a/n: dedicated to the 110 subscribers of this fic - THANK YOU GUYS!

“Going somewhere?”

Dara looked up to her aunt Hyorin sprawled on the couch, her left foot resting on the table, painting her nails when Dara stepped outside her room, obviously dressed to go out

It didn’t miss Dara’s eyes the bottle of soju beside her aunt. Surprisingly enough, Aunt Hyorin seemed sober to talk.

Dara nodded. “Yes, I’ll be going out with a friend.” She replied as she made her way to the door, settled down by the entrance where her shoes were placed, and began to put them on.

Hyorin smirked. “A date then?”

Dara closed her eyes. “Think whatever you want.”

Hyorin slammed the nail polish on the table. “Watch your mouth, brat. I know you got paid yesterday. I need money.” she snarled. “I’m tired of you freeloading on me.”

Dara bit her tongue from an unwanted comment she was about to say. Please, the government had given Hyorin money when Dara, as a minor, became an orphan. Not to mention, the money that her mother saved for Dara but of course, her aunt exhausted all of it before she could even get a hold of it when she turned 18. To say that Dara had been struggling since then was an understatement.

Honk!

Dara was more than happy to hear the sound of a car honking, hastening to leave the house.

"I said, I need money, you brat!" Aunt Hyorin yelled.

"I'll cover the groceries for next week," Dara replied calmly, managing to shut the door just in time to avoid the flying nail polish. Despite the closed door, she could still hear her aunt's enraged screams from inside the house.

“Don’t you dare forget to buy my booze!”

Once outside, Dara took in a deep breath, inhaling the musty scent of Angel Street. A smile spread across her face at the sight of the familiar old Honda Civic parked in front of the house.

Honk!

Dara descended the stairs two at a time as she hopped into the front seat of the car. Jiyong, seated behind the wheel, watched her as she swiftly fastened her seat belt.

"What?" Dara turned to ask when Jiyong didn't start driving right away.

"You're usually already waiting outside before I can pull over," Jiyong replied.

Dara caught a glimpse in the side mirror of her house door opening. She shot a glare at Jiyong. "Drive. Now."

She didn't need to repeat herself, as Jiyong had already noticed and started driving.

"I'm sorry," Jiyong apologized when they were past her house. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I should've realized your aunt was at home."

Dara crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't wait to leave that dump."

Jiyong briefly glanced at her before refocusing on the road. "You can always move in with me. I already told you that."

Dara thinned her lips. "And risk your mom – I mean Mrs. Kwon – finding out? Oh gosh, no." She shook her head, warding off the dreadful images in her mind.

Jiyong clenched his jaw. "What does the witch have anything to do with my offer?"

Dara looked ahead of them. "Because she's my boss. She pays me—Jiyong, watch out for that light, it's about to turn red." Instead of heeding her warning, Jiyong hit the accelerator. The traffic light was now yellow. She glared at him hard. "Don't you dare beat the red light."

He hit the brakes so harshly that it ripped the pavement, creating loud screeching sounds. "Damn," he cursed.

Dara was satisfied. She ignored Jiyong's foul mood. "As I was saying, Mrs. Kwon pays me, and I use that money to save."

Jiyong didn't answer as his expression darkened. "So you don't want the witch to find out so she won't fire you," he concluded, tempted to hit the maximum speed as the light turned green.

Dara looked at him, annoyed. "No, silly. It means if she finds out I'm living with you, she's gonna ask me more things aside from spying on you." She huffed, puffing her bangs. "You know how your mom is."

Crazy, sociopath, manipulative—witch.

Jiyong gritted his teeth.

Dara reached for his hand resting on the stick between their seats, and his tight grip on it loosened immediately.

"While I do appreciate your offer, not now," she continued. "I can handle Aunt Hyorin, and in a few more months, I'll be out of Angel Street." She smiled at him. "But I'll keep your offer in mind."

Jiyong didn’t answer, he just shook his head.

Dara let his silence as she leaned comfortably on her seat. She felt safe. She had always felt that with Jiyong around. Plus, the way he drove with the ease that she would have taking a stroll through the park, made her feel at peace. It’s also like rocking her to sleep.

Dara watched how Jiyong slouched slightly in his seat and the way his eyes scanned the road attentively and alertly. Jiyong strikes her as an experienced driver as she noticed that his feet never hesitated in punching in the clutch, and never made a mistake in shifting the gears of this old car. His eyes would occasionally flicker to his rearview mirror or glance in her direction.

“What?” Jiyong asked after he caught her staring at him again.

Dara shifted in her seat. “You should teach me how to drive.”

Jiyong scoffed at her request. “All of a sudden?”

Dara shrugged her shoulders. “It might come in handy someday.” she looked around the car. “I know this is old but what's wrong with this car to have maintenance?” she asked, recalling him saying that last night.

Jiyong contemplated for a bit. “Burnt rubbers,” he answered after.

Dara’s brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jiyong smirked. “It needs new tires.”

That she understood as she frowned immediately. “Have you been driving past the speed limit again?” she shook her head. “If you don’t take care of this car, you should just give this to me.”

Jiyong was amused. “You don’t even have a driver’s license. Besides,” he glanced at her coolly. “I can give you a much nicer car.”

“Har, har.” she retorted sarcastically. “Thanks for throwing on my face again how rich you