Characters: Taeyang and Dara

"It's sad when two people see the same star, yet wish for two different things. He wishes for her, she wishes for another... and so they never meet."

I smiled sadly as my professor said those words. Simple words, but it hit me right to the core. It was the perfect description of what I'm going through right now. I'm in love with a girl who is in love with someone else. I glanced to where she is seated and saw her talking animatedly to my best friend, the guy she is dating. The sight of them laughing crushed my heart to bits.

When the bell rang, they both stood up and went to where I was. They both have that stupid grin that was pretty contagious and I smiled back at them. "What's up?" I asked.

My bestfriend wrapped his around his girl's shoulder and said, "Dara wanted to ask if you wanted to eat with us."

Dara. The girl I've been longing for grinned at me, hopeful that I would take the offer. Dara playfully tugged my arm and said, "Come on, Taeyang. It'll be fun."

"Sure," I said. "As long as it's your treat." They both laughed and walked ahead of me. Both of them looked picture-perfect and I can't help but feel remorse and jealousy. If only I had the courage to ask her out first, then my hands would be the one intertwined with hers.

I met Dara during the freshmen orientation at the university. It was love at first sight. I never told anyone though, including my best friend. But he always suspected that I was interested in someone. My actions somehow betrayed me.

My classes were the same with Dara and I was overjoyed when we were paired to do a project together. She was very personable and I found myself falling deeper for her. I always wondered if she felt the same. But as far as I can tell, she only saw me as a friend. I told myself it was due to the reason that I haven't got out of the friend zone. I was too much of a pansy to tell her how I feel about her.

The next year, my bestfriend transferred to our university and I was glad because I got to see him more often. One afternoon, he said to me, "Ya, how come you haven't introduced me to the girl you always talk about?! It’s been a year, man!"

"Because I haven't made her mine yet," I said dreamily. 

“Aisht! If you like her that much, just tell her,” he said with a smirk. “If you don’t confess now, you may lose her to another guy.”

I grinned at his statement although it did scare me. With his urging, I decided to confess to her that same afternoon. I bought flowers, her favorites, and went to the library where we usually hang out. I saw her on our usual place and breathed deeply. I was about to enter when my best friend came and playfully slapped me on the back.

“Ya! Which one is she?”

I grimaced at him as the shock wore off. My mind went completely blank and everything I rehearsed just went out the window. I was immensely irritated at his unannounced presence, and I said, “Sheesh! You, my friend, have got some crappy timing!” A few students were looking our way and I apologized immediately.

 He only laughed at me. “Come on, show her!” he said while he scanned the library. He stopped laughing when he saw a familiar face and he left me at door, bewildered. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him walking to the section where Dara was. How the hell did he know it was her?

I tried to think of reasons but my mind was temporarily numb. I just wished he wouldn’t tell her that I like her because I want those words coming from me and not from another person. I watched him approach Dara and talk to her. Dara looked up to him and her face brightened. She hugged him tight and he did the same. What’s that about?

Dara let go of him and saw me by the door. She gathered her things and pulled my best friend to my direction. I quickly hid the flowers behind my back. I don’t want her to see those. “You two know each other?” I asked when they were already in front of me.

My friend shyly nodded, and Dara broke me the news. “Taeyang, he’s my childhood friend I was telling you about.” Ah, yes. The childhood friend. Whenever an ideal type was brought up, that ‘friend’ was the one Dara always talked about. I felt jealous every time she talked about him, but I haven’t told her that. I have always kept my cool with those things but this time, it was different. My best friend was the guy she was telling me about.

My best friend has also talked about his first love, but I never imagined that there will be a time we’ll fall for the same girl. I forced a smile which went unnoticed by the two who were blissful they have seen each other again.

Dara turned to me and said, “Wait? You know each other?” My best friend proudly told her that we were best friends since he and his family moved. Dara’s face looked awed and she remarked, “What a small world!” They chatted for a few minutes, exchanging stories.

“What are you and Taeyang doing here, anyways?” Dara asked. My friend grinned at me and replied, “I just accompanied him here. He’s going to confess his feelings for a girl.”

“Who?” Dara asked. “How come I don’t know about that? Where is she?” She scanned the library and tried to make guesses on whoever it was.

I blushed beet red at her questions. How could I possibly tell her that it was her who I’ll be confessing to? I shook my head and said, “She’s not here. She must have left.” Dara expressed her regret not seeing the ‘girl’ and we all left the building. I missed my chance, but I was still determined to tell her what I felt.

A month after that embarrassing situation, they both confessed to me that they have decided to date each other. That was when I felt my whole world crash. My brain tells me to be happy for them, but my heart was bleeding. I missed the timing for love, and I blamed myself for it.

At the restaurant, they sat together while I was on the other side of the table. I felt like a tag-along, but it’s not like I want to burden them with that. I looked up to them and smiled as I saw Dara laugh. I looked at my best friend and saw that he was also happy.

Dara was everything to me. But the thing was she was his, and he was hers. I’m merely an outsider in the world they had created for themselves. In my mind, I started to appraise my best friend on what he has that I don’t have. I smiled to myself when I realized I’ve been defeated.

He was the guy who can make her laugh in her lowest moments. I can’t.

He was the guy of her dreams and vice versa. I’m not.

He was the guy she waited for so long. I’m not.

He was the guy that Dara needed. I’m not.

He was everything that I’m not.