A/N: How could I possibly say sorry for the long wait? This chapter probably took me a whole month to write. I kept rewriting and erasing some scenes. And here we are, I chapter where you could barely understand what’s going on. I have skipped some details that you guys probably wanted to know about. Like: Dara talking in her sleep. So, I’ve decided to post a little thing at the end of this whole STORY. It will be like a more detailed chapter. But, the understanding of the story would still be the same.

And again, how can I being to apologize to you all? I’m not giving you an excuse, because I’ve handled school and writing from the first few chapters. But seriously, school has been putting up A    LOT of work and activities, and I’m not sure if I can keep up with all this. And here we go, I just gave you guys an excuse, real smooth. I will not make any promises to when the next chapter will be out. But, it’ll come out. I don’t deserve all my readers! And I thank you all for reading, this lame story which has no strong plot to lock your mind on. Thank you guys! You don’t know how much this means to me! SARANGHAE! (Is that right?) Have fun, reading!

~

Her head was throbbing. That painful throb you feel every time you get wasted. But, to her case she never got wasted, or did something as mortifying as drinking until you past out. She wondered, and thought what could possibly make her head feel this... ty.

Dara pinched the bridge of her nose; swiftly her other hand covered her eyes from the peering light peeping through the open window. She got up slowly groaning a little as she felt the throb getting worst.

What in the world do people do to stop this horrible discomfort? She groaned once again tightly closing her eyes.

“Hey,” She felt a strong force on her shoulder, and she quickly turned to her right finding Jiyong poking her.

She scowled at him rolling her eyes, “How annoying could you get?” she asked slamming her body back to her comforting bed, or she thought so. “Oh my, that just felt like-”

“?” Dara rolled her eyes closed. She muttered something. “Drink this.” Jiyong said handing her an advil, and a glass of warm water. Dara sat up, and looked up at him. She curved a smile, and did as he said.

“Thanks.” She placed her glass on the floor, and gently slammed her body on the comforting bed once again. Jiyong nodded, and headed for the door.

~

“How is she feeling?”

Jiyong saw his mother as he ran back to the kitchen to pop something up for lunch. She was wearing a skin colored dress that ran down below her knees. A coat was draping on her shoulder. He loved her mom. Although she tried too hard to be cool, he would toss it off because he knew she was trying for him. But parties in his house were always a big No-No when she was around.

“Fine…” he mumbled.

 Jiyong opened a pantry checking out the contents, and found nothing interesting. He moved on to the fridge still looking for something to gobble on, nothing.

“Jiyong, in the microwave,” Soo Yun pointed to the direction of the microwave leaning on the sink.

Jiyong headed to the microwave, and opened it with a click. He pulled out warm vegan pasta, and he slumps his shoulders. “Mom…”

“What?” She asked checking her finger nails.

“Really? This?” Jiyong asked eyebrow rising. Soo Yun smiled at his son, and walked up to him patting his back.

“It’s good for you both.” She said. Jiyong shook his head, and stared down at the pasta that was brightly smiling at him.

“Whatever,” He muttered making a face. His mother squealed, and hugged him.

She ran out to the door, and yelled a big good-bye to him.

“Well, she hasn’t changed a single bit.” Jiyong heard a voice and twisted his head to find Dara leaning at the wall smiling. She changed out of her pajamas. She always changed out of them before leaving the room, she was just like that.

Jiyong tossed the pasta on the table, “Vegan crap.” He pointed at the pasta sitting on the table, “Have fun.” He said, grabbing his coat from the coat closet next to the door in the kitchen.

Dara looked up at him eyebrows knitting together, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to look for real food, not some up greens.” He shut the door behind him shoving his hands in his pockets knowing he left a perplexed Dara in the house.

~

She flipped through the pages of an old vintage magazine. It had seemed to be missing some pages, but she hardly noticed. She lifted her eyes away from the magazine, and looked directly at the wooden door to see if he had quietly entered without her knowing, but he hasn’t. She wondered if he would ever show. She moved her eyes back on the vintage magazine with coffee colored pages. She flipped the last page making some kind of crunchy noise, making a few heads turn to her direction. She lowered her head, and smiled as an apology.

She pinched her thigh hoping she wouldn’t mess up, again. She sigh a heavy relief, and inhaled the old magazine; dust-full. Her eyes widened as she sneezed a great sound, making a page of a magazine slightly flip to the next side.

“Cut!” She heard a loud-irritated voice ring through her ears, and she rolled her eyes running down the stage. She faced the director of the play who was screaming at some boy carrying a little tree, props she had guessed.

“Bommie, I can’t do this.” Dara said, taking the wig away from her now itchy scalp. She heard a low hiss.

