When Dara felt Jiyong wasn’t trembling anymore, she cleared . “Err, Jiyong? I think we should go find a place to camp in. it’s getting dark already”

 

Jiyong suddenly pushed her away then stepped back. “Let’s go back to the river first”

 

“Why?” she asked, befuddled.

 

“You need to clean yourself first. I don’t want to sleep beside a smelly and dirty person”

 

“You’re so neat for a shadow” she pouted.

 

“And stop pouting” he said, turning away from her. He then started heading back to the river. “Because I might kiss you” he mumbled to himself which Dara didn’t hear.

 

“Old McDonald has a farm. . . .” she started singing. “. . . with a quack quack here. . . .”

 

“What the ing hell are you singing?”

 

“You don’t know that?” she asked in disbelief. “Oh my God! I can’t believe this. I bet you don’t know any nursery rhymes, do you?”

 

When he didn’t answer, Dara shook her head and clicked her tongue.

 

“I’ll sing you more nursery rhymes, then”

 

“Never mind” he grimaced. “If it will be your voice, no thanks”

 

Dara cleared . Then, at the top of her lungs, she sang, “Twinkle twinkle little star. . . .!”

 

 

~JIYONG’S POV~

 

“Aren’t you worried of what’s happening to your boyfriend?” I opened as we settled ourselves inside the tent. I waited for her to response but she was silent for a long time.

 

“Like what you said, he’s strong. He can take care of himself” she said silently but I detected the repressed anger in her voice.

 

We turned silent again.

 

“I don’t need a boyfriend who doesn’t even bother calling his girlfriend!” she suddenly burst out. “I can’t even contact him! What kind of a boyfriend is he? I should have known better than believe his promises! He said he’ll be back as soon as he can! He said he’ll call me as often as he can! But it’s been DAYS! DAYS, Jiyong! I haven’t received any message from him either! Can you believe that. . . . . . . .?!?”

 

I grimaced as she ranted like there’s no tomorrow. I shouldn’t have opened that particular topic.

 

“Okay, okay. I get it” I cut her off.

 

“I wish you were my boyfriend instead”

 

I froze. I glanced at her sharply. She was staring at the tent’s roof.

 

“But of course, that can’t happen” she then said. “If Sulli’s my girl bestfriend, I could say you’re my guy bestfriend”

 

I snorted. “True, that’s impossible to happen because I would never take you as a girlfriend. It’s like taking a child to babysit”

 

“You’re being conceited again”

 

I laughed lightly. “If you hate my attitude so much then why are you so determined to befriend me? And you’re even naming me as your best guy friend now”

 

“I’ll ask you the same question” she said. “If I’m so annoying to you, then why are you being like this, too?”

 

“I told you, I find you entertaining though that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t like you that much either”

 

“You are such a liar!” she clicked her tongue. “Oh, I just remembered I wanted to ask you something”

 

“What is it?” I asked.

 

“What’s up with CL and Seungri? Are they always like that?”

 

“I could say it got worst ever since Seungri announced that. . . .” I paused. “. . . that he likes someone. They were bearable before. They just started being like cat and dog after Bom ordered them to pretend as a couple”

 

“Why?” she asked.

 

“Me and Bom were still together at that time. Bom was just playing with Youngbae. She thought that if Youngbae saw that he’s the only person who doesn’t have a pair in the group, he’ll find someone for himself. I don’t know what really happened but one day, CL just started being cold to Seungri”

 

“I find Seungri cool and fun to be with” she said.

 

“Too bad you weren’t paired with him”

 

“I didn’t know you get jealous that easily” she chuckled.

 

“You wish” I snorted.

 

Silence.

 

“Jiyong?”

 

“What?”

 

“Thank you” she said. “For everything”

 

“You need to sleep” I said. “You’re being rather stupid again”

 

“Yeah” she yawned and cuddled close to me. “I’m kind of sleepy already”

 

“Then stop talking”

 

Silence again.

 

“Jiyong?”

 

“Mmm?”

 

“Goodnight” she yawned. “And sweetdreams”

 

“Okay, okay. Go to sleep already”

 

“Jiyong?”

 

“What?”

 

“Aren’t you going to day goodnight and sweetdreams to me, too?”

 

“No”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I don’t want to. Now go to sleep” I snapped.

 

“Jiyong?” she softly called again.

 

“What is it this time?” I growled.

 

“I just want you to know that I’m happy you’re here with me and for being my friend”

 

o=o=o

 

~JAEJOONG’S POV~

 

I’ve been waiting outside Dara’s house for hours already. I went straight here from the airport.

 

Where is she?

 

I took my phone out and called Sulli.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey Sulli” I greeted. “It’s Jaejoong-“

 

“Oh, Jae!” she greeted back. “When did you arrive?”

 

“I just arrived today and went straight here to Dara’s house. I already rang the bell a couple of times and I’ve been waiting for hours already but she’s not here yet. Do you know where she is?”

