“Ji, catch!”

The short girl passed a ball to someone.

“You’re becoming lame each day, did you know that?”

“It’s because you’ve grown as tall as the basketball ring now, Ji.”

“Such an excuse, just admit it that your body improvements have stopped since you’re in the middle school, dwarf.” He grinned.

Feeling disgraced, the petit brunet jumped over the man causing both to fall onto the dirt. Basketball just turned into sort of smack down now, surrounded by trees as the crowd cheering their name in silent.

“You’re going to hell Kwon Jiyong!”

“With you going first of course, Sandara Park!”

It’s an old habit for the two to shout each other’s full name whenever they get into a playful fight. The clearance of height differences and gender, comes with power differences as well. Jiyong won’t hurt Dara, he always maintains his self-control for not causing a serious injury of Dara.

“How was that, nerdy?” Jiyong said as he sat on Dara’s lap.

I’ll always be blessed for having you, Ji. Of course that was fun.

“That was nothing, and how are these?” Dara ran her fingers on his waist and started tickling the ticklish man.

Another season of fights began. They didn’t hit each other seriously, no need to be worry.

Sandara Park has been being a close friend of Kwon Jiyong eversince the two were just seven. Both loved to play under a tree house that Dara’s father built for them as they were ten. It was practically useless, actually. Kwon Jiyong suffers from a serious height phobia. He never climbed up.

Then an unfortunate event occured to Dara. Two years apart after finishing the tree house for his loved daughter, Park Jin-Young died from an accident, leaving Sandara Park  all alone and orphanage. With all the confidents he got, Kwon Jiyong sworn in the name of Dara’s father that he won’t ever leave her. Both cried and hold each other’s hand tightly along the crematory. That night, Dara slept in the tree house and didn’t tell anyone. Jiyong, with the panics roaming inside his heart, search for her. But it didn’t took him long to realize where Dara would be.

“What are you doing there? Stop joking around and come down!” Jiyong shouted as he saw a little figure snuggled on the top of the tree house.

“Just leave me alone!”

“No, I will never do that! Come here or I’ll get your down!”

“Try me,” Dara hissed with an anger.

It was the first time and probably the last time to Jiyong for being so brave that he eventually made his way up there—even it took him like forever to do. It startled Dara so much. She was speechless. She knew exactly how it felt for Jiyong to resist his inner phobia.

“I.., I told y-you so!” Jiyong’s voice trembled, and he tried his best not to look down. He grasped Dara’s hand, pressed it really hard. His body started to sweating, and he could probably faint the next second if Dara didn’t say,

“Jiyongie, I’m so sorry for making you do this, okay let’s get down!”

The next day Jiyong found the little girl was doing things inside the tree house.

“Don’t be griefing all alone, Dara.”

“I’m not, Ji. If you’re concern about it then just come over here,”

“Are you kidding?” Jiyong sounded pissed. “ Well then I’m going home, bye!”

“Wait, wait! I’m done with this! Yah! You promised me for a basketball game today!”

“What were you doing?” Jiyong asked as Dara stepped on the ground.

“It’s a secret,” she winked.

Then it took just one session of basketball game for Jiyong to forget what’ve just happened. He never knew he would see that thing in the next several years.

Dara and Jiyong grown inseparable. Spending almost everyday being together. But thirteen years of friendship and being friendzoned are enough for Dara. She really needs to end her endless waiting to confess her feelings, but at the same time she didn’t want to ruin what they’ve already had. She’s afraid if he rejected her, things won’t be the same. He’s all she got.

    ∞

Jiyong kept busy wandering around his neighbor. This morning someone just moved into the neighborhood, causing sort of noises. The so called latter moved right next to Jiyong’s house. There’s a lot of people busy moving things inside that house. He went outside just to see that everything’s alright. He didn’t realize that he’s walking with no direction until somethig hitted him hard.

“I-I’m sorry. I just moved in and didn’t see you coming,”

“No, no the fault is all mine. Forgive me,”

When Jiyong’ eyes met the pair of the almond eyes, he couldn’t resist but to stare.

