It’s hard to do something good

Ji raised his glass to the locals that were toasting his health and thought for the nth time whether he should thank them or punch each of them in the face.

Five more minutes and he would have completed “The Corruption of Head Nurse Park Sandara”.

So, he should be grateful, obviously. If he’d followed the episode to its natural conclusion, Dara would now be steeped in embarrassment and regret.

He remembered her anguished gasp when she realized that they have been spotted. Even in the semi-darkness he was aware of the rise of heat on her cheeks.Narrow escape for her.And for HIM, he told himself firmly. It was enough to be back in Jeju. He didn’t need to have that in his conscience as well.

He drank deeply… trying to obliterate all thought of the way she tasted and the way her body had felt pressed against him. She’d been lithe, slender, slippery in the water –

“Kwon Ji Yong! Am I drunk or are you really just drinking that Orange Juice?”

Ji looked at Mr. Yuri. “You are drunk Sir and I am indeed drinking orange juice.”

“That looks like it’s perfect for a picnic… not a drinking session” the old man told him wryly.

He offered a laconic smile at that observation and had to shake his head when he was reminded of an image of Dara in that flowing skirt who walked up to him just this morning and ate with him on the beach of –

“When I offered to buy you a drink” Nandeuk, one of the fishermen in the area told him “I meant a man’s drink.”

“Leave the man alone” Cho Yuan, the Island Policeman slapped Ji on the back “A hero can relax anyway he wants and personally I’m glad it’s not alcohol. It will save me the bother of arresting him for drunk-driving later.”

Mr. Yuri hiccupped “Your old man knew how to drink.”

An uncomfortable silence fell on the rest of the group who’ve had lees to drink than Mr. Yuri but Ji just nodded “He certainly did.”

“Couldn’t have been easy living with that.”

“You want me to cry on your shoulder?”

Mr. Yuri shuddered “You know what I want to know Dr. Kwon?” His eyes suddenly shined so brightly that Ji had to raise his eyebrow at the sudden look of mischief on the old man “I want to know who the girl at the beach was. I really really do.”

So they had seen, Ji thought. “No one.”

“Bet she was pretty. You young man did always get the pretty ones. Hey everyone…” Mr. Yuri raised his glass and called to attention all the people in the pub “Ji Yong was in the waves with NO ONE.”

“At least NO ONE can’t nag at you” someone muttered and Mr. Yuri gave a snort.“She was real enough.”

“Well… we can torture it out of him” Yuan suggested “You have the right to remain silent –“

“And I intend to” Ji drawled, his face expressionless as a slow burning anger ignited itself within him. Anger at himself and for what he’d almost done. If they had seen that it was Dara, what would have that done to her reputation? She was decent and sweet and as she’d pointed out that she was going to be staying here even after his stint in helping Seunghyun at the clinic.

She was also a shy and very private person who would have hidden in the ground rather than have her name tossed around like this in a pub.And with his selfish actions, he’d almost destroyed everything she’d worked hard for.He lifted his glass again, remembering the shyness and the desperate excitement in her eyes in the last seconds before he’d given in to impulse and kissed her. She’d wanted him… badly. And he felt disgusted… at himself for taking advantage of that… for not walking away.

He had no idea how much ual experience she had but he was sure her lifestyle didn’t have her engaging in unemotional meaningless affairs like he did.

He stared at the bunch of locals gathered around the table, laughing and joking at his expense.

He had to be thankful to them.If it weren’t for them, he’d now be suffering from regret instead of ual frustration. And Dara… Dara would have assured him in that pure and strong voice of hers that everything was alright but deep down she’d have been horrified at herself for indulging in a moment of madness with a delinquent like him.

Or worse… she’d be looking at him with those beautifully huge coffee eyes, asking him for something he could never really give.

Ji drained his glass, knowing that probably for the first time in his life, he’d done the right thing.With a humorless laugh, he studied the empty glass sure of one thing… if doing the right thing felt this bad, he wasn’t going to make a habit of it.