Dara and Min Woo were at the park. The sun was shining brightly. They should be enjoying the day however the atmosphere was awkward. Dara just can’t find the strength to look at Min Woo and not remember Yunho. He is not him. She told herself like a mantra.

“Not who?” it was Min Woo. He was waving his hands at Dara who has already voiced out her thoughts without intending to.

“Sorry.” she mumbled.

“Do I look like your first love?” he guessed.

Dara sighed. “NO.”

“Who do I look like then?” Min Woo insisted. Then he added, “He seems to be a very important person to out your energy. Now I hope I don’t look as handsome as this.”  

At that, Dara lighted up a little. “Conceited. But not as conceited as ajjumma.” she murmured.

She sat at the bench shaded by a big tree and rested her tired feet. “Let’s rest.”  

Min Hoo nodded then left upon seeing an ice cream stall. He bought two ice creams, both vanilla flavour.

He handed the Dara the ice cream.

“Vanilla.” she commented.

“You don’t like vanilla? I’ll buy you another one, what flavor?”

“Its ajjuma’s favorite.” she smiled. Then added, “vanilla is fine but cookies and cream is the best.”

“Ajjuma?” he asked.

Dara nodded. “I hate to ask it, but do I look like that ajjuma? I look like an old woman?” he probed.

She giggled hard. It has been a while since she last did. Laughing heartily. Since Jiyong left. Because when he did, Yunho’s face and the scar would appear and throb more frequent. More painful. Because no one eases out the pain the same way that he do.  No one makes her happy more than he do.

“NO.” she replied. Then added without voicing out, “not close enough. Ajjumma is way Handsome.” As if reprimanding herself she shook her head. “What am I thinking?” she thought.

Min Woo was awed. “Pretty.” he almost whispered.

“Eh~”

“Who do I look like then?” he asked awkwardly.

The life was slowly out from her again.

“It’s not a good memory isn’t it?” he asked feeling her gloomy mood again.

“Ne~” she confessed.

“Sorry.” he apologized.

“Not your fault.” she forced a smile. “You look like.... Yunho.”

Min Woo analyzed her. Calculated if he should or should not ask her about it. Then decided to just stay quiet until she herself tell her story. And she did.

“I love him. But I hate him.” she bit her lips. “Crazy isn’t it?”

“Ne~”

“It’s one sided.”

“That’s why you hate him.”

“Maybe.” then she added, “thinking about it, you don’t really look alot like him. His eyes look better. He has prominent jaw and you look pale. He is more handsome.”

“Really?” he said sarcastically. “Seriously, why would a man not find you attractive? He is a fool for not seeing what I am seeing.”

Dara her ice cream. She finished it before giving him an answer.  “He hates me.” There was a long awkward silence.         

“Can I ask?”

“Go on... I know you won’t stop until you get an answer.”

 “What do you love about him?”

  “Hmmm... everything. He is y.”

Min Woo stared at her. Everything she said was not in past tense. It might mean she was still and continues on loving the Yunho guy. He hated the thought of it.

“You still love him?”

“Hmm~” she feigned not to hear.  She too has started questioning herself. Since the day Jiyong left her. Then to invade the question, she pointed at the pink balloons.

Min Woo smiled and bought her one. She cheerily accepted it and held on to it as if someone might steal it from her. The guy can’t help but find her lovable as time pass by. He was falling deeper.

“Let’s try that.” Dara suggested seeing the tempting street food.

Just then they both heard a familiar song played by one of the stall.

“I love this song.” Min Woo commented.

“Isn’t it Bigbang?”

“I don’t know. But it’s G...something, you always play this in your cafe that is why.” he smiled obviously into the song but not the singer.

“It’s Gdragon.” she supplied. “Who you.” she named the song.

“Right, Gdragon. Oh, I remember, he is that famous idol who is dating my favorite actress, Lee Yeon Hee. Lucky guy.”

“Really.” she responded with foul mood. “So she is his type of girl? Yeah kinda pretty. Aisht!” she pouted thinking to herself. She picked two spicy fish cakes and seated herself comfortably at the nearest bench leaving Min Woo behind.

“Why lucky?” she asked biting on her food.