 

“Oh, yeah. She mentioned she’ll be camping in the mountains with Jiyong and his friends”

 

“Jiyong and his friends” I repeated blankly.

 

“Yes” Sulli answered. “Oh, by the way. I just want to let you know, Dara’s pissed with you”

 

I closed my eyes and squeezed the bridge of my nose with my fingers. “I expected that already”

 

“Where have you been anyways? And what took you so long?”

 

“It’s a long story” I dismissively said.

 

“Oh, I understand. I got to go, break’s over”

 

“Okay. Thanks Sulli, I owe you one”

 

“No problem” she said. “Just. . . just don’t abandon Dara like that next time, okay? Krystal and the girls aren’t talking to her either”

 

“Why? What happened?” I asked.

 

“It’s a LOONG story” she said, imitating my tone. “Listen, I really need to go”

 

I sighed and glanced up at Dara’s house again. I hope she doesn’t hate me that much. I didn’t like being away from her for too long, either.

 

I missed her so much that it felt like I’m going to explode. The only comfort to me right now is that at least, Kwon Jiyong is doing his part in our agreement. At least, Dara’s safe.

 

o=o=o

 

~DARA’S POV~

 

“It’s our third day already” I stretched out lazily. “Do you think we’ll find the necklace today?”

 

He shrugged. “I don’t know how many clues we need to find to get to the necklace”

 

“Speaking of clues, let’s open the clue” I excitedly chirped.

 

“I thought you don’t like riddles?”

 

“I don’t like them but since I’M the one who took that clue, I want to read it myself”

 

“Why waste time in something you can’t understand?” he chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

 

“UWAA!” I suddenly screamed.

 

“What?!” he responded too quickly and alertly, looking around.

 

“That smile was really cute! Come on, do it again! I want to take a photo of that smile”

 

He gave me his ugliest grimace.

 

“Jiyong, come on! Give me that smile again. Please, please, please, please?”

 

“No” he strongly refused.

 

“Jiyong please, please, please, please, please, please, please!”

 

“When I say no, it’s a no”

 

“PLEASE?!?” I insisted, making a cute expression.

 

“Aish! Don’t do that!”

 

“Please, Jiyong?”

 

“I – ah! No, no, no!” he shook his head.

 

“How about I make you a deal?” I offered.

 

“What deal?” he asked, eyes narrowed in suspiciousness.

 

“I’ll do whatever you ask IF you smile that way again”

 

“Anything I ask?” he clarified.

 

“Yes” I answered. “Except of course staying away from you” I added with a mumble and with bowed head. I waited for his answer but no answer came. My face fell, my lips pouted as the impact of disappointment hit me. Aish! Why am I so sensitive when it comes to him?

 

“You really don’t know how to stop until you get what you want, do you?” he growled. I quickly looked up, my face brightening up.

 

“Is that a yes?” I asked.

 

“I’m not in the mood to smile” he grimaced.

 

“Then I’ll make you smile” I confidently said. “Okay, smile id you think I’m cute”

 

His grimace went uglier.

 

“Fine” I rolled my eyes. “Smile if you think I’m ugly”

 

In just a blink of an eye, he smiled. My heart skipped a beat, making my hands tremble a little as I flashed the camera. His smile became a chuckle until it eventually turned into a laughter. He was laughing his heart out that I was torn between laughing and kicking his shin from annoyance.

 

An idea suddenly popped into my mind.

 

“Ya!” I called. “Let’s take a photo together, come on!”

 

I wrapped one arm around his neck and pulled him close to me, our cheeks touching each other.

 

“Okay, say cheese” I said.

 

My heart skipped a beat and then, it went wild. I don’t know what exactly in the picture made me feel this way. I looked closely at the screen trying to figure what triggered the mixed emotions running inside me. And just like a comet, it hit me. Jiyong looked happy in the picture. I looked happy, too. WE both looked happy. The realization scared me.

 

“Hey look” Jiyong said. “We could actually be twins”

 

“What are you talking about? I asked, shoving the fear out of my mind. “We don’t look the same! Let’s admit it, you’re not really that good looking while I, on the other hand, is the epitome of what you call beauty”

 

“Wow!” he exclaimed in sarcasm. “Just wow! You’re not really into yourself, are you?”

 

I glanced sideways, which was a bad move, I realized. His face was TOO close.

 

My heart started beating fast again. Oh my God! This is scaring the hell out of me. Like my eyes were programmed to, they automatically darted to his lips. A sudden gush of electricity went through me just at the sight of his slightly parted lips. Gosh! This is driving me insane!

 

“What are you staring at?” he asked in a whisper.

 

Heat crawled to my cheeks as I lifted my eyes to his. “I. . . I was just. . .”

 

“You were just what?”

 

His eyes. . . .

 

His eyes were drawing me in. “Jiyong, I want. . .”

 

“You want what?”

 

“I. . . you. . . no, I mean. . .”

 

His lips curved into that lazy, y smile of his. The next I know, our lips were brushing against each other.