Credits go to kurogane, for this amazing poster.

[ Nineteen. Prince Charming (Part II) ]

“I’m sorry if Eunhyuk has made you feel uncomfortable in any way,” Donghae apologized sincerely, watching Dara closely for her reaction. “That’s just how he is. But once you get to know him, you’ll know what a great person he is.” Shrugging it off, Dara continued to eat her meal. She felt like a princess with the way Donghae acted around her, careful and attentive as if she was a piece of glass and he was afraid that one wrong move would break her. It was not the treatment she usually got from guys. Sure, Jiyong was attentive but not like this. When the -up Jiyong appeared, he followed her like a stalker and crowded in her personal space, not even stopping for a moment to consider how she would feel.

“I forgot to ask, what is the purpose of us coming out today?” Dara was suddenly reminded of her task of finding out what is the reason they are here dining with each other in the first place. Putting his fork and knife down, Donghae cleared his throat in awkwardness.

“Ah, this is a bit embarrassing. I usually don’t do this.” He nervously laughed, glancing briefly at Dara. “From our previous meetings, I don’t think that I left a very good impression on you. The first time we met, I did not introduce myself properly, and left in a hurry. The second time we met, I seemed to have offended you and your friends. That is why I wish to start over today, and introduce myself properly, as well as make up for the previous disastrous meetings. I sincerely hope that we will be on good terms from now on.”

“The first time we met, you said you were looking for Jiyong. But you left without seeing him.” Now that Donghae mentioned it, Dara remembers their first meeting and her then-confusion.

“After the results of the Masterpiece of the Year came out, as of tradition, our company became interested in the students and their pieces. Of course, I was not included, so the first person our company wants to offer a deal with was Kwon Jiyong. But when our managers got in touch with him, he refused. The company even asked Chaerin to persuade him to give it some time to contemplate about it before giving us his answer, but no matter how much effort Chaerin put in, Kwon Jiyong would not sign the contract, nor would he give any explanation for his actions. So, I felt that it is my duty to contact him in person with sincerity, and find out what are his concerns and reasons. Perhaps if I could understand what he is thinking, I can improve the contract and change his mind. That was the reason for my visit to your house that day.”

“And the reason for leaving without seeing Jiyong?” Dara pressed. She also made a mental note of the fact that Jiyong did not mention being offered a contract with SM to her at all. However, she suppose that it was quite understandable, seeing as she had been crazy with envy over him winning first place already. If he had told her that he was offered a professional job because of that competition, Dara would have made a bigger commotion out of it. Besides, at that time, they were barely on speaking terms with each other anyway.

Donghae paused, thinking for a moment what to say. “When I saw you answering the door, saying you were Sandara Park, I thought that perhaps the company had mixed up Jiyong’s and your address. You were also on our list to be asked, but the company wanted to clinch the deal with Jiyong first. That is why I decided to go back and check with the company for the correct address. It never occurred to me that both of you lived in the same apartment.” In reality, that was only half the reason. When he first saw Dara answering the door, he had never felt so self-conscious and nervous in his life, palms sweaty with an impulse to run as far as possible. It was as if he was confronted with a perplexing math question that he does not have the tools to solve. After meeting Dara and finding out that she indeed shared the same address as Jiyong, Donghae took an interest to this mysterious girl. This was a first for Lee Donghae, wanting to take the initiative to get to know someone.

“Thank you for today’s lunch,” Dara said as Donghae stopped the car in front of the lobby of her apartment. Although they ate lunch, they ended up talking for hours over desserts and beverages, until the sun went down and they saw the breath-taking night scenery from the sky pavilion. She contemplated whether or not she should invite Donghae for something to drink. On one hand, it would only be polite, and they had much in common, with Donghae being conversant with the music industry and having so many intriguing stories to tell. However, there was the tiny problem of Jiyong; Dara did not have to think further to get the picture that Donghae and Jiyong in the same room would not end in pleasant conversation about the weather.

“No, I should be thanking you for being such a great companion and letting me have such an enjoyable time with you,” Donghae said earnestly. Dara made a gesture to get out of the car, but Donghae was quick to get out first and go over to the other side to hold the door open for her. Giving him a grateful smile, Dara was about to say goodbye when a familiar voice cut in.

“Dara-yah! Who is this handsome fellow?” Byul asked giddily, beaming at Donghae as she practically ran to reach them. Dongwook caught up to her, shrugging in defeat to Dara. “I am Byul, and this is my husband, Dongwook. We are so excited to meet you!”

Bowing in almost ninety degrees, Donghae smiled charmingly. “I am Lee Donghae, Dara’s friend from Seoul University. It is an honor meeting you.”

“The pleasure is ours!” Byul insisted exultantly, barely containing her glee. “Donghae – Can I call you Hae for short? – Do you have any plans tonight? We never, ever get the chance to see any of Dara’s male friends! Would you like to come upstairs to have dinner with us?”

