A devil’s fight for an angel

“Hyung will kill all of us” Daesung managed to say to Youngbae as they discarded their bikes almost at the same time.

“Man…” Youngbae said in between breaths as they both prepared for the sprint “You think we should just quit?”

Daesung shook his head and managed to say as he started sprinting “I think… we… should fall in love.”

Ahead of them, they watched Jiyong finishing with the sprint and already starting for the swim. It was unprecedented and they knew, almost impossible really but the pace with which the man had taken on the challenge was both scary and incredibly fantastic.

What was also incredible and fantastic was just right behind him, the lawyer was almost done with the sprint too.

The crown was going wild with anticipation as the announcer’s voice boomed throughout the beach.

“If Dr. Kwon Jiyong continues in this phase, he’ll end up not only winning this preliminary round but setting a record as well. No one has ever finished the deadly mountain race in 15 minutes time and let’s not forget, Atty. Park Jay is doing amazing feats as well. I haven’t seen any of them swim and the strain of the speed with which they took on the dirt track and the relay can have a toll on their leg muscles. We’ll have to watch!”

Youngbae knew full well how much Jiyong prepared for the triathlon and his performance showed it. He was, however, surprised at the will that Jay was showing.

He didn’t know much about the man but he knew that if his persistence was anything to go by, the lawyer was infallible.

He sped up his sprint, starting to run close to Daesung who was now the third guy in the race. He looked ahead and glimpsed Ji nearing the finish line.

“Didn’t he just start swimming?!?!?!” his brain exploded in awe.

As he finally hit the water, he heard the crown chant “DR. KWON! DR. KWON! DR. KWON!”

And there he was, the man of the hour, his best friend, rising from the sea and onto dry land. Jiyong didn’t even seem tired nor out of breath. He immediately sprinted towards the finish line – only a hundred meters away.

The whole beach was now chanting in thunderous levels the name of a man they had once thought the worst of, a man they called the Dragon… a man they feared and shunned.

Youngbae was not an emotional man but as he swam, he knew that the salt he tasted didn’t just come from the sea but from his very own eyes.

He had always hoped this for Jiyong because ever since they were kids, he’d always known the man was someone great. He and the guys had only hoped Ji would find a reason to stay but what Dara gave him was much more – it was the love and respect of people that his best friend, in truth, also loved and respected.

Feeling emotions overwhelming him, he stopped and decided he wanted to watch the man finish the race.

Jiyong was now only 30 meters away from the finish line and the lawyer had begun to rise from the sea too – looking more determined than ever.

Seeming to feel his competitor approach, Ji even looked back a split second before finally rushing towards the finish line.

The crowd broke out in excitement as the announcer also let out a whoop of delight.

A new wave of “DR. KWON!” chants broke through the air and after more than a month, Youngbae finally saw Jiyong smile wholeheartedly – a smile he had last seen when his best friend announced to him he was admitting his love for Dara.

With his fist raised in the air, Youngbae saw Teddy and Mai run towards Jiyong and hug him.

The lawyer had followed Ji to the finish line soon after and his brother extended a hand to the man.

Jay looked crestfallen but Ji’s hand remained extended.

An eternity almost stretched out before any movement came from the lawyer and as everyone looked to see him finally extend his hand too, a scream slashed through the air.

“Jay Park!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Everyone looked at the other end of the beach and saw, probably, the most amazing site in the world - Dara, in a wheel chair.


“It’s Nurse Park! She’s finally awake” the announcer mentioned, his voice a complete reflection of Youngbae’s feelings – shocked.

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Fated

Dara’s eyes had immediately searched for Ji as soon as she arrived at the beach.

She felt her heart almost stop at the sight of him extending a hand to Jay and didn’t know what to make of it. People were chanting his name but she didn’t know if it was because he won or if it was because he had lost and they were supporting him.

