Chapter 23

Tabi’s POV

“YAH!” Dara yelled as she pulled away.  She kicked my shin really hard that I jumped back because of the pain.

“Seunghyun?!  Mwoya?!” Dara’s face turned red and I felt my blood rushing to my head.  We were both in shock.

“Da – noo..na”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I… I thought you were crying.”

“Crying?  Why would I be crying?”

“You were bowing your head and wiping your eyes I thought you were crying.”

“My allergy is attacking me again.  I feel like sneezing but I can’t, and my eyes keep tearing up.”

I surveyed her face and it really looked like she is unwell.  Her nose and eyes were red, teary and swollen.  I was still in a state of shock because of what I did and pretended to look around while trying to avoid Dara’s look, when I saw Jiyong across the road.  Jiyong saw me and he waved at me but I pretended like I didn’t see him.  Dara was about to turn around but I was able to prevent it so she wasn’t able to see Jiyong.  I pushed her to walk forward pretending to go somewhere even though I really didn’t know where to.

“Noona, noona, let’s go talk somewhere.”

“Ay wae~? Yah! I still need to meet Jiyong.  Yah, Seunghyunah.”

Finally, I was able to drag Dara to some coffee shop.

“Yah Seunghyunah, what’s wrong with you?  You’re acting really strange.”

“Just order first.” She looked at me with a confused expression, looking at every angle of my face.  I felt hot and like blood was rushing to my head again.

“Seunghyun, I really need to go.  Seriously.”

“Can’t you just stay? I need someone to talk to.”

“What? Now?  Can’t we just talk at home?”

“Didn’t you tell me I can trust you?  I need someone to talk to now.”

Dara didn’t look happy but she didn’t argue.  She only let out a sigh.  I didn’t know where to start and I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to talk about what happened earlier.  I didn’t know why I was keeping her, but for some reason, I didn’t want her to leave.

She kept looking at her watch and nervously drank her bubble tea, but not once did she check her phone.  I felt a certain kind of satisfaction.

“Yah, are you not going to start talking?! I’m almost done with my tea.”

“It’s cause you’re drinking too fast.”

“What do you mean I’m drinking it too fast?  We’ve been here for almost an hour and you haven’t said a word!”

Dara started to sound impatient, and for some reason, I found it cute.  Cute?!  Am I crazy?!  How on earth was that cute?!

Finally, she searched through her bag and pulled her phone out.  Her eyes widened and she began to panic.

“10 missed calls?!  Ottoke?!”  She looked at me like she was about to choke me.

“Fine, go.”

“MWO?! Go?  You asked to stay with you for the last hour because you wanted to talk to me, but you never said anything, and I missed my meeting with Jiyong, and now you’re telling to go?!”

“Just call him then.  Tell him you’re coming.”

“Forget it.  He sent me a text too.  He said we’ll just meet next time.” Her expression became gloomy.

Jiyong’s POV

Ever since  yesterday at the cinema, when I saw Dara noona and Seunghyun hyung together, I can’t stop worrying, but I don’t know what I’m worrying about.  I can’t stop thinking about them and I keep asking myself if they’re together.  Ever since that day, I’ve become so eager to ask Dara noona.  I don’t know what I’m trying to get from this, but I just want to know, so I asked noona to meet me today after work.

We agreed to meet at 3pm but I got off from work a bit late, so I hurriedly ran to our meeting place.  I was about to cross the road when the pedestrian light turned red, so I had to stop.  I impatiently waited for it to turn green again so I can cross, when coincidently, I saw Seunghyn hyung across the road.  He was hugging a girl.  I waved at him when he looked my way but it seemed like he didn’t see me because he was talking to the girl and it seemed like they were having an argument.  When the girl turned around, I saw her face and I just froze.  It was Dara noona.  Although it was just a quick glimpse since Seunghyun hyng grabbed her immediately to face him again, I was certain it was her.  I stood there frozen that I didn’t even notice the pedestrian light turn green.  People passed me by, and it felt like everything moved in slow motion, and my heart was the only thing beating really fast.

I ended up not crossing the road and just sat at the building’s stairway.  I held my phone in my hand and just stared at it.  It was 30 minutes past our meeting time but I still didn’t get any call or text from Dara noona.  I re-read our messages from last night to double check that she did say she’d meet me today.  I gave up waiting, so I called her instead.  A few times, in fact, but she did not answer.  I decided to just wait at our meeting place, hoping she’d still come.  I still tried calling her while I was on my way. 

I almost dropped my phone when I saw them again, inside the glass window of a café.  They were sitting in front of each other, drinking tea.  It seemed as if Dara noona forgot about our supposed meeting today.  I decided to call her one more time, but she didn’t even check her phone, so I sent her a text.  It felt like all of my energy drained out of my body, and I walked away without thinking where to go.

I don’t know how, but I ended up outside Dara noona’s house again.  It was getting dark but there was still no sign of them.  I don’t know how long I’ve waited, but I still did.

Dara’s POV

Suddenly hugging me in public, dragging me to a café for no reason, making me miss my meeting with Jiyong, I swear this guy is getting weirder by the day.  It’s getting dark and I still don’t know what to reply to Jiyong’s text.  I feel so guilty towards Jiyong that I just want to choke Seunghyun.  I was so upset when I walked out of the café.  I didn’t talk to Seunghyun the whole time and I didn’t even turn to look if he was following me.  I just wanted to go home and sink into my bed.

When we arrived at my house, a guy was sitting outside the gate. His head rested on his backpack which was on his knees.  I tried to call his attention, but it seemed like he was asleep.  I approached him and tried to wake him up.  He lifted his head, and to my surprise, it was Jiyong.  He looked like he was still half-asleep, and he was mouthing something but I couldn’t make out what it was.  I shook him gently just to wake him up, but he collapsed completely on the floor.  It made me panic.  I tried to wake him up again but he didn’t move.  When I held his hand, it was very hot.  It was then that I realized that he was burning with fever.  I grabbed Seunghyun and asked him to help me bring Jiyong inside the house.

I panicked so much I almost didn’t know what to do.  Thankfully, Seunghyun was there, and he carried Ji on his back.  He laid him down the couch and Jiyong started shaking, saying he was cold.  I rushed upstairs to get some blankets while Seunghyun went to get a basin of water and a face towel.

“Jiyongah.  Kwon Jiyong, open your eyes.” I placed the damp towel on his forehead and tried to wake him up again, but he kept shivering and his eyes were shut tight.

Seunghyun and I stayed in the living room to watch over him.