“You’re drunk. Come on, I’ll take you to your room,” I said.

 

“No!” she protested again. “Not until I’ve kissed you first,” she grinned widely at me. She tiptoed and reached for my lips.

 

This isn’t the first time I’ve tasted her lips but the sensation it brought to me caught me by surprise, still. I curled my fists at the side of her waist, tugging her shirt silently. She suddenly pulled back, taking deep breaths. She looked up at me, a blush coloring her cheeks.

 

“One more,” she whispered. Without having any second thoughts, my head went down and reached for her lips. Her lips parted and I breathed her in, brushing my lips against hers lightly, gently, taking my time, then I pulled back, testing the waters.

 

“Another one,” she murmured. This time, she claimed my lips and played with it. I felt her arms went up and her fingers curled in my hair, holding me on place. I started drowning from the sensation that I’m feeling but I don’t want to resurface. If drowning is like this, then I’ll drown myself voluntarily over and over again. Then, we went deeper and deeper. My other hand went up to her nape. I heard a soft moan escaped her lips. That brought me to my senses. This girl is drunk! What the hell am I doing? I pulled back, which took all of my energy to do.

 

“Damn it!” I whispered. I turned around, trying to calm my nerves. But she whirled me around, looking murderous. Oh, ghad! She is scary! I already saw it coming, her tiptoeing and reaching for me, but I didn’t do anything this time anymore. The first time I pulled back took a lot of my strength and control already. I don’t think I can do it again this time. So, I didn’t fight it anymore. Once again, I let myself drown, letting my body move with the current of sensation. My brain was protesting, yes. But my body was far than protesting. It’s rare, that the body can overrule the brain, but I just did. I grabbed her waist firmly and lifted her to the kitchen counter, our lips never leaving each other. I felt her hands reached down for my shirt. She took it off quite easily. I felt her smirk against my lips. Not wanting to be left behind, I reached for her shirt, too. It was halfway through her when she suddenly pushed me away. A low growl escaped from the base of my throat.

 

“I think I’m throwing up,” she said. I looked at her with frustration. Why now? I asked myself. Ugh! She jumped off the counter and walked to the sink and bent over. I sighed and followed her, fixing her shirt. I brushed her hair aside as it was all over her face. Then, she took deep breaths and looked at me with accusing eyes.

 

“It’s your entire fault! You made me dizzier than before! And you put butterflies in my stomach!” she blurted out, and then bent over the sink again. I chuckled. Why does that feel better than what I felt a while ago?

 

 

AUTHOR’s POV

 

Jiyong stumbled on the bed on top of Dara as he carried her back to her room. No, there’s no continuation since what she said made a bigger impact than what SHE DID TO HIM. The girl giggled lightly. “So heavy, Ji!” she said.

 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, pushing himself up.

 

“Ah, the bed feels good,” she mumbled with eyes closed.

 

“Get some sleep,” he quietly said.

 

“I will,” she answered. “Oh, Ji, I missed you, you know that, don’t you? It’s good to have you back.”

 

Jiyong just looked at her then turned around to leave.

 

“Hey, Ji! I had a confession to make,” she called again. Jiyong stopped and turned back to face her. She was now sitting in the bed with a stupid grin on her face and a dazed look in her eyes. She covered and giggled. “Do you remember some years ago when you said you dreamt that someone was watching you taking a shower? Well, I have a secret so you’re not allowed to share it to anyone, okay?” she giggled again. “You see,” her voice turned into a mysterious whisper, making Jiyong step forward to hear her clearly, “you see, you weren’t dreaming! It wasn’t a dream at all!” she laughed out loud. “It was me!” she proudly said, like it’s her biggest achievement ever. “It did happen and the person you thought you saw in your dream was me. But no, it wasn’t a dream.”

 

Horror washed over Jiyong as his arms instinctively wrapped around himself, giving Dara a fearful look.

 

 

Later. . .

 

Jiyong turned the knob and pushed it open. He silently walked towards the bed and sat at the edge of it. He raised an arm and run his fingers through her hair. “Sweetdreams, baby girl,” he whispered then leaned down, planting a small kiss on her forehead. Then, he silently left again.

 

Tuesday - 12:00 nn

 

Dara squeezed her eyes shut as a stabbing pain hit her head. Then, she opened her eyes only to shut it close again as she was blinded by the light, giving her a mixed of stabbing pain and dizziness. She slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position, feeling the room revolve around her. “Ugh!” she moaned. “This is awful!” she mumbled.

 

After a while of sitting motionless and waiting for the dizziness to subside a little, she finally opened her eyes again and slowly stood up and walked towards the door. No wonder her bestfriend never made her drink before. She swears that she’ll never drink again. She crept to the kitchen, finding Jiyong there. She stood rooted to the spot as she doesn’t know what to do with him looking so fresh while she looked like a. . . walking disaster. She cast her eyes down and from her peripheral vision; she can see that he was moving. Then, she saw his feet in front of her. She looked up.

 

“Here, drink this,” he said, giving her a cup. “It’s hot and a bit bitter but it’ll help. And if you’re hungry, the foods are in the table,” he finished without looking at her. She accepted the cup and thanked him. After a few seconds of hesitation, she followed him. Then, she sat across him as she started attacking the foods hungrily.

 

“These are really good,” she said. He didn’t answer but continued reading a newspaper. This caught her by surprise since she was expecting him to answer in his usual sarcastic tone. She frowned, wondering what could have happened. Then, a memory flashed into her mind: the memory of her bestfriend doing stupid things when he was drunk. She then decided to finish her food first before asking him, just in case her appetite would be ruin by his answer.

