Have I posted this chapter before the AFF crash? I dunno if I did, but in case I did right, this chapter is different and has additional, quite important stuff in a way, so you can read it again if you think you've read the previous version. I tried looking for mistakes, but, heh, its quite hard to. Tell me if you see any~

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[Jiyong's POV]

After Dara left, I had decided to drown in an ocean of never-ending worksheets. At least Mathematics is one of my strongest subjects, so I did'nt have any trouble with them. That done, I shuffle the pieces of paper together neatly into a file (hey, I'm a neat freak, what gives), chucked it into my bag to face the dreaded composition that was calling my name.

Mathematics? No problem.

English? Let me dig my grave first.

What do I write. What do I write. What do I write. What do I write. What do I write. What do I write. What do I write. The problem is, I didn't go to school on the first day! 

I seem to be accumulating lots of paper balls behind me. Turning back, I took a double take. Wow. Thats a lot. Maybe I should call the crazy girl to come and sweep the floor for me. But then again, it seems a bit too mean of me to do so.

First day of school eh? 

Why not? Lets just stick to the plain honest truth.

I smirked to myself and began writing.

*** ***

[Dara's POV]

Oh Jiyong, Jiyong, Jiyong. I mused as I walked back home. A frown marred my forehead when I thought about him. No longer the cheerful little boy, but a difficult teenager. Ever since his father left, he seems to take a huge 180 degrees turn on his personality. All snappy and moody. I chuckled. At least he doesn't act so stiff around me. Does he treat me as someone different from the others?

Its just that, after his dad left, I began to get these weird pangs in my heart- sometimes they were long and painful; sometimes short and light. Some part of me screamed 'Jiyong'. Being the paranoid person I am, I just went to check on him now and then. I don't really know why, but I started visitting him more and more often, until it became a daily excursion to his house. Not that I dislike it of course. I'm glad that he hasn't planted spikes around the fences to keep me out.

I remember the first time I met him. He was so sweet.

-Flashback-

I was skipping ropes in the garden when I saw my neighbour's door swing open. A young boy seemingly my age appeared. He had shockingly blond hair that shone whenever he turned around in the sun. I blinked.

He seems cute.

And, he's holding a bar of chocolate! 

I my lips and dropped the rope, climbing over the fence that was between our houses, attracting his attention. He walked closer to greet me. As I clambered over the obstacle, I fell over onto the ground, grazing my knees as I landed. 

"Oof!" I exclaimed in pain. 

"Are you okay?" A soft, melodious voice asked startling me.

I looked up to meet nut brown eyes, blinking back at me. "I think." I staggered back up. He held my hand and led me to his doorsteps, sitting down and gestured for me to so so as well. I sat down shyly, peering at me him through my eyelashes. He was a little taller than me, even when he is sitting down.

"Do you want some?" The said chocolate bar waved tantalisingly in frony of my eyes. "I saw you staring. You looked so greedy." He adds, a laugh escaping his lips. "I did not!" I replied hotly and took the chocolate, devouring it in one bite.

He laughs again, this time a bit louder, a soothing and harmonious sound. I relaxed.

"You're funny." He pointed out. "Am not!" I stick my tongue out at him, trying to save what was left of my dignity after he saw me spawling all over his garden. As he continued laughing, I was distracted by the light glinting off his hair when he moved this way and that.

Hesitantly, I raised my hand towards his hair. He tensed and moved away a bit. Not letting that stop me, I moved closer and buried my hand in his hair. It was soft. And yellow. I ran my hands through it, relishing in how soft and warm it felt. 

"Why is it yellow?"

He blinked back at me cautiously, different from the carefree self he was a few moments ago. Is it because I was touching his hair?

"I dyed it."

"Oh. Don't only old people get to do that?"

"I dunno." He shrugs.

"What colour was it before?" I ask, curious.

"Brown."

"I'd like to see it."

The tip of his lips curled upwards. "Do you?"

"Uhuh!" I reply excitedly. "Can I see it now?"

He laughs freely for a moment, "No." 

Then his expression changes again and he looks lost.

"No one's touched my hair before." His words are barely audible.

"No one?" I asked puzzled.

"Not in such a long time." 

Embarrassed, I lowered my hand back to my lap. 

"I like it." He admits, his face transforms and he smiles his shy smile as if he's embarrassed.

My heart skips a beat.

I bit my lips to suppress the giant smile threatening to split my face into two. "Let's be friends! I'm Dara!" 

"Let's, I'm Jiyong," was his quiet reply followed by a grin that touched my heart.

 -Flashback ends-

I hug myself in glee as I remembered that shy smile. Oh, he was so cute back then. I played with him for a few years, and I was, oh, just so happy around him. When we were in middle school, I realised I like him. He continued being his oblivious self, and held my hand as per normal, not realising my feelings for him had changed. Whenever he touched me afterwards, it felt like my face was on fire.

Throughout the past few years, I have seen many of Jiyong's sides. His beautiful full-on smile; his shy, embarrassed self; his lost side, and many more. It just made me want to stay by his side even more. He could even be considered as mercurial. Like a switch, he changed so quickly, on then off.

Sometimes, I would day-dream of us being together in the future, being all lovey-dovey, just like my mother and father.

We were so young and innocent.

But, Jiyong has changed. After his father left, he rarely smiles or laugh, and I miss how his cheeks would puff out slightly when he was shy. His face is full of bitter and hate. Everyone says so now, and stay away from him. Except for me and a few of his close friends - TOP and Seungri.

I sigh heavily as I swing open the door, feeling a bit emotional.

