With trembling hands, Dara grasped the handle of her room door.

She couldn't process so much information at once. And she couldn't bring herself to forgive Yoona for hurting her and her brother like that. She could understand Yoona's pain, but for now, she could not forgive the unnie she trusted, to hurt her like that all these years.

She pushed the door open slowly and looked up to see Jiyong on her bed.

"Mm, sorry... I'm in the wrong room..." Dara mumbled as she looked at the floor, turning to leave the room.

"No! No, this is your room. It's just that TOP and Bom are in my room, so I thought I would come here and wait for you." Jiyong sprung up from the bed and moved forward to hold the door, preventing Dara from closing it.

"Are you ok? You look terrible!" Jiyong held her hand that was on the door handle. She was deathly cold.

Worried, his other hand reached up to caress her cheek gently. His thumb drew small circles on her cheeks as he leaned forward, trying to meet her eyes.

"Dara? Dara are you ok? Speak to me! You are scaring me!" Jiyong frowned, his eyebrows knitted tightly together as he looked into her unfocused eyes.

Dara didn't say anything but simply stared at him as though he wasn't there. Jiyong's eyes widened in worry as he led her into the room. She didn't respond and simply followed him as he led her in, closed the door and sat her down on the edge of the bed.

Her back was straight and she blinked slowly, as if focused on something in front of her. Jiyong grasped both of her cold hands in his large warm ones as he knelt in front of her.

Jiyong bit his lip in worried frustration at the way Dara was acting. He had never seen her behave this way before and it scared him to no end at how he couldn't do anything to help her.

After what seemed like forever, Dara whispered, "Ji oppa."

Jiyong's eyes brightened up immediately and he blurted out quickly, "Dara! I'm here!" His posture straightened as he looked at her expectantly.

"I found out that Minho oppa likes me. And I found out that Yoona unnie loves Minho. That's why she hated me... That's why she hated me... Ottokae..." Dara's calm face crumpled suddenly and tears started pouring from her eyes. Jiyong reached up from his kneeling position to hug Dara, letting her lean her weak self on him as she sobbed painfully.

Heavy sobs wracked Dara's body and she drew nearer to Jiyong, grabbing his sides tightly for support as she cried onto his shoulder. His arms circled her as he pet her back rhythmically and slowly. He pressed a kiss onto the side of her head lovingly, before resting her head onto his shoulder

"Gwenchana... Gwenchana..." Jiyong repeated again and again into her hair with a soothing, deep voice. He blinked back hot tears as his chest constricted painfully and he hoped that Dara couldn't hear his pounding heart. He hated to see Dara cry. Hated to know that he couldn't prevent her from hurting. Hated that he couldn't be the one suffering from the pain instead. 

After a long time, Dara's heavy sobs became soft sniffles as she pulled back from Jiyong's embrace slowly.

She forced on a small smile and swiped her teary face with the back of her hands. "Mianhae oppa. I'm alright now. Sorry for the shirt." She gave a small laugh as she touched the spot on Jiyong's shoulder where her tears had soaked.

Jiyong gripped her shoulders forcefully and made her look into his worried eyes. Wordlessly, his eyes were asking her if she was okay.

Gazing into his beautiful warm amber eyes that were full of emotions, made Dara want to tear up and start crying all over again. But she knew she had to be strong. So she gave a forced smile and hoped that Jiyong would not notice.

Jiyong knew the smile was forced. But at the very least, she was not crying anymore. For now, that was enough for Jiyong. For now, this was all he could do for the woman he loved.

For now.

For now.

For now.

Jiyong silently promised in his head.

"Great! Because I have a present for you!" Jiyong released Dara's shoulders and slapped his thighs, standing up.

Dara looked at him curiously with red-rimmed eyes as he walked to the other end of the room and took out a large black shopping bag from under the bed.

He hid the bag behind him slightly and walked back to Dara's end of the bed with a sneaky expression on his face.

He knelt in front of Dara again, on one knee, placing the bag beside him. "Ssanttoki, I know you and TOP like each other..." Jiyong started. Aish, why were these words so hard to say? Why did it physically hurt him to say these things? It was a weird and different feeling...

"How did you know? Tabi oppa and I-" Dara opened to protest, but Jiyong thought she was going to acknowledge that fact and he didn't want to hear it.

He did not want to know, or believe it. Not at least without letting her know that he loved her first.

"Aish, sshhhhh, let me say it first!" Jiyong interrupted her immediately, holding a finger to her lips and effectively silencing her. "Why do you have so many suitors? It makes me want to try extra hard to compete with them." Jiyong gave her a searing gaze that melted her soul and made Dara blush.

