but Dara dodged it hastily. He grabbed her gently by the shoulder and touched her forehead much to Dara’s protest.

“You have a fever,” he said worriedly. “Have you eaten already? Where’s your medicine?”

“I’m not hungry,” she lied but her stomach grumbled loudly.

Jiyong scowled. “Were you not eating properly? Not sleeping properly? You really don’t look good, Dara.”

“I’m okay. I don’t need your concern.” Dara increased her steps towards his car.

“You’re not okay. When did you last eat? What did you eat?”

“I said I’m okay.” Dara said, settling herself inside his car. Jiyong followed her as he slipped inside the driver’s seat.

“What’s your problem? Stop acting like a kid,” Jiyong spat, obviously getting mad at Dara. He heaved out a sigh before starting the car and driving off.

She chose to keep silent and look out of the window. It was better that way, at least it won’t erupt into a big fight anymore. The ride was silent until Jiyong stopped the car in front of a fast food’s drive-thru.

“I said I’m not hungry,” she said sharply but Jiyong acted like he didn’t hear what she just said and proceeded to buy her foods.

“Eat,” he ordered her after he placed the burger and hot chocolate on her lap.

“I’m not—“

“Eat, Dara! Don’t wait for me to shove that damn food down your throat, because I will if I have to,” he said in an annoyed tone.

Jiyong started the car again when Dara was about to protest again. She heard her own stomach grumble again. Why in all of times does he stomach need to be hungry? Scowling at herself, she took a big bite from her burger.

The car went to a stop again in front a mini grocery. Jiyong get off the car then went inside the store. Dara did not dare to follow him and after a few minutes, Jiyong came back with a Kool Aid gel sheets on his hands.

“I don’t need that.” But Jiyong still continued to plaster the fever-reducing gel on her forehead without any word. “These are for kids!” she protested once again.

“Suits you well. You’ve been acting like a kid all this time,” he replied. Jiyong then handed her another bag that contained a pack of medicine. “Here, take that. It will help bring the fever down.”

“Thanks,” Dara wanted to protest some more but seeing the serious look on his face, she just obeyed what he ordered like a little girl obeying his father.

“Try to get some sleep,” Jiyong said, touching her forehead again. “Go to the doctor tomorrow immediately for check up, arasso? Don’t let your fever worsen any more.” There was genuine worry on his face and somehow, for whatever reason she doesn’t know, that felt like acid to her.

Why did it hurt seeing him so concerned about her?

“So how have you been these last days?” Jiyong asked casually while driving along the road.

“Fine,” she said simply, not bothering to look at him.

“How about your injury? Does it still hurt?”

“No,” she replied shortly again. A moment of silence enveloped the both of them until Dara felt him now looking at her and heard his loud sigh.

“I…I’m really sorry about what I did and said in the hospital, Dara.”

“It’s okay,” Dara replied weakly. She thought with her curt replies, he would stop talking and their conversation will end. But Jiyong stopped the car abruptly, surprising her.

“Liar. It’s not okay,” he said heatedly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said uninterestedly, still looking outside the window of his car.

“Look at me in the eyes and tell me it’s okay, Dara.” Jiyong ordered. Her expression turned hard. Who is he to order her like that? Is he some kind of god who has a power on everything and everyone? Jiyong then held her shoulders and forced her to face him. “Look at me.”

Dara didn’t look at him but rather on his shirt, making Jiyong more annoyed.

“I said look at me,” he cupped her face and made her look at him.

“What the? This is annoying!” she tried to get his hands off her.

“Look at me in the eye, or I’ll kiss you.” And that made her stop. But the fighter side of the Dara overwhelmed her.

“Oh come on, Jiyong. You know threats and pressure don’t work for me. Let go of m…” her words were caught in when Jiyong bent down closer to her. Dara’s heart pounded hard suddenly in her chest.

“Yeah, I know that. That’s why I said it.”

--

Before Jiyong can even stop himself, his mouth was already on hers. It was a joke at first. He only wanted Dara to look at him in the eye for he was too annoyed by the cold treatment she was giving him.

He didn’t intend to take his threat seriously, but when he had touched her face and felt her skin… for the life of him, he could not help himself. He wanted more.

was partly open when she was about to retort back at him. Jiyong took the opportunity and invading became easier.