"Dara!" My mother calls out from her seat at the sofa. Is she knitting again?!

"Come here, dear. I'm knitting a scarf for you! I need to measure your size." 

"Hello Eomma!" I greet her, trying to sound enthusiastic while my spirits take a nose-dive towards the ground.

Another scarf? I already have one whole compartment full of them!

"Don't be like that Dara. Now come here and humour your old woman!"

Smiling, I sat next to her and waited patiently for her to finish. 

"Were you at Jiyong's place again?" She asks, narrowing her eyes at me childishly and I still for a second.

"Ne." I answer gingerly, gauging her reaction.

"Oh, you really shouldn't hang out a guy's house so much, you know? Especially when you two are alone!" She exclaims and stops measuring to speak.

"What if you have a boyfriend next time! Are you going to keep visitting him?" She pauses for a millisecond.

"You always go to his house, its like you two are already married! You cook for him, irons his clothes, and sweep the floor. You don't even do that much for your own home!"

I flush red all the way to my toes and try to cook up some excuse. "Eomma, I'll help out more at home if you want me to. Beside's Jiyong doesn't like me like that."

She looks sympathetically at me, "Aigoo, my poor daughter is chasing after a guy who doesn't like her."

"Aniya!!! It isn't like that!" I yell, a bit too loudly.

Okay, well maybe.

You have to be honest with yourself dear. My subconscious says wisely, her eyebrows slanting downwards, unimpressed.

Fine. I like him a lot. Happy now?

"What if he's in the shower! And he comes out wearing only a towel! Aigoo, even my poor mind can't take it!" My mother exaggerates, waving her hands around.

Ahaha, wouldn't you like that? My inner goddess nudges me with a sly smirk on her face. Horrified, I smack her down in my mind and shut her out.

My mother continues on, and on, and on. Thats my mother all right. Sweet and childish. Is she really 48 years old?

Tired, I slump my shoulders and try to shut her out.

Oh dear.

Finally, she is interrupted by someone closing the front door. My father glances at us and I try using telepathy. Appa! You have to help me this time! I've been sitting here for ten minutes and she's still talking! He looks at me sympathetically as if to say 'Alright'.

Clearing his throat, he removes his jacket and says gruffly, "My dear, leave Sandara alone for now. Come up with me to help me put down my stuff, arrasso?"

"Yeobo! You're back already?"

He smiles tenderly at her and holds out his coat. Eomma stands reluctantly (or happily), I guess she has mix feelings about it. Glaring down at me, she scrunches up her nose and hiss,"We'll have this talk again another time." After that, she followed my dad to the second floor.

Booyah! I owe it to my dad this time round.

Feeling rejuvenated, I hop up the stairs two at a time, eager to go into my bedroom. I always did feel the most at ease in it.

My bedroom walls were painted a pale yellow close to white, and all of my furniture were the same colour, except maybe different tones of light yellow. It was very colourful though. Over the years, I had gotten infatuated with beanbag toys and cushions and began to buy lots of them. Big or small, bright and colourful, yes, it definitely livened the place up. 

It is also sound-proof, which is helpful when I feel like screaming. I remember the time when I was renovating my room for the third time in the thirteen years I have spent living here. I had pleaded my mother to allow me to make my room sound-proof. At that time, she had glanced at me suspiciously, asking, "You're not going to do any hanky panky in the room with a guy, right?" At that time, I had literally shriveled to some leaf on the floor in embarrassment. The workers had glanced at us curiously, and my mother remained completely oblivious as usual.

Rubbing my eyes wearily, I relaxed into a huge beanbag on the floor and closed my eyes to rest. Yes, this is good. Rest is good. I should do this more oft-

"Unnie!" A five year old girl burst through the door, successfully banging it to the side.

Shocked, I shot up from the beanbag to glare at my sister. "Park Mi Cha! What did Unnie tell you about the doors!"

Tilting her head to the side, she looked at me innocently and shrugged. "Dunno."

I shook my head at her in disapproval. She pouted and curled onto my lap. "Unnie, don't be mad! I just wanted to show you what I drew at kindergarten today!"

ing a piece of paper into my face, she bounced up and down excitedly waiting for my response. It was a drawing of our family. Me, her, Eomma, Appa, and our pet rabbit. "Toki is here too?" I ask, amused. She nodded her head and grinned.

"I haven't fed her for the day yet." I voiced out, and she stared at me in horror. 

"Omo! How could you starve our beloved Toki!" She yelped before running off, presumably to feed our rabbit. Well, its actually my rabbit. I'm an animal lover, so I was elated when I received the rabbit on my birthday. The rabbit was a colour of chestnut brown (my mum used to joke it was me in rabbit form. As if!) , with jet-black eyes and ears that flopped down. When I held it for the first time, its nose twitched here and there, and snuggled closer to me. I fell in love with it instantly.

Opening the glass door, I slipped out to the balcony, sliding the door close behind me silently. If I looked straight forward, Jiyong's bedroom would be in full view. If I looked to the right, I would be able to see the sun setting. Rays of yellow and orange bled across the sky as the sun set, red running along the horizon. Closing my heavy lids, the wind blew against my face, rustling my hair gently. 

"Dara! Come down here now! Its time for dinner!" My mother's voice traveled through two floors, reaching my ears.

"Coming!" I yelled back.

Opening my eyes determinedly, I turned around to go back in.

Let the school year officially begin.

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Just a little bit of Dara's life

Cheerful, isn't it? Its rather different from Jiyong's.

Isn't this pig cute? I was looking through GIF and found it!

I think I literally had a spazz attack when I saw it.

Please leave me some comments T_T