When the sun sets..

Day 1

She woke with a start. Her body jerked upwards and her eyes widened in confusion as she looked around the well-known room. ‘My room?..’ she wondered silently. She felt strange. Like.. she practically lives here but it feels like it was the first time she’s ever been here. She untangled herself from her blankets and hesitantly set her foot down on the wood-panelled floor and shivered slightly from its cold temperature. She spotted her fuzzy blue house slippers and stuffed her feet inside sighing in content as the cold on her feet were gone. She walked slowly towards the door but stood frozen in shock by the reflection in the mirror. Her hair was blue. Electrifying blue. She wanted to scream before she remembered that she got that done yesterday.

Her head was spinning and she could feel an on-coming headache. Facts and thoughts were forgotten and “re-remembered”. She sat herself back down on her bed when a voice from outside the room called out to her.

“Dara! Wake up! We’ll be late for classes.. again..” The voice, which apparently belonged to a woman screamed exhasperatedly.

“I’m up! I’m up! Pipe down Chaerin..” She yelled back. But, as soon as the words escaped her lips, she cupped her hands over , completely stunned. It was her voice and that screamed out but she felt as if they weren’t her words. They just came out of her without a second thought.. like a kind of reflex. ‘Weird..’ she thought. She didn’t have any more time to ponder when Chaerin called out to her again sounding even more frustrated and annoyed. She immediately ran to the bathroom to bathe and again she felt it. The feeling that everything she did wasn’t based on her will. As if it were all pre-planned and arranged. She didn’t think and the next thing she knew she was all done and her hair was styled. When she reached her closet, she automatically took the pieces of clothing out and put them on herself without giving anything a single thought. She was then out of the apartment and found herself walking side-by-side with Chaerin who kept on throwing her concerned looks.

“Are you okay? You seem really distracted..” She asked trailing off. Dara didn’t know what to say. For one, she was feeling a clutter of weird sensations pulsing through her brain. Her head hurt and she was walking with someone who she felt was like a total starnger but apparently has lived with her for two years at who-knows-where. Yet all that came out was, “I’m fine. Just not feeling like myself.”

“Might be the hair.” Chaerin smiled trying to lighten the heavy aura that surrounded her friend. It seemed to be working as Dara gave a small smile and said a soft “maybe”..

A few moments later, a group of old-looking buildings came into sight. Beside them was a brick wall surrounding the cluster and had large, bold letters written with rusted metal that said “Jane-Earl University”. The two women neared the entrance and there stood a tall, lanky and awkward looking guy who seemed to be waiting for someone. He turned his head to their direction and beamed. Dara was confused ‘Who is he?..’ she paused for a second ‘Wait.. his name’s on the tip of my tongue..’

“Hey Chanyeol..” Chaerin greeted trailing off. ‘Right.. Chanyeol..’

Chanyeol gave a curt nod towards her and turned to Dara who had a blank expression on her face. Chanyeol waved his large hands infront of her non-blinking eyes, trying to get her attention.

“Hello? Earth to Dara?” he joked. Dara was pulled back from her empty reverie and looked at Chanyeol. Her eyes were slightly squinted as she tried to silently remember who he was. ‘His name’s Chanyeol.. He majors in art just like I do.. I’ve known him since middle school.. and.. We’re bestfriends..right?’ Fact after fact about this Chanyeol came to her like lightning. It striked her quick without a moment’s hesitation and she quickly blinked before returning Chanyeol his bright smile.

“Ready to go?” He asked offering his arm. She nodded and linked arms with him, parting with Chaerin and walked opposite ways. It felt strange.. like linking arms with a stranger, but at the same time, it felt so natural. As if she’d done this almost everyday of her life. Without realizing, her face contorted along with her thoughts. She kept her head low and Chanyeol looked at her in worry the same way Chaerin did not long ago. Dara felt Chanyeol’s gaze on her and looked up with an almost surprised expression.

“Are you okay?” He questioned while letting go of her arm and turned to face her to get a clearer view of her face.

“I’m fine” She replied trying to sound convincing but ended up making her statement sound like a question. Chanyeol raised an eyebrow incredulously not the least bit convinced. Dara broke down infront of her supposed “friend” in a matter of seconds under Chanyeol’s relentless stare. She sighed heavily before looking up to him exasperatedly.

“Do you ever wake up not feeling like yourself or feel.. I don’t know.. different?” She inquired. Chanyeol scratched his head, not knowing how to answer her.

“Err.. I guess not. Did you feel that way?” He asked back

“I don’t know!” She yelled. Some curious faces looked at her weirdly, wondering if she’d gone mad. Chanyeol smiled at them apologetically before dragging her to a nearby door which just so happens to be the supply room. Classic. Chanyeol closed the door and focused his sight on his friend who was now starting to hyperventilate. He grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to calm her down.

“Breathe. Breathe.” He repeated. Once she seemed calm enough, Chanyeol braved himself to ask again. “What happened?”

Dara wiped her eyes clear of the frustrated tears that threatened to fall before speaking. “I don’t know.. It’s just that this morning I woke up and I.. I didn’t feel like myself. Like I shouldn’t be where I am. Then I looked in the mirror and voila!” She sarcastically said as she ripped the beanie she placed on her head revealing her bright blue hair. “My hair is blue when I could’ve sworn that it was blonde just yesterday and I-“

“Dara” Chanyeol interrupted

“What?”

