In the following weeks Dara attempted to get to know CL better. The relationship between the two was awkward when Jiyong wasn’t around, but because CL was Jiyong’s close friend, Dara wanted to try and get to know her. Jiyong’s sister, Dami, had a birthday coming up. Dara asked CL if she’d like to go shopping with her to find Dami a present. “I don’t know Dami too well,” she explained. “Can you help me find something that she might like?”

CL reluctantly agreed, not because she didn’t like Dara but because she wasn’t confident that the two of them could get through a whole afternoon of shopping without being awkward about it. She told Jiyong about it and he told her not to be afraid to spend time with Dara. “Trust me,” he told CL. “You know I would never fall for a girl that was fake. Dara is as real as they come. You’ll find that she’s like you in many ways.”

CL was doubtful that Dara and her would have much in common but she sighed and went off to meet Dara anyway. As she expected it was awkward between them. They walked from store to store, Dara trying to make conversation but not very good at it. It happened that as they were at one store, Dara excused herself to go to the bathroom. When she returned she didn’t see CL. She looked around and then spotted her outside talking to three guys. But something didn’t look right. As Dara approached, she saw with surprise that CL was actually trying to get away from the guys but they were more or less harassing her. “What the…?”

Dara marched up to the three guys and shoved the nearest one away. “Get your hands off of her,” Dara said.

“What?” The guys looked at Dara. The one that she had shoved turned and looked her up and down. “Who the hell are you?” he asked. CL jumped over to Dara’s side and grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away.

“Park Sandara,” Dara replied, anger in her eyes and her hands on her hips. She ignored CL’s attempt to pull her away. “Should I spell that for you?”

“Ha!” The guy couldn’t believe that a puny little girl like Dara would stand there and challenge him like that. He took a step toward her and lifted his hand, finger pointing, and jabbed it toward Dara’s forehead. But before he could touch her, Dara had grabbed his arm and twisted it around, catching him by surprise. She kicked his feet out from under him so that he fell face first onto the ground. His two friends stared at her in shock, and then down at their friend.

“Why you little …” They moved in simultaneously to grab hold of Dara, but Dara was too nimble and fast. She landed a hard kick to one guy’s stomach, then did a twisting move that had her half-flying in the air as she landed another kick on the other guys face. The first guy she had knocked down got up on his feet and was about to grab Dara from the back. CL though, terrified as she was, screamed and hit him over the head with her purse as hard as she could. This gave Dara enough time to turn around and swung a hard punch to his face.

“Ow! Dammit!” She shook her hand. Then, seeing the other two guys getting up, Dara grabbed hold of CL with her good hand and yelled, “Run!”

The two ran into the nearest store, zigzagging through the racks then quickly ducked down and hid. They waited, trying to catch their breath but not make noise. They heard the sound of running feet that passed their hiding spot. Dara held her finger up to her lips, signing to CL to be quiet. After a minute she stood cautiously up and took a look around and saw no one but the other shoppers around. Dara exhaled with relief before she sank down on the ground next to CL.

“They’re gone.”

Both of them sat there a moment, and then they looked at each other and burst out laughing.

“Oh my god you are one crazy son of a !” CL declared. “What are you, some sort of kung-fu expert?”

“Something like that,” Dara grinned. “My brother made it his mission to teach me and my sisters how to defend ourselves.”

“Well damn girl, I’d say those lessons were put to good use today!” CL grinned back at her as she stood and offered a hand to Dara. “Are you okay?” she asked, when she saw Dara favoring her right hand.

“I think that guy’s face was made of steel,” Dara grumbled. She studied her hand and saw that it was beginning to swell.

CL remembered Dara’s answer to the guy when he asked who she was. “Oh my god, that was too funny!” CL stood with her hands on her hips, imitating Dara, “Park Sandara – should I spell that for you?” Now that Dara thought about it, she couldn’t help but laugh as well. The two were still laughing over the matter thirty minutes later when they arrived at Dara’s house.

Teddy, who was home when the two arrived, didn’t think the situation was funny. He was ready to go hunting the three guys down and murder them with his bare hands. Dara though told him to relax and assured him that both she and CL were fine. She got a bowl and put some ice and water in it and soaked her sore hand in it.

“Your sister was awesome,” CL told Teddy. She came flying in there to my rescue like some little… mouse and…”

“Mouse!?” Dara frowned at CL. Couldn't she come up with a better description?

“We rabbit,” Teddy supplied, and CL’s eyes grew round.

“That’s right! She does resemble a rabbit!” CL and Teddy both began to laugh while Dara made a face and flicked cold water at the two of them.

“Let’s see if this rabbit comes to your rescue again,” she muttered, but she was smiling on the inside and happy that the awkwardness had disappeared between her and CL.

Jiyong was furious when he found out the next morning what had happened. He was even more upset because Dara hadn’t told him about it. He learned of the incident from CL when she came over to his house to help set up for Dami’s party.

“Chill,” CL told him. “She probably doesn’t want you to worry. Teddy looked at her hand and said that she would be okay.”

CL saw the way Jiyong was still worried. A part of her heart ached still to see how much Jiyong cared for Dara because, ultimately, it meant there was no hope of a relationship between Jiyong and her. But at the same time CL realized that Dara really was a great girl. And CL had to admit she was happy that Jiyong had found someone like Dara.

When Dara came over to Jiyong’s house later that evening for Dami’s birthday, Jiyong pulled her off to another room where they could be alone and he shut the door. He raised her injured hand up to inspect. “Does it hurt much?” he asked, his voice laced with worry.

She shook her head, pulled her hand from his while stepping closer. Wordlessly she reached up with her other hand and drew his head down to hers. “It doesn’t hurt at all, now that you’re here,” she teased, just before she kissed him. Jiyong kissed her back, his hands going around her back as he pulled her up flush to him.

“Thank you for saving CL from those bastards," he said afterwards while they sat on the couch with him cradling her. "But please don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again. Next time just scream or something.”

Dara drew her head back and cocked her brow up at him. “Me? Scream? -- Really?”

“Yes. You. Scream. Should I spell that for you?”

“Haha, very funny,” Dara said, laughing as well. Obviously CL had retold the whole scene to him. She hit Jiyong’s chest playfully before he pulled her again in an embrace and held her close, grateful that she was alright.

**