DARA’S POV

A week had passed after that fateful night. I was very grateful with how Jiyong didn’t even ask me how the night went. My feet were hurt, badly wounded even. But they weren’t the reason why I cried. I couldn’t even feel the pain the wounds brought me.

I didn’t even know the exact reason why I cried, in the first place.

Jiyong never asked why. Instead, he just took care of me every day as if I was really a patient. He even told me to take a week off from work which I willfully declined. I was the stubborn one among the two of us, but he won over me.

Maybe I was just too tired… but maybe he was also right. He told me to rest and that he’ll stay all week with me. That was when the argument built up. He was willing to be absent for a week just to take care of me? Come on!

Eventually, though, he stayed with me all week, attending to my needs. I didn’t even need them, anyway. I could manage them myself but he insisted. He was more stubborn than me, I realized.

But I was also grateful of him. He stayed with me, choosing me over his studies. And most of all, he seemed to understand what I was going through all week. I was thankful I wouldn’t be able to go out because I wasn’t ready to face anyone. If I would see the old geezer, Danny, or even that Teddy monkey, I was afraid I would break once again.

I don’t want to be the weakling Dara I once was. She had disappeared from my life since Jiyong came. But as new people came into my life, the weakling me gradually came back, making me more vulnerable.

I breathed in first before I stepped off the cab. I hugged the bouquet of flowers I bought before I came here.

I slowly took a step on the well-mowed grass. I took another step and each of them became heavier before the other one.

One year... it has been a year since he left me. That fast, eh? I didn’t even realize it until Jiyong reminded me of it. He insisted of coming with me too, but I refused. He had been absent for a week and then he’ll take another absence because of me? No way.

A year had passed since my father’s death. It brought me too many overwhelming emotions for the past months. I found myself breaking down thinking of his death, thinking of how he left me suddenly, like he was just part of a far-flung memory of the past. It was hard, yes. But I got through it. And eventually, I became stronger as each day passed by.

A year… I haven’t even visited his grave since he was buried that day. I was afraid that I would break down once again. But now, I was proud of myself that I even got this far.

A smile was plastered on my lips as I neared my destination. I clutched the bouquet of flowers close to me.

However, my tracks stopped and my smile faltered as I saw that there was someone who got here first before I did.

For a while, I stood there, unmoving. I didn’t know what to do. Walk up to him and tell him that he doesn’t have the right of visiting my father? Turn away and just leave as if I just didn’t witness him paying respect to my father?

Later, I chose the second option. But when I turned around, I found Danny standing in front of me. He bowed low as he greeted me.

“It has been a year, Miss Sandara,” Danny said.

I just stared at him, refusing to answer. I wanted to leave immediately, but my feet wouldn’t cooperate. So I found myself standing beside Danny, overseeing the numerous graves in front of us and especially, the old geezer paying respect in front of my father’s grave.

“Why don’t you pay respect to him too?” Danny asked.

“I suddenly lost the will to do it,” I said, voice cold.

“Is it because he’s also here?”

I stared at him, but eventually looked away.

“He visits him every day, Miss Sandara,” he shared.

“I couldn’t care less,” I mumbled.

“He never missed a day since he came to Seoul,” he continued.

I remained silent, not knowing what to say.

“Can’t you see the sincerity on his actions, Miss Sandara?” he asked.

I watched the old geezer. He was paying respects alright, bowing, kneeling, and repeating the actions all over again. I lost count of the times he did them.

As he stood up from kneeling and bowing, he almost fell to the side. I flinched as I almost ran to his side. But he was able to gain balance and was able to stand upright, repeating the same actions all over again.

I stared at Danny who seemed unfazed on his spot. “He refuses my help every time he falls to the ground or almost stumbling down. He said that it’s alright. He said that the pain he’s suffering from kneeling and bowing wasn’t at the same level as the pain you and your father felt.”

I furrowed my brows.

He stared at me. “He’s getting weaker each day, Miss Sandara.”

“Then, why don’t you stop him?” I burst out, unable to control my feelings. I whipped my head towards the old geezer but it seemed like he didn’t hear me.

A small smile crept up his lips. “I always knew you care.”

I scowled at him, my fists clenching the bouquet of flowers on my hand. I wheeled on my heels and went to turn away. But I stopped on my tracks as I remembered something that had been bothering me since the day they appeared before me.

“I have a question,” I said, not turning to him.

“Yes, Miss Sandara?”

“How…” I trailed off. “How did you find me?”

There was silence. I was about to continue walking away, convinced that he wasn’t going to answer it, when he started talking. “I received a letter from Mister Jiyong.”

What?

My mind went blank. What was he saying? Jiyong wouldn’t do that.

“Jiyong wouldn’t do that,” I said.

“But he did,” Danny said. “And your grandfather was most thankful to him.”

JIYONG’S POV

I went home from school that day, tired and stressed. From the week-off I had, I missed a lot – quizzes, exams, projects. The professors gave me a chance to take them all this week. And I spent all my free time in the library, studying.

“I’m home…” I called, my voice tired. Though exhausted, I was looking forward of seeing Dara. Since she came, she became the reason for me to smile even though I was tired and stressed.

I immediately went straight to the kitchen, figuring that she might have prepared our dinner, the usual she does every time she went home from work and me from school. However, I found it empty.

“Must have been tired,” I mumbled. “I’ll cook instead.”

But before deciding on what to cook, I headed to the bedroom first, where I found her back facing me. I crawled beside her, wrapping my arm on her waist.

“I’m home…” I cooed.

