I’ll be back soon. Don’t forget my gift =D

Dara sighed before putting her phone back at her table again. She had been reading that message from Donghae for about… she already lost count on how many times she had opened her phone to read that short message of his. It was the first thing she saw when she woke up that morning, feeling bleary and tired but receiving that message brought a surge of energy in her, bringing a smile to her lips. But as the day went by, sitting in her desk at CSW trying to keep herself busy, that energy turned into a feeling of uneasiness. This sudden feeling of… happiness… is something so new to her that she doesn’t know how to handle it. And the thought on how long it would last… that was the one which she always push at the back of her mind not wanting to dwell on it at this time but it keeps pressing on the surface. Especially when she wanted to see him so badly. Oh god, yes. She missed him. And he’s only gone for what, less than 24 hours. What has life turned her into? A blithering, whimpering, middle-aged, teenager-wanna-be. She even vascillated whether to respond to that message, say like, take care and see yah or something sarcastic like, what gift? But they are all so… pathetic. Everything she could think of at that moment seemes so pathetic that she decided not to respond at all. Unless she could go with what she really wanted to say and send him a Come back soon. I’ll miss you. She could imagine Donghae’s eyes falling out of their sockets if she did send that. Or maybe he would think she was just playing around.

She heaved another heavy sigh as she contemplated on how much it would cost her to have a brain transplant. Or better yet, the more cheaper way. Search for a book entitled Infatuation For Beginners or How To Deal With A First Love For Idiots.

“Hey, you okay?”

She looked up to find Mei looking down on her in concern. She tried to smile brightly but it came out looking like she’s having a toothache.

“Of course,” she answered.

Mei just looked at her queerly. “You look a little… weird.”

“Weird? How weird?”

“Weird, like… I’ve never seen you so downtrodden. You’re either so vivacious or malevolent… or at least when it comes to Kraz, you are.”

That made Dara chuckle. “Malevolent? Geez, I never thought I was too obvious.”

Mei chuckled too. “You have no in-between so all these sighing and your glazed, lonely look is a little disconcerting. And then I finally realized I knew that look. Are you having trouble with your boyfriend?”

Dara stiffened and felt her smile froze. No, I’m having a paralytic episode of having realized i am a girl capable of falling inlove with a guy whom I have coerced into a binding contract of servitude that is meant to pulverize his pride and wound his ego but I unfortunately found out that he was a really sweet and a jerk who loves his family and now I am stuck with this nauseating feeling of wanting him to be always within the extent of where my eyesight can cover but now he’s out of the country and I just can’t stop thinking about him. Oh yeah, he also gave me that stupid kiss last night which will probably gave me an insomnia for days to come. So no. I am not having trouble with my boyfriend. “Donghae?” She laughed. “Naw… I’m not having trouble with him. I just… “ She let out a sigh and smiled brightly. “I think I’m just going to get some coffee.”

She stood up ignoring Mei’s look and slightly limped her way to the cafeteria to get some coffee. No doubt Mei is thinking how crazy she is.

She inserted some coins on the vending machine and blew out the steam off the coffee, standing on the corner while resting her injured leg. It doesn’t hurt that much anymore and the gash has already become an ugly puckered skin on her leg. She was thankful Rick didn’t managed to stab her leg too deep. The bruise on her shoulder still hurts a little though and her jaw is still hurting whenever she chew something hard or crunchy. One of her eyes is already on the mend to be normal again but it’s still purple around the edges and the cut on her forehead is already on it’s way to healing completely. She looked hideous and everyone did a double take when she passed by but no one asked her what happened. Not even Mr. Kraz. They probably thought she was in a car crash or something.

She drank her coffee, ignoring it’s hotness, wishing Suzy could be here so she could ask her what she would do. As it happens, she’s in a long 2 weeks vacation with her boyfriend and she probably wouldn’t ask her if she’s here anyway. Discarding the empty cup in the trash bin wishing she could discard her confusing brain as well, she proceeded to go back up to her desk again.

