DARA’S POV

My foot finally landed on the pavement where the bus dropped me off. It was a long ride and I felt my back ached a little because of it but I know it’ll be worth it.

I looked to my left and then at my right to check if I’m really in the right place. It's only my third time to be here so the place is kind of vague for me. The fact that I’m also bad at remembering directions didn’t help at all. I’m merely relying on my instincts right now.

The road is going up, giving me a hard time walking towards where I last remembered it. Minutes later, the biggest smile crept up to my lips when I finally saw what I was looking for. It’s his favorite spot, his “hiding place” as what he usually calls it. The place he once brought me when he got so mad at me, I thought I was going die in his bare hands. The second time was the time he officially asked me to be his girlfriend. I smiled at the thought.

I walked forward and decided to sit at the edge of the pavement where I can have a better view of the city. This is the first time I can’t see the city lights like how I used to since its only five in the afternoon. I closed my eyes and feel the breeze touching my face. The wind moves freely as it plays with my hair. It brings an unexplainable peace inside me like something heavy is being lifted. Now I understand why he chose this place to hide every time he’s having a bad time. It’s very calming.

The moment Bom mentioned that he might be hiding from everyone, this is the only place I could think of. I’m not really sure if he’s here but my heart tells me that I will find him here. At this very spot, sitting perfectly still like what I’m currently doing. The only problem is… he’s not.

Looking at the sky ahead of me, I can already see the sun slowly making its way down to hide behind the clouds. It’s a sign that an hour already passes but there still no signs of him. I know I’m being stupid to be coming here knowing that the chances of finding him are slim. I can’t even deny the fact that I was disappointed when I didn’t see him the moment I came. It’s as if I was really expecting it but the hopes in me are slowly ebbing away. I keep receiving text messages from Bom asking if I’m ok, or if I already found him but I can’t make myself respond saying that I didn’t. That I failed. A tear finally escaped my eye as I stared at my phone. I don’t want to cry but this is so painful.

“What are you doing here?”

My breath was caught up in my throat the moment I heard a voice spoke behind me. The voice that is so familiar I can’t be mistaken. I almost break my neck when I abruptly turned around to see who’s the person behind it.

I immediately stood up, not bothering to dust myself off. “J-Jiyong… I-It’s really you…” I stuttered as I tried to calm my heart hammering inside my chest.

He’s standing a few feet away, both hands tucked inside his pockets as he stared back at me. I didn’t waste any time and quickly ran towards him to envelop him in a tight hug. God, I missed him. I’m so happy that all my worries are finally gone.

I pulled myself away from the hug and held him in an arm’s length to check on him. “Oh my God, what happened to you? Why did you leave? Are you ok? You’re so thin Ji, are you even eating right?” I bombarded him with so many questions I didn’t even give him a chance to answer. I gave him another hug, worried that this is just a figment of my imagination, but it’s not. It’s really him. The only problem is, I can’t… feel him.

I slowly break myself away when I felt that he wasn’t returning my hug nor was he responding to any of my questions. My eyes landed on his and that’s when I realized that he has been giving me a deadpan expression. I was so absorbed in his presence that I didn’t notice he’s displaying a different aura the moment he saw me. “Ji… are you alright?” I asked as I stared at his impassive face.

“Do I look like I am?” he asked, his stare slowly turning into a glare.

I stepped back a little, giving it a good distance before answering him. “I was just asking you if… Aren’t you happy to see me?”

Instead of answering, he responded by repeating his question earlier. “Let me try this again. What are you doing here?”

“I… I was hoping that I will find you here and I was right. This is…”

“Tsk! Such a waste. Now I have to look for another place that no one else knew.” He spat as he scanned the place before shifting his eyes at me looking pissed.

That sends a tinge of pain inside me. “What happened Jiyong? Why are you being like this?”

He scoffed before taking a step forward. “Are you dumb? Or just playing stupid?”

“What?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I can’t even believe you came all the way up here just to look for me. You’re even dumber than I thought.”

That does it for me. I don’t know how but my palm automatically landed hard on his face sending it sideward harshly. My hand stings because of the impact but it’s nothing compared to the pain I’m feeling inside my heart. My chest is heaving up and down as I tried to catch my breath.

He remained perfectly still for a few secon