For the whole time they were eating together, Miss Shin knew about Dara. Later. They talked about Jiyong. Then much later, they talked about the both of them. Jiyong still refused he likes her. He kept on denying whatever Miss Shin said. To end the discussion, he stood up.

“I’m sorry ma’am. I would love to stay here and hang out but Mister Choi told me I have to see him after lunch,” he said then bowed.

Minutes after Jiyong left, Dara woke up.

“Oh, good, are you alright now? Is your head still aching?” Miss Shin asked.

“Um, no. I’m dizzy. Maybe from oversleeping. How did I arrive here?” Dara asked.

“Mister Kwon Jiyong brought you here,” Miss Shin said checking her blood pressure.

“Oh,” Dara felt herself heat up.

“Your blood pressure’s normal now. Yeah. Maybe you’re dizzy from oversleeping,” Miss Shin explained. She noticed Dara trying to remember something. “Oh, yeah. Mister Kwon carried you here on his arms. He said he saw you running then you just fell.”

Dara was holding her face now. It feels hot under her palms. She doesn’t know if this was from the fever or from what Miss Shin told her. “Oh. Yeah. I remember running because I was late. I didn’t eat breakfast,” she paused trying to remember more. “Yeah. I also felt someone carrying me. And his arms were so strong. I never expected it to be Jiyong.”

Miss Shin has to wave her hand in front of Dara’s eyes for her to be awakened from her sleep with her eyes open. “You’re spacing out.”

“Where’s Jiyong?” Dara said, suddenly alert.

“He left to meet Mister Choi.”

“I have to thank him,” she said, immediately getting off the bed.

“Careful. You are not fully recovered.”

“I am,” Dara said. But when she tried to run, she became dizzy again.

“See?” Miss Shin said. “Sit first. Try to rest for 5 minutes or so, and then you can go home.”

“I’m not going home,” Dara insisted.

“You are, you have to rest.”

“I have to thank him first,” Dara insisted more.

Miss Shin sighed. The things love can do to love birds.

“Oh, so she’s still sleeping at the infirmary?” Mister Choi asked.

“Yes, Miss Shin said she’ll be okay when she wakes up,” Jiyong said.

“Oh, so that’s why you were late. Bom said you were still sleeping and she said you were too lazy to get up. I thought this would affect you’re studies so I called you.”

“It’s true, Sir. I was too lazy to get up. But thanks to my laziness, I was late and was able to help Dara when she collapsed.”

“That’s so sweet of you,” Mister Choi grinned. “Tell me… do the two of you have –“

The door opened.

“Annyeong haseyo, Mister Choi,” Dara bowed.

“You’re awake,” Jiyong stated.

“Are you alright?” Mister Choi asked, standing up. “Sit.”

Jiyong stood up to give his seat to her. “Are you alright now, Dara?” he said, guiding her to her seat.

Dara stared at him. It was no mistake that he was really concerned. It makes her think why he helped her. Maybe he likes me too? She thought. But she shook the idea away. It was impossible. It’s true that most of the school’s boys are so into her but as far as she noticed, Jiyong isn’t one of them. She wished it wasn’t true. Maybe it was out of kindness. She thought and convinced herself.

Before she settled, she bowed low in front of Jiyong, “Thank you, Jiyong, for your kindness.”

“Dara?! Dara-ah?!” Taeyang called from outside their room. He was being loud so the students all turned to him. But no one was actually mad. They were in love with him.

“Here he goes again,” Bom said.

“Don’t get jealous, Bommie,” one of her classmates, Honey Lee commented.

“What are you saying, Honey? I’m just stating the facts. Look. In five seconds, he’ll come and ask me. 5… 4… 3…”

Honey continued, “2… 1…”

“Bommie!” Taeyang called and approached her desk. “Where’s my Dara?”

Bom faked a smile and turned to him. “Oh, hi, Taeyang-ssi. YOUR Dara? I don’t know. She’s absent.”

“Oh really? Too bad,” he shook his head. “Where’s Jiyong? He might help,” he said and then added in a whisper, “Not like you.”

“I heard that,” Bom said.

“Oh.”

“Um… Um…” Honey stood too. She felt the heat tensing up. “Jiyong. He’s at Mister Choi’s office.”

“Thanks Honey,” Taeyang winked at her.

