“She doesn’t drink, you know,” Dara’s mom suddenly said, causing Jiyong to break his gaze at the boy beside Dara.

“Hmm?” Jiyong asked when he turned to look at her mom.

“She doesn’t drink,” her mom repeated.

“Oh, I’m sorry-“

“No, it’s alright. Lately, she kept on staying in the confinements of her room. She needs to go out,” her mom explained. “Thanks to you.”

Jiyong smiled and bowed. “If you don’t need my help anymore, I’ll go home now.”

“Oh sure, sure,” her mom said, bowing too.

A throbbing pain on her temples was what Dara felt when she woke up the next morning.

“Rise and shine!” her mom cheerfully greeted, opening the curtains of her window.

“Ugh! Keep it down, mom. My head’s aching,” Dara complained.

“Do you know why?” her mom said, her hands on her waists.

Dara slowly shook her head.

“You were drunk last night…” her mom said, trailing off so it would sink in to her.

“What?” Dara’s head snapped and looked at her mom.

“…and Jiyong carried you on his back because you fell asleep on the karaoke bar,” her mom continued.

“WHAT?!!!” Dara shouted, causing her head to ache more.

She held her temples and bowed down her head in shame, feeling embarrassed. He has always helped him, and she felt that it was too much already.

“Anyway…” her mom interrupted. “Hurry up and take a bath. You’ll be late to school. I heard that the results from the exam would be released today.”

“Omo,” Dara gasped and rushed to take a bath.

She was almost late and she rushed out their house. But she was surprise to see Jiyong waiting just across the street. She felt herself blush.

“What…” she trailed off.

“I’m nervous,” Jiyong said a troubled expression on his face.

Dara smiled.

They walked together to school in silence but Dara broke it first.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” Jiyong asked. “You kept on thanking me these past few days.”

“I did?” Dara felt herself blush again. “Anyway, thank you for everything.”

“What are those ‘everything’ you’re speaking of? I’m still puzzled.”

Dara stopped herself from blushing more and more. “Um, thank you for always helping me when I’m helpless. Thank you for listening to my story that kept on haunting me. Thank you for carrying me on your back last night. And finally, thank you for the closeness I never thought we could have.”

Jiyong just stared at her, as if waiting for something.

“What? Did I miss something?” Dara asked.

Jiyong nodded. “I stayed last night with you while you were singing your lungs out and I even fell asleep waiting for you to be tired. I admit, I admire you for that. You were so hyperactive last night.”

Dara felt herself blush even more.

“Why are you not thanking me for that?” Jiyong teased.

“Ah-Um. Tha-thank you for that.”

They arrived at the school. All around them, they could hear the excitement on the voices of the students. Most of them were nervous. Dara stared at him beside her. He stopped teasing and he just stared off. Dara could tell that he’s nervous because he was sweating even though the weather wasn’t hot. It even seemed like he forgot that Dara was beside him.

Dara patted his shoulder. “You ready?”

He looked at her. He relaxed.

“Let’s go?” she asked. Jiyong nodded.

They went towards the crowd of people on the bulletin board. Every after major exam, they would post the names of the students and their grades. Some might think that this system seemed cruel especially to those students who got very low grades. But the school just wanted to motivate those people below the list to aim high.

Dara and Jiyong crowded together with the other students. They were scanning the endless list.

Dara sighed in relief upon seeing her name on top. After that, she continued to scan the list. At 11^th, she saw Jiyong’s name. She stared at him immediately in excitement expecting him to have the same expression. But he was still scanning the list but he started from the bottom.

“What are you doing scanning the list from the bottom? You’re on the 11^th spot, Jiyongie!” Dara said excited, that unconsciously, she hugged him. Immediately noticing it, she let go.

She cleared .

“Congratulations, Jiyong,” she said in a soft voice.

“Congratulations to you too.”

They arrived at their classroom met with an unusual crowd of girls. It would be the usual if the cause of the crowd was Taeyang or Jiyong but it wasn’t. They seemed to group themselves in a circle and crowded themselves on something.

Dara and Jiyong both sat on their respective desks. Then Dara saw Bom among the crowd of girls. She wondered why they were crowding.

