Chapter 10 – Leaving

“Where the hell are you going now?” Minzy asked Dara. The gathered her friends for maybe the last time. She told them that she will leave the country.

“It’s a secret, but I can assure you it’s far from here” Dara answered.

“Far from T.O.P. you should say” Bom said while checking her newly manicured nails. They we’re at the Salon of Bom.

“Just stay here Dara, please” CL pleaded.

“CL I have to go, this is for my own good. Trust me” Dara explained.

“How long will you be gone?” Bom asked.

“I don’t know Bom, I might stay there for good” Dara said.

“You’ll forget him eventually; you don’t have to go far away” CL said. “Time will heal you Dara”

“I know but I have to do most of the healing” Dara said. “Let’s not talk about him okay guys?” Dara said to them, wanting to end the topic immediately. She can’t definitely hide from her friends. She’s a terrible liar and it shows in their poker games, she’s a lousy bluffer. She then remembered her consequences where TOP also suffered. She needs to stop it now, as she promised to TOP.

“Before I forget, Minzy, stop the news about TOP. Bom, no more articles about him and don’t publish the photo in any of your magazines” Minzy’s expression was full of disappointment but didn’t say anything. Bom just nodded and continues to check her nail art.

“You still have to attend our yearly poker match” CL said and the rest agreed with her.

“I’ll try” Dara just said, not knowing if she could keep their tradition. It would be expensive to go back and forth from where she would be staying. They will have to go to her place instead and that would be impossible considering all their works.

“Dara-” the three complained in unison but Dara shut them off.

“I can’t stay here” She said immediately.

“Because of TOP” Bom concluded. Minzy nodded in agreement with her statement.

“No, it’s my decision to leave the country. I think I need a break from all the work” Dara lied partly.

“By leaving us? And not coming back ever” Bom accused her.

“Probably” Dara said, just playing around with them. She’ll return once she’s okay.

“You should not be a coward Dara. You have to face him and stay strong. We are here for you. You know that right?” CL said.

“I’m not running away from the problem. I’m actually solving it. You guys are right, TOP is the reason why I’m leaving. I want to go away because it hurts so much and I know I did this to me, to him.” Dara spilled it. There’s no sense in lying now. They already know it, so it’s a moot point at hiding it.

“What if you say sorry to him and He will say sorry to you too? And then you guys can start over” Minzy suggested, but Dara shook her head.

“Not likely to happen. Saying sorry is out of the character for TOP” Dara explained.

“You don’t know, maybe He really loves you, and doesn’t want you to leave.”

“What if he forgave what you did? You’ll never know if you don’t at least try it” Bom said in an almost dreamy voice.

“Well, I’ll say sorry the next time I see him” But Dara knows it will be a slim chance to see him again. She will make sure of that, to never see TOP again.

“I have to go, I have a photoshoot with The League” The League is a modelling agency.

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Dara was driving through the city; she maneuvered through the busy streets to get to the building of The League Agency. When she found the building and parked her car on her allotted slot on the lot her phone rang. She answered it.

“Hello Mr Park, where are you?” It was agency’s secretary Ms. Go

“Ms. Go, I just pulled over. I’m on my way up there” Dara said. She was a little late because of her friends that are bugging her to promise to return. She had to lie through her teeth so that she’d be allowed to go. “Sorry I was late”

“It’s okay the models just came in and are just preparing.” She said. “Your timing is great. I just called to check if you haven’t got lost” 

“The place is not that hard to find. Thank you though” Dara said as she grabs all her gadgets. Her assistant was already in the building setting up all her equipments with the staff of The League.

The League modelling agency will be having a search for the next top model in partnership with HotTv and I was chosen to shoot the models to be used for the duration of the show. If they like my work they might get me as one of the photographers for the show for one of the challenges that the contestants will be doing. I accepted this because it will be a huge project for me but I don’t think I will be able to shoot them further in the show, her flight will be scheduled next week.

When all her things are with her she locked her car and stride towards the entrance.

“Hello, Dara. Small world right?” said a voice that even she doesn’t see his face, she already know who it is.

“What are you doing here?” She asked TOP. She just said to herself that it will be a slim chance they will see each other again but she guess that the world we are living in is small for the both of them.

