Jiyong leaned back against the couch and sighed. The empty dishes from their room service meal have been put out in the hallway. They still have wine and two servings of chocolate mousse waiting for them. 

This is how it's supposed to be. This is the good life. And it's not just the food.

He looked towards his left and saw Dara curled up on the couch next to him.

Before she came over, she showered and changed into a pink sleeveless dress with small yellow flowers on the skirt. She tucked her bare legs under her and left her hair down.

She looked so young and innocent. Totally different from the sensibly dressed Dara that went with him on the hike. She's still as beautiful today as she was yesterday.

But that's not what took his breath away. It's not her beauty or her body. It was her presence. Just her being here...with him in this room. He rarely invited women to his room. Because he travels a lot, he doesn't have a permanent home anywhere. So his hotel rooms or motel rooms were his sanctuary, his haven. When he was intimate with a woman, he would either go to her place or they were somewhere where rooms don't matter. Dara being in his hotel room is not an intrusion, it feels more like completion. 

"Museun saenggakhe? Wanna talk about it?"

"It's not important. I was just thinking how I don't normally invite women to my room. I like to keep all this private."

"And the outdoors neutral?"

He looked at her to see her reaction but she didn't look angry. "You got it. You're not mad?"

"Ani. Why would I be? I'm actually honored you trust me enough to come here and invade your space because you needed a friend." 

She took a sip of her wine, then tilted her head slightly to the left.

"Tell me about your abeoji."

Jiyong knows he can't put this conversation off forever. He knows he'd feel better after talking about it but he's not ready to talk about it now. He looks at Dara waiting for his answer and he knows he won't be able to say no to her.

"It's not a nice story."

"So? I don't think you would be hesitating to tell me the story if it was a good one. Are you afraid I'll think less of you?"

"Yes."

She puts her wine glass down on the coffee table.

"I could tease you and promise that wasn't possible but that would be unfair to you. Whatever happened between us, however complicated it gets, I want you to know that I've enjoyed knowing you. You're not like the other people I've met but that's just on the surface. Underneath all the travel and unusual experiences, you're very familiar to me. I think we have a lot in common and I believe we can be friends for a long time. I'll try my best not to judge you."

Jiyong's gaze locks with Dara's. "I guess I can't ask for more than that. Gomawo. I want us to be friends too."

Dara smiles. "You know what? Why don't we do this. After you talk about your father, I'll tell you something equally bad about my life. Then we'll be even. Call?"

"Call!" He takes a deep breath. "My appa met my eomma in college. Harabeoji said that they fell in love at first sight with each other and as soon as they got together you couldn't keep them apart. It didn't take long, just a few months before they got married. They were so in love. They put off having kids because they wanted it to be just the two of them. But I guess when my eomma found out she was pregnant, they were happy. At least that's what I remember from the few pictures I saw in the attic. My eomma died when she gave birth to me. I guess my abeoji couldn't forgive me for that. He hired nannies, nurses and staff to take care of the house and me but he was never there. When I was ten, my harabeoji came to see me. He's an anthropologist. He likes to travel to different remote locations and study different civilizations. He took me away with him. When I was fifteen, he tried to answer as much as he could when I asked him about my parents. He never used the word "blame" but I understood it. If it wasn't for me, my mom would have still been alive."

Dara moved closer to Jiyong and took his hand in hers. She gave his fingers a squeeze.

"Wow. It's a lot for an adult to take in. It must have been so harder for someone so young."

"I agree. I used to make up stories about my dad. How he would come to his senses and come find me and take me back. He'd realize that it wasn't my fault and ask for my forgiveness but he never did. I prayed every night but nothing happened. I loved my grandfather. He tried to do as much as he can to raise me but there were times I wished I had a normal family. I wanted to wake up in my own room for a few weeks. Not some tent in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to have my own toys and friends, not just acquaintances. After a while, I outgrew the dream. I stopped praying that he would come for me. Sometimes, I forgot he was alive."

"I don't think you gave up the dream. I think it just got more complicated because you're an adult now."

"Not at all. In fact, I ---"

"Nope." Dara shook her head. "You can't fool me Jiyong. Of course you wanted your dad to come back to you. We all want to be loved. You stopped wishing because it hurt too much to be disappointed."

"How do you know that?"

"Things look better when you're not the one involved. Kokchongma. You're secret is safe with me."

"Ara-yo."

He wanted to pull her closer. To feel her warmth next to his but he didn't. Not because he was afraid she'll reject him. But because the need for her was so intense it scared him. One thing he learned from his past was that needing someone means having expectations. And having expectations just gave way to disappointment. He's never needed anyone. He didn't need Dara. 

"So what happened next?"

"He finally tried to contact me when I was in my 2nd year in college. I haven't heard from him except for a few late birthday greetings from time to time. He said he wanted to come see me."

"You refused."

"Of course. But he was too stubborn. He just kept on talking. I guess I got my stubborn streak from him. It's a Kwon trait."

"Did he say he was sorry?"

"Sort of. He said he's been keeping track of me. He said he wanted to come and take me back sooner but I was doing so well with my harabeoji, he didn't want to upset my home life again."

"That sounds reasonable."

"It does, doesn't it," Jiyong said with a hard tone. Dara gives his fingers a gentle squeeze.

"You didn't believe him?"

"Of course not.I told him he was 20 years too late. I didn't need an absentee father or a new friend. I told him never to contact me again. But like I said, he was stubborn. He kept at me." Jiyong sighed. "Finally I told him the truth about what life with harabeoji was like. Don't get me wrong, I knew he loved me and I was grateful when he took me in. But harabeoji had a tendency to get too focused on his work that he forgot everything else. I told him about the times I was injured or was in danger in the forest. I told him about the time harabeoji went to follow a lead on one of his projects and left me in the outback. He couldn't remember where he left me so I nearly starved to death. I told him there were no words to make up for that. So I told him I didn't want to see him or hear from him again. Then I hung up on him."

He felt uncomfortable with all that he told her. But it was too late to turn back. 

"I told you it wasn't gonna be pleasant."

"What happened when he called back?"

"How did you know he did?"

"What else would he do? He called and apologized for all that. What did you tell him?"

"That he was too little too late."

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Annyeong readers! Sorry for taking too long to update this fic. I haven't been inspired lately. Well, actually I am but on a different fic. XD I have one I've been working on when I'm at work. My first real rated fic from my own imaginings not based off of a book. This fic has some mature scenes but it was tastefully written and based off of the book I adapted this story from. Anywho, this fic might be ending soon. Then I can upload the next one. I know it's been awhile but here's a new chapter. Hope you're still with me in this story.

Korean word/phrase

museun saenggakhe - what are you thinking?

ani - no

abeoji - dad

gomawo - thank you

appa - dad

eomma - mom

harabeoji - grandfather

kokchongma - don't worry

ara-yo - i know