CHAPTER EIGHT
[Where They Met]

FLASHBACKS

"I'm sorry for your lost, Ms. Park." The girl could not even return the condolences of the people around her. Why not? She was informed that her mother died from a long time illness and she didn't have the slightest idea. Everything was hidden to her. Her mom didn't tell her that she was already dying as times passes. She could have done something. If she knew, she could give her whole attention in taking care of her. If she had known, she could have been with her until her last breath. But she wasn't and so dozens of emotions were flowing when she found out about it.

She didn't know why her mother kept it from her. She only said she had a business meeting for three months. She even said that she would be back and will give her souvenirs. Yeah right! She did return, in a coffin as a souvenir. She stayed in Jeju on her last dying days. Her mom's friends said that she wanted to die without telling me because she wanted her daughter to picture her as the loving and strong mother. She also wanted to die on the place her father met his demise.

She was just standing there, not minding the people around. No tears were flowing but just a blank expression. Her mother's ashes were in front with her most beautiful picture. Her mom was the epitome of beauty and she does resemble her but was hidden with her everyday off-the-season fashion sense (in short, nerd). Her mom is one of the influential people in the business world so no wonder there were so many people on the wake.

She had been standing on the side for hours without any rest. Her friends and her mom's friends were trying to force her to even take a rest but she was as cold as a stone.

"Dara-ah, please eat even just a cookie." Bom said as she was offering her a plate of cookies.

She looked at her friend with the same expression and shook her head.

"Dara, snap out of it already! You should take a rest too. Do you want to be just like your mother?" Chaerin didn't mean to say such words but she could not take another look at her bestfriend's state.

They just looked at her and to their surprise, she started to move away from them and went outside.

"Chaerin dear, you should watch your words for once. We all know what Dara is having now. Please be sensitive to other's feelings." Chaerin's mom said.

"I know, mom. I just don't want to see her like this." she heaved a sigh.

The two middle-aged women looked at the picture of their friend. "Don't worry Mina, we will take care of your daughter." Mrs. Lee said. Bom's mom nodded as if promising as well and put a hand unto Mrs. Lee's shoulder.

Chaerin looked at the two women and pictured the three of them- Dara, Bom, and her- with the same page as their mothers- Bestfriends forever. She glanced to her right and she thought she saw a retreating figure going out. It seems familiar to her but she just didn't mind it for she thought it was just one of the people here on the wake.

She also looked at Mrs. Park. "Auntie Mina, take care wherever you are. I will never leave Dara alone. I promise you." and a tear fell on her eye.

"You two should understand more than anything. It's very painful for us what more to Dara." The girls nodded to Bom's mom. "Bom sweetie, please check on her. She needs to be alone for now but we still need to be more cautious on her." Bom again nodded and followed her mother's order.



Meanwhile...


Dara was walking away from the wake without any particular direction. Her mind was blank and she didn't even mind if a car would bumped her. She stopped in front of a tree. It was a Sakura tree. It's blossoming perfectly for it was spring. If this was just an ordinary day, she would appreciate the beauty of it. She had always like spring because it would only mean new beginning. But for now, it would not give her the happiness she once had. It could no longer heal her stressed heart and mind but instead it gave her more pain for now she realized that every beauty has its end. Every life follows death. And that one fact she could no longer deny.

A gush of wind appeared and it made some flowers fell that it looked like a rain. And by that second, tears finally fell from her eyes. The first cry she had when she discovered her mother was already dead. She then balled herself under the tree and cried endlessly.

"Umma, you're very bad! Why did you leave me? Are you that desperate to go after appa? You will just leave me alone? I can't do anything by myself. You know I don't like being alone." she finally said what's been hidden in her heart. She didn't want to say anything in front of her mother's ashes. She could not have a heart to scold her mother in front of everyone.

"You're mom left you but it didn't mean that you're already alone." A voice interrupted her moment of misery.

She chose not to look at the man beside her. "You didn't lose anyone so you have no right to tell me that." she gritted her teeth. How this brute would just tell her that.

"Yes, I know but if you drown yourself with misery then you will really feel alone. It's all about choices and you are choosing wrong." he said.

She wanted to retaliate but his words hit her hard. It was not her mother's fault that she had the disease. The only wrong she did was not telling her about it. She now realized that her mom must have her reasons but she was just blinded by the pain she felt.

She sniffed before looking at the man. He was standing beside her so she had to look up to see his face. Because of the sunlight, she was not able to see him clearly.

"One day, I'll be there for you so you won't be alone." he said and that made her confused.

"What?" she asked still trying to see his face. She was about to stand to level with this guy but someone called her from afar.

"Dara! Dara!" It was Bom. She turned to Bom's direction to call her.

"Bommie-ah!" Dara waved her hand. Bom saw her and smiled upon seeing her. She walked closer to where she was.

"Dara, are you okay?" she put her hands unto my shoulder and was looking at her from head to toe as if finding anything wrong to her.

"I'm okay. Why do you think I'm not alright?" Dara forced a smile to her.

