Dara's POV

 

 

*Ding*

 

The woman behind the counter looked up with a cheeky smile as I entered the coffee shop.

 

"Eight-fifteen on the dot," she said by way of greeting before pulling the pen out of her newly permed brown hair. "Let me guess..." She waved her fingers above my head, her brows furrowed in concentration as she tried reading into my mind.

 

I pursed my lips and waited for her epiphany to end. See, I've often wondered why she insists on doing this. It's not like my preference in food changes every single time I come here which would also explain why she's able to guess my order correctly. Come to think of it, she shouldn't even had to guess since I've practically done nothing to break the monotonous routine of choosing my breakfast.

 

"Mmmm...could it be...cinnamon roll and apple strudel?" 

 

I merely raised my brows in affirmation. "And also one—"

 

"Cup of hot chocolate. How could I forget?" She added with a wink. Of course. I watched her scribble it down her handy dandy notebook. "So that will be—"

 

"Actually, I'd like to add more."

 

"My, my. Aren't we a little hungry today, Dara?" She chuckled, tapping her pen on the counter to the beat of the music. "I know you're on the skinny side, but girl, you got to lay off the carbs. You don't want to chase those suitors away, right?"

 

"Whoever said I needed one?" The words rolled of my tongue sharply than I intended. I took a calming breath, reminding myself that while Na Rae possessed a no-filter mouth as she had this habit of speaking her thoughts freely, she doesn't do it out of ill intentions. She's just brash that way. 

 

"It's just, I have someone with me," I said in a more polite tone. 

 

My companion was still standing near the doorway, his hands in his pockets as he rocked on the balls of his feet. He caught my gaze and I beckoned him to come closer. Naturally, Jiyong being Jiyong had to swagger his way to the counter. What a drama king.

 

"What do you want to eat?" I asked when he stopped beside me.

 

He glanced at the menu. "What are you having?"

 

"Cinnamon roll, apple strudel, and hot chocolate."

 

"Mmm...then I'll have pretzel sticks."

 

I nodded. "Could you just add in his order?"

 

"And coffee," he added as an afterthought.

 

"Make it water," I told Na Rae, completely shutting down his request.

 

"But I want coffee," he stated with a frown.

 

"Coffee's not going to help your system. Yes, you'll be alert for a few hours, but it can also make you feel weak soon after. And it especially won't help your insomnia." I plucked some bills from my wallet and handed it to the cashier who was currently doing a rapid inspection of Jiyong. "That would be all."

 

"What are you, my mother?" I heard him mutter under his breath. I ignored him just the same.

 

"Dara-ssi," Na Rae began as she started prepping our orders. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

 

I tried not to puke at her low-key flirting. She was currently batting her lashes at Jiyong who was either too distracted playing with the cat figurine on the counter to notice her or just highly skilled in ignoring displays of atrocious conduct.

 

Then again, if the rumors were indeed true, Jiyong's ego must be skyrocketing right now, but that's just my two cents. The way he's handling the situation only proved that he's used to being ogled at and probably acquired immunity against highly aggressive behavior from female fans or in this case, plain waitresses in small town cafes.

 

"We're not friends," I deadpanned.

 

He snorted. Huh. So he was listening. "Like anyone would want to be friends with you," he muttered.

 

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"

 

"You owe me," he automatically replied.

 

"With the food I bought for you just now? I believe it's you who owes me."

 

"I beg to differ," he answered with equal mockery. "I've already paid for that thing you still have to do."

 

"That thing can be done by someone else because that thing isn't even my responsibility to begin with."

 

"Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten, isn't that what they say?"

 

"And your point is?"

 

"Make me remember this vacation and I assure you, your hotel will get the best reviews in history." I couldn't see his mouth, but I knew he was smirking underneath the mask. The bastard.

 

"Aaaaw. How long have you guys been together?"

 

"What?" We both turned to look at the source of this very ridiculous notion.

