"You can play the piano?" You remember earlier that Dara was mixing with potions, right? Well, here she is this time sitting on the piano stool, claiming she could conjure up a tune. Turns out that there was a piano in the house that I didn't even notice before. How could I if it was hidden at the small dark corner? Anyway, a short description of the instrument would be, Jurassic Park. The thing looks like it hasn't been cleaned in ages. Though I do like the cobwebs on it, it gives off a haunted feeling. 


"Of course I can Seungri-goon! After all, I have been practicing for centuries now." Yeah that's what she said last time.


I breathed out a sigh feeling defeated and took a seat beside her.


"Just play me something." I commanded lazily, watching her through the corner of my eye as she layed her fingers on the keys. She began playing awfully at first and I almost fell off my seat, until she surprised the wits out of me by a sudden change of tune. She actually played beautifully! That's not possible, she was horrible awhile ago!? I decided it was no use arguing with myself and just delighted myself listening to her song. The piece was strong, but it wasn't gloomy. It was vivid with a tinge of that old school humor. Amazing... she's finally done something functional. She continued playing marvelously with accurate precision in every note. I was still in awestruck by her skills that I didn't even notice the music stop.


"D-dara...that's was amazing!" I blurted still amazed by what just happened.


"I told you I could play." She gloated rather egoistically. But that didn't matter, she had the right to rub it on my face.


"Where did you learn how to play like that!?" I questioned her desperately shaking her shoulders lightly. She laughed at my ridiculous state and tried to calm my nerves down. 


"When I was 18 years old...from a very good friend." Friend? Would I sure like to meet that friend! He/she could make me into a piano prodigy!


"You mean when you looked like 18 years old right? Or were you really 18 years of age at the time?" I asked her wonderingly because of all the things the other sisters told me, they were already atleast 30 years old and I've never thought of what their life was when they were actually young.


"Yup, I was really my true age to what I looked like back then. Minji and Chaerin weren't even born yet. It was only Bom and I." woah, interesting. 

_________________________________________________________________

It all started when I was passing by an auditorium. Our mother instructed me to go to the market to buy some ingredients for her new potion, when I heard sounds coming from the local auditorium. It sounded so beautiful that I was curious enough to enter unnoticed by the young man sitting by the piano. He was playing so extraordinarily great that I wondered if he was related to Bach or Beethoven. He was that good.


I took a seat in the very front and watched him intently hitting one note after another. He looked so focused, yet so passionate at the same time that I could feel the emotion he was portraying. I smiled at that and continued on starring at the mystery man before me.


Then the next thing I knew he stopped playing, immediately knowing that I was watching him. But the biggest surprise of all is that he got out from his seat, went down the stage, and was mere inches in front of me. And he smiled.


"Hi my name is Kwon Jiyong! What's your name?" he asked me kindly that my voice got stuck in my throat just trying to answer him back.


"D-dara, my name is Dara." I finally managed to stutter miserably not missing the amused smile on his face.


"Dara..." he trailed off saying my name over and over again, probably trying to make himself remember it,"What a lovely name for such a pretty girl." 


My cheeks tainted a scarlet color of red right when he said that. 'How could he say such a thing to a stranger like me?' My mind thought trying to think of a solution when, without waring, he got down on both knees, took my hand in his, and kissed it gently. It was as light a feather tickling my pure skin.


"Lovely indeed." 


And from that moment on, I went to the auditorium everyday. Falling in love with each other more and more every time we meet. Jiyong was such a talented boy with big dreams, but not only that. He was also sweet and kind than any person I've ever met. He composed the most beautiful songs, and you couldn't help but smile every time he played on the musical instrument. He even made one song for me, and at one point offered to teach me how to play. And that's where I got my training from.


Our secret meetings continued regularly until one day, my mother followed me. You see, my mother and sister didn't know anything about my relationship with Jiyong. I didn't have the courage to tell them because, back then, it was forbidden to fall in love with human beings. If any witch or warlock knew about it, they would inform the Council of Elders. A group of witches who ruled our kind. And the punishment of my deed would be death. 


That's why I always make sure that every time I leave, to watch my every move, careful not to be suspicious. 


I didn't know how she managed to follow me, but she did, and I just knew it when it was already too late. She locked both Jiyong and I with her inside, trapped with nowhere else to escape.


"Dara stop what you're doing this instant!" She commanded me as I speedily got to Jiyong trying not to make him notice my mother but failed as he descended from the piano.


"Who's this?" Jiyong, who was oblivious to what was going on asked innocently. I didn't want to answer him, but my mother replied for me,"I'm her mother!" she shouted furiously and caught my arm by force as I groaned in pain.


Jiyong noticed my discomfort and tried to save me, but of course my mother was a powerful witch. With one wave of her hand Jiyong collapsed on the floor barely conscious. 


"No! What did you do to him!?" I helplessly asked her struggling to free from her grasp. I felt so useless seeing Jiyong lying there, I couldn't stand it.


"I did nothing compared to what the other Council Members would do! I'm playing my cards on the line here daughter! The Council wants him dead, I'm making a big exception here!" 


I was mad at her, angry and frustrated. How could she do this to me? My own mother. But morever, I was angry with myself for being a witch. I didn't want this cruel treatment...I didn't want to be a witch.