Honey blushed.

“Waste of time. Jiyong wouldn’t tell you. He didn’t tell me. What makes you think he would?”

“I’m he’s best friend. He wouldn’t tell a moron cousin of his like you,” Taeyang teased.

But Bom was already squinting her eyes. She’s angrier now.

“Um…” Honey stood up again, pushing Taeyang out. “I think you really have to go now.”

But Taeyang was clueless. He thought he was doing a great job teasing Bom. This was the way they are since the first day they met. But somehow, he felt something was wrong. Something was quite not right. As if it makes Bom angrier now than ever.

Meanwhile…

Dara was staggering from the time they left Mister Choi’s office. She can’t ask help from Jiyong. She thinks it’s too much. Besides, Jiyong was walking ahead of her – a few feet from her. Suddenly, she fell.

“Dara-ah” Jiyong came running to her. He was holding her on her shoulders. But he wasn’t able to straighten Dara because she held his wrist.

Dara looked up to gaze at his eyes. Her face immediately reddened. His face is just inches from her. But both of them didn’t pull back. They held each other’s gaze. Silence filled the air between them.

Jiyong cleared his throat. He was about to stand up but Dara pulled him right back.

Their faces are closer now. But Dara held her gaze. Then she smiled. “Thank you, Jiyong.”

Jiyong’s face reddened. Then he broke his gaze. He straightened Dara up, supporting her. “Are you alright, Dara?”

Dara tried to stand up. She was thankful that Jiyong was supporting her. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be as okay as she is right now.

“I shouldn’t have walked ahead. You should go home,” Jiyong said matter-of-factly.

Dara shook her head. “No. I’m alright. Thanks to you. Let me attend this afternoon’s classes. I don’t want to be absent.” She started breaking out from Jiyong but she still felt unsteady so her grip tightened.

Jiyong put his arms around her shoulder and his free hand was on her left shoulder. They started walking together. They were shocked who they met.

“Dara…” he said.

“Taeyang-ssi,” Dara gasped. She tried to break free from Jiyong.

“You’re still sick,” Jiyong said.

Taeyang ran.

“Let me go, Jiyong,” Dara struggled and she succeeded. She felt unsteady at first but was able to recover. She ran after Taeyang. She can hear Jiyong’s running footsteps behind her.

She reached Taeyang at their classroom on his desk. It was her first time being there. The students stared at her. Most of them knew her. Some of them used to court her. The girls were all insecure by her.

“Annyeong,” Dara bowed low then proceeded to Taeyang desk. She pulled him out the classroom. Outside, Jiyong was waiting.

Dara turned to Taeyang. His eyes were red from crying. “What’s wrong with you, Taeyang?” Dara said her voice unexpectedly high.

Taeyang thought she was mad. He continued to cry.

“Don’t cry,” Dara said, her voice softened. “Why were you crying?”

“You two…” Taeyang said, pointing between them.

“What’s with us?” Dara asked. “There’s nothing between us, Taeyang.” She turned to Jiyong. “Right?”

But Jiyong was already walking away. It took time for Dara to turn back to Taeyang.

“There’s nothing between Jiyong and me, okay?” she said. Then she added in a whisper. “I don’t even know why I’m explaining this to you.”

Taeyang nodded.

“I’m going,” Dara said while turning her back.

While on class, Dara was distracted by Jiyong. For a while, he was soft and friendly to her, now the cold shoulder treatment was back. Dara frowned. Then, she received a paper airplane from the front. She looked up and saw Bom waving at her. She read the note.

                I thought you’ll be absent. Where were you? – Bom

Dara doesn’t know how to make a paper airplane, so she grabbed her phone and texted secretly while the teacher was turning his back.

                I ws sick. Bt I’m alright nw.

Bom read the message from her phone. She smiled and texted a reply.

                I thought u wer on a date wd Jiyong. Kekeke :P

Dara read Bom’s message and frowned. Bom giggled quietly.

After class…

“Where are we going, Dara?” Bom said, hugging Dara.

“I’m sorry, Bom, I’m busy. The tutorial officially starts now,” Dara said.

Jiyong stood from his desk. “You’re going home.”

“I said I’m alright,” Dara said.

“Am I missing something?” Bom asked.

“No, go home alone today, Bom. I’ll tutor Jiyong first.”