 

"Aigoo, you two look like you're having a lover's quarrel," Na Rae pointed out as she efficiently wrapped the pastries with brown paper.

 

I made a face. "Don't be absurd. I've only met the guy for less than twenty-four hours and I already want to clobber him."

 

"Likewise," Jiyong agreed, leaning over the counter and flashing Na Rae a crooked smile. Or at least that's what I assumed judging from the creases at the sides of his eyes. "We'd totally kill each other."

 

She chuckled and handed me the take-away bag. "Careful sweetie," she leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "That's how my parents started out."

 

I snatched the bag and hoped the prominent scowl etched on my face got the point across. "Goodbye, Na Rae."

 

"Bye, Dara! Byeeee, Handsome boy!" She waved frantically from behind the cash register. She seriously needs to stop watching those romantic dramas. It's filling her head with inaccurate ideals about life and love.

 

"What did she tell you?" Jiyong inquired when we started walking.

 

I handed him the pretzel sticks. "Nothing."

 

"You know, when a girl says nothing, she actually means something."

 

"Oh? You some kind of expert in girl code now?"

 

He pulled down his mask so he could take a bite of his pretzel. "Easy peasy. You girls always say the opposite of what you really feel," he said after chewing.

 

"And you came into that conclusion based from what? Personal experience?"

 

He shrugged. "I've got plenty of friends who happen to be girls."

 

Yeah, no kidding. "And how many of them did you actually date?"

 

He took a sideways glance at me, a mischievous smile on his lips. "I didn't know you were that curious about my love life."

 

I snorted before taking a sip of my hot chocolate. Ah...this was like Christmas in a cup.

 

"How about you?" Jiyong asked as we reached the intersection. The no walking sign blinking under the bleak sky. "Any guy waiting for you at work?"

 

"About three of them," was my rapid answer. I noticed his surprised expression at the corner of my eye. "Let's see...there's Minguk, the rebel one. Manse, the sensitive one. And then there's Daehan, the born leader," I enumerated, ticking my fingers off with each name.

 

"Assuming that I believe this claim of yours is remotely possible, who among the three would you likely choose?"

 

"Why should I? I love all three of them."

 

Suprisingly, he laughed without humor. "Is it always like that with women?"

 

"Like what?"

 

The red light turned green. We checked for any passing cars before crossing the street.

 

"When guys do it, people call us philanderers and womanizers. But why is it that when girls do it, we still get the blame?" He finished the last of his pretzel with a scowl. "If you don't like the guy then just tell him. Plain and simple. Don't give him hope where there is none."

 

I munched on my cinnamon roll as I silently studied Jiyong. His brows were scrunched together, his mouth set in a rigid line. I don't think he even noticed that he's walking ahead of me now with his eyes focused on the road, completely lost in his own thoughts.

 

Aigoo, he was such an open book.

 

"So..." I quickened my pace so I can walk beside him. "Who is it?"

 

"Who's who??" He absently kicked a pebble on the ground. It skittered to the gutter.

 

"The girl who broke the heart of Korea's rap god," I bluntly stated, my eyes trailed on him to see his reaction. The swagger Prince didn't disappoint as I saw the slight twitching of his mouth. "Who is she?"

 

He crumpled the paper on his hand and threw it on the nearby trash bin. Adjusting his mask so it only covered his chin, he answered, "She's no one."

 

"Was that before or after the break up?"

 

He shot me a death glare. Pfft. Touchy, touchy. I raised my hands in surrender. "Fine. Personal life is off-limits. I get it."

 

We continued our walk in silence, the only sound coming from my mouth as I ate.

 

"Is it good?"

 

I looked at him in question. He grabbed my hand and took a big bite of my cinnamon roll.

 

"Hey!!"

 

He slowly chewed the bread and after a few seconds made an okay sign. "I like it," he announced.

 

"Then you should've gotten one!" I scowled.

 

"Why should I when I can eat yours?"

 

"FYI, I don't like sharing my food," I informed him with obvious irritation in my voice.

