Ms. Cupid In love

Dara is a self-proclaimed cupid but the problem is, she can’t seem to find herself a man she can call her own.

 

 

Dara saw it on the news and she doesn’t know what to feel anymore.

She knows that she doesn’t have any right to feel jealous or mad towards Kris Wu, but the painful thumping of her heart and irritation she is currently feeling at the said man is eating her up and all she wanted to do is curl on one corner of her room.

 She kept on ignoring the messages and calls from her friends for she is not in the mood to talk to them or listen to their silly antics. She is sure that they would just both pester her about the details about Kris Wu, and no, she doesn’t want to talk about him.

She finds herself funny with the way she is acting. She is supposed to know what to do during such happenings since she is no other than Ms. Cupid. But no matter how many things she thinks of, she can’t seem to act like how she expects herself to. And that brings her back to the moments where she gave numerous advices to her friends. It is indeed easier said than done.

It is a good thing that it is Sunday and there is no work or classes at the university, she is not in the mood to go outside of her unit. She wrapped herself with her blanket with a warm cup of chamomile tea at her bedside table. She doesn’t even want to move an inch, it is as if all her energy have been out from her body.

Is this the feeling of being heartbroken? She thought.

Now she knew why and how Chaerin cried buckets of tears before, Bom with her stressed eating and Daesung with his karaoke nights for a week.

It is their one way of easing the pain.

Dara never understood until now.

 

 

 

 

She lightly rubbed her eyes and realized that she fell asleep.

There was a pounding sound on her door and when she looked at the clock at her bedside table and saw the time—she frowned. It is almost midnight, how can someone still visit her.

She grabbed her pink robe and dragged herself to check who is currently trying to ruin her sleep.

The floor is cold beneath her bare foot but she is just to numb already to notice it. Her house is a mess and cleaning it is the last thing she wanted to do (maybe more than seeing a certain man named Kris Wu). Whoever is at the other side of the door is really persistent and kept on knocking. Dara peek at the peep hole and stumbled back and almost fell on the floor when she saw the person who just ruined her night. It is the one whom the least she wanted to see.

Kris Fxxking Wu

She gulped and she felt like everything around her is spinning.

This is not happening. She thought.

And the lack of nutrients, sleep is already taking its effects on her and the blonde professor started to feel dizzy. The presence of the mighty Kris Wu added to her stress.

“Ugh.” She groaned and she can barely feel her feet anymore.

She tried to grab the door knob but darkness enveloped her.

 

 

Kris Wu didn’t know what came to him the moment he called Lee Chaerin. The woman gave him an earful and he knew better than say anything back at the other. He is not even sure if Chaerin will help him but urprisingly she did.

You better not screw this up. She is fragile.  Was Chaerins words to him and after a few minutes she received a test of the complete address of Dara.

Without even knowing he is already driving towards Dara’s place. He wanted to punch himself when he saw the time, but he really needed to talk to her or just be near her. He can wait till its morning for all he care as long as she will be near him. There is this foreign feeling in his gut. His heart is pounding. He tried calling the blonde professor for days already but she is not answering any of it.

And when he arrived at Dara’s apartment building, he immediately went inside and took the stairs, taking two steps at the same time. There was a pounding on his ears and a crippling cold in his chest but he tried his best to ignore it. He just wishes that she is still awake.

He gulped the moment he found himself knocking on her door. He doesn’t know what to expect…heck, he doesn’t even know what to tell her. Yes, he is attracted to the professor (maybe even ‘like’ her) but he doesn’t have any idea how will tell her everything.

Plus, all the misunderstandings that have happened.

He took his phone out and called Dara, he pressed his ear against the cold surface of the door and heard a faint sound of a phone ringing. He tried calling out her name and knocking once more but there is still no response.

And then there is a groan followed by a light thud.

 

 

 

 

 

 “She is dehydrated and could be suffering from mild flu. She will be fine. But I advise for her to stay here one night.”