“Well, this is my modelling agency, so it’s you they got for the photoshoot” He said. Dara was speechless. What does this guy doesn’t own in this place? It’s like everywhere I go he’s there and he owns something in there too.

“I’ll help you with that” He said and grabbed her stuff with one hand and started to walk in to the building. Dara grab her stuffs back from him.

“Give my things back” She said.

“Suit yourself” TOP just shrugged. “I’m just reminding you this isn’t the last time we’ll see each other” He said and walk out of the place again and she was left by the stairs. Dara breathe in deeply. She will just do this one last project and then she’ll be out of this country, away from TOP.

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She shot twelve hot guys, with all their half- glory but none of them caught her attention. It’s like she can’t look at them anymore, like no matter how hard she looks at them she’ll never feel something for them.

The shoot is basically a group shot, the models will be lying on lighted glass with only in their jeans and she will shoot them from the top. The shoot wasn’t hard to do because I didn’t have to coach the models because they already know what to do, well most of them.

After the groups shots will be individual shots with the models, it’s going to be a tight frame, it will be close ups of the boys’ faces with little make up and of course topless. They had a break before they start the individual shoot.

“Hi miss Dara” one of the contestants approached her. Luckily the guy has some shirt on because even though she’s not attracted to any of them it’s still awkward to talk to someone who is shirtless and has a god-given body, it’s distracting, which only reminds her TOP’s body and it’s not a very good thought to go in to.

“Hi” She said. She was introduced to the models and vice versa but she couldn’t remember the name of this guy.

“Aren’t you going to have a break?” He asked.

“No, I’ll stay here and try to sort out the frames that can be used for the show” Dara said while checking her laptop with the pictures she’d taken.

“Take a break” He said and gave her a cup of coffee. It was kind of sweet of him to prepare her coffee. It was getting late and it will help her boost her energy. She accepts the coffee and said thanks. Her conscience bugs her, she doesn’t even know the name of this guy.

A few moments later some of the contestants joined in. They kind of get into fun conversations, She showed them the pictures that she have taken and gave them pints for the individual shots so it will all come out nicely.

“Hey Miss Dara do you have a boyfriend” one of them asked suddenly.

“No, I want to focus on my work” She answered. The guys booed and some showed disappointment.

“Wow workaholic, that’s my type of girl” The guy who gave her coffee said. She smiled but didn’t say anything to that. She didn’t want to be rude, they guys are so nice to her.

“Well you’re not her type” Someone said from behind her. Even though she didn’t turn she’s sure that it was TOP who talked. She was surprised to see him here; she thought He left the building when she got there. Her anger surfaced, why is he here? Does he have work in his office?

The models were shocked but didn’t say anything. All of them slowly got away and by the time TOP was in front of her, the guys were all gone.

“Dara, Let’s talk” He said.

“I’m busy working” Dara sat down and face her laptop and tried to find something to do to prove her point to TOP. She doesn’t want to see him, what more talk to?

“I’m the boss here, and it’s your break time”

“Then fire me”

TOP Grabs her arm and dragged her out of the room and into another room. It was a conference room.

“What is your problem?” Dara cussed at him. When they were alone, this is not good especially when they are both alone. She can’t make a run for it, he was by the door.

“You!” He shouted at her.

“What did I do now?” Dara asked confused because she doesn’t know what she did now that made TOP angry at her.

“You are shamelessly flirting with those models!” He said. Unbelievable! She was insulted to her core. That’s was the last thing she would do. She wants to get rid of a man, why would she find another by flirting, if she doesn’t want any man in her life? That’s why she’s still wearing her ring.

“I am not!” She said fighting the urge to cry.

“Oh come on, I know what I saw” He said. It was useless, a moot point to try and explain yourself; his mind is a closed one. He is incorrigible.

“Why do you even care?!” Dara said.

“So, you are really flirting with them! You are so unprofessional Dara”

Dara slaps him, and she bursts into tears. TOP couldn’t move due to the shock of Dara’s slap to his face. Her hand left a red mark into TOP’s cheek.

“Dara-” I pushed him out of the way.

“Just leave me alone please?” She said to him and opened the door.

“Dara…” TOP grabbed her arm again before she could go out completely.

“ing leave me alone!!!” She shoves him away and ran back towards the photoshoot room. Dara wanted to leave everything behind and just jump on a plane so she’ll be far away from TOP.