“Kiko, ” the voice of the angelic face broke the silence. “My name.”

“I’m Kwon Jiyong, nice to see you.”

“Let me treat you some coffee, consider it as  a sincere apology from me.” Kiko smiled while escorting him to enter her house. The two then cracked in Kiko’s place. Kiko went to the kitchen and made some coffee. She poured some milks into hers, then served them in the living room.

“Sorry for the wait,”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Were you always be like this before?”

“What do you mean?”

“Offering coffee to complete strangers.”

Kiko chuckled hearing the sincere tone in Jiyong’s voice.

“You’re my neighbor, Jiyong-ssi, not a complete stranger,”

“Well,” Jiyong lost his words. “What’s your story that made you ended up here in this countryside?”

“My mom recommends this quite place for my healing process.”

“I’m sorry, were you sick?”

“Not that serious. Belive me, Jiyong-ssi, my mom’s recent talent is dramatizing things.”

“But you moved anyway,”

“I don’t want to disappoint her, since I’m the only person she has left.”

“Your father?”

“Let’s not talking about him.”

    ∞

“I’m so tired.”

“We just played for thirty minutes, Dara.”

“Thirty minutes are enough,” Dara wiped the sweats on her forehead with her sleeve. Jiyong was still dribbling the ball then shot it ten meters away from the ring. He smiled ear to ear when he scored a perfect goal. Jiyong then joined the girl to lay down on the grass. Dara shuted her eyes, enjoying the moment.

“When was the last time you climbed up there?” Jiyong pointed the tree house above them.

“I don’t know. It’s been so long, why did you ask?”

“Just wonder.”

Dara moved her head, laid it down on Jiyong’s flat yet quite muscular abdomen.

“Hey, what do people usually bring when they visit someone ill?”

“Fruits? Or, home made soup? Who’s sick?”

“No one, just a friend of mine.”

    ∞

Jiyong dressed up like he’s about to attend an Emmy Awards. With the help of his mom, he made a chocolate gateau. He said to her that he just curious about making cake when his mom asked him. His mother didn’t really care about the reason, since that was the first time her only boy stepped into the kitchen. Kind of making her pleased, actually. She has this thought that Jiyong made the cake for Dara.

Now with the race on his hearts, butterflies (even reptilles) in his stomach, Jiyong knocked on Kiko’s door.

It was Kiko’s mother who opened the door. Jiyong startled at first, but then introduced himself as Kiko’s friend.

“She’s resting in her bedroom, but she’ll wake up in minutes. Just wait upstairs,” she said cheery. “Oh, and thank you for the cake,”

Why is she resting at 1 p.m?

Jiyong entered Kiko’s room with no anticipacy. He was amazed by all the paintings hanged againts the wall. Canvas, un-finished painting, oil paints, brushes, filled the room. It smelled like art he couldn’t explain.

“What do you think?” the man shocked by a sudden voice. “Are they beautiful?”

“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”

“No, the word ‘resting’ for me basically means laying down and pretending to be asleep so my mom won’t bothers me.”

Those brought Jiyong’s slight laughter. He sat next to her, asking her if she’s okay.

“Where did you learn arts?”

“You mean drawing?” Kiko smiled. “From my father,”

“Uh.., do we need to not to talk about this?”

“Why?”

“You didn’t feel like talk about him before,”

“Now I guess I want to badmouth him with you.” she grinned.

“What had he done?”

“He left me, and by now probably having his new family. Cliche.”

“Oh..,” Jiyong really didn’t know how to reacts.

Kiko then said she wanted to paint in all of a sudden, so Jiyong took her to a lake near a forest. He used to play  hide and seek with Dara there once they were child. The place is quite beautiful, surrounded by trees. Jiyong paddled a boat where Kiko sat in front of him, holding a sketchbook. The silence was really comforting.

Jiyong secretly peeked in the sketchbook, but Kiko never gave him any chance. “Just wait,” she said.