Stealing a look at Dara to check her reaction to see if she approves of this, Donghae was hesitant, not able to decipher the seemingly indifferent expression on her face. “I would love to, but I don’t want to be a bother – “

“Then I shall take that as a yes!” Byul sang cheerfully, wasting no time in steering Donghae into the lobby, with Dongwook and Dara trailing behind. As soon as they headed inside the apartment, Jiyong raced out, only to skid to a halt at the sight of the four of them coming in together. His eyes widened at the sight of Donghae, then narrowed them in accusation at Dara.

Byul did not notice a thing, as usual. “Jiyongie-ah, this is Donghae! He dropped off Dara from their date like an absolute gentleman! I thought it would be great if we all have dinner together!”

“Great,” Jiyong repeated caustically, glaring at Dara in a way that both Donghae and Dongwook did not miss.

After Donghae left, Dara let out a sigh of relief, thinking that she would be able to get some rest. However, that was not the case as Byul immediately started to focus on assaulting Dara with various awkward and detailed questions about Donghae and how their “date” went. During the dinner, it was completely obvious that Byul was completely captivated by Donghae’s courteous manners and charms, oohing and ahhing to every word like a perfect audience. Jiyong was uncharacteristically quiet, which was the best reaction Dara could hope for. He was stabbing the already-dead steak with unnecessary vengeance, but Dara thanked her lucky stars that at least he was sober and keeping his nasty comments to himself. However, it was surprising to Dara how interested and approving Dongwook was of Donghae. It could be the fact that Donghae offered a lot of his perspectives on a variety of topics, such as economic development and political stance, which in turn sparked Dongwook’s interests. The two exchanged their views, and Dara supposes that Donghae’s vast knowledge impressed Dongwook.

Dara checked her phone, and found a text message from Donghae, thanking her for the wonderful day and wish for her to convey his gratitude to her family. I will not forget that our next meal is on you. Good night and see you soon, Donghae. It brought a smile to Dara’s face that he even hinted at getting together another time. After quickly typing in a reply, Dara told Byul and Dongwook that Donghae wanted to thank them for their warm hospitality.

“Dara-ah, he is completely flawless!” Byul squealed. “Who would have guessed that he was the son of SM’s CEO?! He was ever so polite to us, not arrogant or condescending at all! Is he not an absolute angel? Dongwook, don’t you agree?”

Dongwook nodded approvingly. To Dongwook, Dara was the daughter he never had, and of course he felt concerned about who Dara is dating. However, after having dinner with Donghae, his heart was at ease. This boy came from a well-off family, was very well-mannered but not to the point of being curt, and already planned out his future of taking over the family entertainment business, which seems to suit Dara’s musical interests as well. “I must say, he seems to be a very accomplished young man. Invite him over to dine with us often, Sandara.” Dara assured him that she will if the opportunity comes up, but reminds them that they are only friends.

“It is only a matter of time before you fall in love with him, Dara-ah!” Byul warned teasingly. “He is the perfect Prince Charming for my Dara! Ah, Jiyong, are you going up so soon?” Byul noticed that Jiyong got up from the table with an unfathomable expression on his face.

“Yeah, I have to get ready. I’m heading out in a bit.” Jiyong did not give so much of a glance at Dara as he walked up the stairs. Dongwook shook his head sternly, sighing in disapproval.

“This kid. I had thought that he had stopped going to that club.” Although it had been hard for Dongwook to see Dara in such bad condition after Youngbae’s death, it had been comforting for him to see Jiyong watching over Dara and behaving like a big brother. He even stopped going out late-night, choosing to stay at home with Dara and sometimes even included Byul and Dongwook in their activities as well. He seemed to have given up his previous clubbing and drinking habits, refocusing on schoolwork, spending time with the family, and taking up cooking, to the delight of Byul.

Byul squeezed Dongwook’s hand. “Maybe he’s not going to the club. He could just be heading out to see someone? A date, maybe?” She suggested brightly, then turning to Dara. “Dee, why don’t you go ask him? He could be dating some girl and hiding it from us!” Opening to protest, Dara was stopped before she had a chance, being pushed forcefully up the stairs by an enthusiastic Byul. She had no choice but to walk to Jiyong’s room, just in time to see him take off his shirt. Blushing, Dara tried to act nonchalant as she sat down on his bed while diverting her gaze on anything but Jiyong’s killer abs.

“Where are you going anyways? It’s almost eleven.”

“I’m going to meet Chaerin at YG. She wanted me to help out her new song.” Jiyong walked to his closet, still shirtless, looking for something to change into.

“Did you know Chaerin is Donghae’s little sister? That means she’s also the heiress to SM Entertainment!” Dara thought that Jiyong would be as shocked about the news as she was when Donghae told her, but he did not seem to be at all. Rather, Jiyong looked at her as if she was a crazy person who announced the eart