“Dara-ah!” someone called. It was Taeyang.

“Oh, hi, Taeyang,” Dara greeted back. “You look like you’re in a bad mood.”

“Well, you know, I’m usually the cause of these crowds but look, it seems whoever they’re crowding for would be stealing the spotlight.”

Dara just giggled.

“Why don’t you check it out yourself, Taeyang?” Jiyong suggested.

And Taeyang did. Dara and Jiyong stayed on their seats and observed. Taeyang just stood behind the girls. Being taller than the girls, he was able to take a peek. But because the crowd was getting crazier, Taeyang was pushed and he fell to the ground. But instead of giving up, he stood up and listened to what they’re saying.

Later, he came back.

“So?” Dara asked.

“They’re crowding over a magazine article,” Taeyang said.

“Magazine article?” Jiyong asked.

“Yes, and it seemed that the cover of it is a famous Korean rapper in France.”

“France?” Dara asked.

“Yes, after that, I haven’t heard anything. Just their squealing. They hurt my ear.”

Jiyong stared at Dara, suddenly feeling something. Dara has her head bowed down. Then Mister Choi arrived. But instead of settling the class down, he just motioned Dara to go to him.

“What is it, Mister Choi?” Dara asked.

“I won’t be able to meet you this morning. Actually, most of the teachers won’t be. So I’m putting you in-charge of the class, okay?” Mister Choi explained.

“Why? What’s the problem?”

“The Korean rapper that everyone is talking about is going to arrive here anytime soon.”

Dara kept her gasp inside. She doesn’t want the look of things. She already guessed that the Korean rapper MIGHT be Seunghyun. But she immediately erased the idea so she won’t get her hopes up.

“Okay, sir,” she said instead.

Mister Choi turned to leave but he turned back to Dara again. “Oh yeah. I saw the results this morning. Congratulations. And it seems that you did a good job with Jiyong,” he said, winking.

When Mister Choi left, she tried to settle the class down, but most of them ignored her, even Bom. Frustrated, she went back to sit.

“You look troubled,” Jiyong said.

“I’m fine,” Dara answered.

“How about we grab something to eat?”

“Sure,” Dara answered.

The way to the cafeteria was also crowded that it was hard for them to even enter. It seemed like everyone got the news that no teacher would meet their classes.

“I change my mind,” Dara said. But her stomach growled.

“You need to eat something,” Jiyong insisted. “What do you want? I’ll buy something for you and we could just bring it to our room.”

“Just get me something to drink.”

It seemed like Dara waited for an hour before Jiyong came back.

“I’m sorry,” Jiyong apologized.

“It’s alright.”

“Dara-ah!” Taeyang called.

“Hi… again!” Dara greeted.

“I had news about that Korean rapper.”

Jiyong and Dara waited.

“It has been said that he would be going to our school to study. He’s the same age as us so maybe we could be classmates and I could beat him up for stealing the spotlight from me. So, anyway, it was said that he would be going to our school because he heard his friend whom he left for several years goes to our school too,” Taeyang explained.

Dara was wide-eyed. Taeyang and Jiyong noticed but only Jiyong knows why.

“What…. What is…?” Dara stammered.

Jiyong continued for her. “What’s his name?”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot. It was T.O.P.” Taeyang said.

Jiyong immediately stared at Dara who, at least, has relaxed her expression a little and he patted her knee under the table.

After a while, they went out of the cafeteria. She completely forgot about being in-charge of her class. She left them without guidance. That’s why when they stepped out of the cafeteria she met their classmates who were hurriedly running. They followed them, partly because they were curious and partly because she has to let her classmates stay on their seats.

While running, someone bumped her.

“Omo. Mianhe,” Bom apologized. “Oh, Dara. Where were you? You have to hear this.”

“What is it about now? About that Korean rapper again?” Dara said, a little impatiently.

“Yes! Haven’t you heard? He’s at the faculty room already. Come on!”

Bom enthusiastically pulled Dara, with the two boys following behind them. They were now in front of the faculty room. Every girl was squealing in excitement. It hurts Dara’s ears.