Bom placed her hand on Dara’s shoulder, “Dara, you can do this,” she assured her. “Just…just don’t mess up too much.” Bom said gripping on her shoulder tighter.

“But that’s the problem!” Dara yelled throwing her arms in the air, letting Bom’s hand on her shoulder slip.

“No, it’s not!” Bom fired back. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head lifted and she looked down on the script. “Dara, you have to do this, for me.” She breathed.

“I can’t.” Dara quietly said, giving Bom her wig. “I’m sorry, Bommie anything, but not this.” She turned her back and went out the auditorium they were using for rehearsals.

 She rushed away from the auditorium running towards her locker burying her face inside it. She closed her eyes, and inhaled the smell of worn out metal. It smelled like dry summer rain to her. As odd as it was, it did. “Get a grip!” She demanded.

Bom had asked her to star in her little play, or whatever. She accepted because she was her best friend. Bom, was her only girl friend, she didn’t want to lose her and be stuck with the boys, again.

“Hey,” Dara heard a faint familiar voice. There was rustling sounds beside her locker. Jiyong. It was a string pulled off secretly done by Dara that their lockers were sitting next to each other, how fortunate.

She lifted her head, getting her head out of her locker, and shut it. “Hey…” she waved at him, smiling a little.

Jiyong nodded his head at her closing his locker, “I’m guessing you didn’t have a good rehearsal.” He plainly said leaning against his locker. Dara mimicked his actions.

She stared at the hallway looking for something interesting, “You could say that,” She breathed looking at her outfit. She forgot to change out of her costume. She snickered, how clumsy.

“What’s so ing funny?”

Dara shook her head grinning. She looked at him, “Thanks.”

He looked at her with a perplexed face, “Huh?”

“For treating me out to something to eat,” She said pulling him towards the exit.

His eyes widened, “Bu-but you look-”

“Ridiculous?” she finished the sentence for him pushing the door open.

“There’s nothing I can do to stop you, can I?” Jiyong asked giving in.

She smiled at him, “Nope!”

~

Dara brought them to an unknown restaurant called Pour Les Sages. Dara had told him that it meant ‘For the Wise’. He has never heard of such a place, nor seen it.

“Can I please be ing honest with you?” Jiyong asked Dara looking around the place, his shoulders raised as if everything had disgusted him.

Dara turned her head to him, and quietly dropped her menu on the table, “What?”

“THIS PLACE IS TOO ING EXPENSIVE, DAMMIT!” he screamed in a whisper. Jiyong saw Dara shrug her shoulders, and lifting her menu once again.

She hid her grinning face from him using the menu, “Not my problem.”

Jiyong and Dara bickered, yep, they did. Of course they would. Everything Jiyong has spoken to her had the words ‘too expensive’ and ‘I can’t afford’. In the end Dara won, but there was a twist.

“We’re only going to get a drink. You have had enough of those free ty bread buns they have been tossing at our ing faces for the past on hell thirty minutes.” Jiyong had said reaching for his wallet under the table. He peeked at the contents and hoped he had enough for the drinks that were sold in this place.

Dara pouted and knitted her eyebrows together, “Okay, fine! But, you have to promise you’ll bring me here again for a proper meal.”

Jiyong shook his head, “ you.”

“No!” Dara exclaimed, “I want you to promise me!” She grabbed his arm, and tugged him closer to her even though there was table separating them. “You have to promise me Kwon! I’m not kidding here!”

Jiyong hissed under his breath cursing bitterly as he felt dull pain on his stomach, “Okay! Okay! I promise! Hold your horses there, Park!”

Dara let him go, “Good.”

Jiyong and Dara chatted for awhile talking about school, and TOP, some Bom tossed in the conversation. They especially talked about the time they first met.

“…-and do you remember that time I made you clean up after yourself?” Dara asked.

Jiyong smiled a little before snorting, “Of course I do, and you better watch out since I haven’t thought of a good revenge.”

Dara waved her hand, “Yeah, yeah.”

 “So, are you lovebirds ready to order?” A waiter asked them.

“We’re not lovebirds.”

“Yes!”

Jiyong and Dara shared a look making the waiter shake his head, “I should come back later…” Phil, as Dara read his name tag suggested.

Dara took hold of his arm, “No! We’re ready to order. Sorry.”

“Very well, then. What would it be?” Phil flipped his little notepad open holding a black pen against the paper.

“I’ll have bottled water, please.” Dara inquired meshing her hands together on top the table. Jiyong stared at her as if she was foreign.

“Bottled water?” He yelled, “Don’t tell me you brought me here for stupid bottled water-”

“I didn’t,” Dara replied, “You’re the one who didn’t want to pay for a meal. And to refresh your drained memory, I’m vegan.”

