AUTHOR’S POV

Jiyong stiffened on his spot, with his eyes directed on Dara as she padded her way towards him. She was holding onto a bottle of Jack Daniels. And her cheeks gave a rosy tint that tells that she’s somewhere near drunkenness. And he feels a little uncomfortable with the game she suggested them to play. And involving the alcohol is a big no-no for him.. Because alcohol can take your sanity away.. And playing that game with Dara.. He needs all the sanity he can manage inside his system.

Jiyong stood up from where he was sitting and went to Dara, assisted her towards the couch because she was slightly swaying and he’s worried that she might fall down. As soon as she was seated comfortably on the comforts of the couch, she placed the Jack Daniels on the table and smiled up at him, a smile that made his heart flutter inside his chest.

“Let’s play Truth or Dare, Ji…” Dara repeated once more, then she let out a giggle..

“Let’s play other game..” Jiyong said, faking an excited tone in his voice to tempt her to take his suggestion into mind and agree to play a different game with him.

“No…” she trailed off, then she grabbed the bottle of alcohol and drank the contents of it. Dara placed back the bottle on the table, and it almost fell if not for Jiyong catching it on time.

Jiyong was about to open his mouth and persuade Dara to play a different game, or much better to take a sleep already when Dara suddenly giggled.. Then her giggles turned into laughter. Jiyong was confused as hell as to why Dara was laughing but he just let her be.

“But I want to play ‘Truth or Dare’, Ji..” she said after her laughing spree. She pouted her lips and blinked up at Jiyong, making her look so cute and so beautiful at the same time that he wanted to bent his head down and plant his lips on hers.

“Why?” Jiyong said in almost a whisper.

Dara giggled once more. And then she looked up at Jiyong, her eyes meeting his gaze. She was captivated for a second, his stare holding hers. She was drowning in the depths of his orbs but she did nothing to escape from it. A second after, she saw something flash in his brown eyes.. Love? She inwardly shook her head, blaming the alcohol for her own craziness.

And because it was getting harder to breathe, Dara had to look away. She have to look somewhere else or she’ll be completely drowned and she’ll stay drowned for the rest of her existence.

She reached for the bottle of alcohol once more and gulped the bitter beverage. She then giggled once more before answering Jiyong’s previous answer.

“Why else do people play ‘Truth or Dare’? Of course to know the truth..” she replied wittingly as she tapped the space next to her, indicating Jiyong to sit beside her. The guy obliged and sat quietly beside her.

She offered the bottle to him but he just shook his head, his gaze not leaving her face. She was starting to feel uncomfortable with the way he was staring at her. It’s as if he is memorizing every pore in her face.. It’s as if he is seeing her for the first time.

Dara glanced towards him and smiled once more, the alcohol fogging her already confused mind. She cleared and beamed excitedly at him, hoping that the odd feeling she felt a while ago when she looked straight in his eyes will vanish into the thin air because honestly, she doesn’t like it. It felt to her like she was treading on that dangerous path back to the past.

“Let’s start!” she exclaimed as she clumsily settled herself on the couch. She moved sideways and brought her legs up so she could do a cross-sitting when she lost her balance suddenly. She was silently cursing the alcohol inside her mind as she waits for the impact to come but there was none. All because Jiyong had caught her just in time and prevented her to fall.

“Careful.”  He gently said as he made sure that she’s properly settled on the couch before going back to his original position. The gentleness of his voice suddenly made an impact on her. Like it has destroyed something she had carefully built for a long time.

And just when she’s about to open to start their game, a realization washed over her that her eyes widen on its own. Her gaze stayed at Jiyong’s face.. Looking for answered she badly needed for the questions forming inside her mind. She can’t believe that she allowed herself to be that naïve once more.

When Jiyong sensed that Dara is spacing out, he reached out for her and placed a gentle hand on her arm. And then he asked softly, “Are you okay? I think you should sleep now. You’ve had enough of Jack Daniels.”

Dara shrugged his hands away and looked somewhere else. No, she said to herself. She won’t go back to that naïve, fool of a nerd that she was back then. She went through a lot just to establish her new self, she suffered so much so she can start a new and she won’t let anyone, especially Jiyong, penetrate that wall she put around herself.

Without saying anything, she reached out for the bottle of alcohol on the table and emptied the contents of it. Then carelessly placed back the bottle atop the table before facing Jiyong.

“Let’s start… Truth or Dare?”

“I really think we should play another game… or perhaps you should go to be—“

“Truth or Dare?”

Jiyong sighed, knowing full well that even if he begged her to change the game they are about to play Dara won’t hear any of it. And with the addition of the courage the alcohol has given her, Jiyong knows that she won’t give up without a fight.

“Truth or Dara, Ji?” Dara asked once more, getting more and more impatient because Jiyong is taking too long to answer. And inside her alcohol-fogged mind, she wished Jiyong would say ‘Truth’ because there’s just so many things that she’s been dying to ask him ever since the first time they met again.

