Chapter 15:

Jiyong stopped in front of the principal and bowed before extending his hand to receive his diploma and then moved on to return to his seat. A smile was on his face as he glanced out over the audience in attendance for their graduation and quickly spotted Dara clicking photos of him. When she spotted him looking, she paused, camera lowering as she excitedly waved her hand at him. Her grandfather was beside her on one side, his parents on the other.

As he took his seat to await the conclusion of the ceremony he reflected on this day and what it meant for him. A part of him couldn’t believe his high school days were over. He’d been accepted over at Yonsei University along with Top. Youngbae would be attending Seoul National. Daesung would be attending school at Japan.

In a way it saddened him that this would mark the end of the days when he would see his friends on a nearly daily basis. They were growing up and stepping out into the ‘real’ world now. Apart from preparing to attend university Jiyong would also be working at his father’s company starting in two weeks.

His parents had reconciled, the time they spent away from each other having helped them to realize what was important in their lives. They had rediscovered their love for each other. His mother learned to speak up for herself. While his father learned to listen and not be overprotective to the point of dictating every little part of his wife’s life. They learned to talk to each other again, to share their thoughts and their feelings instead of trying to hide them away from each other. And that made all the difference.

Over the past few months both his parents had become closer with Dara. Their hearts were touched at how Dara had visited Jaejoong’s grave those many years when she had no idea who he was and left him flowers and tended to his grave.

Jiyong felt his phone vibrate. He took it out and looked at the message.

Daesung: Don’t forget tonight. You're coming right?

Daesung’s parents were holding a party that night for him to celebrate his graduation. Jiyong and the rest of the boys were invited. However Dae had suggested that he and Top might not want to bring Dara and Bom as things might get a little wild. Jiyong interpreted that to mean there would be a lot of alcohol and girls at the party.

Jiyong sent a text to Top and asked if he was going to Daesung’s party.

Top: Not sure yet. Bom might kill me…

Jiyong smirked. He sent a text back to Daesung saying he wasn’t sure if he would make it or not. A part of him wanted to be there and to celebrate with his friends. But like Top, he knew their girls wouldn’t be too pleased if they knew there would be alcohol and girls there while the two of them were not present.

His phone vibrated again.

Daesung: You’re kidding me? It’s our last night!

Daesung was leaving at the end of the week to go to Japan where he would be enrolled in a summer course to help further his Japanese since he would be attending college there. Eventually he would take over his family’s business branch in Japan. Jiyong felt bad at the thought of not spending this time with him before Daesung left. Thinking of the party he thought it would be alright if he hung out with the boys and made sure not to drink too much.

**

Dara and Jiyong finished saying goodbye to his parents and to her grandfather after the graduation. They held hands as they walked over to his car. Earlier they had met up with their friends and Dara had offered her congratulations to them as well before each left to go with their families.

“So how does it feel to be an adult now?” she asked, a smile on her face.

“It feels the same as I did yesterday and the day before,” Jiyong replied, his hand tightening around hers. She moved closer to him as they walked.

“I’m going to miss not seeing you and the boys around school. It just hit me today as I was watching you guys receiving your diplomas that you won’t be around anymore.”

“I’ll always be around,” he answered.

“You know what I mean,” she sighed. She still had another two years of high school while Jiyong was entering university in the fall. A part of her felt sadness and a little apprehension about what changes that might bring about for them.

Jiyong stopped and turned to face her. His free hand came up to touch her cheek and tilt her face up toward him. “Nothing will change between us,” he promised. His arms went around her to hug her. “Don’t think I don’t worry about you being here with all those fanboys now that I’m not around.”

He felt her giggle as she buried her face in his shoulder.

“And just because I’m not around every day don't think that you can start being nice with them. I still have Bom and Minzy to report to me if any of them get too close to you.”

Dara wrapped her arms around his waist. They stood there a moment enjoying each other’s company and closeness. She tilted her face up expectantly, eyes closing. Jiyong grinned and leaned down to kiss her waiting lips.

“Flirt,” he said, landing another short kiss on the tip of her nose before pulling her by the hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

The two arrived at the restaurant he had made reservations at for the two of them to have lunch. As always when they were together they chatted easily about this and that. Jiyong confided that he was feeling a little sad about finishing high school.

“I’m excited about college and moving on with life. But I’m going to miss that part of my life as well, especially the not seeing my friends as often.”

“They’ll only be as far away as you put them,” Dara told him gently, putting her hand over his. “Just because it’s a new page in your life doesn’t mean you have to lose touch with them. They’ll still be there for you as long as you want them in your life.”

He smiled and nodded. She was right, of course. The waiter brought over their dessert and Dara clapped her hands while Jiyong laughed at her excitement.

“So are you and Top going to Dae’s party tonight?” Dara asked.

“I think so. I wasn’t at first but Dae’s leaving this week to Japan…”

“You should go,” Dara told him. She paused as she took a bite of luscious chocolate cake and sighed with pleasure. “Bommie was telling me that Top was hesitating as well to attend. But this party is for you guys. Go have fun but at the same time be careful, okay?”

“You’re not upset about it?”

Dara shook her head. “This is your time with your friends. I’m going to stay home and catch up on my assignments since I still have a week left of school. Just text me when you get home so I know you’re alright. Don’t overdo the drinking, please?”

“Arasso,” he answered. He drove her home afterwards and kissed her before she got out of the car and waved goodbye to him. He waited until Dara got in the house before he drove off.

