~DARA’S POV~

My blood literally dropped to the floor when I heard Jae called for help. Something must have happened. Fear gripped my heart in an iron-tight fist. For a moment, I buried my face deeper in his chest. For a moment, I tried to hold my tears back.

A sudden wave of ambivalence came over me. I wanted to know what happened but then, I’m too afraid to find out.

A voice inside me started shouting at me and it was getting louder and louder by the minute until I can’t ignore it anymore.

“What happened?” I asked, barely a whisper but Jae didn’t answer. My tears were threatening to choke me already that ipulled away from his chest to take a deep breath/

“Dara, you don’t want to-” he started but I was already turning away from him.

My brain slowed. At first, all I could understand is that Kwon Jiyong’s in our kitchen with a blood-stained knife on his hand. My Dad was lying on the blood-stained floor. After that, it’s as if my brain stopped functioning.

“No…” I heard a choking, broken voice. Fat tears then rolled down rapidly. My brain finally processed everything in a fast forward manner that I felt like my skull’s going explode. I felt my muscles locked, then tensed as I lunged forward but two strong arms locked themselves around my chest, stopping me.

“Let me go!” I shrieked. “Daad!”

Why is he stopping me? Why isn’t he doing anything? Shouldn’t Jae fight Kwon Jiyong or help Dad? Why is he just standing behind me? There was a sound from somewhere.

“We’re in here!” I heard Jae shouted. I continued struggling; wanting to run to Dad and attack Kwon Jiyong but Jae was too strong for me.

I saw men in uniform entered the kitchen. Jiyong dropped the kitchen knife on the floor wordlessly. He didn’t fight. He didn’t struggle. He just let the men handcuff him. Is this how it happened? Is this how his father died, too? When they past by me, I screamed and was able to pull one arm off Jae’s hold. I scratched Jiyong’s face and spit at him. His jaw clenched but he didn’t say anything. He just smirked.

“Oh God” icried as I knelt down on the floor beside Dad. My hands were terribly shaking as they frantically hovered above Dad’a body.

“Dara”I heard Jae’s voice.

“Help him” Icried.

The ambulance arrived some seconds later. Jae pulled me up from the floor for I was too weak to move. We followed Dad’s stretcher to the mobile.

“You already saw what you needed to see” I heard kwon Jiyong sneered. “Why ask stupid repetitive questions?”

I wanted to cut his tongue out but I was too weak to put my thoughts into action. I just let Jae lead me.

o=o=o

“See? SEE?!” mom freaked out. “If you’d only listened to me! Everyone knew what that guy’s capable of! He’s a heartless criminal! He killed his own father. What made you think he’s not capable of killing other people not related to him! Now look! Look at what he did!”

I didn’t say anything. I just cried. I felt bad. I felt guilty. I felt horrible. Mom ranted on and on. I know she’s worried to death for Dad. I am, too. But Mom’s explosion was triggered when the doctor informed her that Dad will be needing bllod transfusion.

Jae stayed beside me all the while, silently comforting me. I appreciate it. I’m actually grateful. His presence was enough to stop me from having a nervous breakdown. There’s just too much conflict going on inside me. I believed Kwon Jiyong’s a rude person but not heartless. But right nw? I don’t know what to believe about him anymore. Just by thinking or remembering him standing over Dad with a kitchen knife on his hand makes my blood boil from anger. I can geel it running through my veins that I just want to lash out.

“He’ll be alright” Jae whispered.

“Kwon Jiyong should be sentenced to death” I whispered back.

“Shh…”

“He’s evil” I cried. “And heartless. . . . he’s. . . .”

I buried my face in his chest and cried my eyes out again.

o=o=o

I felt Dad stirred. I straightened up in my seat at once. My heartpounded inside my chest hard/ he blinked his eyes. Slowly, his eyes opened.

“Thank God!” I gasped. “Dad, how are you feeling?”

“W-where. . .?” he croaked.

“We’re in the hospital” I quickly answered. “Mom went home to get some styff”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “No” he croaked again. “Where is he?”

My teeth snapped at once, thinking that he’s referring to Kwon Jiyong. With balled fists, I answered his question with grinding teeth. “kwon Jiyong’s in jail, right where he belongs”

“No. . .” he croaked again. “Kwon Jiyong didn’t do this to me. In fact, if it weren’t for him, I’ll be dead already”

“Dad, I think you’re confused. . .”

“No” he insisted. “There. . . there was a noise from the kitchen. I went to check it out but I saw nothing. I shrugged it off at first then decided to make a coffee but when I turned around, there’s a masked person there. He stabbed me thrice. I shouted for help. Kwon Jiyong suddenly arrived. . .” he paused and took a few deep breaths. “There was a commotion, I think they fought. I lost track. The last thing I remember weas jiyong taking the knife out from my side”

I was dumbstrucked. “A-are you sure?”

“Yes”

I suddenly felt like crying again.

o=o=o

The news about what Kwon Jiyong did to my father spread like wildfire. It hasn’t even died down yet when the news about what really happened came out.

I fidgeted with my fingers as I waited for kwon Jiyong outside the station. I’ve been practicing my dialogue inside my head. I just hope I won’t buckle. I held my breath as I saw him stepped out of the precinct. I instantly noticed the bruise at the side of his mouth and another on his cheek.

“W-what happened to-?”

“Don’t touch me!” he hissed so dangerously that I actually step back. His jaw clenched as he looked down and pulled his hood up. Without glancing at me, he started walking away.

I was frozen for a m oment. When I gathered up all my senses, I followed him, jogging to keep up with him.

“Why didn’t you tell me it wasn’t you?” I asked.

“You didn’t ask” he simply answered.

“You could have at leas mentioned it. You wouldn’t be put into jail if-“

He suddenly stopped and turned around that I almost bumped into him.

“Does it matter?” he bit out, eyes blazing. “I’m TAINTED. I’ve been accused of too many wrongdoings already. Adding another crime under my already spent-up reputation doesn’t matter anymore”

“I’m sorry about the scratch and. . .” I mumbled. He snorted and shook his head.

“I’ll be more grateful if you’ll just disappear” he spat and walked away.

o=o=o

I haven’t seen Kwon Jiyong for a week already. But everyone’s still talking about him. Some were still hesitant of believing that he ACTUALLY saved Dad, others stubbornly didn’t believe it. here were also some people who believed that he changed already.

“I find Kwon Jiyong hawt nowadays” Victoria said. “Now that he has changed, I’m starting to like him, so mysterious and intriguing”

“He wasn’t a bad person in the first place” I mumbled to myself. I felt a kiss on my shoulder. I looked at Jae and forced a smile.

“How are you and your Mom?” he asked.

“We’re still not talking” I sighed.

He shook his ehad. “You can’t blame her for everything she said about Jiyong” he said. “You doubted him too, remember?”

“I know” I shamefully said. “I shouldn’t have doubted him. Now he doesn’t want to talk to me anymore. He’s angry and I’m supposed to be his friend”

“Give him time” he said. “He’ll come by”

“Ya! What are you two whispering about?” Krystal interfered.

“Oh, you really have to ask?” Luna rolled her eyes. “Of course they’re sharing sweet nothings and maybe some naught stuff” she added with a wink.

I just chuckled as they started arguing. Jae rested his chin on my shoulder and rubbed his hand up and down my arm.

“Thanks” I whispered and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“It’s the least I could do” he said.

“No, you’ve done too much for me already” I said. “Please don’t change”

“I’ll always stay beside you” he assured me.

“And I’ll hold your word for that” I chuckled.

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