Credits go to kurogane, for this amazing poster.

[Four. Knew You Were Trouble]

“How did your little problem go?” Youngbae asked playfully as he walked with Dara to their class the next day. She didn’t say a word and started to take out her binder and pens the moment she sat down on her usual seat. Sensing something was wrong, Youngbae frowned slightly as he settled in the seat next to her, studying Dara carefully. She didn’t seem mad. Dara never shows even a glimpse of her emotions. But, that moment, her expression gave way to a hint of unpleasantness. “Dara, what’s wrong?” She didn’t answer, and continued to flip through the pages of her notes as if she hadn’t heard Youngbae. He knew she was not mad at him, that it was most likely something Kwon Jiyong did that pissed her off. What he did not understand is why she would ignore him because of this. Usually, she would confide in him, as he was the closest friend she had. Even if it was not the entire story, she would at least remark sarcastically to let Youngbae know what’s going on. But today, she was oddly quiet and conservative. Something was up.

Dara was in a foul mood, not because of Kwon Jiyong, but because of Byul’s sudden announcement to wed. Wedding preparations were going full-steam ahead, with Byul rushing to make sure every detail was perfect. When she was rushing to the bus stop this morning, Byul was in a wonderful mood, blowing kisses to Dara as she talked on the phone with the wedding planner her future husband had hired for her. Dara has not even met the guy Byul will marry yet, and she is deeply troubled by the fact that Byul was so sure she was going to marry someone whom Dara have not even approved of, or even seen, to this day. Perhaps it was insecurity that she would have to share Byul with someone else, and that someone else may take Byul away from her. Of course, Youngbae did not know this, and still assumed that it was something Kwon Jiyong did.

As if on cue, Jiyong sauntered gracefully into the classroom, earning the exclaimed awes and wide glances of the students in the classroom, mainly the students of the music department, as the class was a required course for them. Jiyong was wearing a pair of red overalls, a definite risky fashion statement but one that had an astoundingly great effect on him. Topped with that was a baseball hat and a lollipop necklace. Dara had to refrain herself from snorting at what a clown he seems, like some Lost Boy who idolized Peter Pan and refused to grow up. Tch, does he think he’s the gang leader of the Lost Boys or something? Youngbae nervously glanced at Dara, who directed all of her steaming irritation to the guy in front of her. She was gripping her pencil so hard that Youngbae was literally expecting either the pencil to break unceremoniously into half or blood dripping slowly from Dara’s delicate hands. He knew she was one tough girl who could fend for herself, but what Youngbae was worried about was how much Dara could endure, and how Jiyong would avoid suffering a painful punishment from earning Dara’s wrath. Evidently, Jiyong was not anxious in the slightest as he smiled brightly at Dara once he spotted her and took the seat next to her without a word.

“Jagiya-“

“Get out.”

Jiyong pouted, seemingly like a puppy who got reprimanded by his owner, but his eyes flashed dangerously as he held the gaze of Dara. “Dara.” To Youngbae, it only sounded strange, coming from someone who seemed to be pouting for forgiveness. However, to Dara, who was highly sensitive to sounds, it was a warning, like the clunk of a building that’s about to collapse, or the eerie screech of contact between train tracks and a train that cannot stop despite activating the emergency brakes. He was threatening her. How dare he. Dara rose up to the challenge, not backing off from their glaring contest, giving him the coldest look as if he was a piece of garbage lying on the ground that was so worthless to her that she would not even bother stepping on it. Despite the move pricking slightly at Jiyong’s heart, he knew this was not the time to back down.

“We’re going to eat dinner together at my place tonight.” He stated simply, smiling warmly on the outside. Dara didn’t answer; she had a feeling he had more to say, the consequences that he had prepared for her once she refused. He was not as naive as he seemed on the outside, definitely more prepared than any of the guys that dared to bother her. Judging from his confident air that he was going to win, she knew that he had some tricks up his sleeve. Sure enough, Jiyong inched closer to her and whispered seducingly, “I have a special present for you there.”

Still unaffected, Dara looked at him, disinterested to the maximum. “Cut the chase, Kwon. With what are you blackmailing me with? This better be good. It would be quite disappointing if you made a poor effort not even worth a flick of my fingers.”

“Well, I heard from someone, who asked Bom noona-“ Jiyong jerked his head in the direction of Bom, who was running in late, panting as she quickly took one of the empty seats at the front row. “-that apparently everyone in this class have to present a piece of music he or she wrote for an assignment today? And that if it’s too late, you would fail this class?”

“So?” Dara huffed, but inside, the seed of anxiety was growing inside of her. He was not making friendly chit chat here; there’s an ultimate motive. But what? Dara racked her brains to figure out the possible loopholes he could have found. What he said were all facts; the professor of this class was very strict and graded his marks with precision. Dara had no problem with that, being the studious and organized student she was. In fact, she even thought, out of all the music department students that attended this class, the professor would deem her as his favorite, since she never failed to reach his expectations on their homework and assignments, always the first one to turn it in punctually and getting the best marks. The assignment that was due this class today, she had already uploaded-

“You should go to the professor after this class, tell him you are oh-so-sorry but you have to wait until tomorrow to hand it in, because you have to get it from Kwon Jiyong when you have a dinner date with him tonight.” Jiyong giggled as if someone had told him the cutest joke in the world, one that involves the Easter Bunny or sunshine and rainbows. “But hey, better tomorrow than never right? I highly doubt that Sandara Park would want to fail her class."