Hanging on the cliff

(Three years ago...)

Dara became a fixture at their home on the days that followed. Even her younger brother, who Ji now knew was Sanghyeun, dropped by a lot.

“Why are you always here?” Ji asked her irritably.

“Because I like your family a LOT – though – I really don’t like you at all” Dara replied feistily.

“Oh really?” he squatted down to where she sat “So, what are you doing here in my room?!?!”

“Auntie told me to come here to make sure you clean it” she stood up and walked towards his bed “I’m thinking she’s right” she then picked up a piece of crumpled paper “What’s this???”

He lurched for her, toppling Dara down and pushing his mattress almost over the edge. “Give me that!” He grabbed the piece of paper from her and pocketed it in his hoodie.

That was a piece he wrote down last night about her.

She puffed her cheeks at him “What was that for dongsaeng?!?!” He had, apparently, trod on her feet. She was massaging it with unmasked annoyance.

“That’s for invading my privacy” he replied immediately, pushing the paper deeper into his pocket. “I could clean my room MYSELF ok? You’re just getting in the way.”

Dara stood up from his bed and stepped on his right foot.

He howled in pain and bent low. “WHAT THE?!?!”

“THAT’S for stepping on me with your gigantic feet!” Dara replied then broke into a run towards the door.

“Oh no you don’t!” Despite jumping up in pain, he grabbed her by the ankles and she had to hold on to his bed railing to avoid falling down on her face.

“Haissssssshhhhhhh!!!” she slithered away, kicking him.

They both stood up – fighting stance at the ready – Ji was favoring his left unhurt foot and Dara was favoring her right.

One.

Two.

Dara didn’t wait for three before lurching herself at him.

Ji was obviously surprised but immediately grabbed her by the arms before being fully hit. He felt her knee connect with his stomach – thankfully the impact wasn’t as strong.

It was enough though to send them both down the bed. Dara on top of a very disgruntled Ji.

“Hah!” Dara announced triumphantly.

“What HAH! are you talking about?” Ji asked her and he quickly maneuvered the both of them to come up on top.

“Kya!!!!” Dara screamed “That’s cheating!”

“You were the first one to cheat. We hadn’t even counted three and you attacked me already!”

“Yay! Yay! Yay!” Dara’s flailing hands were hitting him everywhere.

“STOP THAT!” he told her.

“No! No! No!”

Ji took both her hands and crossed them in front of her. “You’re not going to stop are you?”

Dara’s eyes flared up and she struggled all the more to topple Ji down. As she kicked and tried punching him, Ji’s mattress slid off his bed and they both fell with it.

“” Ji thought and was unable to utter another syllable as he opened his eyes and found himself staring at Dara’s face way up close.

They were both too stunned at the realization to move.

Only a breath away from one another, their lips were almost touching.

Ji couldn’t find it in him to look away, he could only think of how beautiful she was even this close.

“Ji Yong!!!!!!!!” his mother’s voice thundered throughout the whole house – shaking he and Dara back to sanity.

They guiltily sat up and went as far away from one another as the room allowed. The door opened and in came Se7en.

“What happened here???” he asked.

“We were cleaning” Ji immediately replied.

Se7en’s brows went up “So… uhmmm… this is how you clean now…”

------------------------------------------------------------------------

House Parties are not for kids

Han greeted her warmly. She was passed off to be hugged by everyone as soon as she stepped down Se7en’s car and she heard someone singing “In or Out”.

Lin, their “videographer” held the camera to her face and was saying “Encore! Encore! Encore!”

She laughed. “Oh no please… please…”

Han grabbed her by the arm. “Hey! Let my special guest be! This will be the first time that she’ll be eating my “Han’s special recipe” and I want her to go at it now.”

“Thank you Unnie” Dara replied.

“But of course! I wouldn’t let you go back to the Philippines without tasting my specialty. I swear. The people who eat this always come back for more.”

“Wow” she enthused “I’m excited. Kekeke.”

Han smiled widely “Come on. Hey everybody! Let’s all go eat!”

Everybody headed for the patio where a long table was set-up. There was barbecue grilling on the side, a beer keg, and plates and plates of sumptuous food.

“Did you cook all these?” Dara asked.

“I did” Han told her and guided her towards a seat “Ji! Se7en! Seat with us here!”

Se7en sat on Han’s left side and Ji, awkwardly, sat by her right side.

