Dara took a peek in the kitchen where Teddy had his back while he washed the plates. Before she approached him, she looked around her, making sure Cheondoong wasn’t around. She tiptoed towards Teddy, a cute yellow apron tied on her body.

 

“Ah, there are a lot of dishes,” Dara commented, snatching the sponge from Teddy.

 

Teddy stared at her incredulously. She stared back and smiled.

 

“Let me help,” she said, winking. “You must be so tired, neh, oppa? Washing dishes really is tiring. I can’t imagine ho—“

 

Dara was cut off when Teddy left his spot. Her shoulders slumped as her eyes followed Teddy out of the kitchen. She then heard the front door opening and then closing. She sighed and faced the sink, not having a choice but finishing the dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After washing the dishes, Dara saw Kush watching a movie in the living room. Once again making sure Cheondoong wasn’t around, she went to approach Kush. She deliberately dropped herself beside Kush and snatched the bowl of popcorn from him.

 

“Ahhhhh, I love this movie,” she commented, earning another incredulous look from Kush. As she chewed, she didn’t remove her gaze from the screen. “Action movies are always daebak, right?” she asked, turning to her side. However, Kush was already standing up, stretching his arms, yawning loudly, and heading upstairs.

 

Dara sighed and leaned her head on the headrest. She wanted to scream, wanting to let all the frustrations inside free but she was afraid Cheondoong would hear and Jiyong would wake up and know about this. She decided to keep this from Jiyong, from fear of stressing him and even adding to the reason why he couldn’t recover fast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hesitantly, Dara stepped into the rooftop. She saw a figure leaning on the railing. Unlike what she did earlier, putting up a cheerful façade in front of Kush and Teddy, she decided to be real this time. The frustrations bottling up inside was killing her. And the hostility the older brothers made her a while ago feel didn’t even help.

 

“Here goes nothing,” she muttered to herself as she took another step towards him.

 

Without noise, she appeared beside him. She didn’t say anything unlike her first attempts. She then looked at him. Seeing the lack of attention she sought, she snatched the cigarette from between his fingers.

 

Successful, TOP stared at her, wide-eyed. He then furrowed and pulled another from a box of cigarette. Seeing this, Dara snatched it from him and threw it away, down to the road below them.

 

“Smoking is dangerous to your health,” she said.

 

Incredulous, TOP scoffed and turned around, about to leave the place. However, Dara was able to circle her hand on his wrist.

 

“Oppa,” she whispered.

 

There was something in her voice that made TOP not struggle from her grip so he just stayed on his spot.

 

“Why are you all mad at me?” she asked.

 

Finally, TOP faced her and scoffed. “Are you seriously asking me that?”

 

Dara lifted her tearful eyes to meet his.

 

“After investing all my trust in you, I just don’t know if I can trust you anymore,” he said vaguely. And as expected, Dara didn’t understand. “I trusted you, Dara. But in the end, you would just leave us.”

 

Dara gasped. “Seunghyun-oppa, I can’t leave all of you.”

 

TOP smirked. “You can’t, you say? Then, what just happened?”

 

“Sanghyun decided for me. I was too shocked to even say a thing. I’m sorry. But, no, I won’t leave my family. You’re my family -- you, Kush-oppa, Teddy-oppa, and Jiyong. How can I leave you just like that?”

 

TOP’s face softened.

 

Dara tightened her grip on his wrist. “Believe me, Oppa. This time I am going to fight for this family. Trust me.”

 

TOP lowered his gaze.

 

“Oppa,” Dara said, holding his hand with both of hers. “Please. Just trust me,” she said. “And please stop shunning me away. It hurts so badly.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jiyong felt the cold sheets with his hand. Without opening his eyes, he called, “Dara? Dara, where are you?”

 

The door opened. “I’m here,” she said, carrying a tray of food on her hands.

 

Jiyong sat up.

 

“Oops, careful,” she said, putting the tray down on the side table and helped Jiyong to sit up, fixing the pillow which was on his back. “Okay, there. Now, let me feed the baby.”

 

Jiyong smiled. “Dinner in bed?”

 

She sat on the bed with the bed table set in front of Jiyong. She started feeding him with the porridge TOP helped prepare with her. She literally treated Jiyong like a baby, even wiping the stains from his face with the sleeve of her shirt.

 

When he finished, Jiyong grinned. “You would make a perfect wife,” he commented.

 

Hearing this, Dara blushed red as a tomato. She stood up and quickly moved the table away. However, Jiyong pulled her by her wrist. When their faces were already an inch away from each other, he gave her a quick peck on her lips.

 

“Cute when angry, cute when caring, cute when blushing. When exactly can you not be cute?”

 

Dara blinked rapidly and quickly pulled away. She just turned around and held on to her cheeks which were already warm.

 

Suddenly, she felt a poke on her side, causing her to jump on her place and give out a shriek. She then covered and slowly turned towards Jiyong, afraid of what else he had to do to make her heart beat rapidly inside her chest.

 

“I need to wash my hair,” he said, a pout on his lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Jiyong sitting in the bath tub and his head leaning on the edge, he had his hair shampooed by the still-blushing Dara.

 

“Ahhhhh… this is life. After being bedridden for three days, I feel really grossed out,” he said, feeling the massaging on his scalp really refreshing. He then stared up at Dara. “Thank you, Dara.”

 

Dara pouted and looked away. “I told you to be better already. What is taking you so long?”

 

“Aish,” he said, reaching up and pinching her nose. “These are not normal wounds, you know. And it was just now that I appreciated being wounded.”

 

Dara furrowed her brows and stared at him incredulously.

