A/N:

 

The Troll Author is back.

 

MWAHAHAHAHA....

 

 

Enjoy!

(Sorry for the typos!)

 

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Chapter 9

The Confrontation

 

 

 

 

“Oh, I hate him! I really do!” Dara exclaimed outrageously.

 

 

“Whose fault was it anyway, huh?” Bom retorted on the other line. “He’s the brother of the bride, for Pete’s sake! Did you really think he would lend you a hand? Like, hellooooo? Are you sure you’re still capable of thinking sane things, Dara?”

 

 

Dara looked up to the sky, and transferred to another space to sit. She’s been uneasy, walking back and forth all the while. She agitatedly retold Bom the incident on the trails. She can’t even recall how she got away from Jiyong because of so much anger on how he nonchalantly knew her secret plan.

 

 

“For the record, Bom, I didn’t ask for his help, okay?”

 

 

“So what do you call that little stunt of yours, huh?”

 

 

“I just wanted to know his insights, what’s wrong with that? You never know, it might be useful for my plan. I thought he didn’t liked Seungri because he was so snobby and all. But I was wrong.”

 

 

“What made you think that he won’t like Seungri for his sister? Of course, he would want the marriage to be. He sees how happy his sister is with Seungri. And you should be happy for him too. Isn’t it how it works when you truly love someone? That you want them to be happy?”

 

 

“Seems like we’re forgetting how the antagonist shows his love and affection here—silent treatment. My gosh! He’s so grumpy. You’d always see him frowning. And when looking at us, Seungri and I, it seems like we committed a mortal sin we never know.” She chose not to react on her friend’s last statement.

 

 

“Maybe he was acting that way because he sensed that you’re a threat to his sister’s happiness. He doesn’t have a bad blood with Seungri, but with you.” Bom tried to reason out.

 

 

Dara raised an eyebrow. “It’s not yet even one week that we’re together. It’s impossible that he already noticed my real motive. What is he? A mind reader?”

 

 

“It’s really impossible, little missy. He knew your secret plan, which is by the way, not a secret anymore.” Bom sarcastically answered back.

 

 

She scrunched up her nose at the recollection of all the things Jiyong had said to her. She stood up and walked back again to the spot where she left.

 

 

If the given situation was different, she would admire Jiyong for his observative outlook.  It’s just that she’s annoyed with his reserved attitude and his always frowning face. He’s also a man of few words. And when she needed him to be hushed, he tends to be talkative. Talk about irony. So it was hard for her to cover up her mistake.

 

 

“So, what’s your plan now?”

 

 

“I’d still go with it,” she said.

 

 

“You got caught and all, and you’d still go with you’re ridiculous plan?!”

 

 

“He didn’t totally caught me in the act. I didn’t come clean anyway. And I need my Seungri back. He can’t be with any woman.”

 

 

“What if the brother... what was his name again?”

 

 

 “Jiyong.”

 

 

“Hmm... sounds very masculine. Is he handsome?”

 

 

She furrowed her eyebrows when they went off the topic. “I didn’t go here to check out on my rival’s brother, mind you.”

 

 

Bom giggled. “I was just asking. Why was your answer so long? You can just answer me with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’, you know.”

 

 

“You’re annoying, you know?” she softly said. A roaring laughter was all that answered her.

 

 

“I therefore conclude: that brother-in-law is a good-looking man.” Then Bom giggled once more.

 

 

“You know, this conversation’s going nowhere.” She’s hot-headed at the moment, and her friend got the nerve to play matchmaking: of her and the arrogant jerk.

 

 

“Hmp. You’re such a spoilsport, you know? Okay, back to the issue. What if that Jiyong would try to stop you?”

 

 

“Hah! Don’t he dare try! No one can stop me, you know that. What Dara wants, Dara gets.” She turned again to walk back to where she sat a moment ago. As she was turning around, she noticed a body form standing on the gate, not far from where she was.

 

 

She stopped on her attempt to make a step, mouth hung open, and eyes wide as saucers as she saw who was the man standing and intently looking at her.

 

 

Jiyong.

 

 

‘! Has he been standing there for a long time?’

 

 

The gate was not that far so it’s impossible that he hadn’t heard everything she said.

 

 

‘Oh, God!’