**

Dara checked on her grandfather after she got home and found him taking his afternoon nap. She smiled and quietly left to go to her room. There she found a letter that she’d been waiting for and quickly tore it open, eyes scanning the contents. A second later she was fist pumping the air and jumping around in the room while trying hard not to scream out loud so that she wouldn’t wake her grandfather a few rooms down.

She quickly fished out her phone and speed-dialed Bom as she hurried out of the house and into the garden.

“Bommie-ah! I got the letter! I made it!!!” This time she didn’t hold back her squealing as she jumped up and down and ran around like a crazy girl. On the other end of the phone an excited Bom was also screaming.

The letter was from the modeling agency that had sponsored the competition that both Dara and Bom had entered a few months back. Twenty-five girls had been selected for a call back out of the hundreds that entered the contest. Bom and Dara had both made that short list. However, when Bom heard of what would be required and how she would have to lose 20 lbs and maintain that weight, she declined the call. “I’m happy with myself the way I am,” she told Dara, and she wasn’t willing to give up her love of food to pursue a career in modeling. She was all supportive of Dara though and stayed with her throughout the interview process and the photo shoot. That photo shoot had been more extensive than the first one they did. There was a stylist, a make-up artist, and large wardrobe that Dara could choose her choice of outfit from. For that photo shoot she had to choose two concepts. The photographer would then choose her top two photos and submit them for the next phase of the competition. Only two girls would be selected of the top 25 to compete for the top spot and year long modeling contract that would come with it.

“Yah! I knew you would make it! None of those girls are as beautiful as you, Dara!”

“Thanks Bommie.” Dara grinned as she sat down on the bench in the garden, the letter still clenched in her other hand. She couldn’t believe she’d made it to the top two.

“So what happens now? Don’t you guys go on location or something?” Bom asked.

Dara was reading the letter again for the details. “It says that we’ll leave for Jeju island on the 28^th of this month. That’s in two weeks. Omo, I’d better tell Grandpa. And my parents…”

“You haven’t told them?”

“I mentioned to them I tried out for a modeling contest for fun but I didn’t think I’d actually make it to the top two so I didn’t really emphasize this might be a reality.”

“Hey Dara, so just to get this straight, if you happen to win this contest, is this something you really want to do?” Bom asked. After all they had only entered the contest on a whim, neither of them really taking the contest or their chances of advancing very seriously.

“I’m not sure if I want to do it professionally. I’m not even sure what my chances would be to make it as a career choice. But I wouldn’t mind trying it for a year. It doesn’t require that I travel or anything, so that’s not a hassle. I’m hoping that if things turn out and I get to try it out for a year that the experience will help me decide if this is something I want to do professionally.”

“That makes sense. What about Jiyong, have you told him?”

“He actually believed I would make it to the finals more than I did. I think he’ll be excited for me.”

“Hey, speaking of Jiyong, is he going to Daesung’s party tonight?”

“Yeah, he is.”

Dara heard Bom sigh over the phone. “So is Top. I didn’t want him to go because I know there will be a lot of girls there. And I don’t understand why we couldn’t go as well.” Dara could hear the pout in her friend’s voice and it made her smile.

“It doesn’t matter if there are a million girls there, you know Top only has eyes for you,” she teased.

“He’d better,” Bom stated. “Otherwise I’ll drop him so fast he won’t know what hit him!”

Dara chuckled as she listened to Bom. There was no way Top would cheat on Bom, and no way Bom would dump him. The two were crazy about each other.

**

Dara received a text at just after 10pm from Jiyong that he was back home. Surprised at how early he’d gotten home, she dialed his phone.

“Dara?”

“Hey! You’re home already? What happened?”

Jiyong shrugged his shoulders as he settled back on his bed. “I don’t know. Top and I got there a little after 8pm. It was still early but there were already a lot of people there. We just hung out by ourselves and Bae. Daesung had to play host. Anyway after an hour Top and I were ready to leave. It was a nice party but just not our scene, you know?”

Dara smiled, her heart warming over. “Well I’m glad you got to spend some time together with Bae even if it was only briefly. Maybe you guys can fly over to Japan for a weekend in the upcoming month and spend better time together without all the distractions.”

Jiyong was quiet for several seconds and Dara thought he might be feeling sad.

“Dara?”

“Hmm?”

“I really love you.”

She paused, her heart racing. What brought this on? “I love you too, Ji. Very much.”

He smiled and closed his eyes. “Talk to me will you? I want to hear your voice.”

He heard her chuckle, imagined her eyes and lips as she did so, and it made his heartbeat quicken. “Talk to me, baby,” he whispered, wanting to be lulled to sleep by the sound of her sweet voice.

“Crazy boy,” Dara murmured. Nonetheless she settled on her bed, her back against the headboard. “I got a letter from that modeling agency when I got home,” she began. “I made it to the top two.”

His eyes snapped open, a smile forming on his lips. “I knew you’d make it, babe. Congratulations!”

“Thanks Ji. I’m so excited.” She went on to tell him about her phone call with Bom, and the letter and the trip to Jeju. Every once in a while he would ask a question, but mostly he just listened, the excitement of the day having drained him more than he realized. After a while when he didn’t respond and Dara heard his even breathing over the phone, she knew he must have finally fallen asleep. She smiled and whispered her goodnight to him.

“I love you, Ji. Sweet dreams baby.”