Chaerin woke up in a bad state this morning. She was crying in her sleep and her collar is soaked. Her cheeks are dry because of the tears and her eyes are slightly swollen. She remembers having a very upsetting dream last night but she couldn’t really see what happened in the dream.

 

She checked on the time and it’s still eight minutes before the alarm ringing. She sat on the edge of the couch looking at every corner of the living room. She took her phone under the pillow and pressed some numbers on the keypad, attempting to call someone.

 

No one picks up the first time. She called the second time and after a long wait, someone picks up. Her eyes are widened and she constantly straightened up her body when she heard the voice across the phone, the voice that melts her heart in a flash. She already got teary.

 

“Hello.” She muttered with her cracked voice.

 

“Hi… hi, kiddo. What you doing? Ready to go to school?” she covered with her palm as she feels like crying.

 

She just smiled her happy smile while her tears are dropping increasingly listening to the person talking.

 

“Oh. Really? With dad and your new mom?” Chaerin took a deep breath. She rubbed her eyes and tried to stop crying but she couldn’t. She misses him so much and hearing his voice is the best thing that ever happened to her these days.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you earlier, kiddo. I was… busy with… works. Do you know I’m working now in an office building?”

 

“Yeah a tall building. You must really like in there, there were a lot of beautiful paintings all over the walls just like mom’s old studio, you remember? You liked it there, right? Um… did dad do something to the studio?”

 

Chaerin heard Dara’s waking up alarm is ringing.

 

“Listen, kiddo. I want you to keep this a secret, okay? Don’t tell dad I called and don’t forget to hide the cellphone just like I told you. Promise to text me once you got there so I’ll know your new number, okay?”

 

Dara came out of the room and saw Chaerin on the phone. She narrowed her eyes as she saw Chaerin wiping the tears off her face.

 

“I gotta go… I miss you.” Chaerin hung up and then she turned around, spotting Dara standing right outside her room.

 

“You awake?” Dara asked.

 

Chaerin nodded and looked away. “Yeah. Did I wake you up?”

 

Dara shook her head, “No. My alarm rang.”

 

“Okay.” Chaerin replied shortly and then she went to open up the curtain to let some light in.

 

“What do you want for breakfast?” she asked and walked to the kitchen.

 

Dara followed her to the kitchen with questions in her mind. She stood by the kitchen table as Chaerin pretending to be busy looking for something in the kitchen cabinet.

 

“What you looking for?” Dara asked flatly.

 

“Eggs.”

 

“It’s in the fridge, as usual.”

 

Chaerin snapped her finger. “Yeah. I know. I was just… looking.”

 

“Chaerin.”

 

“What?”

 

Chaerin grabbed some eggs from the fridge and started taking out frying pan and flour.

 

“Chaerin are you okay?” Dara asked.

 

Chaerin turned her head and finally looked at Dara. She faked a smile. “What? Do I not look okay?”

 

“No. Did you have nightmares or something?”

 

Chaerin nodded, “Something like that. It was horrible. I was being chased by a gorilla.”

 

Dara bursts into a giggle. They both laughed.

 

“What are you making?” Dara approached Chaerin and have a peak to the pan.

 

“It’s just pancake. I can make you something else if you want.” Chaerin offered, still pretending to smile but her eyes won’t lie. Dara can see tears in those sad eyes.

 

“No. Pancake is fine.” Dara muttered.

 

“Okay. You should take a shower. I got this.”

 

Dara smiled back at Chaerin and then she turned around. She walked away from the kitchen slowly with her mind wandering. She was just reminded about last night. Yes, she almost forgot about what happened last night between them two. She walked back to the kitchen.

 

“Chaerin… about last night.”

 

Chaerin stopped stirring the egg and looked up. She also forgot and now she’s blushing, so does Dara.

 

“Let’s just not talk about it again. Pretend it never happened.” Chaerin stated as she turned around and face Dara. Dara is surprised. She’s kinda embarrassed. She just ended up nodding her head and then she headed out of the kitchen.

