::chapter twenty-six::

‘Hurry up!’ Yunbin shouted as Sanghyun descended down the stairs holding his newly bought camera. ‘Coming! Aishh, so impatient!’ he shouted as everyone laugh at him. He then placed the camera on the tripod. ‘Ready?’ he asked as everyone gave thumbs up. ‘Smile,’ he said as he dashed to them and stand next to Dara as everyone of them made a peace sign with a big smile on their face as the camera flashed.

‘Congratulations dear!’ Yunbin said as she gave Dara a tight hug. ‘Thank you mom!’ Dara giggled as she embraced her back. ‘Dara congratulations!’ Sanghyun said as he gave her a tight embraced. ‘God! I can’t believe you are graduating in high school!’ he added making Dara laugh at his exaggeration. ‘Oppa!’ Dara called as they all laughed. ‘Aishh, Sanghyun you’re even more dramatic than me,’ Mr. Park Chanyeol said clicking his tongue as everyone laughed.

He then turned to Dara and started crying in an exaggerated way making everyone burst into laughter. ‘Dad!’ Dara called as everyone laughed more. ‘My baby girl is now graduating and she’s even the second honours! Gahd! Me so proud!’ he said as he continued with the exaggeration drawing more laughter from them. Dara glanced at her wrist watched as she quickly placed her cap. ‘Omo! We will be late!’ Dara said as she pulled her family to their garage. ‘Easy! We will be on time!’ Sanghyun said fixing the camera. ‘Aishh! I have to be early! I’m their class president,’ Dara smiled as they smiled at her.

She can still remember that day she woke up everyone cried, everyone was happy, everyone was celebrating. Her whole family was there crying while telling her how much she owe her life to Jiyong. Jiyong’s family was also their crying even his mother whom she just met there, on that very day.  On the next day her classmates and teacher paid her a visit and was almost got kick out of the hospital for being noisy. She let out a giggle remembering how Jiyong was so angry that time telling everyone that if they kept stressing her he will cut their heads off and with that everyone fell silent but as soon as Jiyong entered the bathroom the room broke to chaos once more.

She can remember Seungri and Chaerin as they bickered endlessly. Chaerin was crying so hard that Seungri was telling her how ugly she looked like when she was crying yet he himself was crying as well and was wiping his tears, mucus and saliva using his hand that he will wipe using her clothes and they will bicker like no other. They only stopped when Jiyong glared at them threatening to slit their throat once they don’t stop fighting.

Youngbae was also crying so hard and so does Minzy. She tried comforting them but they only end up crying. And the noise of the room ensue which was stopped when Jiyong got finally full, shouting that if they won’t stop he will never allow them to visit her ever again. Everyone stopped as they covered their mouth trying to minimize the noise. As Dara just laughed at her cute grumpy boyfriend who was muttering string of curses with his arm across his chest with his face grimacing.

Yoochun also visited her and the child was crying endlessly. She then let him sat on edge of her bed as she was feeding her with a mango float to stop him from crying but then Jiyong started throwing his jealous streak which made her laugh as he was so cute being jealous on the child who only stuck his tongue out at him as Jiyong was trying his very best not to kill him or tear him to pieces, which gained laughter from her, his family and her family as they watched the cute scenario between the three who looked like a family.

‘I swear I will not have any son!’ Jiyong even said huffing in assurance as Dara laughed at his siliness. ‘I can’t believe you’ll be jealous even at your own son, geez grow up,’ Yoochun retorted making Dara laugh together with their family as Jiyong stood up and headlocked the child and the chaos continued.

After staying for almost two months on the hospital, she was finally discharged. They then started schooling again but spent more hours on it, trying to catch up from everything they missed. Their teachers have been supportive and so were their friends. Jiyong helped her so much in her every school works, in everything and she can’t thank him enough for everything and for her another life.

She was there riding on a car to school today for her graduation because of him, because he never gave up on her, because he loved her.

Dara stepped out of the car as soon as it stopped. She dashed towards him and threw herself at him. They almost stumbled down good thing Jiyong has a good balance. ‘Congratulations!!’ Dara exclaimed as he chuckled at her. He then leaned down and gave her a quick peck on her lips. ‘Congratulations too,’ he whispered as Dara smiled at him. ‘I love you,’ she whispered. ‘I love you more,’ he answered giving another kiss on her lips.

‘So...’ Dara said as she pulled away from him and nudged him playfully. ‘Are you prepared for your speech Mr. Valedictorian?’ she asked as Jiyong slapped his forehead as butterflies filled his stomach remembering his speech. Dara chuckled as she clung her arms wound his nape and pressed her forehead with his. ‘I’m so proud of you...’ she whispered as Jiyong’s lips broke into a smile. ‘Thank you,’ he answered. ‘But I’ll be happy if you called me Mr. Mine, instead of Mr. Valedictorian,’ he whispered huskily on her ears as she burned beet red.

She quickly pulled away from her as she roamed her eyes all over the place. ‘Where are Mom and Dad, Ill Woo and Tae Hee?’ she asked as Jiyong shrugged. ‘Busy I guess,’ he said as Dara stared at her in disbelief before pouting cutely. Jiyong just grabbed her graduation cap and gently placed it to her. ‘It’s okay, you are here, Mom and Dad are here together with Hyung, so it’s okay,’ he smiled at her as Dara let go a sigh as she nodded.

Then her friends came to them congratulating them some are even shedding tears even though the ceremony hasn’t started yet. Her parents kept on taking pictures of them as they would be smiling on each and after some minutes they are finally called as the ceremony officially started.