“You never had blonde hair. What are you talking about?” He asked now feeling genuinely worried

“Are you sure?” She asked back but it seemed as if the question was directed at herself than him. Tears were starting to pool under her eyes again and Chanyeol quickly engulfed her into a hug to calm her down. “I’m just so confused!” She muffled onto his sweater.

“It’s okay. I’m sure it’s just a one time thing..” he shushed sounding unsure himself.

After about five minutes of stifled sobs and hair-, Dara finally pulled herself together and wrenched herself away from Chanyeol. She grabbed her bag that was dropped in the middle of their coversation and made her way out of the cramped little room with Chanyeol following suit.

“You’re hair looks great by the way.” Chanyeol stated out of the blue.

Dara turned around and laughed softly before muttering “thanks”. She walked back to Chanyeol who was a few steps behind her and re-linked their arms together.

“It’ll be perfect for the photoshoot” Chanyeol smiled looking down at her.

“What photoshoot?” Dara asked casually, but the question made Chanyeol stop in his tracks.

“You’re kidding me right?” Chanyeol said in disbelief but her face only showed genuine confusion. “THE photoshoot Dara. As in, the biggest project of the semester. A.K.A fail this and say bye-bye to a steady future.” He exclaimed dramatically but Dara kept silent.

“The collaboration shoot with the fashion institute? Ring a bell?” Chanyeol tried one last time before losing his patience for her for forgetting on what they’ve been working on for the past three months. And at that moment, Facts about the project came crashing into her mind. How they’ve worked hard since the first day and all the all-nighters they pulled to get the concept art right and the fact that they still don’t have a model to work with. It was all too much and she felt a slight headache coming her way again.

“Right.. that.. What about the model?” She asked

“They said they’ll tell us in three days. And thank God you remembered. I was this close to bursting.” Chanyeol stated while placing his thumb and index finger close together to show her what he meant. They laughed softly and continued walking and talking towards their work station on the second floor. As they climbed up, Dara’s heart stopped and the world around her moved slowly. Sharp eyes, a defined jawline and a little smile that was practically determined to make all girls swoon. The man turned his head slightly to his right and briefly made eye contact with her that only lasted a second. He flashed a smile and all she could do was glance back as she continued to be dragged by Chanyeol. That small smile made her heart pulpitate and she swore by her life that the entire world stopped..

“Everyone came to visit today...”

Day 3

Dara’s heart rate increased at an unhealthy speed and her eyes dialated as she stared at the man infront of her with a smirk plastered on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes as he looked back as if staring right through her instead of at her.

“Dara this is Seunghyun. He’ll be working on the project with us.” Chanyeol explained. Dara kept quiet, not saying anything. Her gaze was fixed upon the tall and handsome man infront of her. But once she realized she was staring, she shook her head to knock some sense into herself.

“I’m sorry. What?” Dara asked, directing the question to Chanyeol but had her sight focused on anywhere else but Seunghyun.

“He,” Chanyeol said once more walking up to stand next to Seunghyun who somewhat matches his height, “is the model we’ve been waiting for, for the last three months.”

“Oh. Right..” she trailed off before fixing her slightly bent posture and extended out her hand for a handshake which Seunghyun gladly accepted.

“Dara. Pleasure to finally meet you.” She stated, surprisingly sounding calm which was a  huge contrast to the nervous attitude she had just seconds before.

“All mine.” He replied. He had a deep and alluring baritone intertwined all throughout his steady voice while still grasping her hand firmly in his, neither of them really willing to let go. It just seems as if, with their fingers almost interlaced, everything was absolutely the way it should be. And as they stared into each other’s eyes, all the doubts Dara had just two days ago meant nothing and everything was just.. perfect.

‘Do I know him from somewhere? I think I do.. but I just can’t put my finger on it...”

“Do you remember what today is?..”

Day 8

It’s been a week. Since what? She doesn’t know.. She felt that something big had happened a week ago but she couldn’t think of anything that placed much significance in her chronology. The only thing she could easily pin-point was that strange feeling she got when she woke up; how her actions were taken as if they were planned and not spontaneous. Thoughtless. Her actions were thoughtless but in return gave her the ‘correct’ results – so to speak.

Over the past few days, the sensation came and went. It happened a few times but it didn’t cause her to think twice about it. She just went with it. And with that, it’s been five days since she first officially met the charming man named Seunghyun,  and since then, he never once left her thoughts. Everytime she sat quietly doing nothing, her mind led her to him. Thinking about his smile, his eyes, his face, his voice and just him in general. They’ll be doing the photoshoot in three months, during Autumn break and present the portfolio by winter.

She looked down at the files piled up on her desk and sighed as she started to clear them off. She left the ones regarding the concept of the shoot on the table and Seunghyun’s files which were given to her by Chanyeol when he first introduced her to their model. She realized, only now, that she hasn’t even looked into it. She unfolded the beige colored folder and from it, fell out about five thick sheets of photography paper. A slight tint of red covered her cheeks once she saw that they were pictures of Seunghyun practically half- in shredded clothing and a not-so-helpful short pair of pants. She recognized this to be the shoot the fashion major did in a collaboration project with a small clothing brand that just started business about a year ago. She would know since Chaerin did the same photoshoot and has her picture stuck to the latter's door in the form of a huge poster.

