{ 01 }

FIVE YEARS LATER...

“Dara unnie! Mind giving me a hand here?” Minji called her attention.

She quickly smiled as she walked towards Minji. “What is it?”

“Unnie, can I skip your last class? I just really need to go home early today! Please, please, please, unnie?” Minji pleaded. Dara is a teacher in high school and Minji is her Student Teacher. The girl even tried to charm her by giving her a box of strawberries which she knew Dara couldn’t resist.

Dara laughed, giving in. “Arasso, arasso. But why are you in a hurry?”

The younger girl blushed. “Actually, unnie... I have a date today.” After answering, a giggle followed.

Dara’s easygoing smile was gradually wiped off her face. Seeing Minji, she remembered herself in her college days.

Jiyong...

-Flashback-

“YAH PARK SANDARA, WANNA DIE?!” Park Bom, Dara’s best friend, shouted across the whole corridor while chasing Dara.

Dara only showed her a laidback laugh before scurrying away. Bom was a real handful, especially when someone pisses her off. Even her best friend in the world couldn’t get away with her special Bominator wrath.

She was too busy teasing Bom that she actually forgot to look where she was going. Soon enough, two bodies came crashing down the hallway because of Dara’s clumsiness. The one was hers, and the other one was...

KWON JIYONG?! Dara’s eyes widened, seeing the person she bumped with. Kwon Jiyong is apopular kid, but it’s not because he’s a playboy, rather, it’s the opposite. Kwon Jiyong is famous for rejecting every girl who asks him out.

Well, she couldn’t really blame the guy for being picky. He’s smart, good-looking and based from the things she heard from the rumor mill, he’s loaded. No one could really confirm the last one though, since Jiyong barely talks to anyone except Choi Seunghyun (or TOP, his self-appointed nickname), Bom’s boyfriend and Dong Youngbae. Or maybe he’s just forced to talk to the two guys, since they are roommates.

Whichever it may be, Dara didn’t care much with Jiyong. For her, he’s just another one of the mysterious kids at school. Not that he’s the only one. There are a lot like Jiyong, but maybe what made him stand out is that he’s such an eye candy.

Ugh, Park, pull yourself together! She scolded herself. She quickly rose to her feet as Jiyongdid the same. “Omo, mianhaeyo, Kwon Jiyong-ssi.” She apologized.

Jiyong merely looked at her. He was busy dusting his clothes. “It’s fine.” After saying that, he walked away, not even sparing her another glance. Dara did not understand why she felt disappointed.

“Sandara? Why were you staring at Kwon Jiyong?” Bom, who now caught up with her, asked curiously.

That was when she switched her gaze from Jiyong to Bom. She smiled to mask her disappointment. “Nothing, let’s go.”

Dara walked away, leaving a curious Bom behind.

And yes, a curious Bom was never good.

-End of Flashback-

“Unnie?” Minji’s voice brought Dara back to her senses. “Is there something wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I could cancel the date, you know.”

She smiled at her. “No, it’s nothing. I just... remembered something.”

Upon hearing this, Minji grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Really, unnie? Something? Are you sure it’s not someone?” The girl’s eyebrows wiggled.

Dara couldn’t even laugh at Minji’s obvious joke. She barely gave her a smile before grabbing her lesson plan and the worksheets, leaving Minji in the faculty room.

“Oh, did I say something wrong?” The younger girl thought out loud. “But I was only teasing her...”

“Maybe Dara had a painful experience about guys, Minji.” Mrs. Han, one of Dara’s colleagues whom she treats like a second mother, commented. “But I wonder why... Dara is such a nice girl.”

Minji pondered over Mrs. Han’s words. If that was true, she felt bad for her unnie. She’ll just make sure that this will be the last time that her date will affect Dara’s class schedule. After all, Dara always helped her whenever she has a hard time.

“I think every girl has a painful experience with guys, Mrs. Han.” Wooyoung, one of the younger teachers, joked.

The whole room laughed, including Minji. “Well, that’s true, I suppose.” Mrs. Han answered, and after the playful bantering, they all went back to work.