I was aware of mother standing in the doorway, but I was pretending to be too engrossed in my drama to look up.  

"This is getting out of hand." She spoke at last.   

I glanced up idly before returning back to my laptop screen. I was purposely pretending I didn't know what she was talking about. 

"What happened with Dara, eh? I thought you were finally making friends!"   

"I told you what happened. " I sighed, pausing the episode of Full House I was watching. "She had a family emergency she couldn't avoid and had to leave early."   

"Then what's the excuse now?" She demanded. "It's been three days, Hana. Surely her family emergency will have been solved now." I pursed my lips from blurting out what I really wanted to say; that her family emergency was a lot meaner than she could imagine and was also frustratingly handsome...   

"Look mum, I'm sure she's busy. When she's gotten around her... Family problem, I'm sure she will knock."   

"Is that how you want your friendship to be, eh? Where you wait for her to make all the effort whilst you sit around? I thought she was a lovely girl and you seemed good together. But if you don't want to make the effort... Then I guess you don't deserve her friendship."   

She turned and left, leaving me staring at the frozen image of Rain. Pushing my laptop away from me angrily I let out a huff as I considered mother's words and dammit if she wasn't right - but not in the way she thought. Instead, I was remembering that , Myungsoo and his warning for me to stay away. I'd sworn I wouldn't listen and follow his demands, but wasn't I doing just that by avoiding Dara?

I leaped up off my bed and headed out into the sitting room, where mother was ironing. Spotting me, she gave me a knowing look as I began searching for my shoes and headed out of the door into the complex hall. Approaching Dara's apartment, I swallowed thickly. I will not be afraid... He can't tell me what to do! I knocked loudly whilst I still had my nerve and was startled when the door flew open literally seconds later and Dara flew out, her expression very ecstatic.   

"Hana!" She cried, giving me a bright smile. "I'm so so so happy you're here. I need to apologise for whatever my idiot of a brother said to you and-"  

"Don't worry about it." I shrugged. "I'm trying to forget it. Wanna hang out?"   

Her smile faltered and she hesitated, her eyes shooting into her apartment before she turned back to me, her expression determined,   

"Definitely." She looped her am through mine and rushed me towards the stair well.   

Just as we were about to head down the stairs, a voice spoke a single word.

"Dara."

She whirled around, her expression pleading. "Please, dad. Don't tell Myungsoo, I promise I'll be careful." 

I frowned. Wasn't it her fathers decision, not Myungsoo's? Her Father looked conflicted, but even he couldn't refuse Dara's pouting bottom lip. I'm not sure many could.

"Fine." He sighed. "But don't be long. He'll be back around six." She promised and pulled me away quickly, leaving me with a thousand questions about her family, and especially Myungsoo. 

But I had no idea how to bring them up without looking too nosey. It was none of my business, after all. 

As we stepped onto the busy street I noticed we were receiving a few stares. People would purposely eye Dara up and down  with most of them sneering and even giving her dark looks. I looked at each of them hard, causing some to look away guiltily, though most stared back, obviously unmoved by my accusing look. So what if she dressed a little... Strangely. Was there need for such blatant stares? Her clothing wasn't hurting anyone.