“Right…” Jiyong drifted his word into an awkward silence. “Vanilla Cream Double Shake, for me bro.” Phil nodded to Jiyong.

“Got it,”

“You think he’s cute, don’t you?” Jiyong asked Dara as soon as Phil left.

She smiled to her self rubbing her hands together, “Maybe.”This is going to be a long night…

~

“Okay! I’ve got it!” She yelled jumping up and down. “Jessica, from gym class,” Dara yelled. “I’m right, right?”

Jiyong took a sip from his left over shake. It was now in a plastic cup, “No. Guess again.”

Dara pouted shoving her bottled water to Jiyong. He took it without question, and had a sip before he threw the plastic cup away. They were walking back home on a sidewalk near their house. Dara’s hair was flipping through the air as it blew, and she was covered in layers. While a shirt was the only thing keeping Jiyong warm.

Dara, was afraid. She didn’t want to say her name. She didn’t want to know if it was true: if Jiyong really had a thing for Bom. She thought of the random girls that were in Jiyong’s classes, and none seem to get by except for the name Bom. “Dammit,” She whispered under her breath. “Okay! How about that new kid, Ahn Sohee?”

Jiyong’s eyebrows knotted together as the name slip her lips. She couldn’t. “Nope,” he casually said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. They reached their house and went inside quietly. She can’t.

~

The room was hardly lit, but she could see; clearly. She moved forward making her boots clatter against the hard pavement of cement they call a floor. To her it meant uligon, but her point of views didn’t really matter in this dimension. “Okay, I’m here. Stop hiding already, brother.”

“Ah my precious little sister, how long has it been?” A faint male voice rang in her ears. That familiar voice that she loved so much meant nothing to her anymore. She hopes it didn’t.

She clutched the heavy-metal that was in her hand, and closed her eyes pushing her anger away. “I don’t know, brother. How long has it been?”

She heard his footsteps, and she heard his breathing inching closer to her. She knew she had to face him. He was her brother. You couldn’t avoid someone related to you, someone who has the same blood as you. Someone you love. She heard him chuckle, “Oh sweet sister, time doesn’t matter between family. As long as we have each other, then can we‒”

“Live fuller,” She had finished the sentence for him. “I remember.” She saw him crook a smile.

“Good.” His face inched closer to hers, and she felt it. She felt his warm lips kissing her. She kissed him back. He knew she would. She dropped her weapon and wrapped her arms around his neck deepening their kiss. His hands slid in her hair, tightly crushing it in his hands. He asked for an entrance, and she gave it to him. His tongue explored her deeply, missing the touch. It was a sin to. He shouldn’t, but he did. He ended the kiss. Their faces near and inch apart from each other. His nose brushed along hers, as he took a breath. “Now, tell me. How long has it been?”

“Five years, Stephen.” She answered panting. And once again, he pressed his lips against hers.

~

“Do you like it?” Bom asked Dara as she twirled around while they were walking to school. Dara shook her head. Bom always loved dressing up, and today she was dressed up as this princess/warrior which seemed to be gotten out a video game. Not that she would tell.

Dara looked at the floor, and her hands. She had thin slender hands that she hated so much. “Yeah,” she casually replied not even looking at Bom.

“Okay, hold it!” she heard Bom pull her back-pack to a stop. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong!”

Bom glared at Dara, crossing her hands over her chest as she gave Dara the look. “Oh yeah?”

“Uhuh,” She nodded her head giving Bom a grin.

“Don’t you dare lie in front of me Sandara Park,” said Bom.

Dara slumps her shoulders, “Fine! I feel weird, okay?”

“Like what kind of weird?” Bom asked as they began to walk again.

“Like there’s this big dark aura floating around near.”

Bom looked confused, she arched an eyebrow. “I’m not following.”

Right, she doesn’t know about me. Dara had thought. “Forget it. It must be something else, or I’m just feeling sick.” She saw Bom shrug. Yeah, something else.

~

“Hey Dara!” They hear TOP yell as they stepped foot in school grounds. He never notices Bom. How comforting.

Dara went up to them, and Bom followed behind her. “What is it this time TOP?” She asked as she flipped her long brunette back. She saw TOP look at her front moving his gaze to the side, and back to her front. Real smooth, TOP.

“Have you seen Jiyong?” He asked. Dara and Bom shook their heads in chorus. They heard a yell. They twisted their heads, and found Jiyong waving at them looking normal as usual.

But, there beside him stood a pretty girl. She had a round, face and her hair was in braids. She was pouting. And she was a bit taller than Dara.

Dara knew who she was. They have biology together, they weren’t friends, but they spoke to each other.

“Is that­‒?” Bom began.

“A girl…” said Top in a whisper.

Ahn Sohee, Dara thought shoving her hands deep in her pocket-jeans.

~