Credits go to kurogane, for this amazing poster.

[ Eighteen. Prince Charming (Part I)]

“Dee, Dongwook and I are going to see a play this afternoon, so-“ Byul stopped in her tracks abruptly, and Dongwook nearly missed walking right into her. Eyes bulging from her sockets, Byul let out an audible gasp. Just as he was going to ask Byul what’s the matter, his eyes followed where she was looking at, and they both stood in Dara’s bedroom doorway in shock. It was as if an atomic bomb had hit the center of Dara’s bedroom, and everything scattered everywhere. Classy high heels, winter boots lined with fur, and flip flops decorated with sequins and gems were separated from their other half as they lay lifeless on the carpet. Clothes of every form, every color, and every material was piled on her bed, which could barely be recognized as a bed anymore.

“Dara-ah, where are you?!” Byul cried out desperately, with tears already forming in her eyes in panic. Thousands of possibilities ran inside Byul’s head, with it settling on that someone had kidnapped Dara, ransacking her room for valuables in the process. 

“I’m right here, Byul,” came a voice inside Dara’s closet. Soon, Dara’s head popped out, looking thoroughly haggard and slightly sweating. “I heard you. Have fun at the theater!”

Byul headed towards Dara, but had to jump and tiptoe all over the place as to avoid the various obstacles. It was uncharacteristic for Dara to be so disorganized, even more so when she was willing to let chaos reign in her controlled realm. To Byul, the play could wait, but Dara’s mental well-being couldn’t. Upon reaching Dara, Byul put her hand to Dara’s forehead, seeing if Dara was feverish. Perhaps she got some kind of an illness, but her forehead was of normal warmth. “Dara-ah, are you alright? What are you doing? Your stuff is all over the place!”

“I’m just…trying to find something to wear,” Dara sighed heavily, gesturing towards the mélange of clothing, which were all over the place. Even though she rarely spends money on clothes, she had a massive wardrobe expansion upon moving in with Jiyong and Dongwook, with Jiyong’s for buying two of everything and giving one to Dara. And yet, out of the endless assortment of outfits she had at her hands, Dara does not have a clue what to wear to meet Donghae.

First off, Donghae did not mention where they were going, or what they were doing. He said “lunch”, but does that mean they were only going to eat? Or maybe it implies that they were eating lunch, and doing something later, like window-shopping or walking in the nearby park? Even if they were just going to eat lunch and nothing more, was it going to be at a swanky restaurant of a fancy hotel, as was expected from the heir of SM Entertainment? Or was he more of the down-to-earth guy, preferring to stay out of the media and other people’s eyes, picking fast-food restaurants? The different places would have a huge impact on Dara’s outfit. If the place is fancy, Dara would pick one of her best dresses that’s chic and classy. If the place wasn’t, then she would look ridiculous dressed like that. Dara had been out of her wits trying to narrow down the possibilities, and not getting anywhere.

Second, there was no one that could come to her rescue to solve this mystery. Under normal circumstances, she’d ask Bom or In Na, who had enough experience and a gigantic wardrobe, but if she told anyone else, they’d probably freak out and spread the word to the rest of the department. Who knows if it’ll end up on the school newspaper or even the media! If Donghae knew about that, then he’s going to see her as one of those silly fan-girls. That was not going to be an option. However, the two other people who knew of this engagement was Jiyong and Donghae. Jiyong had been sulking for a while because of the said date, and Dara knew better than to ask him for his opinion when he was holding a grudge. And of course, there was no way Dara was going to call Donghae and ask for the details of their lunch date, seeing as it would make her look like she’s over-analyzing everything and not used to going out with guys alone (but that was the sad truth).

Dara shook her head in frustration. Why was she fussing so much about this anyways? It was just lunch. Another meal of the day. With someone she barely knew. Why should she waste so much time and brain cells on this? Because he is someone who caught your attention, a voice gloated in Dara’s head. Heir to the biggest entertainment empire…handsome…mysterious…someone with musical talent…has the most attractive voice…and interested in you. Jiyong pretty much fits that criteria, Dara noted dryly. The other voice scoffed mockingly. In case you have not noticed, you’d never have a future with Jiyong. He’s your dongsaeng. Off-limits. But Lee Donghae surely isn’t.