She looked away, trying to calm her fluttering heart down.

"Anyway, I have something to give you." Jiyong finally continued.

He reached into the huge shopping bag and took out a shoebox. Dara cocked her head to the side in curiosity as he opened the box.

Jiyong took out an exquisite pair of 3-inch, ivory high heels. The straps were designed as though it was a ballet shoe made into a high heel.

Dara's eyes widened and she gasped in surprise as she looked in awe at the beautiful pair of shoes. Her inner girl was totally being channeled out.

Jiyong leaned down and lifted Dara's right foot off the ground. He gently slid the shoe on, arranged the straps properly and tied the shoe on. He did the same for her other foot. Then he looked up with a boyish grin.

"Thank you for stepping into my heart. Now, please wear this pair of shoes and walk straight in, don't turn back, and stay deeply in my heart."

Dara was speechless.

He took out a large, palm-sized box and revealed a silver and gold feminine watch. He reached for one of her wrists carefully and strapped on the watch. He looked up at her, emotions growing in his beautiful eyes.

"I want you to know that all my time is yours. Anytime, anywhere. As long as you need me, I am yours."

Finally, he reached into his front pocket and pulled out a small box.

"I'm doing all these because I see that you are still wearing the bunny necklace that I gave you, so you probably don't hate me. Even though I know that you love TOP... But I'm still going to try to win your heart." Jiyong opened the box. Inside, nestled among the soft white cotton and fabric, was a pair of couple rings. "Sandara Park. I love you. Will you be mine?"

Sincerity shone in Jiyong's eyes as he waited in nervous anticipation.

Dara blinked slowly.

Jiyong gulped.

Was she going to reject him? His heart burned.

Dara opened .

Jiyong bit the corner of his lip.

He had never felt so nervous before.

Please say yes, Dara!

---

Jiyong couldn't sleep. He rested his head on his hands that were folded behind him on the pillow and sighed deeply. Dara's words burned at the back of his mind.

"This has been a long day, Jiyong. And my head really hurts now. Please give me some time to think. I will tell you my answer tomorrow."

Jiyong sighed again and turned to his side to face TOP, who was on the other end of the king-sized bed. Bom was already gone from the boys' room by the time Jiyong left Dara's room. TOP had explained the situation to Jiyong and Bom and both had accepted the explanation easily. Maybe partially because they wanted to believe that that was the truth.

"I can't sleep, hyung. Dara said she will tell me her decision tomorrow. I know she doesn't love you, doesn't even love Minho... But aish I'm still so nervous!" Jiyong sighed as he mumbed to TOP.

"I can't sleep either. Bom and I argued mainly over Jonghyun. She doesn't believe that that ba$tard doesn't love her. She doesn't believe that I love her." TOP murmured, staring as if in fascination at the ceiling.

Both boys sighed together as they were absorbed in their own thoughts.

That night was the longest night ever.

---

It was a persistent banging on the door that woke the boys up.

It sounded like someone was kicking their door down.

"What's happening?" TOP asked as he and Jiyong opened their eyes, their minds half-awake.

The first thing they say was Minho's foot that kicked open their door. The second was an angry Minho that barged into the room. The third was the rest of the people who streamed in through the door, with worried looks on their faces.

Minho ran directly to Jiyong, grabbing him by his shirt and yanking him roughly out of bed. He shook Jiyong violently and demanded, "Where is Dara?"

It took Jiyong a moment to understand Minho's demand, but his eyes cleared slowly as he looked at the people who were now gathered in his room.

Doing a mental count, he counted CL, Minzy and Bom looking worried and scared. He saw a smirking Yoona. He saw Daesung, Taeyang and Seungri who were frowning.

Dara wasn't there.

"I don't know. Bom, wasn't he with you?" Minho's hands that were gripping his shirt was the least of his worries.

"No! I woke up this morning and she wasn't there. All her clothes were gone too!" Bom blurted out quickly, worry etched evidently into her face.

"Alright calm down everyone, maybe she-" Jiyong started, while shoving Minho away from him. Minho let go reluctantly.

But he was interrupted by his handphone that started ringing. He leapt to the sidetable to pick up the call, hoping that it was Dara.

"Dara, where are you?" He blurted out, breathless.

"Jiyong, it's me." A familiar cold voice intoned.

"Abeoji." Jiyong answered simply. His father. He hadn't spoken to his father for years.

"Come to my office and I will tell her where she is." Jiyong's father said simply and hung up.

