The first thing Donghae had felt before he opened his eyes was a throbbing headache that seemed to spread from his temples to the back of his head. He groaned in pain and attempted to open his eyes but the blare of light only made the pounding ache split his head in half. He closed them again and it took a moment before he realized his body hurts as well. Especially his back. Squinting his eyes, he rolled on his side and realized he was lying on the floor, a piece of cloth had been draped carelessly on his bare torso. What the… what happened…. Unable to come up with answers,  he looked around, peering on his sorroundings before recognizing that he was in his room. He crawled towards his bed, feeling all his bones hurting at every move, leaving the shirt or whatever that is on the floor. He plopped heavily on the bed and groaned as he felt one side of his face in pain too. He laid flat on his back, spreading his arms wide on the bed as he tried to let the headache pass. Damn, what happened?

It took a moment before recollection of calling KiBum in the bar fluttered in his memory. He drank… he couldn’t remember how many shots he had drank, trying to drown himself to forgetfulness—no, that was supposed to be celebration— and he doesn’t remember anything after that. He needs to remind himself to kick Kibum’s for just dumping him on the floor. Where is the sense of friendship nowadays? He rolled painfully on his other side.

A sudden image of Dara clipping him in the face emerged in his mind and his eyes snapped open, a slight crease appearing on his forehead.

Yes, it’s wet because you spilled your drink, you moron.

He stared at a point somewhere in the wall trying to remember clearly, the crease more pronounced now but all he could remember was Dara telling him he’s a moron and her giving him her left hook. His hand lifted to touch the side of his jaw that feels to be a ltitle tender than the other. Did Dara punched him? Did it really happened? Or was it just a dream? Did his mind conjured up the image of Dara because he was thinking of her too much? But if it is, being punched isn’t actually one of the things he should be fantasizing about.

He threaded his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes, hoping the headache would pass soon. So this is what it feels like to have a hang over. He never drank alcohol, except in special occassions. And he never get drunk. He groaned again and burrowed his face on the cover of his bed as the onslaught of Dara threading her fingers through his hair and kissing him as fiercely as he was kissing her infiltrate his weak mind. That’s it, no more dirnking for me. His mind is so muddled he had a hard time telling the difference between reality and his fantasy. Dara kissing him passionately would be a far cry from reality. Dara punching him would probably the most realistic scenario that could’ve happened.

A slight vibration in his pocket snapped him out of his pained thinking. He d on his pocket for the phone, squinted at the name of the caller and felt a sudden rush of guilt. Why is he even wasting time thinking of Dara when he’s got someone as perfect as Yoona? He took a deep breath before answering, closing his eyes again trying to ignore the pain in his head.

“Hey beautiful,” his voice came out raspy and hoarse.

Yoona chuckled. “Late night? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No, it’s okay…,” Donghae said. “What time is it, anyway?”

“It’s already close to 10.”

Donghae groaned again. “Aw crap….”

Yoona let out a soft chuckle again. “Well, I just called to let you know that I already booked the flight to Barcelona and the earliest I could get is 3. Is that okay for you?”

Barcelona? Oh yeah, he did discussed that with Yoona. His mind’s not up to current events yet. “Yeah, that’s okay.”

There was a pause before Yoona continued, “Do you want me to come over and help you pack?”

“No, I’m fine,” Donghae said. No need for Yoona to see him looking so wasted. “I just had a headache. Nothing Aspirin couldn’t take care of. And coffee.”

“Okay.”

There was an awkward silence before Yoona spoke again. “Okay… so… I’ll see you later, then? Should we meet at the airport?”

“No, I’ll pick you up,” Donghae said. “We can go to the airport together.”

“Okay, see you.”

Donghae dropped his phone on the bed and rolled to lay on his back, his eyes now opened and staring at the white color of his ceiling.His head still pound but like he said, nothing an aspirin couldn’t fix. He just hoped there’s also a quick and immediate solution for the hollowness inside him that is not going away.

Dara popped another potato chip in as she changed the channels on the TV trying to look for something worthwhile to watch. She hadn’t watched TV in ages and she doesn’t know what is going on the earth lately. Well except for the apocalypse that seemed to hit her life. She had woken up late, knowing there’s nowhere she could go to. Jaejoong had called her telling her that he still had other companies he could bring her to and she just declined using the reason that she’s not feeling well. She just feelslike she’s been monopolizing Jaejoong’s time too much.

She sighed as she flipped the channel. She’ll worry about getting a job tomorrow. Maybe today she could just be worry free. She jumped when her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID. It was another unregistered again. She pursed her lips in agitation. If this is another one of Donghae’s friend asking her to bring him home again, she’ll literally throw her phone in the drain. Last night has been too much for her. Just that kiss made her unable to sleep.Thinking of it is so exhausting. More exhausting than working overtime for a month.