 

“If I wasn’t wounded, I wouldn’t know this side of you.”

 

Hearing this, Dara put shampoo suds on his nose and said, “What do you mean? I have always been caring for you when you’re wounded. It’s not the first time.”

 

“Yes, that’s true. You’ve been really caring for me, but not this much. It’s a completely new side,” he said, returning the shampoo suds on her nose too.

 

The shampoo suds fighting resumed until there were no suds left on Jiyong’s hair and until their entire faces were covered with suds. Their laughter, however, was cut short when a phone rang inside the bedroom.

 

“I’ll get it,” Dara said, standing up and heading inside while Jiyong rinsed the shampoo off his hair. When she returned, she was grimacing at the caller id flashing by the screen. “Tell me this isn’t what I’m thinking of.”

 

Jiyong got the phone and answered it after seeing the caller ID. Dara stared at him as he listened and while she dried off his hair with a towel.

 

After a while, Jiyong spoke up, “Yes, I’m sorry I was careless. If you can, can you give me a week to rest? I’m afraid I haven’t recuperated enough,” he listened for a while and he nodded as if the caller could see him. “Yes, thank you,” he said and hung up.

 

Dara raised her brow. “He gave you a week to rest?”

 

Jiyong shook his head. “Just another three days. But I guess I’ll be fine by then.”

 

Dara’s shoulder slumped and she looked at him pleadingly. “Jiyong, can’t you let go of that mission already? Sanghyun is already here. You don’t have a reason to finish it. You saw what it brought you.”

 

“I hope that it’s that easy, Dara. But it’s not. I had brought myself into this from the start. I don’t think the enemy will let me go that easy. Besides, I learned too much information about him, so the enemy will do everything to extinguish me.”

 

Dara leaned her elbow on her knees and massaged her temples and didn’t say anything more, until she felt his hands on her shoulder.

 

“I’ll be safe from now on. I promise you. You just gave me a reason to,” he said.

 

Dara lifted her head and gazed up at him. “No breaking of promises.”

 

Jiyong nodded like a kid and raised his right hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dara assisted Jiyong as they walked down the stairs. He held on to her hand tightly as he limped. When they arrived downstairs, Cheondoong was watching them by the living room.

 

“Sanghyun, you’re still awake?” Dara asked.

 

“I couldn’t sleep,” he just said and stared at their interlaced fingers.

 

“Uhhh, Jiyong wanted to get out of bed so I helped him. Can you help us?”

 

They put Jiyong down on the couch and Dara dropped herself beside him. Cheondoong was at the other side, still watching them.

 

“Ahhhhh, it feels great to be out of bed after a while. I got sick inside. I don’t have anything to do just staying in bed,” he said while he looked around their house as if it was his first time being there. And then he diverted his gaze to the younger guy. “Is your arm okay now?”

 

Cheondoong looked down on his bandaged arm. “Ah, yes. It’s somewhat healed.”

 

“Really, I want to thank you, man,” he said. “I would have died if it weren’t for your distraction.”

 

Cheondoong shook his head. “I could have done better than that. But, it’s really great knowing you seem fine now.”

 

“Dara had been taking care of me, so I’m fine,” he said and then stared at Dara who was beside him. “Oh, where are the hyungs?”

 

“They all went out to meet their clients they said,” Cheondoong answered. “They said they’ll all return in the morning, like usual.”

 

Jiyong gasped and stared at Dara. “He knows?”

 

“I know a lot more than that,” Cheondoong remarked, earning a look from Dara and a curious one from Jiyong.

 

“Ah, Jiyong, how about a breath of fresh air?” Dara suggested as she pulled Jiyong’s hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheondoong stepped out of the house. He walked towards the wooden swing where two people were sharing their warmth with each other under the cold night sky. The guy had his head leaning on the woman’s shoulder. As he was completely in front of them, the woman looked up at him.

 

“Sanghyun,” she said.

 

“Is he asleep?” he asked, looking down at the guy who had his eyes closed and his hand clasped in the woman’s hand. They were also sharing a blanket on their laps.

 

Dara nodded.

 

“So, you finally recognized your feelings for him?”

 

Dara lowered her gaze but looked up at him again with determination in her eyes. “Yes. But, Sanghyun, if you think you can dictate my feeli—“

 

Cheondoong raised his hand and waved her off. “I’ve heard enough,” he said and turned around and left them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jiyong, once again, woke up to empty and cold sheets. He struggled as he stood up and looked at the clock. It was eight thirty in the morning. He walked towards his door and went downstairs where the older hyungs were lounging around, playing a game of cards.

 

He was about to make his presence known but they started speaking in hushed tones.

 

“It’s really sad right?” Kush said, while looking through his cards.

 

“Yeah, but I guess it’s for the better,” Teddy said, placing down a card of nine of diamonds.

 

“I agree. And I guess living in Jeju is better than here,” TOP said. “Dara, though, she--”

 

“Dara? Where’s Dara?” Jiyong interrupted, afraid of what he had to hear.

 

“Oh, Jiyong. You’re awake,” Teddy said, standing up, about to help him walk towards them.

 

“Where’s Dara?” he repeated, a little bit louder this time.

 

The three looked at each other and then to him. Kush decided to talk, “Jiyong, calm down. Just sit and we’ll tel—“

 

“JUST WHERE THE GODDAMN FCUK IS DARA?!” he shouted, shocking all of them.

 

“I-Incheon Airport,” TOP said.

 

In a second, Jiyong was running towards the door, grabbing his car keys along the way. After a while, despite the hyungs calling for him, he was already driving away.