Pairing | SongDara

Song Mino is known to be in his own world when afoot a basketball court. Also, he was an entirely different person. It's like a transformation of a harmless kitten to a fearsome tiger. He let the firm basketball roll off his fingers to hit the pavement with force. He dribbled it a couple of times, while doing some turns before going for the shot. Swoosh. Mino smiled, feeling victorious, even though it was a simple shot. He sauntered to where the ball rolled to when he heard tires screeching, making a halt in what he guessed was in front of his neighbor's house.

“It's him again,” Mino tensed as he picked the ball up

“It's a Friday night, Song Mino. Still playing games,” the man who owned the car yelled as he stood behind the car door

“Practice makes perfect,” he replied

“Not unless you're me,” the guy put his arms out like he was Bruce in Bruce almighty parting the cars to the side

“What a douche,” Mino mumbled

“You saying something?!” he slammed his car door

“Yah! Zico, what are you doing?!” Dara yelled from the window on the second floor of her house

“Came to visit you, baby,” Zico turned to her

“Don't baby me!” she yelled in disgust, “Get outta here,”

“Won't you forgive me?” Zico clasped his hands together, “Been too long already,”

“What's done is done,” Dara crossed her arms

“Such a hard woman to please you are! I like it,” he smirked, “But baby, Zico's not always going to be patient. You should give in when it's still early,” he said while walking to his car, “I'll come another time when you're not so hot,”

“Don't ever come back again!” Dara closed the window shut.

Zico honked at Mino before leaving to attend a party.

“Why was she ever with that guy?” Mino shook his head in disbelief, “Then again, why do I even bother?”

Mino began to dribble the ball again as he headed for the free throw line. For a player who could make difficult shots, this was his weakness. Mino was concentrating on the ring when Dara went out for fresh air. She watched him eye the ring before he slightly bent his knees and springing them up to make his shot.

“Hey hotshot,” she referred to him

Mino's eyes enlarged, hearing her voice. They used to be close friends since they practically grew up together. However, she hadn't talked to him since she dated Zico which was a couple of months back. Zico and him were in the same team but played like enemies. It's a wonder how they ever won games together.

“So you're talking to me now?” he said as he walked to her spot

“Don't want me to?”

A wind breeze came causing Dara's front door to shut close. Dara jolted at the sound of the door slamming close.

“Cheerleader like you still get scared of noises like that,” Mino was right in front of her now

“Basketball player as good as you still practice this time of the night,” she said as a comeback but it was more of a compliment to Mino's ears.

She meant that he was already a great player that he didn't need to practice and he knew that's what she meant.

“That don't make sense if that's an insult,”

“You don't make sense.”

The two ruptured into laughter. It was like older times, which was not really that long ago.

“Your parents don't wake up from the commotion that douche makes?” asked Mino as he sat on the cold cement

Mino looked up at her, waiting to do the same. He saw the hesitation in her eyes. She was already in her pajamas and did not want to get it dirty. He ran to a bench located in his parkway that had his clean towel. He ran back to her and laid it down for her to sit on. She smiled at him and he nodded. No word of thanks was ever needed between them.

“You actually think they're here,” she answered his earlier question

“By that tone of voice, I'm guessing no,”

“They're on some honeymoon for like the tenth time,”

“Sweet,”

“No, it's overdone,”

“You're just bitter because you broke it off with your boyfriend,”

“That was months ago,”

“But still, there's drama,”

“I don't want to talk about it,”

“But, Dara, why?” Mino looked at her

“Why what?” she wanted him to be specific

“Why him?”

“Zico's not as bad as he seems. He's just jaded,”

“Seriously?”

“But he's too jaded for me,” she looked up at the stars

“Ya miss him?” Mino felt a tinge of jealousy

“No,”

“Then why that look?”

Dara looked deep into Mino's eyes trying to convey the answer. She was lonely, he knew. But was Zico the answer? And was that really all?

“I'm here, you know,” Mino said

“I know,”

“Then why couldn't you come to me?” it was his turn to look up at the stars

“You're too good, Mino. Couldn't have me drag you down,”

“That's stupid. You could never drag me down,”

“Mino,”

“You never dragged me down. You only, always, lifted me higher,” he looked at her again.

Her eyes were starting to get watery. Zico would have panicked by now if he was in Mino's situation, but Mino didn't. Mino's seen Dara like this many times before and he never ran away. She was an emotional mess.

“You... you make me remember,” Dara's voice could barely be heard

“Remember what?” Mino turned his whole body to her

“That I'm not the perfect cheerleader Sandara Park,”

“Dara, your imperfections are what makes you you,”

“But I don't want to be imperfect,” she paused and looked down, “Especially not to you.”

Mino jerked his head back as if he heard the most ridiculous thing ever.

“Dara,” he cupped her face, “Nobody is perfect. I'm not perfect,”

“But-”

“No, let me finish. If you think having cold parents, a train wreck of a family tree, is what makes you so hideous, you're wrong. Every little thing, Dara, good and bad, is what makes you. It shapes you. Your cold parents, ruthless relatives, and all the bad things and people you've encountered. Those didn't make you cruel. It only made you kind. I know you have trust issues, and low self-esteem, Dara, but this is me, Dara. Can't you see? You might not be perfect, but you are just right for me.”

Dara could no longer hold her tears back as they flowed down her cheeks. How could she have been a fool? Mino let her feel her emotion fully before pulling her into an embrace. When she was done crying, he planted a kiss on her forehead. She was shocked but at the same time, happy. She looked up at him, with a half smile.

“I'm going to kiss you, you know,” he grinned like a fool

“Not so romantic anymore since you said it,” she replied

“We all have our flaws,” he said causing her to giggle, “but, don't you dare pull away from me. Not now, not ever. ”