Sandara was smiling from ear to ear upon waking up the next day. She was happy that she’s already here in Korea. But it doesn’t mean that she’s not happy for staying in the Philippines- Philippines is great and people there were great too. But what makes her happier is the fact that she’s with Jiyong- not just in Skype.

She got up and readied herself for her class when she got a message from Jiyong telling her that she’s already downstairs. Aww, sweet Jiyong. She thought. She still can’t believe that she and Jiyong will be like this even after years of separation. She thought that when she came back she’ll saw a new kind of Jiyong or worse she’ll see him being with another girl. Sure thing they still have a communication but knowing they’re miles apart, she still have doubts. But I shouldn’t doubt him because he’s still loyal to me… he still loves me…

She went down and saw that Jiyong was waiting for her downstairs. He’s holding his snap-bag as if he was bored yet he still wears a very handsome face. He was only wearing his usual shirt and pants and yet he manages to take her breath away. She smiled broadly and as soon as their eyes met, her heart beats fast as if doing it is just normal to her.

“Hey.” Sandara said as soon as she went closer to him.

Jiyong smiled widely towards her and kissed her cheeks. “Good morning baby.”

Sandara just giggled. Jiyong wraps his arms on Daras’ waist making her move closer to him. Dara manage to smell his scent and for her, it’s very addicting. The scent she wanted to smell, every waking day of her life. She’s in-love. Deeply. And madly with Jiyong. “Good morning baby boy.”

Jiyong just shrug and they started walking. Jiyong was very happy because he’s with Dara. Being with her makes him feel like he’s being to his original self again- carefree. Dara is the only person he could say that can make him feel special even if she’s just staring at him. He loves Sandara very much and he will do everything just to have her by every means. Sandara is his first love and he’s very happy that she still loves him.

“Have you slept well?” Jiyong asked her. They’re now walking towards the University and he was holding her hand tightly. He can feel that very same feeling he felt way back when they’re still on seventh grade when he got the chance to hold her hand for the very first time. It’s weird since they’re too young back then.

Sandara smiled at him. “Yep, Donghae gave me a milk tea that helped me sleep well.”

Jiyong just smile and remember the conversation he shared with his best-friend Lee Donghae awhile ago.

“Be ready because one of these days, your life will be ed-up…”

Jiyong doesn’t want to feel that Donghae will betray him by any means. Bros over hoes. They’re brothers. But because of that phrase he said, it made him feel worried. He can feel that Donghae was just saying that he should make a decision and break either Kiko or Daras’ heart because both of them deserve to be treated as the only one. But Jiyong cannot choose between the two. He both love Dara and Kiko. And damn it, it’s making him crazy.

“Hey, you’re spacing out. Are you okay?” Dara asked upon realizing that Jiyong was just staring at her.

Jiyong smiled and kissed her cheeks. “Yep. Want break-fast with me?”

***

Donghae was heading towards his next class. He’s on the bad mood because of his professor who announced that the deadline of their next plate will be the day after tomorrow- which is very inconvenient because in the very first place they didn’t even discuss the topic yet. Screw that bald professor! He cursed. Archi life . Big time. Professors were crazy and egoistic creature.

He decided to grab some tea near the cafeteria before going to his next class when he spotted Kiko walking silently. Donghae looked around and saw no sign of Kwon Jiyong, his best-friend. Maybe he’s with Sandara… he thought. He can’t help it but smile upon realizing how Jiyong play around. It’s amusing. He plays with two hearts. Cheated. Manipulated them.

He went closer to Kiko and holds her shoulder. “How does it feel to cheat?” he said, while walking along with her on the hallway.

Kikos’ eyes widened and her heart started to beat fast. She looked around and sighed upon realizing that no one heard Donghaes’ remark. The hallway is crowded and she’s afraid someone might hear them. She looked at Donghae who’s now smiling from ear to ear. Insidiously. She can feel that he’s really fun of making fun at her, at her situation. “What do you want?” she hissed.

“Geez! Relax Kiko Mizuhara.” Donghae said, trying not to suppress a laugh. He can see how worried and frightened Kikos’ eyes and he cannot deny the fact that he’s enjoying the view. “I am your ‘best-friends’ best-friend right? So technically, we should be best of friends too!”

Kiko sighed and look at Donghae straight to his eyes. “Leave me alone, Donghae. We’re not a high school student anymore.”

“What if I won’t do it?” He said, making Kiko stop from walking.

