Not having Dara in my life, have made me realize how much I truly love her.

I have decided to risk it and go to their house. When I arrived, her father was there.

“You just missed her. She went to a beach someplace” Mr Park said.

“Oh I see.” I hope she went where I think she is.

“I’ve always treated you like a son, Ji. And I love my daughter very much. So please treat her well” he warned me.

“I love her too.” I admitted boldly, hoping he won’t get mad.

“Then goodluck.” He said.

I reached the coastal town just almost close to sunset. I was hoping I‘ll find her here.

Upon reaching the beach, I saw the lone figure of a girl. I approached cautiously and saw that it was Dara crying. The image reminded me of how much a crybaby she was that I just blurted it out.

“Are you crying? Such a crybaby!” Stupid Ji! I thought to myself too late.

She got up and turned to look at me coldly “What do you want Ji?”

“Is that the way you treat your boyfriend?” I asked jokingly, hoping to lighten the situation. I was concerned to see her puffy eyes and held myself from touching her.

“But you’re not my boyfriend anymore. Wasn’t our 100 days over?”

I did not want to give up. “Technically it wasn’t. We weren’t able to celebrate it.”

“I don’t care about the technicalities and I don’t feel like celebrating.”

“But I do.” I said firmly.

“What more do you want from me Ji?” she asked looking frustrated.

“Seriously? Everything. But first I’d like to know the truth.” I said holding out her journal.

She paled when she took it from me then horrified when she looked at me.

“I can’t do this anymore Ji.” she motioned to the two of us. “I can’t be your girlfriend and I can’t be your bestfriend anymore.”

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because after all these years, I’m tired. I don’t want to hurt anymore. I loved you Ji and all that love did was hurt me. I thought I could be happy when you asked me to be your girlfriend, I was for a while and I even thought of confessing to you on our 100^th day but then I saw you with Kiko.” I started to interrupt her but she waived me off. ”And I realized I would never be enough.”

“I love you Ji. I always have and maybe always will but I understand now that you don’t feel the same and I respect that but know this: If this ever was just a game to you then we’re both losers. I lost someone I loved and you just lost someone who loved you. And the sad thing about it is that you’d never realize that your loss was greater. I  don’t know if I could love another as much as I loved you but I know no one could love you as much as I do.”

With that she turned away from me and walked away.

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. The full weight of her love and hurt dawned on me. I did not want for her confusion to continue.

“I was never good with words. I was always a man of action but sometimes actions require words. I should have told you everything before instead of bottling them up. I thought I was protecting you but I was doing the opposite. Maybe we would have spared hurting each other. I’m sorrier that I hurt you. But maybe time is kinder to us now, maybe this time we’ll get it right. I had to be scared out of my wits losing you before I could find the courage to tell you how I feel. So please, listen to me.” I beseeched her.

I turned and walked towards her, noticing that she has stopped in her place. Then she turned towards me, questions plaguing her eyes.

“I realized that love is not always about grand gestures and perfect speeches, sometimes love is in simple words. I love you, Dara. Maybe you loved me first. I don’t even know when I started to love you but I know that I love you like no one ever could. ” I confessed, letting my feelings hang out in the open.

She came near me and cupped my face in her tiny hands. They were warm and soft and comforting. Her brown eyes gazed into mine intently, leaving me breathless.

“That’s all I ever wanted and hoped to hear Ji.” She said and kissed me.

I know that I will never forget this kiss, our first kiss. Many better kisses will come in time but this is the one I know I’ll always remember even as I get older. It was a kiss that spoke of hope and promise.

As our lips parted, Dara spoke the words I longed to hear. “I love you too, Ji.”

I took the ring from my pocket and knelt in front of her. “Then will you give me the honor of being my someone?” I asked, my intent clear. My everything put on the line.

“Are you sure you’re asking the right girl this time Ji? And are you seriously proposing with another girl’s engagement ring?” she asked, in mock derision.

“It has always been you. Even when I asked Kiko before, it was because I thought I shouldn’t love you. I would have done this on our 100^th day. And this ring like my heart has always been yours.” I said earnestly.

She smiled sweetly. “I’ll be yours, If you’ll be mine.”

I stood up and placed the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly just like the two of us. “Deal. I’m not making promises except forever starts today.”

I kissed her, and kissed her and kissed her again and again. I chided myself for not thinking of doing this earlier. I could kiss her all my life.

Maybe our story isn’t perfect but it is a story worth telling nonetheless. It is a story most people could relate to, a story that could happen to anyone.

They say that the best relationships--the ones that last-- are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Like a switch has been flicked somewhere, and the person who was just a friend is...suddenly the only person you can ever imagine yourself with.

I guess it was just like that for me.
                                   

Our story still has more to go and it is both frightening and exciting. But I’m happily anticipating the future having her beside me.

One thing’s for sure though, after everything we’ve been through, when the time comes for our stories’ end credits to flash, I want her name next to mine.

Thank you to all the readers, subscribers and for all your heart-felt comments!

A guy and a girl can be just friends but at one point or another; they will fall for the other, maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever.

- Dave Matthews

I started Story of a Girl based on this quote. But it seems that the story is never complete without hearing the Boy’s POV.

So I started to write this story as a supplement to Story of a Girl, but then I thought that Jiyong deserved his own story. It was a challenge writing his POV as I am not a boy but I hope that I did it justice.

I hope that this story has given you hope that love always wins out in the end.

I am finally putting this story to a close but as always, daragon love continues.