It took a while for Dara to come to her senses. Even people going in and out of their row shuffled passed through her without her noticing. Minzy looked worriedly at her.

Two dates had already been auctioned and CL's turn was going to be next. CL was gesturing frantically at Minzy to snap Dara out from her trance. She was going to be auctioned next and she could see from the stage that Dara's soul had temporarily disconnected from her body. She was worried for her friend but at the same time worried for herself.

Minzy had been elbowing Dara for quite some time already. She got no response. It took the arrival of Bom with a steaming cup of buttered corn kernel to kick Dara back to her senses. Bom literally kicked Dara's booted foot as she walked by to get back to her seat on the other side of their friend. The sudden jolt shook Dara awake.

"What's wrong with her?" She asked Minzy as she munched on her corn.

"Fate just bit her in the . Kiko won the date with Jiyong Oppa." Minzy told Bom.

"Oh my Gaaawd!!! And I missed everything." She looked at Dara and saw their friend sitting seemingly calm by her side. She knew better, though, her repeated squeezing motion on the stress ball attached to her keychain was a telltale sign. 

"Hey. Get a grip on your self. I know you don't feel good but CL's next after Heechul and you promised her. Worry about everything else later let's get CL's auction over and done with then we'll leave." Bom grabbed hold of Dara's hands and gave it a supportive squeeze.

Dara looked at Bom with heartbreak in her eyes. "Breathe, girl. If you so much as cry a single tear here, Jiyong might ask questions you won't be prepared to answer. So breathe and keep the damn show going."

Dara squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, took a deep breath and gave Bom's hand an answering squeeze. When she opened her eyes again she had pasted a smile on her lips and mouthed thank you's to both her friends. Then she looked askance at both her and Bom's hands.

"Crap! Where's my auction paddle?" She cried frantically after realizing that she no longer had it in her hands. "It was right here. I was holding on to them earlier."

She went down on her knees to check the ground and eyed the blasted paddle two rows upfront. Someone must have kicked it by accident. She stood up and hurried after the damn thing. 

As she was about three seats away from it someone passed by and kicked it further away. She half crawled half duck-walked her way down the aisle towards it. Just as she was about to reach out for it the man sitting near it uncrossed his legs and accidentally kicked it further away.

She blew a furious breath at the cursed thing, impending heartbreak now momentarily forgotten. She muttered under her breath, "Those WINNER tickets better be worth it." Sh