Jiyong wasn’t able to protest. Later, they were on the library. Students there were staring at them. Lately, the stares are increasing and it makes Dara uncomfortable already.

While Jiyong was answering the test questions Dara made a while ago, Dara asked him. “What’s wrong with them?”

“Ignore them,” Jiyong said, plainly.

After two hours, the librarian told them the library is closing. They were packing their things when Dara’s pencil fell. Both of them bent down to pick and their heads hit each other.

“Aw,” both them said.

Dara giggled. Jiyong joined.

“Let’s go home?” Jiyong asked.

“Ok,” Dara agreed.

While walking along the empty hallway, silence filled the air between them.

Jiyong broke the silence. “Why were you running this morning?”

“I was running late, that’s why,” Dara said plainly.

“Um, do you have a –“

Dara saw it coming so she cut him off. “Why was Taeyang acting like that a while ago?”

Jiyong sighed. He was right. He thought that Dara would guess what he was thinking. She was too smart. He has no choice but to respond to Dara. “He had so many heartbreaks before. He fell for the wrong girl so many times. When he knows a girl, he falls in love immediately. That’s what’s wrong with him. But every girl he falls for are what we call ‘wrong girls at the wrong time’. They either cheat on him or they fall out of love. He has too many bad experiences on girls. But when he met you, he told me that he was sure it was you. So that’s why, when he saw us together, maybe it occurred to him that what he experienced before will repeat its history. I know it’s hard. But you have to understand him.”

Dara was nodding her head.

Another silence…

When they reached the gate…

“Hey, your house is not that way,” Jiyong said.

“I know. I’m going somewhere,” Dara said. She thought Jiyong has left but when she looked back, he was still following her. She let him be.

Later, they were about thirty feet away from each other.

When she reached her destination she went inside.

She stared at the jewelry. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “It’s still here!” she squealed quietly. But everyone at the store stared at her. She hasn’t noticed. She still continued squealing. Later, the saleslady cleared . She looked up. “Omo, you’re there. How much is it?” she pointed to the jewelry.

“250,000 KRW,” the saleslady said.

“Oh,” Dara straightened up, took one last look, and left to scan on the other jewelry.

Just a while ago, Jiyong lost sight of Dara. Because he kept distance from her, more and more people are crowding in. Besides, she’s too small that the crowd immediately ate her up. He doesn’t know why he feels as if he’s obliged to look after her. He only knows that he doesn’t want her to collapse again. He panicked for a while, looking for her on each store he passed. Then, he saw her inside a jewelry store.

Jiyong saw it all from the outside – her interest on buying that jewelry, her smile with just the thought of the jewelry being hers, her disappointment when the saleslady told her the price of the jewelry. It must have been very expensive because she just took one last longing look at the jewelry before she went to another set of jewelry just across.

Jiyong took the opportunity to enter the store and take a look at the jewelry she wanted to buy.

As soon as he saw it, he was surprised how this plain thing makes her happy, makes her want to have it. The bracelet was silver, with stars as its charm. It was cute, but it was just that. Just simple. He thought for a while. He turned his head. Dara was still scanning the other jewelries. Hoping that she wasn’t aware that he’s here, he grabbed his wallet and took out his credit card.

“Give me this,” Jiyong said plainly to the saleslady.

“Is she your girlfriend, sir?” the saleslady asked while motioning to Dara. She bent down to get the jewelry from the glass. “She was just taking a look at this. She’s always here, almost every week for the last two months or so. Maybe she’s trying to check if the price is going down but unfortunately, it doesn’t.”

Jiyong was silent.

“You must want to surprise your girlfriend,” the saleslady said.

“Omo, what did you buy?” Dara said, the moment Jiyong got out from the store. “I thought you left. Then when I got out, I saw you inside.”

Jiyong wished Dara hasn’t guessed what he bought. Then she eyed the thing on his hand.

“Is that for Sohee?” Dara said. “What did you buy?”

Jiyong hid it behind his back. “Come on now, let’s go home.”

“Okay, how about you? Aren’t you calling your driver to fetch you?” Dara said.

“Oh yeah,” Jiyong grabbed his phone. Dara was about to leave but Jiyong held her wrist. “Hello? Fetch me at Dara’s house. It’s just in front of a small park.” Then he put the phone down before his driver could respond.