Poster & Banner credits to Kurogane and Kurogane's Art Studio

“My life was pouring out my feet and seeping through cracks in the floor; yet still I knelt and did not move, for fear she'd let go my hands. Let me stay, I wanted to beg: Please don't make me go.” 
― Sonya Hartnett, "Surrender"

3 STAY

“You didn’t say anything this morning about joining us.” Dara was the first one to break the silence after Seunghyun left their table to order something for Jiyong, the slight hint of accusation in her voice to which Jiyong raised an eyebrow to.

“What, you didn’t want me here?” Hurt and indignation colored his cold voice. Is she upset that I ruined her little date with Seunghyun? His pride was a bit wounded; he had hoped that her eyes would light up when he came through the door, surprised - in a good way - that he showed up. But no, instead he was the one in for a surprise when he heard her tell Seunghyun in the sweet voice of hers that she missed him. Where did that leave me? Am I nothing to her now that Seunghyun’s back? “Do you want me to leave?”

“No, of course not!” Dara protested immediately, her hand already on his arm to stop him from going. She felt tricked when she saw the triumphant smirk on Jiyong’s lips, once again reminding her what a dangerous game they were playing here. She immediately removed her hand. The moment Jiyong finds out that she fell in love with him, it’ll be game over between them. She would lose him. And I don’t want that. Screw whatever Seunghyun said, she should just stick to the rules and play it safe by hiding her feelings. “I meant that, if you told me, then we could have come together this morning.”

“Come together? I don’t think so. You refused my offer to get back into bed, remember?” Confusion flashed across Dara’s face before it dawned upon her what Jiyong meant by his words. Her face flushed red when she got the ual innuendo that had nothing to do with arriving at the café. Jiyong mentally slapped himself. Nice going. You’ll definitely make her fall in love with you by throwing ual pick-up lines used by teenagers around in conversation. “You were practically running out the door. Who was I to stop you?”

“Stop who? Dara?” Seunghyun slid back into his seat, eying them smugly. “Are you talking about stopping her from falling head over heels for me? Yes, that is absolutely necessary. Have you noticed how she was checking me out when I walked past her earlier?”

Dara sputtered at the ridiculous suggestion, but Jiyong said calmly, “I highly doubt that.”

Seunghyun arched his eyebrows, interested. He had thought that Jiyong would take the remark in angry silence. “And why is that?”

“Her tastes are rather…peculiar,” Jiyong simply said. Dara spun around to face him in alarm when she felt his hand resting on her leg underneath the table. ual as it was, it also a gesture of territoriality. He was hinting Seunghyun in a not-so-subtle way that he knew what Dara’s tastes were like, suggesting that something was between them and he knew more about Dara than he lets on. Maybe it’s not Seunghyun, it’s me. Dara’s brain reeled. Oh my god, he’s saying that he knows that I prefer him over Seunghyun. He knows.

She stood up abruptly in panic, causing Jiyong’s hand to fall to his side. “I-I-I just remembered that I had to pick up something from the gallery.”

“I’ll go with you,” Seunghyun offered smoothly, sensing her distress although he was not sure why. Dara nodded, thanking him for his understanding, and was about to walk away when a hand stopped her.

Jiyong. His warm hand was sending tingles up her arm. “Stay.”

“I can’t, I have to go pick