DARA

 

 

 

My phone made a short screeching sound, signaling me for a text. I assigned it for that guy so I chose to ignore it. Ah. . . why did I have to go there? Why did I have to feel so guilty? My mother was all over the place, looking so excited and happy when as far as I know, she’s the strict one. Let me not get started with Yeri though. Jiyong’s mother is just so. . . . I can’t believe she said and asked me those things.

 

My phone made that screeching sound again, making me hiss under my breath. I was on my way to school and I can’t count the number of times I heard that screeching sound. As I climbed up the slope, I pulled out my phone and opened my inbox. I was greeted with tons of Jiyong’s pictures but I suddenly stopped walking when I saw the last two pictures he sent. They were photos of my back. I was about to look back when an arm draped on my shoulders. “Good morning, baby.”

 

The moment I recognized his voice, I didn’t hesitate elbowing him and stepping on his foot.I shrugged his arm off of me. “Leave me alone!”

 

“Nope,” he said. “By the way, that hurts.”

 

I groaned in frustration and looked up at the sky. “Was I a mean person in my past life to be punished like this?”

 

The rude jerk laughed out loud. “Damn, she’s adorable.”

 

“Don’t you have anything else better to do?” I asked him.

 

“Nothing and no one else will be worthy of my time but you,” he said and playfully winked at me.

 

I stared at him, dumbfounded. “That’s the most disgusting pick up line I’ve heard.”

 

“It’s effective though,” he said. “You’re blushing.”

 

“I’m not blushing,” I protested.

 

“Your face is red.”

 

“It’s red from annoyance,” I huffed and started walking again but then stopped again when he also did the same but did it so near me that anyone who’d see would actually think we’re together. “Can you go to the other side of the road, please.”

 

“Don’t want,” he childishly whined.

 

“Then can you put at least a hundred meter distance between us?”

 

“Don’t want. . .”

 

“I’m trying to be nice here, Kwon. Stay away.”

 

“Don’t want.”

 

I stopped again and faced him. “I’m serious. I’m not comfortable with you being so near me at all.”

 

He watched me stare at him. “Hmm. . .” he murmured, looking as if he was carefully thinking about it. But then, he suddenly grinned and leaned forward. Thinking that he was going to steal a kiss from me again, I leaned back and covered his mouth with my hand which I belatedly realized was a huge mistake. He kissed my palm and I swear I even felt his wet tongue on it.

 

I screamed at the top of my lungs as I started kicking him in the shin while wiping my palm on his shirt. He started laughing hard again. As if kissing and my palm wasn’t enough, He suddenly bent down a little and picked me up. Well, not literally picked me up but he started carrying me - one arm on my knees and another at my back. I didn’t have a choice but to place my arms around his neck in my fear of being dropped all of the sudden. “Nope. Never going away,” he said in a tone which made me look up. 

 

“Put me down,” I said. I meant it to be as an order, it was supposed to be in annoyed tone but why it came out differently. It came out in a breathless whisper. Why was he looking at me like that? Why does his face looked. . . I don’t know how to describe it. All I know is it’s the reason why I said the words in a breathless whisper.

 

One corner of his mouth lifted up. “Why are you looking at me like you want to eat me? You’re making me blush.”

 

It took a moment for his words to penetrate my brain.When they did, I grabbed his hair and butted him in the head. His head was thrown backwards as he groaned but he still didn’t let me go. “PUT ME DOWN NOW!”

 

“Ah, my head!” Jiyong groaned.

 

 I started pulling his hair here and there. “Put me down! Put me down!” I chanted. I felt solid ground under my feet as he put me down but he kept his arm around my waist. I pulled away from him but I was only pulled closer to him. “Let me go!”

 

“Ah, you fight just like a girl. Nobody touches my hair just like that, much more pull it. The only time it gets pulled is when I’m in a bed and. . .”

 

“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR!” I screamed.

 

“I’m starting to get really suspicious of you,” he said, making me stop with my whines.

 

“What? Why?”

 

“You said you don’t want to hear how I spend my time with girls because you think it should be kept private. I think you’re lying.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re jealous, aren’t you?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as if he was judging me.

 

“You’re out of your mind.”

