Donghae ushered Dara towards their car. As much as he wanted to be beside her for a longer time, he still has lots of time for that since both of them were officers of their class to facilitate the upcoming school foundation. Also both of them were already engaged- though not formally engaged and announce by their parents to the public- meaning they can hang-out with each other without hiding to their parents and to others.

As they reached to her car service, Daesung immediately went out and bowed. He knew that the person with Lady Park is her fiancé so there’s no harm. “Lady Park.” He said, with a modest smile he can give.

Dara smiled at Daesung and immediately shifted her gaze to Donghae. “Thank you Donghae.”

“You’re always welcome Dara.” He then slightly squeezes her hand and smile. “Just remember, I’m phone call away from you.”

She nod and entered to the car. As she relaxed herself inside, she let out a sigh. This is the toughest day I ever had… she said to herself. The only thing that she must face right now is the possible reaction of her parents, most especially her mother, because of her situation in Sequel University.

Once Daesung entered the car, it immediately moved heading home. I hope they will understand. I hope eomma will understand…

The house is so serene the moment Dara came home.  The maids who approached her as she stepped-out of their service car is an evidence of how wealthy their family is. She let out a sigh as she walked and being greeted by their maids. It’s been awhile since she experienced a simple life: not surrounded by maids, not surrounded with this kind of wealth and not surrounded with people whom she knew make friends with her because she is now Sandara Park.

She went straight to her room and changed. As she saw her reflection in the mirror, she realized that things really changed since she came to this family ancestral house. The way she dress, the way she act towards others with full of grace and sophistication and how the way she was being treated. It was as if she’s now living to a whole new Sandara Park: not the Sandara Park that grew with her mother… her real mother.

“Good afternoon Lady Park.” One of their maids said as she went outside her room. “Your mother, Madam Park is waiting for you at the study.” She informed her, making her nervous. She already knew. She thought.

She gave her a timid smile then went straight to her mothers study room. Her mother doesn’t want to wait too much because her time is as precious as a gem. As soon as she’s outside the study room, she calmed herself and sighs. I hope she’ll not hate me… It took her a second or two to find knock the room and wait for her mothers’ response.

“Come in.” her mother said, in a cold, unvarying voice.

She was thinking twice since she’s too nervous. Her mother seldom gets mad at her. But when she do, heck, it was as if she was facing Hitler. She firmly holds the knob of the study room and carefully twists it for it to open. As soon she smells the air circulation the study, she felt like she entered the Kingdom of Ice Princess in Narnia. It is cold… colder than the usual. Maybe the ambiance made it colder.

As she entered the room, she shifted her gaze from her shoes to her mother. And there, she saw how busy her mother was. The wrinkles forming on her forehead is more visible and it made her more years older than her real age. She made an awkward walk towards her mother. As much as possible, she doesn’t want to disturb her mother.

“Please sit down Dara.” She said, still her gaze is fixed on her paper works. And it made her more uncomfortable and more nervous. She sat down there silently, and waits for another instruction.

She roams around her gaze to the whole study room. And it made her smile, despite of the fact that her mother is mad at her, when she saw their family picture hanging at the center. That was few years ago, on her 12^th birthday. When I still don’t have an idea about my true identity…

“How’s your day?” her mother asked. She set aside her laptop and the papers she’s been reading awhile ago. “I heard that you’re not the top-performing student anymore Dara.”

She tensed as she saw the apathetic glance her mother is giving her. The way her mothers’ lips twitch, it is an evident that she’s not happy to what she heard. She’s mad. She’s mad! She’s mad at me. “I-it’s was ok-okay eomma.”

Her mother lean forward and put her elbows at the edge of the table. Her fingers touching another finger and made an awkward mantra that’s giving her goosebumps. Her mothers stare is unexplainable and she cannot read it. “Are you satisfied with the result?”

“I-I beg your pardon eomma.” She asked. Did I hear it right?

“Are you satisfied that you’re not the top-performing student of your school anymore? Are you satisfied that you became lax?”

She cannot utter a single word. I am not! I am not! She wanted to tell that to her mom but as if she was spell bounded and she cannot open . So her mother continued, “If you are satisfied, then I am not.” Her mother let out a sigh, “I am very disappointed Dara.”

She closed her eyes, as if absorbing the words she’s using. And that’s it, she used those words again. I am very disappointed Dara... I am very disappointed Dara… Disappointed.

