Pairing | Kim Woobin x Dara

The honorable judge banged his gavel as a sign for the court session's dismissal. The jury quickly stood up and found their way to the back room. The rest of the people in the court also hurried their way out. After a few minutes, Dara let out a relieved sigh which earned her a glare from Woobin.

“Shouldn't I be the one sighing?” he shook his head

“Do I not have the right to sigh now?” she rolled her eyes

“I don't even want to argue with you-”

“Then don't.” Dara stood up, almost knocking the chair backwards, “Argue with the plaintiff. Not me, the defendant. Your client, if you need a reminder.”

Woobin watched the petite, yet feisty girl walk out of the courtroom.

“She's a handful, isn't she?” snickered Attorney Lee Minho, the plaintiff's lawyer

“I can say the same for your client,” Woobin said without looking at Minho.

He was too occupied with fixing his materials. He might be exhausted but he still needed to catch up with Dara. He headed for the exit.

“I don't see why she won't give up. She's up against an heiress. Her word, a mere commoner, against Suzy's.”

Woobin already had his back Minho, and his hand on the doorknob.

“Because Dara is not guilty,”

“If you say so,” shrugged Minho.

Woobin gave Minho a deadly glare that made Minho twitch.

“You know so.”

With that, Woobin opened the door to find that Dara was waiting for him on the nearby coffee dispenser.

“Took you long enough,” she said as she handed him coffee

“Thank you,”

“I'm sorry I snapped during the trial and for well everything,” Dara apologized

“You're just under a lot of stress,”

“You bet,” Dara chuckled.

Woobin stared curiously at Dara. He wondered how someone so small have so much drive and determination and attitude. He never encountered such a human being.

“Let's get going before that flower boy lawyer comes out and make my blood boil,” said Dara.

Woobin shook off his thoughts. He wasn't allowed to form personal relationships with his clients. It was strictly business, the firm told him. He followed that rule for so long. A lawyer can never get too attached to his or her client. But how could it not be personal? Dara was his deceased half-brother's girlfriend. Normally, the firm would not let a lawyer be involved in a case in which they are any way related, but Woobin hardly knew his brother or Dara at that time. As a matter of a fact, he never knew his brother. He only knew of his existence, so his death did not make that great of an impact.

Without realizing it, Woobin was in the middle of the street with Dara already on the other side.

“Yah! Do you want to get hit by a car?!” She ran towards him

Woobin's eyes became enlarged as Dara went behind him to push him to the other side.

“I'm sorry,”

“Looks like you're more under stress than I.. Which makes sense actually,”

“The coffee isn't kicking in yet,”

“Clearly,” she smirked.

She seems tough, borderline y actually and can be blunt, but she could never murder. Never, Woobin was talking to himself.

“Stop spacing out, will you?” Dara snapped her fingers in front of Woobin's face.

Woobin blinked several times before realizing he was once again, spacing out.

“I don't need to lose you either,” Dara's voice softened, “I can't lose you.”

Her eyes were staring right at him and even a bit teary eyed.

“Dar,” Woobin's heart felt like exploding

“They might accuse me of killing you too,” she joked and turned her gaze elsewhere

“You don't have to put an act in front of me, Dar. I know you care. You can show me that. You can show others that,”

“And get what back in return? Have people toy with me,” she sounded bitter now

“Well, it might help with your case. It's not looking good with Suzy throwing on a play up there,”

“She's such an actress,” hissed Dara.

Suzy was Dara and Seungyoon's classmate in university. She befriended the couple, only having the intention of snatching Seungyoon, Woobin's half brother, from Dara but failed. The girl became obsessed with Seungyoon. She wasn't used to not getting what and who she wanted.

“Everyone is not like Suzy.”

Dara remained quiet. She didn't have the strength to bicker with the only person she trusted.

“Can we just go home?” she then spoke

Woobin nodded as a response. Their home was one now.

Dara had no living family, not even distant relatives, at least none that she knew of. She was an orphan. Woobin felt his heart swell at the thought of Dara not standing the thought of losing him. He was literally all she had, but he also felt pain and shame. This was his deceased, younger and even if they are only half-brothers, still his brother's girlfriend. From what he researched, it looked like they were planning on getting married too. It was clear to him that Dara loved Seungyon and vice versa. He shouldn't be developing any romantic feelings towards her. She was off-limits for many reasons.

“You are so absentminded today, Woobin,” Dara was turning the key to their apartment

“Forgive me,” he bowed.

Before Dara could enter, she turned to face him.

“Seungyoon would have wanted to meet you... He wanted to. He always stared at your facebook like some creepy stalker,” Dara let out a laugh, “But he was shy because his mother was your father's mistress. He thought you would have hated his guts. I never told you this, but we accidentally saw you once. You weren't even a lawyer yet. It was the day you went to your school to see the result of your board exam. Seungyoon wanted to see for himself. We were about to approach the board but we saw you. Seungyoon's only memory of you is shouting for joy, jumping like a mad man Woobin.”

Dara paused and had a longing, nostalgic look plastered on her face.

“We knew you passed then. Seungyoon had tears in his eyes and so naturally, I did too. He was so proud and happy for you. I don't know how that was possible,”

“Even if he never met me,”

“Yeah,”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Seungyoon, he taught me how to be kind. He taught me how to love. How to be a decent human being. God, he would be so happy to see us. Talking. Being friends. You would've loved him too. You're both so cheeky and such softies really,” tears were falling from Dara's eyes.

Woobin was shocked to hear this information. He would have never known that his half-brother was interested in him. He thought Seungyoon would hate him! Wasn't that how it usually is? Woobin always asked himself. Woobin snapped to the present and wiped Dara's tears. He enveloped her to an embrace and caressed her hair.

“I'm sorry this is all I can do to comfort you,” Woobin's voice was hardly audible

“I can't lose you, Woobin. Not you too. You're all I have. You're all I have that links me to Seungyoon.”

Of course. I remind her of Seungyoon. I can't have her even if I wanted her. But wouldn't Seungyoon want me to make Dara happy? Wouldn't Seungyoon want me to be happy?