A/N: @mushroom_soup, I already updated!

Just to make up for the short chapter!

Thanks for subscribing, subscribers! ^__^

 

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Chapter 15:

His Invitation and Getting To Know You

 

 

 

Dara went to the kitchen to make herself a glass of orange juice. She was still contemplating over the conversation she shared with Seungri last night. She sipped some as she was going out the kitchen when suddenly Jiyong popped out into the kitchen’s entryway—shocking the hell out of her, and spat the juice back on the glass.

 

“I thought no one was home.” Jiyong said; who can’t hide his amusement at her, as he grabbed the glass of juice on her hands before it topples down.

 

She just nodded her head, out of embarrassment. That and she were still not in the mood to speak to anyone.

 

“You didn’t tag along with them today,” he remarked.

 

“They’re going to have the prenup pictorial now.”

 

“Are you okay?” Jiyong asked, his voice laced with concern. Not asking for permission and with creased forehead, he reached for her neck to feel if she has perhaps a fever. She would find the gesture sweet if not for the overly familiar and disturbing electricity she felt again when their skins met. Exactly the same when he gave her the green rose. She panicked and simply moved her neck away from his touch.

 

“Ah… y-yeah. I’m okay.” Was all Dara could answer back.

 

He looked at her with scrutinizing eyes for seconds. And even if she feels that he’s not convinced with her reply at all, he had let it pass. “So, why didn’t you join them?”

 

She shrugged her shoulders. “I wanted to shut myself at home today. You, why are you here?”

 

“I ran out of food at home. I forgot to buy some groceries so I was just going to check if there’s something that I can get.”

 

She just nodded. “Maybe there’s something available in the fridge.”

 

Silence engulfed them. They were just standing, facing each other—hesitating. It seems like she wanted to hear more from him and seems like he also wanted to say something to her, based on his facial expression.

 

“O-okay… I’ll go ahead,” she finally told, at last. He reluctantly nodded as an answer while looking at her. She had just taken a few steps away from the entryway when he suddenly called her. She turned around quickly.

 

“Do you have some plans for today?”

 

She gave a thought first before she shook her head “no”.

 

“Do you want to hang out in my shop?”

 

Dara can’t help but smile at his offer. Of all places, he chose to invite her to his auto shop. But she was also grateful of his offer. It somehow eased the tension in the air. “And why would I want to hang out with you in your shop?”

 

Why does she feel that she was expecting for them to go somewhere else?

 

‘You wanted a romantic place?’A part of her mind taunted her.

 

Jiyong smiled. The same smile he had at The Expert. And it just made him more handsome in her sight.

 

“So you can have someone to talk to—or rather, I can have someone to annoy while working at the shop. Your saliva won’t be wasted. I promise.”

 

He hesitatingly smiled—like he was forcing himself to joke around though he was clearly lacking in those area just to make her smile.

 

She comically smiled in return and raised her right eyebrow. “You miss bickering with me?”

 

“Hmm…” He thought of it and seemed to be weighing his options. “Maybe.”

 

Dara can’t help but to release her amusement and laughed. Truth is, never did she imagine that the overbearing man in front of her would make her laugh like this.

 

Is she going to coin him arrogant again? But she was not seeing that side of his for the few days they’re together, though he still doesn’t let it pass when she simply argues with Chaerin.

 

And thinking about it now, he gets to stretch his lips without thinking of paying him to smile.

 

“It’s my first time to hear you laugh like that. I like the sound of your laugh.” Jiyong said with a smile and something she can’t decipher in his eyes.

 

Admiration?

 

She immediately seized her chuckling frenzy with what he said. Dara bowed her head down in embarrassment and felt her cheeks heat up, like a teenager getting shy in front of her crush.

 

And there it was again, her heart beating loud and fast—like a stampede of enraged animals in the wild.

 

“Er… I’ll just go upstairs and change so we can go.” Not waiting for a reply, she immediately turned and ran up the stairs. She held her chest with her right hand, and bit her lower lip to stop the smile impending to spread on her lips.

 

 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 

 

“Are you sure you didn’t know I was left at home that’s why you didn’t come with them too?” Dara interrogated Jiyong. He was under the car he was fixing, while she was sitting comfortably in a lotus position on the hood of the car in front of it.

 

He slid out from under it, sat, and looked at her—seemingly pleased.