 

"Guess you're in for a drastic change, my friend." He chuckled.

 

"Who says we're friends?"

 

He swung an arm over my shoulder and pulled me to his side. I tried to wiggle away, but his hold on me was strong. "We sleep on the same house, eat the same food, walk on the same road...heck, I even saw you —"

 

I gave him the evil eye.

 

"—almost ," he quickly corrected. "I think we've about covered the basic foundation of friendship, don't you agree?"

 

I growled and tried biting his hand.

 

"Ah, feels like home already."

 

"Let go, you insufferable piece of—"

 

"Noona?"

 

I was too immersed in our argument that I hadn't noticed we've already reached the Song's residence. In fact, the triplets were already waiting for me in front of their gate, wrapped in identical jackets and shoes, their bags lying on the ground. The boy who called me took a step forward, his glasses askew on top of his nose.

 

"Dara noona, what are you doing?"

 

It dawned on me that I was stuck in a compromising position, with Jiyong's hand wrapped around my shoulders and my head planted on his chest. I used every ounce of my strength to untangle myself from his grasp. Shooting daggers at his direction, I then turned to smile at Daehan.

 

"Daehan-ah, did you wait long?"

 

He shook his head. He then pointed to his brother who was slumped on the stairs and clutching his stomach. "Manse says his tummy hurts."

 

"What?" I gave my hot chocolate to Jiyong and swiftly moved to crouch before his younger brother. "What's wrong, Manse?" I asked, softly caressing his chubby cheek.

 

He bit his lower lip and gazed up at me through his thick lashes. "Noona won't tell appa, right?"

 

"I won't if you let me know what's bothering you."

He nodded in understanding. "I didn't like our breakfast so I didn't eat anything and now my tummy hurts." He confessed with a pout. Right. It slipped my mind how Manse was the most picky-eater among the three.

 

"Hold on a sec," I said, suddenly remembering the apple strudel I kept in my bag. "Manse likes apples, right?"

 

"Uh-huh," he dutifully answered.

 

"Here," I handed the pastry to him. "You can eat it while we go fetch Haru, okay?"

 

He quickly nodded and didn't waste time in inhaling his food. I stood up and instructed both Daehan and Minguk to get their stuff so we can leave.

 

"So there's Manse, Daehan and...the other one must be Minguk," Jiyong muttered as he stood beside me, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was drinking my hot chocolate while the boys helped each other with their bags. "Good job. You really had me there."

 

I smirked. "Hey. You're the one who jumped into conclusions, you know."

 

"Fair enough."

 

"Are the three of you set?" They all nodded. "Okay, you guys know the drill." I opened my left palm and Manse, being the youngest of the lot automatically took it. Daehan held onto my other hand while he held the hand of Minguk. Minguk looked up at Jiyong and momentarily stared at him before slowly opening his palm.

 

"Psssst..." I raised my brows at Jiyong and then used my lips to point at Minguk's hand. He looked unsure as he enclosed the little boy's hand on his own.

 

My, my. Would you look at that. They actually look adorable together.

 

"Okay! Let's march!"

 

As usual, the boys started chanting their favorite song as we walked to the next block, swinging their arms as they sang. I stole a glance at Jiyong and found him humming with the trio. He knew the song? He was even smiling as he playfully pulled Minguk so the little boy could hop over the puddles.

 

Well, color me surprised. Kwon Jiyong did have a soft spot for kids.

 

I felt Manse tug my hand. I looked down and saw him eyeing Jiyong intently. "Yes, Manse?"

 

"Noona, I want to do that too." He pointed to his brother who had now ditched Daehan to clutch Jiyong's leg with both hands as the latter walked. Jiyong looked like he was dragging a bag of cement judging from the beads of sweat now forming on his forehead. I stopped walking and called Minguk's attention.

 

"Cut that out, Minguk."