“Truth…” Jiyong said slowly, carefully as his gaze never left her blushing face. At this moment, Jiyong wished he possessed some kind of mind-reading power so he can read what was inside Dara’s mind right now.

Dara slowly smiled, then before she could even think further about her question, opened on its own and blurted out the things inside her head. The things that was on her mind ever since that disastrous day when he completely shattered her whole being. “Why did you do that to me, Ji? How can you be so unhuman and hurt someone who hasn’t done anything to you? How can you stomach the thought that because of you, someone else’s life was ruined? Was it fun? Did it give you and your friends a good laugh? Was it worth it? Tell me, Ji. Was it?”

Tears started streaming down her face. Her once playfully aura vanished and was replaced by the melancholy of the past. Everything came rushing back to her. Everything that she thought she’d already forget came tumbling towards her and knocking her out of her senses. Her heart started constricting that it hurt her so much. So much to the point that more tears came flowing from her eyes. So much to the point that made it harder to breathe.

She saw through her tears that Jiyong lifted his hands and was about to wipe away her tears but she backed away from him. She stood up from the couch but she stumbled back due to the alcohol she just consumed minutes ago. She wanted to stand up and run away from him. But her knees felt weak. And her tears won’t stop streaming down her face.

Dara bowed her head in despair, cursing herself inside her mind for she allowed the past to domineer her existence once more. Cursing herself for being weak again when she swore to herself that she’ll be anything but weak. Cursing herself for even starting that stupid game when it’s not a great idea from the start. Cursing herself for letting herself be trapped here in this island with him and for letting her wall down. Cursing herself for loving him back then and still loving him now.

Yes. She still loved him. She doesn’t want to admit it but it’s the truth. She still loved him and she hates herself for it. She hates herself for still loving the same man who had deliberately hurt her. She hates herself for still loving that man who destroyed her. She hates herself for loving him then. And she hates herself more for still loving him now.

“I’m sorry..” Jiyong softly whispered as he kneeled in front of her, stretching his hands he wiped her tears away. And with every tears that escaped her eyes, comes every painful stab that hits his chest. It hurts him to see her like this. It hurts him to see her break down because of him. It hurts him so much to the point that he wanted to end her misery by killing himself.

“Would your sorry changed anything? Would it? Would it bring back those years I’ve spent feeling all depressed and vulnerable and sad and hurt? Would it bring back those tears I’ve shed for you? Would it bring back everything, Ji? Would it?” Dara sobbed as she buried her head on her palms.

“I’m sorry..” he kept repeating, tears are threatening to fall from his eyes but he doesn’t care. “I’m sorry.”

“How could you?” she whispered and then sobbed harder as the pain intensifies inside her chest. “How could you, Ji? How could you?”

Jiyong slowly went towards her, and without even thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him, hugging her so tight to the point that she almost felt suffocated. She struggled at first, trying her best to get away from his warmth. But he is stronger than her and she’s no match for his strength. As much as she wanted to get away from his mere presence, there’s nothing she could do about it.

They stayed like that for a couple of minutes. Him enveloping her in a tight hug that made her feel like safe and protected even if she doesn’t want to admit it. Her having her head leaned on to his chest while she lets out continuous sobs that ripples from her broken heart. Jiyong kept murmuring words of sorry as he keeps on kissing the top of her head. And whenever she would let out a sob, his hug on her will tighten, as if by that way, he could transfer all her pains to him.

“How come whenever I love a man, they always end up hurting me? Am I not worthy of another person’s love? Another person’s affection? Why does it always have to be me who’s suffering? All I ever did was give my heart, my all and yet my heart gets broken and shattered each and every time,” Dara murmured against her breath as she struggled to say those words out. Those questions is what occupied her mind while she think back on the times she freely gave her love but got nothing in return.

“No, Dara.. You’re wrong. You’re worthy of everyone’s love.. And so much more. I just have been a fool to put a blind eye and played with you. You don’t deserve that kind of treatment. You don’t deserve being hurt especially by me. You deserve so much more than that and….” Jiyong paused as he tightened his hold on her, afraid that she’ll run away from his grasp. “I’m sorry..” he finished.

“I can forgive you, Jiyong.. But forgetting is another thing. It’s always easy to forgive. But it’s the hardest to forget.” Dara solemnly said when her sobs stopped from coming out of . She wiped away her tears and struggled to get out of his hold. Hesitantly, Jiyong released her and heaved a deep sigh. Dara stood up from the floor and was about to take a step when she stopped. Jiyong rose to his feet as well and just stared at her back.

“Dara, I’m really really so—“

“Truth or Dare, Ji?” Dara silently asked, cutting his apology in the middle.

“…..Uh.”

“Please pick ‘Dare’,” she asked once more as she slowly turned to face him.

“Dare…” Jiyong said slowly, though confused as to what is going on inside Dara’s mind right now. He was confused as to where things are leading. First, Dara was crying and letting out all the pain she felt when he played with her. And now, they were back in the game that started it all.

“Kiss me, Jiyong…”

Jiyong didn’t know if he heard her right. He stared at her face, checking if there were some joke accompanied by what she just dared him to do. But there was none. All that was written in her face is pure seriousness. And there’s something in it too. Something unknown to him that makes his heart constrict in pain.

