"Dara! I need you to buy something!"

"Yah! Dara, if you don't wake up I'll kick you out of the house this instant!"

Dara's mother had been pounding the door for almost 15 minutes already which is slowly filling the anger in Dara’s cup of patience. Can’t her mother understand? She had a rough month! The word Hell can’t even begin to justify just how hard it was. It was the kind of pain that rendered her breathless every single second of the day, it’s the one that made her a living vegetable for the past few days since the funeral.

"Dara, your brother went out early so you have no choice but to get your out of the bed!" Her mother shouted from the outside.

Dara can’t even begin to think about standing, so how would she even get out of the house in that state? The familiarity of her mother’s words also struck something inside her which just made everything worse than it already is. She clutched the pillow so hard and took a really deep breath, hoping that it would take the pain and migraine away but sadly, life’s really not that easy. Bile threatened to rise from but she willed herself to let it all down.

She weakly opened the door and faced her mother who’s already irritated. Dara’s mother was shocked to say at least to see and witness the state of her daughter.

“Woah? What happened to you? You’re basically a zombie!” Her mother chuckled a little bit but stopped when she noticed that Dara’s just staring at her lifelessly and blankly. She cleared and handed her a piece of crisp paper.

“Here’s the list. Be sure it's the right thing and please hurry up, okay?" Her mother seemed to say something yet everything felt like floating in a soundproof room. She felt jelly under her toes, swirling its way up unto her system like a virus. She didn’t know what happened next, all she knew is that she managed to nod to her mother’s request without any of the happenings registering in her head.

Dara forced her limbs to move, her heart to beat and her pair of lungs to accommodate all the oxygen she’s trying to take in. She’s breathing so hard, her heart is so erratic inside her chest that it’s almost breaking out of her ribs. Everything is swirling inside her head as the oh so familiar things started playing in front of her once again.

The perfect temperature

The flawless falling of the near cherry blossom tree

The kid crying against her mother’s chest

The café

Café…

Café…

Dara shakily forced herself to stop exactly in front of the café. Will she see them there? Will she see Jiyong and CL hugging in that exact same café?

But that would be impossible. Jiyong… He’s been dead for almost two weeks right now. Dara can’t even begin to fathom the pain that surged in her chest as she acknowledged his death once again.

When will it stop? When will the fcking pain stop?

She doesn’t know where she found the courage to turn right, but she did. The next thing she saw literally made her question her sanity. Yeah, she is finally a crazy lunatic. If she’s not, then how would she explain this irrationality happening in front of her eyes?

She slapped herself so hard, she punched her own gut, and she stepped on her foot. Yet none of them threw her back to the real world. But what if this really is the real world? Without wasting another millisecond, she stormed inside the café without minding the funny stares and glares she got from the people around her. Dara quickly spotted the two who are still hugging and she can’t help but feel everything once again. But this time, she felt relief and even happiness seeing the two here even if the fact that they are cheating behind her did not even matter right now.

She hastily grabbed Jiyong by his neck and landed a crisp slap on his right cheek. Chaerin was shocked at what’s happening that she didn’t everything for a moment.

“No-no, Dara it’s not what you think! It’s really not-“ CL’s explanation was cut short when she saw her friend’s tears continuously fell while hugging Jiyong with her dear life. She seemed clinging to him as her life really depended on it. They didn’t know why she’s crying so hard that she’s hardly breathing but Dara doesn’t seem mad.

“Wh-why are you crying? I swear we’re not doing anything wrong-“ Jiyong’s words were cut short when Dara placed a soft kiss on his lips. He really can’t understand anything right now but her kiss felt like a bittersweet one.

“I don’t ca-care if you two are cheating right now or anything, I can live with that. Wha-what’s important is you’re here. You’re really here…” She softly whispered while resting her forehead on top of his in resignation. She’s just too happy right now to even bother about Jiyong cheating on her. She doesn’t even care anymore, she can forgive him for cheating ten times more but she will never forgive him for dying and leaving her behind just like what happened in her dream. But was it really just a dream? She doesn’t know anymore, but what she knows is that Jiyong is in her arms right now, alive and definitely breathing.

“Of course I’m here. Where would I be? And no, I did not cheat on you. Am not and will never be.” He softly whispered and he placed a soft kiss on top of her head.

“But why are you here? Why are the two of you hugging and all?”

“Dara, I would never ever betray you, you know that. Besides, I’m just congratulating him.” CL softly said and offered Dara a glass of water.

“Congratulating for what?” Dara confusedly asked Jiyong.

And yep! This is finally the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed my attempt of a heavy short fic. I’ll be back with a rom-com fluffy fic again so wait for it okay?~ Thank you guys!