“Seriously, Lee Donghae? What do you want?”  Kiko asked. She’s really afraid of him even if he’s wearing his friendliest smile. She knew him- the jerk version of Lee Donghae way back in college. Donghae has been known for being so friendly yet Kiko know that behind those smile is a smirk that he doesn’t want to suppress. Insidious. She knew Donghae before- and he was a jerk- and she’s afraid of him.

“Easy, I’m just saying that since we are both Jiyongs’ best-friend, maybe we should hang-out. What do you think?”

“I have no time—“

“Woah, really?” Donghae said. “How does Jiyongs’ kisses felt? Is it good? Ahh, let me erase that question. How does Jiyongs’ performance in bed?”

“Lee Donghae…”

“Come on, don’t act like a prude because you know and we both know that you’re not.” Donghae said, making Kiko dumbfounded. He holds Kikos’ arms and shifted her body facing towards the school cafeteria making her see the scene he wanted her to see. “Look at them, aren’t they looking good together?”

Kiko saw how Jiyong caressed Sandaras’ face and smile at her. It pained her heart seeing that some other girls made him smile. She wanted Jiyongs’ affection and care for so long- since the day she saw him- and now that they’re together, she has no guts to let him go. In the very first place, she knew that Jiyong has a girlfriend and that is Sandara, and yet she still insist that she’ll just accompany him. When the day she said to herself that she’ll just accompany him is the same day she lied to herself. To everyone.

“Please…”

“Please what Kiko?” Donghae said, mocking at her. “Please take the pain away? Please stop doing this? What?”

“What do you really want? Why are you doing this?”

“Nothing, I’m just bored you know and sad to say, you’re the very first person I saw and decided to play with.” Donghae said. He taps Kikos’ shoulder and smiled at her. “Always remember, karma is looking at you Kiko Mizuhara.”

Kiko cannot speak. She was still dumbfounded because of Lee Donghaes’ words. Her eyes got blurry upon realizing that she’s silently crying. She can see how Jiyong kiss Sandaras’ nose and lips. She’s always saying that one day, Jiyong will realize that she’s here and Sandara is away so he should change his mind and started to love her. But upon seeing them, it pained her heart knowing the fact that even after years of separation, it’s always been Sandara. She’s still the one. The first love. And even the current love. She started walking and now she’s walking along with Lee Donghae.

“So…”

 “You think you can stop me from being with Jiyong? You think you made me realize that what I am doing is wrong? Then let me tell you Lee Donghae, doing wrong things for love, for Kwon Jiyong, feels right for me.”

Donghae just shrug and smiled. “You really love him…”

“Yes… I do love him.”

“What if I’ll tell Sandara about this?” Donghae challenged her and he cannot deny the fact that he loves seeing her worried face. I really love playing around…

Kikos’ eyes widened. “Y-you can-cannot do that…”

“Of course I can.” Donghae said, playfully. “I do have the freedom of speech.”

“Please no…” Kiko pleaded. “I-I wont tell Jiyong about this. Just please, don’t tell Sandara…”

Donghae smiled at her. “Okay. But be ready for the consequences of loving Kwon Jiyong.” He said while walking away. Be ready because I am having fun of playing with your lives…

***

Sandara smiled upon hearing the bell- signaling that her class is through. She’s excited because she’ll be having lunch with Jiyong today. For a record, this will be their first lunch together after few unexpected meetings. She’s walking towards the door when she saw that Lee Donghae is standing there with his usual smile.

“Donghae!” she called him. She went closer to him and taps his shoulder. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, best-friend Jiyong is busy with the Student Body Council since he’s the president and as usual, he’s asking me to fetch you and eat lunch with you.”

Sandaras’ smile fades but she manages to smile again. She was hurt yet she doesn’t want to feel it and let others see it. She’s afraid that some may say that she’s being too sensitive. Too un-understanding, if there’s a word.  After all it’s his club activities… she thought. “Ahh, I see.”

Donghae taps Daras’ head, holds her shoulder and started walking, making her walk too along with him. He wanted to laugh because he’s always with his best-friends girlfriend. He was being asked by his block-mates if she’s his girlfriend, but he just shrugs and don’t mind them making them . “I’ll treat you.”

Donghae hold Daras’ hands and started walking. Sandara smiled and thanked Donghae on her thoughts. He’s such a sweet best-friend of her boyfriend. And she’s lucky to have him as a company. “Do you have a girlfriend Donghae?”

“None. Why?”

“You should get one.”

“Why?”

“Because I can see and I can feel that you’re such a sweet guy.” Sandara said. She looked at Donghae who’s now looking at her too.

“How did you know?”