Jiyong ended up looking and observing Kiko’s face. She got those beautiful eyes, covered with thick eyelashes. Thick bottom lip that will make you crave for more. Her black hair fell over her shoulders, lighten her skin tone evenmore. Overall she looks like a fairy.  Beautiful, fragile, untouched by this cruel world.

“It’s done.” She said, bringing his sense back.

Kiko showed him a skecth of...,  him.

    ∞

ZRANG!

Another point made by pissed Sandara Park. She dribbled the ball roughly, then shot it. She was quite exhausted, so she took her drink and gulped the water like camels.

“It’s already forty five minutes, is he late or dead,” she murmured.

Dara and Jiyong have this old basket routinity every weekend around 4 p.m. This is the first Jiyong’s AWOL. Like she’s on the first day of her period, angry Dara left their ‘basecamp’.

    ∞

“They’re so cute!” Kiko pointed at the baby turtles. Jiyong smiled then catch them for Kiko. He placed them in her palm, letting the petite fairy excited like a child with candies. Kiko was about to returned them into the water, but she was bending too close to the water, then—

“Kiko-ssi, watch out!"

SPLASH!

Both fell into the water. Jiyong grabbed Kiko’s waist fast, consider how deep the lake was. He was afraid that she couldn’t swim. Kiko circled his arms around Jiyong’s neck, she’s afraid that he would let her drown. The intension between their eyes increased as the heartbeats dropped. Jiyong couldn’t help but stare at Kiko’s lips. He wanted to taste it. Really bad.

Kiko felt like she could die right now from a heart attack.

But both know they’ve fallen for each other hard, even from the first time.

So both know, their kiss in the lake, was innocent and rationally acceptable.

    ∞

Jiyong’s visits to Dara became rare. His time had been seizured by meeting Kiko. Every close they’ve made, Jiyong dug more facts about her.

Kiko suffered from a serious ill, but she insisted to cover it. Jiyong knew it in their third meeting.

“Do you like that chocolate cake I bought you?” Jiyong asked as he ran his fingers down her sleek hair.

“I love chocolate, actually. You can’t tell how much I like them,” she said.

“Want me to bring it again?” he asked. “I made it myself.”

“Really? With no help?”

“Well..,” he chuckled. “My mom gave me her hands for that. I owe her,”

“But still your cake tastes good,”

“Only good?”

“What do you want me to say?” she giggled.

“Then how will this taste..”

Jiyong landed a kiss on her lips, quite deep that she thought she almost couldn’t breath because of it. He enveloped her in his hug, her hands clawed in his back, needing some supports. Jiyong was getting lost in it until he realized that she’s struggling to breath, causing her to cough. That broke the long kiss. She coughed really bad that Jiyong decided to call her mother.

Her mother came with a tub of oxygen. Jiyong leaned her on the ground, let Mrs. Mizuhara do her job. After her body got relax, he tucked her back on her bed. Jiyong really felt guilty by that, before leaving her room he pecked her forehead.

“Mrs. Mizuhara..,” he stated before have his seat in front of Kiko’s mother.

“Yes, she’s sick.”

“May I know what’s it?”

“Heart disease, she sometimes having trouble for catching oxygen, even worse she sometimes faint and being unconsious for hours.”

“How do we cure it?”

“There’s no cure. She needs new organ. And we didn’t have much time.”.

Jiyong saw her and now she looked stressed out, pretty much.

“Jiyong-ssi, I know you’re a good boy. And I know you and my daughter have special relationship, but I don’t want you to regret it in the end, so before things getting deeper between you two, you could just leave her before her feelings grows any bigger,” she said.

“No, I won’t ever leave her. I love her, and I want to be with her. There’s nothing to be regret for, as long as I’m with her then I’m okay.” He pleaded. “Please,”

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Can I trust you?”.

Jiyong nodded. He knew what he’s getting himselve into. And there’s no turning back. He already burnt his bridges.

Anytime, in anyplace, Kiko could possibly collapse then die.

    ∞

Dara really missed her Jiyong badly. She was laying on the same grass, everyday, thinking about him.