She looked through them and was particulalry fond with one which was just a head-shot. After a few fleeting moments of contemplating, she pinned the picture on her board which hung right above her desk. She gazed at it with admiration and was pulled back from her daze when she heard a chuckle coming from her door. She whipped her head towards the entrance and saw Chaerin leaning on the frame with a somewhat sly smirk on her lips and her khol-lined eyes flaring up a bit as she raised an eyebrow.

“I see you’ve met Seunghyun..” She stated amusedly looking at Dara’s flushed face. Dara didn’t reply and only watched as Chaerin walked in her room and sat on the edge of the bed, crossing her lean legs. She kept her silence as Chaerin scrutinized her trying to stifle a giggle.

“You know..” Chaerin continued, “You’re in luck..”

“W-what do you mean?” Dara questioned stuttering

“He and his girlfriend just broke up.”

“And.. you’re telling me this.. why?” Dara asked back

“’Cause you like him” Chaerin said pointedly and Dara’s face lost its pale tone and was replaced by a dangerous shade of pink.

“Who says I like him?” Dara countered in shock and she surprised herself when she didn’t stutter. Chaerin didn’t answer and instead gave her a bemused look before getting up and leaving. She muttered a soft, “He’s availible. Remember that..” before exiting the door and shutting it with a soft ‘click’.

‘Dang.. that obvious?’

“She really misses you..”

Day 21

Her palms were sweating non-stop and her heart skipped a beat or two from nervousness. She felt a large hand on her shoulder to find Chanyeol smiling at her softly, silently encouraging her. Through those doors was where her future would be decided. Every expression, action and movement captured. Sweat threatened to fall through her skin but was held back by the thick amount of makeup around her face. She braved herself enough to open the double-doors and entered the photography studio. She gazed in silent admiration as the back-drop and props she and Chanyeol designed had come to life. The glittering blue, gray and white colors reflected the bright lights of the photography equipment.

She walked towards the set and talked to the photographer about a few details  in case he’d missed anything. As she was conversing with him, a pair of slender fingers covered her eyes and a pitched voice asked jokingly, “Guess who?”

Dara laughed before mockingly answered, “Gramma?”

“Err.. guess again..” Dara just continued to laugh and removed the hands before turning back and hugged her roommate who came for “moral support”.

“Now just breathe and stay calm. It’s not a professional photo session, it’s just a project.” Chaerin said pulling Dara’s hair behind her ear and patted down any wild strands.

“Yeah. A project that decides anything and everything that relates to a steady future.” Dara responded and Chaerin chuckled, hugging her before stating, “Ah Dara, always the pessimist.” As they pulled away, the door opened and enterd the man that made Dara’s breath hitch. He was wearing a tailored white suit with makeup all over his face and his hair now bore the same color as Dara’s. He walked up to her and Chaerin and a little smile was ghosted over his lips.

“Hey Chaerin” He addressed the blonde.

“Hi Seunghyun..” She responded and slowly walked away deciding to leave the two of them alone and went ahead to converse with Chanyeol. Dara knew what her intentions were and she couldn’t help but feel annoyed

“So.. Ice huh?” Seunhyun suddenly piped in

“W-what?” She stuttered

“Your theme.. why ice?”

“I’m not really sure..” She whispered quietly not knowing how to explain her own concept. It was weird to her how hard it was to tell him about it but it just exploded out of when she explained everything to Chanyeol.

“You’re not sure.. Of your own concept? Isn’t that a little strange?” He asked sounding amused

“It’s just that.. Ice really fascinates me. The concept of being frozen. Not being able to move or feel anything around you.. yet everyone surrounding you knows about your frozen form. Trapped. For people, it’s like being trapped within time..” She finally answered allowing her sub-concious to do the talking

“Wow. That’s deep.. I like it..” He smiled and recieved a nod in response before she turned away trying as hard as possible to hide her blossoming cheeks. She succeded in hiding it from him but was stopped in her tracks by a displeased looking Chaerin who was folding her arms infront of her chest. She gave Dara “the look” as what she would call. It was the look that Chaerin gave to everyone who she was unsatisfied with.

“I see no phone exchanging.. What happened?” She asked taking Dara off-guard

“What are you talking about?” She countered

“Oh please. It’s so obvious you like him. So.. Why not make the move?”

“Damn it Chaerin! What makes you think I like him?” She screamed feeling frustrated getting the attention of everyone else in the room. She nodded her head in apology and smiled a little when she realized that everyone was looking at her. Once everyone went back to their own business, she fixed her glare back onto the smirking Chaerin.

“Denial. First stage of love.” She puckered her lips teasingly before strutting off to God-knows-where. Dara rolled her eyes and went back to Chanyeol

About half an hour later, she found herself sitting on the plastic ice-berg Chanyeol designed and the bright flashes of the cameras slowly blinding her sight. She tried her level best to make ‘proffessional’ facial expressions but she wasn’t entirely sure of the outcome. But she does know one thing, the guy posing right next to her sure knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t seem like he’s even trying yet his body language just screams confidence.

There was a five-minute interlude between the shoot and Chanyeol used that time to show Seunghyun the results. He seemed satisfied, at least, according to Dara, who, at the moment, was just looking at him from afar. Sighing silently, she looked up to her right and saw Chaerin shaking her head.

