It was after school when they walked by the streets, not wanting to go home just yet, where they wouldn’t be able to freely spend time with each other yet. As they held hands, they kept silent, letting only the sounds of their breathing and hearts beating accompany them to their walk without a destination in mind.

 

As they passed by a sidewalk store, Dara spotted something that made her pull Jiyong towards it.

 

“Let’s buy couple rings!” Dara exclaimed.

 

Jiyong scoffed. “That’s one of the cliché things that couples do. Let’s not do those kinds of cliché things.”

 

Dara clicked on her tongue. “We hold hands. That’s one of the cliché things couples do,” she said and shook her hand off his. “So, we’re not going to hold hands anymore. That’s fine with me.”

 

“YAH! YAH! What are you talking about?” he asked, a little panicky. He immediately interlaced his fingers with hers. “I might lose you again.”

 

Dara’s cheeks reddened as she looked forward again and tried to choose among the varieties of rings. She noticed the saleslady chuckling as she watched them. She reddened even more and started picking a pair of rings.

 

“Here, try this on,” Dara said, slipping a piece of ring on his finger. She picked hers and slipped it on. She stretched her hand and looked at it.

 

Jiyong also did the same and even nodded. “They look good.”

 

Dara gasped and stared at Jiyong disbelievingly. “Really?” she asked and then squealed. “We’ll take these!”

 

“YAH! Why are you so happy?!” Jiyong said, pushing her lightly but there was a smile on his lips.

 

While the saleslady was on the counter, Dara was smiling from ear-to-ear and clung on Jiyong’s arm. She looked up at him. “Just because,” she said and laughed. As they walked away, she stretched her hand and adored the ring that was designed like an infinity sign. She smiled again as she thought of how she and Jiyong were going to spend the infinity together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night has fallen in Seoul but two lovebirds chose to stay under the starlit sky instead of the comforts of their home. Feeling each other’s warmth, they sat by the side of Han River, choosing the comfort of silence hanging by the air.

 

Jiyong pressed his lips on Dara’s temple and tightened his hold around her small frame. She was feeling cold; he could say by the way she trembled a little every time the wind blew. Dara, on the other hand, leaned her head on the crook of his neck, amazed how the space seemed to be fit for her. She held on to the arm that was wrapping her body, fully satisfied by the way he held her.

 

“I wish we could live like this every day – living without worries,” Dara muttered.

 

Jiyong agreed. “I wish for that too.”

 

“It has been a week since then. Don’t you think that dragging this too long would only cause them to not accept us?” she asked, looking up.

 

Jiyong sighed. “Yes. That’s why I was thinking…” he trailed off, causing Dara to lean away and anticipate what he had to say next. “What if we just tell them straight away?”

 

“Wouldn’t they be too shocked?”

 

“We don’t have a choice. I don’t have an idea how to approach them. Whatever the consequences this relationship will bring us, I will accept it, just not to the extent that they would get you away from me. I certainly couldn’t take that.”

 

Hearing this, Dara’s heart seemed to pound harder inside her chest. She held onto his hand tightly and looked at him straight in the eyes. “Are you sure about this?”

 

“Are you scared?” he asked, with a small smile drawn on his lips. With one hand, he cupped her face. “Don’t be. I am always here.”

 

Dara nodded and tightened her hold on his hand. “We can get through this.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was almost 11:30 in the evening when Dara and Jiyong decided to go home. They stood in front of the closed door, breathing in and out several times. They knew they were all gathered by the living room by this time. Knowing how protective they were of Dara, they were surely waiting for her if the clock strikes past nine. Dara even already received several calls from them, which she deliberately ignored. And they were also sure everyone was present as their respective cars were being parked in front of the house.

 

With Dara’s hand clasped in Jiyong’s, they opened the door.

 

“DARA! What time is it?!” Kush immediately asked the moment the door opened. “Oh, Jiyong was with you, thank God.”

 

“Where were you two? It’s already late,” Teddy said.

 

The two seemed to have stiffened on their spot as the two older brothers didn’t notice that they were holding hands. It just became harder for them.

 

TOP appeared behind the two older brothers. And as expected, it was him who first noticed as he immediately looked down at their interlocked hands. “You’re together now?”

 

Four pairs of eyes looked at him, shocked at his statement, especially the two who were closest to him.

 

Teddy was the first one to break the tensed atmosphere. “What do you mean, TOP?”

 

Kush was the first one, on the other hand, to look back at the two who were still standing stiffly on the doorway. His eyes immediately darted towards their hands. “Are you two…?”

 

Teddy whipped his head towards them. His eyes were wide, but he refused to believe it as he just shook his head. “It was cold outside? So, you decided to share each other’s warmth eh? Yeah, I get it,” he said and turned around. “Go upstairs and rest now.”

 

“Oppa…” Dara took a step forward.

 

Teddy stopped on his tracks, his fists tightening on his side. Kush was paralyzed on his spot, not knowing what to do and say.

 

Jiyong tightened his hold on her hand. “Teddy-hyung, Kush-hyung…” he called. Slightly, Teddy turned around. “I would like to say something. And I hope you hear us out…” he trailed off. “I love Dara. I hope—“

 

Jiyong was cut off when Kush advanced and, gripping on his shirt, trapped him on the wall.

 

“Jiyong!” Dara shouted from across.

 

“Tell me you’re lying,” Kush whispered, his voice dangerously low.

 

“Hyung, I’m not. I love her. I don’t see her as a sister, hyung. She’s more than that. I love her. I love her so much. Please –“

 

Jiyong was once again cut off as a punch landed on his jaw.

 

“Jiyong!” Dara shouted, going towards them when TOP held on to her. “Oppa! Let go of me.”

 

“You should have known better than that,” Teddy said as he walked towards the two who were having a fight. “Kush, let go of him.”

 

Hesitantly, Kush did what he was told. Jiyong coughed as he spat blood on the tiled floor. He then looked up at their eldest hyung. “Teddy-hyung, can you at least let me finish?”

 

“What else do we need to hear from you? You just violated a family rule. We’re a family, Jiyong! You should have known better than that! Why would you love your own sister?!” he yelled and landed another punch on his jaw, causing the poor Jiyong to be thrown on the ground.

 

“JIYONG!” Dara shouted again, struggling to get free from the grips of TOP and Kush. “Teddy-oppa, please stop it!”

 

Jiyong, instead of standing up and trying his luck on explaining, stayed on the ground and kneeled in front of Teddy.

 

“Hyung, please…”

 

Seeing this only flared up Teddy’s anger. He grabbed him by his collar and threw him out of the house.

 

“I don’t want to see your face in this house ever again!” Teddy yelled.

 

Jiyong, on the other hand, just kneeled on the ground, continuously pleading, his face already wet of tears. “Teddy-hyung… please just listen,” he said, his voice shaky as he crawled, not caring if his knees were scraped.

 

Seeing this, Teddy turned to the people inside and yelled. “Bring Dara upstairs. Lock her room. Kush, be with her inside,” he ordered before closing the front door behind him.

 

Meanwhile, hearing Teddy’s orders made Dara more nervous and scared. With two arms trapping and stopping her, she tried struggling to get free and in any way, be of help to Jiyong. She kept on calling for him and pleading for Teddy but to no avail. The front door was already closed and all she could hear were Teddy’s screams and Jiyong’s groans of pain.

 

The next thing she knew, Dara was dumped into her bed.

 

“Oppa! Oppa, please help me. Help Jiyong, please,” she cried, begging for TOP, clinging on to his leg.

 

Seeing her like this hurt TOP. Already knowing about the two had pricked his heart but seeing with his own eyes how pathetic and desperate the two were to fight for their love made him crazy too. Although he had given way to the younger guy, he couldn’t just let go of his feelings for Dara.

 

Dara felt an arm pulling her away from TOP but even though she was already on the ground, being dragged, she kept her grip on his ankle. TOP bended down and straightened her up.

 

“Dara… Dara…” he kept on calling but she was deaf as she just kept on pleading. He cupped her face to make her look at him. “I can’t do anything. I’m sorry,” he said and stood up, left, and locked the door behind him.

 

Dara turned to Kush who was trying to help her up to bring her to her bed. “Kush-oppa, please… please… oppa, he might get hurt from all the beatings. He might die. I-I can’t. No, I can’t… without him, please, Kush-oppa. Please…”

 

It was a side Kush had never seen on her – a sister that all he knew was bubbly and cheerful and even though hates to be annoyed, still stuck with him as he was her oppa. The Dara right now had her face stained, forehead wet with sweat, and her eyes and nose already red from crying too much. He had never seen this side of her. Although he wanted to feel sorry, he couldn’t after Jiyong’s betrayal. He was just mad, too angry. He couldn’t fathom how two of their youngest ones could do this behind their backs.

 

As Dara clung to his arm, pleading to help Jiyong down there, without thinking, Kush waved her off, causing her to fall on her and a gash on her cheek. Kush turned around, his arm crossed over his chest, not wanting to see the pathetic Dara right now before his mind would change.

 

Dara was shocked on what Kush did. She felt helpless. Neither TOP nor Kush wanted to help them so it was up to her. She ran to the door and turned the knob only to find it locked. She pounded her fists on the wooden door, asking the door to be opened, but it didn’t. She pulled and pulled on the knob but it didn’t open.

 

Her eyes caught the window across the room and ran towards it. What she saw almost the soul of her.

 

“No…” she muttered once.

 

Teddy was aiming a gun on Jiyong’s head.

 

Dara gasped, but before she could even think of doing anything, she felt Kush’s arm pulling her by her waist.

 

“NO! Teddy-oppa! NOOO!!! Please!”

 

Dara was thrown again on her bed. She was about to run towards the window again but Kush pinned her on the wall.

 

“STOP BEING HARD-HEADED, DAMMIT!” he yelled at her face.

 

“NO! TEDDY-OPPA IS ABOUT TO KILL JIYONG! HOW CAN I JUST SIT HERE AND DO NOTHING!” she yelled back. “I can’t. Teddy-oppa can’t kill him. No... I am nothing without him. Please, Oppa… please! I’m beggi--”

 

Dara’s cries were cut off when a loud gunshot split the air.

 

Dara’s eyes widened before she yelled. “NOOOOOO!!”