That day, Jiyong spent the time with me until Chaerin and Dong-Wook came, both of my best friends eyeing both of us suspiciously.  With the incoming interrogations, Jiyong told me that he has to leave and so he did.

 

What the… I thought he wanted  to protect me from now on so why did he leave me with these two alone?!!

 

“What was that?” Chaerin eyeing me suspiciously after Jiyong left the apartment. Her arms crossed on her chest and her foot tapping on the tiled floor.

 

“What was what?” I played innocent because I want to mess with her like that.  

 

She towered over me, though she was just a foot taller than me. “You two were like ‘over’ and then just now it’s like it never happened so explain real good, sweetheart. I need my details.”

 

I almost laughed at how serious she looked but instead I shrug my shoulders. “We fixed our problem.”  

 

“So are you guys gotten back together?” I frowned at her. What the hell does she mean by that? “You know, the whole boyfriend-girlfriend contract thing you guys have?”

 

Oh. OH. “I don’t know but think it’s over. I shouldn’t have agreed to that from the very start, it’s stupid.”

 

It was, really. I just put him, a famous idol, in danger and I was sure if he got hurt, his fans will kill me. But then I’ll try really hard for that not to happen.

 

If I could just really rewind to where I first landed in Korea, I wouldn’t have stopped by at a coffee shop and met him.

 

That way, he wouldn’t be risking his life with me right now.

 

Chaerin was about to question me more when Dong-Wook decided to interrupt. “Stop investigating like a detective, Lee Chaerin.”

 

I really love this guy.

 

“What? I’m just asking as a friend of both parties.” Chaerin sounded defensive and then walked out to Daesung’s room, shutting the door with a loud thud.

 

Dong-Wook turned to me. “So is it really over?”

 

Unbelievable. I thought he understands me better not to pry questions on me.

 

I roll my eyes at him and walked away to Seungri’s room. As I close the door, I heard Dong-Wook’s protests, “Hey! Don’t lock on me! Where will I sleep?”

 

“The couch!” Both Chaerin and I yelled through closed doors.

 

 

 

“You’ve got to be kidding. Tell me you’re kidding.” Chaerin shot me a look of disbelief.

 

 Its next day, lunch time, I decided to gather everyone, which only includes Jiyong, Chaerin and Dong-Wook, for a talk.

 

“As much as I want to tell you that, I can’t, because I am not kidding.”

 

I gathered everyone to talk about my plan on learning how to use a gun. Yeah I was still a bit traumatized on that specific weapon but I knew I had to have education about it or on-hand experience. I need to feel that I can protect myself.

 

Jiyong shook his head, clearly not agreeing to my plan. “Dara, you’ve learned some martial arts. Wouldn’t that be enough?”

 

“A gun’s bullet is faster than some moves you can do with your body.” I told him in my in-a-matter-of-fact tone.

 

“Why don’t we just hire a professional bodyguard or something?”

 

That suggestion from Dong-Wook was pretty convincible but still they’re not getting my point.

 

“WhaH if they’re not in time to save any of us? What if they’re not good enough compared to the enemy?” I argued. “Please, consider thinking about it. It won’t harm me if ever I did learn how to use it.”

 

Dong-Wook held the temples of his head, looking stressed with thinking. He looks like my dad in that moment. “It’s a dangerous weapon, Dara. Even your parents won’t agree to this.”          

 

At this kind of situations, I’m trying to forget about my parents because, of course, they won’t agree to it. But I need to, I have to. If I don’t want anyone to be harmed, I have to learn how to protect them. And most importantly, I have to protect myself.

 

“I know what kind of weapon I’m saying to you guys and I know my parents would definitely not agree to this but this is the only way I can protect not only myself but people that are involve with me.” God, please. Make them understand.

 

“Okay, let’s say we all agreed for you to learn. Where are you learning it? How can an 18 year-old own a gun? Can you bring that gun anywhere?”

 

That’s one big load of questions, Lee Chaerin. But my answer would be no idea to all of those. I haven’t really thought all about the details. I only kept in mind that no matter what, I need to learn how to use a gun.