 

“What?!”

 

“Seungri was right. You’re really irritating.” He stood up and reached for the hand towel on the hood of the car and wiped his greasy hands as he was walking towards her.

 

“It’s because you were not answering my question.” She reasoned out. “So, what?”

 

“Okay, fine. Just to let you have your peace, I knew you weren’t coming along so I didn’t accompany them as well. Happy?”

 

“Eh? But why were you surprised when you saw me in the kitchen?”

 

“Coz I thought you were in your room, sulking.”

 

“And why would I throw a childish tantrum like that?” Does he know something about the happenings involving her?

 

He shrugged his shoulders. “Why don’t you ask yourself?”

 

Dara put both hands on her waist. “Tell the truth, what do you know?”

 

“Nothing,” he replied, still looking at her innocently. “Is there something I have to know?”

 

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Just tell the truth. I’m seeing through your act, mister.” She bluffed, thinking he would take the bait.

 

Jiyong just chuckled. “I have nothing to admit, okay?”

 

She pouted at his reply while he just chuckled again, not taking his eyes off of her face.

 

Dara again felt conscious with the way he was staring so she drew her eyes away and pretended to study his shop.

 

“Chaerin had told me that you graduated in Seoul. Why have you decided to stay here? You could probably get a nice job there in the city but instead you put up an auto shop here. And why shop in the first place?”

 

“I’m a mechanical engineer graduate, right?”

 

“Yeah, but it doesn’t follow that you need to take it literally and be a mechanic.”

 

He smiled again. He doesn’t seem to be running out of smiles today.

 

“I just want a simple life, with no complications. Besides, who else deserves more to benefit from my education but the place where I grew up?”

 

Dara hid her admiration with what he had said. She had acquaintances from Busan, that just because they graduated in Seoul they believe that they are living above the clouds, along with their egos. Didn’t know how to look back to where they came from and really embraced the city life.

 

But he was surely different. According to Chaerin, Jiyong had his shop flourish in the span of four years. It has three branches around the town and still planning to open one shop next year.

 

“What about you? Why didn’t you be a doctor? You’re a Med Tech grad, right? Don’t you have plans?”

 

“Of course, I have but not now. I don’t want to rush things. And besides, I’m two years ahead for my real age.” She said with a smile.

 

“Sir Ji!”

 

Both turned their heads to one of his personnel, calling him. He was carrying a cordless phone.

 

“Ma’am Chaerin is on the line.”

 

Jiyong got the phone and answered, “Yeah?” then listened for a while. “Sure. She’s with me anyway.”

 

Even if it was just a one-sided conversation she was hearing, Dara knew that she was their topic.

 

“She really is with me.” he insisted, then gave her the phone. “Talk to her, please. She doesn’t believe that we’re together.”

 

Confused, she put the device on her ear while he was eyeing her. “Chae?”

 

“So it’s really true that you’re together? I thought Oppa was just playing with me.”

 

“Y-yeah.” She was flustered that Chaerin caught them together. And to think that for the span of two weeks that they’ve been together, all she and Jiyong did was just argue and bicker and annoy the living daylights out of each other. “He invited me to visit his auto shop. He must have missed barking at me.” Then she followed it suit with howling laughter and made Chaerin laugh along.

 

Jiyong can’t help but to just shake his head, then signalled her that he’s just going back to his office. He just turned around after she nodded her head.

 

She followed his figure with her gaze as he disappeared behind the door to his little office.

 

“Listen, Jeremy just called me.” she heard her said, referring to the owner of the boutique that personally handled in making the gowns for the wedding. “Your gown is almost finished and he asked if you could drop by today to fit it, coz there might be some modifications and minor details you wanted to add. I already asked Jingyo oppa to accompany you.”

 

“Okay. We’ll go there straight.”

 

After talking on the phone with Chaerin, she was lost in deep thoughts. She hasn’t felt a single drop of resentment or irritation while talking to her. She even got to throw a joke. Dara, definitely, felt light-hearted now, not like when she woke up this morning. She’s not feeling the pain of rejection from Seungri last night.

 

Does this mean that she’s accepting Seungri’s nearing wedding day? Or there’s a connection with the way she’s feeling unusual and whimsical with Jiyong, and that’s the reason that she’s not loathing the idea anymore?

 

IT , I KNOW. TT____TT

 

 

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