He took a step forward, finally deciding to leave the place. Suddenly, he felt something on his feet. Seeing what it was, he kept it on his pocket and already knew what he’ll do with it.

 

Jiyong arrived at the classroom the next day. He stared at the figure laying her head on the desk. He wanted to make her happy again. He couldn’t help feeling guilty.

“Good morning, Jingyo!” Chaerin greeted.

Jiyong turned to her. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her outside.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Chaerin asked, smiling widely.

“Where’s Seunghyun?” Jiyong asked.

Her smile turned into a frown. “Oh. Why?”

“Just answer!”

“Oh, well, I heard he’s researching in the library.”

Jiyong ran towards the library.

“Oh, Jiyong, good morning,” Jaejoong greeted. “Were you running?”

“Where’s Seunghyun?” Jiyong asked while panting.

“Behind that shelf,” Jaejoong said.

“Seunghyun,” Jiyong said with urgency on his voice.

Seunghyun stared at him. He closed the book he was holding.

“I’m sorry for making Dara cry,” Jiyong said.

Seunghyun grabbed his wrist and pulled him outside of the library. Outside, he gripped on his shirt and stared fiercely in his eyes. “What did you do?”

“I can’t tell you just yet,” Jiyong just said. “But I know you can make her happy.”

Seunghyun thought for a while and eventually, he loosened the grip on Jiyong’s uniform.

“By the way, she left this on the rooftop yesterday,” Jiyong said handing him the necklace.

 

Seunghyun entered the classroom and saw Dara lying limply on her desk.

“Do you want to go somewhere, Ssantokki?” he whispered on her ear.

Dara straightened up and stared at him. “Where?”

“I want to go somewhere. How about you?” he asked ignoring the question.

“And ditch school?” Dara asked.

“We’ll be back at lunch,” Seunghyun answered, pulling on her wrist and dashed off.

The whole morning, Seunghyun brought her to different places. He brought her to play on the arcades, shopping, and after that they ate lunch.

When they returned to school, Dara finally had the courage to ask.

“Why are you doing this?” Dara asked while they were walking on the crowding corridors.

Seunghyun shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re down today. I want to make you happy and the only thing I can think of is to spend the day with you. I hope I succeeded.”

They stared at each other’s eyes and Dara smiled.

“By the way, Sajang-nim called me this morning. He told me to tell you…”

“He knows that we know each other?” Dara gasped.

“Well… of course. Anyway, he wanted me to tell you that on Sunday, we will be shooting a music video where I’ll be a featured artist on the song and… guess what.”

Dara shook her head, having no idea.

“You and I will be starring that music video.”

Dara’s eyes widened, unable to respond.

 

That night…

“Hello?” Dara said at the phone.

“Hi, Dara, tomorrow there’ll be a welcome-back party for uncle,” Bom explained.

“Uncle?”

“Oh yeah. Jiyong’s dad. He came back today. And, oh, it’s their wedding anniversary too. And I’m inviting you.”

“I don’t know if I could come. I know it will be a big party. I don’t have anything grand to wear.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Dara.”

“Why?”

“You’ll know why. By the way, is Jaejoong there?”

“Jaejoong?” Dara said and looked behind her. “Bom wants to talk to you.”

Jaejoong took the phone from Dara and she went to watch TV on the couch. Every now and then she can’t help to turn her head to look at Jaejoong. Surprisingly, Jaejoong kept on laughing while on the phone with her. Whatever Bom was saying, he finds them funny. Now she’s thinking that the two are slowly falling for each other. She shook her head not minding Jaejoong while he’s comfortably leaning on the wall with the phone on his ear.

Someone knocked on the door. Dara stood up and went to answer it.

“Delivery…” a boy said.

“For me?” Dara asked. The boy nodded. She brought the box inside and opened it. Neatly folded was a cute black dress. She let it out of the box and inspected closely the unique burnout pattern that exposes her skin. She hesitated if she could use it. She isn’t fond of dresses. She loves casual more than formal wear like this. At the bottom of the box was a note.

 

                Do you like it? Wear your hair down in simple waves so you will be extra gorgeous tomorrow. See you. : )

 

“Dara?” Jaejoong called. “Bom wants to talk to you again.”

“Hello? Thanks for the dress. I don’t think I can wear it though,” Dara said as soon as she got the phone.

“But why?!” Bom complained.

“It’s too short. It exposes my skin.”

“I would be mad if you’ll not wear it.”

