Walking outside on the dark, chilly night, they were still happy of the victory.

                “Dara,” Taeyang called. “Do you have anyone to accompany you home?” It was a silly question to ask. Of course, she’s alone. But, Taeyang doesn’t know how to approach.

                Dara shook her head.

                “Let us go with you. It’s dangerous walking alone in this cold, dark, creepy night,” Taeyang said, hugging himself. “Is that okay with you?” He turned to Bom and Jiyong.

                Bom nodded enthusiastically. She misses Dara’s home. She used to visit them but wasn’t able to for the last few weeks because of family vacation.

                Jiyong nodded once, but was looking the other way, as if looking for something – or someone – when there’s nowhere to look for, because of its deserted and dark school area.

                On their way, Taeyang was still trying to impress Dara – replaying the “highlights” of the game because of him. Dara, on the other hand, was amused of how comical Taeyang talks. He’s obviously very comfortable with him, and so is she.

                Bom and Jiyong are following at their backs, Bom, glaring at Taeyang’s head as if all he’s talking about are lies, while Jiyong, still looking away despite the empty street and nothing to sightsee, but is trying his hardest to listen. Every now and then, Bom could hear his cousin grumbling something very inaudible to human ears and sometimes, even tsk-ing. What he’s thinking or what he’s reacting to is what makes Bom wonder.

                “Here we are,” Dara said, as if presenting something very amusing.

                “Okay, then, I guess, we’re going home,” Jiyong said, dismissively.

                “Wait,” Taeyang turned to him in urgency, “I want to meet her parents,” he said, whispering. Bom rolled her eyes.

                “No, don’t go home yet. Come in. I’ll prepare a late dinner,” Dara said.

                “Really?” Bom and Taeyang said in chorus.

                “No, it’s alright. We’re full,” Jiyong said.

                Both Taeyang and Bom turned to him and gave him a dirty glare.

                “No, I insist,” Dara said.

                “Then, what are you waiting for?” Bom said, marching to the front steps immediately before Jiyong can protest any further.

                “Yeah, I’m excited to meet your parents,” Taeyang said, following Bom.

                “What?” Dara asked, surprised of what she heard clearly, but chooses to make him repeat it.

                “Um,” Taeyang fidgeted. “I said, I’m excited to eat. Come on now, Jiyong.”

                Dara laughed quietly so Taeyang wouldn’t get embarrassed.

                Jiyong hesitated, fighting himself of the urge to go home and his desire to meet her parents, too – with the purpose of knowing her family, of course. He tried to convinced himself. Dara is such a mystery, sometimes. That’s why I want to know what kind of family she has.

                Noticing that Jiyong was still standing alone while the three of them are already stepping at the front door, Dara went and grabbed him by his wrist. “Come now, there’s no reason to be shy.”

                “Dara?! Is that you?” her mom called by the kitchen. “Have you eaten already?”

                “Not yet, mom,” Dara responded.

                As her mom walked to the living room, she saw unfamiliar faces, “Oh, I see you brought new friends… and Bom.”

                “Yes, mom,” she said. “These are –“

                “Come to the dining room, let me serve you food,” her mother cut her off before she was able to introduce them to her.

                Dara helped her mom prepare the food. When she came back, she saw that the seat beside Bom was taken by Taeyang. The only free one is beside Jiyong. She got no choice but to sit beside him.

                While her mom is still preparing finishing touches, Dara felt the awkward silence between them.

                Jiyong finally broke the silence when he cleared his throat. “Dara?”

                Dara looked at him, uncertainty in her eyes. This is the first time he called her name as if needing something from her.

                “Um, Mianhe…” Jiyong paused. “I’m sorry about the other day. I know I was rude to you.”

                Dara remembered it immediately. She was even silently hoping that he would apologize to her. It was during the time that Jiyong said that it would be nice if Taeyang and her would be together. She doesn’t know why she got angry but she thought it was maybe because she never wanted people to judge her and her relationship with other person.

                “The other day?” Dara cocked her head as if trying to remember a distant memory.

                “I know you got it, so don’t pretend as if you don’t,” Jiyong said.

                Dara chuckled silently.

                “What are they talking about?” Taeyang whispered to Bom.

                Bom just shrugged. Apparently, Dara and Jiyong forgot that they are not the only persons in the room.

                Dara’s mom came in with a platter on each hand.

                Jiyong, being his polite self, stood up and offered a hand.

                “Oh, what a gentleman,” her mom said as she took a seat at the edge of the table. “Is he your boyfriend, Dara, dear?”

                Immediately, Dara felt herself blushed. “No, mom! He’s my seatmate. His name is Jiyong.”

                “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Jiyong said politely.