"Abeoji? Abeoji!" Jiyong half-shouted into his handphone, but was greeted only by the monotonous beeping of the end-dial.

He looked at the phone that lay in his hand in confusion. So many thoughts were flying through his mind now. But the question that appeared most frequently was: Why was Dara with his father?

He looked up to a room of expectant faces and murmured, "I have to go." Then, he dashed out of the room and started running.

---

His father was as cold as Jiyong remembered. His dark brown hair was slicked neatly back. His black, cold eyes bore through Jiyong, as if judging his soul. Standing in front of his father, he always felt like a five-year-old child.

"Jiyong." Even his voice was sharp and cruel.

Jiyong flinched. His eyes were cast down and he stared intently at the worn-out pattern on the carpeted floor.

"I want you to meet my right-hand man, Minho."

At this, Jiyong's head snapped up in shock. Beside his father, stood Minho.

The Minho that he hated. The Minho that he used to love dearly. The Minho that loved his girl.

Before Jiyong could say anything, Jiyong's father received a call and he flicked his wrist at the boys, dismissing them from his presence.

They left the room. A cold tension enveloped them. "What are you doing here?" Jiyong questioned Minho sharply.

"Didn't you hear? I'm your father's right-hand man." Minho said in a mocking tone. His eyes were cold and he refused to look at Jiyong.

"Since when?" Jiyong asked in confusion.

"I joined your father's company when you were 10. Sometime after we met at the club." Something in Minho's stance softened when he said that, but as if it never happened, his aura hardened up almost immediately.

It was not always like that.

They were never always enemies.

There was a time when they loved each other as brothers.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Jiyong pulled harshly at Minho's jacket sleeve, pulling the man around to face him.

"You're asking because you really don't know, or because you want to know?" Minho sneered meanly at Jiyong. His face was a picture of disgust and hate.

"I really want to know. I want to know what I did to make my hyung hate me so much." Jiyong said calmly to Minho.

---

FLASHBACK

Jiyong was 10. He was with his father, in a VVIP room in some club. His father had always brought Jiyong there for business. It was an exceptionally long discussion though. So while his father was engrossed in the conversation, Jiyong sneaked out of the VVIP room.

The rest of the club was filled with noise from crazy party-goers, overly-loud music that was trying to drown out everyone else, smoke that made vision hazy and breathing difficult, and of course, a whole multitude of people who were squeezing and pushing past everyone else.

The moment Jiyong took a few step out of the VVIP area, he met with a rush of drunk and sober people, trying to dance or get from place to place.

"Watch out!!!" A loud voice floated to Jiyong's ears just before someone came barreling towards him, knocking him to the ground before a whole plate of empty glasses and plates crashed onto the ground where Jiyong was previously standing. The waiter who was holding the glasses cussed at Jiyong for getting underfoot, but received a deathglare from Jiyong's saviour and settled for mumbling to himself and clearing up the plates.

"Are you ok?" Jiyong's saviour stood up, one hand brushing his pants, and the other reached out to pull Jiyong to his feet.

"Ah... I'm fine." Jiyong shouted above the music. He smiled up at the beautiful and charming boy, suddenly fascinated by his charm. The boy smirked. "I'm Minho. What are you doing here? Aren't you too young to be at places like this?"

Jiyong pointed at the VVIP room.

"Let me take you back. It's not safe here!" The boy grabbed Jiyong's hand, trying to lead him back to the room.

Three burly men blocked their way, all of a sudden.

"The largest one in the middle smiled cruelly at Minho. "Found you." He said between yellow-stained and blackened teeth before the three of them launched themselves at Minho and Jiyong.

Like they were in a film, the two boys moved on instinct. It was as if they practiced their moves beforehand. Jiyong would kick them and Minho would take them out when they were falling or reaching for Jiyong.  

The middle of the club floor became the battleground for the five males while the rest of the people watched.

In the midst of the blood-curdling growls, screams of pain and menacing tackles and kicks, the two boys' eyes met for a split second and they smirked, both admiring each other's skill. Then they promptly got back to hitting the other three men unconscious.

Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching them from afar with a cruel smirk on his face. Someone with dark brown hair slicked back smoothly. Someone with cold black eyes. Someone known as the leader of the underworld.

Someone called Mr Kwon.

Mr K.

END OF FLASHBACK

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ANNYEONG!

Sorry guys! Was supposed to update yesterday, but my computer network crashed on me and I could only fix it today.

Hope you enjoyed it! A short chapter, but I promise to update soon ^^