Dara thought for a while. Bom knows her weaknesses. “Fine!”

“Yey!” Bom clapped. “Okay, be ready tomorrow. You’ll be enjoying the night. You’re going to sleepover, is that alright? I’ve prepared surprises.”

“That makes me nervous.”

Bom laughed.

 

Jiyong caught eye of the most beautiful girl he had seen so far tonight. She was walking towards the mansion with Seunghyun as her partner. But this didn’t affect him. He was too engrossed with the beauty that Dara emanates from her. Her hair is down with curves. She wore the dress he especially bought for her, with the help of Bom of course. He couldn’t think that she can be more gorgeous than she is. He just can’t take his eyes from her. But then she caught his eyes too. That was when he snapped out of his reverie. He looked away and talked to his companion beside him.

“Hello, guys,” Bom greeted Dara, Seunghyun, Jaejoong, and Chaerin.

“Hi, thanks for the dress,” Dara said.

“You look so beautiful. I knew it,” Bom said. “Hi, Jaejoong.”

“Hello, I’m sorry I can’t sleepover with you. I can’t leave Auntie Hyesun at home alone.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Maybe next time,” Bom said. “Anyway, can I borrow the girls, guys?”

Dara and Chaerin went with Bom upstairs to her room.

“I’m too excited for this,” Bom said happily.

“What are you going to show us?” Chaerin asked.

“Well…” Bom said, opening her drawer. “…this.”

“Handcuffs?” Dara and Chaerin said together.

“Yeah.”

“What are we going to do with them?” Dara asked.

“I’m supposed to reveal this with all of you together but I’m so excited I can’t keep it in. but, I think you have to wait until later tonight when there are no guests.”

Chaerin crossed her arms on her chest. Dara got nervous. She has an idea.

 

“Let us all congratulate the couple who are married for 15 years already. Let us call in their only son, Kwon Jiyong.”

Everyone applauded. But no one got on the stage.

“Kwon Jiyong, are you there?”

No one… the guests started to whisper with each other. Even his parents.

“I’ll excuse myself first. I have to… go to the bathroom,” Dara said.

She didn’t go to the bathroom, though. Instead, she headed to Bom’s room and got the handcuffs from her drawer and the keys. She ran downstairs. She looked over if Jiyong’s already on the stage but, instead a band was playing in place. She ran outside and saw what she was looking for.

Jiyong was sitting on a bench with both hands on his sides. His head was bowed down.

Dara slowly walked towards him, trying not to make a noise, but the clicking of her boots against the floor was not following her. However, this didn’t seem to disturb him. It was like Jiyong isn’t really paying attention with his surroundings.

Dara was already in front of him but he never looked up. Whether he was pretending not to notice or not, she couldn’t tell. She sat beside him. No reactions still. She got the handcuffs and locked Jiyong’s wrist with her.

The clicking sound of the handcuffs and the cold metal feeling on his wrist made Jiyong straighten up. He stared at his handcuffed wrist and someone else’s. He followed the wrist up and saw Dara smiling down at him.

“What are you doing here all alone?” Dara asked.

But Jiyong just bowed his head again.

“They were calling you for a speech, you know.”

No answer still.

“I’m sorry I locked you with me,” she apologized. “I couldn’t find a chance to talk with you privately. And I’m afraid that you’ll just leave if I try to.”

She waited for a response but nothing came. His head was still bowed down.

“Do you know why I reacted like that after you told me your reason why you kissed me?” she asked. She never meant it to be answered but she found herself waiting. She felt her hand sweating out of nervousness. “I, myself, don’t know why. Maybe because it was my first kiss and I didn’t want it to be that way. After that night, I couldn’t sleep properly. Truthfully, I can’t make any sense out of it. I can’t understand a thing recently – your actions, your words, your stares. I couldn’t…”

She trailed off when she felt a cold hand over hers.

“I just missed being with you, Jiyongie,” she said, bowing her head too.

“Dara! Jiyong!” it was Seunghyun.

Both of them looked up. Dara hurriedly took the key and unlocked the handcuffs. She was about to keep it when Jiyong snatched it away to hide it on his pocket. Dara forgot that she was on a dress without a pocket. She was thankful he was there.

They stood when their friends approached.

“Oh, you were here…” Chaerin started and stare at Dara. “…with Dara.”

Dara gasped, forgetting that Chaerin liked Jiyong too and for a while, she saw one of her eyebrow raised.

“You were called many times, you know. Uncle started worrying,” Taeyang said.