                Taeyang and Bom seemed to not hear the commotion. Taeyang was obviously hungry and is eating everything on his plate. He seemed to forget the reason why he wanted to visit Dara’s house which is to meet her parents.

                “Then, it must be this hungry fellow right here,” her mom said.

                “Mom!” Dara burst out.

                “Huh?” Taeyang said cluelessly.

                “Are you Dara’s boyfriend, dear?” her mom said. Taeyang looked amused.

                “Mommy!” Dara stood up, all eight eyes on her.

                “Fine. I was just kidding. Just sit down, dear,” her mom said, and then turned to Taeyang. “So, what’s your name, again?”

                “Taeyang,” he said while bits of his food flew out of his mouth. Bom and Dara’s mother burst out laughing.

                “Thanks for the yummies, Dara,” Bom said. “That fried corn was the best.”

                “Yeah,” Taeyang agreed.

                “Your mom’s very nice,” Jiyong said.

                “Thank you,” Dara said, smiling sweetly.

                “Then, we’ll go home,” Taeyang said, dismissively.

                “Take care,” Dara said.

                “Thanks for the food,” Bom shouted.

                “See you tomorrow, Dara,” Taeyang said, winking.

                They all waved goodbye.

                Later..

                “Taeyang, what’s with tomorrow? Isn’t it a Sunday?” Jiyong can’t help himself to ask. He was holding it in. He was curious.

                “Oh, we’ll have date. Dara and I,” Taeyang said, matter-of-factly.

                “Weird.”

                Taeyang wasn’t expecting this word, he was expecting a ‘congratulations’ or a ‘good luck’. “Why?”

                “Well, she usually doesn’t accept invitations – especially when it’s a ‘date,’” Jiyong explained.

                Taeyang remained silent for a while, “Weirder,” he said. Jiyong looked at him cluelessly.               “You seem to know her very much.”

                Jiyong shrugged. “Um, it’s what most people, even my friends, tell about her,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

                “Then, maybe she likes me too,” Taeyang said, smugly folding his arms across his chest.

                Jiyong mumbled something inaudible, but Bom heard it.

                “I agree,” she said, in response to Jiyong.

                “What? Thanks for supporting me, childhood friend,” Taeyang hugged her tightly.

                Jiyong shook his head and whispered to himself, “You have no idea.”

                “Mom! Don’t you ever do that embarrassing thing again! I won’t have a boyfriend until I graduate and work to help you,” Dara said stomping toward her room.

                Her mom wasn’t able to respond immediately. She was shocked. She’s never like this. Just now.

                Arriving to her room, she immediately lied down on her bed without changing her clothes. She’s now in deep thoughts.

                I promised Dad. I promised him that I won’t be in a serious relationship until I will be able to help our family.

                FAMILY.

                A word she never usually tries to open up with her friends. Not even her best friend. She has been suffering from the typical family problems a teenager undergoes when her family becomes destroyed of things.

                At the early age of ten, two years after her younger sister, Minzy, was born, she witnessed every heartbreaking – for her – fights of her parents. Every morning, they would be throwing words at each other. She never dared to listen. She knew it would hurt her. That’s why, when these times come, she would bring her younger sister upstairs and plays or makes her fall asleep.

Starting from then, her father would go home drunk at night, usually at midnight. Before they had fights, Dara would wait for his father to come back home and either she would fall asleep on the couch or stay up all night entertaining her with television. That first night he got home drunk, Dara was surprised that he was reeking with alcohol and bringing with him a broken bottle. Unaware that her little daughter was there, he accidentally hit her on her arm which left a scar on it – a scar that’s still present until now, a scar that made her remember the father she once had, was now lost. She never knew her father from that night. She never knew the man who he calls himself her father. She used to look up to him. She used to quote him as “the model of fathers” – going home early to have dinner with the family, spending some free time with his kids, bringing them to the park.

That’s usually what their fights is all about, as she heard it once from their mouths, at eleven years old, when she accidentally overheard their fights. Now, they fight about money and him being a drunkard.

Her mother, from then, also changed. Before, she was the typical mother whom every daughter looks up to, too – she would care for them, bathe them, and feed them. She was the “best mother”, she used to say. Lately though, she masked her loneliness about the father’s actions, she would act as if nothing’s happening and no one is affected. She became insensitive. She cries herself to sleep every night. She thinks her daughters can’t hear her. That’s usually the reason why Minzy would go to Dara’s room with a teddy bear and a pillow to sleep and cuddle with her unnie. In front of her daughter, she would act uncaring, but when they turn their back, she would burst into tears.

These things.

These things are what make Dara a child of two uncaring, insensitive people.

These things are what motivate Dara to graduate with honors to help them solve their problems.

These things are what make up her everyday nightmare to which she wishes to wake up very soon..