AN: Hello, everybody! People still alive here, yeah? This was a one quick write. You guys ready with your feelings? lol 

You Know Why

“Are you not talking to me?”

Dara was looking out the van they just entered after walking through a crowd together, “Hm?” She was speechless at what just occurred.

More like her heart was pounding out of her chest. Jiyong had walked through the crowd with her, his arm around her. She didn’t know what to make out of it. She couldn’t speak her thoughts, it was all just a rumble.

“Are you mad?” His voice rang in the silence of the vehicle.

Dara bit her lip and closed her eyes for some seconds then looked at him.

“Why did you do that?”

Jiyong had his head propped against his hand that covered half his face, glancing at her and sighing against his hand. “I don’t know.” He muttered.

Dara just looks at him helplessly as he massages his eyes. She bit her lip and slipped out her phone.

“This. Why did you do this?” She showed him his twitter retweet of a fan edit of their backs looking at a painting. “Why did you repost this?”

Jiyong stares at it and smiled a little with a slight shrug. “It’s nice. Don’t you think so, Noona?”

Dara just looked at him, silence ensued before she spoke again, “Why? Why do you keep on doing things like this, Jiyong?”

“You know why.” He looked back at her, holding that stare long enough.

Then his eyes warm up and it reached her heart.

He closed his eyes and she was left staring at this mess she loved.

---

“Sing with me in Manila.”

“Me?” Dara said in both shock and excitement at his sudden proposal.

“Yes, Philippines! It’s your second home. They’d love you to be there with me.”

Dara couldn’t believe what she heard. Taking it all in, then she felt her eyes water. She bowed her head and her shoulders shook. Her tears unstoppable.

“Hey, are you crying?” Jiyong crouched down beside her, brushing away her hair to look.

“Kwon Jiyong.” She looked up, she bit her lip. “I’d love to.” Her lips quivered. “I’d so much love to.”

He looks at her, with his sparkling eyes. “Of course, I knew that.”

“Thank you.”

“Psh. Yah, you’re making me embarrassed, Noona.” He brushed his finger against the tip of his nose, like a shy boy.

“I’m just happy to think I’d be back on stage and in the Philippines. And with you.”

Jiyong’s eyes warm up, looking at her.

Dara swallowed a huge lump in , feeling so touched of his gesture for her.

“W-Why me?”

“You know why.”

He’s such a beautiful mess.

---

Dara felt someone slump beside her on the couch.

She felt her back tense as she peeked at him.

“You’re back.”                                                                                

He grinned at her, doing a peace sign. He looked tired, still.

“Did you relax okay?”

He shrugged. “Hn.”

Dara just looks at him, pursing her lips and sighing as she turned away. It was not her place to worry for him.

“Hey let’s go there, Noona.”

“Hm. Where?”

“Jeju Shinhwa World.”

“Eh? Didn’t you just come from Jeju?”

“I just wanted to go with you this time.”
 

“Me?”

“Yes. It’s gonna open officially in a few days. Let’s go there before it does.”

He grabs her hand excitedly, squeezing it repeatedly.

Dara looks at their joined hands and felt her face warm up. She quickly pulled her hand away from his grasp. She shook herself away from her fantasy.

“What are you saying, why does it have to be me that goes with you?” She laughs awkwardly.

Jiyong grabs back her hand and brings it closer to his lips

He whispers against her fingers, “You know why.”

And she was such a mess for him.

--

Until she decided not to be anymore.

--

It was that time. His military date was looming, the dating scandal broke out a few weeks before.  She just received that doodle jacket he made for her. Everything was a mess in her head.

“Will you still love me?” The words burning at the back of her mind, she’s already put the jacket away in her cabinet.

It was a little too late.

Her phone rang again with a text message. It was the tenth already from him. Sixteen missed calls. “Will you just talk to me already?”  It read.

Her phone was ringing again as she lay down on her bed, looking at the ceiling. Tears streaming down on her bed. She closed her eyes until the ringing stopped.

“You know why.” He always told her. She doubted him, she doubted herself. Maybe she didn’t know. Maybe she knew different.

That’s what she thought. That’s…why.

Her phone rang again and she got up, wiping her tears and picking it up.

“Dara. Please.”

“..okay.”

--

Dara arrived at the Han River and saw he was already there. She parked her car in front of his and stayed there sitting for a while, looking at his back slumped forward.

She took a deep breath and grabbed the plastic of beer she brought with her.

She arrived and stepped in front of him, clearing .

Jiyong looks up from the ground at her and at the grocery bag she was holding.

He took it and laughs weakly with little energy he has left, she noticed. “Beer?” His voice was hoarse. Her heart broke.

He must be tired. She still worried for him. “Of course.”

They opened their own cans and took a sip. They stayed in that silence and stillness of the moment, finishing their first can.

Jiyong opened another for her and gave her, opening another one for himself. He cleared his throat as he took another sip. And finally talked, “My enlistment is coming.”

Dara paused in mid sip, her hands slightly quivered. She blinked her eyes and looked away. “Yeah, I heard.”

Jiyong bit the inside of his cheek. They needed to talk about this. “I’m sorry couldn’t tell you sooner than the news. I was just dealing with.. stuff. I’m sorry that there was news on..”

“Your dating life?”

Jiyong paused and nod twice, then drinks his beer.

Dara her lips and shrugged. “I knew about it so..”

Jiyong peeks at her as she placed down her beer.

“I knew that. But what I don’t get is.. I knew you were going out with someone. You knew that I’m aware you were going out with someone. And still..”

She grabs her phone and showed him the back of the jacket he made for her. “Will you forever young still love me?”

