Three weeks ago

Almost six months had passed with Jiyong and Dara dating. They had become the most loved couple in the whole school. Sure, they both had haters on their sides too, but overall, fans were more, compared in number.

The first few months, things went smoothly. They loved each other and they didn’t feel afraid to express it. They could be seen holding hands and kissing around almost every break. If not either, they’d at least be seen together.

Things got complicated once Jiyong’s jealousy problem aired. Dara knew about his jealousy issue and she tried her best not to get him jealous. She knew, despite how he looked, that he was not a puny little kid. He had as strong as Korea’s Tae Kwon Do champion.

But she also couldn’t stop all interaction with males. They got into numerous fights over this, but they managed to keep their relationship perfect in front of others.

The other thing was the dresses Dara wore. Jiyong claimed that they were too revealing. This was one thing that made Dara really angry. Even if Jiyong wanted, she couldn’t walk into school looking like a nun! She was the it girl, she was Jiyong’s girlfriend, she had to look good.

Even if it meant she had to wear revealing things. She was the trendsetter; the others were the trend followers. Without her, the school wouldn’t have their sense of style as they did.

Problems like this arose, one by one. Their relationship began hanging from a wire, barely managing to keep up with them. Bom and Seunghyun were especially worried about this. They tried their best to keep the couple steady. And somehow, they managed it. Until that day.

It was a Friday. And Fridays were days when couple broke up maximum, mostly since it would take another two days for the story to spread. A few more, if lucky.

Dara and Jiyong were supposed to go to a Shinhwa concert which Seunghyun and Bom had gotten them tickets for. As the time arrived, Jiyong got ready to leave. He knew how hard it had been on them, he didn’t want to break up. He loved her.

When he arrived, Dara was already there, chatting with some girls. The girls began whispering as Jiyong came closer.

“Hey..” He greeted Dara with a smile. Dara managed to smile back.

“Girls, my boyfriend.” Dara introduced. Jiyong smiled at the girls too. He felt happy that she had introduced him as her boyfriend. It somewhat felt like a sign that they could still keep on going.

Somewhat didn’t seem right later.

Dara had spent most of the time, chatting with the girls, even throughout the concert. They chatted for so long up to the extent that Jiyong felt like he didn’t belong there.

I guess we can’t be for that long..he thought for himself.

“Jiyong?” Dara asked.

“Huh? What is it?” Jiyong asked, quickly.

“The concert ended. Can we go?” she asked. Jiyong nodded and stood up.

They walked for a while, in silence. No, this time, they weren’t even holding hands.

This is how distant we’ve grown, Dara-ah. Notice this for me…he thought harder, staring at Dara.

At one point, Dara sighed and stopped walking. Jiyong also stopped, determined to let her know if she didn’t notice to herself.

“Jiyong-ah-”

“Dara-ah-”

They both started talking at the same time.  They looked away.

“Go ahead.” Jiyong said.

Dara sighed again. “I know we’ve become almost half an year but…” she looked into Jiyong’s eyes. “I don’t think we can go on like this.”

Jiyong’s heart, hope and mind broke into millions of countless pieces at her words. Easy, short, small words, they were. But the impact was as big as someone who had fallen off of the Eiffel Tower.

“I mean, you’d have also noticed. We’ve been having countless fights a-and-”

“You don’t have to explain yourself. I sort of began feeling the same sort of thing about us.” Jiyong said, his head turned away. So this was it. This was the end for them..

“Well, if the feelings are mutual..”

No, they aren’t.

“We should break up. You don’t have to force yourself into calling me your boyfriend.”

“And you’ll be free to play with girls too. I know you’ve been itching to do that a while after our relationship stared.”

No, I wasn’t.

“Sure. Let’s end it here. With no hard feelings.” Jiyong said, turning to Dara. “Noona and dongsaeng again?”

Dara’s lips formed a thin line with Jiyong considered as a smile.

“No hard feelings.”

Present day

“Yah! Dojun-ah! Another bottle!” Jiyong called over to the bartender, half drunkenly.

The bartender, Dojun, was Jiyong’s close friend after he had begun drinking daily at the bar. He was worried about Jiyong. Very worried. Whenever Seunghyun came, he’d send him away. And moreover, it was only Seunghyun who knew about Jiyong’s state from all Daesung, Seungri and Yongbae.

“Aren’t you drunk enough already?” Dojun asked, hesitating, but still brining over another bottle of soju.

“Heh? Me? Why would I get drunk?” Jiyong asked with a drunken laughed. A single tear escaped his left eye.

“I don’t know! Maybe because the only girl who I loved dumped me!” he answered his own question.

Dojun stared at his friend with gloomy eyes. There was nothing he could do for him. He had a broken heart. And that was the one thing doctors hadn’t been able to come up with a cure for yet.