 

 

He strutted his way towards her, as she froze on her place like a statue. He stopped, facing her. He looked at her like a specimen under the microscope and didn’t seem to mind their distance to each other, while she can’t bring herself to lower her gaze since it might mean that she’s guilty to whatever his eyes are accusing her of. Her heart pounded through her chest. She felt like a criminal on a death row with what she was feeling.

 

 

He crossed his arms. “So, you want your Seungri back?”

 

 

‘Goodness gracious!’she wished that Lord would take her life that moment. He just had heard everything she said! How embarrassed can she get?

 

 

Her cheeks flushed.

 

 

She didn’t know what she wanted to do to him the most: to look at him with pure hatred or to give him a blank stare where she’d play dumb and let him seem that he doesn’t know what he’s thinking?

 

 

“That concludes everything I suspected earlier.”

 

 

“I love him,” she stated in conclusion, her tone slightly breaking because of nervousness and embarrassment.

 

 

He nodded. “I know. I noticed it when you corrected me when I said you’re just his high school friend, when you made a scene at the souvenir shop yesterday, and with what you did a while ago. But you must have also realized that my sister loves your Seungri very much.”

 

 

“We’ve been together for nineteen years—together since we were kids. I know him more than your sister does.”

 

 

“It’s not measured from the time you’ve been together,” he seriously answered.

 

 

“But for me, it is.” She forced to stop her tears from flowing out of her eyes. She didn’t want him to have the satisfaction of seeing her miserable and hopeless.

 

 

“Surely, you’re aware that it’s my sister’s feelings and wedding that are at stake here.”

 

 

“All my life I’ve waited for the chance that the relationship I have with Seungri will be put to another level. And now there’s no one that could stop me, not even you.”

 

 

He smirked. “So, you want to steal away Seungri from Chaerin? You love him and I also love my sister. And I don’t want to see her hurting. Which leaves us with...” It seems that he intentionally didn’t want to finish his sentence.

 

 

“Go ahead. I don’t care if you tell on me to your sister about what I’m going to do.”

 

 

He grinned. “To what? Hurt her? My sister’s just going to be worried and uneasy. And I don’t want that. Besides, I think I can handle the problem on my own.” He confidently said.

 

 

“Really?” she asked, fascinated.

 

 

He just shrugged his shoulders and slightly inclined his head to the right.

 

 

“Like how?” she challenged.

 

 

“I don’t know...” he said, casually held his chin and thought for a moment. “Hmm, let me see. You love Seungri and for the wedding not to be cancelled, you need to fall out of love with him. In that way, you won’t waste time to stop their wedding.”

 

 

“And how will you do that?”

 

 

With the way he talked, he seems to imply that it’s so easy to forget the love she was feeling towards the man she loved since they were kids.

 

 

And as an answer to her query, he looked at her—from head to toe—checking her out. She noticed he was focusing—looking at her lips, with which she was keeping shut to stop herself from bursting in flames.

 

 

“You’re beautiful.” And basing on the tone he used, seems like he just realized that FACT just now.

 

 

Being stunned was an understatement, as her heart skipped out of her chest for a moment. She was caught off guard. They’re in the middle of confronting each other and he still find a moment to compliment her? But was it really a compliment or a sarcastic remark?

 

 

And when he again started to travel his eyes on her being, this time, she instinctively crossed her arms on her chest.

 

 

“And you’re also a y, girlfriend material.”

 

 

“WHAT?!” She can’t help but to raise her voice on his last comment. But though her blood was boiling in 300º Celsius, she still got to analyze what he just said. Then she smiled.

 

 

 “You’ll make me fall in love with you so I won’t stop the wedding.” She concluded. “Is that what you’re trying to say?”

 

 

“You think that would be very hard for me to accomplish?” He returned her smile with the same degree, seems like he’s sure that he’s going to win.

 

 

She shook her head. “It’s not easy to forget my love for Seungri.”

 

 

“We’ll see.” He meaningfully said.

 

 

Their conversation was civil. There were no shouting and physical contact. Only their eyes showed what they truly feel. But then again, she knew that despite their calmness, they were up for the challenge. She, who promised to stop the wedding of her best friend; and him, who’s determined to stop her to not hurt his sister.

 

 

May the best person win.

 

 

 

 

 

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