 

He shook his head and sighed. “Ah, I thought it’ll be harder to get you to admit you’re a girl but here you are, you’re already falling for me. Ah, me and my deadly charms. I’m too handsome for my own good.”  He shook his head again and clicked his tongue as he started walking away.

 

I was too dumbfounded to say anything and to even do anything. I closed my eyes, took a breath and slowly released the air through my mouth to calm myself down. He annoys me so much? Out of all the people who’s going to find me out, why him? Out of all people, why him? Why can’t it be any of the boys? Why?

 

“You’re really cute and pretty up close.”

 

I opened my eyes only to get started with Jiyong’s grinning face up close. By reflex, I felt my head going forward again head him but he suddenly hugged me. “What are you doing?” I asked. I’m seriously pissed right now. “Let go.”

 

To my surprise, he did let go. Since I was struggling so hard, I fell down on my on the ground. “Oh, I’m sorry! Are you okay?” he asked as he knelt down beside me.

 

“It’d be better if you leave me alone!”

 

“Not going to happen,” he said as he helped me up. He then helped me brush off the dirt and dust off my pants. I brushed off the ones on my and he did the ones on my legs. “Ah, you act so tough but you’re so fragile. How do you expect me to leave you alone?”

 

“I can handle myself, thank you.”

 

“Stubborn,” he mumbled.

 

“What would it take for you to leave me alone?”

 

“I don’t know,” he answered, shrugging. “I don’t think it would be possible now that Yeri’s determined to make you her daughter in law.”

 

“W-what?”

 

“Wait until she gets hold of your mother’s contact details, we’ll find ourselves being pronounced husband and wife in no time.”

 

“You’re joking!”

 

“I wish I was,” he said. “I mean, I find you cute and pretty but I’m not really ready to settle down and. . . you’re not really my type,” he finished after looking me up and down.

 

“Why did you even tell her I’m a girl? Nobody’s supposed to know!”

 

His face suddenly became serious which made me for some reason, nervous. But then, he smiled. “That’s right, you’re a girl.”

 

“Stop it,” I complained as he started messing up my hair.

 

He stopped and then chuckled. “Let’s go, we’ll be late.”

 

Kwon Jiyong has a very weird personality. How can he change his mood in a snap? It’s also very difficult to say when he’s serious or not. But why am I even bothering figuring him out? Clearing my head with such unnecessary thoughts, I went to catch up with him but made sure that there’s a pretty much good distance between us.

 

We walked in silence. I’d rather keep it this way anyways because every time Kwon Jiyong opens his mouth, he always end up annoying me. “I’m curious about something,” he started, making me sigh. Oh well, I guess we can’t really have everything we wanted. I decided not to answer and pretended that I didn’t hear him. “Who’s Soo Hyun?”

 

“It’s none of your business.”

 

“He’s not. . . your ex-boyfriend, right?”

 

“It’s really none of your business, okay?”

 

“Is he the reason why you’re so determined to act like a boy?”

 

“No, of course not! He’s my childhood best friend!”

 

“Ah. . . you’re childhood best friend.”

 

“Why are you smiling like that?”

 

He gave me a look. “It’s really none of your business, though.”

 

I stopped short when I realized that it’s really none of my business but I thought it was not fair. How could he ask me things he wanted to know and find ways for me to tell him but I can’t do the same? “That’s not fair!” I told him. “You always ask me what you want and find ways to make me tell you even if I don’t want to tell you.”

 

“Then you should find ways for me to tell you want you want to know about me too,” he said, winking at me. “But wait a minute,” he said, looking at me weirdly. “You’re curious about me?”

 

“I did not say that.”

 

“It’s nice to know that I’m slowly getting your attention. “Ah, she’s falling seriously hard for me.”

 

I shouldn’t have told him what was on my mind. Why do I always end up telling him things I don’t want him to know? Why? I need to get hold of my irritation with him. I’m at that point where I’m so annoyed that I didn’t want to lose against him, even if it’s as petty as getting to tell him what I wanted to know the way he seemed to easily extract information from me.

 

“Hey D!”

 

I know that voice. I looked around and found out I was right. By reflex, I grabbed Jiyong’s hand. “Did Suzy just call me?” I asked nervously. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

 

“Hi,” I greeted her as soon as she stopped in front of me. She smiled brightly at me, making me squeeze Jiyong’s hand.