And saw Kim Jaejoong walking toward her coming out of the elevator. She smiled as she neared.

“Sup boss?” She greeted.

But he didn’t greet back. He was staring at her face and as he comes closer, he’s beginning  to look between being mad and concerned. His hand lifted as if to touch her face but it stilled halfway and it dropped to his side.

Dara just looked up at him wondering what’s up with him. The odd behaviour is not only hers today.

“Are you okay?” Jaejoong asked studying her face.

Dara snorted. “Of course. I know my face looks like it doesn’t, but believe me, I’ve had worse.”

Jaejoong just nodded but there was a tick in his jaw. They stood there for an awkward moment before Dara finally spoke. “Well, I gotta go back now. Cafeteria’s all yours.”

Dara started to walk past him but Jaejoong grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, enveloping her in his arms. Dara hadn’t had time to even breathed out, her head not even coming up past Jaejoong’s shoulder as he hugged her. It wasn’t a tight hug but it was firm. Dara was blank for a second until she felt a stinging pain.

“Uh… you kinda pulled on my injured arm,” she said her voice muffled.

Jaejoong let her go smiling wanly. “I’m sorry,” he apologized looking embarassed.

Dara gently massaged her tender shoulder trying not to scowl. She should’ve known she would again encounter another one of the family who’s main point of their life at the moment is to blame themselves on others’s misfortunes. She sighed as she tried to rotate her shoulders.”Okay, let it out.” She swing her hand in a circular motion urging him to go on with it. Jaejoong looked at her, puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

“All those crap like it was your fault, you should’ve known and all those stuff. Just spit it out so you would feel better and then I could go and tell you it’s not and it’s my own stupid fault… Seriously. I’ve heard it from Donghae and I heard it from your grandmother. It’s becoming a little tiresome but if you picked that hobby for your own enjoyment of despair, then by all means.”

Jaejoong just looked at her as if she had two heads then he laughed. She just raise her eyebrows at her as he cracked up.

“Sorry,” Jaejoong said as he got over whatever is making making him laugh. “I just… I was expecting a girl who’s traumatized or…” He shrugged as he chuckled. “But of course, I should’ve known you weren’t. I mean, when I spoke with you on the phone I though you were just trying to be brave and… I guess you really are and…” He chuckled again.

Dara just watched him drivel. Then she narrowed her eyes. “Are you high on something?”

Jaejoong shook his head again. “You are… incredible.”

“Well, I try not to be but it just oozes out of my skin like sweat.” She proceeded to the elevator and pressed the button. She bit her lip trying to keep herself from askingbut opened on its own accord.

“SodDonghaemenshundbeback?” Her voice came out in a rush that it tumbled all together and she closed her eyes in consternation on how idiotic she sounds.

“What?” Jaejoong asked, obviously not understanding what she just said.

“Uh… i mean… did Donghae mentioned when… he would be…. Back?” She tried to sound nonchalant as possible but her mind is already reprimanding her. Donghae said the convention was for a week.Why the hell is she still asking that? Is she stupid?

Jaejoong looked at her and an odd look passed on his features before he answered. “I just know he was in a convention. It lasts for a week.”

Dara nodded. “Right.” The elevator door opened and she stepped in giving another bright smile to Jaejoong who was left standing there watching her ubt she was too engrossed in her own thoughts to notice or ask what is wrong with him. “Well… see you around boss.”

Jaejoong just nod his head as the elevator door closes. Dara’s smile dropped as she looked at her own reflection.

“You. Are. An. Idiot.”  She told her reflection then pursed her lips hoping the CCTV isn’t working in here to catch her moment of dementia. She stepped out when she reached her floor and went back to her desk to get to work and deciding she’d better just focus her energy on coming up with a gift to give to Donghae on his birthday and hoping that he would like it. Whatever it is she will manage to find in the mall. Her eyes strayed on her phone again and she grabbed it to place it inside her pocket. God, she didn’t know phones could be so distracting. She rotated her shoulder again, frowning as the pain in it is becoming a little insistent.

