What he would give to kiss her innocent lips right now.

He reached the fourth floor and started to sprint down the long carpeted hallway.

Throwing caution to the wind, he whipped out the master key card for all rooms in his hotel and flashed it at the card scanner of 406. The scanner gave a cheerful beep, flashed green, and the door clicked open.

“Dara! I-“ Jiyong burst into the room, but the words died on his lips when he saw Dara lying on the bed, Joon on top of her, the two of them looking at him with shock.

---

“Say something, I’m giving up on you…” Dara’s phone sang softly from the corner of the room. It was the only thing Jiyong could hear, apart from the rapid pounding of blood in his ears.

Before he could think, his body moved instinctively.

In two steps, he was beside them.

In one swift action, he tore Joon off Dara.

With a swing of his arm, he punched Joon, leaving the boy sprawled on the ground, blood leaking out of the corner of his mouth, a startled look on his face.

“Hyung, I…” Jooon started, but was cut off by Jiyong’s death glare that burned Jiyong’s brown eyes a dangerous black.

“Jiyong, WHAT are you doing?” Dara half-yelled as she leapt off the bed and dashed to Joon’s side to examine his injuries.

Jiyong couldn’t bear to look at the way Dara knelt beside the fallen boy, caressing his face so tenderly. Her eyes were full of concern, and love? Her words were soft, sweet and gentle. And in that moment, Jiyong wished that he was the one lying there.

If he could have Dara look at him that way even once, he didn’t mind bleeding to death.

 “Dara, I’m sorry… I…I…” Jiyong stuttered nervously, running a hand through his short crop of hair, mussing it up in slight frustration. It may have been 2 over years, but in front of Dara. He was still nervous…

“Just DON’T, Jiyong.” Dara cut him off with a cold tone that sliced his heart into a million pieces.

She avoided his eyes so he wouldn’t see her tears. Wouldn’t see her delight that he was here, and the hurt from the memories seeing him brought to her. Wouldn’t see how much she wanted him, but didn’t want to be hurt again.

But to him, her evasion of his eyes meant that she no longer loved him, but the boy that was on the floor. And he couldn’t live with that fact.

At that moment, footsteps were heard running into the small hotel room.

Jiyong’s men, all whispering into their headsets, dashed into the room, all 6 of them. They looked at Jiyong, and gave a simultaneous, curt bow.

Jiyong stared at Dara’s back before in one painful breath that pressed against the rock at the pit of his stomach painfully.

“This lady stole something of mine. Lock her up in one of the guest rooms until the police come to investigate.” He said with as much resolve and hardness that he could, before spinning around on his heel and marched out of the room.

“Wait, what?” Dara’s eyes widened in confusion as she finally turned to look at the leaving Jiyong.

“I didn’t do anything!” She struggled and protested as two of the suited men flanked her sides and grabbed her arms, half-dragging her out of the room. Behind her, another two men grabbed Joon and dragged him away, in the opposite direction.

---

“Let me out!” Dara hollered after the two men had literally thrown her unceremoniously into an empty guest room.

She yelled and banged at the locked door but to no avail. Finally exhausted, she slumped against the door and sighed deeply.

Nothing happened between her and Joon, truly, even though the position they were found in was…compromising.

---

Half an hour ago…

“Noona, I have a confession…” Joon stuttered and bit his lip nervously as he eyes Dara.

“Hmm…?” Dara cocked her head to the side and looked at Joon calmly.

“Actually… I’m gay…” Joon said the last part like a whisper and then quickly looked at the floor, a hot blush rising up his cheeks.

“So?” Dara simply said, nonchalantly.

“You…You aren’t going to think I’m a freak and not want me to be your intern?” Joon raised his eyes to meet Dara’s, his eyes lighting up with hope, and a small smile rising to his beautiful face.

“My dear, I want you for your talent and dedication, so I’m not going to dabble into your personal affairs!” Dara grinned to put the poor boy at ease.

Joon let out a great sigh of relief and leaned back in the hotel chair. “Wow… You’re really cool, noona! I need to tell my boyfriend!” He grinned and whipped out his handphone.

“Oh, oh oh! You have a boyfriend? Lemme see!” Dara reached across the table and grabbed his phone from his hands.

“Noona!” Joon said in mock horror and surprise. “Give it back!” He reached across the table to snatch his phone back but she leapt out of the chair and ran to the side of the bed, scrolling through his pictures to find a couple picture.

“Nooooo…”She sang in a sing-song voice and stuck out her tongue cheekily at him.