 

“Awww,” Jiyong whined beside me. Suzy’s eyes travelled down, making me follow her gaze. The moment I saw where her eyes were directed, I immediately let go of Jiyong’s hand. “What do you want, Suzy?”

 

“I’m here to talk to Dee,” she said.

 

“Then talk so we could go.”

 

Suzy raised a brow at Jiyong then faced me. “Do you have plans before or after classes?”

 

“N-none.”

 

“You have to buy a new skateboard later, right?” Jiyong butted in.

 

“No, I don’t have to buy one yet. One of the boys said they’ll lend me a spare board to practice for the competition.”

 

“Oh,” Suzy clapped. “You compete?”

 

“A little,” I shyly answered. “Just in amateur tournaments, though.”

 

“That’s really cool!” Suzy exclaimed and then linked her arm with me. “Have you won?” she then asked as she started pulling me with her.

 

“I haven’t competed individually,” I told her. “Just team competitions.”

 

“Can I go watch you someday?”

 

“You’d go watch me?” I asked, my eyes going wide.

 

“I bet it’d be cool to do so!”

 

Before I could stop myself, I started telling her about how skateboarding and what me and the boys have been planning for the upcoming challenge from North Hill High. “We’re not that good yet but we’re working in it.”

 

“I’ll definitely go.”

 

I couldn’t hide my happiness from what I’ve heard. I was beaming so brightly it felt like I was beaming brighter than the sun. “That would be awesome!” I told her just in time the school bell rang.

 

“I’ll go ahead,” Suzy said. “See you around.”

 

“See you around,” I waved after her. When she was out of site, I turned to Jiyong. “Did you see that? She talked to me! She also smiled and waved at me!”

 

“She wasn’t even listening to you.”

 

I gave him a look. “Are you. . . jealous?” I asked. “You shouldn’t have broken up with her then.”

 

He lowered his head to level up his face with mine. “Do you really want me to get back with her?”

 

“No!” I almost screamed, making him smile.

 

“I don’t think so,” he said straightening up and placing a hand on top of my head and messed up my hair.

 

“Hey, what are you doing?” I asked, slapping his hand away.

 

“Your hair’s so soft,” he mumbled as if he was talking to himself as he played with a few strands of my hair.

 

“Stop it,” I hissed.

 

“Don’t let anyone else touch your hair, okay?” he said as he pinched my cheeks.

 

“Stop touching me too!” I hissed at him again as I slapped his hand away for the nth time but still to no avail. Instead of letting go, he placed his arm around me and started dragging me with him towards class.

 

“Let go, you jerk!”

 

“Nope,” he answered, smacking his lips together.

 

“Argh, Kwon Jiyong let me go!”

 

“Not in a million years!”

 

“What did I do in my past life to deserve this punishment?” I whined. “Will you stop being touchy? People might think we have something with each other!”

 

“Something? Like what?”

 

“That you like a boy or something?”

 

“Me? But you’re a girl.”

 

“But they don’t know I’m a girl and they’re not supposed to know!”

 

“I don’t really care what others think, though. They don’t live my life for me, I do.”

 

“I envy you,” I confessed. “I don’t have that kind of a mindset. I care a lot about what other people might think of me.”

 

“Why would what other people think of you important?”

 

“It just is.”

 

“I can shield you from those, if you want.”

 

“Like you can,” I mumbled grumpily.

 

“Stop acting so cute in front of me Park, I might end up kissing you in front of everyone.”

 

“As if,” I snorted.

 

“Don’t test me, baby.”

 

Who’re you calling baby?”

 

“You look cute when you frown, don’t do that too,” he said. I glared at him. “That’s a cute look, too.”

 

“What should I do then, give you a poker face?” I asked, getting annoyed but kept my face blank.

 

“Ah, but that’s cute on you too. I guess it can’t be helped then,” he said and before I could even blink, he gave me a quick peck on the lips and ran away.

 

I looked around me, panicking a little, to check if anyone actually noticed but everyone was in a hurry to their classes since the bell rang a while ago which made me realize I was actually late for my class already. Ah, that Kwon Jiyong! He knew the bell rang already but he placed his arm around me and took his time walking and teasing me.

 

“Don’t blush,” Jiyong shouted from ahead of me as he jogged backwards as I started running after him. “It’s cute too!”

 

“Kwon Jiyong! You’re dead!”

