17 - Locked Out

It’s been five days but Jiyong is determined not to give up until he makes Dara listen. He’s been following her ever since their confrontation but she has managed to keep off the radar. He also didn’t want to intrude in her apartment so he could only follow her in school.

“Thank you so much for this. I owe you.” Jiyong bowed to the lady registrar as he took the piece of paper from her.

“It’s nothing.” The lady registrar gave a flirty smile at Jiyong.

“Why do you need her schedule anyway? Does she owe you something?” She asked curiously. Jiyong gave her a shrug and bowed down, looking at the paper.

“It’s more of like I owe her something…” Jiyong answered cryptically, reading Dara’s schedule for that day.

“Well, I better get going now, her class just ended.” Jiyong gave out a polite bow and ran off.

When he got to Dara’s class on the fourth floor of their building, she was no longer there. He asked a student that came out from the classroom about Dara but the student said she didn’t come to class. He searched the whole building, he even waited for an hour under the Cherry Blossom Tree but she didn’t show up.

Jiyong walked down the corridor of the film department building with slumped shoulders. She can’t avoid him forever. Sooner or later they still have to talk. He was on his way to Dara’s next class and he wanted to be early. He stood by the classroom door as he kept on looking at his watch, his neck stretched out to get a more panoramic view of the hall. He ditched all his classes that day just to catch Dara but his hope is starting to trickle down.

Just then, all the students from the classroom slowly started going out. Jiyong heard one grumble about the professor not coming in that day.

“Excuse me, do you know where Dara is?” Jiyong caught one of the students coming out of the room.

“Dara, the nerdy girl with the big glasses? I haven’t seen her in here. You can try the library, the professor gave her a ton of assignment to catch up on her grade. She messed up our latest long quiz. For a geeky looking nerd she fails lots of exams.” The girl babbled but when she looked back at Jiyong he was already gone.

Jiyong got in to the library building panting. The students were starting to clear up as they had only about half an hour before the library closes. The library was three floors and Jiyong felt dizzy just looking around the library that he never set foot in his entire college life. And then he started looking for Dara, scouring floor by floor and bookshelf by bookshelf, corner by corner.

He just finished on the second floor and was about to go on the third floor. He was just about to give up when he saw the small section on the corner of third floor library.

‘Film/TV Section’

Jiyong didn’t waste time and walked towards it and there he saw Dara sitting on the floor ten books scattered around her, back leaning on the end of the shelf, facing on the wall. He felt like his heart went up his throat just with the sight of Dara, peacefully buried in her books. It was as if it’d be a crime to even intrude her in her own world.

He saw her sigh as she turn a page and his heart skipped a couple of beats. And there he knew that there was no going back. He’s already deeply fallen in love with a geeky nerdy girl who hates his guts the very first time they met. Rock bottom.

He slowly walked near her and leaned on the wall beside Dara. He just stared at her for as long as he could.

“What are you doing here?” Dara asked without wasting a glance at him.

“You’ve been avoiding me for days Dara.” Jiyong said softly, legs bent, arms resting on his knees, eyes fixated on Dara. Dara just shrugged and gave out a sigh.

“We have nothing to talk about. I’ve said all I needed to say.” Dara said in a cold tone, never leaving her eyes off her book.

“Not by a long shot Dara. You haven’t even given me the chance to explain.” Jiyong replied. Dara sighed heavily and finally placed her book away, her eyes directly pierced on Jiyong.

“I have no time for your crap.” Dara stood up. Jiyong stood up and caught her arm, pinning it over her head. He caught her other wrist and held it, making her immobile as he pinned her against the end of the bookshelf.

Jiyong placed his forehead against hers and looked at her directly, his eyes unmoving, his breath in sync with hers.

“Do you have any idea how devastated I was to know that Kiko was Red Lotus? Somehow I just couldn’t picture her as Red…I’ve always pictured you…I’ve always wanted it to be you…Just you…”

“Everything I said whenever I talked to you Red…everything I said…it was always meant for you. I’m in love with you Dara. I don’t know how, I don’t know why, I don’t know when…I just woke up one day realizing that I’m in love with you.”

“And I hated myself for it Dara…I hated myself because I know Seung Hyun is in love with you…I know that he’s been in love with you before I even met you. But what can I do? No matter what I do, I can’t undo it. I can’t erase it. I just can’t get…”

“I know it’s such a stupid move but I had no choice. Kiko was lonely…I was lonely…I was desperate...desperate to forget you…so I asked her for be my girlfriend and we can help each other forget you and she, Seung Hyun.”

“But I don’t know what to do anymore Dara. I’m still in love with you.” Jiyong said, hint