Suddenly, Dara screamed louder than the girls. Not because she was also excited to see this T.O.P. guy but she wants to shut the students’ mouths. All of them fell silent. They were surprised to see this side of Dara. It was completely new.

Dara marched towards the faculty room door and faced the students.

“What now?! You’re scared because I screamed? Can’t you just stay civilized and stay at your respective rooms? This T.O.P. guy is just a normal guy you see at this school, okay? He’s nothing special. Can’t you just wait until you meet him anywhere on this school? You’ve already heard that he’ll be going to this school starting today right? Isn’t that enough?” Dara explained.

“But, Dara, he’s famous and an international star. Aren’t you a bit excited like us?” Bom said, suddenly scared.

“Excited? Why would i? Like I said, he’s just like everyone else. I don’t care if he’s famous. I don’t care if he’s an international rapper or whatever. I don’t care if he transfers to our school, if he’s charming, good-looking, cute, or whatever word you could describe him. I don’t even care even if he’s hearing all of the words I’m saying right now. I don’t know what’s special with him. And most of all, I don’t care…”

“Even if it was me, Ssantokki?” the Korean rapper suddenly stepped out of the faculty room and cut off Dara.

Everyone around them has their eyes on the Korean rapper. But they weren’t saying anything, they didn’t even continue their yelling. They got surprised on what he said to Dara.

Dara, on the other hand, shut and has her eyes wide open. She didn’t know how to react. She felt her heart throbbing hard in her chest as if it’s going to explode anytime soon. She doesn’t know what to do or what to feel. She looked for Jiyong among the crowds. It was only Jiyong who knows her nickname “Ssantokki”; she never said it to anyone. She convinced herself that it was Jiyong who said that. How fast could he go behind her, she doesn’t know. She just wanted it to be him to say that, not anyone else. She’s not yet ready to face the guy who calls him that nickname. But, unfortunately, she found Jiyong on the middle of the crowd. He wasn’t looking at her. He was glaring to the one BEHIND her.

Dara has finally decided what to do. She closed her eyes, afraid of who she has to see behind her. She slowly turned toward the source of that deep voice. He could feel him in front of her, but she remained her eyes closed.

Suddenly, she felt warm hands cupping her face.

“Open your eyes, Ssantokki,” he said.

And she did, only slowly. When she opened them, she was already crying.

She knew it.

He has come back.

His face was inches away from her face. They were gazing in each other’s eyes and Dara even forgot that they were being surrounded by students.

Choi Seunghyun came back, Dara’s mind shouted. Say something, Dara!

“Tu me manques,” Seunghyun whispered. “That means I miss you.”

Tears started to roll down her eyes. She was happy. She couldn’t even respond. She’s just so speechless.

Seunghyun wiped off the tears from her cheeks. And then he pressed his lips against Dara’s cheek. Then he hugged her so tight it was as if he’s saying that he won’t ever let her go again.

“I missed you, Dara. I missed you so much,” he said against her hair. “I won’t ever leave you again. I’m sorry.”

“Tabi!” someone called from afar.

Seunghyun leaned away from Dara and stared at the source of the voice. Running footsteps… and everyone turned their eyes to where Seunghyun was looking.

“Tabi!” she called again.

Everyone made way for her. She bent her waist and gasped for breath. She looked up and everyone was stunned.

“What took you so long?” she said. “You said you would not be long so I stayed at the car.”

Everyone just stared at her. She had blonde hair and she was wearing a white tank top, denim shorts, fishnet stockings, and knee-length boots. She looked eye-catching in the middle of students on their uniforms.

“I’m sorry Chaerin,” Seunghyun told her and patted her head. She pulled her wrist. “Come, I would like you to meet someone special.”

But when Seunghyun turned, he only saw an empty spot where Dara just stood a while ago.

“Where did she go?” Seunghyun asked everyone.

“I-I don’t know,” Bom stammered and blushing because she was the closest to him.

Taeyang elbowed her ribs. “Quit being nervous. It’s annoying,” he complained. “We don’t know where she went. But I saw her running towards the backfield. Are you going to follow her?” Taeyang said, an eyebrow rising up in challenge.