‘And now for his speech please welcome the class valedictorian Kwon Jiyong,’ Mr. Yang announced as every teacher clapped loudly as they stood up with the parents and children following them as Jiyong bit his lips as he climbed to the stage. Mr. Yang shook his hand and was crying and so is Mr. Song, and other teachers, they were just proud of him that the only way they can show it was through tears. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he let out a soft chuckle. He then stood in the platform, facing his fellow graduates, their parents as they stared at him waiting for his speech. Then his eyes landed on four familiar figures it was his parents. He can’t help not to chuckle as he agreed to what Dara said once.

‘Gahd! You’re so lucky you got two sets of parents!’

Jiyong smiled as he inhaled deeply. He can’t help not to be happy or proud as the deal he made with his parents, and her parents echoed inside his head. It was just for fun at first but then he was so serious about it.

‘How about this, if you two graduated as second honours and valedictorian we will let you two live on a same house when you’re in college,’ Mr. Kwon offered as everyone nodded in agreement. ‘Well I think they’ll still live together even if we don’t have this deal,’ Sanghyun said matter of factly making everyone laugh. ‘But wouldn’t be this offer harsh on them they skipped school for almost three months,’ Tae Hee said as everyone started thinking

‘Nah they can pull that off. Dara is smart and so is Jiyong, it’ll be a piece of cake,’ Mrs. Kwon proudly interjected as everyone agreed. ‘I’ll be the one who’ll buy the apartment,’ Mr. Park said. ‘I’ll be the interior designer!’ Mrs. Park seconded as everyone started telling what they will give the two as if they were getting married. ‘I’ll live with the two of you! To protect my sister from you!’ Sanghyun grinned as everyone gave him a what-the-hell look.

‘Oppa!’ Dara said face palming as everyone broke into laughter.

‘Ahmm hello?’ he started as everyone snorted suppressing their laughter. ‘I actually don’t know what to say or anything,’ he said scratching his nape earning chuckles. ‘Well I guess I will be starting from introducing myself,’

‘Annyeong hasaeyo, my name is Kwon Jiyong,’ he said bowing down as everyone laughed. He then smiled to them. ‘I am the son of Kwon Jiro and Kwon Minah, the only heir of the Kwon group of hospitals and yeah I’m pretty much rich,’ he said as everyone stared at him like he was boasting or anything. He just smirked at them. ‘Then I am also G-Dragon, the demon G-dragon... I raced illegally, I went to clubs every night make out with any girls. I drink, I smoke and I’m pretty much into drugs,’ he continued as Dara let out a hearty laugh. ‘And oh! I’m also involved in fights, gangster fights, petty fights and all sort of fights but in all those fights I am only proud of the two. One is fighting to change for someone, and two was fighting for that someone,’ he smiled as Dara’s lips curved into smile.

‘I’m not perfect. I could not retract everything I did. I could not heal the scars I inflicted, erase the bad memories, I could not bring someone back to life. For you I could be the worst person alive but for her, I am her perfect guy, I am the one she will marry and that was enough for me to change my life,’

‘She saved me from myself, she freed me from confining myself to the thought, that I was alone, I am alone and I will be alone. She taught me that everything was never too late, it was never too late to love, to kiss, to hug, to forgive, to forget, to move on, to stand up, to fight.... that it was never too late to live my life,’

‘To my parents, thank you for being there. Thank you for saving her, thank you for bringing me to this world. Sorry I never said these words to you. Sorry I never said what I’m feeling, sorry I never said that I need you... sorry that I thought that you never loved me nor cared for me, that you never see me. God this is cheesy. I love you guys,’

‘To Dara’s family thank you for accepting me, thank you for forgiving me and thank you for letting me be with you daughter, for letting me love her and for letting me take care of her. Thank you for letting me be part of the family. I love you too guys,’

‘To my classmates and teachers... God! You are all annoying!’ he exclaimed as everyone broke into laughter somehow understanding everything he wanted to say behind those words.

‘To my Sandara Park,’ he said gently as their eyes met. She was already crying. Jiyong paused for awhile thinking of what he wanted to say. He brought the microphone in front of his lips as he parted his lips then clamped it together as he then jumped out of the stage as he went to Dara. Dara stood up for him with a smile on her lips. ‘I wanted to say so many things but right now this is the only thing I could think of,’ he whispered as he gently brought her face closer to his as he claimed her lips.

And there he kissed her gently as the memory of their first kiss flashed on her head, he was kissing her in front of everyone, in front of her parents, in front of his parents and he was kissing her in the middle of their graduation, in the middle of his speech. He pulled away and they smiled at each other. He then grabbed her hand as they went to the stage. With a smile he grabbed the microphone placing it in front of their lips. They smiled at each other as they faced everyone.

‘Congratulations batch 2012!!! We are now graduates!!’ they shouted as everyone stood up shouting loudly as they were even tossing their caps even though they were not yet officially announced as graduates. Everyone was laughing and was twice happier than anyone. Jiyong and Dara stared at their families who were giving them proud thumbs up and happy grin. Jiyong pulled Dara on a tight hug.

To people he might have not look cooler anymore. Yes he was not the cool G-Dragon anymore, he was not the cool racer, drinker, smoker, and all sort of things he was before but for him, being Kwon Jiyong loving Sandara Park was the coolest thing he had ever done in his life, the only right decision he made right.

His life was forever changed but he never regretted anything.

And he knew he will not regret anything.

Being hers was the best thing that ever happened to him and the only thing he would want to be today, tomorrow and in his other life.