“Thank you very much Doctor.” Lee Chaerin said and bowed as the doctor took his leave. The woman took her phone from her handbag and called their other friend—Bom about the updates regarding the health of Dara.

The cat-eyed like girl was about to attend an opening of a new club in the central city when Kris Wu phoned her telling that he found Dara unconscious in her apartment. She remembers how she can’t drive properly thinking what happened to her friend. Thing is, Dara doesn’t usually get sick. Her immune system is really something and Chaerin rarely see the other being sick even with cold or cough.

 Chaerin’s family is all living abroad even before. She had to live all by herself the moment she turned legal. Dara was the one who took care of her, making sure that she is fine and well-fed. Dara is always there whenever she felt bad about something. She can always trust her professor friend that everything will be fine.

And she doesn’t know what she will become once something bad happens to her friend.

“Chaerin…” A deep voice cuts her out of her deep thought.

She saw Kris, looking tired and stressed.

“Thank you.” She said and patted the taller lightly on the shoulder.

They went inside the room and saw Dara’s sleeping form. Chaerin took the chair that was beside the bed while Kris stood just stood on the bottom of the bed; looking down at Dara’s pale face. He felt the buzz of his phone from his pocket and lets out a heavy sigh.

“you can go home Kris, I know the head office is calling you. I’ll be with Dara so you don’t have to worry and Bom will be here first thing in the morning later, you can go.” Chaerin said to him with a tired yet gentle smile.

“I want to stay…” The taller whispered.

“I know, but you can come back here as soon as you can.”

Kris slumped his shoulder.

“I’ll come back. And don’t worry about the hospital paper works, I’ll sign them on my way out.”

“Kris—”

The guy just shook his head and went beside Chaerin to squeezed her shoulder a bit before finally exiting the room. The latter followed his retreating back until the door closes with a light thump and returned her gaze to her friends’ sleeping face.

“Dee…you just got yourself a man.” Chaerin joked to no one.

 

 

Dara woke up with a smell of a coffee and low voices. She tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness went through her and arms are suddenly helping her lie down back on the bed.

“Take it easy Dara.”

“Bom?” The blonde professor searched for her red-haired friend.

“We are here. You need to rest for a bit. Doctor said you can go home later. You just need dextrose, Dee…you are dehydrated and sick…” Bom trailed at Dara.

The latter didn’t say anything. She just stared at the ceiling. She felt tired and hungry; she also realized that she is in a hospital.

A hospital.

“How did I even get here?” Dara asked.

Chaerin went to sit on the side of her bed—reached for the remote control and turned the TV off before answering:

“Kris found you unconscious in your apartment.”

“Oh.”

Oh?

Wait what?

Kris?

“Kris? Like, Kris Wu?”

“Yes.”

Dara saw Bom rolled her eyes.

“How…” She muttered, trying to comprehend that Kris Wu found her...but how the hell does he even know where she live?

“He was here but he has to leave. Work issues but he said he would like to talk to you as soon as possible.” Chaerin said while peeling an apple.

The other was about to say something when a nurse suddenly came in to check her vital signs. Slowly, Dara lifted herself up from the bed with the help of Bom.

Chaerin feed her some sliced apple while Bom went out for a while to call on to her husband to come pick them up in an hour.

“I say that you should stay with me for a week. I already called your university…so you don’t have to worry about anything. You just need to rest Dee…please.” Dara almost cooed at the way Chaerin is looking at her right now. The other woman is not too vocal with her affection towards the professor though Dara already knows how much Chaerin treasures her. Same with Bom, they’ve been friends for years, she could always trust the two.

“You won’t be going to New York or something?”

Chaerin shook her head.

“I’ll be staying here for the next three months or so...”

Dara smiled.

A few minutes of silence. Dara is munching the apple Chaerin kept on feeding her. There is also some oranges and grapes and she is more than happy to eat all of them. Bom, of course—brought some wheat bread with strawberry jam on it.