“Go talk to him” Chaerin urged and this time, Dara didn’t even try to hide the fact that she was considering it. Just as she was about to get up, Chanyeol screamed to the whole set to get started again. Chaerin rolled her eyes and Dara had mixed feelings towards him. A strange cross of being mad and thankful at the same time.

‘Leave it to Chanyeol to mess things up..’

“I’ll be gone for a while so don’t miss me.. Like you actually could..”

Day 82

It took about a week for Seunghyun and Dara to exchange phone numbers. Three weeks for them to hang out on a regular basis and a month for them to become really close to the point where both Chanyeol and Chaerin to feel a little jealous over the man. And it was another month later when Seunghyun finally had the guts to ask Dara out on a date. The offer took her by surprise, that, and the fact that Seunghyun was a stuttering mess and was a total 180° turn from his usual, confident and care-free self. It took her about a minute to register what he had asked and she just nodded dumbly as a response. The awkward parting that took place afterwards made her cringe and clench her fingers into fists so tightly that she could feel her nails digging into her palm, completely unaware that the man facing away from her was doing the exact same thing.

It was late, about 9 PM in the  eveing, and Dara had just returned from what she officially claims as one of the best nights of her life. She literally skipped into the apartment and flicked on the switch beside the door only to come face-to-face with a smirking Chaerin all dressed up in her pajamas.

“So.. How’d it go?” She prodded and so Dara told her. She told her everything from the beginning until the end. How ridiculously simple and classic the date was to how Seunghyun acted extremely sweet and caring. She explained every little detail of how her heart kept beating weirdly and how she had to hide in the bathroom to calm herself. The both of them were squealing like mad and didn’t notice how much noise they were making until the person who lived next to them banged harshly on the wall with what they could guess sounded like a broom.

Dara went to sleep that night hearing a strange yet calming voice in her head. It was a man, he sounded familiar but she was too tired to think about it. His voice was deep and rough, yet, it was strangely..calming..

“How long are you going to stay like this?..”

Day 143

Loud music blared through the large stereo systems in their small apartment. Dara knew this was a bad idea, but of course, the ever-so-social Chaerin just had to throw a big New Year’s party. She had lost interest in the festivities once the living room got too stuffy for her liking. Chanyeol and Chaerin were drunk off their asses dancing in the middle of everyone and from the last glance she took at them, she could’ve sworn they were not so lightly, yet not so passionately making out. She chuckled to herself thinking something might actually happen between those two.

She stepped out onto the balcony and breathed in the cold winter air. She looked down at the empty street below her and far to the glimmering lights in front of her. She sighed feeling completely immersed in the moment. She jumped a bit when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her slim waist and she whipped her head back in shock only to see a pair of warm brown eyes looking ever-so lovingly at her. She kissed the owner of those eyes chastely on the lips. They reluctantly parted and Dara leaned her head on Seunghyun’s broad chest. They kept their silence, enjoying the company they received from one another.

“We’re graduating next year. Well, this year in a few minutes..” She whispered

“I know” He replied kissing her softly on the cheek.

“It just seems to have gone by so fast.”

“Everyone feels that way..”

“I guess..”

“Any regrets?” he questioned carefully and received a shake of her head as a response.

“Good, then I sure hope I won’t regret this.” Dara looked at him curiously as he pulled away. He stood a little further from her in the small space of the balcony. He was quiet for a few minutes as if he was contemplating about something. What he did next made Dara’s breath hitch. He got down on one knee and pulled out a small black box. Dara’s eyes widened to the size of saucers and her little hands came up to cover her gaping mouth.

“Sandara Park..” He muttered slowly. “Will you do me the extraordinary honor of spending the remainder of your days with me?” His lips were pursed into a thin line and his eyes were looking up at her hopefully. She didn’t say anything for some time and made him continue his non-monotonous monologue. “I know we’ve only been together for a short time but I just know that you’re the one for me and we-“

“Shut up..” She cut off

“W-w-“ He stuttered suddenly feeling more terrified than nervous looking at her straight face.

“Just shut up and give me the Goddamn ring.” It took him a few seconds to register what she’d said and when realization struck him, he smiled widely like an idiot and pulled the little piece of jewellry out of its box and tossed the useless thing away. He slid it carefully on her finger and couldn’t help but find how perfectly well it suited her. It wasn’t exactly the acceptance he'd hoped for, but hey, Dara’s not exactly the type of girl to do things the normal way.

“I’ll never forget the way you kept smiling that night..”

When the moon rises..

Day 90

Gone were the stages of shock for Chaerin and Chanyeol when they learned about their bestfriend’s engagement and gone were the awkward phases between Chaerin and Chanyeol after they woke up in the new year together in bed completely undressed and hangover-induced. They decided in the end to just stay friends – much to Dara’s slight dismay. Over the few months of Dara’s and Seunghyun’s relationship and engagement, their feelings for each other blossomed like flowers in the first morning of spring. They find themselves lost in each other and lose themselves when they find each other. To Dara, it was , in a word, magical.

It was merely another day at her regular classes and by then, everyone’s heard about the big engagement between “that hot dude from the fashion major” and “that eccentric art chick”. She felt a few stares on her but she’s gotten way too used to it to even bat an eyelash. It felt like a short moment later that their proffessor dismissed her final class. As she was stepping out of the hall, she was grabbed to the side by a strong pair of arms and her eyes went wide when she felt her lips being crashed against another pair. It took her long enough to realize who it was before she started to respond to the feverish kiss. They, in her opinion, were rudely interrupted by a cough from her side and pulled away to see her proffessor awkwardly standing next to them. Her cheeks flared a bright pink and he coughed a bit before speaking, “If you two don’t mind, tone down the public display.”