“Are you going somewhere? What’s the occasion?” Dara jumped a little at being pulled out of her inner self-argument. Noticing the different countenance flashing briefly across Dara’s face, Byul was beyond curious at what – and who – could possibly make Dara like this. “Are you and Jiyong going somewhere tonight?”

“No, I’m…I’m…” Dara racked her brains for the right word. Sure, she could boast about going on a date in front of Jiyong, but “date” was not a word that she wanted to utter in front of Byul, let alone Dongwook. She does love them dearly, but it was too weird and she was sure that they would freak out like any parent who hasn’t seen their child on a date. Besides, it was not really a date in the first place. “I’m going to lunch with a friend.”

“What friend?” Byul persisted, even more intrigued. “Bom? Minzy? Lee Hi?”

“No, it’s…it’s no one you know,” Dara sighed in frustration, refraining from rolling her eyes at how bad she was at dealing with Byul’s endless bombardment of questions. She knew that Byul would keep pestering until she was satisfied with the answer she got.

“Byul, stop bothering Sandara.” Dongwook smiled knowingly, if not mischievously. “She’s grown-up now. Besides, she’s already nervous going on a date as it is. Let her be.”

“Dongwook, you sure did not help,” Dara groaned as Byul let out a shrilling scream at the word “date”, earning a hearty laugh from Dongwook. This scene was highly amusing and comforting to him. This was one of the rare occasions when the usually mature Dara was acting like, and treated by Byul, as the child she really was, and not the other way around. 

Byul immediately shook Dara by the shoulders violently, demanding every detail. “Dara-ah, you’re going on a date?!” Byul’s uncharacteristically stern voice was several octaves higher. “Who is this boy who is going out with my darling Dara? I can’t believe that you did not tell me beforehand! How long were you planning to keep this from me? How long have you gone out with this guy? What is he like, what’s his name, what does his parents do?” Without taking a breath, or giving Dara a chance to answer, Byul ranted on. “You’re growing up so fast! It seems like just yesterday that you were learning to ride your first bike, and now you’re going out with guys! In the blink of an eye! I must be getting old –“ Dabbing the corners of her eyes with a hanker-chief, Byul stopped her little speech with blowing her nose dramatically.

“Aren’t you supposed to be leaving to go to a play? I’m sure you guys are already late by now,” Dara pointed out.

“I am not leaving until I get all the details out of you, missy!” Byul yelled stubbornly with a grimace, crossing her arms across her chest in determination. Dara threw her hands up in exasperation. This was going to take forever, and she still did not have a clue what to wear.

“Sandara’s right, we are very late indeed and those were really expensive tickets,” Dongwook reminded, leaving the doorway to Byul’s side. He gently took her by the arm, leading her out of Dara’s bedroom. Byul was like a child halfway through throwing her tantrum when distracted by a lollipop, already forgetting about her mission to pester Dara with questions. Shaking her head in appreciation of Dongwook’s ability to steer the direction of Byul’s attention, Dara felt a strange bond of comradeship with Dongwook. It was as if they had stopped the Cuban missile crisis together, saving the world from nuclear destruction. “I’m afraid that as much as I would also like to know the details, we’re going to have to wait until we come home from the play.” Dongwook winked at Dara before he walked out with Byul. Dara’s smile faltered when her eyes turned back to the albatross of a mess in her room.

Jiyong heard the noise of Dara’s door being opened and closed from across the hall, and hurriedly stood up from lying on his bed. Without hesitation, he stormed out of his bedroom, nearly literally running into Dara in the hallway.

“What?” Dara turned around, and Jiyong’s mind was suddenly blank. He had mentally phrased and rephrased countless caustic and taunting remarks to use when Dara leaves for her so-called date, but one look at Dara was enough to silence him. His brain was pretty much defunct for the moment. Settling for a sapphire dress with a halter neck, he could see the perfect curve of Dara’s bare shoulders. The simplicity of the dress only made Dara look more elegant, as well as make her black ribbon shoes stand out. He could only comfort himself that the dress’s was knee-length and not too short. Barely.

“I…Uh, you look nice,” Jiyong admitted grudgingly. With only a hint of make-up and small star-shaped diamond earrings, Dara looked like she was ready to walk down a red carpet. Never had he once saw Dara in such formal and regal clothes. Damn, even evening gowns would fit her perfectly. Jiyong suddenly felt envious beyond description that a stranger like Lee Donghae gets to see this, and not him, who s