“You’re a graduating student and you should maintain your grades. I am so proud of you since you maintained your grades since freshmen.” Her mother mumbled, “But what disappoint me most is when I knew that you slope down to the 4^th place and being replaced by a Noye? Your very own Noye?”

She just bows down her head and control herself not to sob. She wanted to go out and cry on her bed. But she cannot. Her body was numb and the only organ that is functioning is her ears, her eyes and her heart. Please stop it eomma. She begged.

“I’m very disappointed Dara…”

4 years ago…

She was about to knock inside her mother’s study room when heard voices inside. She recognizes it as her uncle, her mother and her fathers’ voice. But what scares her most is the voice of her grandfather.

“You should train that child from now on.” Her grandfather said. His voice is full of authority and it made her knees tremble. “Its either she’ll be useful or useless. After all, she’s just a daughter of a —“

“Father!” her mother exclaimed. “Sandara is my daughter!”

It was a puzzle on her mind. Me? Daughter of a ? She tried her best to grasp the idea but she finds it really puzzling. She cannot be a daughter of a since her mother is a business woman.

“Father,” Her father said. She tried to examine the voice her father was using but she can’t. The voice is starting to get blurry. “Sandara is our daughter—“

“Oh cut that crap young man! You know that I know that she’s not your daughter. She is your daughter, your daughter from someone else.”

“No! She’s my daughter too!” her mother reacted. “I am her mother. I am Sandaras’ mother!”

“He’s your daughter from a when you’re having a problem with my daughter. When my daughter is killing herself from working twenty-four seven just to propagate your… your sloping down hotels, you’re just having fun with that you met at Jeju.” Her grandfather said. What is he talking about? Then, he continued, “When you heard the news that she can’t bear you a child, you jump off to someone else body and made some… mistakes and disappointments.”

“Stop it father! Stop it!” her mother screamed. Her father didn’t react. He didn’t utter even a single word. Is it true? “I am the real mother of Sandara!”

It was as if a bomb exploded in her system. At a very young age, she learns that she’s not a real Park. Oh, she was but not the real daughter of her mother. Then, who’s my mother? She asked herself.

Tears are streaming down to her face. Her heart is constricting really hard and she can’t understand why. She’s in pain right now…

“What are you doing here Dara?” her uncle asked and opened the door of the study room. There she saw the disappointed as well as mocking look of her grandfather. “Why don’t you come inside and--- hey!”

Then, she run…

I’m a mistake.

I’m a disappointment.

I am not the real Sandara Park.

As soon as she went outside her mothers’ study room, she immediately let go of the sobs she’s been controlling for the entire conversation. Her heart is broken down into a million pieces and it hurts. With trembling hands, she dialed the first person who came to her mind.

“H-hi.” She said, trying to control her sobs but it failed. “H-hi.” She repeated, trying to be as enthusiastic as she can be. Pretend! Pretend!

“Dara…” then it made her cry again. The way he utter her name, it was gentle and full of care.

“J-Jiyong… I am sad. I-I am hurting…”

She doesn’t know why she’s confiding to Kwon Jiyong. She can confide to Seungri or to Bom or to Donghae but she didn’t. She just barely knows him. As if Jiyong is her lost best friend. A kind of best friend that she wanted: to confide to, to comfort her in times like this and to motivate her to cheer-up.

“Where are you?” Jiyong asked. “Are you in your house?”

“Y-yes.”

“Wait…”

The phone call ended. She felt like she’s being beaten up. And she hated it. Jiyong didn’t call her back that made her down-feeling worse. I hate it! I hate it!

She silently cries and let her feeling go. The way everything happened seems dreary. The sloping down of her academic status, the way her mother says that she’s disappointed at her and the way her cousin Bom treat her- as if she’s a non-existing creature. Everything.

She felt that the door of her room opened so she covered her face with the pillow she’s been holding for some quite time. Father already knew. She silently cried again and make sure that the pillow is covering her sobs.

She saw that her phone light-up and she reached it, trying to act normal. She saw that Jiyong texted her and what shocks her most is the message he sent to her.

