This is not happening. This is so not happening. This is absolutely not happening.

“Relax Dee! It’s just Jiyong! You guys were practically BFFs-”

“we were NOT” I growl angrily at Bom, who seems completely unfazed at my fueling retorts . Seriously, what is she made of? How is she still alive after all the fatalities she had done to my life? Why haven’t I killed her yet and disposed her body in a far away sea?

“Whateves” she shrugs and munches on her muffin nonchalantly.

Steel metal. That’s definitely what she’s made of.

I sigh tiredly, mourning over my damned luck.

“Dee, you’re making me feel depressed, and that’s really bad for my skin! I may get wrinkles you know!” I roll my eyes in disbelief.

Oh lord, save us all from this queen bee wannabe. God knows what could happen next if she actually gets wrinkles.

“Bom, this isn’t about you, it’s about me! Jiyong knows! And he probably told everyone by now about my pathetic unemployed self” I groan rather loudly and massage my temples.

Bom hums and tilts her head to the side, as if she’s confused about what I just said.

“I honestly don’t think Jiyong would do that” she starts and taps my hand gently to get my attention “he’s not that type of guy you know, so don’t worry too much” she pats my back repeatedly and I glare at her.

“That does not make me feel any better, especially that it’s coming from you” she gasps dramatically, as if I just insulted her nail polish.

“geez Dee, I’ve already apologized! I get it, I’m a bad person, I deserve everything bad coming my way” Bom admits, and I smile cheekily.

“At least you’re aware of it” I reply and she pouts.

“You’re supposed to disagree! Ah Dee, you’re too much!” oh great, here we go again, the infamous Bom cutesy tantrum.

It’s very annoying, in case you’re wondering.

“I’m like TT~Just like TT~” she starts murmuring the lyrics, even doing the TT hand gesture.

Oh lord, I ask you again, for the second time, to save us all from this catastrophic problem magnet woman.

“Cut it out Bom, acting cute won’t change the fact that you’re Satan-oh wait!”

“hmm? What?”

“Calling you Satan would be an insult to him. Sorry Satan”

“DARA!”

Ah, I love teasing this maniac.

Anyway, back to the problem in hand: Kwon Jiyong.

Where do I even begin with Jiyong? He was my classmate for four years in university. We both pursued the same major so we saw each other more often than I would have liked.

Let’s just say, he was the most distasteful conceited guy I’ve ever met. He was my rival back in uni and we always competed on who would get bonus points on their essay and who would be invited to this or that conference.

We were the professors’ pets, they adored us very much, but we hated each other’s guts.

We would’ve been great pals had he not ruined my first impression of him.

Okay, rewind back to the first day of Uni, where I ended up being roommates with Bom and we grew close as time went by. How we got along was a mystery to me.

We were nothing alike: she liked the world of high heels and lipsticks while I was more into physical activities like jogging and rock climbing.

So, that morning, I woke up extra early for a quick run around campus, and that’s where I met the obnoxious jerk, also known as Kwon Jiyong, wearing a sports shorts and a tight black T-shirt.

Out of respect, I said hi and he said it back with a polite smile, so I smiled back and continued running.

It was all perfect and normal at this point. I thought he was a nice guy, and he seemed to be in a good shape, so he was definitely a physical person too.

But then, that morning, when class started, he caught my eyes and winked at me. I blinked, utterly confused and slightly thrown-off.

And that wasn’t all. During lunch break, he sat next to me and tried to hit on me.

He freaking tried to hit on me! I swear, it was so laughable that I gathered my things and ditched him. And from then on, he continued his pestering, showering me every day with cheesy pick up lines. Well actually, he did that to almost every girl he met, but he was extra clingy when it came to me, as if I was the easiest prey out there.

 Oh god, the horror. I never want to remember those days.

I threw him off many times, but boy he never listened. And my hatred of him grew even more when I figured out how smart he was. I mean, he was ridiculously fit; he aced all tests and was a popular Casanova. How was he able to do everything at once? I barely managed to balance my studies with my daily fitness routine.

So from that day on, I declared war.

War against Kwon Jiyong.

“Oh! Seunghyun is here!” Bom exclaims happily once she sees the familiar white range rover parked outside.

She gets up and hastily waves goodbye to me before getting in the car.

I shake my head with a smile.

Bom, despite her lack of common sense, somehow managed to land herself a man, and not just any man, but the famous handsome Choi Seunghyun.

Man he had all the girls wrapped up in his little finger. I admit, even I had a tiny crush on him, but you can’t really judge me for that, he was just so compelling and so manly in everything. He really set the bar high for all the guys out there. He made Jiyong look like trash-Not that he wasn’t already trash, but he ade him even trashier if that’s even possible.

And, although Bom is a disastrous friend, she’ a strong capable woman. Sounds shocking, right? But it’s true. I really admired her back in the days and I still do.

I sigh as I get up from my seat and go back to serving the customers.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I’m working part-time at a local café, a reality I never thought of: Me, an honor student with a degree in economy, serving lattes and chocolate muffins as if my life dependes on it.

Truthfully, I planned a rather fancy future. I’ve always imagined myself one day, owning my own grand office, managing my subordinates and leading my own personal team. I even had a long term plan of creating my own business.

But life took me off guard, and I was hit with the harsh reality that not everything you seek is in reach. No matter how hard I studied, no matter how long I struggled, I was still nothing.

For the past five years, I grew accustomed to people’s belittling stares and their chatters about my pathetic state.

And that’s fine, that’s completely fine, because at the end of the day, I worked hard right? I did my best and that’s what matters, right?

But did your hard work pay? What’s the point of your hard work if you’re not going to gain anything from it?

It’s one thing for people to feel sorry for you, but it’s a different thing to feel sorry for yourself, especially when you deliberately chose to let go of what you could’ve had.

That’s right. I had many chances to pay back my hard work, but I chose not to, because time was merciless, and I had other things to tend to.

I chose this life, and yet, why am I so unhappy?

Once my shift was done, I packed my clothes and walked back home, dejected.

Yet another day filled with self-pity. Ugh, I really hate this side of me.

As I’m about to open the door with my keys, it swings open, revealing my little brother cheondung, beaming widely at me.

I eye him suspiciously as I step in and throw my keys back in my bag.

“what’s with that smile, you’re disgusting me” he simply shrugs and goes up to his room.

That was weird. I make a mental note to check on Cheondung later since he had a fever yesterday. He seems to be better now, but just to be sure.

I drop my bag on the floor and make my way to the living room, only to be shocked by the scene playing in front of me: Kwon Jiyong, sitting on my favorite spot in the sofa, casually speaking to my mother.

“You gotta be kidding me” I absentmindedly shout, which garners both Jiyong and mom’s attention.

With a ridiculous smirk and gleaming eyes, he stands up and approaches me, until he’s a few centimeters away, too close for my liking.

“Long time no see, Dara”