The sky is already dark when Dara slowly climbs the stairs while reaching into her handbag for the key. She is about to open the door of her apartment when the door opposite hers suddenly opened. Dara gasps in surprise and turns quickly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you,” said Jiyong, who had just come out of his apartment and stood in the doorway.

“Jiyong?” murmured Dara, feeling relieved and surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Jiyong smiles broadly. “Starting today I’ll stay here again,” he said.

Dara’s eyebrows lifted. “Really?” Not wanting to be too happy and hopeful, she glances behind Jiyong, and asks flatly, “Yoona-ssi...?”

“Oh, Yoona has returned to her apartment,” Jiyong said briefly. Until now he is still thinking about what Yoona had said to him this afternoon and until now he is still unsure about all of that.

“So why did you decide to stay here?” Dara’s voice jerks Jiyong back to the real world.

Jiyong shrugs his shoulders. “I think my memory can come back sooner if I live here,” he said lightly, “although, of course, I need your help.”

Dara looks at Jiyong with narrowed eyes. “At that time you said that you didn’t want to remember.”

“I never said that,” argued Jiyong.

“Yes, you said that yourself.”

“I said, it’s okay if I don’t remember. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to remember.”

“It’s still the same,” replied Dara irritably.

Jiyong is momentarily stunned. “Are we always like this?”

“Like what?” Asked Dara didn’t understand.

“Debate?”

A faint smile appears on Dara’s lips. “Yeah, you can say that.”

Seeing that smile, Jiyong also smiles. “Our relationship... is good? Are we close friends?”

Jiyong sees his neighbor doesn’t answer immediately. After a moment of hesitation, Dara nods again. “Yes.”

He isn’t wrong, Jiyong thought. He had guessed that his relationship with Dara was good enough, because he always feels comfortable being near the girl and his words always flow smoothly like now.

“Have you had dinner, Ji?” asked Dara suddenly while turning the key to the door of her apartment.

Jiyong looks up. “Not yet,” he said. “I’m about to go out to buy dinner. I can’t cook.”

Dara snorts and laughs. “I know that,” she murmured.

“How about you? Have you eaten already?” Asked Jiyong.

Dara shakes her head.

“Seunghyun didn’t take you to dinner?” Jiyong is surprised because the words slid out being processed by his brain first.

Dara looks at him with raised eyebrows.

“Seunghoon said you went on a date with Seunghyun earlier,” explained Jiyong reluctantly, surprised by the uncomfortable feeling that arise again.

“Doctor Choi has to go back to the hospital, so we don’t have time to eat dinner,” said Dara flatly.

“Then, let’s eat out. My treat,” Jiyong asked, again without thinking, as if he had often said it.

Dara looks at Jiyong without saying anything. For a moment, she feels that Jiyong has returned to his old self. But the scene this afternoon is still lingering in her mind. Im Yoona who said that she needs Jiyong and Jiyong who hugged her instead. Her chest suddenly felt painful again.

“I think I have a better idea,” said Dara, trying to be normal. She opens the door of her apartment and signals Jiyong to follow her. “Come in. I want to cook tonight.”

“Is it okay…?”

Dara takes off her shoes and turns over her shoulder towards Jiyong who stands in doubt at the doorstep of Dara’s apartment. “No need to hesitate,” said Dara lightly. “You have never been reluctant to go in and out of my apartment. You often ask me to cook for you.”

“Oh, huh?” Jiyong follows Dara into her apartment and into the living room which looked rather narrow because of too much furniture, but it’s comfortable. “Really? I often ask you to cook for me?”

Dara smiles and shrugs. “If I cook, you always wash the dishes. You often treat me to lunch or dinner too. So I don’t mind at all.”

Jiyong sits on the floor while talking with Dara who is busy in her small kitchen. Hearing the girl’s voice, talking to her while eating, these things… make Jiyong feels… he doesn’t know, but whatever it is, it feels good.

“By the way,” murmured Dara while looking down at the curry rice in front of her, “Why does Yoona-ssi come to Seoul? Isn’t she going to get married soon?”

“Do you know about Yoona?” Jiyong asked in surprise. Did he tell the story about his relationship with Yoona to Dara? Why? He isn’t an easy person to tell his heart to others.

Dara looks up and looks into Jiyong’s eyes for a moment, then lowers her head again. “Well, I don’t know much about her,” she admitted. “All I know is that you used to like her, but she will marry someone else.”

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