A thousand things flowed through her mind and all she thought of was that she needed to tell Jay the truth. She owed him that before she could finally go to where she wanted to go.

And so it was without pause that she shouted his name.

In the immediacy of everyone’s surprised reaction, she was drawn back to Jiyong who was looking at her with so much happiness and longing, she cursed the fates for the situation that had made it impossible for her to dash to him then and there.

Yet, as Jay now ran towards where she was, she saw pain color Jiyong’s eyes as swiftly as the happiness it had shined with rise up a few seconds ago.

Jay was almost scrambling to get to her but Ji remained rooted to the spot.

“Dara!” Jay called out as he neared her and as much as it was going to break her heart for what she was going to have to say to him, she smiled and raised up her hands to welcome him in a hug.

He was still one of her dearest friends, one of those who had stood by her, whatever happened in the world.

“You’re awake” Jay announced happily as he hugged her hard against himself. “I can’t believe it… this is a miracle.”

“Atty. Park” Seunghyun’s voice cut in “Please… Dara has just recovered and we have not yet had time to examine her, please hug her carefully.”

Jay immediately let her go, contrite but still very very happy. He took her hands in his and kissed them. “I can’t believe you’re back… you’re healed… you’re here now.”

She bit her lip, hoping that her tears would not get the better of her for she had so much to say to him… hoping he would understand. “Jay… I –“

“DARA!”

They all looked up to see Jiyong standing right across her, looking as if he was readying himself to climb a mountain, unyielding mixed with his usual stance of arrogance. She had never seen him more sure of himself than now.

“Jiyong, you –“ Bom was not able to continue anymore as Ji raised his hand to stop her.

“Please” he began “I need to talk to her… just let me talk to her…”

Seunghyun put a hand on his shoulder “Let her talk to Jay first and then –“

“No” Ji answered “I have to talk to her now.”

Jay stood up from where he kneeled and faced him “She called out to me Dr. Kwon. I believe she wants to talk to me first.”

“I know that” Ji answered but brushed off the lawyer and walked towards Dara. Jay was going to stop him but Seungri, who suddenly appeared clasped the lawyer’s arm and shook his head.

Dara felt herself almost choke up as a need to hold Jiyong shook her. He looked at her and she was back in their family’s orchard, being asked to enter their house… being asked to take that leap.

“You may not remember me” Ji began “I’m not sure if you would know me at all and you might be wondering in your mind who I am but  right now, what’s important to me is that I let you know who you are to me.”

He had misunderstood.

“You don’t –“ He kneeled to be more level with her and everything else faded for Dara, even the sentence she was trying to form to clarify the situation to him.

Jiyong took a deep breath and took her hand “I’ve spent my entire life running from relationships or ruining them the very first chance I got. I’ve never given anyone the opportunity to hurt me but you… you crept up on me Sandara Park” he gave her the sweetest smile “You never allowed me to wallow in my pain. You never judged me for what I did… for the things I’ve done. You listened to me like no one ever had before and when I walked away from you… you let me. You understood me even if it was already hurting you too.”

She heard someone sniff from somewhere but all she could look at was Jiyong’s eyes, fighting back the tears.

“I don’t deserve you… I don’t know if I ever will but I will give my whole life trying” he paused, bit his lip as he looked for the right words – chose how to phrase what he wanted to tell her next  “If all you remember is Jay, I apologize now because whether you like it or not, we’ve both made an agreement and I just won that. It means I will be the one to look after you, I will be the one to be with you everyday and even if you push me away, I will just stay right beside you because I believe that eventually, your heart will remember who I am.”

“I won’t ever give up on you Dara… I’ve already tried so I know I can’t… I’m really sorry if you think I’m hurting you but you see… I love you.”

She felt a dam of emotion break through her and unable to hold it in anymore, she pulled her hands from his hold and put them on her face and cried.

Ji immediately stood up from his kneeling position and went to her.