“Should I visit his house?” she hummed.

She was about to get up and leave her—and Jiyong’s—basecamp, when she heard a voice from the person she missed the most.

“Hey you,”

Dara really wanted to throw herself into Jiyong, but she resisted the urge so damn hard. Instead she faked a bright smile like she used to and said, “Where have you been? I thought you’re dead.”

Dara didn’t want to look like she got no life other than his daily life with Jiyong. She didn’t want Jiyong to know that she’s been acting like a planet without its satelit.

“I’m giving you free holiday without me bothering you around, how was it?” Jiyong gave a little gesture, asking the petite to pass him the ball.

“Amazing, thank you very much.”

“Hey Dara,” Jiyong said as he dribbling the ball, “Have you ever fall in love?”

For no reason, Dara felt a little afraid about this conversation.

“W,why?”  you really have no idea, Ji.

“Just answer it, have you?”

“Probably, Ji. However I’m a girl too. I have feelings.” she replied.

“Good, you’re not a bad advicer then,”

“How is it related?”

“I think I’m falling in love,” he snapped.

Dara felt the universe is falling into pieces and hit her. The dirt beneath her is her down to the core, the gravity becomes higher and could possibly bend her down.

“Can you help me?” he added. “You’re the only person I could be granting for help. You’re like, my best-best friend.”

Best friend. Forever be.

Dara wanted to scream no, but she ended up nodding her head, forcing a smile, then said,

“No worry, Ji. I’ll help you.”

    ∞

“Do I look okay?” Jiyong kept asking the same question, while Dara doing his hair.

“Wait, I guess you’ll need some hair gel.”

“This Pomade? For ’s sake Dara, no.” Dara rolled her beautiful browned eyes then sighed. She tossed the gel onto her bed.

“How is she?” Dara asked.

“Well, Kiko is..., charming in the way I saw her. She’s like fragile, but deep inside she’s saving some mystical power to enlightning me.”

“You sounds so cheesy, you know that.” she chuckled. “Do you love her that much?”

“I am,”

 That smile. Dara used to flustered by Jiyong’s charming smile, but right now, all she wanted to do is ripping that smile apart form his face.

“It’s done.”

“Thank you, Dara. You’re the best of the best, remember?” Jiyong hugged her then ran out of Dara’s room.  He’s going on a date, tonight. After gushing over his love-at-the-first-sight-story, Jiyong insisted that he should take Kiko out for a date. Dara still remember how excited he was imagining her in their date. He ranted about things he wanted to do with Kiko, like taking her to a beach with motorcycle, going out to a fancy restaurant, and many other things any normal couple will do. Dara could only smile and mock over him, for he being so cheesy and romatic out of a sudden.  Jiyong took that as a compliment, because he had never been this kind of shoujo comic boy ever.

As he stepped outside her house, Dara secretly following him all way to Kiko’s house. She still couldn’t believe, wishing that Jiyong’s love story was only a joke for teasing her. This can’t be it, she spelled that repeatedly in her mind.

But there was real Kiko. Standing in front of Jiyong, greeted him with a brief kiss on his cheeks, then receiving a bouqette of flowers. Dara felt such a pain in her chest, she’s barely breathing. She knew she had to get out form there, but she found her legs glued to where she’s standing.

As she watching from far, Jiyong took Kiko’s chin, cupped her jaw line with both of his hands, then landed her a soft kiss. This is the first time for Dara to witnessed such a teribble scene (even considered as a crime in her mind). The lips she’s always been dreaming of, were never hers. The look in Jiyong’s eyes, clearly declared how madly in love he is for Kiko. With feelings all over the place, Sandara Park ran unconsiouscly.

    ∞

Kiko released the kiss, stare at Jiyong blankly. She’s always like that after Jiyong’s consuming kiss.

“I’m sorry, you got my gloss here,” Kiko smiled, wiping Jiyong’s lips from a red stain. But it wasn’t.

“Kiko-ah, neo gwaenchanha?” Jiyong shook Kiko’s shoulder slightly as she started to cough massively. She coughed out bloods. Her face turned pale. She lost his sight-focus. Everything’s seemed to be black for her now.

    ∞

“Hh... hh.... hh..,” Dara heaved deep breaths out of her lungs.

She ran deeper and deeper into the woods. She jumped over a small cliff, then keep rushing. She needed to be somewhere, where she could erase Jiyong’s image of him kissing Kiko. She wanted to vanish all that disgusted images from her head, even the people in it if she could.

How he stared at Kiko with full love.

How he hold her waist.

How passionate he is when he gushed over Kiko.

How excited he is to se his Kiko.

And how he would never see Dara as a woman, other than a best friend.

“AAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!!!”

She yelled. She was angry. Pissed. Confused. Sad.

To Kiko.

To Jiyong.

To herself.

And even God.

Why is He not giving me the courages to tell him how I feel?

It was no one mistake but hers.

Tears streamed down her face.

The tree branches bruised her arms, leaving some cuts. But she didn’t give a on it. She kept running, she always is.

Then,

GUSHRAG

She fell.

    ∞

“Dara-ssi, are you alright?” a sound creeping into her ears, bringing her senses back.

“...........where am I?”

“Hospital, the police found you on the bottom of the cliffs. But it’s okay, since you’re awake now.” Jiyong smiled bitterly, or he thought he was by seeing his best friend at this state.

Dara felt something different. She merely could feel her legs. She ran her hands to her thight, but then,

“Ji.” She sounds panic.

Jiyong knew this will be hard for her.

“Ji,” she started to cry.

Jiyong hugged her hurriedly, tried to shushed her cries. But she kept yelling and sworing things. Jiyong pushed the button beneath Dara’s bed, calling out the medic.

“Ji! My legs!!!” she yelled.

“Give them back to me!”

They amputated them.

    ∞

After injecting some medicine to Dara, the medic team left them. Jiyong heaved a sigh, went out form Dara’s room, then heading to Kiko’s.

They’re hospitalized in the same place, indeed.

“How is she?” Jiyong asked as he at next to Kiko’s mother.

“She needs surgery quickly.”

At this time of his life, Kwon Jiyong felt really useless for his inability of saving his friend’s and his lover's life.

    ∞

Dara watched as Jiyong sleeping next to him, clutching in his blanket, Dara ran her fingers on Jiyong’s hair gently. The moonlight escaped a little from the curtain, land right on Jiyong’s face.

“I love you, Kwon Jiyong.” she whispered. “And because of that, I would do anything for you.”

She smiled, then pecked on Jiyong’s cheek briefly.

    ∞

Kiko Mizuhara was the luckiest patient on that hospital. She finally found a donor. They held the surgery immediately once the donor’s ready. Jiyong didn’t know who the donor is, but he would gratefully thanked the family of the donor.

He waited during the long surgery. Kiko’s mother kept praying for her. Jiyong couldn’t help but tangled his fingers, doing as Kiko’s mother does. Pray.

God, I really love this person. Please don’t take her away.

Time passed, but still there’s no sign of the surgery to ends.

Kiko’s mother froze in her place. Her palms getting colder, as she was super nervous by now. Jiyong tried to comfort her, because he is as nervous as she is.

“Kiko, come on I know you can do it,” he mumbled. His prayes got into paragraphs, he really didn’t know what else he could do.

An hour later, the surgery room opened as the doctor walked out of it. His face was unreadable.

“Mrs. Mizuhara,”

“Y-yes, how is she now? My daughter she survived, right? Can I see her now?”

“I once said to you that the chance of this operation to be succes is only about 20%, remember?”

Kiko’s mother became pale. She almost broke on the floor when the doctor added, “She made it,”

    ∞

Jiyong went straight to Dara’s room with long steps. He got extremely excited, he wanted to tell Dara what just happened. Kiko survived the surgery, he just saw her. Alive, breathing well.

“Dara-ah! I’m—” he yelled happily as he opened the door, but then startled when he found it empty, only with a nurse tidying up the bed Dara used to sleep on.

