Day 20

 

Dara pretty much endured a whole new level of teasing from her boss. Whatever she was doing, Jiyong would find a time out of his busy schedule to piss her off by singing Crooked live for her only. Dara could only try to not mind him, try to ignore him, but as time passed by, she almost memorized the lines of his song.

 

Over dinner that Dara prepared that night, Jiyong called her to join him, which now was becoming frequent. Although Dara was pretty sure he didn’t like her company (which was by the way a mutual thing between them), she knew that he was only enduring it because he loved pestering her, which practically happens every time they shared dinner.

 

However, that night was especially different. Both of them were silent until Jiyong decided to break it.

 

“You sure you don’t like KPOP?” he started.

 

Here it goes again, Dara thought. “Yes. I’m a hundred percent sure that I don’t.”

 

“What do you think of my music?” he asked.

 

“Pretty idiotic,” she answered, not looking away from her food.

 

“Eh? It is idiotic but it can make you dance?” he asked.

 

Dara looked up and the grip on her chopsticks became tighter. “For the last time—“

 

“I belong to a group of five, if you didn’t know. Well, I’m pretty sure you don’t,” he said and then continued. “I am the main rapper and leader. And my group is called Bigbang and is comprised by me, TOP, Seungri, Taeyang, and Daesung.”

 

“Why are you saying all of these to me?”

 

“I want you to give a chance to listen to KPOP, especially our group’s music. I’m sure you wouldn’t be disappointed.”

 

“Don’t be so full of yourself. I’m quite satisfied wi—“

 

“Oh, stop being so stubborn for once, will you? Come on, leave the dishes be. Let’s watch KPOP music videos,” he said, standing up from his seat.

 

Dara followed behind. Jiyong was already seated on the sofa and scrolling the TV channels. Dara sat at the far couch, disinterested. She was sure she wouldn’t enjoy watching them anyway.

 

Until a full two hours passed and Dara was left watching BIGBANG music videos alone. Jiyong fell asleep on her sleeping bed while Dara was directly in front of the TV. Before the BIGBANG music videos, she was watching other groups’ videos but grew tired of it because it was boring save from a few others.

 

BIGBANG was a different KPOP group compared to the groups she had watched. Their music was more fun. The music videos were more colorful and creative. The songs were catchier and easy to follow. The next thing she knew, she was already guessing who was who. She only knew Jiyong among the others… of course.

 

Dara could only laugh at the drastic changes Jiyong’s hair had undergone. With that thought in mind, she turned around to see her boss whose head was already leaning on the armrest. He was in an uncomfortable position but it looked like he was really in a deep slumber.

 

Dara wondered how his blonde hair looked natural and healthy. She wondered what treatments he got for his hair to look fluffy and soft in touch. The next thing she realized, her fingers were just an inch away from his hair. She immediately pulled her hand away and stood up, stepping back after she was sure that she was a meter away from him.

 

“That was close,” she whispered.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Day 21

 

Jiyong woke up as he felt pain on his nape and his upper body. He sat up and realized that he fell asleep at the sofa. He looked around him but found no one. His maid wasn’t anywhere.

 

“Where did she sleep last night?” he asked. His eyes caught some blankets on the floor just next to the sofa where he slept. “So, she still slept here despite having the bedroom available for her to sleep.”

 

He stood up, hearing some kind of music coming from the kitchen. He realized it as their hit song ‘Lies’. As he went closer, he heard a voice singing: “I’m so sorry but I love you, it’s a lie. I didn’t know, I know now that I need you…”

 

“I’m so sorry but I love you, I said things out of anger and without me knowing I had to let you leave,” he sang along her.

 

Dara, who was wearing an apron and cooking breakfast, turned around to look at him. To Jiyong’s surprise, she didn’t have an annoyed, surprised, and embarrassed look on her just like her typical reaction every time he teases her. Instead, she continued on singing and even dancing with the steps she memorized from watching a live performance of the song last night, causing her to sleep past midnight.

 

Seeing this, Jiyong couldn’t help but laugh at her antics. After a while, he sang and danced along with her, as if she was the sixth member of BIGBANG. When the chorus finished, he leaned on the counter and just watched her as she continued singing while cooking.

 

“Seems like someone is in a good mood this morning. You liked our songs?” he asked.

 

Dara stared at him, a smile on her lips. “I did,” she answered briefly and then stopped dancing when she finished cooking. She prepared the table while Jiyong waited.

 

When Jiyong sat, she was about to go to his bedroom to clean it but Jiyong spoke. “Join me for breakfast.”

 

Dara didn’t refuse. She prepared her own utensils and sat across him. The silent breakfast went on with Dara’s occasional humming, to which Jiyong enjoyed listening. Dara was the one to break the silence.

 

“It was your first genuine laughter since I came here,” she said suddenly.

 

Jiyong looked up, confused.

 

“Ever since I arrived, you were always frowning,” she explained. “You never smiled. I always piss you off and I always succeed. Even just my mere presence pisses you off. It’s good to see you laughing.”

 

Jiyong smiled hearing that. After a while, he said, “I shall deduct your salary.”

 

Shocked, Dara looked up. “Why?”

 

“Rule #2: You are not going to talk to me except for things involving your work,” he said and then looked up to see her reaction. True to his assumptions, she was already throwing daggers through her eyes. He smiled and eventually threw a bark of laughter. “It’s always so fun pissing you off.”

