Dara was obviously drained from telling the story. Jiyong noticed that it’s not easy for Dara to recount those painful memories. He let her be silent for some time. She didn’t tell him that she finished telling the story but her last words struck his mind.

I’ll be back for you, Dara, he had said.

Somehow, he noticed how these words left Dara in an expectation that he’s really coming for her. As a friend, Jiyong doesn’t want to burst her bubble, so he reached his hand out to pat her head.

“He will be back for you, Dara. I know it,” he said.

Dara stared at him. Jiyong could tell that she’s holding back her tears.

When Dara reached home, she immediately studied. However, she was distracted. Nothing from what she just studied came into her mind. The things on her mind are what she related to Jiyong. She held the pendant that’s hanging on her neck. To clear her mind too, she went to the attic.

Last time she was here, she ignored the guitar that just lied on top of her treasure chest. She grabbed it and strummed. It was out of tune. But she remembered something from what she told Jiyong.

Music sheets…

Pink rabbit…

Guitar pick…

Broken eye glasses…

The picture…

She rummaged inside the ‘treasure chest’, and she found the pink rabbit, the broken glasses, and the picture. She wondered where the music sheets and the guitar pick were. Suddenly, she remembered something. Somewhere in this attic, she knew she owned a guitar case where she usually kept her guitar. She looked for it. After a long search, she found it just behind the treasure chest, untidily lying. She quickly opened it and found the almost crumpled music sheets and the guitar pick, which is still hanging on its necklace. She smiled for her discovery and quickly grabbed all the things she just searched for and ran to her room. She wiped the dust on her guitar. She neatly laid the music sheets on her desk. She washed the pink rabbit and let it hang for it to dry. She put the broken glasses just beside their first ever picture together. And the guitar pick, she hanged it just beside the heart pendant.

With all these things out of her mind, she returned to study. Now she was more focused on studying. Every now and then, she would stare at the picture just in front of her. She smiled at the boy who stared at her with a broken pair of glasses.

“I know you’ll come back, Seunghyun,” she said.

It was 1:00 AM when she decided to call it a day. But before she could turn her bedside lamp off, her phone rang.

“Hello?” she said.

“Ssantoki? Is that you?”

“Jiyong! Cut it out. I know it’s you.”

Jiyong chuckled on the other line. “I’m just kidding. So, are you still studying?”

“No, I’m done. I’m about to sleep,” she said.

“Oh,” he dropped his voice. “Did I disturb you?”

“No,” she said, plainly.

“You know, there’s still so much time to study tomorrow. It’s Sunday.”

“I can’t just waste my time. Why? Weren’t you studying?”

Jiyong cleared his throat. “Why wouldn’t i? I need this more than you, you know.”

Dara smiled. “I know you can do it.”

“Thanks,” Jiyong said, smiling. “I guess, you want to sleep now.”

Dara yawned. “Yes.”

“Sorry for disturbing you,” Jiyong said.

“Yeah,” Dara said, her eyes almost dropping.

“Good night, Ssantokki.”

She was almost asleep now, “Good night, Seunghyun,” she said mistakenly, but she never noticed. The phone was still clutched to her ear.

Jiyong just chuckled on the other line.

She woke up when her phone rang.

“Hello?” she said, with a hoarse voice. She rubbed her eyes sleepily.

“Did I wake you?”

“Duh?” Dara said stil sleepily.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

Silence…

“Hello? You still there?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Don’t waste time, Ssantokki. Study now. I have been awake since 6 AM. You taught me this, you know.”

Dara laughed. “Yes, sir!” she laughed. “And, oh, don’t call me Ssantokki anymore.”

“Why? So you won’t mistake me for Seunghyun?” he said playfully.

Dara gasped. “Why? Did I mistake you for Seunghyun?”

“Yes,” Jiyong laughed.

Silence… Dara was embarrassed.

“I’m sorry,” she finally said.

“It’s okay,” he said, dismissively. “Study now.”

Then he hung up.

“Bye,” Dara said on her beeping phone. “So embarrassing!” she shouted.

Then a text from Jiyong…

                Oh, and, I’ll drop by tomorrow morning. Let’s walk to scul 2geder so we cn review.

Dara smiled. And replied:

                Okay ^^ hwaiting!

Then she started studying…

The next morning, she got up early and took a bath. After that she took a look outside her window and she saw him across the street waving at her.

She ran downstairs and went outside.

“Have you waited long?” she asked.

“Nope,” he said.

She pulled his wrist. “Come, let’s eat breakfast.”

After that, they walked to school together while talking. But of course, they were not talking about personal stuffs which they did just two days ago, they were talking about their lessons.

When they arrived at the school gate, they were met by glares. Now, they were increasing. Dara immediately felt Jiyong tensing up beside her.

“Jiyong,” she said. “Relax.”

And he did.

The next day, the same happened.

He went to Dara’s house early in the morning so he could walk with her and review with her. And he has to be pulled inside to convince him to eat breakfast.