“Lee Yeon Hee is like a fairy. I’m a fan you see. I took time googling the guy because of the rumor. And the guy, he is a playboy with piercings and tattoos. I bet he do drugs. Maybe an addict. Poor Lee Yeon Hee.” he blabbered continuously.

“What!?” she unconsciously screamed.

“Hey. Hey. Are you jealous?” Min Woo teased.

“No. And ajju... Gdragon is not that kind of person. He doesn’t look like it but he is a caring, thoughtful, and sometimes entertaining person. But of course he can be a jerk sometimes.” she pouted.

“You seem to know a lot about him. Are you a fan?”

She did not reply. She herself found it funny that she became so elated like that. Just then a butterfly came fleeting before her eyes. She followed the butterfly as it rested on the grass. She gasped, “So pretty.”

Min Woo discreetly moved towards the enchanting butterfly and tried to lure it on his fingers to no avail.

“Ajjumma could have lured that butterfly. Butterflies seemed to love him.” she pouted.  

“You are really fond of this ajjumma.” he noticed.

“Really?” she blushed. “Maybe I miss him.” She felt herself whispering.

“You said something?”

“Ah~ nothing.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was already dark when Min Woo Dara back to the coffee shop. They were chatting happily. And Dara found herself smiling again.

“I had a good time.” it was Dara.

“Me too.” Min Woo smiled. He inched closer Dara and motioned to kiss her but the girl stepped back.

“Remember your question?” she asked.

 “Which one?”

“About me loving him?”

“Ah~” Min Woo bit his lips and stared at the trashcan a few steps behind Dara.

“Thank you. For making me realize something today. I think I don’t love him anymore that is why I can look at you in the eye without thinking of him.”

Min Woo’s face brightened.

“You see, these past years,  I’ve been so busy thinking how much I love him and how much I hate him for deceiving me that I did not realize how much I’ve grown to love this guy who has always been beside me. And now that he is gone, I am slowly realizing how important that person is to me.” she confessed.

It confused Min Woo. “A guy.”

“Ne~”

“I see. A boyfriend?”

“No.”

“Another one sided love?”

“I don’t know. Thinking about it, he never once told me he loves me.” she pouted.

He did not answer.

“Yeah. He never said a thing about that. Maybe he was just forced to comply oppa’s wish.” the thought made her smile. A bitter one.

“Why would you settle for something that is one sided and be heart broken again? Can’t you let me in instead?” he was sincere. Almost pleading.

She looked away.

“I don’t know. Can you give me sometime, maybe to forget him and empty the space?”  

“Who told you that you can? There is now way I am permitting you to forget me.”

She turned abruptly hearing that familiar voice. Her heart raced. “Ajjumma...”

Min Woo gave Jiyong a dirty look. Jiyong did the same.

“It is not one sided. And you better back off because this lady is mine.” he said in a between gritted teeth. His arms s possessively on Dara’s waist.

Min Woo smirked and left them with defeated shoulder.

“Yah!” it was Jiyong.

“What?” she pouted.

“You just dated behind my back.” he too pouted. More than annoyed, his face was bright and playful.

“I thought you broke up with me?” she fired back.

“Yah! Who wouldn’t? Your journal says you still like that.... aisht! Really!”

“Who told you to read it?!”

“You left it lying around.”

“It’s because I too don’t know until you left. And you never said anything about you know, how you feel. I thought it’s just because of what oppa told us. So I never really gave it a thought, not until today.” her faced turned pepper red.

“Babo!” he pouted.

“Yah!” she was on battle mode again.

He carefully tucked the lose strands behind her ears. Then murmured, “I love you.”

“Eh~”

“YAH! I already said it. No repeating.” he pouted.

Instead of repeating, he inched closer to her. They both went red feeling the tension. Hearing each other’s heartbeat. Inhaling each others breath. Some strands of hair were messily hanging on her face. Clumsily, he tucked it behind her ears. Then he inched more closer. She didn’t know what to do. Nor what to say or to respond. To step back, or to hold on to his shoulder as if it was her first time. But when his face went nearer and nearer, she knew, she should just close her eyes.

“I love you too. Jiyong.”