Green = Past

Black = Present

 Bold = Korean (since Dara speaks English fluently)

Chapter Six

Dara POV

Dara hasn’t been herself for the past 12 hours. Today was day one of her week off and she had totally regretted even asking for it. She’d rather work to keep herself busy than sit here staring at the black television forgetting to turn it on completely for the past hour. Even Jinnah had to drag her out to the bus stop this morning by how zombie out she is.

Jinnah doesn’t really find this odd because there are times Dara is like this due too much work. After she Jinnah had rode the bus she was still standing there awkwardly at the bus stop. One of her neighbors even had to ask her if she was alright. Her response was simply, “I haven’t had much sleep Mrs. Robinson.” The old lady looked at her with dissatisfaction saying that she should sleep now.

She didn’t even remember how she got to be on her couch after talking to Mrs. Robinson.

She groaned in frustration… she was even terrified every time would text come. She hated feeling this way….

She secretly despised Jiyong at the moment. If only he had left her alone when he saw her…. maybe she wouldn’t feel this way. She had just been blindsided that she doesn’t really know who to react at all. if she feels this way she can’t imagine how Jiyong would feel once he would find out that …

She shuddered not wanting to think about it.

Her normal escape to these troubles is usually her music but she had left her guitar in studio for Dianne to use yesterday. So this was a good excuse to hide away there since the place is empty due to her week off. She always loved how small and cozy her studio is. She only had 3 people who work under her. A desk attendant named Carina Rochell, Josh Bartley who is her sound tech engineer and Leah.

After a short drive to the studio which she was glad wasn’t traffic. She wasn’t surprised to see the place dark and empty despite it being around 10am almost. Carina is usually here despite Dara being off but I guess she didn’t come in today. Josh is only oncall when needed to record and Leah is in the main building a block away.

Or so she thought…

“Oh my! You scared me!” Leah jumped out when she came out of the hallway to see Dara standing at the door. “What the hell are you doing here?” She gasped at Dara. She had her hand clenched on her chest by how startled she was.

Dara smiled, and the light switch so it wouldn’t be so dark. “I left my guitar.” Then she leans on the counter trying not laugh at Leah. “What are you doing here anyway?”

Leah was still trying to get a hold of herself from the unnecessary scare she just had. She even had to glare at Dara since she can see her snickering. “Seriously, we need like some sort of security up here even on your sabbatical days.”

Dara’s smile disappeared and she pursed her lips. Leah doesn’t usually mind if she takes the days off but after yesterday she had named her day off as Dara’s sabbatical days. She just decided to ignore the statement and said, “We don’t need anyone other than Dexter.” They only hire someone to watch the place at night.

Leah rolls her eyes, “You do realize that your songs are slowly climbing up the charts once Skit was nominated this year and also Dianne’s new album coming out.” Leah said. She knows Dara doesn’t really care about the fame as she just enjoys sharing her music to the world. She even avoids the fame as to she mostly rejects big named artist that wants to work with her just to not get attention to herself.

Dara shakes her head humbly, it’s not really her songs that are climbing up the charts but the artists. It just her songs are part of the album but it’s the artists hard work. “It’s because of them. Not me.”

Leah just gave up knowing there is no way to talk to Dara like this anymore. “Why are you here again?”

“I left my guitar.”

Leah squints at her and sighs. She known Dara for 2 years now, so when she’s looking for her guitar it means that something is bothering her. That guitar had been sitting peacefully in the studio for a month… and now she needs it? She expected this actually from how Dara was acting like a zombie yesterday after her talk with Jiyong. It took Dara quite a while to get back to her senses responding to any of Leah’s questions. “Uh-oh.”

Dara jus sighed. The reason why she’s always loved working with Leah is that she can always anticipate Dara’s needs without needing to say anything. She is just that good. And in the past year, she had also started a friendly relationship with Leah other than being her boss. And right now, what she really needs is a friend. “I’ll be fine.” She isn’t really sure who she is trying to reassure but it certainly isn’t herself. “For a week, I can write at least a couple songs.”

Leah calculates it and looks at her watch. She smiled when she realized she still has a bit of time. “Do you want to jam or something?”

Dara looks at her in confusion. She recalls that Leah is actually a very good singer and can play the piano. Though she still hasn’t seen her play but she has heard stories about it from the some producers in the main building.  “What?”

Leah just grins and grabs her arm to take her to their biggest studio where all the instruments are at. “I got free time and I’m thinking you need some company.”

And Dara just let her knowing that this would at least get her mind off things…

Dara had to admit she hasn’t had this much fun in a while. As much as she loved being in the music industry, this was actually her work where times fun turns into something else. She hasn’t picked up any instrument lately just for the sake just playing for no reason. And she had missed it… she definitely felt lighter and a bit relieved.

