[Chapter 2]

She closes her eyes.

'You'll be okay. I love you Dara-ah'

She smiles softly as she opens her eyes. Her eyes are radiant with happiness. She starts to jump with the music and dancing with all her dancer.

"I love you !!!! Come on ! Let's rock the night !!!", She screams making her fans screaming out loudly.

She had to be happy, for this once. She had to smiles. She will smile for now and save the cries later. She will be okay. Like he told her. She will be fine.

The first song. The second song. Until almost her last song of the night are going well. She didn't broke down so far. Just this one last song and one happy night will be over. After this, she had to face the reality again. She had to let go of her 'SANDARA' mask and face it. All of this mess. Alone.

"I look at my reflection in the mirror.

It is so empty, as if there’s nothing there", she sings softly.

The dancer have gone away. Now she is alone in that huge stage singing a sad love song. The song that she wrote alone with tears on the sheets in that painful night. It's been a while. But now, her heart still ache. For the same reason, for the same person. It always him. Her heartache is him.

"I walk alone on the street.

And this empty street feels too empty.

But baby,

After waking up from the dream about you.

This morning of reality feels more empty",

Tears begin to fall as she remember the reason behind this song. How could this song full of pain was made. She remember it all, clearly.

"I’m an empty shell,

a coward without you.

People around me look at me with pity",

Dara looks around as she tried to confess her feeling. All of that painful memories that she really want to forget, she wants to share it with them. Her fans, the people. She feels sorry because she isn't okay. She just can't pretend it anymore. She had let go of her mask too fast, she wants them to see who is the real 'Sandara'. That I'm not a bright and cheerful person anymore. After you left. After you gone.

"Surely baby, It kills me.

And you know ?

Before starting my day.

Without thinking I saw my reflection in the mirror.",

Her eyes are closed as the memories rushes back to her mind. Those two people, their shadow are following her around. It's been months but she still felt this way. Hurt and broken. Those two people made her into this broken and lifeless doll.

"There’s no smile on my face.

It is so empty, as if there’s nothing there".

Tears keep falling down on her cheeks, her voice has gone shaky as her breath uncontrolled. But she hears it. Their cries. Her fans, the audience. 

"I walk alone on the street.

And this empty street feels so empty.

It’s quiet just like my heart.

This morning of reality feels so empty.

My heart feels so empty",

I'm lost without you, God, how could he leave me ? Her evil mind keeps flashing that hurtful memories. She should've hate him, but why did she still yearn for him ? Why am I still hurting because of you ? 

"It’s over, my love.

Where are you now ?

Now we are just a memory.

Well, I was happy",

A bitter smiles grace her face as she sings the lyrics. It's true, he gave her happiness for all this four years. In love with him are not something she regret. She is happy for every memories they had. Everything. It just their ending are not the way she wish. In fact, it was the most painful ending she never even dream of.

"Good days and sad days.

Hard days and happy days.

Now it becomes memories of the past.

The me and you of the past are now over.

And this is the reality I have to face",

"My reason to live is gone.

My mind is complicated.

When I open my eyes in the morning.

My heart feels empty.

I feel the emptiness.

Just like I did before I met you",

Dara sobs softly. She wipes the tears away as she sits on the stage facing the million fans there. Just this time. I'm going to show everyone the real me. The lifeless and souless me. Me, who is no longer the same after he left.

"I still feel you here.

Just before me when I close my eyes.

But I feel less and less as time goes by.

I don’t regret it.

I’m just a bit sad.

I don’t miss you.

I just long for you",

Dara sobs harder. The fans gasp could be heard now as Dara crying face are established on those large screen in the theater. Their cries can be heard and it is louder than before. Just this time. Let me show you my heart.

"I’m more and more afraid.

Because I’m not like myself before.

There’s no smile on my face.

I’m scared to see myself getting weaker.

My life feels quiet just like my heart.

Without you, even the air around me is heavy",

She still tries to sing. Even her cracked voice can be heard in every part. Her face had been ruined, her tears cover all of her cheeks. She could hear the sobs from the fans and it's getting louder and louder. With that, she know that her feeling has reached them. They had known her feelings. And somehow, she felt lighter now. 

"After waking up from the dream.

This morning of reality....

It feels painful, my love..

It’s over...

Now we are...",

"J-just a memory...",

The light dim around her. Just her in that big stage. The light are shine on her. She lift her face to stare at the fans. A bitter smile crept on her face. That voices comes to her mind before she sings the last lyrics. The last pieces of her painful memories.

'I love you Dara. Believe me I love you'

"I'm h-happy", she whispers sadly.

The light turn off making the theater turns black. Their claps, cheers and cries, she still hear it. They're accompanying her as she walk to the backstage.

I'm sorry, I'm too weak to say thanks for them. Thanks for listening my pain. And I'm sorry, because today I'm too weak to pretend that I'm okay. And I don't know, can I be okay?

As she walks down the stage, Chaerin crushes her into a tight hug. Bom is giving her a drink as she wipes away her sweat.

"It's okay Dara. It's okay. Everything will be okay", Chaerin whispers. Dara sobs become painfully softer, it's even hard for her to take a breath.

"You had us Dara. It'll be okay", Bom whispers as she hugs her too.

"God… I'm so s-stupid, right? I still… I'm still feeling.. l-like this.. ", she whispers as she falls to the ground.

She still can hear all the gasp and worried yells from the staff. But she can't feel a thing. And she wishes it could stay this way. Just time like this, she can stop her mind that keep telling her the same sentence every day. A painful truth that she kept far in her heart. And right before she falls unconscious, her mind voices that painful truth again.

I love you Donghae. I love you, believe me.

HI !! The name has comes out. Donghae was her man :)

Umm.. I use Winner's empty as Dara's song.

I really like the songs and of course the lyrics still made me cry.

Hope you love this story, please comment so I know what you think about.

HENGSHO~