{ 32 }

“Sohee, good morning!” Dara greeted nervously, hoping that her lame greeting would actually steer Sohee away from her case, but it seems like the Heavens decided that it was time to rain the blessings somewhere else, somewhere far, far away from Park Sandara, and Sohee wasn’t having any of her shits.

“Stop trying to change my mind about barbecuing you because I won’t.” She answered, and Dara felt that Sohee was ready to claw her eyes out if she keeps on blabbing about nonsensical topics.

“Sohee...”

“Don’t you Sohee me, Park Sandara! Gosh you teased me to no end about Heechul and we thought you were just secretly dating Hae or something– Jeez, Sandara, does Donghae know?” She questioned.

Dara bit her lip and nodded. “DARA! Oh my gosh, and you didn’t tell–”

“I’m sorry, Sohee. Honestly, I wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet.” She replied.

Sohee sighed. “So you were just prancing around secretly?” She asked, and her voice turns Dara’s stomach in knots.

She was about to start apologizing again when Sohee shushed her. “Really Dee, stop it. It’s done anyway. I think you could start off by telling me when and how did this even happen.”

The two women walked in silence on the way to school. Dara doesn’t know how to start telling Sohee about Kwon Jiyong, the same Kwon Jiyong whom she fussed about at the company dinner. The Kwon Jiyong whom they referred to as the dragon because of his inexplicably great business prowess and intelligence. The Kwon Jiyong who was cold and stoic. Most importantly, the Kwon Jiyong who doesn’t know Park Sandara.

I don’t know if they’ll understand the same way that Bom, TOP, and Bae did, she thought inwardly. They didn’t know who Jiyong was, they only knew who he is.

Dara was still silent as she and Sohee made their way to their faculty room. At last, Sohee sighed. “Okay, fine. If you’re not ready to tell, I’ll understand, Dee.” She said, echoing Donghae’s words.

Dara stared at Sohee and smiled. “Thank you, Sohee-yah.”

“Pabo.” Sohee huffed before Dara saw a smile ghosting on Sohee’s lips. “I won’t force you now, but don’t expect that I won’t tomorrow or the morning after that, or maybe next week.”

Dara only laughed at her, knowing all about Sohee’s persistence when she really wants to extricate an information from another person. She and Donghae were living proofs of how monstrous their mandu can be when she wants to. She remembered the time when Sohee grilled Wooyoung about his love life, and the poor guy could only squirm under Sohee’s scrutiny.

“Arasso, Sohee.”

“At least tell that monkey and Minkki, you know?” Sohee turned to Dara seriously as her hand sat on their faculty room’s doorknob. “We all thought you and Hae were secretly dating...”

“Hae and I?!” Dara snorted. “C’mon, Sohee, Lee Donghae and Park Sandara just don’t fit like that.”

There was silence, and when Dara looked at Sohee, she saw her eyes widening and her lips parted a little while looking at someone behind Dara. The said girl looked behind her and saw Donghae. “Hae-yah!” She greeted.

Donghae carelessly slung her arm over Dara’s shoulders and grinned at Sohee. “Dee’s right, mandu. It will never be that way between us.” He looked at the petite woman smiling next to him, her eyes twinkling with delight that Donghae knows wasn’t because of him. “C’mon,” he told Dara before Sohee could say anything more.

“너 바보, 동해-야.” She mumbled under her breath for which Donghae glared at her, sending her a telepathic message which can be summed up in two words: SHUT. UP.

Sohee could only shook her head as she watched Donghae and Dara fall into an animated conversation far away from the former’s hidden feelings for the latter.

“다라-야, 너 바보도.” She added as an afterthought before concentrating on her work.

[You’re stupid, Donghae-yah.]

[Dara-yah, you’re stupid too.]

--

“Unnie! Gosh, where have you been?!” Minji asked as she stormed inside the faculty room, followed by Wooyoung.

Dara smiled at her concerned dongsaeng. “I’m okay, Minkki-yah. I was just not feeling well.”

Minji started chatting Dara up about the things which happened while she was gone yesterday when they noticed that Wooyoung, who was still behind Minji, was grasping a broadsheet in his hand. “Oh, Woo? What’s wrong?” Dara asked.

“Dee...” He answered in a low voice. “I think we need to talk?”

Sohee, Donghae, and Minji curiously glanced at Wooyoung before looking at Dara. “Oh... sure.” She answered, following Wooyoung out.

The two friends went to the old garden with Wooyoung leading her. He looked around before he stopped when he felt that the place was safe enough. Dara, noticing her friend’s odd behavior, furrowed her brows. “Wooyoung? What’s happening?”