 

She stood up from her seat, deciding not to finish her breakfast. She turned around to leave but was stopped when he spoke again:

 

“I guess I haven’t been smiling or laughing nowadays. Allow me to piss you off. Laughing really feels good,” he said.

 

The corner of Dara’s lips lifted and she shook her head before she left.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Day 25

 

“She was our label mate, Gummy. She’s my noona and she had done collaborations with me and my other members,” Jiyong explained as he opened a magazine. Dara leaned forward, though still making sure that they were maintaining a meter of distance to each other. “Se7en here is our hyung. He’s inactive right now because he just enlisted into the army. Lee Hi here is our maknae in the agency. She sings soul and jazz. You should listen to her music since you seem to like relaxing music.”

 

Dara nodded. She didn’t realize that KPOP was actually fun. Before, she thought it was ridiculous but she just said that without even giving a chance to listen to them. When she tried to give it a chance though, beginning with Jiyong’s music and his group, she found out why it was important to give music a chance, especially that music was a universal language. That was the reason why she loved music in the first place.

 

“I want to learn more groups outside of your agency,” she said.

 

“I don’t know much except for groups from our contending agencies,” he said and then his laptop. “They are SHINee. They’re composed of five members like us.”

 

“That guy looks gay,” she commented.

 

Jiyong laughed. “That’s Key. But, yeah, I agree with you. And look at that, what’s with that long hair?”

 

Dara side-eyed him. “You once had a long hair.”

 

Jiyong was speechless and was embarrassed after realizing she was right. “And they’re SNSD, the same label as SHINee.”

 

“I don’t like them.”

 

Jiyong scoffed. “Why? They’re such eye candies. Look at how gorgeous they are and their legs are flawless!”

 

Dara crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back on the couch she was sitting on. “That’s why I don’t like them.”

 

Jiyong laughed once again. He remained silent because it looked like she genuinely didn’t like the girls who were wearing cheerleaders outfit and acting cute. He actually found them annoying too.

 

“And they’re Super Junior, our biggest opponent,” he said. “They’re composed of thirteen members but they’re never complete everywhere.”

 

“Thirteen?! That’s a freakishly huge number of members for a group. What are they thinking? How can their fans even memorize their names?”

 

Jiyong shrugged. “I don’t even know all of them but I’m actually friends with some,” he said. “And this is from another agency. They’re 2PM and they’re—“

 

“Wait. Who’s that?” she asked, leaning closer, pointing at a particular member.

 

“Umm, I think his name is Wooyoung. Why? Do you find him handsome? I’m mor—“

 

She leaned back on her seat. “I don’t want to learn anymore about KPOP,” she said as she stood up from the couch.

 

“What’s wrong with her?” he asked.

 

Dara picked up her coat and turned to him. “Can I go out? I won’t be long.”

 

“Eh? Uh… okay, I guess,” he said but Dara was already outside. “What’s with her? What’s with this ugly Wooyoung and her? Could it be…?” he trailed off and stared at the door where Dara had gone. “Nah, impossible.”

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

“Wooyoungie, here’s some meat,” she said as she put some on his plate. She just knew he loved meat. However, seeing how silent he was at that time, her heart was pounding fast. Could this be the end? But they just celebrated their first year anniversary together.

 

“Dara, I have to tell you something,” he said finally, putting down his chopsticks.

 

“No,” she said briefly, knowing what was coming. She didn’t want it.

 

“I’m sorry but I’m breaking up with you,” he said.

 

“But, why?” she immediately asked, grabbing on to his hand. “Wooyoungie, I have been a good girlfriend for you for a year now. I have been following what you like. I have been trying to please you all this time. I—“

 

“I found out something. You have been lying to me for a while now.”

 

Dara’s grip on his hand loosened and she pulled her hand and kept it under the table. “I don’t want you to pity me. I had to do it.”

 

“You had to do it? You had to lie to me and tell me you came from a prestigious high school with your father as the owner of the school and your mother as a well-known lawyer, your brother as a famous hockey player, your sister as a theater actress, and you as a band singer?”

 

“I… had to,” she repeated. “I don’t want your friends to know you’re dating a poor girl like me, a girl whose mother is a vendor in the market, whose father had left her as the breadwinner, and whose siblings were not sent to school. I don’t want you to be embarrassed having to date someone like me. That’s why I pretended. I also wanted to look good in your eyes. I don’t want you looking down at me.”

 

“Dara, no one is looking down at you. No one but you. You’re putting yourself down. I don’t mind dating you, but now that it came to this, I don’t know anymore. I can’t date someone I thought I knew. You have been fooling me, fooling yourself,” he said and stood up. “I hope you’re going to find a good guy who you’ll feel comfortable being yourself. Seeing how you felt the need to pretend around me, I realize I’m not the one for you.”

 

“Wooyoungie,” she whispered as she heard her now ex-boyfriend’s footsteps walking away.

 

 

“So I guess he finally reached his dream to be a singer,” she whispered, remembering his voice singing for her every day. A bitter smile crept her lips. “I’m glad.”

 

Dara sighed, pushing on the ground for her to swing. She felt the cold air passing through her and it made her eyes teary.

 

Was it the wind that passed through that made her eyes teary or was it the memories from two years ago that she still couldn’t let go of? Whatever it was, she just knew by that moment that the tears were now continuously pouring.