“What brings you back you here? I thought you’ll be here by tomorrow?” Jiyong bitterly asked Dara after opening his door.

Dara ignored his sarcastic comment and let herself in, walking past Jiyong. She comfortably sat on the couch as Jiyong trailed behind her.

“You, are you willing to continue this engagement? If you are then I am,” she stated straight forwardly, making Jiyong startled.

“What happened? Are you sick again or something?” he squinted his eyes dramatically at her in suspicion. “Earlier, it was as if you wanted to wage World War III just to cancel our engagement.”

“Just answer my question, Ji.” She said firmly but he did not answer. “I know...it tears you up, doesn’t it?”

His eyes snapped back at her, hearing those words. His heart suddenly drummed loudly inside his chest. Why is he feeling so scared like a high school boy? Jeez, he’s gone crazy already.

“W-what tears me up?” he nervously asked back.

She couldn’t have possibly known the truth, could she? That he’s…

‘’. Jiyong inwardly shook his head and cut his train of thought.

“Your desire to make your dad happy and your repulsion to marry me, it tears you up, doesn’t it?” Dara said as Jiyong heaved a sigh of relief.

“Yeah.” He nodded. Why didn’t he think of it? That reason is plausible enough.

“So, Jiyong, let’s get to the point.” She sat straight, like she was in a business meeting. “Back to my question, are you willing to go through with this? Are you willing to spend the rest of your life with me to bring peace to our fathers’ minds? If you are, then so am I.”

She said it so casually and so bluntly that it almost made him wince. This woman really knows what buttons to push to bring him pain.

Jiyong stared at her, contemplating on everything. Spend the rest of his life with her… it sounded so good to him. He could almost imagine himself growing old together with Dara. Was that really possible? He began to look weary and Dara didn’t fail to notice it.

“If you don’t want, it’s fine. I don’t want to pressure you. I'll give you time to think about everything,” Dara was about to stand up and leave, making him anxious. "I'll take my leave now."

All his doubts and dilemmas flew instantly out of the window in fear that this opportunity in front of him will be gone in blink. It was now or never. Take it or leave it. He doesn’t even have the luxury of time to analyze his every option and his own emotions.

“I’m willing,’ he firmly answered even before Dara got to stand up from his couch.

In the back of his mind, he knows at the end, no matter how many detours he take, that will always be his answer.

“It’s a deal then.” Dara held out her hand for a hand shake. Jiyong glanced at it then stared at her, a playful smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“I’ve got a better idea.” He yanked her to him and finally succumbed to his suppressed desires. Jiyong captured her lips hungrily kissing her fully on the mouth thus earning a surprised purr from Dara.

--

“You okay?” Jiyong asked softly. He slid his arms on her waist, hugging Dara from behind then placed a kiss the side of her neck.

Dara tilted her head involuntarily to give him more access. He slowly slid his right hand inside her blouse and caressed her skin. His other hand then went up to her face, genty urging her to face him. Jiyong kissed his way up, from her neck to her jaw and finally on her lips. She sighed and rested her head on his chest when the kiss ended.

Kissing him felt so natural now, like they’ve been doing it all their life, when in fact it has just been over two weeks after they decided to go on with the engagement.

“Where’s our dads?” she asked her fiancé.

She was busy preparing their desserts when Jiyong suddenly appeared behind and kissed her. They had dinner together with their fathers to discuss the last important details for the formal announcement of their engagement.

“At the library, still discussing some things. Are you okay? You seem lost in thoughts the whole night.” He turned her around to check her up. He rested his palm on her forehead. “But you don’t have a fever.”

Dara can’t help but smile at his action. “Why do you always assume that when something’s wrong with me, I have a fever?”

“Maybe it started when you had fever before and you acted really weird.” He kissed her forehead. “Now, let me help you with these.”

Jiyong took the tray with the sliced fruits in his hands from the counter and headed out first. When he noticed Dara wasn’t following him, he went back and found her still standing in the kitchen.

“Come on,” he called out and she nodded as they made their way to where their parents are.

At the library, they talked lightly about the engagement. With the help of the hired wedding planner, everything is going smoothly and according to plan.

It was already nine in the evening when the Kwons decided to go home. Dara’s father walked Jiyong’s father to the car. She was about to follow them out when Jiyong pulled her back inside the house. He quickly shut the door, pulled her to him and leaned down to kiss her. And of course, she kissed him back.

“Sleep tight. Don’t stay up too late, okay? Maybe it’s because of the lack of sleep that you always daze off,” Jiyong whispered tenderly on her ears. Then, he kissed her forehead again, smiled down on her before hesitantly walking out of the door.

Sandara stared blankly at the door.

Everything that’s happening is fine. It’s fine that she responds to his kisses now. It’s fine that she believes that he’s genuinely concerned for her. After all, he’ll be her husband soon. So definitely, it’s fine if she lets herself love Jiyong, completely and without holding back.

It was okay to be happy, right?

Dara inhaled to calm herself. ‘It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s only natural’, she told herself desperately.

She wanted to think that it is the best solution. She’s doing this for her parents… to help Jiyong to make his father happy. But who was she fooling?

Dara smiled disgustedly to herself.

She was doing this for her own good. Because it was making her happy. She was so happy that she wanted to pull the days faster to their wedding day. So she would be assured that he can be by her side forever. Tears finally escaped Dara’s eyes as she finally accepted it.

She was doing this because she was selfish.

“Dara, what time would—Dara!”

“Dad…” she called out helplessly to his father who just came in as she stared at him in agony.

“Dara, what happened? Why are you crying?” the old man took quick steps, reaching her in a matter of seconds. Dara cried harder as she felt the warmth of the hug of his father.

“Dad,” she repeated. Her body shook with her sobs that made his father more worried.

“Dara, what’s happening? Don’t be like this.”

“I’m o-okay, Dad. There’s nothing wrong, I’m just… don’t mind me.” Her words were the exact opposite of her state right now. “I broke the rules, Dad.”

Her father looked at her and his expression became very painful. He knows, Dara would not cry like that unless it was really painful and difficult for her. He nodded knowingly and enveloped his daughter again in his embrace, triggering all her emotions as she broke again into loud sobs.

“Dad… I l-love him. I fell in love with him. Dad, what am I going to do? I… I’m being selfish,” she cried. “It’s painful, it really hurts. I thought I’d be okay. I thought I can go through with this, but Dad… I love him. I don’t think I can go on like… not like this, not this way—“

“Dara, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, this is my fault.” Her father apologized sincerely. He kissed her hair and closed his eyes in guilt. “I’m sorry, my daughter. I never want to hurt you like this, we will make this okay. I’ll make this okay. I’m sorry, Dara… I’m sorry.”

Dara kept on crying her heart out as she clings tightly to her personal Superman.

----

A/N: Hello! It's been a while since I last updated. How are you guys doing? :) Anyway, since this fic is ending soon, I want to know if majority prefers sad ending or a happy ending? What do you think, guys? Kekeke. *winks* Stick with me until the last update. Ppyong!~