“I’m not sure, so I’ll just ask, Jiyong. Are you really asking me this? That’s why you put it on my jacket?”

Jiyong stares at her. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“No. Tell me. I’m not sure I still know why. Cause you already have a girlfriend and I’m… I’m just your…”

“My everything. You are not just my anything. You always come first for me.”

“…” Dara slowly looks at him, the wind blowing her hair on her face as she turned to him.

“I just know I’ll always choose you.”

Dara just looked at him, feeling her eyes water.

“I just.. She’s not my girlfriend.. We went out a few times, went to vacation with friends. I tried.”

Dara went to get her beer again to hold onto something. Or she’ll break down.

“You knew that right?”

“All these girls. I tried to not think of you each time.”

Dara looks at him, helplessly.

“I tried to move on from you. So many times.”

“Maybe it just won’t work out between us, I thought.”

“But here I am, right? Always coming back to you. Like a lost pup.”

“And you’re my owner.”

“Always begging you to take me back in.”

“And you always did.

“With your big heart, you always took me back in.

“I keep on getting lost on these things and in the end, I just want to go back to you.

“And you always open that door for me. The door to my home.”

Dara looked away, tears falling down.

“I know I don’t deserve your answer but I’ll still ask. You don’t have to answer.”

He takes her hand in his. Holding it dearly with both of his.

“Dara. Will you still love me?”

Dara can’t look at him, tears just blurring her eyes.

There was silence.

Her tears dropped down their joined hands.

Jiyong pinched his quivering lower lip as he waited. And waited. And waited.

But no answer came.

He closed his eyes and squeezed her hand. Praying she answer him.

He felt a movement and he opened his eyes to find her putting her other hand on his.

She leaned down and cried on their hands. “Why now?” Her sad voice.

His eyes widened as slowly he watched her let go and drop his hand back to him.

He just breathes raggedly and takes it in. He blinks his eyes and slowly looks up at her. “Dara..”

Dara bites her lip and looks away. He just looks at her not wanting to face him. He felt his inside shake.

He just nodded, his hand squeezing his can of beer, finishing it off.

He bit his lip before heaving a sigh and proceeds to cleans their trash.

“I’m sorry. Just not now. There’s someone..”

His hand froze as he held the empty can of beer. It fell down with a clank.

“I’m sorry, Jiyong.”

He didn’t know where to look. Just not at her eyes. He let out a laugh in disbelief. Karma has such a nice timing.

He let out a breath as he looks at the sky then leans his head down on his arm. “Ah, chincha…”  His voice was inaudible against his jacket. He stayed like that for some time.

Dara just looks at him in her own silent tears. It was all a bad timing. He was a little too late.

He squeezed his eyes with his fingers and peeks at her. He sniffed and wiped his nose. “Congratulations, you finally threw away the trash in your home.”

Dara couldn’t speak, she was just crying and shaking her head. Her shoulder vibrating. “Aniya.”

They stayed like that for minutes before Jiyong stands up, limping with little drive and pulls her along.

“Why are you crying so bad?”

She shook her head, looking down. “I’m sorry. The news broke out, then your enlistment, we weren’t even talking. I was just so alone and he was a kind friend who was there…” her voice shook.

He puts a hand on her chin and lifts her face to look.

He smiles warmly.

“Don’t cry.” He said, even if his own eyes water.

“You did right. I’m glad someone was there beside you when I couldn’t be. He must be a good champ.”

Dara just nodded, avoiding his eyes.

His heart broke at that small nod. He let out a laugh again. It was a painful laugh to let go. “So this is how much it hurts, huh?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

“I love you.”

He smiles and sniffs. “Of course, you do. And, I love you. Always. Forever.”

He cups her face and kisses her. Once, twice. Sweetly. Tenderly. Warmly.

Then puts his lips on her forehead. Whispering against her head, “Promise me, you’ll be happy, Dara.”

Dara nods, and squeezed her eyes. Tears still falling. “Jiyong. Kwon Jiyong.”

He kissed her forehead, long and tender. Once more.

Dara gripped his jacket, not wanting to let go.

JIyong looks down at her hand and chuckles.

“Dara-yah, you don’t plan to let go of me?”

Dara shakes her head.

He laughs. “Ah, chincha, do you want me to take you away from him?”

Dara shakes her head again.

He grins and leans to whisper. “I will take you away. In two years, just you wait.”

“Hm?” Dara pulls away and blinks at him, swats his face away. “Psh.”

He grins. That grin she loved him wearing. “I swear it. I’m not kidding.”

“Why?”

“You know why.”

Dara just looks up at him with her tear-streaked eyes  then snorts in disbelief, wiping her nose.

“Then I won’t make things easy for you.”

“Good. I’m up for that challenge.”

-

Jiyong lovingly squeezed her hair and the side of her neck. Wiping her cheeks.

“I’ll see you in two years?”

Dara nods, putting her hand over his. She went to hug him, tight.

“Take care.” Her voice muffled against his shoulder. “You’ll always be part of my home too. Always, Kwon Jiyong.”

Jiyong scoffs. “Why?”

She felt herself smile at that. “You know why.”

He scoffs as he hugs her back tightly, shutting his eyes. Wishing this moment never ends. “Thank you.”

But it ends. And they let go. Bid their farewell.

As they walk away towards their uncertain future, holding on to that one thing their certain about.

At the back of their minds, they’ll always know why.
 

AN: Well, now are you guys still alive? kkekeke jk Comments, suggestions, violent reactions? Loved it? Please leave your comments below to liven up my day. Ciao~