He felt her stiffen as his tongue touched hers and it made him want to pull back. It was never in Jiyong’s vocabulary to kiss and unwilling lady but again, he found himself acting against his better self as he groaned and deepened the kiss.

He kissed her selfishly, not caring abou her hands pushing at his chest. He tightened his hold around her nape and pulled her as close to him as he possible could. Jiyong tasted the chocolate in Dara’s mouth and it made him want to eat her whole. She pushed him away again, harder this time and Jiyong let her go.

“What!” he yelled like what he did was perfectly normal.

“You…” Dara started. Her lips and face were all in shade of red rose, her eyes were wide with confusion. Damn, she looked beautiful.

“What Dara? Afraid to let go?” Jiyong said with a bit of taunt in his voice. He leaned forward and touched his lips to her left ear. “Always playing safe, eh? Afraid to kiss me back?” He bit her earlobe and started her jaw.

“I…I am n-not!”

Jiyong got even more by Dara’s innocent stutters. He could tell she was affected by the kiss too. He took the chance and began kissing his way back to her lips again.

“Prove it,” he dared as he claimed her lips once again.

At first, he could feel her stiffness. But he really did not mind, as long as she was not pushing him away. Then, her lips started moving against his. He pulled away involuntarily.

“W-what? Did I-I do something wrong?” There was confusion in her eyes.

Wrong? Hell no! For Jiyong, when it came to kissing him back, Sandara could not do anything wrong.

“No, just… do it again,” he whispered. He kissed her again. Dara was clumsy, awkward and totally clueless on how to kiss him back. Yet, she was perfect. If only he knew sooner that kissing would feel like this, he’d done it before.

He tilted her head to deepen the kiss even more as he twisted his finger in her soft her. Their lips were dancing to the same rhythm, to the same music. He could not get enough of her.

But base on the way she responds to his kisses, he could guess this is Dara’s first kiss. Or if not, her first experience was lousy. He was way better than the freaking assho—

‘Wait a minute!’ he abruptly stopped their kiss.

“I’m your first kiss, right?” he asked her with ragged breath. She looked at him, dazed. “I’m your first kiss, right?” he repeated, more impatiently this time.

He doesn’t why that little detail was so important for him. He felt very possessive of her and he wanted to haunt the bastard who took the privilege of being Dara’s first kiss from him.

Then the thought of Seunghyun being Dara’s first kiss entered his thoughts. Oh, he really wouldn’t mind hurting that …

“What do you…” she asked, still confused and dazed from what just happened.

“Never mind.” And Jiyong captured her lips again. He brushed away the thought and would just ask it later. His need to taste her lips again was greater than his need to know the answer to that question.

A loud thud was heard that made Dara come back to her senses and pushed him once again.

“What now?” he protested. Her eyes widened as it all dawned on her. Beefore Jiyong could react, Dara was already out of his car.  “!” he cursed as he also get out of his car to follow her.

As if destiny was contriving against him, a taxi stopped by and quickly went off with Dara riding in it.

“What now, Dara?” he whispered to himself as he cursed again out of frustration.

--

“What are you doing here?” Dara asked bitterly to Jiyong when he opened the door. It only has been a day after the incident that happened in his car and Dara doesn’t want to see him yet if possible.

“I’m your fiancé, remember?” answered Jiyong sarcastically. “Your dad informed me that you need a date for that small gathering you have with your high school friends, so I’m here.”

“I don’t need a date,” she snapped. But Jiyong just shrugged his shoulders in response.

“And I don’t want to be your date either. Look, Dara, I don’t want to do this too. But we have to play our parts until we find a way to break our engagement.” He said and she glared at him.

“Let’s get this straight,” Dara answered in serious manner. “No touching. What happened that night—“

“Was a big mistake,” he said, cutting her off. “It was the hormones kicking in, Dara. You’re a woman,  I’m a man, dark place. It’s perfectly natural. It meant nothing.” He said drily. “Come on, we don’t want to to be late, do we?”

He his heels and started walking. Oh god, she can’t believe him. Of course she know it all too well. It was just hormones. It meant nothing.

…yet she’s feeling a twisting pain inside.