“Let’s get in. Dinner’s ready,” Bom offered.

Seunghyun took off his coat and hang it on Dara’s shoulder.

 

The party ended and the only guests were Dara, Chaerin, Seunghyun, and Taeyang.

“Okay, let’s get the real party started,” Bom said.

“What are you up to now?” Taeyang complained.

“Oh, you’re going to like this, I know,” Bom said, excitedly opening her drawer. “Omo, there’s one missing handcuff and the keys are not here too.”

Dara bit her lip.

Jiyong cleared his throat and gave Bom the missing things.

“Why are all these with you?” Bom asked. Jiyong was about to answer when she let it go. “Anyway, so, here’s the game. Three handcuffs and three pairings. You will be paired with someone and you’re going to stay like that until tomorrow.”

“What are we going to win? And how are you going to declare a winner?” Taeyang asked.

“Okay. So, it’s not really a game. It’s just for fun okay?” Bom said.

“It doesn’t sound fun,” Jiyong said.

“I’m alright with it. It sounds fun to me,” Chaerin said.

“Yeah, I agree,” Dara said.

“Actually, it sounds fun now,” Jiyong said.

Seunghyun smiled knowingly. “I’m okay with it.”

“Fine. No prizes or whatever, since everyone’s okay with it, then it’s okay with me too,” Taeyang said.

“Good then, pick your sticks here. This will determine your partner. One stick is long, one is short, and the other has a red tip. Choose wisely.”

Everyone picked their sticks.

Dara was paired up with Jiyong, Seunghyun with Chaerin, and Taeyang with Bom.

“Aish, I wished Jaejoong was here so I could be paired with him, not to you,” Bom complained.

“And who says I wanted to be stuck with you?” Taeyang complained too, sticking his tongue out to her.

“Okay, then, you are my partner,” Chaerin told Seunghyun. Seunghyun shrugged.

“I guess we have to be handcuffed to each other again,” Dara whispered, making sure no one heard her.

But Jiyong remained silent. He looked at Chaerin who was looking at them too. Then she looked away.

“So how long are we going to stay handcuffed?” Taeyang asked.

“Until tomorrow morning,” Bom said plainly.

“What? You mean we have to sleep with our partner tonight?” Dara asked.

“That’s the fun part, don’t you think?” Bom said, a smile playing on her lips.

“Don’t think it would be torture for us? I mean, we have to sleep with our wrists handcuffed. Imagine the pain we’ll be having when we wake up,” Taeyang complained.

“Fine, fine. Let’s set up a limit,” Bom said.

“It’s fine with me staying like this all night, actually,” Jiyong mumbled.

Dara glared at him.

“Just kidding,” Jiyong said, chuckling.

“How about until midnight only?” Chaerin suggested.

“Okay, fine. Approximately 3 hours from now. But you still have to sleep with your partner,” Bom said.

Everyone agreed and nodded.

“So what are we going to do now?” Seunghyun asked.

“Let’s play!” Bom yelled.

All night they enjoyed their time with each other. Bom especially prepared this. They went to the pool swimming with their wrists still clung to each other. Though at first they were not comfortable with the handcuffs, it didn’t become a hindrance for them to enjoy the cold splash of water against their skin. They chased each other through the water, they played water volleyball, and all sorts of game they could think of.

When everyone got on their pajamas to get ready to sleep, they felt awkward to change.

It was already past 12 when they decided to settle in.

“What now? Don’t you want to be free from your partner? A while ago, you were all complaining that-“

“Oh, stop ranting already, Bom! Unlock us now,” Taeyang said.

“Fine, fine!” Bom said, grabbing the key and unlocking each of the handcuffs.

They were all massaging their wrists when they got free.

“Are you alright?” Jiyong whispered to Dara.

“Eh? Uhhh… yeah,” Dara said, putting down her hand.

“Are you okay?” Seunghyun asked her.

Dara nodded, smiling up at him.

“Okay, for the room assignments…” Bom said, grabbing a paper from her pocket. “Chaerin and Seunghyun in the guest room… Dara and Jiyong in Jiyong’s room… and Taeyang and me in my room.”

Later…

“Ugh, why am I feeling nervous all of a sudden?” Bom asked when she went in her room with Taeyang.

“Are you scared you’re with me?” Taeyang asked furiously.

“I did not say that. You were assuming,” Bom said smugly.

“I bet if you’re partnered with Jaejoong, you’d be happily sleeping,” Taeyang said.