‘Don’t cover your face with the pillow Dara. Let me see you cry and let me wipe it with my hands…’

She’s half sitting and saw the figure of a guy, standing at the edge of her bed. Jiyong? But—how? The way the orange and black rays of the setting sun beam at his figure made her relaxed. The worries, the pain and the unwanted feeling immediately evaporated together.

“J-jiyong? B-but—how?”

He ushered himself towards Sandara. He sit at the edge of her bed and silently and carefully, staring at the hurt expression of her face. He cupped her face and wiped the dried tears on her cheeks. “I have ways…”

“W-who?” I still can’t believe this.

“Seungri.” He answered. “We are friends, even if I’m just a Noye.”

“A-ahh…”

Then silence. The silence filled the room is not awkward or intimidating. The way Jiyong looked at her says that this girl is really important to him. The way he his thumb to her cheeks and mumbled words that encourages her to move and study hard says that this girl is close to his heart. I am falling… hard.

“J-jiyong…”

“Hmmm?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“It depends.” He joked. “But for you, yes, I can.”

Sandara bit her lower lip and think twice if she’ll tell him. She’s comfortable with him, yes, but he’s still a complete stranger. A stranger that might betray her in the end. But you think he’s you soulmate!

She let out a sigh, and immediately blushed to her thought. “I-I think you are my soulmate.” Thank god the lights are off.

Jiyong twitched his lips upwards. “I do feel the same.”

“W-what do you mean?” she rattled. He feels the same?

“I am comfortable with you even if we just barely met. I… I like the way you smile and it melt my heart Sandara. You are my soulmate and forever will be.” He stated, still staring at the alluring face of Sandara.

“But… soulmates cannot be lovers right?”

Oh god, we can fight if you just wanted to. “Y-yes.”

“I-I have another thing to confess…”

“Hmmm. What is it?” Jiyong playfully asked. “Are you, by chance, in love with me?”

Dara suppress a laugh for the first time. Ahh, her laugh is like music to my ear! “No.” And a euphoric feeling immediately evaporated.  “I am already engaged to--”

“To Lee Donghae.” He added. “Don’t ask me Dara. I already knew.”

“H-how?”

“You just don’t know how powerful I am even if I’m just a Noye in the school…”

And Sandara thought, Jiyong is a enigmatic person…

He went out of her room the moment she fell asleep. Too much crying exhausted her. He leaves a note saying that they should see each other the next day at school. As Jiyong went home, his father is waiting for him.

“You’ve been with her again.” His father stated. “How many time do I have to tell you that—“

“Come on father! I’m just comforting her. Why don’t you understand that?!” his tone raised and he paused for awhile to calm himself. Respect Jiyong! He’s still your father. “S-she is my friend.” Come on!

“You’re getting too close to the subject Jiyong. The plan you’ve been making for the past 2 years, always remember that. Don’t let that girl ruined it. Don’t let your feelings entered and be blinded with that---”

“Y-yeah, yeah.” He boringly answered him. “I’m just getting little information from her.”

The way his pupils dilated and the way his eyes moves gives signal to his father that he’s lying. “You’re in love with her.” His father stated. It’s not a question ‘coz he seen his son being in love before.

“H-huh? I-I am not in love with her appa!’ he stated. Keep lying to yourself Jiyong! “Why would I fall to the person who’s engaged to the person who nearly killed my best friend? Why would I fall to the girl… to the girl—I have my plans appa.“

Then, she can’t find a word to describe Sandara Park. Damn it!

His father shrugs, “I don’t care about your plans Jiyong and I trust you into that. The only thing I wanted you to bare in your mind that in this human chess we’ve been playing, your emotions must not get involve to this. You play and let your mind function. Not your heart. No emotional attachment involves.

“I know…”

“You’re getting too much of the queen.”

“I am using her to protect me.” He answered. “I am the king of this game. My game.”

“Use the pawns… don’t move yourself. Things will change if you let your guard down.”

“I know…” he said, believing that he’s the only one who can hear it.

“And don’t let yourself experience check-mate.” He looked at his father who walked away. “And remember, I am your father.”

A/N:

Comment down your thoughts about my update! This should be posted yesterday but I am not satisfied to my first update so yeah, I revised it. I’m expecting this LOOOOONG COMMENTS FROM YOU GUYS- though too much expectation will lead to disappointments.  Argghh, don’t disappoint me guys! :[

PS. The end is NEAR. So, silent readers, *aheem* show yourself up.

-A :poop: