White. That’s all he sees when he opens his eyes. After blinking several times, Jiyong realizes that what he sees is the ceiling of the room. His eyelids are heavy, his vision is still somewhat blurred, and his head hurts so much. Where is he? In the hospital? What is...?

Ah, he remembers. That fight. Kim Jae Wook attacked him again. And Dara. Where is the girl? Is she okay?

“Are you awake?”

Jiyong moves his head towards the sound. Yang Hyunsuk’s face is seen beside his bed. “Uncle?” He muttered hoarsely.

“I’m glad you still remember me.” Yang Hyunsuk smiles with relief. “I think you’re also aware that you’re in a hospital.”

“Dara?” Jiyong asked, then tries to get up.

“Wait, wait,” prevented his uncle and held Jiyong’s shoulders. “Slowly, please.”

Jiyong sits with his uncle’s help. “Where is Dara? How is her condition?”

“Dara?” said Yang Hyunsuk confused. “You mean the girl that was brought here with you? She is fine.”

“Where is she now?”

“She was here earlier. The nurse had just persuaded her to go back to her own room. She must rest a lot,” his uncle said lightly. Seeing Jiyong’s sudden worried look, he quickly adds, “Believe me, she is okay. The doctor said she could go home tomorrow. Whereas you have to stay in the hospital for a few days.”

Feeling calm to hear that Dara is fine, Jiyong exhales slowly and smiles. Then he is stunned and looks at his uncle. “Uncle, how long have I been here?”

His uncle smiles broadly. “Not as long as that time. You only fell unconscious for a few hours. Great, right? Is that means you have been immune from being beaten?”

Jiyong laughs, and immediately grimaces when his face aches. He glances at the clock. It’s not yet midnight.

“Why is Uncle still here? Isn’t the visiting hours past already?” he asked.

“Of course it’s past,” replied his uncle, laughing. “But I persuaded the nurse to extend my visit time. The nurse here is nice.”

Jiyong laughs again, remembering his uncle can be very charming if the circumstances require.

“Luckily you wake up already,” Yang Hyunsuk added. “If not, I have to call your mother and tell her that you’re beaten again. Your mother will definitely fly here and drag you back to New York without saying much.”

Jiyong grimaces. “But you haven’t called her yet, right?”

“I thought, why make your mother worried before we know the exact results? Afterall, now you’re awake and it looks like you’re fine.”

“Yes, but my whole body hurts.” Jiyong pauses for a moment, then says, “Those people...”

“The police have arrested the people who attacked you,” interrupted Yang Hyunsuk. His tone changes serious. “They also attacked you on Christmas Day at that time.”

Jiyong nods.

“I don’t want you to worry about this problem...” His uncle smiles calmly. “I’ve contacted my lawyer and he will take care of everything. All you need to do now is take care of yourself. After feeling well enough, you must give a statement to the police.”

Jiyong nods again. “What about Dara?”

“I think the police have spoken to her.”

Jiyong’s forehead wrinkles faintly. He doesn’t like the fact that Dara had to face the police alone.

As if can read Jiyong's mind, Yang Hyunsuk says softly, “You don’t need to worry. I asked my lawyer to accompany her at that time.”

Jiyong takes a deep breath. “Thank you, Uncle.”

“That girl... Dara,” his uncle’s voice sounded rather doubtful, “... She’s the girl I said who looked like Park Bom.”

Jiyong looks at his uncle with a questioning look.

“She’s the girl who went to the ballet show with you on that Christmas Eve,” Yang Hyunsuk said.

Jiyong smiles. “Oh, yes. She’s Park Bom’s twin sister.”

Yang Hyunsuk’s eyebrows rise. “Really?”

Jiyong closes his eyes, but he still smiles. “She was born five minutes after her twin sister. She doesn’t aspire to be a model. She likes to work in the library, likes to read books, likes to nag, and likes to watch ballet. Her mind also likes to wander everywhere. She is afraid of the dark and can’t put on a light bulb...”

“And you like her,” murmured Yang Hyunsuk softly, smiling understanding.

Jiyong looks at his uncle. “What?”

Yang Hyunsuk moves his chin towards a small table beside the bed. “I’ve seen that.”

Jiyong turns in the pointed direction and sees a large envelope. “What’s that?”

Yang Hyunsuk grabs the envelope and hands it to Jiyong. “They found this behind your sweater. The old envelope was wet and torn, but the photos could still be saved.”