“Maybe because you’re always here for me when Jiyong asks you. Even if you’re a very busy person you still find time to be with me.”

Donghae smiled. I am here with you because of some other reasons Sandara… “Well, I am dating few girls.”

“Few?” Dara asked. Her eyebrows were now raised because of that.

“Yes, few.”

“Are you by chance a player?” Sandara can’t help it but ask. Donghae just smiled at her making her conclude that he’s like that. “You are a player.”

“What do you want?”

“Just order anything.”

Both of them entered the cafeteria. Donghae saw a vacant table and leave his bag there. Sandara was silently waiting for Donghae. She was looking around and noticed that some girls were starring at him. She must admit that Lee Donghae is really an attractive guy- he smiles a lot, he’s intelligent. But upon realizing that he’s a player, she somehow got curious about him.

Donghae got back and put the food he ordered. “So what if I am a player? Would that lessen your respect towards me?”

Sandara shook her head. “Actually I got curious about it. Tell me, why did you become a player?”

Donghae started to predict the ending of their conversation and he’s smirking on his head. “Why did I become a player?”

Dara nods. “In every personality, there’s a history behind it. So tell me.”

“Well, I have a first love…”

“And?”

“She left me. Her parents decided to go to some place, far from South Korea. I-I was hurt you know, she’s my first love, my great love and yet she decided to go away from me.”

Dara froze upon realizing that they got the same experience. But the thing is, she’s the girl in his story – the one who left. “Don’t you think that she has no choice at all? Her parents decided—“

“If she really loves me, she’ll stay.” Donghae said, saying those same words Jiyong told him few times when they got drunk. Well, this is their love-story anyways…“They still have relatives here.”

“But would you think that she’ll stay away from her family? Would you think that her parents would take a risk of leaving her here? Even if this is their homeland?”

Donghae smiled and drink his cup of water. “Why do I have this feeling that you’re just like her.”

Sandara smiled. “To tell you honestly, I’ve been through that kind of situation Donghae. I left Jiyong when I was on our 7^th grade and went to Philippines. I don’t have any choice back then so I decided to break-up with him but he told me he’ll conquer the distance just to be with me and look at us now.”

Donghae smiled. Look at you now Sandara, he’s cheating on you. He’s a cheater. He thought. “Yeah…” he just said.

“You should fight for her Donghae.”

“Do you believe that some people were born to be a player?” Donghae said. “I am a player Sandara.”

“Then, change. Change is a constant, you know…”

“I mean, I play.”

Daras’ eyebrows rose. “Play? What do you mean?”

“I love… playing track in field.”

Sandara almost laughed her heart out. “Of course you are a runner.”

Donghae smirked. I mean, I love playing with other peoples’ lives…. “Yeah…”

They silently started eating. Sandara looks at Donghae who’s now looking at her and she can’t help it but smile. “You’re a beautiful man Lee Donghae- inside and out. I can feel it so please, be a guy that every woman wanted to be with.”

“So you are Sandara Park.” Donghae said. “And every woman wanted to be with me.”

“I mean, be a serious kind of guy. Don’t play with other girls’ heart…”

I don’t play peoples heart… because I love playing other peoples lives. He thought. He’s not a psycho or sick. He just… wan’t to play games. Manipulate. “I’ll try.”

Sandara smiled at him. She can feel that he’s just clouded by many things and he’ll sure realize that it is a heart-warming feeling to be with someone special to you in a serious kind of relationship.

“Have you met someone who loves playing with other peoples’ life?” Donghae asked.

“Eh? Like a control-freak?”

“Sort of…”

“Haven’t met one.” Sandara answered. “But if I’ll meet one, I’m sure he has reasons to it.”

Donghae put down his bottled water and sighed. “What if I’ll tell you that I am a control-freak? That I love playing with other people’s life? And that I am playing right now?”

Sandara smiled. “Then, I’ll try to understand you and make you realize that you shouldn’t do that.”

“Now back to the player topic, what if Jiyong is cheating?”

Sandara was caught off guard. She stares at Donghae and tries to read his eyes. She’s staring at him and she was shock upon realizing that he’s honest. She doesn’t want that look because she’s afraid that he’s telling her the truth. Donghae was with Jiyong for so long and she’s afraid that it’s true. No… this is just a joke.

“Sandara, Kwon Jiyong is cheating…”

(Let me tell you a secret, this is my love story but I wont tell you who am I in this story. I just want to share this to you to make you realize that we should be ready with the consequences of our little actions and I want you to learn some lessons from my experiences. Also, I just want to read this story few years from now and find myself laughing because of my stupidity.)