 

I bit my lower lip as I confessed the truth. “I haven’t thought about that.”

 

“See!” Chaerin pointed. I know I really didn’t think of this gun thing thoroughly but she didn’t have to rub that in and make it seem like I just thought of learning how to use a gun in a snap.

 

I rolled my eyes at her. “Okay, let’s step that aside and talk about my other plan.”

 

“This can’t be good.” Dong-Wook breathed as he massages the tensed temples of his head.

 

Ugh, what’s wrong with him? It’s not like everything that comes out of my mouth would be bad. Why am I friends with him again?

 

“Why don’t you let me finish first?” I snapped at him, feeling so irritated with his trust issue with me.

                                                                                                                       

He held his arms up in surrender. Just then, I continued. “Okay. I’m planning to fly back to California this week. This country is starting to feel too small for me. I might just be surprised one day that the guys knew everything about me. Where I live, who I’m with, and who knows me. I need to find a safer place and I think that’ll be California where my family is.”

 

They started ranting how busy they are and how they can’t go with me to California. It was mostly Chaerin and Dong-Wook though. Jiyong, because of his cancelled activities, said that he was free and would like to come with me.

 

I hushed them. “If Jiyong’s really free to go, we could go together and you guys just follow when you’re okay to leave.”

 

Jiyong nods at me while the other two were in deep thought. It was a great suggestion. I just hope they’ll see it.

 

Finally, they say, “Okay,”

 

Thank goodness! In a few days I’m going to go learn gun shooting in the lovely and sunny California!

 

I squeaked and jumped up and down, my grandma’s necklace slamming up and down my front but I didn’t care. I’m just so happy!

 

 

---

 

 

 

Later that afternoon, I received a voice mail from Jong Hun asking me to meet up to talk about something important. I realized that it might be about the guys that are tracking me down.

 

I asked permission to Chaerin and she agreed since the news from Jong Hun might be really important not to be spoken in phone or text message.

 

We decided to meet up somewhere on a busy bookstore. I was a bit too early so I decided to entertain myself by reading books.

 

While reading some fashion book, my phone buzzed on my jeans. I took it out. Received 1 Message.

 

From: Jong Hun                                                      

To: Dara

 

Be right there in a few minutes.

 

 

I didn’t bother replying since there’s no reason to. I went back to the fashion book I’m looking at when I heard the clinging of the bookstore’s door which meant someone came in.

 

I looked around, the bookstore was fully packed with teenagers roaming around, reading some comics and magazines. There are a few adults who were looking at cooking, entrepreneur, and other for-grown-up books.

 

I closed my fashion book and returned it to the shelves. I scanned the titles of books using my index finger.

 

Ugh, there’s nothing that interests me.

 

Where’s Jong Hun? I’m getting bored here.

 

Why did I even ask him to meet up at a bookstore?  Damn it.

 

And just as I was about to turn into another corner to see the other side of the shelves, not too far, I saw the guys that were tracking me down.

 

And f**king hell, they saw me. I started walking backwards, they started walking towards me. And as panic fills my being, I turned around and run for my dear life.

 

 I could hear them shouting ‘stop’. Idiots. Yeah, like I would really stop and wait for them to reach me and take me somewhere-I-don’t-know.

 

I started pushing people aside as I ran pass them and finding where the hell is the exit.

 

Those said people curses and yells at me but I didn’t care. I’m going to be dead meat if I politely say ‘excuse me’ first, duh. Can you guys see that there are some crazy looking guys running after me?

 

Finally, I found the exit door and made a dash for it.

 

I got out and continued to run for my life. I hear some crashing sounds from a few meters behind me. Clumsy bastards!

 

Oh God, I’m getting exhausted. I need a place to hide, I can’t run anymore. I feel like my feet are giving up on me.

 

I was about fully speed up my running when a hand covers my mouth and an arm wraps around my waist and pulls me into a dark corner. My body tensed.  