“I’m sorry Dara” he whispered as he uncovered her face and wiped her tears with his thumbs.
How many times had she dreamed of hearing those words from him? She finally found the voice to speak “Are you saying I can’t get rid of you even if I wanted to?”

He looked really apologetic but answered without any shred of doubt “No Dara… you can’t.”

“You won’t leave me?”

“I won’t.”

“But you say you love me…”

“I do… that’s why I’m not going to ever let you go.”

She didn’t know if she could hold it in anymore. She shook her head in helplessness.

She should have known that things wouldn’t go as she planned – that had never been the way with Jiyong.

She had wanted to give Jay a proper goodbye before going to him but the good doctor had railroaded everyone just to get to her… much like the way he had bulldozed his way into her heart.

Dara smiled at him – enjoying the look of confusion that slowly worked its way into his eyes and decided that this was the perfect time to finally tell him.

“I remember you Ji… I’ve never forgotten…” she began and in a play of his very words “I’ve already tried so I know I can’t… I’m really sorry that I wasn’t able immediately say it but you see… I love you too.”

There was a cheer from everyone around them and Ji folded her into his arms.

“You wench” he whispered for her ears only as he peppered her face with kisses “You scared me… I nearly went out of my mind… You awful woman…”

“Is she marrying him?” the voice on the announcer now belonged to Mr. Yuri and they both turned to see almost the whole of the population of the island looking on.

“He hasn’t asked her yet” Chaerin answered loudly, making Dara’s heart stumble.

Ji asked everyone “What does a person have to do to get privacy on this island?”

“Well?” It was Mr. Yuri’s voice again “You can’t expect us to not want to see the ending Doc.”

“The first and only time I propose to a woman and I have to do it with an audience.”

Dara tugged at his hand as he pulled up from her “You don’t have to do this Ji. We can just live together… you don’t need to –“

He put a finger over her lips, his eyes gentle “Haven’t you listened to a word I said? THAT isn’t what I want because what I want is to make sure you’re chained to me so you can’t run off easily when you realize what you’ve married.”

She gasped as he kneeled in front of her again and with a wicked gleam, he took her hand in a very exaggerated gesture “What do you say? Can you marry a reprobate like me?”

“Jiyong!!!” There was a disgusted snort from Bom “You’re supposed to make it romantic! You already started out great. You should at least tell her you love her again!”

“I think the way I look now after almost killing myself for her already says quite a lot” Ji responded lightheartedly to Bom.

“JIYONG!!!!!” both Bom and Seunghyun exclaimed in unison.

Half-laughing, half-crying, Dara looked at down at him “I think she’s right though. You should definitely say you love me again because that’s the most important bit.”

He looked back at her with a smile.

“I love you Sandara Park” This time his voice was serious “I can’t imagine a day not loving you. Will you marry me?”

Would she even consider saying no to him?

“I will… of course I will” she answered as tears began to spill down her cheeks again.

Instantly, Jiyong was on his feet, his expression horrified as he scooped her face into his hands. “What’s wrong?” he asked in worry “All my life, I’ve been making women cry because I wouldn’t say those words and now that I’ve finally said them, you’re crying.”

“I’m crying because I’m happy” she answered and pressed her lips to his palm.

“Somebody tell us what her answer is. Some of the people out here can’t hear a thing.”

“She said Yes Mr. Yuri. She’s marrying him!” Chaerin yelled in a voice so loud that they both flinched.

Cheers and hoots erupted throughout the beach but everything was drowned out for her as Jiyong carried her into his arms. “Recover fast for me ok?” he murmured against “I’ve got a thousand things on my mind it would be criminal for me to do right now.”

“Dr. Kwon!!!” she responded in mock irritation and laughed.

Dara guessed he would always be a bad boy but that was not a problem for her as long as he was HER bad boy.

“Let’s get out of here” Ji told her as they headed towards the ambulance “I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again Mrs. Kwon.”

– THE END –