For the last day of exam, when she took a peek outside her window, he wasn’t there. She ran downstairs and found him sitting comfortably and sipping a coffee.

After breakfast, the usual review happened.

The day had passed by quickly and all the students are squealing in joy and excitement about how to spend the rest of the day after the long nerve-wracking exams.

“Oh YEAH!” Bom squealed and hugged Dara. “The exams are done! Oh yeah!”

“Yeah!” she squealed with her.

“Dara!” Taeyang called.

“Oh, hi!” she greeted.

“Let’s go somewhere to celebrate the end of the exams!” he said, excitedly.

“Oh. Sure. But, where’s Jiyong?” she asked.

“Here I am,” Jiyong said, suddenly appearing behind her.

“How’s the exam?” Dara asked.

Now they had their own world. Dara and Jiyong were talking about how they finished their exams easily, how Jiyong is very grateful of Dara’s help.

On the other hand, Bom and Taeyang are silently walking side-by-side behind Dara and Jiyong. They were feeling awkward with each other.

Taeyang tried to break the silence. “How was the test?”

“Huh?” Bom stared at him in disbelief. “Um, yeah. It’s alright. Yours?” she asked awkwardly.

“Good,” he said.

Then another silence…

“You, guys, alright there?” Jiyong asked.

“Yes!” Bom and Taeyang said in chorus.

“We’re here!” Dara said.

“Karaoke bar?” Taeyang asked.

“She wants to sing,” Jiyong said, pointing to Dara.

“I didn’t say that!” Dara protested.

Jiyong laughed. “I was kidding. It was my idea.”

Inside the karaoke bar, it was usually Bom or Taeyang who holds the mike. They would sing most of the famous songs. And because they were in the legal age, they ordered drinks.

Taeyang and Bom were both drunk now that they even forgot they were awkward with each other. Taeyang has his arms around Bom’s shoulder and Bom has her arm around Taeyang’s waist. They were swaying along with the song. Dara and Jiyong were just sitting at the background laughing at them. At times, Dara took pictures of them. She plans on showing the pictures to them.

Time has passed and it was Dara’s turn to be drunk.

“Come on! Give me that mike!” Dara said, and sang along with a Jennifer Lopez song. And since she knew the song very well, she doesn’t need to read the lyrics off the screen. She went to Jiyong and invited him to sing with her.

Jiyong felt awkward. She was so close to him, her face inches from him.

Later, Dara and Jiyong were the only one awake now. She still kept on singing. Jiyong called his driver so they could go home. He stared at the two of them. Taeyang leaned his head back to the wall; Bom was lying on the lap of Taeyang.

He convinced Dara to go home too, but he was hyperactive. She said she wasn’t drunk. She insisted on staying and enjoying the night. She kept on dancing and singing. When the driver arrived, it was only Bom and Taeyang who were sent home. He stayed until Dara got tired from singing. But she showed no signs of exhaustion. She was standing the whole time, the karaoke showing her the lyrics of the song she’s singing. Jiyong started to fall asleep on the sofa, but he kept his ears open so he was only half asleep.

But Jiyong really fell asleep. He was tired now. When he woke up, Dara was not in front of the karaoke anymore. Jiyong panicked and he found her lying peacefully on the floor.

“I bet you got tired on your own and fell asleep,” he whispered.

Jiyong was walking now on the dark streets with Dara sleeping quietly on his back. Later, Dara mumbled something.

“Dara?” Jiyong whispered.

“Oh, Jiyongie,” Dara said with a high-pitched voice, hurting Jiyong’s ears. She was still drunk. She just woke up. Maybe she felt someone carrying her and woke up.

“You’re awake.”

Dara laughed. “I was never asleep.”

“You weren’t?” Jiyong asked, but Dara didn’t answer anymore, so he assumed that she fell asleep again.

“Thank you,” Dara mumbled suddenly, but Jiyong was able to hear her. A small smile cracked on his lips.

“For what?” Jiyong asked. But once again, no answer.

They arrived at Dara’s house.

“Omo,” her mom was shocked. “Was she drunk?”

Jiyong nodded. Her mom let him in to carry her upstairs to her room.

When Jiyong laid her down on her bed, Dara’s mom left her to get a basin of water and a towel.

While in the room, Jiyong couldn’t help but to look at her. She looked so peaceful, as if not drunk. He saw the necklace around her neck. She saw the heart pendant and beside it was the guitar pick. He got curious and looked around the bedroom. Beside her pillow was the pink stuffed rabbit. Beside the bed was the pink guitar standing. He ran his eyes further and saw the picture on her desk. He stared intently at the boy beside her. Then lying beside the picture was the broken eyeglasses, and finally he saw the compiled and crumpled music sheets on the desk. He returned his eyes to the picture, intently gazing at the boy beside her. He noticed that the broken eyeglasses he was wearing was the same with the one lying beside the picture. Suddenly, he thought, she really keeps all of the memories she had.