“Dara, after I think about it, you better not get involved with that artist again.”

Dara moves the phone to her left ear. “Mom, I’ve told you that my relationship with him isn’t like what you thought.”

At the other end, her mother sighs heavily and says, “I don’t care what kind of relationship you two have, but the important thing is, don’t get along with that artist. Or any artist.”

It’s Dara’s turn to take a deep breath.

“At first I thought you could solve it, but it didn’t seem like that,” her mother said again. Her voice sounded sad. “Why do you have to get involved with him? Did you forget about Tiffany?”

Dara is silent. She feels that she doesn’t need to be reminded of that matter. She hasn’t forgotten. Never forget. How can she forget? Since she first met Jiyong until now, every time she sees Jiyong, she always remembers Tiffany, always asking herself whether her decision was right. Now she feels something is wrong with her decision. She shouldn’t really be involved with Jiyong, because now her heart is chaotic, her mind is chaotic. She can’t be calm because she hasn’t been completely honest with the man.

“Don’t say the problem this time is different from Tiffany’s,” her mother said again. “Because although it’s different, I don’t care. Please don’t get involved with him anymore.”

“Jiyong is a good person, Mom,” Dara said.

“I don’t know whether he’s a good or bad person,” her mother interrupted quickly. “What I know, your sister’s death has something to do with him. So stay away from him, Dara. Stay away from him. Please.”

Dara gasps. “Why are you talking like that? You talked as if Jiyong himself had caused Tiffany’s death.”

“That’s not what I said!” Her mother said loudly. “I just thought, if only Tiffany hadn’t been to Korea at that time, if she hadn’t joined the event, now she would still be alive.”

Basically her mother isn’t a narrow-minded person, Dara knows that. Her mother isn’t a woman of wishful thinking. Actually this isn’t what Dara expected when she decided to help Jiyong. At that time she only wants to get to know Jiyong, to know him better. Only briefly and to that extent. She doesn’t mean anything. How could she know the problem could turn out like this? How could she know that even her feelings could turn out like this?

After hanging up, Dara gets up from the bed and walks to the window. She opens the curtain and looks out the window. Rain. How long? She did’t realize it.

Dara takes a breath, then blows it slowly. She holds her cheeks that feels warm. Right, her sister, Tiffany, is dead. Tiffany used to be Jiyong’s fan. Tiffany is Jiyong’s fan who died at the fan meeting event four years ago. Who could have guessed that Tiffany would die just by attending a fan meeting event? Dara still remembers when Tiffany called her four years ago.

***

“Dara!” cried her sister happily. “The event has just finished! I finally met Jiyong! I saw him in person! I even talked to him! Oh yeah, I managed to get his autograph. I got two. One for you. And I also got a brooch from him! He had previously distributed ten brooches to his fans. One of them is me! Really lucky, right?”

Dara just snorted and laughed. “Oh, nice. Surely you are the only American there. You got to talk to him? In what language? Can you speak Korean?”

“Don’t take your sister lightly,” said her sister, laughing. “Fortunately he can speak English so I talked to him in English. Korean? At least I can say ‘Saranghaeyo, Jiyong Oppa’. That’s the most important thing.”

Dara smiled at her sister’s laughter at the end.

“Why don’t you want to go along? You know, it’s your loss,” Tiffany said again.

Dara grimaced. “Yeah, you know that I’m not his fan. Why are you jostling for someone you don’t like? I can’t believe you got on a here just to see Kwon Jiyong.”

“Love needs sacrifice,” Tiffany said poetically, then laughed freely.

Dara also laughed.

“Yes, now I’m waiting for him to come out,” Tiffany said. “Wow, it’s starting to rain. Oh, well, well, well... he’s already out. Let’s call it a night. I’ll be home soon. Don’t eat first, wait for me. Annyeong!”

That was the last time Dara heard Tiffany’s voice. Dara waited for her to go home to eat, but she didn’t go home. After a long wait, the phone rang and Dara was almost paralyzed by the news. She didn’t remember what she did later. Everything was blurred. It seemed like she immediately called her parents in San Francisco, then ran to the hospital. Tiffany didn’t open her eyes when Dara arrived at the hospital. Her sister didn’t open her eyes when Mom and Dad arrived at the hospital. She didn’t even open his eyes when Mom called her name. Tiffany never opened her eyes again.