 

Even from afar, I saw him bite his lower lip. “Catch me if you can!” he called back.

 

I was too pissed to even pay attention to my surroundings that I didn’t notice the two flight of stairs in front of me, making me trip on it. I closed my eyes and anticipated my face falling flat on the ground. But instead of a flat fall on the ground, I felt a body underneath me.

 

“Gotcha!” I heard someone breathed. I blinked my eyes open and was greeted by Jiyong’s grinning face. “You know, you’re pretty clumsy for a skater,” he commented, looking amused.

 

“Let me up!” I demanded as I struggled to stand up since his arm was firmly wrapped around me.

 

“I always thought you’re flat-chested so it’s easy to pass you on as a boy but hugging you like this. . .” he paused and pulled me closer. “I can feel it a little.”

 

I felt heat crawled up to my face. Before I could even think of the consequences, I head butted him again. “ert!” I hissed as I stood up while he went on groaning and whining to himself. Without another word, I left him there and went to class.

 

Of course, I got scolded. Who wouldn’t be? But it pleased me seeing how Jiyong got scolded more. But it did not please me how we both earned punishment on top of our detention.

 

But then I felt guilty a while later on while we were serving detention when I saw the two angry red sores on Jiyong’s forehead making him look as if he got horns. Although I felt guilty, I can’t help but laugh every time I see it. “Ah, look at her laughing at someone else’s expense.”

 

I bit my lower lip to stop myself from laughing but when my eyes caught Jiyong’s forehead, I just burst out laughing again. “I’m sorry. . . “ I sad in between loud laughter.

 

“Don’t say words you’re not sincere about,” he said. “But I guess it’s fine. I like seeing you laugh.”

 

His words made me laugh. He sounded so serious that it made me stop. I stared at him but got nothing. Nope, I’m not good at reading other people’s faces most of the time so what’s the use? “No wonder girls fall for you. You’re a smooth talker and you make it sound so sincere.”

 

“Why, are you falling for me now?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me playfully.

 

“In your dreams.”

 

“So what are you planning to do with this?” he asked, pointing at his forehead.

 

“W-what?” I asked, stammering as I started retreating as he slowly started advancing on me. “S-stop! Don’t take another step!”

 

“What are you panicking about?”

 

“Panicking? Me? Who said I’m panicking?”

 

“Why are you nervous then?”

 

“I’m not nervous,” I answered way too defensively and squeaked when I felt something behind me. I lost my balance and ended up sitting on the chair.

 

“Do you enjoy kissing me too much?” he asked as he placed his hands on either side of me.

 

“What?!”

 

“Stop looking so cute.”

 

“I’m not being cute!” I told him. “And don’t you think your face is way too near? Get back!”

 

“Oh damn, the cuteness is overflowing up close,” he said. I was just about to head him again but he stopped me by placing his hand on my head. “I don’t think so. Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage to my forehead already? You still owe me for giving me these horns. I still haven’t forgiven you.”

 

“Then stop teasing me.”

 

“How could you demand something when you haven’t even asked for forgiveness yet?”

 

“I’m sorry, please forgive me!” I recited. “Now step back.”

 

“I don’t feel the sincerity at all.”

 

“Will you just step back for a second, your closeness is making me uncomfortable!” I told him as I placed my hands on his shoulders and started pushing him away. I sighed in relief when I saw him step back but he got close again. He was being stubborn. I’ve been pushing him away but I wasn’t using all of my strength as I might end up hurting him again.

 

“I’ll step away and forgive you if you kiss my horns,” he playfully suggested.

 

I leaned forward and kissed his horns separately. “Now move,” I said and pushed him away. I was even being gentle but he fell to his on the floor. Even I’m poor in reading other people’s faces, I could just tell that he was shocked, no he was surprised. “What? What are you staring up at?”

 

But instead of answering, I watched his face broke into a smile. But instead of being assured, I started feeling nervous.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone! Long time no see! Hehehehe. Here's an update for y'all! This chapter was supposed to be part of the mass update I'm planning to post this February but I decided to just post this chapter just now - yeah, I'm fickle minded that way, hehehehe. But thank you to everyone who's been patiently waiting for this story to update. I've read all of your comments and thank you for giving this noob authornim food for her crazy brain!

 

 

 

 

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