“Excuse me, but did you know what happened to the patient in this room?”

“What’s your relation to the patient?”

“I’m her friend, Kwon Jiyong.” He said hurriedly.

“Then I sincerely give my condolesence, Mr. Kwon. She just passed away this morning.”

Jiyong couldn’t follow up with the nurse saying, but then she told,

“The patient just committed suicide,”

She took something out from her pouch, handed it to Jiyong.

“This letter found folded in her palm. This is written for someone named Kwon Jiyong.” She said.

“Excuse me then, sir.”

    ∞

Kwon Jiyong,

By the time you’re reading this letter, I might say that Kiko had her surgery done, and I hope by now she’s breathing safe and sound. You won’t know how I found out about her condition. And don’t bother it. I know you’re confuse, but I did this for saving her life.

Why?

That’s how love could go blind people. Turning them deaf. Making them idiots.

I love you.

From the day you saved me, from the day you sworn to stay with me forward. Everything you did for me is nothing but for my own sake. And I want to thank you for that. This is how I paid you.

Let me love you one more time, any longer.

Let me love you as the heart that throbs inside her body.

Let me love you in the form of someone you loved.

Let me be her, the one that you give your heart to, and simply I replace her heart with mine. You will never have her heart, you’ll always have mine.

From this day forward, please stay healthy.

Don’t be too tired to even eat your dinner.

And take care of her, and my heart.

I love you, Kwon Jiyong. I’m sorry, you won’t ever heard that straight from my mouth.

Best regards for Kiko as well,

Your best friend,

Sandara.

    ∞

10 YEARS LATER

“Here come the monster fingers!”

“Kyaaa appa please don’t! Eomma help me!”

Both laughed in pure happiness. Four years after marrying Kiko Mizuhara, Kwon Jiyong gifted by a baby girl.  Kiko was so happy too, plus the facts that their daughter is the most beautiful they’ve ever seen. They named her Dara.

Every weekend around evening, the three of them usually go to the tree house. Jiyong would taught his daughter how to ride on bicycle, or even play basketball.

“Eomma I’m so thirsty let me have some drink,” the girl pouted as she approached her mother.

“Let’s go to the car and get it. Jiyong you come with us?”

Jiyong opened his mouth about to say something, but he shrugged his head.

“Okay then, stay here. I’ll be back. Come on Dara,”

Jiyong looked up into the tree house.

It’s been years, since the first time he climbed up there.

He slowly approached the tree, swiped his hands gently on it. With no hesitation –almost unconscious, he climbed. At the top of it, he felt a sudden nostalgic feelings in his heart. The tree house wasn’t quite big, but is enough for two little kids to play around. But then his gaze land on something craved on the wood. An initial.

                                                       S & J

                                                      4EVER

“Don’t be griefing all alone, Dara.”

“I’m not, Ji. If you’re concern about it then just come over here,”

“Are you kidding?” Jiyong sounded pissed. “ Well then I’m going home, bye!”

“Wait, wait! I’m done with this! Yah! You promised me for a basketball game today!”

“What were you doing?” Jiyong asked as Dara stepped on the ground.

“It’s a secret,” she winked.

    ∞

“Kwon Jiyong! Wait for me!”

“You’re too slow, Sandara Park!”

The two children ran along the tea plantation. Both laughed and panted, with green surrounding them. Once they reached the top of the hill, they quickly went on the big rock that was in the centre. Dara sat on it, tried to calm her lungs after running.

“Hey, where are you going?” she yelled as Jiyong left her.

“It won’t be long, don’t worry,”

Fifteen minutes passed and now she’s getting worried for real. She was about to look for him when something hopped on her head.

“Kya—what are these?”

“Flower crown, looks good on you,” the little boy grinned make the little girl flushed her cheeks.

“D-do I look beautiful with this?” little Sandara asked shyly.

“You’re the most beautiful,” Jiyong smiled. “I will marry you once we’re old enough,”

“I want to marry you too, Jiyongie.”

                                                               FIN.