 

"But it's fun!!" The little tornado reasoned in a jovial manner. "Manse, go cling to his other leg!!" Unfortunately, his little brother decided to do just that. Only Daehan showed signs of maturity as he crossed his arms and merely watched his brothers turn Jiyong into a human monkey bar.

 

"Guys come on! Stop torturing him!"

 

"It's fine," Jiyong replied, no doubt enjoying the opportunity to show his masculinity to the boys. "They're not that heavy anyway."

 

"Yey!! Faster, faster!!" The duo cheered.

 

I rolled my eyes and shot Jiyong a withering look. "Your funeral," I mumbled as I took Daehan's hand. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

 

The ruckus went on for about ten minutes more with me frequently looking back over my shoulder to check if Bigbang's leader was still alive and breathing. God knows what his fans would do if their ultimate idol dies from an unprecedented attack by five year-old kids. They'd probably hunt me down and burn me at the stake, old school style.

 

"Noona, look!!" Daehan yelled and waved at the little girl clad in a pink ruffled sweater who was waiting at the curb with her mother. She waved back.

 

"Good morning, Mrs. Lee!" I greeted.

 

"Good morning to you too, Dara," she said with a smile and handed me Haru's bag. "I'm sorry for troubling you. The convention was really a last minute event."

 

"It's no problem. I actually have something planned for them today. It's good that she can join us." I looked over at Haru who was busy showing Daehan her new shoes.

 

"Oh, how rude of me. You didn't tell me you'd bring your boyfriend today, Dara-ya."

 

I frowned. Boyfriend? What is she talking about? Mrs. Lee then smiled at someone behind me. I followed her gaze and saw Jiyong carrying Minguk on his back while expertly balancing Manse on his feet. The three of them were suspended in their own world, the two little boys in a fit of giggles.

 

"You did well. He's a good-looking boy," she added with a teasing smile.

 

For some world-shattering reason, I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. I raised my hands in front of me and viciously shook my head. "Y-you're mistaken. He's not my boyfriend!!"

 

Her eyes twinkled as her smile deepened. "I'll be going ahead, Dara. Please call me when you bring Haru back." She bent down and kissed her daughter on top of her head and waved at the boys, offering a nod to Jiyong who returned it with a respectful bow. Mrs. Lee entered the waiting car and left.

 

Why do people think this jerk is my boyfriend?

 

God. This is totally embarassing. I mean, I'm not blind. I know Jiyong looks pretty decent compared to the other blokes, but he's...well, he's GD. He's a freakin' superstar. A guy like that would never consider someone like me. Not that I want him to. Eew. Why am I even entertaining this? Get a grip, Dara.

 

"Ahjussi..." Haru said when she finally noticed Jiyong.

 

"Oi, it's you!"

 

I looked back and forth at them. "You two know each other?"

 

Jiyong pulled Minguk off his back and placed him carefully on the ground. "Yeah. Yesterday, she bumped into me—"

 

"Because he was standing where he shouldn't," she smartly pointed out while hiding behind my leg.

 

"Of course. I do apologize," Jiyong amended with a chuckle. "She bumped into me when I was standing where I shouldn't. It's Haru, isn't it?"

 

"Yep."

 

"Nice to meet you, Haru. I'm Kwon Jiyong." He stretched his hand out. When she insisted on becoming one with my jacket, I nudged her gently. She still buried her face on my side, but shook Jiyong's hand shyly.

 

Not to be defeated, the triplets decided to introduce themselves again.

 

"I'm Manse!"

 

"I'm Minguk!"

 

"Daehan."

 

Jiyong burst into laughter. "I know. It's nice meeting you all."

 

"Can we call you, samchon?" Manse inquired, looking up at him with big doe eyes. Jiyong couldn't do anything but nod.

 

Just then, the shuttle arrived. I clapped my hands to get their attention.

 

"Alright, that's enough. Our ride's here."

 

"Where are we going?" Jiyong asked, helping the triplets aboard the bus.

 

"You'll see."

 

 

GD's POV

 

I've never been to a temple before.