“Yeah?” She finally answered in a clipped tone.

There was a pause before an unfamiliar voice of a woman asked, “Good afternoon. Is this Ms. Sandara Park?”

Dara sat up straight. Okay, this maybe won’t be one of Donghae’s stupid friends. “Ah, yes. Yes. This is Sandara Park.”

“Hi, Ms. Park, good afternoon. This is Song Jihyo from The Scope. I understand that you had undergone an interview yesterday with us? Is this a good time to talk?”

“Yes, yes! This is a good time to talk.” She bit her lip from squealing. Okay, she doesn’t need to be so excited about something uncertain. For all she knew, they could be calling her to inform her she didn’t pass the job qualification.

“That’s good,” Ms. Song Jihyo said on the other line. “I would just like to inform you that we are now willing to offer you the job that you had applied for. Would you be able to come by tomorrow at 8 in the morning for the contract?”

“Yes! I would crawl to get there!” She couldn’t stop herself from saying.

Song Jihyo chuckled. “I’m looking forward in meeting you. We’ll see you tomorrow, Sandara Park.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Dara said gratefully before hanging up. Oh my god, she got in! She sent a text message to Jaejoong.

Can you believe it? I got a call from the scope and they are hiring me!

Then a thought passed on her mind, wiping the smile from her face. She sent another message to Jaejoong.

You didn’t do anything about it, did you? Please tell me you didn’t!

The response came in a little bit later.

Congratulations. And no, I didn’t do anything. I swear. I promised you, didn’t i?

The smile returned to her face and sent him another response.

Never doubted you for a second. I knew I was going to get in based on my intellect and unbelievable wit.

She stood up and thanked the lord for small favors. She whirled on the door when the knob rattled. Seconds later, the door opened revealing Suzy looking so tanned in her white shirt.

“Suzy!” She ran and hugged her, surprising Suzy.

“Woah,” Suzy said. “What’s up with you?”

Dara pulled back and grinned at Suzy. “I just missed my friend.”

Suzy looked at her quizically. “Okay….” Then she looked behind her, opening the door wider. “This is my boyfriend, Lee Min Ho.”

Dara had only glanced at Suzy’s boyfriend from afar and this is the first time she had actually met him face to face. He was tall. Really tall. Probably as tall as Woo Bin as she had to crane her neck to look up at his face. He greeted her with a smile showing a dimple in his left cheek and even white teeth. He was ridiculously good looking. No wonder Suzy had been so proud to parade him around.

“Good catch, Suzy,” she said to her friend.

Suzy looked embarrassed at what she said and turned to her boyfriend. “Sorry, she doesn’t have any filter. Anything her mind thinks, says.”

“Hey, at least it was a compliment!”

Min Ho just chuckled and brought Suzy’s luggage inside. They also brought food and Dara helped set the table even though it was already past lunch. They sat around the table and ate heartily while Dara kept sneaking glances at the two. Min Ho kept serving Suzy food, putting a little bit of this and that on her plate while Suzy eats then laughing while saying it was too much but eating it anyway. Even just by sitting across from them, she could tell that they look so good together. And she could tell from the look on Suzy’s face that this is probably the happiest that she could ever be. Well, at least, one of them is happy.

“So,” she heard Suzy say after a while and she looked at her. She had her hands clasped in front of her with one of her eyebrows arched. “I heard something from Mei.”

Dara scowled. “I didn’t know news could travel so fast.”

“Yes, when you have internet connection and cellphone signal,” Suzy said. “You punched Kraz?”

Min Ho snorted, the news no longer a surprise to him but he still looked amused.

“He was asking for it,” Dara reasoned out.

“Yeah, he does,” Suzy agreed surprising Dara. “But that doesn’t mean you should stoop down to his level.” She shook her head. “Aish. Min Ho knows the Station Manager of that radio station… what was the name of that again?” She asked Min Ho which he answered before Suzy turned to her again. “He could refer you to them.”

Dara grinned. “I just got accepted in The Scope.”

Suzy and Min Ho both froze. “The Scope?”

“Mmm hmm,” Dara said savoring the taste of the beef she put in her beef. “I’ll be going there tomorrow to sign the contract.”

“Wow,” Min Ho just said.

“Wow,” Suzy echoed. “Are you sure it was The Scope? And not some… I dunno… The Scope Facsimile?”

Dara gave her a withering look. “There is no such thing as The Scope Facsimile. What the hell was that? And besides, I probably fit the one they were looking for.”

“Which is?”

“Filing Clerk.”