He gave a hearty laugh at the childish noona he had always adored and lunged at her playfully.

Dara tried to duck out of the way but tripped on the corner of the side table.

“Be careful!” Joon yelled in a warning tone as he reached to catch her. However, her momentum brought the both of them down to land on the soft bed behind her…

---

“Aish…” Dara buried her face in her hands in embarrassment, thinking of what Jiyong must have thought when he caught them in such a position.

He had said her name with so much hope. It was almost like she had her Jiyong from two years ago back again. It was as if it was the Jiyong she had first known and loved.

But she couldn’t have such dangerous hopes…Every time she hoped, her hopes fell away to nothing, her heart crushed by his ignorance and coldness.

She stood up and walked to the couch that stood in front of the bed. If Jiyong wanted a confrontation, it was a confrontation he would get. She thought determinedly as she sat up straighter and folded her arms.

---

Jiyong found her that way a few hours later. He had gone to think and settle his feelings, and was ready to face Dara.

He had knocked on the door to alert her that he was coming in. But when he received no response, he thought she was still angry and decided to go in anyway.

Initially, he thought she had somehow managed to escape, because the room seemed empty. But no, they were on the 15^th floor and there were two of his most trusted bodyguards in front of her door.

His eyes swept the room desperately once more before landing on a familiar brown shock of hair peeking out from the couch.

A warm feeling swept through his entire body, and a smile crept up on his face unknowingly. He waved to dismiss the two bodyguards at the door. They nodded curtly and went away. Jiyong stepped into the room softly and closed the door behind him.

“Dara? Dara baby, are you awake?” He whispered as he crept up to the sofa.

Dara was fast asleep, her head thrown back on the back of the couch, her arms still folded, her body straight, but slightly limp with sleep.

“Saranghaeyo… Bogoshipoyo, Dara-ah…” Jiyong whispered tenderly as he looked down at the sleeping girl in front of him. He reached forward to brush a loose strand of hair away from her face. She made a soft sleeping sound and her head fell to her right.

Jiyong froze, thinking that he woke her. But when she didn’t move further or open her eyes, Jiyong gave a small sigh of relief.

“Dara? Dara-ahhhhh…” He whispered slightly louder this time.

She didn’t stir.

Jiyong swallowed nervously. He placed his hands on either side of her head, on the couch and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her cheek.

She still didn’t move.

He moved away to watch if she stirred, but no movement.

Getting bolder, he moved down again to kiss the corner of her lips.

His lips were centimeters away from hers this time, as he watched for any reaction.

Still nothing.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Jiyong murmured as he moved in to kiss her fully on her lips.

To his surprise, she opened .

His eyes widened in shock that she was letting him kiss her, and getting excited, he hungrily entered to the roof of .

This time, she let out a soft moan. Her tongue flicked against his gently.

Wanting to taste more of her, Jiyong put his knees on either sides of her hips, kneeling on the couch to get closer to her.

He held her head with both hands, his eyes half-lidded with love, want, need and lust.

Her eyes fluttered open slightly as he deepened the kiss. Her eyes were drowsy with sleep.

“Jiyong…” She moaned sleepily into his mouth.

Jiyong’s heart pounded faster with excitement, thinking that she had forgiven him, and loved him instead of Joon.

“Dara-ahhh…” He moaned in a husky voice as his lips moved away from her lips to and her smooth, alabaster neck.

“JIYONG!” Dara suddenly yelled and pushed him away harshly, finally fully awake.

Jiyong fell to the floor at her feet heavily, his eyes full of surprise and hurt.

“What the hell are you doing, Jiyong?” Dara scrambled to her feet, the last traces of sleep disappearing from her eyes.

“I thought you… You kissed me back, so I thought…” Jiyong reached desperately for an excuse, his brain still trying to come to terms with what happened.

“I thought it was a dream… And I thought you were Joon.” Dara lied smoothly, her eyes fixed on the bathroom door knob so Jiyong would not see the lie in her eyes.

“But… But… You love Joon?” Jiyong whispered the last part in a soft, deperate, pleading voice that was full of hurt.

Dara ignored the hurt in his voice, trying to focus on her own pain instead. “It’s none of your business. We’re over. You said so yourself at the hospital when you sent TOP to get rid of me. You said so yourself when you looked through me in the lift just now. I’m tired of loving you and getting hurt, Jiyong. Just go away.” With a flick of her head, she turned to leave.

But a familiar pair of arms trapped her in their addictive embrace.

A warm, familiar voice that never failed to send shivers down her spine whispered darkly into her ear.