 

In my defense, it's not exactly the kind of place that gets included in the itinerary whenever Bigbang goes on tour. The closest I ever got to one was at some sushi bar in Fukouka; the private room reserved for the whole crew had the grandiose Meiji Shinto shrine painted as a backdrop. The waitresses even wore traditional kimonos with pretty flowers in their hair. Not that I could recall anything after three shots of their infamous sake.

 

Memories of that night had been pretty much blurred in a haze of intoxication yet the smell of my own vomit lingered in the recesses of my brain for months.

 

I know. Talk about disgusting.

 

That being said, one would probably understand why I was a close contender for the most number of 'oohs' and 'ahhhs' among the company of little kids. I knew my face was probably doing about a hundred expressions per minute, some of them annoying the hell out of my very own tour guide, but I didn't care.

 

"Seriously?" Dara said while giving me an exasperated look. "I find it hard to believe that you don't even know what an incense is for."

 

"Beats me. Religion 101 wasn't really part of our curriculum." I picked two incense sticks from the box and started my inspection.

 

"You might want to add one more."

 

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "Why? What's wrong with two?"

 

She wordlessly handed another one to me. "I read somewhere that in Buddhism, they believe that burned incense sticks should always be in odd numbers in order for it to bring good luck and prosperity."

 

"If you say so." I lit them up and placed it on the burner. 

 

"Well?" She crossed her arms.

 

I inclined my head on her direction lazily. "Well what?"

 

"Aren't you going to offer a prayer?"

 

"Oh, that." I frowned and scratched my chin. "Uh, how do I put this...I'm not really a believer in..." I waved a hand in the air as I trailed off.

 

She stared at me. "What do you believe in then?"

 

Was that a trick question? I've appeared in countless interviews, but no one really had the audacity to ask me anything that has to do with religion. I mean, there's a reason why it's not a good conversation starter to begin with. Since Dara was clearly waiting for some sort of answer, I decided to settle with a bit of honesty.

 

"Myself?" I croaked, laughing a little at my own joke.

 

She rolled her eyes. "I had a feeling you'd say that." She looked over where the kids were all huddled together in front of the huge oak doors. One of the monks was handing out sweet potatoes to the weary tourists, the smell of food making me salivate. "Do you believe in God?" 

 

I stifled a laugh. "Where did that come from?" 

 

She moved to sit on the steps, bringing her knees to her chest to conserve warmth. I followed suit. "Just...curious," was her enlightening reply. Always the cryptic one.

 

Mmmm...Did I believe in God? Being plagued with an overwhelming need to escape from this humdrum routine I call life is the very definition of raw suffering.

 

"I...think I believe in hell."

 

"So you do believe in God," she concluded with a nod, her tone neutral. "To believe in hell is to acknowledge that there is a heaven and therefore an indirect admittance of the existence of a higher power."

 

I chuckled despite myself. "I didn't peg you to be a religious one."

 

Her gaze was fixed on the scenery before us yet I could spot a twitch on her usual apathetic face. "We barely know each other."

 

"You know"—I twisted my hips so I could look at her, leaning forward a bit while propping my chin over my knuckles—"I could say the same thing to you."

 

She must've noticed my change in position because she tried to expand the space between us which up until a few seconds ago, I was able to eliminate. "In what context?"

 

"Just because I choose not to comment does not in any way, validate the bad reputation that preceded me." I exhaled loudly, my breath causing the cold air to swirl as I spoke. "No matter what I say, people will always find a way to twist my words so why even bother?" I leaned back on my hands as I tilted my head to the skies.

 

"You do make a logical point," she said after a while. 

 

Jiyong: 1. Dara: 0. I internally gloated. "How about you? Do you believe in God?"

 

"Everything has a purpose." Her answer was instantaneous yet it sounded robotic; calculated. Like it was a mantra she had to recite every waking moment. 

 

"Does that mean you don't believe in coincidence?"

 

She continued staring ahead. "There's no such thing as coincidence. It's a simple matter of cause and effect." Dara bent her head and started tracing circles on the snow with a long stick. 

 

"So, like, what happens to us is actually a reflection of our choices?"

 

She nodded.

 

"Huh." I let out a dry laugh. "Must've done a lot of bad choices for me to end up this way."

 

"Or equally great ones," she provided.

 

"What makes you say that?"

 

Dara turned and regarded me with that same far-off look. "Believe it or not, you're living the life that most people could only dream about."

 

Am I? If that were true, why do I feel so...empty?

 

"Shouldn't you be happy in your dreams?"

 

"Theoretically." She caught a snowflake on her hand. "At least it's not a nightmare."

 

"Does it really matter?"

 

It's her turn to frown. "What do you mean?"

 

"At some point, you'd have to wake up. Even dreams end, right?"

 

For the first time since I met her, Dara had no rebuttal to this one. She remained mum, her eyes suddenly glazing over even if she was looking at me...or through me is more like it. I can't be certain. The only thing I know was that it was freaking me out. 

 

"Hey..." I hesitantly poked her in the shoulder. "You okay?"

 

Five seconds passed—yes, I counted—before the trance broke and she finally blinked, her eyes regaining focus. "Y-yeah. I'm fine." It was clear that she wasn't, but before I can ask her again, she abruptly stood up and brushed the snow from her pants like nothing happened. "Let's go. We still need to take the kids to the the tower." 

 

When she mentioned something about a tower, a tall building with bright lights and an expensive lease came to mind. What didn't make sense however, was the number of stone stacks that littered on one side of the snowy mountain just north of the temple and why we were staring at it like we were waiting for something majestic to happen.

 

"So..." I rocked on the balls of my feet. "Will I ever get to see that tower?"

 

"This is the tower."

 

I chuckled. "You're kidding, right?"

 

Slowly making it her habit, Dara ignored me again and helped the triplets add another stone to their makeshift pagodas. I felt a tug on my jacket and I looked down. Haru carried a cloth full of small rocks in different shapes and sizes which she then extended to me, her expression leaving no room for argument. I'm not really keen on playing Bob the Builder, but I was afraid she'd start crying if I didn't do it with her so like any responsible adult, I took the rocks and helped Haru stack it as artfully as I could.

 

"Why do the triplets already have their own tower and you don't?" I asked Haru. 

 

She meticulously picked a flat stone and wedged it into the snowy ground. "It's my first time to come with them to the temple. Mom didn't allow me to go before because it's far and I'm scared of heights."

 

I nodded and placed another stone over the first one. "Do they come here every year?"

 

"Yep."

 

I frowned. "Must be tiring then."

 

Haru shook her head, her pigtails hitting her cheeks. "Not for Dara unnie. She comes here every week."

 

Every week?

 

I looked over my shoulder and watched Dara add another rock on her own tower which I'd like to point out, was over four feet tall and spanned a meter wide. Was she crazy? Bored? Out of her damn mind? My lungs almost gave up after trekking a hundred steps to get to the top of the mountain earlier. I didn't think anyone was sane enough to go through all of that in a year, let alone every single week.

 

Jesus, she needs to get a life.

 

"I can take it from here," Haru declared and wiped her hands on her coat. "You should make one for yourself, oppa."

 

My heart swelled at the way she called me oppa, her eyes purposefully avoiding my gaze. What a cutie. "Are you sure you can finish this on your own?" 

 

"I'm seven," she answered haughtily. "I can manage."

 

Sassy girl. I like it. Kekeke

 

After making sure there were no hazardous materials around that could pose as a potential threat to Haru, I walked to where Dara was standing. I then crouched beside her before building my own stack of stones. She remained silent for the most part. Just when I was starting to enjoy myself, a small gloved hand caught my wrist as I was about to assemble the third level of my fancy GD tower. Never one for lengthy explanations, Dara gave a curt shake of her head to stop me from stacking more.