“We’re sorry.” She whispered and received a curt nod from the old man. He muttered a sneering ‘kids’ before walking away while shaking his head.

She lifted her head and saw that Seunghyun was smirking in his position against the wall clearly enjoying the situation. Before she had time to utter a word, he circled his arms around her waist and pulled her against him again and whispered in that deep baritone that always drives Dara crazy.

“So where were we?”

Dara chuckled in disbelief and hit him lightly on the chest before squirming her way out of his embrace. She grabbed her bag from the floor that was dropped at some point during the whole debacle.

“You’re unbelievable..” She trailed off before walking away. Seunghyun quickly caught up and placed his arm around her shoulder causing her to unconciously snuggle onto his side. They walked in complete silence until Seunghyun suddenly remembered something.

“Hey..” he called grabbing her attention. She gave him a confused look silently urging him to continue, “I heard the good news.”

“What good news?” She immediately countered in bewilderment and wonder

“About the portfolio you and Chanyeol submitted.”

“Oh. That. It’s no big deal..” She stated with a hint of dissapointment, expecting something more.

“No big deal?” he questioned bemusedly. He paused before continuing, “You’re picture is on the cover of one of the biggest photography magazines in the country. So if you ask me, yeah, it’s a big deal.”
 

“Correction, your picture. Not mine. Just because the ownership rights goes to me and Chanyeol doesn’t make it my picture.”

Her words stunned him to no extent and it was at that moment that he knew something was wrong. The delivery of her ‘explenation’ was flat and her face was emotionless. A complete turn of what she would usually be like.

“Are you okay?” Came his first response

“I’m fine.” She whispered and bowed her head down before walking away. She was stopped by Seunghyun’s hand grabbing her wrist. He tugged at it slightly coaxing her to turn around. She exhaled loudly through her nose before giving in to his silent request. Though her body was now facing his way, she refused to look at him straight in the eye afraid that she’ll burst into tears. The pair didn’t exchange any words but instead silence came over them. A loud kind of silence that clearly Seunghyun was overcoming and had Dara succumbing to almost bursting out all her emotions.. and she did.

“I can’t take this anymore Seunghyun!” She screamed attracting the notice of the people surrounding them. He reacted quickly and dragged her to a nearby janitor’s closet. Dara recongnized the place to be the exact same place Chanyeol took her when she was heaving a mental breakdown on.. that day. She would’ve laughed if she wasn’t on the verge of crying. The first thing Seunghyun did after he locked the door was wrap his arms around her who was now shaking. Being in the embrace of her fiancé’s strong arms finally broke her. She cried and continued to cry for who knows how long causing the sleeve of Seunghyun’s shirt to get wet.

The truth was that Dara was scared. This entire relationship with Seunghyun was slowly eating her alive. No she wasn’t scared this relationship wasn’t going to work out but she was scared about the fact that Seunghyun could easily be ripped away from her at any second. She knows that alot of people want him. Everyone wants him, the list ranged from students to other proffessional models and compared to them, what was she? Just a girl who got unimaginably lucky to get a guy like him. That’s all she was, just a girl. And this girl is afraid and insecure and she can’t bear the thought of a life without him.

When she heard from Chanyeol that his picture was chosen as the cover of that magazine, her level of insecurity rose to a point where it was deemed dangerous. She wanted to believe it was chosen because the shot was really good, since it was a photography magazine afterall. She wanted to believe that. But deep down, she knew it was chosen to attract a wider and younger audience and it seemed to be working since their sales rose feverishly the past few weeks. That magazine is now a hot topic and everybody knows why.

After a while, she finally calmed down and told him everything. Absolutely everything that was bothering her. Though the delivery of her speech was emotional to say the least, the response she received was surprising. He laughed, he literally laughed and she was taken aback causing her to feel insulted. She can’t help but feel that he thinks it’s all a joke. She was about to leave until he grabbed her by the neck and kissed her fully on the lips. It was sweet, soft and most of all re-assuring. He interlaced his fingers with her's where his ring was worn and pulled away from the kiss.

He lifted their intertwined hands and looked at her before glancing at the ring and said, “I wouldn’t have given this to you if I didn’t know for sure.”

“Know what?” She asked doubtfully

“I wouldn’t have asked.. If I didn’t know wether I could trust myself to keep my heart locked only for you.”

His words were simple but the way she feels right now was anything but. The only response her body gave were more tears. She forcibly wiped them away and jerked her body towards him and hugged him around his neck tightly and whispered, “Please don’t leave me..” She pleaded through her muffled voice.

His response was from then on imprinted in her head. She will forever remember everything about the way he said those words. So loving and so passionate with that deep voice of his. She will forever remember exactly how much those words show to what extent his love for her actually reaches.

“You know I never could..”

“It’s been really quiet without you..”

Day 116

“Are you sure you wanna do this?” She asked again for about the billionth time

“Err..”, He kept his silence.

