Chapter 5:

Jiyong got out of his car and tossed his key over to the valet to park. He had removed his suit coat and tie and ed the top three buttons of his shirt. He made his way to the VIP entrance into the club that was frequented by him and his friends and the doorman automatically let him in. Once inside he went straight to the bar and ordered a drink. Not less than a minute later and a hot girl was already by his side and running her hand down his arm.

“Flying solo tonight, baby?” she asked.

Jiyong dismissed her with a jerk of his head. He was still irritated with the outcome of his so called ‘betrothal’ dinner earlier. He’d promised his grandfather that he would go through with the engagement – or at least the dinner portion. But he was still considering how to get out of the actual marriage arrangement with Dara. He couldn’t believe that after six years since he’d last seen her in high school she still had the ability to rile him up. Just the image of her sticking her tongue out at him from inside the taxi was enough for him to want to march back into the restaurant and tell his grandfather that he changed his mind and there was no way he would marry that girl. But instead he had gone to his car and drove here.

It was obvious she didn’t want to marry him any more than he wanted to marry her, and yet she had shown up at the dinner as well. He wondered briefly what her story was that she hadn’t put up a stronger fight to get out of this engagement. He swore under his breath, his head dizzy with thoughts on how to get out of this situation. Unable to think of anything, he settled for swallowing the last of his drink before catching the bartender’s attention and signaled for a refill.

**

Dara pulled out her phone and dialed a number. A few seconds later it was answered by a male voice.

“Dee?”

“Hey Bae Baby, what’s up!” Bae Baby was the nickname she had for one of her close friends from high school, Dong Youngbae.

“Hey, what’s up baby girl! Where are you calling from? Are you here?”

“I am tonight, but I’ll be gone tomorrow,” Dara informed him. “You available? Wanna hang out?”

“Shoots yeah!” Youngbae answered. He hadn’t seen Dara in close to a year. She’d been home for a few nights a couple months back but he had been in Japan promoting his last single.  He told her the name of a restaurant to meet him at and Dara agreed to meet within half an hour.

Dara knew Bae from when she joined the drama club in school and participated in a musical where he was the lead. She fell in love with Bae’s voice after hearing him sing for the first time and had introduced herself to him. The two became close friends along with Lee Chaerin and a few others from the club. Bae and Chaerin were the only two that Dara still kept in touch with and was still close friends with. Chaerin was now studying fashion design in Paris while Youngbae was trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. He was making moderate success in Japan but was not signed with any of the big entertainment companies, mainly because he felt the offers presented to him would limit creative control over his music.

The two met up at the restaurant and spent the first half hour laughing and catching up. “So what are you doing home?” Youngbae asked. “Did that fancy university finally figure out you’re a dunce and kicked you out?” He was teasing of course. Of all the people he knew Dara was probably one of the smartest. But he also knew she had a real dorky side to her that most people were not aware of.

“Haha, very funny,” Dara replied, scrunching her nose as she made a face at him. “Actually I came home to get engaged.”

Youngbae’s jaw dropped, his eyes popped open. “Are you joking?”

Dara started laughing. She pointed her finger at him. “Omg, you should see your face!”

“Aish, you dumb girl. I thought you were serious.”

Dara took a sip of her drink and set it back down. “Actually I am serious. My grandfather brought me home because he’s arranged for me to ‘get married’.”

“Are you serious? You mean like an arranged marriage?”

Dara nodded, her expression becoming sullen. “Yeah. You know how my grandfather is… Anyhow, he had me come home so that I could meet the guy he wants me to marry. And you’ll never guess who it is.”

Youngbae leaned forward in his seat, elbows on the table. “Do I know him?”

“Oh yeah," Dara smirked. "You definitely know who he is since we went to school together.”

“High school? Get out of here!” There was a look of excitement in his eyes. “Who is it?!!”

“Guess,” Dara said, her face dour.

“Well it’s obviously someone you don’t like,” Youngbae said, laughing at her expression. But he was too excited to try and guess. “Just tell me already!”

Dara shook her head. “Nope. You guess. And if you laugh I swear I’ll kick you.”

Youngbae couldn’t help himself. Even without knowing who it was he found the situation hilarious. Dara engaged? And to someone she obviously did NOT like, possibly hated? “Oh my god,” he said, his laughter making even Dara smile. “Don’t tell me it’s one of those popular guys that you hated?”

Dara rolled her eyes and made a sour face. She Then made a sobbing sound that only served to make Youngbae laugh again as he considered in his mind who those guys were that Dara hated from school. There was Kim Jaejoong, but Youngbae knew Jaejoong was already married. Then there was Lee Minho, but Minho was in a relationship… and besides his family wasn’t rich enough that Dara’s grandfather would approve of a union between the two. He tried to remember who else from their school could possibly fit the bill as a possible husband for Dara and would fill her with such appall.

“Oh s—t!” Youngbae’s mouth dropped open for the second time that night.

Dara cocked an eyebrow at him and she could tell he had guessed who it was. “Uh huh, that’s exactly what my first reaction was too,” she muttered.

**