Chapter Three

What Really Happened

*Flashback*

On the hot and sunny July afternoon, all that could be heard was the clear and gleeful laughter from kids of all ages. Kids were everywhere, in the beaches, in their backyards, front yards, community pools, but the 9 year old Dara was sitting on a bench in the local park with her sister Deanna.

Fillin in the hearts she drew with the colors red, pink, lavender, the young girl sighed. "Isn't love just wonderful?" she asked.

Deanna shrugged her shoulders and brought her hair over to the side. Brushing it softly with her fingers, the younger girl responded with a hesitant nod and smile of agreement. She was just 6 after all. She knew basically nothing of this "love". She didn't know how Dara did, she was just a merely three years older than herself, but she was older anyways, and Deanna trusted her.

Dara giggled and faced her. "Being in love is the bestest. Even better than recess! I love love. Mom and dad said they found love in the back of a car, and it helped create me!"

Her face forming into a mask of confusion, Deanna asked, "Unnie, how do you know how it feels to be in love?"The young girl didn’t even mind the fact that she just found out how her older sister was conceived.

Dara faced forward and pointed to a certain black haired boy. "You see him? His name is Ji Yong. Kwon Ji Yong. He's my best friend," she said with a proud grin.

Deanna looked at her in confusion again. "So?"

Dara sighed in exasperation. "I love him," she whispered.

"Unnie!" Deanna laughed, "You barely know him! He probably doesn't even know your name."

Dara pouted. "You're lying!" She waved her hands up in the air and called out, "Ji Yong, Ji Yong, come over here please!"

The boy looked up at the weird girl calling him. She didn't look like a pedo, so he walked over to the from the monkey bars slowly. And plus, he was a nice boy.

Dara saw him coming over and squealed. "He's coming," she whispered to Deanna. She showed her the paper she was drawing on. Hearts and Ji Yong's name filled the page. "I'm gonna tell him I love him today! Then he's going to say that he loves me too, and then we'll get married and have twin daughters, Min Yeong and Sun Yeong. You can be their auntie, Dee!" 

Deanna hid her scoff and smirk. Even at the young age of 6, she knew common sense. And common sense was saying that a guy you don't even talk to, someone who probably didn't even know your name, wouldn't accept your heart. "Sure, Unnie, sure." 

Dara gave her a smile just as Ji Yong stood in front of her. "Ne, what is it?" he asked. Dara hugged the paper to her chest, just above her beating heart. "Ji Yong, I wanted to give you this," she said, completely overcome by her shyness. She handed him the paper with her head bowed. 

Ji Yong took the paper from the strange girl's grip. He gave it one glance and immediately felt guilty for doing so. It was another one of them love letters. Couldn't these girls understand that he was only 10 years old and not ready to be in a relationship?! He sighed and said, "Miss, I'm sorry, but for one thing I don't even know your name," he saw the girl's shoulders slump a little, "Second, I'm not old enough to be in a relationship. And third," he scowled, "Girls have cooties." he shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry." With that said, he walked away.

Miraculously, every kid in the park heard his response to her confession and came over to the bench pointing fingers at her, laughing, and chanting, "Dara has cooties~! Dara has cooties~!" 

Dara swallowed the bump in and tried to prevent her tears from falling. "I-I do not!" she defended herself, "Anyways, I was gonna ... Gonna ..." 

Everyone was silent for a moment, waiting for what she was going to say, until Deanna realized that her sister was speechless and had absolutely nothing to say and started chanting again, "Dara has cooties~!"

Dara couldn't believe Deanna. Deanna, her sister of all people, betrayed her! She groaned in frustration, stood up from the bench, and walked away.

'Fine. If this is how it's going to be, Ji Yong, then get ready for me. I'll be back, badder than ever, and you'll regret ever rejecting me.'

But she never did get back at him. Sure she had everything planned, but she never had the guts to carry out her plans. Not even as she grew older. She didn't even know if Ji Yong himself, or Deanna in fact, remembered that day, but now she knows that they don't.

Just looking at them made her sick. Sick to the bone. The guy who made her into the successful breakup artist she is now is wrapped around her little sister's fingers.

Bom clearing beside her brought Dara back to reality. She smiled bitterly at Ji Yong and said icily, "Well hello there, sir. I see you're Deanna's new boyfriend, huh?" She studied him from head to toe, not very much impressed with his choice of clothing, a white V-neck t-shirt, khaki shorts and socks with sandals. Socks with sandals. Who would be interested in him?! Dara laughed to herself. How she could have thought that this guy was attractive, she didn't know.

He nodded and smiled. "Uh, yeah." Dara mentally scowled. 'I guess he doesn't remember.'

"Let me guess," she said, "Plastic surgeon, doctor, lawyer, movie producer?" Deanna (obviously) wouldn't be interested in him for his sense of fashion, or looks, so she must be interested in him because of his money. That would be the "Deanna" thing to do.

Ji Yong shook his head. "No, I actually teach music to orphans at the local orphanage," he said proudly.

A teacher to kids? Orphans, to be exact? Dara scoffed, but thankfully only Bom noticed and she pinched Dara's palm. Dara scowled at her, but Bom chose to ignore her. Dara wondered, 'Why exactly is she interested in him then?'

"Actually, I just entered my kids in a talent show. The winner gets ₩262800094 (About $250,000). It'll be enough to fund us for at least a year or two," Ji Yong interrupted. He shot them a pleading look, "Would any of you be interested in helping us compose lyrics?"

A fog of silence covered the room, until Dara Burt out laughing. Bom looked at her with the "It's rude to laugh" look. Dara in turn ignored her and said, "Yeah, no thanks."

Deanna laughed along. "Yeah, for the first time in my life, I agree with Dara," she turned around to face him and placed her hands on his chest, "But I'd gladly help you in bed, if you know what I mean," she smirked.

Ji Yong laughed and placed a kiss on her forehead, "You're so cute," he turned to the rest, "Isn't she cute?"

Dara rolled her eyes and turned around, pretending to organize her desk. Chae Rin cleared , "So Ji Yong, would you like to come to the club with us?"

Ji Yong shook his head. "Uh, no, actually. I just came to drop Deanna off. I actually have to bring my sister to the doctor's. She's pregnant, and I get to name him!" He proudly said with a grin.

'Yup, I absolutely don't understand why Deanna's with him. He has the one thing she doesn't, and never will have: heart.'