"But I love him mother! I love him so much!" I screamed my pitiful protest with all my might, but she didn't seem at all convinced and shoved me through the dressing room of the building. I hit the ground with a loud thud, bruises slowly showing up on my body. I groaned in pain once again and uttered hopelessly for my mother to hear my plea. 


"You broke the rules Dara! Mingling with a mortal is strictly forbidden, and as my daughter you very well knew that! You shall know you're punishment later, but for now-" she came closer to me while I kept backing away. Scared on what she might do.


"Please! Don't kill Jiyong!" I begged, my voice cracked as she crouched in front of me. And I despised the color of her scarlet dress even more. 


"I'm doing what is best for you my dear," she confessed bringing her index finger to touch my forehead. 


"Please. Don't kill him..." were my last words before drowning into a pool of never ending darkness.


The next thing I knew, I woke up confused in a familiar place. I'm in my room. And I could see the sun shining through the curtains, it was morning already. That could only mean I've been sleeping for so long. Then I remembered, "Jiyong!"


I jumped out of the bed and went out of the room in a disarray when Bom greeted me.


"Dara? What's wrong?" she questioned concerned at my trouble enraged self.


I scanned the house if my mother was there, but strangely, she wasn't.


"Jiyong. Need to find Jiyong." Muttered to no one in particular but myself blasting out the door. Bom ran after me but I was faster than her as I sped through the streets, not minding the weird stares people were giving me. I was determined to do one thing, to find Jiyong. 


And I went to the first place that I figured he would be at, the auditorium.


As I got there barging through the doors, I saw him. In his usual spot by the piano. I felt so happy and relieved that I immediately ran up to him, hugged him like I've never before, and gently cupped his face with the palm of my hand.


"Jiyong! I'm so happy you're alive!" I chirped cheerily as I brought him into a hug again. Strange. He wasn't hugging back.


I let go of him momentarily to look at his face. He still looks like Jiyong, but there's just something different about him. The feeling of being around him is nowhere to be found.


"Who are you?" he asked. He said it with no such emotion.


And my world came crashing down. My heart not taking in all the pain. It Hurts so badly. Why doesn't he remember me?


"J-jiyong, stop playing around!" I tried to joke and hit him lightly on the arm, but still no reply. He just looked at me confused and lost. He started at me like I was some kind of stranger.


"If you plan on fooling me, then it's best you should leave. I don't know who you are miss." He said irritated, and it all dawned on me. They erased his memory. That was my punishment. They erased every aspect of me from him. It's like I never existed, I'm just a stranger now. 


The tears unconsciously escaped from my eyes, and I withdrew from his sight. The little bit of hope within me expected him to come after me, but he didn't, and I cried through the streets limping like a robot. I went back to my house not even bothered by Bom who was worried sick about me, and headed straight to my room. Sobbing until there were no more tears left.


During the passing days, mother tried to act like nothing happened. Bom, who was unknowing until I told her was also trying to act like nothing happened as well. I wasn't talking to them and locked myself in my room for weeks, when my mother knocked on my door. She apologized to me and asked for my forgiveness. It wasn't that easy of course, but she's my mother after all, and I forgave her. 


Then she revealed something intriguing after I did, Jiyong was supposed to be killed. But there was more, I was supposed to be killed with him. The Elders were gonna bring us to our deaths themselves, but my mother persuaded them like wise and volunteered to carry out the punishment herself. So instead of killing Jiyong, the next best thing was to take his memory, while I would suffer the pain of him not remembering me.


My mother and I got along pretty well after that day. I realized that she loved me more than I thought, but still, I couldn't help but wonder about Jiyong. So I followed him from time to time. My love for him still there, while I watch him play the piano from afar. I contented myself with just that, until one year later he met this girl. She was pretty and I could tell she loved him by the way she cared for him. And he was in love with her as well, because of the twinkle in his eyes every time he looks at her. Just like when he used to look at me. 


They married not long after and I restrained myself from crying and tried to move on with my life.

_______________________________________________________________

"Minji and Chaerin were born years after and my mother died giving birth to Minji. So it's just the four of us now." Dara said still not noticing that she was crying already.


"Um, Dara." I gave her my handkerchief gesturing her to wipe the tears off. She was confused at first and later touched her face feeling the streams of liquid and shyly wiped it off.


"I'm sorry. I probably bored you with my blabbering." she apologized her head facing the ground.


"I wasn't bored! I'm actually glad you told me that story." I tried to cheer her up and it worked because she gave me a smile. I was crooked like the ones they gave me earlier, but atleast it was an honest one.


Dara then suddenly stood up and closed the piano. Walked towards the kitchen and said: "Do you want some hot chocolate again?"


I chuckled at her silly antic and replied,"Sure, just don't put any potion to turn me into a frog."


Her brow raised slightly by my remark, but she went back to her tracks to the kitchen anyway, not before leaving a statement that got me thinking.


"Silly Seungri-goon, witches don't have potions for turning people into frogs!" I don't get it? Chaerin turned her boyfriend into a frog right? But I'll leave that question alone in the meantime. 


It's sad to know that atleast one of them found true love, yet had to let go in the end. That was just wrong, how could such faith bestow upon them? But no use turning back now, that's why I'm determined to do something. Something that will make up for all the pain. Something that would make their day. 


Besides, I would have to come back for that hair potion thingy for grandpa anyway.