Day 1 Dara’s POV

This past few months have been giving me a headache due to lack of sleep, thinking about what better things to do to survive.  Freaking loan sharks are too aggressive, I don’t even owe them a cent.  Haven’t even heard from my father, if I still have one.  I’m not good at dealing with people, so to add up to my life’s stressors, I’ll be living with someone I am not familiar with, a total stranger.

I welcomed Mr Park to my house once again.  He greeted me with a warm smile.  Behind him was a tall guy who was looking around with a cold expression.  “This must be his boss” I thought to myself.  I brought them to a room upstairs which will serve as the “guy’s” bedroom.  Soon after Mr Park has given me the rent, he spoke with the “guy” in private and left.  I went in ahead, when a voice called out to me.

“Dara, right?”

“Uhmm, yeah.  And you are?”  I asked back, I realized we weren’t formally introduced.

“I’m Seunghyun, but you can call me Tabi.”  His voice was deep and manly and he flashed a slight smile, like a semi-smirk.

“Nice to meet you, Tabi.  Come inside so I can show you the rest of the house.”

“Can you show me the kitchen first?”  He asked me.  It made me think that he was fond of cooking, so I showed him the kitchen.

The kitchen was on the right side of the house, once you step inside the main door.  It had a very good view of the garden outside, through a large glass window.  It had a table set for six people, a stove with four burners, a large fridge, and all other kitchen necessities.  I observed Tabi as he looked around.  I could tell that he was impressed with the garden view since you can see it while you’re cooking or eating from the dining area.  He then moved on to the fridge.

“Do you have food?  I haven’t had lunch yet.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t really cook when I’m alone and I usually just eat ramen.  You came after lunch time, so I thought you’ve already eaten.”

That’s okay, but can you cook?  I believe Teddy-hyung already told you you’d be in-charge of the household.”

“In-charge of the household, sounds like a big of authority when in fact, it’s just basically being your maid.”  I couldn’t help but smirk at the thought, cause it just wasn’t my style.

“It’s called looking at things in a positive way.  So what are you cooking?”  I was half-surprised at what he said.  But I was more alarmed when he asked me what I was going to cook.  I unconsciously answered “kimchi fried rice…?”

“Right, I’ll just be upstairs.  Call me when you’re done.”  He smiled at me again and rushed upstairs.

This is just crazy.  Do I even know how to cook?  This was an emergency situation, so I had to call for backup.

“Youngbae-ah, where are you?”

“Noona?  I’m at home, why?”  a voice that sounded half-awake answered on the other line.

Youngbae was the only closest friend I have of the opposite .  Well actually, he’s the only close friend I have.  We were always at each other’s back whenever either needed help ever since we were kids.  I became, somehow, part of their family.  When I was 10 and he was just 6, his parents took me in when my father left for his “business venture”.  They took care of me for almost 5 years til my father came back and took me back with him when he had already built this house.  I still visit them sometimes, and they visit me too, especially Youngbae.

“Your voice sounds… were you sleeping?  Anyway, I need you to dictate to me the procedure in making kimchi fried rice.”

“Not again?”  Youngbae whined from the other line.  He sounded like he just woken from a deep sleep.

Tabi’s POV

New home, new life.  Nah, it’s the same.  It has always been like this.  Oh, what’s wrong with me?  I should be used to this already.

I looked around my new room and it wasn’t too bad.  It was spacious and cozy.  She did a good job in rearranging and decorating, if she ever did.  It’s a bit too much for me to start unpacking my stuff with an empty stomach, so I decided to turn my iPod on and lie on my new bed.  When my favourite beat came on, words just automatically flowed out of my mouth.

“In this world that we’re living in,

People keep on hating and nobody knows

Where this river of life flows, and that’s how it goes

Everyday’s a struggle, everyday’s a haggle

You keep losing at the end

Then you try to bend…

…”

It suddenly felt heavyinside and I felt like I was going to blow.

“I need a smoke.”

Just as I was about to get up from my bed, a flashback came in to my head.

“Yah!  Yang Seunghyun! You’ve been sneaking out again.  I thought we’ve agreed you’d quit that already.”

It was Bommie noona.  She found me, again, at the rooftop of my father’s building.

“Noona, how did you…”

“Don’t give me that look and don’t even think about giving me the same excuse.  I’m sick of hearing it.”

“Noona..”

Bommie noona was the only person who knew me so well besides Teddy hyung.  She’s the only person I want to impress and she’s the only person I want to be proud of me.  She’s the only person I care about, besides Teddy hyung.

She walked closer towards me and I could see from the haze that her previous expression was changing into a brighter one.  She smile as she came closer and closer.

“Seunghyun-ah, are you really that stressed to meet your father?  You can’t be like this all the time.  And besides, you should be used to this already.  I told you before, and I’ll tell you again, you don’t have to worry.  Just be yourself.”

She held my hand and gave me a reassuring look.  Her words were so warm to my ears and to my heart, as they always were.

Meeting my father was never comfortable for me.  I wish he’d just relay messages through Teddy hyung, as he often does.  Everytime I’m with him, I get the eerie feeling.  It never felt like I was with my father.  It never felt like I was with my boss.  It felt like I was with some unknown entity and I don’t know exactly what to feel.  It just wasn’t comfortable.