PART SEVEN

Jiyong was helping his mother wash the dishes, since Taeyang was still in the garage. Today Mr. Kwon said that Jiyong could go home an hour early. Jiyong found it odd, usually Mr. Kwon would get annoyed if he was slow or didn’t work hard enough. But today it seemed like something happened to the whole Kwon family. First Mr. Kwon telling him to go home before he even finished his main tasks. Secondly, Mrs. Kwon acting all stiff and uncomfortable when seeing him. And lastly, Dara acting all strange all of a sudden It made him wonder if rich people had some kind of syndrome of odd behavior that switched on once in a while and then all of them started to act like mindless robots.

“What’s bothering you this time?” asked Ms Dong noticing that her son was in his little dreamland.

“Huh?”

“You’ve been wiping the same spot for the last 5 minutes even though the plate is already dry”

Jiyong looked at the dish in his hand, and noticed that his mother was right. The plate was completely dry.

“Well… unless you want to make a hole in it, I suggest you put it down” Ms Dong chuckled.

“Sorry, I was just thinking” he told his mother.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Jiyong sighed and put the plate down and leaned onto the ladder. “I just don’t get it!” he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

“Don’t get what?” Ms Dong said while continue to dash the cup in her hand.

“Why rich people are so complicated” he said and crossed his arms on his chest.

“It depends on which kind of rich people you’re talking about, son”

“Which kind?” Jiyong turned his gaze to his mother confused.

“There are two types of poor people, those who are poor together and those who are poor alone. The first are the true poor, the others are rich people out of luck”

“Omma!” Jiyong whined at his mother.

“What I thought poetry was your favorite subject?” his mother said and winked at him.

“As if!” Jiyong pounded.

“Sorry. I just thought you like poetry since you’re always excited to learn about it” Ms Dong shrugged. “Or could it be because of Dara?” she added with a teasing tone.

Jiyong nearly tripped over his own feet when the words left his mother’s mouth.

“You should be careful, if you break your leg Dara will have to not only be a teacher but a nurse too”
 

Ms Dong chuckled at her son’s flushed face. Jiyong went to sit on the nearby chair and tried to calm down. Then he remembered something and decided to change the subject before he could embarrass himself even more in front of his mother.
 

“Omma, did you know that the Kwon’s had a child?” Jiyong asked his mother while playing with his t-shirt a bit.

“Of course, Jiyong”

“I’m not talking about Dara, but about their son” he told her.

“They had a son?”Ms Dong said in a confused tone but still kept her eyes on the dishes.

“Neh, Dara told me that he got kidnapped when Mrs Kwon took him for a walk”

“K-kidnapped?” Ms Dong stammered and looked at Jiyong with a shocked face.

Jiyong nodded his head in response “I know I was shocked too. And from what Dara said that kid would be about my age”

“You-you’re age?” Ms Dong continued with her shock tone and gripped the cloth in her hand tighter.

Jiyong just nodded his head again “It’s hard to believe that these sort of things could happen to the Kwon family”

Out of nowhere there was a sound of glass shattering. Jiyong stood up from his spot almost immediately and saw that his mother dropped a plate she was holding.

“Omma, are you feeling alright? Have you taken your medicine today?” Jiyong asked with a worry tone and took his mother by the shoulders to support her. Ms Dong just smiled in return and knelt down to pick up the pieces of glass.

“Omma, I’ll do it. You go and rest” Jiyong knelt beside his mother helping her.

Ms Dong just ignored Jiyong’s words and continue with what she was doing. She picked up a larger piece and looked at her reflection. Then it hit her. That feeling that something bad will happen. It was like a sixth sense of hers. She could always tell when something going to happen.
 

“Something bad will happen”

Jiyong looked at his mother confused for a moment and the realized what she meant. He chuckled lightly and stood up offering his hand as support for her.

“Don’t worry omma. You’re just exaggerating”

Nevertheless, Ms Dong wasn’t so certain.

**

Yuri couldn’t believe what she was doing. She never thought that she would be back here doing this. But it was bothering her. And to be more specific Kiko was bothering her. Yuri had no intentions of arguing or fighting with that girl, but she needed to talk things out with her. No matter, how much she would rather to let it wait. She couldn’t wait any longer, anymore. It was for Dara and for her own sanity.

Yuri passed the oh so familiar fireplace near the bridge where the three of them use to hang out. Yuri was sure that she’ll find the one she’s looking for, and she wasn’t disappointed. When she climbed up on the top of the bridge, she saw Kiko leaning over the edge of the wall.
 

“What bring you here, missy?” asked Kiko with her eyes shut.

“We need to talk” Yuri said with a bit of a colder tone than usual.

“YOU and ME talk??”

Yuri just rolled her eyes at her and leaned on the wall.

“I think you know what I want”

“In fact, I don’t but I guess you’ll tell me” Kiko said and played with her hair.

“I want you to leave Dara alone”

Kiko looked at her and burst into laughter. Yuri just glared at her and waited until she’s finished with her little drama. When she stopped, she turned to face Yuri with hatred in her eyes.