Wooyoung avoided her gaze, rather, he silently handed her the crumpled broadsheet he was clasping in his hands earlier. The headline of the entertainment section screamed at Dara in capital letters: BUSINESS MOGUL KWON JIYONG FINALLY SETTLING DOWN?

She felt the dread creep up on her. With trembling hands, she skimmed through the article. There were several pictures of Jiyong and her together with the two other Kwons. A picture of them leaving the building where his penthouse unit was located, another picture of them talking, a photo of the four of them walking inside the restaurant, and finally, the biggest photograph was the one of them inside the expensive restaurant, the four of them laughing together about something Yuri said. She merely glanced at the caption of the pictures: Kwon Jiyong, Asia’s number one businessman and included in Forbes Top 100 businessmen in the world, together with his mother Madame Kwon Yuhee and his socialite sister, Kwon Yuri, dining with an unknown woman.

She gulped, and traced the last paragraph of the article with her fingers.

...Kwon Jiyong had dated a few times in the past, but none of those have resulted to him bringing those women to meet his family. Looking at the photographs, it seemed like even Madame Kwon and Miss Kwon Yuri took a liking to the woman. Will we hear wedding bells soon?

“Dee?” Wooyoung’s soft voice broke her from her reverie. He held her shoulders to support her, because Dara can feel herself trembling. He guided her towards one of the wooden benches and helped her sit down. “Dara, are you okay? You look pale, woman!” Wooyoung scolded.

“I– it’s okay, Woo–” she tried to reassure him, but even she can’t convince herself.

“Fuck, Dee, it’s not okay!” Wooyoung roared. “Goddammit.”

Wooyoung looked mad. No, maybe outraged was the best word to describe him right now. “Woo, c’mon...”

He turned to look at Dara. “Dara, what’s happening?” He softly asked. “Are you really dating the dragon?”

Silence ensued for a moment before she nodded. “Yes, Wooyoung.”

His jaw dropped at her straightforward answer. “Dee... How did this happen?”

“WOOYOUNG! DARA! Are you guys here?!” A voice suddenly roared from the entrance of the old garden. They recognized it as Donghae’s voice. Wooyoung ran to the entrance to meet him, and when they came back, Sohee and Donghae were together with Wooyoung.

“Dee, we saw it...” Sohee said, a little breathless from the run.

“I bet the whole of Korea has seen it now.” Dara answered bitterly.

Sohee was about to answer when Donghae beat her to it. He knelt in front of Dara and grasped her hands. “Dara-yah, don’t worry,” he told her and smiled gently. Dara was glad to have her friends with her.

A blaring ringtone ate up the silence and Sohee handed her her phone. “Ah, here. I brought it since it had been ringing since a while ago.”

She mumbled a “thanks” before taking her phone. “Hello?”

“KWON DARA!” Jiyong breathed on the other line. “I’ll pick you up, okay? Stay... stay there. Don’t move. I– I’ll be there, noona–”

“Jiyong-ah.” She calmly said. “I’m okay. You don’t have to panic.”

“Noona–”

“Ji, this is bound to happen sooner than later, I know. I was just a little shocked, but otherwise, I’m fine.” She forced herself to smile, hoping that Jiyong would hear it in her voice. “It’s okay, Ji. I love you.”

“Noona...” He breathed, his voice low and helpless. “Mianhae.”

“Ani, it’s not your fault.”

“Are you really okay?” He repeated, wanting the assurance.

“Neh, Jiyong-ah.”

“I love you so much, noona. Please don’t go away.” Dara’s heart broke at the tone of voice which Jiyong used.

“I won’t go anywhere, Ji.”

“Noona...”

“Jiyong, I’ll hang up now, neh? I’ll call you again later, don’t worry.” After gently saying that, she ended the phone call.

“You’re obviously not okay, Sandara.” Sohee said tenderly.

Dara did her best to smile. “Sohee-yah, I don’t want to burden Jiyong anymore. He’ll stress himself again.”

“But wow, Dee, I never thought that I’d live to see the day when Kwon Jiyong the dragon becomes a cute, harmless puppy!” Wooyoung exclaimed and Donghae smacked his head.

“You monkey, you’re of no help!”

Dara laughed, however. Sometimes that’s what she fears of too. That Jiyong loves her too much that he might do stupid things for her.

She strengthened her resolve. Jiyong-ah... I’ll be strong for you.

______________________________________________________

Sorry if this is kinda short. I just devoted this chapter to the revelation of Daragon's relationship to the public. ^^

Comments? :)

-X