"Well, you should have seen your state a while ago. You looked like a zombie! Thank God you're back!" she hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Boomie. I caused havoc to everyone." she was about to cry again.

"Yah! Your use of words is too much! As if you're an evil villain wanted to destroy the world." Bom slapped her arm lightly. She was tearing up but still chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" Bom was looking around. That's when she realized she spoke to someone a while ago. She looked back to where the man was standing but he was no longer there. She zoomed out her vision for maybe the guy was just somewhere near but there was no sign of him.

"What are you looking?" Bom asked curiously because she saw her looking everywhere.

"Did you see someone with me here?" Dara asked her hopefully.

Bom's brow rose. [color="#8B0000"]"Was there someone here with you?"

"Yes but he's gone."[/color] I glanced again to the surrounding.

"Dara, no one was here when I saw you." Dara's forehead creased. She was about to insist that there was really something but Bom interrupted.

"Dara, no one was here. Maybe it was your mind playing tricks on you because of your emotions." she put her hands again unto her shoulder and faced her with a serious expression.

Dara just nodded. "Come on, you need to take a rest first before we will do the ceremony. I know you're tired already and you haven't eaten anything since yesterday." Bom said then hold her elbow to assist her.

On the cue, she heard her stomach grumbled. She was indeed very hungry. She looked around for the last time convinced that the man was indeed just a pigment of her imagination.


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"Why are you here? I thought you'd be going to your aunt's house?" Seungri asked his hyung. He found his hyung on his couch when he thought he would be there with his relatives.

"They're not home. The maid said they went on a wake." Jiyong said. Seungri noticed the difference in his hyung's aura.

"Wake? Who died?" Seungri asked still eyeing him.

"A family friend." Jiyong just answered.

"Then, why is that you look like someone who lose a loved-one?" Seungri sat on the couch beside his hyung.

Finally, his hyung looked at him. For a second, he just stared at him and it creeps him out. "Yah hyung!"

"I never knew I could comfort a girl like that." he said then gazed away.

'comfort? a girl?' then something caught him. He slyly smiled at him. "Hyung, you just got here yesterday and you already comforted someone? You are naughty, hyung! Tschh..." he .

"Pabo! It's not what you think!" he slapped the back of his head.

"Ouch! Then, what do you mean by that?" he was massaging his head.

He heaved a sigh then looked at Seungri. "I went to the wake to see my aunt and cousin. I saw this girl on the side with a blank expression. All the guests were giving her condolences so I presumed that she was a family of the person who passed away. I saw my cousin walked to her and scolded her~"


Flashback of the flashback

Jiyong's POV


"Dara, snap out of it already! You should take a rest too. Do you want to be just like your mother?" Aishh...Chaerin could be very insensitive sometimes.

I saw her walked out mindlessly and they were just watching her with pain their eyes. I don't know what got in to me but I followed the girl outside and walked closely behind her. She was walking without any direction in mind so I was more determined to watch over her. She was walking lifelessly until we reached a Sakura tree.

She was looking at the tree with so much pain in her eyes. I also wandered my gaze up to the tree when a gush of wind appeared and was making the petals of the tree danced along to the wind. This is what I like about Sakuras, it lightens your mood. But instead of that, I heard a weep from the auburn-haired girl. The peace that was in my being was replaced by sadness and sympathy towards the girl. He knew that was the suppressed tears she's been keeping.

"Umma, you're very bad! Why did you leave me? Are you that desperate to go after appa? You will just leave me alone? I can't do anything by myself. You know I don't like being alone." I heard her say but still in a balled position. She was covering her face as if a kid lost in a big park.

He could no longer watch her like that. "You're mom left you but it didn't mean that you're already alone."

She was not looking at me. "You didn't lose anyone so you have no right to tell me that."

She's right. I don't even know her for Pete's sake but there was something about her that wanted me to be her knight and shield her from everything. "Yes, I know but if you drown yourself with misery then you will really feel alone. It's all about choices and you are choosing wrong."

She sniffed before looking at me. I was standing beside her so she had to look up to see my face. It was maybe difficult for her to see me since I was against the sun. Looking at her closely, I was lost in her eyes. 'She's beautiful...' I thought to myself. Yes, pain and sadness were visible but there was beauty with those puffy eyes.

For the nth time, I don't know what got into me. "One day, I'll be there for you so you won't be alone."

"What?" she asked still trying to see my face. She was about to stand to level with me but someone called her from afar.

"Dara! Dara!" a girl was calling her. She looked at the voice and waved her hand. That was when I decided to leave before someone would see me.

I hid on the nearest bush I could find. I don't why I hid but remembering the words I uttered a while ago, it made him red all over. It was embarrassing but he didn't regret saying those words. This girl, Dara, woke something inside me. It's not the right time to appear but one day I will and make her mine.

I saw them walking away and she even looked back to look for me. "Don't worry, Dara. I'll be back."

When they're completely gone, I went out from the place I hid and walked out from the place without any plans of meeting his relatives. He looked back one more time then went inside the car.



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Back to the Present...