 

I shot her an annoyed look. I mean, what gives? Can't she tell I'm on my element here?

 

"You're supposed to put another stone every time you come and visit."

 

"But that takes too much effort," I whined. Did she forget who I was? Free time isn't really in the cards for someone like me. 

 

"That's the whole point, genius."

 

I tried not to kick her tower as I straightened. "Is that how you made yours?" I pointed to the gigantic Stonehenge beside mine. She nodded. 

 

"One stone for every wish."

 

I exhaled a mouthful of air. "Man, that's a whole lot of wishes you got there."

 

"Wish."

 

"What?"

 

She touched the topmost stone, her gaze unwavering as she traced the edges with her finger. "I've only had one wish since I built this tower."

 

The rational side of my brain got triggered and a snort came out of my traitorous mouth before I could stop it. "Are you saying it didn't work?"

 

She pursed her lips, her hand falling to her side. "No...not yet."

 

Or not ever. "What happens when you run out of rocks? Or if the weather gets worse and knocks the towers over. What then?"

 

She crossed her arms, a scowl forming on her pale face. "Well aren't you a born cynic."

 

I smirked. "I prefer the term realist." Picking up a jagged rock from the ground, I threw it in the air only to catch it again. "You can wish all you want, but ask yourself this, what are you doing to make it happen? Save for stacking stones in the middle of nowhere, of course." 

 

"There's nothing wrong with having a little faith, your highness," she said bitingly. "We can't all be superstars, can we?"

 

Okay that's it.

 

I closed the gap between us, towering over her petite form. "First of all, Dara," I said acidly, "I have a name so why don't you try calling me that. Secondly—and I would like to put the emphasis on this—I didn't get this position overnight. It's not like I woke up one day and I'm popular. I had to make it happen by working my off for years. You have no idea how much I've sacrificed to become what I am today. And do you wanna know what pisses me off to no end? It's that despite the fact that I reached the top, I still have to constantly prove myself to some people who are under the impression that they have me all figured out." 

 

By the time I finished my speech, my chest was heaving and I felt something warm trickle down my fingers, but I ignored it. Our surroundings seemed to go still as we held each other's gaze. In fact, we were so close that I could see my reflection on her bright brown eyes.

 

Dara was the first one to break the tension when she stepped away from me, her eyes now fixed on the stupid tower before her. A few seconds passed, she still hasn't said a thing and by the looks of it, she intends to stay that way.

 

I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. Just proves that you can't please everyone. I whirled around and decided to head back when I noticed the kids lined up at the distance. Haru being the eldest had the triplets peeking from behind her, their innocent faces filled with worry. 

 

Damn it. I forgot we had an audience. Aiiish. I quickly thought of a convincing explanation.

 

"Jiyong!"

 

Oh now she remembered. I ignored her and continued walking. 

 

"Jiyong, wait!" She grabbed my arm to stop me. I regarded her silently as she bent forward to catch her breath. "I...I'm sorry."

 

I still didn't say anything. She sighed and took out something from her pocket.

 

"I've always hated it when people assume things about me and here I am doing the exact same thing to you." Dara's hand found mine and she slowly lifted it up. Her expression immediately changed from remorseful to mild irritation. "Why is it that you never notice when you've injured yourself?"

 

Wait...what? 

 

I looked down and realized what she meant. My palm had a long gash on it because of the hard grip I had on the rock I was holding. 

 

"Seriously. Are you insensate?" She continued her rant while wiping the blood off my palm with some tissues. "Hold still."

 

A feeling of deja vu overcame my senses as I stared at Dara who was now covering the gash with a cartoon drawn band aid. 

 

Cartoons.

 

Band aid.

 

'...never notice when you've injured yourself...'

 

"There." She let my hand drop to my side. Dara then shyly glanced up at me with a tentative smile, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. "We should probably go back. The bus is waiting." With that, she turned and left me staring slack jawed at her back.

 

The light at the end of the tunnel never shined brightly at that moment.

 

I knew she looked familiar.