Chapter Four

Case: Lee Seung Ri

Dara buried her face into her hands as deep as she could. Yeah, it was a pathetic way to block all the noise - the blaring music, all the talking, and not to mention the moans that could be faintly heard from the bathroom across the club - but she had no other choice. She couldn't disappoint Bom or Chae Rin or even Deanna. She promised she would stay here and try - TRY - to have fun, and whenever Sandara Park made a promise, she made sure she kept them. She's currently nailing the "staying in the club" part, but was having some immense trouble on the "trying to have fun part".

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt someone gently shake her shoulder. She looked up to see Bom's amused gaze. "Uh, your giving off the 'I'm not into dudes' vibe again, honey," she said.

Dara rolled her eyes and lifted the wine glass beside her. She gave Bom a bitter smile and replied, "No, I'm giving off the 'I just paid ₩11600 ($11) for a Vodka Cranberry' vibe." She brought the glass to and took a sip. She silently moaned to herself and admit that the drink was pretty damn good.

"Dara-Unnie~ Look who I found~!" Chae Rin sang and tapped Dara's shoulder. Dara turned around wearily and saw Chae Rin and Deanna. "What did you find, Chae?"

Chae Rin wagged her pointer finger from side to side and made a clicking noise with her tongue. "Not what, Unnie, WHO." She motioned for the tall lad behind her. "This is Choi Seung Hyun, or TOP. He's that famous rapper I've been talking about!"

Dara inspected him from head to toe and was nowhere near impressed. Sure the guy was famous and looked like he dressed to impress, but that just goes to say that he was just another one of them guys who would spoil their girlfriends for a while, and then take back everything later on. "Before you begin your sweet-talk, Mr. Choi, I think you should know that I find you no where near attractive."

Seung Hyun's eyebrow went up, and his lips formed a smirk. He saw the lovely red-head next to her and he suddenly forgot that some girl just rejected THE Choi Seung Hyun. He leaned against the table and gave her his most charming smile. "Well hello there. Tell me, am I dead, Angel? 'Cause I think I'm in heaven."

Bom laughed nervously at their close proximity. "Uh, no sir, I assure you, you are NOT dead." She even lightly pinched his arm to prove her point.

Seung Hyun's deep laughter erupted. "You're a naive one, aren't you? What's your name, hon?"

Bom cleared and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Bom. Park Bom," she answered hesitantly.

Holding his hand out, Seung Hyun asked, "Well tell me, Bom, would you like to dance with me?"

Bom hesitantly accepted his hand, but not before whispering, "You're not a , are you?" She got his hearty laugh as an answer, and that was good enough to be a 'no'.

Chae Rin took Bom's spot and pointed at the two. "You see them, Unnie? That's how you get a guy."

Dara rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, just go away Chae."

Deanna sighed and took Chae Rin's wrist. "Come one then, Chae. Unnie wants to be left alone for a while."

Before getting pulled out into the dance floor, Chae Rin grabbed Dara's wrist and pulled her with them. Dara took hold of her vodka cranberry and followed them with heavy steps.

Deanna danced her alluring dance. "Come one, D. Just this once, join us."

But before Dara was given the chance to answer, someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around to see a familiar looking man. "Hey, you're hot!" he exclaimed. When Dara didn't respond and took a sip of her drink, he continued, "Have I seen you around?"

Dara finally faced him. "Yeah, actually you have." She briefly remembered him. He was the guy always hitting on her in the previous gym she joined. "That's why I don't go there anymore." She smiled, before turning around and making her way to the exit.

"Well don't be so picky!" she heard him shout.

Dara forcefully shut her car's door as she made her way back to her business. "Stupid guys, stupid ₩11600 drinks ..." she muttered on the way to the door, but as she got closer, she noticed a young lady with her mascara running down her cheeks as she cried. "Hi, I'm looking for Sandara Park?" she asked.

Dara sighed. "Look, the rumors are false, OK? I'm not looking for a lesbian relationship-"

The girl shook her head. "I'm so sorry it's really late, actually, but it's just my boyfriend .. I--"

Dara motioned for her to be quiet and stepped forward to unlock the door. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm like a convenient store: always open." She gave the girl a sympathetic smile as she opened the door and let her in.

Dara brought the girl, she introduced herself as Hwa Ran, inside her office and sat her down on the couch. "So what's your boyfriend's name?" she asked her.

"Lee Seung Ri. That's what he likes to be called, " Hwa Ran answered in a shaky voice.

Dara crossed her legs and said, "Alright, well tell me about him."

"Seung Ri is just the most amazing guy, he's caring and kind and sensitive and his body," her eyes widened, "Is just sick! I mean, he does yoga!" She reached inside her bra and fished out a tissue and dabbed at her eyes. "But he's treating him like dirt right now, and I mean the icky kind if dirt, not the nutrient filled dirt and ..." she paused for a moment, looking like she was trying to compose herself to cry more, "And it hurts and why can't I just break up with him in person?!" she exclaimed.

Dara sighed and uncrossed her legs. "That's a bad idea. He would just beg for another chance. Men are genetically programmer with an ability to convince us females that they can change right after a break up," she rolled her eyes and held up two fingers, "Yeah, like a second chance would be any different from the next ten chances we give them. Listen, as an independent third party, I'd be completely immune to all his charms, pleas, and pathetic cries." She leaned back on her chair with a proud smile as she intertwined her fingers together, "I'm a BreakUp Artist. It's what I do."

Hwa Ran rubbed her nose gently before smiling at Dara gratefully. "Thank you, miss Park," she said softly. She rose up from the couch and shook hands with Dara before heading towards the door. She blew her nose on her last tissue paper and looked around the place. "How do you handle this business?" she asked Dara with curiosity, "I mean, isn't it quite depressing dealing with everybody's misery all day?"

Dara shrugged her shoulders. "Strong humans like me have a duty to help people who actually believe in love. The ones who make tissue," she gestured to Hwa Ran, who was stuffing the tissue into her bra, "A necessity."

Hwa Ran laughed a little before giving Dara one last grateful smile. When she turned to leave, the innocent smile turned into a sly smirk.

Of course, our heroine didn't see as she closed and locked the door. "Plus, I never take my work home with me," she muttered to herself. She walked forward in the dim hallway and made a left. She climbed up the stairs and removed her shoes when she got to the landing. She tossed the aside and jumped on the queen size bed. Grabbing the remote from the stand, Dara the TV. She flipped through the channels until she found an old black-and-white American movie. She smiled and rested her chin on her arm. This, those movies, was her stress reliever. 

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