The two waited for their red haired friend in silence, just enjoying the company of each other.

And the moment the latter came, Dara beamed at her then to Chaerin and said—“Thank you.”

“Anything for you.” The two replied.

 

 

 

 

 

It was a nice week for Dara.

She got her health back and she is definitely healthy as a horse once again.

She ate and ate—regaining the weight she lost. They would eat dinner at Bom’s humble abode. Dara saw how her friend is happy with her married life. Seunghyun is treating her like a queen. They went to have a little celebration after Bom announced her pregnancy. It was such a joyful night.

And to say that Dara is amazed and surprised is an understatement. Seungri came, hands full of balloons and boxes of macaroons (Bom’s current addiction) but Dara’s eyes went bulging out the moment the male went straight to Lee Chaerin and the two kissed. Though she is aware that two are already going out for quite a while but she didn’t know that they are indeed in a relationship already. The professor gave her friend a raised brow with a stinky look as if saying—“you need to tell me what happened”.

The dining table is full of foods—healthy stuff. Bom wailed once she saw the green leafy veggies and pouted at her husband. Poor Choi Seunghyun had to call pizza delivery that night.

The loud chattering of her friends gave Dara the realization that she is lucky to have them.

She is home.

 

 

 

“No, you need to approach her nicely…just be yourself and keep it cool. You don’t want to freak her out right?”

“But noona…”

“No but’s….Oh, she is a beauty. I thought you are joking about her looking like fairy! You are seriously way out of her league.”

A snort.

“Nice one. I am so touched by your support.”

Dara laughed.

The male in front of her stood up, hands slightly shaking as he tried to fix his collar and messy hair.

“Hey, keep the hair…it looks good on you.” Dara smiled.

“Whatever.” He huffed and walked away from her.

She watched him. Her brother. Her baby brother who is not a baby anymore.

Dara is having a nice weekend when Sanghyun—her youngest sibling called her telling her about something urgent and that they should meet at a café. Dara thought of any negative possibilities about her brother’s sudden call, she is really nervous but scoffed the moment she found out that Sanghyun is having a little bit of a girl problem.

Apparently, he is having a major crush to a certain barista named Jiyeon.

And he doesn’t have that much of an experience on asking a girl out.

But Dara knows that her brother got this.

 

She starred at her warm cup of tea.

It’s been months since she last saw Kris Wu.

And surprisingly, she is doing well. But she can’t deny the fact that she is still missing the greek-god like male. Funny because she knows she doesn’t have any rights to feel like that, but given that she is falling—no scratch that, fallen in love with him…she is bound to feel like it.

The professor tried stalking his social media accounts—more like her co-workers pushed her to do it and saw that he didn’t update for the last 5 months. She also tried looking for some artices about him and the only she saw is how his magazine is doing well in the market; but no picture of him. It is like, he just disappeared.

He totally went underground and no one has seen him for the past 4 months.

Dara even went to ask Chaerin about him but the latter said that Kris is currently on leave.

And that leaves a lot of question.

She is worried yes, but the crazy part of her brain is screaming: He must have eloped with that beautiful model.

The very thought of Kris having a romantic relationship with another girl makes her heart clench in a painful way. Dara lifted her palm and placed it on her chest—hoping that it would help to calm her thumping heart. Suddenly, it was hard to think of happy thought.

I hate you cupid, why do you have to make me fall to someone like him. Ugh.

She reached for her phone and opened her gallery.

She sighed. She browsed the numerous photos of her with Chaerin and Bom and finally saw the one picture that she is contemplating to delete since last month.

Kris Wu.

She tried deleting it—but it would always end to her keeping her phone inside her bag or pockets out of frustration. She doesn’t have the heart to delete it.

It was taken when Kris Wu was giving a talk to the students. It was Daesung who actually captured it and she doesn’t know what came to her when she asked her co-professor for a copy.

He looks handsome.

He looked so determined on the picture with his neat blue polo and black tie, partner it up with black slacks that hugs his long lean legs perfectly.

