"Jiwon-ah~, thank you. I don't know what would happen to So Ra if you did not help me last time. I promise I will pay you back." 

"It's okay, aren't we best friend?" Jiwon patted her back before giving her a hug. Jiwon remembered how terrified he was when Soo Yeon suddenly came to his house last week. Since her marriage, Soo Yeon rarely asked him for help. She was truly hopeless when she met him. She had no one to ask for help other than Jiwon. Her 6-month-old baby, So Ra needed urgent surgery for her heart. Their family's financial state was not at the best and even worse, her husband's business was not going well to support the surgery. 

"Oppa?"

Jiwon and Soo Yeon turned to look for the voice. Judging at her facial expression, Jiwon knew something was not going right. 

"Dara ya~"  Softly, he called out her name. Please, do not misunderstand. 

"Sorry, I think I should leave now." Soo Yeon quickly excused herself.

"Wait... are you perhaps Soo Yeon unni?" Dara stopped her from leaving. Soo Yeon was startled, wondering how she knew her name.

She is. Her face dropped upon realization. Seeing how Jiwon and his ex-wife still kept in touch with each other made her believe what the high school girl said last time must be true. Dara will always be the second and she could never be the first. 

"It's true then. That Jiwon oppa still could not forget you..."Jiwon was shocked to hear that coming from .

He held her shoulder, trying to get her to look at him."Dara ya~ This is all misunderstanding. There is nothing between Soo Yeon and I." Dara still avoided him. She could not bear to look at him in the eyes. 

"I am sorry. I really should not get in between you two." Dara then turned to look at Jiwon. "Why don't we.... just break up?" she said as tears falling down her cheeks when she said the words. The word 'break up' would never come across to her mind. Throughout their not-so-long relationship, she was happy to be with him. But that was her. 

Slowly she pushed Jiwon's hands away from her shoulder and walked away. If this would be the best for him.

"Dara ya~" His voice cracked. "For God's sake, Dara. Soo Yeon is married!" Dara did not look back this time. She continued to walk away while wiping her tears.

Soo Yeon saw Jiwon did not move an inch. He stared blankly at Dara until she was completely out of his sight. She released a sigh. Jiwon was still like that. He was too clueless when it came to relationship. "What are you waiting, Jiwon? Go and get her." Soo Yeon's words broke the silence. "You know what, when we were together, whenever we had a misunderstanding, you would just leave and let us cool ourselves. There was not even a second that you would try to reach me to explain or solve the problem," said Soo Yeon. 

"For God's sake, go. Tell her everything."

Thinking back about their past relationship, he admitted it was true. Whenever they fought, Jiwon would just leave the house and went out for drinks. He would drink until the morning or sometimes he would just avoid returning home. He would rather crash to his friend's house than go to their newlywed house to solve their misunderstanding.

The last time when he avoided the problems, he lost Soo Yeon to his ego. Would he rather lose Dara again this time?

No. He would rather not. 

He ran to the nearest emergency exit hoping that he would still manage to catch her. 

*****

Dara went to the emergency exit and walked down the staircase. She slipped but thank God she still managed to get her balance by holding the rails. Her groceries bag fell on the floor and the groceries scattered on the stairs. She tried to collect the stuff and put them back into her bag but it was ripped. 

'Fool.'

She sat down at the stairs, covering her face. Is this the end of her crush? Well, what would she expect? Jiwon was still in love with his ex-wife. She should have known this when she liked him. He would not stay single all those while if it was not because of his ex-wife. So was the 'I like you' a lie then? Was it because he wanted to take care of her feelings?

"Are you really that serious you want to break up with me?" Dara looked up. She recognized the voice without having to look at the owner.

"No. I have never wanted to break up with you." She shook her head as she wiped her tears. "But if I don't have any place in your heart, isn't it better for me to leave?"

Jiwon sat down next to her. He pulled her into a hug and patted her head. "Aigoo, uri aegi." He spoke with an aegyo tone. "Do you think I will let you break up with me even if you ask so?"

Dara kept silent. She could not hold her tears from flowing down. "I am sorry, I should not keep it a secret from you." He told her everything about Soo Yeon and her daughter, So Ra. At that moment, he promised her that there should be no secret between them. When Dara suggested breaking up, he could not think straight. He was afraid to lose her even just for a second. That was how much Dara meant in his life. 

"I am sorry, I could not be a cool girlfriend." She continued to cry as she hugged him tighter, as she hated the idea of losing him too. 

"No, it's fine. It's good to see how possessive you are to me." He released the hug and cupped her face to wipe her tears. He stared at her closely, studying her eyes and everything. She looked so cute with her puffy eyes and her chubby cheeks. He knew at that moment he was in trouble. He indeed had fallen deeply in love with her. 

"I am in trouble." he murmured. 

"I love you, Dara. I love you so much." He left a kiss on her forehead, long enough to keep her worry away. 

*****

"I'm sleepy." Jiwon pulled a pillow and lied on her lap when he saw her sitting in the living room watching television after they had dinner at his house.

"Oh please, you're heavy." She kiddingly asked Jiwon to move away when in fact she enjoyed his attention. 

"I don't care." He was in his choding mode again. He continued to pretend to sleep while Dara messing with his curly hair. She had to admit that Jiwon looked so cute with his new hairstyle.

"Oppa, when is the happiest time in your life?" she asked. 

A few deep lines appeared on his forehead as he was thinking. "Hm... that would be when I debuted with Sechskies 24 years ago..." That was indeed the happiest time in his life. 

"Other than that?" she asked again, expecting that he would give a different answer. 

"Then it would be when I made it to my 20th solo anniversary..." Jiwon chuckled when he saw her pouty lips. He sat up to grasp her hand firmly. "And lastly... it is right now, being with you." She finally smiled again. Her smile was everything he needed. 

"Now let me ask you something. When you had tarot card reading last time, who did you think of?" Looking all serious.  

"Why? Are you curious?"

"No... I am just wondering. It was just that... em you know I watched the video star compilation last time so I was just wondering why they put our video there." 

Dara smiled. She suddenly had an idea. She went closer to him to whisper to his ear. "Actually..." His heart was pounding. "I was thinking about Kang Dong Won," she said playfully, observing his reaction. 

"Yahhh!" His eyes widened.

She giggled, feeling satisfied with his reaction. She put her hands on his face and gave a quick peck on his lips. "I love you."

His lips curved into a smile. That kiss, those words and Dara were not something that he could possibly resist.