Chapter FIVE

Dara POV

Green = Past      

Black = Present

“Mom! Durami!” Dara screamed when she fluttered her eyes open. She had a terrible nightmare… about an accident. She sits up, ignoring the pain in body when she got up. She felt beaten up to the core. It took her a second to understand the situation, the steady beeping noises she’s heard were machines that were attached to her. She dreaded to look because she suspected she was in the hospital and if she did indeed accept where she was… it only meant—

“Dara, baby. You need to lay down.” Someone immediately went on her side holding her hand because she was trying to grab on to the wires she had on.

She turned helplessly towards that person to see that it was Jiyong. His light brown eyes boring into hers, was something she didn’t want to look at because in them were sad eyes that had the answer to what she didn’t want to ask. She noticed how he looked like hell actually. His hair is a mess, the circles in his eyes are dark as if he hasn’t slept for more than a day, the five oclock shadow on his chin and lips are a clear sign that he probably hasn’t been home either.

“Jiyong, I—,” she was stuttering since she was started to hyperventilate as blurred images of her dream was starting to come to her.

He runs his hands on her hair and soothe  her since the more she started to panic the louder the machines had gotten, “Just breathe,” he said softly even his voice was so soft as if he hasn’t spoken in a while. His eyes would randomly shoot at the door as if he was waiting for someone.

“What happened?” She asked even though the answer might terrify her.

“Baby…” he breathed out.

The way he was calling her by his endearment made her cringe. She pushes his hand from hers, “Don’t call me that.”

He slightly moves away so he wouldn’t be too close to her. “I’m sorry.”

Dara tried to move her leg but it was tied up to the bed with a cast. She closed her eyes and she recalled her leg stuck in the car—

“Dara…” Jiyong was terrified about Dara’s facial expression. Her face was getting paler and paler…

“Mom and Durami…” and then everything started to come back to her.

Loud screeching noise tires hydroplaning…

Glass shattering hitting her arm…

The wounded image of her mom…

Her calling for Durami and her mother but they aren’t answering before she lost consciousness again…

She could feel her eyes watering as she asked, “Where is umma and Durami?”  Her voice was breaking and she had her arms around herself to stop herself from shaking. She could feel a long stich on her left arm.

His eyes started shaking, knowing that he shouldn’t be the one to tell her. He was desperately glancing at the door and then back at her. “I think you should just calm down for now—“

“No!” She yelled. She shoves his arm away when he was about to hold her. “Where are they?” she demanded. Her voice rose echoing in the room.

He takes a deep breath knowing he has no choice. He sat on her bed softly grabs her arm so she would make eye contact with him, “Dara. I am so sorry…”  he tried his hardest not to break into tears though his blood shot eyes can tell that at any moment he might tear up. “They had tried their best to save Durami but there was just too much blood loss from the impact of car hitting the tree, the ceiling crushed her… and your mom….” He couldn’t finish anymore he choked up.

Dara was shaking her head the whole entire time but he didn’t need to finish… her last vision of her mom… was of her death already? She started breaking down crying. “They weren’t supposed to go with me…” she started blaming herself because they were supposed to go to the concert for the day after but she had begged them to go that she even sneaked out of the salon to pick them up.

“Dara you can’t be like this. It was an accident.” He then wraps his arms around her and lets her cry on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and just caressed her back in comfort.

She just cried and cried not knowing what else to do. How can everything be alright after now? She just lost her sister and mother from the accident while all she had gotten from this is a broken leg?  “I can’t… no… this can’t be happening….” She said in between sobs. She couldn’t already breathe already by how much she has cried in the past five minutes that both her nose are clogged up.

“Shhh it’s okay, baby girl. I’m here.” His said against her hair.

And that was when Dara’s emotional state, Jiyong’s touch that was comforting two seconds ago had all of a sudden turned into something that made her cringe and angered her. “No.” she said.

He wasn’t sure what he heard but he can feel Dara pushing herself free from him weakly. “What—“

“Get off me!” Dara finally found her strength on her one arm to free herself from him.

He was startled by this action that he almost fell off the bed, “I—“

“Get out!” she started to yell and pointed at the door hot tears still falling from her eyes.

He didn’t move because he knows that with any news she is just displacing her anger at him and he didn’t mind at all. “Dara, I said—“

“I don’t give a flying fck about what you said. I don’t need you!”

He was about to step towards her hoping to calm her down but he froze when she threw a pillow hitting squarely on his face.

“If you are here because you pity me… I don’t need it. I have been find for all this time without you!” and that is a lie within its own. She had been over working herself just so she wouldn’t think about him. Maybe if she was actually fine then she wouldn’t have been needy enough to Durami and her mother watch her concert a day earlier because she felt lonely that no one was there watching her from someone who she truly wants to be there. Maybe it’s just her that’ll be on that accident or even the accident wouldn’t even happen at all because she’d already be at the concert hall instead of driving in that heavy rain.

“Dara, you know that is not why I’m here.” He defends himself desperately.

She barks out a dark laughter and she wipes her tears. She reaches for the closest thing to find that was in the room which was a plastic spoon. She threw it at him hitting him square on the chest.

He looked distressed unsure of what to do.

“Go back to your girlfriend! I don’t want your pity! I don’t want you here!  GET OUT!” her voice rose higher to compensate with the loud machines that was attached to her beeping. She clenched a fist onto her chest she was sure her heart was going to explode at any moment by the despair that she is feeling.

That same second, the door opened, her younger brother, Sanghyun walked in and immediately read the tension in the room. He runs towards his sister’s bedside to restrain her. “Noona, calm down.”

But she wasn’t having any of this, she didn’t even look at her brother her deadly gaze was still on Jiyong’s who still didn’t move to his spot despite being thrown another pillow. “Get OUT! GET OUT!” Dara screamed again.

“Hyung,” this time Sanghyun turned towards Jiyong and begged for him to listen to Dara. He had to hold back his tears when Dara just rests her forehead against his back and started to break down into soundless sobs.

Jiyong wanted nothing but to be there for Dara but he knows the person she needs the most is her family. He knew he wasn’t welcomed but when he got called as the as Dara’s emergency contact twelve hours ago, he took the next flight back to Seoul without hesitation. He isn’t even sure if he still has a girlfriend to comeback to since he left kiko without enough explanation other than, Dara needs me.

Though given the chance seeing how Dara reacted just now he’d still do it all over again. He’d do anything for her.

Sanghyun only arrived three hours ago, so it was Jiyong by himself with Dara who was sleeping since she had gotten to the hospital. He was the one who received all the news about Dara’s mom and sister passing. And the devastating thing about all of this, he had also felt as if he had lost a mother and a sister. In the many years Dara and Jiyong had dated he always thought of them as family too. So his heart is hurting right now, and he can’t even begin to imagine how Sanghyun and Dara are feeling.

So if him leaving is what Dara truly needs he’ll do it. “If you need anything at all, call me.” but with those words he i