I didn’t expect an answer from her, sensing that she must be asleep and tired from work. But what she did shocked me. She roughly removed my arm from her waist.

“Dara?” I called, I was about to caress her hair when she sensed it and slapped my hand away.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted.

I was shocked. What was wrong with her?

“Dara…” I called again. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked. She then turned to me. “You want me to talk to you?”

I just stared at her, confused on what she was at.

“Why don’t you talk to me instead about you informing the old geezer of my whereabouts, eh? Jiyong?! Tell me!”

I stared at her in shock. How did she find out? Did Danny-ssi tell her about it?

“What?! You can’t talk to me about that? Just that? And you want me to talk about why I am being like this? Eh?!”

I remained shock, unable to think of what to tell her.

“Fine then! Suit yourself! I’ll tell you exactly why I am being like this!” she shouted.

I found myself frozen, eyes wide. I never saw her this mad. She was really fuming in anger.

“Well, tell you what. I felt betrayed, Ji! How could you do this to me, Jiyong! I trusted you. All this while, you were my confidante. I was grateful that you didn’t ask that many question and I trusted you with that, thinking that I could trust you that you wouldn’t ever meddle on my business. I didn’t even realize you have this nature in you, Ji! You betrayed me!”

She stopped. I stared at her, reaching out but she leaned away.

“I am not yet done, Ji!” she shouted, pool of tears forming in her eyes. “I felt bad! I don’t know why but I did. I felt guilty! I felt guilty for hiding from them! I never wanted to show myself, yes, that had been established since the day I opened that one letter. But the moment they appeared in front of me like magic, I felt guilty, especially when I got to finally meet that old geezer…”

She trailed off. She looked down, refusing to look me in the eye. Finally, the tears she held back dropped.

“He was old… he was not looking good… he was as good as dead if you have just seen him that close…” she said, voice turning soft at each phrase. “I felt guilty… seeing him like that. I built a barricade of my own, promising to myself not to let him enter my life ever again. But a part of my heart slowly crumbled at how he looked sincere…”

Eventually, she looked up at me, tears pouring down endlessly on her cheeks. There was pain in her eyes, which she never masked. All this time, she stayed strong and never showed how afraid and vulnerable she was, but this time, she broke down in front of me, not minding it anymore.

“I’m not supposed to be feeling bad, Ji…” she said, voice softening. “I’m not supposed to feel guilty…” she choked down a sob. “After all, they tried to buy me… they tried to offer me a good future. I should feel mad at them, right? It’s only right for me to get angry at them, right, Ji?” she gripped on my shirt as she stared deep into my eyes, asking the question through them. She leaned her head on my chest as she sobbed further. “I don’t know what to feel anymore… I am confused.”

I raised my hand and slowly her back as she continued crying. I raised the other one as I wrapped my arms around her.

“You’ll eventually find the answer.”

We stayed like that for a long time. She went silent but I can still hear her sniffs. If it weren’t for them, I would have thought she fell asleep already.

“I’m sorry, baby…” I whispered.

DARA’S POV

Although it was Jiyong who stayed with me all night while I cried, I still felt bad at him for telling Danny and the old geezer of my whereabouts. However, he already apologized last night. I heard it even though he just whispered it.

For three days, we haven’t talked that much. Maybe some curt responses, nods, or shakes of the head but nothing more than exchanging more than two sentences. We still eat together during dinner but that’s only it. And we still shared the same bed, though we didn’t really cuddle like we used to, instead we stayed on each side of the bed. However, I always wake up still in his arms.

He must have sensed my silence but chose to remain silent.

And it pissed me off. I want him to make a move and what is he doing?

Aish!

Before my thoughts could wander off more, Jiyong showed himself in front of me… in a suit, with a guitar on hand.

I felt my heart skipped a beat as I stared at him from head to toe. He was… gorgeous. He smiled at me as I tried looking away, embarrassed for being caught gawking on him. But eventually, my eyes wandered off towards him once again… unconsciously.

In a matter of seconds, I felt myself stopped breathing.

“Omo~ Unnie! Who’s he? He is so cool!” Jungmi squealed beside me.

“YA! Have you forgotten? That’s Dara-unnie’s boyfriend!” Hayi materialized beside me.

Jiyong cleared his throat. After a while, he started singing.

“Baby, can you please listen, girl?

I love you from the very first time we met

From the very first time you smiled

Baby, can you please listen, my baby girl?

You’re killing me with your silence

Don’t kill me, don’t shun me away

Baby, can we please talk, my baby girl?

I miss you so much, your smile, your face that brightens up my day

I miss you in my arms, I miss you and it kills me.

Baby, please

Baby, listen

I am sorry

But just remember

I love you

That’s the only thing that matters the most.

Baby…”

As he strummed the last note, I felt my heart skipped a beat as I saw a tear escaped his eye. I was overwhelmed. I wasn’t expecting this. I was expecting a simple talk or something of that sort, but here he is, surprising me.

Jiyong remained standing there, not minding the whispers surrounding him. I looked around the café. Everyone was looking at him quizzically. And what caught my eye was a group of ladies who were gawking on the gorgeousness of my boyfriend, even stealing some pictures. One of them even stood up and her friends pushed her towards him.

Without much thinking, I stepped off my working station.

“Unnie!” Jungmi called. “Are you just going to leave him like that?”

I stared at Jiyong as he stared back at me with a shocked expression. I did not answer Jungmi’s question, and although they all expected me to turn to Jiyong, perhaps to forgive him or hug him or something, I made my way away from Jiyong instead.

---------

*poster credits to BJVIP4ever