By past afternoon, the pain is already bothering her try as she might to massage the pain away. She pressed on the  muscle on her shoulders and she flinched. Dammit. Even lifting it up is hurting now too. Mei  noticed her scrunching in pain at her seat and offered to take her to the hospital which she graciously declined but Mr. Kraz heard that and barked at her to go to the hospital immediately. She gawked at him—they all did at his sudden show of concern but then he added that her injuries will give CSW a bad name and her not going to the hospital to get treated would reinforce any thought that CSW is not taking care of their employees. She rolled her eyes. If her shoulder is not hurting her, she would’ve supplied a sarcastic remark to that.

They hailed a cab and went to the nearest hospital with Dara muttering all the way that she hated hospital. Mei just chuckled at her disgruntled expression.

The doctor did some x-rays and showed them the result. Her shoulder is fractured but the doctor reassured her that it was just a minor one. The doctor spouted all medical terms that Dara couldn’t understand and all Dara could hear was that she’s going to wear a sling for at least three weeks. Three weeks?! That’s gonna be a . A new surge of hate rose up in her as she thought of Rick. That total psycho! He had damaged her far more than she thought he did. She only hoped she damaged him a whole lot more. The doctor proceeded in bandaging her shoulder, looking all black and blue and she winced everytime they moved her arm.  Jaejoong came in a minute later looking concerned. He told Mei she could goback to the office now and he will take Dara home.

After the doctor carefully put her arm on the sling hanging on her shoulders, she made a face not liking how it looked at all. After all that fighting in high school, this is the time when she would be strapped with this thing?

“I’m sorry,” Jaejoong said breaking out Dara’s reverie. “It was the arm I pulled, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was. You can start blaming yourself now,”  Dara said.

Jaejoong didn’t laugh and felt more guilty as he had glimpsed on the bruise Dara got on her shoulder while the doctor is attending to her. He wanted to go to where Rick is now and use every money he’s got to make sure he stays where he is but he felt he was at fault too. He pulled her arm so he could hug her because he was relieved she was okay and basically just because he wants to. But it only aggravated the injury.

Dara glanced at him and saw the look of remorse on his face. “Oh c’mon. Not with that again. I was just kidding. My shoulder is already starting to hurt last night and I think today it got fed up being ignored.”

The doctor came in again and made her drink some pain reliever, advising her to go home and rest. She thanked the doctor and stood up with Jaejoong helping her.

“I’ll take you home,”  Jaejoong quietly said.

“Thanks,”  Dara said then muttered as they walked to his car. “Ugh, I hate hospitals.”

“Do you want something to eat?” Jaejoong asked as he drove to Dara’s apartment. It was already around 6. “I could order take out.”

Dara shook her head suddenly feeling so sleepy. “No, I’m good.”

“You must be really in pain,”  Jaejoong observed.

“How so?” She asked.

“You. Rejecting offer of free food.”

Dara chuckled. “My appetite is a little tired at the moment but don’t worry, it’ll come back tomorrow.”

Jaejoong watched as Dara stepped out of his car also waving his offer of help to walk her inside the apartment. “I only got my shoulder fractured. I didn’t get my leg amputated. Go on. I’ve wasted so much of your time already.” She paused and Jaejoong pressed the button to roll the window down on her side. “Thanks Boss. And… please don’t tell Donghae. I don’t want him to worry.” She smiled and waved again and proceeded to walk up the short stairs to the door with Jaejoong just watching her. Then he sighed and drove off ignoring the sudden nagging thought appearing on his brain.

He parked his car when he reached the hotel and was about to step out when he noticed something lying on the car’s floor. He reached for it. It was Dara’s phone. It probably fell from her. He put it inot his pocket and decided to just return it back to her tomorrow.

