4/17/2015

Part 6:

Jiyong sighed as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. It’s been days since he’s talked to or heard from Dara. The last they talked was the day she had called and asked to see him but he was leaving to go to a meeting and couldn’t make it. He had promised to call her back later but things got so busy at work that by the time he realized he hadn’t called her back it was already evening. He called her back then but it went to voice mail. The same thing happened the next day as well. Jiyong had stopped by her workplace only to find out that she had taken a two day leave. Next he went to her house but there was no one home. Last of all he had called Bom.

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of Dara,” he told her. “Is she okay? Her work said she took a couple of days off.”

“Dara went with Minzy to Japan. She’ll be back on Sunday,” Bom informed him. “Didn’t she tell you?”

Jiyong was silent.

“Is there something going on between you two?” Bom asked. “Did you two fight or something?”

“No, nothing happened,” Jiyong answered.

“Then why didn’t you know that Dara was going out of town for a few days?”

“I think she did tell me but I forgot,” he said, wanting to end the conversation. “Sorry but I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later, Bom. Bye.”  He hung up before she could ask him more questions that he didn’t have answers for.

*

Jiyong was waiting at the airport when Dara returned from Japan. He had called Daesung and found out from him when Minzy was getting in. Daesung was at the airport to pick up Minzy while Jiyong was there to get Dara.

Minzy greeted Daesung with a kiss and she waved at Jiyong. Dara was surprised to see Jiyong but she didn’t say anything. Jiyong noted that she had not greeted him either. The two of them said goodbye to Minzy and Daesung. Jiyong reached for Dara’s bag and walked with her to where his car was parked.

“Did you have a good trip?” he asked her.

Dara nodded, her hand in her coat pocket as she walked alongside him.

When they reached his car and Jiyong opened the car door for her, Dara stood staring at the car, hesitating to get in.

“Dara?”

She glanced at him and then with a sigh she got into the car and closed the door. In her mind she still saw that girl that had got in this very car and sat in this very seat, and she wondered again who she was and why Jiyong was with her.

Jiyong put her suitcase in the trunk and then got into the car. She was silent as he drove. It didn’t surprise her when he pulled off at a park and turned off the car.

“Are you mad at me?” he asked Dara. “Did I do something wrong?”

Dara turned to face him. “I saw you with a girl last Wednesday night. You were coming out of a restaurant. I was with Bom them and we were headed to that new Jazz club. Who was she, Jiyong?”

Jiyong’s brows furrowed as he thought back. Then enlightenment dawned on him. “Oh, that was my boss, Kiko Mizuhara. She’s the VP of Finance over at the Shilla.

Dara stared at him. That girl was the VP Jiyong was working with? The one he reported to? The one who had caused him to cancel however many dates they had and took him along to those overnight business trips? Dara was beginning to see red.

“You never told me your boss was a woman, or that she was so beautiful.”

“I didn’t think it was important,” he stated. “Yeah she’s beautiful but that doesn’t mean anything to me, Dara. You know I love you.”

“You’ve been cancelling our dates because she’s been calling you to stay and work late. All those work dinners – those were all with her?” she asked her voice beginning to rise.

“Dara –“

“Don’t you ‘Dara’ me, Kwon Jiyong! In case you haven’t noticed I’m royally pissed at you right now!” Her eyes were blazing hellfire and

Jiyong remained silent, allowing Dara to say all she wanted to say before he would begin to explain.

“Why didn’t you tell me that the VP of Finance you always mention was a woman, huh? If it was nothing you would have told me from the beginning. Instead you’ve conveniently only mentioned her to me as ‘your boss’ or the ‘VP’.”

“Because I didn’t want you to be upset, just as you are now!”

Dara gazed back at him with a hurt look. When she spoke her voice was quiet but held a tremor of emotion in it. “Tell me, this car, the new apartment, -- do any of the other workers at your level have these same benefits?” she asked.

Jiyong was quiet, his lips pressed together. He didn’t like what Dara was insinuating here.

“What happened to the former Head of Finance?” Dara asked quietly. “Where is he or she?”

“I’m the first one. It’s a new position that was recently created.”

Dara nodded, her heart sinking further. “I see.”

“Do you?” Jiyong lifted his gaze to stare back at her. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying right now, Dara? Because to me it sounds like you’re saying I didn’t earn this promotion, that I don’t deserve all of this.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying?”

Dara looked away. She took several deep breaths to calm herself and the situation down. She knew that anything more they would say at this point would only serve to inflict more hurt on each other so she remained quiet.

Jiyong started the car and drove her home. When they arrived they both got out of the car. He retrieved her suitcase while she waited on the sidewalk. When he came around with it he left the luggage by her feet and walked back to the driver’s side, got in the car and drove off.

*

“Knock-knock…”

Dara looked up from her desk as the door to her office opened. Lee Minho stuck his head in and smiled at her.

“Can I come in?”

One side of twerked up in a half-smile. “If I said no, would you go away?”

“Absolutely not.” He grinned as he stepped fully into the office.

“I didn’t think so,” she muttered, knowing he could hear her. Dara and Minho had formed a haphazard sort of friendship over the months. He would drop by and say hi to her while she would throw guarded barbs and insults his way. He would laugh and call her names and then leave her to her work until his next visit.

He walked in and placed a bag on her table. “I brought you lunch, my lady.”

“Is it poisoned?” she asked, earning laughter from her visitor.

“Ah, the face of an angel and the mouth of a witch,” he murmured, shaking his head.

“Only to you, kind sir.”  The sting of her words were lessened by the twinkle in her eyes as she reached for the bag and peered inside. watered to see the assortment of sushi he’d brought for her. Dara brought out the bento and opened it, popping one in before holding the tray out to him.

“No thanks, love. That’s all for you. You work much too hard, you know.”

“Some people don’t work at all,” she stated between bites.

“That’s because ‘some’ people don’t ‘need’ to work. We just live off of mommy and daddy’s wealth.” He reached over and gently pinched Dara’s nose, laughing when she swiped his hand away. “Anyone tell you you look like a rabbit?”

Dara froze, but quickly recovered. Jiyong told her the same thing all the time.   “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be spending your parents wealth elsewhere?” she asked, changing the subject.

“I’m trying to spend it on you but you’re such a mean girl, depriving me of that pleasure.”

“So I’ve heard. Well thank you for the lunch. I appreciate it. Now if you don’t mind I really have to finish this.”

“Ah, I’ve been dismissed by the mean girl.”

Dara giggled as he acted wounded, holding a hand to his heart as he stood up. 

“Until next time, love, take care. Don’t work too hard!” He threw her a kiss before making a grand exit. It wasn’t until he was gone that Dara realized she saw more of Lee Minho then she did her own boyfriend.