“I will leave her alone when she disappears from GD’s life”

“First of all, his name is Jiyong not GD nor G-Dragon. And secondly are you scared that a girl like Dara would be able to take him away from you?” Yuri asked and raised a brow, much to Kiko's annoyance.

Kiko gritted her teeth and clenched her fists at her sides.

“Or maybe you’re scared that Dara will be able show Jiyong the better side of life. Show him that there’s much more to life then work, streets, s and drugs but actually, a better future to look forward to…”

Before Yuri could finish her sentence, Kiko’s fist was right next to her face about to punch her, but lucky for Yuri. She stopped it with no extra effort. She looked at Kiko and smirked while still holding her fist with her right hand.
 

“Don’t forget who toughed you all you know, unnie” Yuri said and tighten the hold on Kiko’s hand which caused her to squeak in pain. “You know that I could do more…” Kiko’s eyes winded with fear when the words left Yuri’s mouth.
 

“But I won’t” she said and released Kiko’s hand. Kiko stepped back away from Yuri massaging her hand whom Yuri had a hold of a second ago.
“However… if you or any of your friends even try to hurt Dara or the Kwon family. I won’t hesitate”

Kiko just gave her a glare and continue to massage her hand. Yuri walked away without another word hoping that she got her message across.

**

Different thoughts were running through Ms Dong’s mind as she drank her afternoon tea, enjoying the silence. Waiting for both her sons to return home.

I’m not talking about Dara but about their son.

There it was again, ever since Jiyong told her yesterday about the incident concerning the Kwon family she was bothered. Ms Dong sighed in deeply.

Neh, Dara told me that he got kidnapped when Mrs. Kwon took him for a walk.

Ms Dong shook her head “It’s impossible” she whispered to herself.

She looked down at her cup of tea. A tear dropped into it. Ms Dong hasn’t realized that she was crying, she didn’t know why. It was all just too much for her. The fact the Kwon family had a son about Jiyong’s age and that this had to turn up now. Now that everything’s was the way it should.

Ms Dong wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and smiled to herself. “There’s no need to worry” she said but then remembered Mrs. Kwon’s shocked face when she told her the story of her son.

F-found… h-him?

Her eyes shot open as she remembered Heejun’s words and the hope in her voice. Could it be that she was thinking of exactly the same thing that Mrs. Kwon did? Did Mrs. Kwon already know? Did she figure it out?
 

The Bracelet!

Of course, if she saw the bracelet, it was all clear. If Mrs. Kwon recognized the bracelet, there would be no doubt about it. Ms Dong couldn’t believe that the woman that she was looking for was actually Kwon Heejun and her husband Kwon Yang.

Ms Dong couldn’t even imagine what type of nightmare was this poor woman living in for these past eighteen years. Not sure what kind of person her own son is, what does he look like, if he’s doing well or not. All these questions and worries with no answers.

She found it ironic that the son of the Kwon family is actually working as their gardener for breaking their garden statue.
Then again, if the Kwon’s knew about Jiyong why didn’t they say a thing? Told him the truth? Or even attempted to tell her?

**

Jiyong was working in the garden. He wasn’t in a very pleasant mood because Dara has been avoiding him for a while now, and he didn’t know what he did wrong. He did all the assignments she gave him. He worked hard and didn’t moan. He wasn’t even teasing her as much as he used to.

Then why?

That was the question that Jiyong wanted an answer to. But no matter how hard he thought about it nothing came into his mind.

He just sighed in helplessness. Jiyong decided to talk this out with Dara, which let him to a mental struggle of what to say to her.

He was snapped back to the real world when he heard Dara’s giggle and then a male’s voice, was she talking to someone? And to make things for awkward Jiyong was sure that he knew that voice.

So he peeked through the wall and saw Dara and Taeyang standing in front of the gate taking and enjoying themselves.

Jiyong felt angry all of a sudden So that’s why Dara refused to study with him today and probably for the last two days. She was too busy hanging out with Taeyang, his own brother.

‘Of course she prefers Bae, Jiyong. What were you thinking?’ Jiyong asked himself. It was obvious that Dara preferred Taeyang’s company instead. He was her favorite Oppa after all and Jiyong was only that so-called Jerk.

Jiyong leaned back on to the wall. “Jiyong you’re the biggest idiot on this earth” he whispered to himself with a small smile trying to ignore the pain in his chest.

Jiyong picked up the rake and continued with his duties. The autumn was approaching slowly. It was hard to believe how fast time passes, before Jiyong realized there was only about a week left of this punishment that Mr. Kwon gave him. And after that he will disappear from here… sometimes he wondered whether Dara will still talk to him afterwards… but now he knew the answer.

“Hey” he heard Dara say, but he decided to ignore her and just concentrate on his duties. After all that was he was here for, to work and not to fool around with his boss's daughter.

“Hey…Jiyong?”