Damn.

Her finger hovered over the ‘delete’ button…

Someone cleared their throat.

“I look good on that one, so I suggest you keep it.” A deep and oh-so familiar voice said.

Dara first saw a pair of sneaker, her eyes sneaked its way up to the acid wash jean and simple turtleneck shirt—and at last to a perfect face as if it was sculptured by the gods.

And the blonde professor stood up hastily, and for the second time—she didn’t notice the distance between her and the leaning male and the two ended up bumping into each other’s head…once again.

Déjà vu.

Dara massaged the back of her head while Kris is laughing while covering his reddened forehead.

And they stared at each other—their chest heaving as they laugh at what just had happened.

 

 

She tilted her head while staring intently at her brother’s hand.

“I don’t understand?”

Sanghyun snorted.

“Noona, it’s a set up...and meet my girlfriend; Jiyeon.”

“Set up? Wait…wait, what? Girlfriend?”

Dara bowed slightly towards the beautiful girl in front of her. She don’t understand what is happening as of the moment. Kris is currently beside her, sipping silently his cup of coffee and her baby brother just went on to her saying that everything is a set up and he is not actually having any love issues, in fact he is already in a relationship with the girl he fancies.

In a relationship…for almost three months already.

And…set up?

She feels like her head will explode any minute now.

“You know what, me and Jiyeon will just leave. Call you later. Bye.” Dara wasn’t even able to say anything back to Sanghyun because the younger immediately stood up while dragging away his supposed girlfriend out of the café.

Awkward silence.

And then… “I actually met your brother yesterday already so…”

She turned her head towards Kris.

“Explain.” Dara firmly said. She doesn’t really understand what is happening, she is overwhelmed by the fact the Kris is here, already met his younger brother and hearing the word set-up is not helping either.

“I asked for help from your friends and brother….And, uhmmm…I—uh, well…I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

She waited for Kris to continue what he was about to say. The air is thick with awkwardness around them but she doesn’t have the energy or the will to even give attention to it. All she wants is to know what the truth is.

“I like you.” Kris breathed out.

An inaudible gasp came out of Dara’s mouth.

“I really like you….What you saw…with the news and paparazzi pictures, those are all misunderstandings. I am not with any kind of romantic relationship with her…It is you that I really like.”

The blonde professor doesn’t know what to say or even think.

She blanked out.

Her ears kept on buzzing and as if in a movie, her surrounding went slow motion. Her heart us thumping that she wonder if the man in front of her could hear it. Her throats suddenly went dry and her hands are sweating.

Years of trying to help the people around her with their love problems…years of setting up her friends to date and to their potential partners. Years of reading romantic novels, articles about love but nothing prepared her for this moment.

Nothing prepared her for this moment.

 

 

“I…I like you…too…” She answered.

And his smile is an assurance to her that she might not know what the future holds, but with him—somehow, everything will be fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few months ago.

 

“Are you sure this will work?”

Lee Chaerin rolled her eyes before looking at certain names from her messy phonebook. Before answering—“Who knows? It is worth the shot.”

“She will kill us once she found out about this.”

“Or she will thank us.”

Park Bom sighed but went to help her friend find the numbers that they needed.

They are on a mission; it is to find mister right for their friend—Dara.

They decided to call a person named Jiyoung Kwon first.

It was a short conversation, and good thing that the said man is indeed not available for the whole month so he won’t be a problem anymore.

Park Bom and Lee Chaerin called numerous designers and editors and told them not to entertain  any invitation in a seminar. It might seem to be an evil act to do but they are already desperate.

“Give me those sticky notes….”

Park Bom sighed but obeyed nevertheless. The other stared at the digits written messily at the small paper before punching the numbers on her phone. Chaerin put the phone in speaker mode. The red haired girl beside her lets out a heavy sigh but listened to the ringing of the phone from the other line. And after a few seconds, a smooth voice answered.

 

“Kris Wu speaking…”