“I think my brother likes her but he keeps on insisting they’re just friends.”

“That’s a good place to start, right?”

Jiyong held her hand. It was a tense moment, but Dara couldn’t let this dance between them to drag on longer. It’s eating her up. She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t concentrate at work.

“Is it really?” He asked her. 

Dara felt the butterflies in her stomach. The ball is on her court again. It has always been, as Bom told her.

“Yes, I think so.” She almost breathed the words as Jiyong moved closer, their eyes not dropping the connection between them.

Jiyong weaved their fingers together and placed it between them, right in front of their beating hearts.

“I’ve always counted on it, but I’m still not sure if the result will be in my favor.”

This is it. She just had to tell him the truth.

“It’s in your favor, Jiyong.” Dara met his eyes again with a different intensity. His hold on her tightened as he placed a kiss on their clasped hands.

“I’m going to say it now, Dee. Now or never.”

Her heart is beating furiously fast right now and every second is a torture. “Say it.”

Jiyong moved closer, trapping himself in between her legs as she sat frozen on top of the kitchen counter. 

“I love you, Dara. Not just as a friend. I want to be more than just your business partner, I want to be your partner in life. I don’t want to be just your friendly neighbor who cooks dinner for you, I want to be the man who will do anything just to make you happy at the end of every day. It has always been you, Dee.”

The words he said were more than she expected. She knew he loves her, but the words that came after hit her harder than she imagined. She never thought someone would even want to be with her like that again after Seunghyun. And the best part of it is that it was her best friend, the man she trusted all her life, who said it. It was a declaration she never thought she needed.

She sobbed and hugged her friend instead. Dara couldn’t form a single word. She thought she was ready to hear it, but she was wrong. 

Jiyong rubbed her back and tried to calm her down. She worried that he might take it the wrong way so she pulled herself away from him and cupped his face.

“Thank you, Jiyong. You really always know what to say. Every time my heart bleeds or when I needed comfort or when I feel like I’m nothing in this world, you always have my back. And I loved you for that. You are my best friend and I’m so lucky to have you. So let me tell you this too.”

She straightened her back and tried to smile behind her tears. “I love you too, Jiyong. I’m sorry it took me this long to realize that. Thank you for being my best friend, but will you be my boyfriend now too?”

--------

His mind went blank, he could even be dead.

Dara loves him.

He tried to smile, but he choked on his own breath. 

“I’m supposed to ask you that.” 

She laughed and wiped away her happy tears. “You’ve waited long enough, Ji. It’s the least I can do.”

 Jiyong gathered his senses and just went for it. He kissed her.

Not on her cheeks. Not on her forehead. Certainly not on her hand. 

He went straight to her lips. She pulled back in surprise, but she quickly recovered, circling her arms to his neck.

They kept on smiling and broke into a laugh halfway into their kiss. They were both happy. He sighed heavily and swayed her into an embrace.

“Is this really happening?” He whispered to himself, but Dara heard him.

“Believe it, Ji. This-” She pointed to both of them. “...is happening.”

--------

Mino just had dinner with the two Seungs at Kang’s when a familiar figure blocked their way.

“Are you ing kidding me…” He muttered as Jiho stood before him with a friendly wave and hopeful smile.

“Am I just being paranoid or is that guy waving at us?” Seunghoon asked.

Seungyoon, on the other hand just stared from Mino to Jiho. “You know that guy?”

He stopped walking and sighed. “I thought I knew him.”

“He’s walking to us now. Are you going to acknowledge him or are we just going to make a run for it?” Seunghoon asked while stretching his legs.

Mino run his tongue on his teeth and hissed. “ it.”

He met Jiho halfway and started to talk. “Is this some bull crap you and your girlfriend likes to do now?”