"This is odd." Donghae told Dara as he finishes off his dinner plate.

Dara looked at him with a questioning look. "What's odd?"

“This.” Donghae said looking around. They were having dinner at Dara’s favorite Japanese restaurant and it has been just the two of them for more than an hour now well except for Dara’s bodyguard who was waiting for them a few tables away.

Dara stared at him like he just lost his mind.

“Don’t you find it peculiar that no one is bugging is right now?”Donghae asked her still looking around.

“Oppa have you lost your mind? Are you stressed? What the heck are you talking about?” Dara asked clueless why Donghae is acting this way.

Donghae paused for awhile and realized how he must look like an idiot. “I mean, I kept thinking one of your brothers would pop out here or one of my members is coming out.”

“Ahhh… My brothers have schedules for the whole day. Bom Unnie is with Siwon Oppa. Minzy and Chaerin have exams tomorrow so they can’t go out.” Dara explained giggling.

“Hmmm… So it’s one of my members who are going to pop out anytime soon.” Donghae blurted out feeling uneasy.

Dara laughed. “Aish oppa calm down!!!”

“Mianhe, I’m just not really used to it.” Donghae sheepishly said. “So what did you do today?”

Dara started babbling about how her day went and Donghae stared at her. Wow. Donghae thought. She’s even more beautiful now than when I first saw her. Donghae told himself amazed at how lovely and gorgeous Dara looks like.

“Oppa? Kinchana?” Dara asked noticing Donghae staring at her and just listening passively. “What’s wrong?”

“I just realized something.” Donghae told her while Dara looked at him questioningly. “You look even more beautiful now than when I first saw you.”

Omo! Dara thought as her heart flutters. She could feel her cheeks burn.

Suddenly Donghae came closer and reach out his hand to touch her blushing cheeks. “I love how you blush at the slightest compliment.”

“Eii Oppa!” Dara whined. Her heart was beating fast. Damn those eyes. Dara told herself as she tries to avoid Donghae’s gaze.

“Oh before I forget.” Donghae said getting something from his pocket. He then showed Dara a box and then smiled as he pushes the box near her. “Open it.”

Oh my gosh! Is this a ring? Dara excitedly asked herself. Pabo Dara it can’t be a ring you’re not a couple yet. Her thoughts argued in her mind. Slowly she opens the box and found a necklace with a puzzle piece pendant studded with diamonds.

“Oppa…” Dara stuttered as she couldn’t speak.

“It’s a couple thing. See?” Donghae showed Dara his necklace that was hidden inside his shirt. His pendant was shaped like a dog tag only there was a missing piece in the middle shaped exactly as Dara’s pendant.

Dara was lost for words as her heart beat paced. In all honesty it was just a simple gift. Her parents and siblings have given her so much more but somehow she couldn’t explain the overwhelming feeling she has right now.

“You don’t like it?” Donghae pouted as he stared at the speechless Dara.

Dara looked up to him with tears forming in her eyes. “ Oppa… I love it!”

Donghae smiled and took the box from her and got the necklace. He then stood up and went behind Dara to put the necklace on her.

“Perfect!” Donghae said after putting on the necklace.

“So does this mean we’re now….” Dara slowly asked.

Donghae laughed. “Do you want to be a couple?”

Dara paused for awhile and argued with herself. Kinchana. Your brothers will understand. What if they don’t? Will this work? What if it doesn’t? Get a grip Dara! She calmed herself. You deserve to be happy.Stop thinking about your brothers! Her sister’s voices started to echo in her head.

“Hey..” Donghae said as he gets Dara’s hand and intertwine it with his. “I’m not rushing you. It’s fine if you’re still not ready.”

Dara smiled. She loved how his hands always feel warms whenever their hands intertwine. How she always long to hear that calm voice and how his smiling face always make her heart flutter.

“It’s not that I’m not ready Oppa… it’s just I’m scared my brothers will kill you.” Dara revealed.

Donghae laughed. “Look, I’m not forcing you to anything. I’ll wait.”

Dara smiled at him as her fingers touched the pendant he gave her. They continued talking for another hour when they decided to take a walk by the Han River.

“Here we go.” Donghae said as he helped Dara get off his van. They started walking and headed to where Donghae intended them to end up. He purposedly asked the driver to drop them off near where the Rainbow Fountain was going to show so there will be just little walking to be done, he figured it was still nice to watch it even from a far, even though Dara was scared of water.

“So this is what it feels like.” Donghae uttered while Dara looked at him wondering what he was talking about.

“This is how you go out on a date without anyone following you and without media trying to get a scandal from you.” Donghae answered.

Dara giggled. For a moment she has forgotten that Donghae was a celebrity. Spending time with him was always fun and they may not be like those who go out on lavish dates, they may always hide from the public but Dara doesn’t care really about it. She just likes spending time with Donghae.

“You know when my birth mother was still alive, we love to go swimming by the beach?” Dara suddenly told Donghae as they walked nearer their intended location.

Donghae stared at Dara shocked that she was telling him this.

“Before my mom met Yongbae’s dad, it was just us. We love spending time at the beach, building sandcastles, swimming, watching the fish swim with us.” Dara smiled as she recollected their memories.

Donghae became silent when they’ve finally reached their destination they sat by the grass and waited because the fountain display didn’t began yet.

“So… Yongbae and you…” Donghae was lost for words.

“Half-brothers.” Dara nodded. “Well, not really. Yongbae’s mom was our stepdad’s first wife, but Yongbae was already born then. Yongbae grew up knowing him as his dad. We don’t really know where he’s real father is. His mom, well she left Yongbae and his dad for another man.”

Donghae couldn’t help feeling sorry for Yongbae as he continues to hear the story.

“When my mom met his dad, he was still an ok guy. He had work; he treated me and Yongbae as his own.” Dara continued as she tries to remember everything. “When the economy went bad, he lost his job and couldn’t get a permanent replacement. My mom got a job and started to work for our family. She got a job offer outside the country and she took it. At first she told me and Yongbae she’ll get us after she settles in. But, slowly, she stopped sending money. Yongbae and I had to stop school, we had no food, no money, worst of it all our mother left us. Imagine being 7 and hearing that your mother will remarry to someone else and that she’s not coming back.”

Donghae was now lost for words. He doesn’t know what to tell Dara.

“That got our stepdad more depressed, to the point that he kept drinking alcohol and gambling even without money. Whenever I get hungry I become noisy, and whenever I piss our stepdad off, he locks me inside the closet telling me he wished I would just die. He started hating both me and Yongbae, since all our mothers did was leave him. Yongbae felt sorry so he started to work. I really don’t know where he wouldn’t tell me but he gets enough to give our dad money for alcohol and b