Although Jiyong had his back facing her, he knew that she was closer to him because her voice was clearer and louder. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up with a blank face to see Dara’s worried expression.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Neh, just fine” he said coldly and walked over to his bag and put his jumper back on which meant that he was done for today.

“Then why aren’t you talking to me?’

“I’m a bit busy, right now”

“But you’re done for today right? So why don’t we start our study session, arasso?” Dara asked and smiled.

“You’re not busy?” Jiyong asked rhetorically.

“I was but I’m done so why don’t we start, neh?” Dara said and reached for his bag to pull out his poetry books but Jiyong pulled his bag out of her reach.

“I have a better idea, why don’t you study with your favorite ‘Oppa’ instead on wasting your time with a “Jerk’ like me?!” He asked blankly.

Dara looked at him confused, and it made him angry.

“Don’t give me that face! I know that you were too busy to study with me for these past few days because you’ve been spending time with my brother! You could have just told me that there’s no point in studying in the first place instead of giving me all these stupid poems to think about, and geez to think that I actually took it seriously! I may not be good in poetry, but I have common sense!” he said angrily trying to control himself and not to shout.
 

Dara wanted to say something, but it seemed that every time she opened and was about to say a word Jiyong cut her off with his rambling. Dara sighed, knowing that her words won’t get through to him right now. He wasn’t even intending to listen to her side of the story. ‘You and my father are so alike, it’s scary’ Dara thought to herself.

As Jiyong continued with his rambling, Dara took a hold of his jumper and pulled him towards her. Jiyong’s lips crushed onto hers. Jiyong’s eyes winded in shock as he realized what was happening, his body was paralyzed, which led to him just standing there like a brick with his eyes wide opened. Jiyong could feel the softness and smoothness of her lips, which was comforting.

Jiyong wanted to laugh at himself right now. He always imagined his first kiss to be a lot different and for sure not with Dara. If his friends saw him right now they would die out of laughter, and Taeyang would probably would scold him for his lack of romantic imagination.

For some reason, Jiyong felt more relaxed and was about to close his eyes when Dara pulled away from him.

“Finally a moment of peace” Dara said casually like nothing just happened as Jiyong stared at her in shock.

“Listen up Jerk! I was with your brother because I have a feeling that he and Yuri like each other, so I wanted to talk to him to make sure. Understood?” she asked him with a smile.

Jiyong just nodded his head still too shocked to say anything. “B-but…”

“But?” Dara frowned.

“B-but…n-next time instead of a k-kiss… just tell me to shut my mouth” Jiyong stammered out.

Dara looked at him and blinked a few times.

When Dara realized what she just did. She quickly turned her back to Jiyong hiding her red face. Her heart started to beat incredibly fast and hard against her chest.

“I-I think… I-I’d better….go” Dara quickly said and stormed into the house without looking at him.

**

HAHAHA, No way!

“I can’t believe I wasted my first kiss!” Dara moaned into the phone.

After that ‘little’ incident, Dara decided to call Yuri and tell her everything.

Think positively!

“Positively?”

Neh, think of it in a way of what an epic way to have your first kiss!

“Epic?”

Yup, not many people have their first kisses due to shutting someone up.

“Was that supposed to make me feel better?”

I don’t know. But why were you arguing in the first place?

“Ani… it doesn’t matter” Dara quickly said not wanting Yuri to know that she was talking to Taeyang about her.

Dara?!

Dara could tell that Yuri was raising her brow at her.

“Mianhe, Yuri but I have to go”

No Dara! Don’t you dare….

But before Yuri could finish her sentence, Dara hung up. She giggled. Dara was sure that Yuri will be mad, but she didn’t mind.

Right now, the only thing that occupied her mind was the kiss that happened earlier. Unconsciously, Dara brought her fingertips to her lips. And as soon as she touched her lips, she remembered Jiyong’s lips on hers. She didn’t know why but even the thought of his touch was making her feel warm inside.

Dara sighed and laid on her bed. “Dara, remember your rules” she whispered to herself and buried her face in her pillow.

**

That evening Jiyong was unable to concentrate on anything. His brain didn’t obey his body, or maybe it was the other way round? But in the end Jiyong ended up breaking two cups while washing the dishes so his mother just told him to rest.

Jiyong didn’t know why he just could forget that kiss. He has never been kissed before, but he knew this feeling that he was feeling wasn’t right. It felt so right that it was just wrong.

Especially that it was Dara, who was involved. If her father found out that something like that happened, he would go completely mental and the good relations that Jiyong had with the Kwon family would disappear into thin air.

There was a knock on the door, but Jiyong didn’t even bother to look up.

“I'll get it!” Taeyang shouted.

“Oh Yuri, what brings you here?” Jiyong heard Taeyang say and looked up to see Yuri standing in front of their door.

“Umm… Is Jiyong home?” she asked. “I have something to tell him” she added.

“Hey Yuri!” Jiyong greeted as he leaned on the door frame. “I didn’t expect to see you here”

Yuri looked down and hesitated for a minute but finally let it out.

“Jiyong… Dara’s in the hospital”

“What?!”