Jiyong smiles at the photos Yoona gave him. The photos he took when he had just arrived in Seoul, including photographs of Dara.

“And this is your Dara, isn’t it?” asked Yang Hyunsuk while pointing at one of the photos. “You won’t take pictures like that if you don’t like her.”

***

A few hours after his uncle came home, Jiyong is still awake in his bed. His body does feel weak, but he is very conscious, his brain is doesn’t seem to rest, and he can’t sleep.

Maybe he should go see Dara. Making sure the girl is fine.

Jiyong slowly climbs out of the bed, grimacing slightly as his foot steps on the floor and has to support his body. He hobbles to the door, opens it, and pops his head out. There’s no one in the corridor. Dara’s room is not far from Jiyong’s own room. He had asked his uncle earlier, so he would have no trouble finding Dara’s room.

Dara’s room is indeed not far away, but Jiyong takes fifteen minutes to walk there. Of course because he occasionally has to pause to breathe or rest his aching muscles. Being weak and sick really .

Slowly and silently Jiyong opens the door to Dara’s room. In a room lit by a small lamp at a corner table, Jiyong sees Dara sleeping soundly in her bed. The girl lays on her side, one side of her cheek resting on the pillow, and the blanket pulled up to her chin.

Jiyong tiptoes over to the bed. He stops beside the bed and looks at the sleeping girl. It seems like there are no injuries, Jiyong thought after looking intently at Dara’s face. She is fine. Thankfully.

Jiyong sits in a chair beside the bed. He takes a breath and lets out a soft breath. Now he can breathe more easily. The anxiety that he had unconsciously felt ever since had begun to evaporate from his body. He feels relieved. Yes, everything will be fine.

He told himself that he would only sit there for a while. Only a while. But why does the time feel so fleeting, even though he just sits there without doing anything other than looking at Dara’s sleeping face?

***

Seunghyun had intended to stop by Dara’s room and see the girl’s condition. Although Dara was taken to the hospital in a state of unconsciousness, not long after the girl wake up and immediately asked about Jiyong’s condition.

“Jiyong is okay,” consoled Seunghyun at the time. “He hasn’t regained his consciousness, but his condition is stable. He will survive, don’t worry.”

Dara still looked worried, but she smiled a little. “I know,” she murmured. Then she looked up at Seunghyun. “Can I see him?”

Seunghyun accompany her to Jiyong’s room. At that time Jiyong’s uncle was there, so Seunghyun introduced them both.

“I thought all of Jiyong’s family had moved to New York,” said Dara after greeting the older man and the introductory session passed.

Yang Hyunsuk smiled. “Apparently he never told you about me?”

“Oh, I don’t mean...”

“It’s okay, I’ve thought so,” interrupted Jiyong’s uncle lightly.

Dara turned to look at Jiyong who was lying in bed. Jiyong’s head and left foot were bound.

“His condition is stable,” murmured Yang Hyunsuk, answering Dara’s unspoken question. “He is fine.”

Dara nodded.

“If you don’t mind, will you accompany him for a while?” asked Yang Hyunsuk. “I have to call someone.”

Of course Dara didn’t mind. But after expressing her willingness, she just turned towards Seunghyun, only remembered Seunghyun was still standing in that room too.

“You don’t need to accompany me,” she said slowly. “I’m fine. I’ll just sit here for a while. Only a while.”

“Alright,” Seunghyun said after thinking for a while. “But don’t hesitate to call me if there’s anything.”

Dara smiled confidently. “Okay.”

After that Seunghyun left Dara who was sitting in a chair beside Jiyong’s bed.

Now, Seunghyun stands stunned at the door to Dara’s room that opened slightly. His eyes stares at Jiyong who is sitting in a chair beside Dara’s bed. Jiyong just sits there, with both hands propped against each arm of the chair, his leg being stretched forward. He does nothing. Just sitting there, staring at Dara who is sleeping soundly.

Since he doesn’t want to interfere, Seunghyun closes the door silently and walks away from Dara’s ward. Actually he had felt it before, only he was still unsure or he didn’t want to admit it. But from what he saw earlier, everything was clear. He just needs to accept it. He just needs to accept his defeat.

***

Jiyong didn’t know what time he returned to his own room, but he finally fell asleep. And when he wakes up the next day, the sun is shining brightly even though the coldness outside is still piercing through his bones.

There’s nobody in his room. Maybe his uncle will come later this afternoon. Is Dara awake?

Jiyong intends to go find the girl. However, when he is trying to get out of bed, the door to his room open