Here they were, on the door step of Dara’s only guardian since she was a kid. Her brother. Seunghyun had urged her to introduce him and she’d finally agreed. He was happy and seemed completely confident during the car ride but now, he was a shaking mess, causing Dara to worry more than she intially did. He was trying to hide it with all his might but it was still dumbly obvious.

He didn’t even get a chance to form a correct sentence in his head before the front-door opened and out came a man who looked significantly older than them yet significantly shorter than he was. He seemed like he was in his mid-thirties but there was something about him that made him seem young. His hair was blonde and styled backwards and his large cat-like eyes were wide opened in surprise looking at him curiously before his sight landed on Dara who was next to him. His confused scowl was turned into a face-splitting smile and his eyes crinkled along with it. Seunghyun can’t help but admit that the guy was adorable.

“Jiyong!” Dara squealed excitedly before launching herself at the man and enveloped him in a tight bear hug.

“Oh I missed you so much baby sis” He said tenderly not letting her go. They both stayed like that for a while constantly sighing in content which left Seunghyun standing awkwardly on the side watching the long seperated siblings reunite with such love and care that it was starting to make him feel like an outsider – which he was – and uncomfortable – which he is. He coughed lightly to grab their attention and Jiyong’s head immediately shot up looking at him curiously.

“So who’s this?” he asked Dara who pulled away from his hug and let his arm circle around her shoulder. She coughed uncomfortably before finally saying, “Ji, this is Seunghyun. He’s my fiancé.”

“It’s really a pleasure to finally meet y-“

Seunghyun wasn’t able to finish his greeting because a flying fist hit him square in the face and he fell backwards from the impact. He was about to get up but his head felt light and his eyes were threatening to close. Before everything went dark, he heard Dara scream something along the lines of ‘What’d you do that for?’ and then he finally gave in and passed out.

He woke up about an hour later on a very comortable couch. What he saw when he first opened his eyes were Dara’s and Jiyong’s worried faces looking right at him. They both sighed in relief, and after Seunghyun completely regained his conciousness, Jiyong explained to him that he did it out of ‘instinct’. Dara then continued to narrate that he gets violent when he’s in panic or shock.

They stayed for dinner that night and afterwards, the three sat around his living room discussing her and Seunghyun’s engagement.

“When did this happen?” Jiyong started

“New Years” Seunghyun answered straightly

“And how long have you two been dating?” He inquired again

“Seven months” Dara replied. At this, Jiyong shot up from his seat and glared at the two of them in disbelief.

“You’ve only been dating for seven months and now you wanna get married?” He screamed

“Technically, four. Since he proposed during New Years.” Dara corrected not helping the situation in any way.

This time, Jiyong felt like he was about to pass out. His little sister was planning to get married and he himself has trouble getting a girlfriend. But his concerns didn’t stop there. This Seunghyun guy just suddenly showed up and wanted to marry his sister. Was this a game? His head was spinning and he was looking at anywhere but them. It was a few minutes later that he finally came to a conclusion and ceased his pacing. He turned to the both of them looking at the two of them pointedly causing Seunghyun to gulp.

“Fine. I give you my consent.” He stated making Dara’s eyes widen in happiness but she was cut short of jumping in joy when Seunghyun posed a question.

“But?” He inquired knowing that there was a catch

“But..” Jiyong smiled appreciating how sharp Seunghyun was, “You two have to get married before the year ends so that I know you’re not messing around.”

“I can assure you I’m not messing with your sister, because I love her.” His words were directed towards Jiyong but he was looking straight into Dara’s eyes.

“And..” Jiyong half-heartedly screamed stopping the two of them from eating each other’s faces making them look at him curiously “You two have to find me a date for your wedding.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted what he requested especially after seeing Seunghyun’s shocked expression. ‘Great..’ he thought, ‘Now they think I’m desperate.’ There was silence but Dara cut it off by chuckling and walked over to her brother and hugged him.

“Thank you” She whispered before kissing him on the cheek. She let go of him and continued, “And don’t worry, I’ve actually been waiting to introduce someone to you.” At this, Jiyong smiled and hugged her again.

“Everything’s been a huge mess..”

Day 157

She was estatic. Finally, the day had come. The day she’d been waiting for for the last four years. Beside her was a jumpy Chaerin and to her left was a grinning Chanyeol. Her palms were sweaty and she wouldn’t stop fidgeting with her nails and biting her lips. She couldn’t focus on the speech the dean was giving – heck no one was. She, like so many others, were silently spuealing just waiting for the damn ceremony to be over.

Once the final announcement was narrated, everyone jumped out of their seats and threw their caps in the air. The first thing she did was pull Chaerin and Chanyeol together for a group hug. They were holding onto each other tightly and jumping around while screaming before Dara felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to come face-to-face with Seunghyun. She let go of the grip she had on her two friends and skipped towards Seunghyun. She held onto his neck while giving him a deep kiss on the lips. They soon let go of each other and walked hand-in-hand towards a smiling Jiyong who’d been anticipating to see his baby sister since the start of the ceremony.

Chanyeol and Chaerin trailed behind her silently. Chanyeol shook hands with Jiyong while introducing himself. Dara finally noticed them and turned to Chaerin signalling her to come over. She walked over to them with little steps until Dara pulled her forcefully towards her brother.

“Jiyong this is Chaerin.” She addressed towards him who was standing nervously infront of Chaerin who was looking away shyly.

“Chaerin..” Dara nudged making her turn her head, “Jiyong”

“Hi.” They said simultaneously as they shook each other’s hands.

‘I knew they’d like each other..’

“You’ll never believe what happened..”

Day 268

“Are you ready?”

“Hardly..” She whispered

“Don’t be like this. It’s your wedding day..” Chaerin coaxed

“That’s the point. What if this is wrong? What if it doesn’t work out?” Dara stated breathlessly as she stared at herself in the mirror clutching onto her bouquet of white roses that matched her flowing gown.

“Trust me. It will.” Chaerin tried again smiling softly. Dara kept quiet and Chaerin did the only thing she could think of, She hugged her tightly and smiled.

“You know every little girl dreams for this day to happen to them. So why are you upset? You’ve got a great guy waiting for you out there and all your friends and family are right there by your side.”

“You’re right..” She replied softly and her face was then graced with her beautiful smile.

“I know I am..” She joked. “Now c’mon, lets put this thing on you.” Chaerin continued picking up her veil. Dara sat down on the chair infront of the mirror and allowed Chaerin to take care of styling her hair. “Love the new hair by the way. Blonde really suits you.” she suddenly piped up

“Thanks. Couldn’t get married with blue hair could I?” Dara asked chuckling earning another one in response. Just as Chaerin finished clipping the translucent cloth on her head, there was a knock on the door and in came Chanyeol wearing a black tux with his hair all spiked up.

“You look good.” Dara complimented

“Thanks but everyone’s ready for you now. C’mon lets get going.” Chanyeol stated in hurry

“Alright, but where’s Jiyong?” Dara questioned

“Here.” The former said stepping into the room, “You look beautiful by the way.”

“Thanks. Now lets go.” She said getting up and fixing her dress. She laced her arm with her brother’s and walked out of the room followed by Chaerin and Chanyeol. They walked through the halls of the familiar house and into the garden which was now used as the altar. As soon as she stepped outside, the orchestra, which consisted of her friends from the music major, started playing. Everyone stood up and Dara gulped. It seems that seeing the happy and supportive faces of all her friends and family made her feel more nervous. Her heart rate increased with every step that she took and before she knew it, she was infront of the little podium her brother set up specifically for the occasion and felt him tugging at her arm softly urging her to let go.

She exhaled heavily and her heart stopped once the man who was turned around a second ago was now facing her with his arm streched out, silently telling her to take it. To her, it felt like their first meeting all over again. The world around her stopped and she saw nothing but Seunghyun. She placed her little hand on his and he closed his fingers softly and pulled her upwards. She took a hesitant step towards the landing and stood across Seunghyun with her head facing downwards.

“You look amazing.” He whispered softly before the Pastor turned to them giving each of them approving nods. Dara looked up to look at Seunghyun and at that point, all the doubts she had not a minute ago were gone. Just like that they disappeared into something else that she just couldn’t explain. The priest started his speech but like most situations where she was required to listen, she spaced out thinking about alot of other things. The time came for them to exchange vows and what Seunghyun said during his turn made Dara forget all that she had planned. Her heart was burning with love for the man infront of her and tears of joy threatened to sting her eyes if she hadn’t kept herself together.

When her turn came, she was hesitant to start talking. She had forgotten almost half her speech since she was still too immeresed in what Seunghyun said. She mustered up something short and quick and to her, sounded really dumb but to her surprise, left the crowd behind her in awe and caused Seunghyun to smile. They exchanged their rings and ‘I do’s and before she knew it, the ceremony was over and they were now man and wife.

‘I know what happened between us happened a little too fast. Too fast.. that it may seem a little reckless. But I know that you’re the one for me and I swear upon my life that I will never leave you in pain. I can’t promise that I won’t hurt you, ‘cause I’m only human afterall. But I do promise to love you no matter what happens..’

‘I can’t promise the same thing. I might hurt you, but I hope you can forgive me the same way I’ll forgive you if that ever happens. I can’t say much.. But I can say I love you, and I hope you know how much that really means..’

“Must be painful to think about it now..”

When dawn creeps in

It’s been exactly a year since they tied the knot and in that year, they were gifted with the birth of their daughter. For their first anniversary, Dara planned a special dinner for the two of them and gave little baby Hana to Chaerin and Jiyong to look after. She set up evrything from candles to the smallest details such as folded napkins to choosing the perfect drink for the occasion.

Once she was done with all the preperations, she waited at the table for her husband to come home. She waited and waited and waited until it was almost midnight. She was feeling drowsy and almost layed her head on the cold meal if the front door didn’t click open. She shot her head up and saw Seunghyun walkng tiredly through the foyer of the apartment. He turned his head and saw the dinner table set up.

“What’s this about?” He asked sounding grumpy and Dara was taken aback

“You don’t.. remember?” She questioned absolutely dumbfounded

“What?” He countered feeling frustrated

Then it started, the screaming, the accusations and Dara felt it again. That feeling she hasn’t felt for so long. She didn’t feel like she was in control of her actions. Every movement that she made, and the words and curses that spilled from , they didn’t feel like it actually came from her. It felt so foreign yet so familiar. She decided in the end that she needed some fresh air and rushed out the door in quick steps not knowing that Seunhyun followed her out.

He rushed down the stairs and exited the main lobby turning his head left and right only to find no one. He decided to go on instinct and turned to the left completely oblivious that she went the opposite way.