"Really?! You were that guy?" Dara's eyes widen upon hearing his revelation. He nodded. She laughed unbelievably. "I thought it was just my imagination since you disappeared like a bubble.”

He leaned to reach for her lips and gave her a peck. "I understand. You were not on your right mind that time. I was a playboy back then so I still didn't have any idea what were my feelings."

"What made you realize that you already fell for me?" she asked him.

"I didn't go back to France immediately. I stayed here for a month and been stalking you." he looked at her thoughtfully.

Dara backed away from him. "OMG! You're a stalker! I should be scared!" her expression was exaggerated.

"Yah! I was just concern about you. You seemed suicidal at that time. It was a good thing Chaerin and Bom were there with you." when he said that, she came back to his hold and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much. If not coz of you, I might still be on the dark side. You made me realize that there were still light after my mother's death. I know she was at ease when she left because there are good people around me and that includes you." she initiated the kiss this time.

At first, it was gentle and careful but this idiot boyfriend of hers could not stay put. He deepened the kiss that it was already aggressive and determined. Not long after, she was already straddling over him on the couch. Oh by the way, they're on his pad.

Back to the action, his kisses went down to her chin to her neck and stayed there for a moment to leave marks as usual. She tilted her head for him to gain more access. Her hands were clinging on his neck while his hands were exploring every contour of her body. Lastly, his left hand went to the zipper of her blouse on the back and touched the bareness of her back. She arched on the simple contact and she already felt hot. She could also feel the bulge underneath her but she had to wait.

"Ji, s-stop t-teasing now..." she said holding on to him. As a response, Jiyong lied her down on the couch and was starting to undress her when Dara's phone suddenly rung. They intend to ignore it but the continued ringing was already annoying them.

"Ji, s-stop...it might be something important." she forced to get up from the couch and he groaned with frustration.

She picked up the phone and saw that it was Bom. She immediately answered the phone. "Hello, Bom?" she heard a breathing and if she was right also muffled sobbing on the other line. "Bommie, are you alright?"

She panicked when she can now clearly hear her crying. "Yah Bommie! What happened?" She looked at Jiyong who was now looking at her worriedly.

"D-Dara-ah, I need you." Bom managed to say between her cries.

"Okay, Bom. Where are you?" She fixed herself while still clutching the phone.

She told her the place and was about to turn off when she heard her again. "Dara, please go alone. I don't want anyone to see me like this."

She stopped at her track then faced Jiyong who was about to go with her. "Jiyong, sorry but I need to go alone."

"What? Why?" he looked at her questioningly.

"Bom said she wanted me to go alone. I'll just call you later, okay?" she pleads on him. She knows he would insist but she also had to succumb on her friend's request.

"Okay! But call me when you get there and tell me what happened." she smiled to him and gave him a short kiss.

"I will. Bye!" she gave Jiyong a peck first then got out and she realized Bom was still on the line.

"Bom, are you still there?" It was quiet on the other line.

She got worried but thankfully Bom answered. "Yes. Dara please..."

"Okay, I'll be there. Just hang on a moment." she ended the call and hailed a cab. She didn't bring her car because Jiyong picked her up this morning.

When she settled and told the driver the destination, she called Chaerin's phone but it was out of reach. "Great! Chaerin, where are you when we needed you the most?"

She was fidgeting her fingers because of worry. It was the first time she heard Bom that way and she didn’t it. She arrived at the said hotel. She was wondering why Bom was there but she shoved it off and hurriedly went to the room Bom mentioned. When the elevator opened, she looked for the room number and when finally she found it, it got her curious because it was open but the lights were off.

She carefully opened it and the lights. She was horror-struck of what she saw. "Bom, what happened to you?!"

There on the corner of the floor, a beaten Bom and covered with blanket still clutching the phone on her hand. Her mascara was already on her cheeks and in her lips were swollen and bruised. When she came closer, she even saw red marks and another bruises on her hands and upper body. She already had an idea of what were the rest of her body looked like.

"Dara!" Bom hugged her tightly and was now weeping very hard.

"Who did this to you?" she was now cooing her. She looked around and the place was a total mess.

She was shaking her head roughly. Dara cupped her face. "Bom, please tell me. Who did this to you?"

She cried more and still shaking her head. "Bom, tell me who did this?!" She was already on the edge before she will lose her mind. How dare someone do this to her friend?!

"I-I thought he was nice. I was now giving him a chance but in the end he was a total jerk." Bom said looking at the floor.

Dara's heart was beating fast. An image of a man suddenly popped out from her mind. "Who?"

Bom again wept and was down on the floor. It's now her turn to shake her head not believing the events that was unfolding right in her face.

'No he can't be! He was nice and he loves Bom so much. I considered him as my friend!' she thought but when she looked at her friend on the floor, her eyes turned to slits and gritted her teeth.

"Bom, tell me? Who did this?" she was holding on the bed frame tightly.

"N-Nickhun..." It was just a whisper but it seemed like a bomb to her ears.



 

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Uh-oh... Poor Bom!!!
How could someone hurt her?!
So, how was it??
Please do comment!!!
Thanks!!!