Chapter LIX:

The Last Day in Paradise: Part II

07:28 KST 

Lee Donghae had no clue on what was happening.

He found himself huddled with his Super Junior brothers, Atty. Sandra Park, and her cousin Park Bom in one large elongated table in the gazebo of one of the restaurants in the resort as they waited for their breakfast. Around them the trees and lines of banners that ran along the shore of the ocean swayed against the wind. As though dancing along the odd duet of the soft instrumental music played inside the restaurant and the muffled noise of people laughing and chatting near the ocean.

Wearing a gray tank top that he unceremoniously fished out of his closet and a pair of off-white board shorts, Donghae looked like a surfer without his surfboard. But instead of braving the big waves of the ocean, the man was suffering through the crashing waves of sappy pick-up lines and blatant displays of public affection courtesy of his friend, Choi Siwon as he clung on Park Bom like a gigantic dimpled leech.

Not that Bom hated his audacity. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it as she indulged Siwon with her wide smiles and delighted responses. Donghae swore he could see rainbows and unicorns and hearts popping everywhere while Park Bom and Choi Siwon flirted with each other. Heck, it seemed like they were already an item!

Not that he was bitter over the fact that Siwon had successfully woed Bom as fast as he would memorize their dance routine while Donghae was left there frustrating over the turtle-like progress he had with his own love story. Really, he wasn’t. Or maybe he was--but just a tad bit. A pinch. Just the tiniest pinch tad bit of bitterness.

But seriously, why did he have to witness all of this now, especially when he hasn't eaten anything yet?

What kind of torture is this?

And as if to mirror his own frustrations over an empty stomach, the other members of their audience stared at Siwon and Bom with varying expressions of secondhand embarrassment.

Eunhyuk watched with a perpetual twitch on his lips, face caught between disgust and regrets, while Leeteuk had to resort to the help of his phone as he distracted himself from the two--though he had been visibly snorting when Siwon spoke. Heechul on the other hand had a grim face, his arms crossed over his chest, looking like he was absolutely done with Siwon’s shameless antics.

Out of all of them, Shindong and Dara seemed less unperturbed by the two love birds; with the former only having food on his mind and Dara sipping on her americano, wearing a detached expression as if she was stuck on a deep thought.

Donghae’s eyes lingered.

That pensive face--the face she had so meekly hid from him thinking she looked hideous. Though he didn’t get it, because Dara had always been beautiful, too beautiful that every second spent with her in that bed had been a pure torture.  Given the number of times he had stopped himself from touching Dara while she slept, Donghae could already die as a saint. He then dropped his gaze on when Dara the coffee off her lips. As if sensing his stare, Dara chanced a glance at him. And when their gazes met, Donghae offered a familiar knowing smile--his face awash in the memory of a good morning kiss shared through a thin piece of cloth--and Dara immediately looked away.

The man furrowed his eyebrows. He was confused about two things.

Cause of Confusion number one: Dara was obviously avoiding him and he had no idea why.

After the things that occurred and the moments they had shared together thus far, Dara’s indifferent treatment was the last thing Donghae expected. Though it shouldn’t surprise him anymore, since this isn’t the first time she was cold to him.

But if Donghae learned something, he discovered that beneath her poise and stillness was another face, full of raw emotions and faceted like a gem, catching the light.