Han eagerly put her specialty on Dara’s plate “Eat a lot, ok? And make sure you dip this in Crab Paste Soy Sauce.”

Dara nodded, trying to avoid brushing against Ji at the packed table. She noticed that he was doing the same. It was a good thing that everyone was too busy eating to notice.

“Let him” she thought “It’s as if I wanted to actually have him that close staring at my face.”

She proceeded to eat Han’s specialty and felt stars popping out of her eyeballs.

“This is good!” she exclaimed, earning an approving laughter from Han “Wow!” She smothered everything with the Crab Paste Soy Sauce.

“You’ll get an aching stomach if you eat too much of that” Ji told her.

She made a face at him “I don’t care. It tastes really really good.”

“Don’t be such a kill joy Ji! That’s also how you looked like the first time you tasted Han’s specialty” Se7en commented, stuffing himself with Barbecue.

“Don’t say I didn’t tell you so” he fired at Dara once again “I’m not seating beside you on the car.”

“Who said we’d go home together?” Dara replied.

“Why? Do you plan on going home with another guy? That’s ok by me.”

Dara punched him at the arm “Why would I go with another guy?!?!”

“You said it yourself –“

“Hey! Are you guys having a lovers’ quarrel???” Han interjected and everybody at the table stopped from eating to look at the two of them.

“Uhmmm… no we’re – “ Dara began to explain.

“Oh! You are!” Han announced happily “Oh my! I didn’t think you guys were that serious already.”

“What are you talking about?!?!” Ji asked disbelievingly, looking as if he’s ready to trash someone.

“Oh let them be” Se7en told Han “They’re not that serious yet but you might be spoiling things.”

“Hey!” Dara said defensively “We’re not an item! I already have a boyfriend back in the Philippines.”

Instead of being put off by this, Han seemed to glower more “Who cares??? He’s too far away and Ji is just right here. Look at him” and Han had her face Ji “He’s handsome, dependable, and really really cool. I’m sure your boyfriend isn’t half as cool as he is.”

Ji reddened at Han’s statement “Stop it Noona.”

“Oh boo” Han replied and looked at Dara once again “You make such a cute couple.”

“He’s my dongsaeng!”

“Doesn’t matter” a girl at the table (who Dara had not met yet) said “I have a boyfriend who is actually seven years younger than me. I’m 28 and he’s 21.”

“See?” Han pushed “I mean… I’m not rushing you guys but… you really look adorable together.”

“No way” Ji muttered under his breath but Dara heard him.

She raised a brow at him “You think I’d want to be your girlfriend… you’re dead wrong mister.”

“Oh really?” Ji suddenly turned to her – in all earnestness.

“You’re crazy” she told him and turned back to eating.

“What does this guy mean? He’s confusing me” Dara thought as she chomped down on more food. No. No. No. She couldn’t let him confuse her. NO WAY.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

LESSON LEARNED

Ji was right. He looked at Dara worriedly. She was sweating profusely but trying hard not to show it. He wanted to go to her and take her home already.

“Let her be” Se7en came out of the house and handed him a can of beer “Give her about 30 minutes more before taking her home. She’ll learn to listen to you next time.”

“I guess you did the same thing to Han.”

The hyung nodded. “The first time she got really drunk because of sake – which, by the way, she thought wouldn’t even do her in – I warned her about it for more than ten times.”

Ji laughed. “They’re both stubborn.”

“You bet they are. I guess that’s why they get along really good.”

He suddenly remembered. “Dara’s brother told me they’d be going back soon.”

“Where? To the Philippines?”

Ji nodded. “Grandma Park has just recovered and is excited to be home. She’d be spending at least a week with them before they go back.”

“When is that?”

“She’d be out of the hospital on Monday.”

“That’s next week already.”

“Yup. She’s only got one more week here.”

“Aren’t they going back here?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”

“Take her out before she leaves.”

“Why should I do that?!?!” Ji shook his head at Se7en.

“You’re a little stupid aren’t you?” Se7en ruffled his hair “Why are you telling me about her leaving and looking this hell’a sad when you don’t really care about it?”

“I’m not sad.”

The hyung rolled his eyes at him. “Don’t let me say I told you so after next week.”

Ji felt a lump go up his throat. “Me? Care about her? She’s just… just someone I couldn’t stop thinking about” he thought dejectedly “Damn. Damn. Double Damn.”