After showering and changing his clothes, he called to order delivery of some chinese food while he tried to avoid his grandma’s calls. She’s been really pestering him with the girl he had talked about with her and he regretted ever mentioning it. Now his grandma is adamant in talking to the girl’s parents and changing their minds. He can only sigh at that and took note never to talk to his grandma about things like this in the future. He was already reviewing some files when his phone rang and he answered it when it registered Chaerin. Unfortunately it was his grandmother using Chaerin’s phone.

”So now you’re ignoring my calls you ungrateful kid!” Grandma chided.

Busted. “No, grandma I was really busy everytime you call and I just got home.”

He closed his eyes as he listened to his grandma rant and then her suggestion of talking to the girl and to the parents. It went on for what seemed like years to Jaejoong until he interrupted her in the middle of talking about serenading her with his supposed angelic voice.

“Grandma, what we’re doing will turn any woman off.”

His grandma paused and Jaejoong went on before his grandma could think of something again.

“I’m already near my thirties. A complete adult. And my grandmother is lecturing me how to get a woman. Any woman would be turned off by a… Grandma’s boy. You need to let me think for myself.”

“If I do that, you’ll be old and gray before you could think of marrying.”

“Grandma,”  Jaejoong said. “Let me do this on my own, okay. You’re rushing things. You’re rushing me. And talking to this girl… you’ll rush her too. Just… let me do this on my own okay?”

“Donghae said this guy your girl is engaged with is the best and amazing.So if the guy you’re up against with really is, then you’d better work it fast.”

Jaejoong’s eyebrows shot up then a smirk appeared on his face. “Donghae said that?”

“Yes, he seems to know this man but he doesn’t want to tell us,”  his grandma said. “The mystery of this man’s… amazingness… as Donghae puts it is getting to me. No one is better than my grandsons so you’d better move it fast. If he’s the best, be more.”

Jaejoong shook his head at the firm tone of her grandma. If she only knew. She was unknowingly pitting a cousin against the cousin. He wondered what she woud if she knew both her grandsons  are pining for the same woman. If Donghae really is pining for Dara. Then what about Yoona? Is Donghae already over her or he was just playing with Dara until he gets what he’s really aiming for?

“Okay grandma, I’m going to sleep now. I have a meeting tomorrow.” Then he regretted it the moment he said that.

“Meeting again? There is nothing else you do but that! Oohhh I really can’t wait until you get that girl. Tell me who she is. Tell me now before I resort to private investigator.”

“Grandma!” Knowing his grandma, he knew she was serious.

“Love will change your life. Look at Donghae and Dara. They are both so blissfully happy. You should’ve seen them last night. I feel like I have served my purpose with your cousin. But you? And your other cousins? Why are you giving me such a hard time?”  

The thought of Donghae and Dara being blisfully happy made him pause wondering what blissfully happy looked like.

“If Donghae is here I would’ve grilled him to tell me who this girl is but he’s in Thailand with Yoona and his phone is not working—“

“He’s with Yoona?” Jaejoong interrupted.

But his grandmother is not listening to him. “—so now I’m only left with you so tell me who this girl is now!”

But Jaejoong was too busy processing the information that Donghae and Yoona are together. He knew it really doesn’t mean anything but… does Dara know? He had watched her as she asked if he knew when Donghae would be back and he tried to dispel the thought that she is now starting to care about his cousin but it keeps nagging him especially when Dara told him not to tell Donghae about her injured shoulder. Is it possible? A feeling of dismay sprung inside him and he swallowed it down. Concern for Dara if she really did start to care about Donghae.

Donghae has been inlove with Yoona for as long as he had lived… or at least, when they were little, he was always fighting to be where Yoona is. What he doesn’t get is how Donghae is unable to find the courage to tell her about it. When Jaejoong saw the bet and how his cousin is working up to get t