 

 

 

***

 

 

Dara hasn’t been able to get rid of thoughts about Chaerin. She believes there’s something wrong with her this morning. She looked sad. And she wonders what Chaerin thinks about what happened last night. She just won’t stop wondering until she got the answer.

 

This morning she received a flower bouquet. It was on the table. Her secretary said it didn’t have a name, the deliveryman didn’t even know who it was but Dara already figured out the first time she saw those flowers. White roses. The only flower she thinks beautiful because she hates flowers.

 

There’s a card inside it, a greeting card that said. ‘Please go out with me! You don’t know you like it if you don't try it.’

She tore up the card and tossed it in the trash bin, along with the flowers.

 

Dara walked to the window and peeked from the blinds, to see what Chaerin’s doing outside. She realized she’s been doing this for a while now and she really needs to stop because she’s creeping herself out. She can’t be stalking and crushing on a young girl like this. It’s ridiculous and embarrassing.

 

Her phone rings all of sudden, sort of making her heart racing as she’s startled.

 

It’s an anonymous number but she picked it up anyway. She rolled her eyes when she heard the voice out there.

 

“What do you want? Sending flowers to my office is a very old and predictable move, Jae. You gotta pick up a new trick.” She said as she sat on her chair.

 

She sighed. “I can’t. I’m busy today.”

 

“Yes… even at lunch.”

 

“NO-!” Dara growled as Jaejoong hung up before she could finish her sentence.

 

Now her office telephone rings.

 

“Yes?”

 

She clutched her hand, “Okay, Sir.” she replied shortly and then hung up. She bit her bottom lip and her mood turns really bad in a flash. She starred at the window next to her. She hopes she can just jump from the window without dying, but fly away to the sky and go far away from this place so she won’t have to meet that man, Kim Jaejoong. Who hasn’t found a way to give up yet.

 

“That’s really an effort for you to call Harold just to make me say yes to this stupid lunch.” Dara grumbled as she sat across Jaejoong at a square table in a premium restaurant.

Jaejoong raised his eyebrow and showed his crooked smile. He looks so fresh today. He just cut his hair. It makes him look even younger and more handsome. He might be an artist, but he’s far from what people think an artist look like, beardy, messy hair. Nope, Jaejoong is a world-class artist who likes to dress prettily. He looks more like someone who does business.

 

“What should I say? I was already clueless and almost desperate because you kept rejecting me.”

 

“That's why you need to stop chasing, so you won’t get rejected anymore. I suggest you come to that young girl you got pregnant and helped her with your child.”

 

Jaejoong’s expression changed. He became gloomy and a little bit emotional. He sighed.  “Can we please not talk about this?”

 

Dara looked at him and pitied him for a moment. She took a sip of her water and then the waitress came with a menu.

 

“I’ll have a blueberry pie and ice coffee, please.” Dara ordered quickly and gave the menu back to the waitress.

 

Jaejoong frowned, “Why didn't you order a real food?”

 

“That was a real food.”

 

“That was dessert.”

 

“I’m ordering whatever I want.”

 

“But why you only ordered dessert?”

 

“You know why.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I don’t want to spend a long time with you. I need to get back to the office real soon. I have a meeting after lunch.”

 

“Your secretary said you don’t have any appointment for today.” Jaejoong closed the menu. “I’m having Swiss steak and a glass of red wine, please.”

 

Dara checked on her watch. It’s still forty minutes before lunch break is over. She wants this lunch to get over really soon.

“I’m pretty sure Harold wouldn’t mind if you get back late.” He implied.

Dara faked a smile, “I’m sorry. I have a lot of stuffs going on in my office. Maybe we can have another lunch another time.”

 

“Like never? Come on, I’m not stupid, Dara. I’ve asked you million times to go out with me. Today, I was kinda surrendered so I can’t help but ask Harold for help. And here you are, finally, we’re having meal just the two of us. Next time, I’ll make sure we eat whe