When Dara saw hesitation flashed Jiyong’s eyes, she took the initiative to take a step towards him and in one swift move, she was already on her tiptoes and her lips are already in contact with his. Dara tightly closed her eyes and savored the kiss she initiated. She never knew it will feel the same. Kissing Jiyong still feels the same. It still gives her the fluttering feeling in her stomach and it still makes her heart beat faster than its normal pace. And just as how fast the kiss started, it ended immediately much to Jiyong’s dismay.

“I want to go back to the town proper tomorrow,” she said as she her back once more and fought the tears that are threatening to fall from her eyes. She doesn’t want to cry over him anymore. She should be forgetting her feelings for him and moving on with her life. But why does her stubborn heart still wants to be with the guy who had hurt her back then?

Jiyong just stayed rooted on his spot, still not over with the fact that Dara and he had shared another kiss. But it’s a bittersweet kiss this time. He felt it. He felt that that kiss was the closure Dara was looking for. The closure that will free her from the pain he had caused. He so much wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let her go even if she begs him to, but it is the least he can do for her.

To free her from himself so she’ll be free from every pain and heartache that comes along with his existence.

“And please stay away from me from now on, Kwon Jiyong.” Dara said with finality as she took those steps that lead her further and further away from him.

BOM’s POV

I opened my eyes and I was greeted with a bright light coming from the sunlight that’s peeking through the curtains. I squeezed my eyes shut and heaved a deep sigh. It’s still early in the morning but I have to get up now because I still need to do something. And that something is getting my sister back from Kwon Jiyong.

It has been four days. And I think four days is already enough to settle everything that is needed to be settled between my sister and Jiyong. I don’t want Dara to be staying in close proximity with Jiyong in a long period of time because impossible things can happen. Such as resurfacing of feelings that is supposedly buried deep down under or locked in a cabin with thousands of locks.

Even if Dara looks so tough and so capable for herself, I know deep down that she’s still the same fragile girl who wore those thick eyeglasses. And as her sister, I vowed to God himself that I will do everything I can to keep my sister away from pain. Away from hurt that scarred her heart. Dara had already gone through so much. And she doesn’t deserve all that.

I snap out of my reverie when I heard someone knock at the door. My eyebrows furrowed, confused as to who my visitor is at six o’clock in the morning. It couldn’t be room service because I haven’t called for breakfast yet. And it couldn’t be Seunghyun because he is certainly not a morning person.

I shrugged my shoulder and decided that I should just check it myself. I jumped out of the bed and walked lazily towards the door. Without bothering in looking at the peephole, I opened the door and was greeted by my sister.

“Dara,” I greeted, surprised seeing her in front of me.

“Good morning, Bom!” Dara greeted cheerfully, more cheerfully than normal that it sounded forced.

I stared at her and right then and then, I knew something happened. Dara’s eyes were shining, not because of feeling but because of tears that are waiting to be poured. The way she smiles was so shallow that it’s didn’t even reached her eyes. And the way she bit her lips to stop them from quivering tells me that she’s doing a great job in fighting back her tears.

My fist curled in a ball, unconsciously. Even if Dara won’t tell me what happened, I think I have an idea who caused her distraught. Kwon Jiyong.  That bastard. I really should’ve killed him when I had the chance, so he won’t have the power to hurt my sister anymore.

I snapped out of my anger and faced Dara, smiling at her I ushered her inside and let her sit on the edge of the bed. I took the spot next to her and just stared at her, waiting for her to tell me something, anything.

“You can always tell me everything, Dara..” I said in a gentle voice, my sisterly instinct kicking in as I have the urge to wrap my little sister in a hug and protect her from the cruelty of the world, much more to the cruelty of love.

Dara slowly turned her head towards me and smiled sadly. “I still love him, Bom..” a single tear rolled down from her left eye. And she wiped them away. But then another one rolled out from her eye, followed her another and then another. “I don’t know why.. But I still love him.”

I scooted towards her and immediately wrapped her in my arms, enveloping her, protecting her. Her broken sobs reached my heart and it was painful for me to hear my sister cry like this. Why is she the always one crying? Why can’t it be the other way around?

Why is it always my sister that is hurt from everything? Why can’t they just let her be and let her be happy in her life?

Why is it that Kwon Jiyong became a part of my sister’s life? Because of him, Dara is hurting. She was hurt then and she was hurting now. And it’s all because of one man, of the same man, because of Kwon Jiyong.

“I don’t want to love him, Bom.. But my heart won’t listen to me.. I don’t want to love him… How to stop loving him?” Dara repeated as she clung to my arms. Tears kept on flowing from her eyes as her sobs occupied my ears. And my heart lurch painfully by the sound of it.

With gritted teeth, I swear to myself that I’ll do everything so Dara and Jiyong won’t cross their paths again. I swear to myself that I won’t let Jiyong hurt my sister again. He had hurt her twice, I won’t let it happen again.

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HI GUYSSSSS!

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