 

She belched out loudly as she finished the food. She heard him heaved a big sigh and saw him shaking his head. “Uhm, I’ve got a question,” she started and waited for him to look up or even say something but he didn’t do any of those. She just shrugged it off and continued. “Did I do something, err, stupid last night? I really can’t remember anything.”

 

He flipped another page loudly and raised it up high, covering his face. Dara cringed, thinking that she really did do something stupid.

 

“Err,” she awkwardly cleared , “if I did do something stupid, I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware of what I was doing. And I can’t remember anything. Oh! Wait! I do remember something! I remember throwing up. Did I eat something nauseous? I must have tasted something awful to-“ she stopped as he suddenly stood up and walked away. She then heard loud banging from the kitchen.

 

A moment later, he emerged from the kitchen, looking murderous with a bowl in his hand. He put it in front of her. “Eat!” he ordered. Dara hesitated, looking at the bowl suspiciously and back to him with apprehension. He raised his brow questioningly.

 

“Err, you didn’t put any poison on it, right?” she asked. His eyes turned into tiny slits, upon seeing this, she quickly amended, “I’m just joking. I’m gonna eat it already.”

 

She started scooping for the hot soup. She frowned a little as the warmth spread all throughout her system. “This is. . .” she said, looking up.

 

“That’s how a crab soup should taste,” he remarked, “not that one you made me eat while I was sick.”

 

With that, Jiyong disappeared out of sight, leaving Dara befuddled but that didn’t stop her from gulping the whole bowl down . Then, it finally hit her.

 

 

DARA’s POV

 

I quickly looked for Mr. Kwon. But when I didn’t find him inside the house, I started heading towards the main door when it suddenly opened, with him standing outside. “I’m going out, you coming?”

 

All questions were pushed out of my head. “Neh,” I answered without thinking. “Oh, where are going, anyway?” I asked as I followed him outside, closing the door behind me.

 

“I’m going to get some food supplies,” he simply answered.

 

“But I thought we’re all equipped?”

 

“With the way you attack all the foods, we won’t even last a day. And besides, Chaerin will be arriving tomorrow. I want to cook something for her.”

 

“Oh,” I mumbled.

 

“And don’t even think that I’m bringing you with me because I want to. Now I know how clumsy you can be, not to say careless, reckless and all, I shudder to think what will happen if I left you alone. Chaerin won’t probably like that. Maybe you should post a sign in your forehead saying ‘ACCIDENT PRONE AREA’. Maybe the disasters will avoid you on their own,” he chuckled.

 

I remained silent, crossing my arms over my chest stubbornly and pouted my lips childishly. A long stretch of silence passed. I was facing the other side of the car, outside, with my back facing him. Then, he cleared his throat.

 

“Can’t you really remember anything last night?” he asked.

 

“If I do remember anything, I shouldn’t have asked you!” I snapped.

 

“Your temper’s getting worse,” he mumbled.

 

“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes.

 

 

After 15 minutes. . .

 

We arrived at a mini-mall or something, not really sure. I was set with staying behind, but then changed my mind and followed him. He went straight into the grocery, dragging a cart along with him. He expertly chose the goods he was going to buy. He then proceeded to the cashier. I was pouting the whole time I was following him, not noticing my surroundings. Then, I suddenly bumped into something solid, it almost knocked me down.

 

“Aish! Don’t you really watch where you’re going?”

 

“Ya! It’s your fault! Why would you suddenly stop like that?

 

“It’s not my fault if you’re so careless, either.”

 

“You shouldn’t have brought me along then! I was better left alone in the house!”

 

“I was thinking of treating you with an ice cream to cool that hot head of yours but since you want to go home already, then you’d better go ahead, suit yourself,” he said and went straight ahead to the store. I looked up and saw that it was an ice cream parlor. I swallowed hard. It wasn’t any ORDINARY ice cream parlor, lo and behold stands before me is a branch of my favorite ice cream parlor. I patted my pockets then groaned out loud. I didn’t bring any money with me! I searched for Mr. Kwon. He was already in the counter, hands free from the grocery bags. He probably put it down on the table he had chosen to occupy.

 

As much as I don’t want to, I started turning away with my shoulders slumped in defeat. Then, I felt a hand grabbed mine and pulled me towards the parlor. “You’re really stubborn, aren’t you?” he said.

 

 

Later. . .

 

I the spoon satisfyingly. I just finished two orders of ice cream. Ha! “Ah, I missed this!” I sighed.

 

After being satisfied, we left the parlor with me wearing a huge grin on my face. Who would have thought that being with Mr. Kwon is not that bed, eh?

 

“Your grin’s scaring me,” he said. I grinned even wider. Nothing can ruin my mood today. NA-DA.

 

 

AUTHOR’s POV

 

Dara can hear birds singing in her head joyfully. But then, like the saying goes, “what comes around, goes around”. She suddenly stopped as she saw a display of toys in the glass window. There, in front of her was a gorilla stuffed toy.

 

“Ya! What are you doing there? Let’s go!” Jiyong called. But she didn’t move. The next thing she knew, the guy was standing beside her. “What are you staring at?”

 

She didn’t answer.

 

“Psh. Don’t tell me you want a gorilla stuffed toy? Your tastes are really weird and pathetic,” he joked. But the girl didn’t seem to notice it.

 

She turned to him, glaring. “Gorillas are not pathetic,” she said.

 

The drive back to the resthouse was so quiet since no one dared to speak again.