Suzy laughed and Min Ho just smiled, obviously trying tohold his own laughter. “You? A filing clerk?” Suzy said. “You can’t even keep your own things in order.”

Dara was affronted. “Hey, I can if I’m gonna get paid for it.” She scowled and just let Suzy continued with whatever is giving her the hysterics on the idea of Dara being a filing clerk. She got a job. And that’s all that matters that her. Suzy can laugh all she wants.

Jaejoong smiled as he read the message that Dara had sent him before tuning in to what Siwon was telling the board about launching one of the programs in Hongkong, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. They were discussing about the ramifications of launching that program on all 4 countries at the same time and had been sharing ideas back and forth.

After the meeting was over, Siwon gave him a grueling smile and walked beside him as they strode the elevator.

“Man, I don’t know what they’re so against of,” Siwon muttered. The meeting wasn’t really fortuitious. Half of the board wasn’t really keen on the idea of spending a lot of money to gamble on expanding the network. Not even with Jaejoong there.

“They’re scared of change,” Jaejoong said. “Taking the risk means a risk with almost the money CSW earns in half a year.”

Siwon just sighed and got on the elevator. “Maybe I should pull a Donghae and take a vacation too.”

That surprised Jaejoong. “Donghae’s taking a vacation?”

Siwon grinned. “Yeah. Kibum called me last night and he told me the bet…er…I mean… Donghae is going to Barcelona tomorrow. With Yoona.” Then he added when he noticed the look of surprise on Jaejoong’s face. “Don’t worry, he didn’t cheat on Dara. She broke up with him… I think.”

They both stepped out of the elevator. “When is he going to Barcelona?” Jaejoong said. His grandma never mentioned it to him when he visited her last night. Neither did Chaerin.

“Today,” Siwon answered. “I called Donghae before the meeting. It seems like he’s already packing for their 3 o’clock flight.” He sounds as though he doesn’t approve of Donghae leaving.

Jaejoong just nodded but wondering if Dara knew about it.

“He said he doesn’t know how long till he gets back here. Probably live there if Yoona liked it enough to leave Korea,” Siwon continued still frowning.

“Live there? Live in Barcelona?” Jaejoong said.

Siwon shrugged. “You know Donghae. Crazy little .” Then he muttered to himself, “I told him running away isn’t the answer to his problem. But did he listen? Of course not. I might as well be talking to myself. And I don’t even give out advise freely so he should be flattered I’m giving it to him. Aish.”

Jaejoong barely heard him as he was too busy ruminating the information that Donghae is leaving. He nodded absently to Siwon when he arrived at his office and Jaejoong continued to walk to his own. He sat on the chair and put his hands on his chin thoughtfully. This is a good thing, right? Donghae is leaving. Dara would now have time to get over him. She’s free. He’s free. But somehow, he felt guilty if he didn’t tell Dara what he knew. There were times like this when he wished he could be selfish and just let things be the way they are.

Sighing heavily, he took his phone and called Dara. She answered brightly.

“Hey boss! I know I know. I’ll treat you once I get my pay, okay? Anything you want!”

Jaejoong smiled tightly. She sounds so cheerful he doesn’t want to put a dent to it. “Really? Anything I want?”

“Uh… within my budget,” Dara clarified.

Jaejoong just chuckled, trying to decide if he should tell her or not.

“So, what’s up?” Dara said.

Jaejoong bit his lip having second thoughts. Why would he tell Dara anyway? It’s not like Dara needs to know that. She and Donghae weren’t really together so it’s not like it’s her business whether Donghae decided to go somewhere. But  part of his mind knows she would probably would like to know that small detail even if she denies it herself.

“Donghae’s leaving for Barcelona today.” He finally decided to tell her.

A silence ensued.

“Three pm today,” Jaejoong said after Dara didn’t respond.

“Really?” Dara finally answered. Her voice is still cheerful but it lacked the authenticity that it had earlier. “Wow, good for him. Barcelona is a beautiful place. Like… wow. Good thing he’s got a lot of money, huh? I would guess it would cost a lot.”

“He doesn’t know how long he will be there,” Jaejoong continued not knowing why imparting this information is even necessary.

“Well, then… that would cost a lot more,” Dara said. “Listen, I think I need to go… do something. You know, preparing for tomorrow. The big day. So… I’ll call you, okay?”

“Okay,” Jaejoong said in a quiet tone.

“Bye!”

Jaejoong put the phone in his desk and leaned back in his chair just looking at the portrait hanging on the wall. Who knew he would be tangled in this messy affair just because he got interested in a small slip of a girl?

Dara pressed the end button, all the enthusiasm she had felt earlier at the idea of getti