 

I’m doomed.

 

I wiggled my body free, my screams muffled from the hand that was covering my mouth. Dammit! I don’t want to die!

 

I hear my capturer shushing me. “It’s me, Jiyong.”

 

 I turned abruptly to face him, his hand and arm left my mouth and waist. It really was Jiyong. “What the hell, Jiyong! You scared the out of me!” I angrily pounded his chest. Dammit. I thought I was about to die!

 

He hushed me again. “I just saw you running from a group of guys so I pulled you out of their sight.” I stopped hitting him. “Are they the guys from your past?”

 

I huffed and puff as I nodded. “Damn it. I really need to leave this country immediately.”

 

And then, I realized that Jiyong can’t be where I am coincidentally. “Did you follow me?” My voice sounded accusing.

 

He sheepishly smiled, a hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I kind of did since I really don’t trust that Jong-something dude.”

 

I looked at him in disbelief. “He’s a nice guy that helped me before!”

 

“I know but I still don’t trust him! You just met him like a week ago and you can’t just easily trust someone like that!”

 

He has a point but… “Ever since he knew my little secret, I trusted him. And he proved to me that he deserves it through helping me.”

 

He runs a hand through his blonde hair. “I’m just saying that don’t fully trust him. You still don’t know him, the real him.”

 

“And you do?”

 

He harshly sighed. “Let’s change the topic, I’ll look out if the guys are still out there and stay where you are.”

 

And so he did.

 

I tried calming down my breathing, then.    

 

I really, really, need to get out of this country immediately. I can’t take a chance to stay another day and risk my life.

 

I wonder how those guys got connected to the CIA enemies. Was the sudden ambush a year ago planned?

 

God, if so, they planned to kill me and not him.

 

It should be me.

 

Or what if they killed him just so they could have some deep effect on me? And just so I would feel enrage and take revenge?

 

And make me come to them without them trying?

 

God, someone close died just because they wanted something from my parents or even from me.

 

“You alright?” Jiyong was now in front of me, looking concerned.

 

I could feel like something was blocking my air passage. I felt light-headed.

 

Even so, I still nodded.

 

“! You’re turning paler!”

 

I opened my mouth but no words came out, just shallow breaths.

 

Before darkness enveloped me, the last thing I saw and heard was Jiyong’s worried expression calling out my name.

 

I woke up in a foreign place. It was dark around me but I could still make out the place, a warehouse of some sorts.

 

The feeling of fear for darkness creeps into my veins.

 

“Hello? Anybody here?” I tried calling out but there were no response, just my voice echoing back at me.

 

Where am I and why am I here? Where’s Jiyong?

 

“Jiyong?” I called out again but it was just my voice that I heard back.

 

Then, suddenly, I could make out six bodies coming out from the dark. As they neared me, it was then that I realize who they were.

 

The trackers and Jiyong, held captive by them.

 

I called out his name but his eyes looked dazed, unfocused.

 

Then I hear a gunshot.

 

Jiyong lay dead in front of me, blood scattering around his head.

 

No.

 

I opened my mouth to scream but there were no sounds that came out. And all I could do was cry in horror as I look at Jiyong’s lifeless body.  

 

“Dara, wake up! Stop crying, you’re dreaming!” I hear Jiyong’s voice somewhere. I opened my eyes, and there he was, alive and looking worried at me.

 

“God, you’re alive.” I breathed out in relief and sat up and hugged him.

 

“You were just dreaming, D.” He cooed, hugging me back, his one hand my hair.  

 

It was a dream. A dream I would try so hard not to happen in reality.

 

AN: Late update, I know. I’m sorry. I’m just really taking my time on writing every chapter.

 

And this story is about to end. Only 3 more chapters, I guess. Let’s not look at the chapter list on the left corner, this is Chapter 27 so this will end in Chapter 30, perhaps. ^^

 

So trust me, guys, when I take too long to update. I just want it to be, somehow, perfect so you’d enjoy it.

 

Yeah… See you guys next time! :) Leave some love!