“Jeezz my fingers hurt…” Leah groaned as she gritted her teeth. She starts blowing at her finger tips and waves it around. “I haven’t held a guitar in over a year. Why did you have to show off…”

Dara just shook her head trying to hide a smile. Dara wasn’t meaning to show off. it just she wanted to play the drums more today than her guitar and Leah saw it as some kind of competition. She started playing the guitar showing off her skills that she can play other instruments too. Turns out she had lost her callouses from playing due to two things, one not using the guitar and two scrub manicures she’s had in the past year. “No one asked you to….” She teased right back.

Leah was about to say a snide comment but her phone rang. She groans as she cancels the call the fifth time in the past twenty minutes.

Dara pursed her lips. She knows that Leah needed to leave doesn’t want to leave her alone. “I’m okay now.” She reassured which is true now.

Leah stands up but is still kind of hesitant. She pursed her lips trying to decide if she should say something or not.

Dara could see this and there is also a reason why they both have worked so well in the past 3 years. She also respects Leah’s opinions. “Yes?” she tried to urge or on.

Leah lets out a breath and said, “Not that it is any of my business but I just want to say, you’ve done very well for yourself especially being a single mother. You’ve raised Jinnah amazingly and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” 

Dara could feel her face blush by at Leah’s words. Though the thing is, Leah doesn’t really know what happened. “I was the one that left without telling him Leah.”

But Leah’s expression didn’t even change, she just said, “And I’m sure you did it for a good reason and not just to spite him or any other negativity around. I’ve read the articles Dara. And knowing your personality…” and she didn’t continue… She may not know the full story other than the articles because she never really asked. She doesn’t need to know because she’s Dara’s friend.

It was a quite atmosphere but a comfortable one which broke due to Leah’s phone ringing. Leah’s expression changed to an angry one as she snaps at her phone. “Jeez… if I don’t answer it means I’m busy,”

Dara laughed and pushed Leah out of the studio playfully. “Just go. I’m fine. If you stay longer… I think Mark will kill you.”

Leah scoffed, “I’m not afraid of him. He should be more afraid of my sister.” Since Mark is her brother-in-law.

“I’ll close up.” Dara said since Leah isn’t moving again.

“If you need anything…” Leah said softly.

Dara nods. “Yes, yes. Go.”

Then when Leah’s phone rang again she finally answered it, snapping at the person calling her. Dara didn’t need to hear the rest of the conversation because she’s sure that Leah is giving that person a mouthful.

Dara walks back into the studio and stares at her guitar. “We meet again my old friend…” and she walks over to play her guitar just to soothe herself.

It was around another hour that Dara had decided to leave. She had to since Jinnah was already home from school she had forgotten to tell her nanny that she was off for the week but she just went ahead and didn’t mention it after yesterday. She still had no idea how to face her four year old. At least now with calm thoughts, if Jiyong calls today then she’ll deal with it then. She just secretly hoped that he’d forget about it…

She was leaving the building and was ready to close up just enough since Bernie (their security guard) isn’t due for another two hours.

“So if I ask for an autograph…. Is it going to be Sandara or F.R.E.ya?”

Dara could feel her heart race. She was frozen holding at the door. She wasn’t sure how to react… this wasn’t the first time she heard this before. It was almost a year and a half ago when she first heard this and she hoped to all the gods it’s the same person or she’s in trouble…

“Jinnah… I’ll be sitting right here, don’t go anywhere where you can’t see me.” Dara had instructed Jinnah. Dara was also pointing at the chair in front of the doll house that Jinnah had always wanted to visit since it opened three months ago.

Jinnah just kept nodding excitedly, she’s always been a behaved little girl but she still has the mannerism of a three year old. She was holding on to Dara’s hand and started squeezing it. “Yes mommy.”

Dara smiles and kisses her forehead. “Okay, go have fun.” Then she finally lets go so Jinnah takes off her shoes to run towards doll house.

Dara lets out a deep breath, finally getting able to sit after walking around with Jinnah all day today. This is her first whole day off in weeks and she spent it hanging out with Jinnah all day without much sleep from the past week. She hasn’t seen much of Jinnah lately since she was now had opened her own studio under Troy Records. She had been working on the main building until finally she was given her own chance to produce her own music with not much guidance. She even has 2 artist she is assigned with already that is why she is too busy. She never realized that being behind the scenes is so much fun than singing…

It had been all gotten too fast for her to comprehend. Not only less than a year ago she’d still play at small jazz bars or music clubs just because she missed playing to all a sudden be recruited as one of the song writers in Troy Records to handling her own studio under the same label.

So the past few weeks since Jinnah is only 3 she’s been mostly in day-care and with her nanny if it gets too late in the evening but before her bedtime. Dara