Her rushed footsteps slowed down and she gave in to a slower walk. Tears fell from her cheeks as she trudged down the pavement, continuously bumping into others and earned displeased grunts from strangers. She didn't even bother to look anywhere but down let alone give any form of apology to the numerous amount of people who's foot or feet she accidentally stepped on.

She turned her direction into a crossing and unconsciously stood in the center of it. She tried to calm herself and wipe off the tears from her eyes but it all happened too fast. There was a shout of her name and she turned her head to come face to face with blinding lights. She was pushed to the ground and hit her head hard on the concrete. She felt a body enveloping her lower half in a protective fashion and she felt blood seeping through her head. The grip on her body was weak. Almost..lifeless.

"S-seung.." She whispered before nil had taken over her sight.

When the sun is bright

All she saw was white. Her sight was blurry and she almost screamed in panic. She felt the texture under hear hands to be soft. She was on a bed. She glided her hands towards her eyes and rubbed it a few times. Her vision cleared and she realized she was in a hospital room. There were IV cords stuck to her hand and she jerked her head towards the door when it opened to see a stunned looking Chanyeol who dropped the drink in his hand.

“Dara..” He whispered

“Yeol..” She smiled as he came to her and enveloped her in a warm hug and she nuzzled his grey sweater. Chanyeol let go of her and pressed the emergency button by the bed and a nurse quickly rushed in. Like Chanyeol, the nurse dropped her clipboard and rushed out of the room to call a doctor. A few minutes later the door bursted open but instead of the doctor, a flustered looking Chaerin entered the room and flung herself on Dara. Tears prickled her eyes and her embrace tightened.

“Oh my God, I was so worried.” She said sobbing and all Dara could do was pat her hand for reassurance.

“Where’s Hana?” She asked after a moment of silence

“At kindergarten..” Chanyeol stated

“Kindergarten? But she’s barely a year old.” She replied completely confused. Chaerin and Chanyeol looked at each other before turning back to Dara. Chanyeol sat himself down on the bed and placed his hand over Dara’s

“Dara we need you to calm down and listen to us.” Chaerin instructed gently. Dara gave her a faint nod

“You’ve been out for three years.” Chanyeol said softly causing Dara to widen her eyes in disbelief.

“No, that’s not possible, my anniversary was yesterday. It’s not possible.”

“Yes it was yesterday, your fourth anniversary.” Chaerin corrected leaving Dara even more dumbstruck

“That’s not possible- wait.. Where’s Seunghyun?” Dara completely jerked up and straightened her posture looking at Chaerin and Chanyeol expectantly. When they didn’t say anything, she knew what they meant. Their silence was a louder reality check than any words could ever express. Tears prickled her eyes and she tried to keep them in but it was a horrible attempt. The liquid trailed down her cheeks and her mind was just a mess.

“We’re so sorry” Chaerin whispered as she and Chanyeol came closer to her simultaneously. Dara couldn’t take it anymore so she screamed and thrashed on the bed and cried as loudly as she can just to release everything the shock impact brought her.

‘You said you’d never leave me..’

***

Six months. It was six months after she woke up and in that time, she regained the ability to walk again and didn’t need assistance from her friends anymore. She also learned that Jiyong and Chaerin got engaged during the time she was out and that the latter and Chanyeol often took turns visiting her. No matter how busy they got, they always managed to come to her every single day. They spoke with her, as if she could relply. All the nurses thought that they were demented to talk to a person induced in a coma. 

In that short span of six months, she finally gained the  courage to visit her husband again. 

The car ride was completely silent before a tiny voice asked her, “Mommy, where are we going?”

“We’re going to see daddy baby.” She said softly and brought herself downwards to the passenger seat to kiss her daughter on the forehead.

“But daddy’s gone..” The little child stated and those words just brought pain to her.

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t visit him” She corrected gently toussling Hana’s thin hair.

“Hm?” She hummed confusedly and Dara smiled telling her to be patient and she’ll see for herself

They reached the cemetary in a knick of time and Dara went directly to the direction Chanyeol pointed out for her. She stood there infront of the grave just staring, daring herself not to cry. She sat down by the side of the memorial stone and read each word carefully.

‘Here lies Choi Seunghyun. An amzing friend, husband and father.’

She and Hana just sat there for a while with the child on her lap who was playing with her fingers. “Where’s Daddy?” She suddenly asked catching Dara off guard.

“He’s here sweetie.” She replied

“In there?” Hana inquired pointing at the grave. Dara shook her head before pointing at her daughter’s chest.

“No. In here. He’ll always be here.”

They left about fifteen minutes later and as they were walking back to the car, Dara felt someone behind her. She turned her head and there he was, leaning against the thick bark of the tree completely dressed in white wearing that signature smirk of his. Dara smiled. Was she seeing a ghost? Was she insane? She didn’t know, but all she knows is that he was really there and he will always be. No matter where she goes..because he promised to never leave her.

Dara looked at Hana once again who was walking hand-in-hand with her. She realized now, that everytime she looks at this little girl, she sees the man she loves. She'll have to move on at some point in her life. But even then, she will always have a piece of him, in her.

‘I will never leave you in pain..’

(A/N)OMG this was like such a fail angst story..*sigh*

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to comment. Upvotes are dearly appreciated 

sorry if this is nothing you'd thought it'd be..

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