***

Dara wakes up from her daydream and notices her cheeks are wet with tears. She wipes it with the palm of her hand, but the tears don’t want to stop flowing.

What should she do now? Jiyong... should she tell him?

Suddenly her phone rings. Dara gasps. She looks at her phone lying on the bed. She wipes away the tears and grabs the phone. She sees the phone screen that’s lit. KJY. Kwon Jiyong.

“Hello?”

“Dara?” Jiyong’s voice heard. “Have you eaten?”

Unconsciously Dara smiles. “Are you calling just to ask that?”

“Can’t I?” replied Jiyong. “Have you eaten already?”

“Of course I have. It’s past dinner time,” Dara said. “You haven’t eaten yet?”

“Not yet. I just finished shooting for a variety show,” Jiyong answered, then a sneezing sound came.

“What happened to you? Flu?” Dara asked.

“Not. It’s just that the weather is rather cold today,” said Jiyong.

Dara hears that Jiyong is cleaning his nose.

“It’s raining now. Don’t wander around. Wear a thick clothes,” said Jiyong advising.

“Are you my mother?” Dara replied with a small laugh.

“Just trying to show a little care. Never mind. It’s okay. I'll go eat with Seunghyun Hyung.”

“Jiyong.”

Ah, did she just call Jiyong?

“What?”

Dara doesn’t know what she wants to say. She just wants to hear Jiyong’s voice.

“You’re okay, right?” asked Jiyong in a worried voice.

Dara shakes her head, but after realizing Jiyong can’t see her, she says, “No, I’m fine.”

“Then what do you want to say?”

Dara doesn’t answer.

“Wow, don’t you miss me?” joked Jiyong.

“Mm.”

“What? What did you say?”

Dara hesitates for a moment, then sets her heart. “Mm, I really miss you.”

“Okay, that means I have to run to see you now,” said Jiyong.

Dara laughed. “No way.”

“You’re at home, right? Wait there. I’ll be there soon.”

“Jiyong, you don’t need to. Besides, it’s raining — Jiyong? Hello? Jiyong. Gosh.” Dara looks at her phone in surprise. What’s with that man? Is he serious?

***

Jiyong can hardly believe his own ears. Dara misses him. He immediately gets up from his seat and collects his belongings.

“Jiyong, where do you want to eat?” asked his manager who has just entered the dressing room. “Want to eat together — hey, where are you going?”

Jiyong looks at Seunghyun at a glance and says, “Sorry, Hyung. I have to meet Dara now.”

“Oh? Why are you in hurry like that?” asked his manager again. “What happened to Dara?”

Jiyong who has walked to the door turns and looks at his manager. He smiles seeing his manager confused.

“She misses me,” Jiyong said, then left Seunghyun who still looks confused.

***

Dara hears the doorbell ring. Why so soon? She gets up and walks to the door. When she opens the door, Jiyong is standing there smiling broadly.

“Didn’t I say you don’t need to come here,” Dara said. “You’re soaked in the rain—"

Dara is astonished when Jiyong suddenly hugs her. Her breath caught and for a moment Dara forgets how to breathe again.

“Jiyong, what’s wrong with you?” she asked softly.

Jiyong still hugs her. “Even though we only met yesterday, why does it feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you?” The man muttered.

Dara just chuckles. “Didn’t you say you haven’t eaten yet?”

Suddenly Jiyong lets go of his arms and grabs Dara’s shoulders with both hands. “It’s true. Come on, accompany me to eat outside.”

“Wait a minute.” Dara holds him back. Does she have to tell Jiyong about Tiffany?

“What’s wrong?” asked Jiyong.

It’s best to tell him. But how? Should it be now? No, she must think first. She must think of her words. She will tell Jiyong, but not now.

“Nothing,” Dara answered finally. “Fine, I’ll accompany you.”

***

Dara vaguely hears the sound of a siren, like an ambulance siren or a police car. No, not the siren. That’s a doorbell sound. Dara turns and tries to open her eyes. She glances at the small clock beside her bed. Who come early this morning?

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter