=FLASHBACK=

It was past midnight when Jiyong and Youngbae finished their dance training.

"Make sure you clean this room well, arasseo?" Jaewook told them.

"Ye," They both answered.

"Tomorrow, I want you here at the same time. Understood?"

"Ye."

"No lates."

"Ye."

The senior choreographer gathered his things and left the room.

They laid themselves down on the floor, panting.

"I'm seriously tired." Jiyong said catching his breath. "I don' think I can move anymore."

His best friend closed his eyes. "Me too. Every part of my body aches."

"I know exactly what you mean."

They both laugh.

A short silence enveloped them.

"Dara nuna is going back to the Philippines soon." Youngbae quietly said.

Staring at the ceiling, Jiyong pursed his lips. "Uh, yeah. It's really surprising how time flies, isn't it."

"Yeah. It's like we just met her yesterday."

"She was really shy back then. Funny how we discovered that she also has her dorky side."

Youngbae opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I'm gonna miss her when she leaves."

"We will all miss her. I can imagine Bom nuna crying hysterically once that day comes."

"Does she really need to go? I mean, she can stay here instead and be a permanent trainee, right?"

Jiyong wiped some sweat from his face using his hand.

"It's not easy on her part since she is already an established artist in the Philippines." He explained. "She can't just leave her work there."

Youngbae sighed. "I'm really gonna miss her. Our trainee days will no longer be the same without her."

"I know." He took a deep breath. "I will miss her too."

"Jiyong-ah,"

"Uh."

"I think I like Dara nuna."

=END FLASHBACK=
 

Jiyong headed to the cafeteria with Chaerin following him worriedly behind.

There they saw Youngbae and Dara sitting across from each other exchanging smiles while enjoying their food.

Normally, this kind of scene is just ordinary for Jiyong, but now it doesn't seem like it.

With unstable breathing and his jaw tightening, he quickly marched towards them.

"Oppa." Chaerin uttered, following him.
 

"Mmm. Maa!" Dara said while chewing her food. "Where did you buy this?"

"Just somewhere the boys and I often go to." Youngbae said, putting some side dish in her bowl of ramen. "Try this one."

"Thanks." She smiled, doing the same for him.

He smiled broadly. "Thanks nuna."

The happy look on her face suddenly vanished when she noticed a presence heading their way.
 

Youngbae spun his head when he felt a hand gripping on his shoulder.

"Jiyong-ah, what are you doing here? Chaerin?" He asked, looking at them in surprise.

Chaerin gave him an awkward smile and held up her hand. "Annyeong, oppa."

Then her eyes went to her friend who was staring at them expressionless. "Unnie."
 

Dara could feel her insides shaking.

For weeks now, she has not seen Jiyong's face up close nor did she see him looked her way.

Now that he is standing a few meters away from her, smiling like nothing unusual is going on, scared the heebie-jeebies out of her.
 

"We came here to eat of course." Jiyong joked, checking their food. "Oh, you bought ramen?"

"Yeah," Youngbae answered. "Sorry I only bought two. But if you want I can share mine."

"I'll share mine with Chaerin." Dara suddenly spoke, glancing at her friend.

"Good," Jiyong said, sitting beside Youngbae.

Chaerin rolled her eyes and sighed as she dragged herself to sit beside Dara.

"Here," She handed her a new pair of chopsticks and a spoon.

"Thanks unnie."

Youngbae glanced at her. "How's your hand?"

"It's better now, oppa."

"It better be. The ointment I gave you is one of the best." Jiyong said, not looking up from his bowl.

Chaerin widened her eyes at him, hoping that he'll look and see how uncomfortable she is. "Ah ye, it is."

Youngbae snorted. "Since when did you become the second Bom, Jiyong-ah?"

Jiyong chuckled before turning his head towards him. "You know I'm always like this."

Then he secretly glanced at Dara who was staring down at her bowl. "If people misunderstood what I'm doing, then that's their problem. Maybe they just don't know me."

"Maybe they don't." She mumbled as she placed a spoonful of the soup in .

All eyes went to Dara after hearing what she said.
An eerie silence surrounds them.
 

"Youngbae-ah,” A staff called. "Sajangnim needs to speak with you at his office."

He nods his head and looks at Dara. "Nuna, I'll see you later. Okay?"

She smiled. "Okay."

He said goodbye to the others and left.
 

Jiyong can't help but stare at Dara the whole time.

She and Chaerin were both eating silently and not saying a word to each other.

"Uh, I need to go to the toilet." The 2NE1 leader suddenly announced.

"I'll go with you." Dara was about to get up from her seat when she felt a warm hand firmly wrapped around her wrist.

Her heart began to accelerate as she made direct eye contact with the owner.

Chaerin cleared . "I'll go ahead."

She hurriedly walks away, leaving them alone

++++++++++
 

Hyun Suk was staring at his monitor screen when he heard a knock on his door.

He turned off his monitor and waited for the person to enter.

"Youngbae-ah, about your concert." He began
 

++++++++++
 

"So how have you been?"

Dara rested her arm on the table and looked at him. "Okay, I guess. And you?"

"I'm good."

Silence.
 

=JIYONG POV=

If we were outside, I guess the crickets would have been chirping by now.

But this is good.

As long as she is with me and looking only at me, I'm contented.

This is a good start.

=END OF JIYONG POV=
 

=DARA POV=

Even if he is in a distance, I still feel completely satisfied just by looking at him.

I wouldn't even attempt to glance at other direction on any account.

I don't really know what will happen to us next.

Who knows if this talk will lead us anywhere?

On second thought, will we be able to talk?

I absolutely have no idea.

But I just wish that in the end we can both throw away our burdens aside.

That will be a good start.

=END OF DARA POV=
 

"Dara unnie,"

They both turned to look.

Minji was standing near their table, looking surprised and delighted at the same time.

"We'll start practice again in ten minutes." The maknae reminded.

Dara nods. "Got it, Minji-ah. Thanks."

Her friend dipped her head slightly at Jiyong and he did the same.

With that, she walks away.

"So I guess I'll be going then." Dara forced out a chuckle. "I don't want Jae to punish me for being late."

Jiyong managed to smile and nodded his head.

She got up and so did he.

As she walked past him, he reached for her hand.

She stopped but didn't look back.

He gently squeezed her hand and right then she knew exactly what it means.

Her heart skips a beat and tears fill the rim of her eyes.
 

=FLASHBACK=

"Thank you, thank you Jiyong!" Dara gleefully hopped from foot to foot while heading towards a bus stop.

He chuckled as he swung his backpack strap over his shoulder. "Did you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! Thank you for bringing me there, Jingyo-ah!" She gushes while shaking his arm.

"Arasseo, arasseo." He gave out a laugh. "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"I really wanted to go there before returning to the Philippines. I'm happy you agreed to bring me there when I called you."

They just finished watching a movie at a DVD bang and Jiyong was going to send her home.

"I love the scene were she was running in the rain together with the guy and they were using his jacket as an umbrella." She dreamily recalls.

Jiyong pinched her nose and chuckled. "I like that scene too. It's very original."

"I want to do that with my boyfriend someday." She blurted out.

His face suddenly distorted. "Y-yeah, with Jo-"

"O the bus is coming." She was quick to change the subject.
 

The bus came and they got on.

While they were happily chatting and exchanging views about the movie they've seen, Dara heard her cellphone ringing.

"Yoboseyo?" She answered. "O Youngbae-ah."

When Jiyong heard who was calling, his head immediately turned to Dara.

He can see her expression changing.

She looks very uncomfortable and she was glancing at him from time to time while mumbling.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow." He heard her say.

After she hung up, a few minutes later, Jiyong's cellphone rang.

Dara heard it was Youngbae on the other line and it made her uneasy.

Right after Jiyong finished talking with his best friend, he awkwardly glanced at her.

"That was Youngbae." He informed her quietly.

"I heard."

In an instant, they both didn't know how to react.

The atmosphere turned both grim and strange.

"H-he really likes you, you know." Jiyong started saying. "Ever since he heard you and Jo-"

He trailed off his sentence remembering that it is taboo to even mention the name of her soon to be ex-boyfriend.

Dara just remained silent and immobile on her seat.
 

Days later...

"Why are you avoiding me?"

"It's complicated."

"Then explain it to me."

"You don't understand." He wearily said, slamming the locker door shut.

Jiyong started walking away but Dara grabbed him by the arm.

"What did I do to make you treat me this way?" Her voice was shaking.

He took a deep breath and leaned his back against the wall for support.

"I like you Dara." He softly said, slowly lifting his eyes to meet hers. "I really really do like you."

Her eyes were filled with tears. "I like you too, Jiyong."

When he heard her response, he suddenly raked his hair back ruthlessly. "Dammit!"

Surprised with his reaction, Dara stared at him. "Is there something wrong, Jiyong-ah?"

"Youngbae..." He stopped, trying hard to think of a suitable sentence to deliver.

He reached for her hands and held them securely in his.

Squeezing them gently, he looked straight into her eyes. "Dara, I think it's best if we just remain friends."

=END FLASHBACK=
 

When Dara came back to the dancing studio, the members were all observing her.

Bom went up to her with a big smile. "So how did your talk go?"

She looked at her and smiled, knowing that the maknae had already told her what she saw. "It went well, Bom."

"Yay! I'm so glad Santokki!" Her best friend jumped and hugged her tight. "So does this mean you two are back together?"

When the other members saw Bom's reaction, they joined in.

"Omo," Minji covered in excitement while Chaerin had a big smile on her face.

"Are you back together, unnie? The maknae asked.

Smiling, Dara shook her head.

"MWOH!" They all said at the same time.

"Yah!" Jaewook shushed them.

"What do you mean no?" Bom asked in a low voice.

"We decided to remain friends."
 

%%%%%% [A/N]: This is a continuation of FLASHBACKS in Chapter 29 - Betrayal %%%%%%

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Hiyee~~~ I made a short DARAGON fan fiction... Hope you check it out...

Click the link below ☟

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║☞  Dancing On My Own....║
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....... ooO Ooo

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-----+===[AUTHOR'S NOTE]===+-----

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