KNOT 25 - NEAR GOODBYE

CL's POV

This cannot be good. Nothing good comes from an excited TinkerBom. Well, her enthusiasm level is always sky high for everything that made no sense at all but the sparkle in her eyes is very different tonight. It's making me nervous, to be quite honest. I just stepped out for a while and left Bom with Dara so that they can talk and settle whatever was up between them. When I came back in our apartment, Bom was already giving the creep signal.

"Lee Chaerin! Guess what?" Bom exclaimed.

Oh no. 'Guess what' means something's up. And I don't want to guess what that something is. If it's Bom's idea, I'm pretty sure it involves anything that we will regret for the rest of our existence.

"Uh...what?" I asked cautiously and glanced at Dara who was sitting on the couch.

"We will go out and have fun!" Bom replied while bouncing merrily.

That caught me slightly off-guard. Her idea of fun is sticking her head in the microwave and running amok in the wilderness. Okay, that's just how I imagined her to be but still... I can't shake off the uneasy feeling as she continued to glow like a frigging light bulb in front of me.

"Where are we going and what kind of 'fun' are you talking about?" I asked.

"The three of us will go out and spend some time together. Isn't that fun?" Bom squeaked.

Oh. That's it? I thought we're going to do something extreme. I plopped myself on the couch next to Dara, still uncertain how to react. Well, I guess it's fun to hang out for a while. I mean, what can go wrong?

"Tonight, we're going to do everything that Hadana Bom wants. No questions asked", Dara declared.

Noooo! DARAAAA! I widened my eyes at her and sent telepathic messages that - OMG! DO EVERYTHING THAT SHE WANTS? RETRACT YOUR WORDS! HURRY! I think my brain exploded.

"What? Why are you looking at me like I've gone crazy?" she asked.

"That's because YOU HAVE GONE CRAZY!" I whined. This is Hadana Bom that we're talking about. Do everything that Bom wants? I'd seen scary things while I was stuck with her when I was still hunting for a job. There is some weird, funky stuff going on inside her brain and I'm not really anticipating being part of this 'night-out' for Bom.

"If she asks us to run nude in public, Dara I swear...."

"Oh please, like she'll ask that", Dara said defensively.

"Are you sureee?", I eyed her down. No, really. Giving Bom the 'We'll-do-whatever-you-want' kind of privilege is like giving superpower to a five-year-old kid.

"CL, please let's do this", she whispered. "Bom is leaving soon."

"She is?"

"Yes. And besides, I got into a fight with her so I wanted to make it up to her."

I remained silent as I looked at TinkerBom who was checking her reflection on the mirror while braiding her hair. There was a tiny squeeze in my heart at the thought of not seeing her anymore. She already felt like family.

"All right", I muttered. Little did I know that the planned 'night-out' will be the most WTF moment of my life.

==

WTF. Three words that best describes the situation we're currently in. Even enunciating the F word cannot compare to the embarrassment that is slowly eating my sanity. One could never guess where we are right now.

So...from what my barely functioning brain can remember, the three of us went to the grocery store to buy the fruits that Bom wanted since she requested for a picnic at the park (Yes, at this hour of night. PICNIC. In the dark). As we exited the supermarket, a great idea descended upon her and she told us that we should walk along the dark alley. Since we were compelled to do everything that she asked us to do, we complied. At the end of the dark alley, she saw a pink neon light. Perhaps in the eyes of Bom, the pink neon light was like an invitation to heaven. The next series of events became a blur. I remember shouting Bom's name as she ran towards the entrance. I remember Dara hurriedly picking up the fruits that she dropped. And, I might or might not shoved someone's head aside as we followed Bom in panic. I might have or might not have unleashed a couple of F-bombs while running after her ass.

To make the tragic story short, we were dragged inside a male strip club. Male strip club, people! With our grocery bags! I mean, don't get me wrong. I don't judge people who go to such places, but this strip club is definitely in a whole different level. The moment we stepped inside, there was a certain stench that hit me right to my very core. My sense of smell was becoming numb in a frightening speed. The waiters and the bar tenders were all dressed in an 'almost nothing' outfit. And when I say almost nothing, I meant you can melt their clothes with the power of your mind...or of your stare.

"Where is she?!" Dara asked while darting her eyes around, looking for Bom. I was tightly hugging the grocery bag like a shield, careful not to touch anything. I had this weird feeling that if anything here touched my skin, a baby would instantly grow inside my womb. Even the walls looked pregnant! Gaaahhh!

"Hey there, sweetie", a stripper, who was wearing tight leather brief and suspenders, winked at Dara . Leather brief! Gah! When he was about to approach Dara, I went hysterical! I made a mini-commotion and kept throwing oranges at him until he went away. OH MY GOSH!

"Are you all right, Dara?" I asked while gasping for breath. Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! Should I hold my breath? Is STD an airborne disease? WE SERIOUSLY NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE! WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HEREEEE!

"LEE CHAERIN! Let's hurry and find Bom."

"H-Huh?" I blinked at Dara who was slightly shaking me by the shoulder. What just happened? I think I'm slowly losing my sanity. I'm beginning to hear little voices in my head telling me to do bad things.

"You know what we need?" Dara asked.

"Fire and oil? We need to burn this place down and exorcise it", I answered in a whisper. The color of the lights were predominantly red, which gave me the eerie feeling that we were actually inside the pit of hell.

"OH MY GOD!" Dara shrieked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"What? WHAT?!" I asked in alarm and gasped when I saw what she saw. "OH MY GOD!" I squeaked and ran towards Hadana Bom who was standing near the stage, hugging her grocery bags full of fruits while staring in awe at the male strippers dancing in front of her. Dara was a few paces behind me as I zoomed past the leather-wearing waiters towards where Bom was. But before I could reach her, the lights dimmed. I readied myself and assumed combat position in case there would be an appearance of flying demons or penis-dangling gladiators...whatever. I don't know what to expect from this place, seriously. And then, the spotlight focused on the stage and the real performance started. The male strippers began dancing on the pole while taking off their clothes!

"BOM!" I yelled but I could not squeeze past through a barricade of hollering women who were enjoying the show. (How the hell can they enjoy the show?!)

"CL, let's circle around!" Dara called out and pulled me by the wrist. We circled around the crowd to get to Bom. And when we were almost near her, Dara and I screamed in panic when we saw one of the strippers onstage in leather briefs swaying his hips while his tent was directly in front of Bom's face! GAAHHH! The clueless woman just stood there, giggling merrily while pulling a banana out of the grocery bag. The stripper continued teasing her with his humongous bulge and then...AND THEN... Bom poked it. BOM POKED IT! With a banana! Ohmygoshhhhhh! OH MY GOSHHH!!

Dara and I became paralyzed on our spot - a few strides away from her. The audience, who were whistling and hollering a while ago, were now focused on the girl holding a banana (question: How do I deny that we know her?). I was seriously considering abandoning Bom. The other strippers started gathering in front of her, and Dara and I facepalmed ourselves as Bom squealed and continued poking them with that damn banana.

It gets even shittier. I'm not kidding. It can get shittier than this.

"GIVE THEM A TIP!!!" One of the girls in the crowd shouted, and Bom complied. SHE BEGAN STUFFING FRUITS IN THE STRIPPERS' BRIEFS! NoooOooo!! BOM!!

"One for you. One for you", she gleefully said while putting oranges, bananas, and whatever fruit she had in the grocery bag inside their briefs.

My mind literally went from 'What-the-hell-is-she-thinking?' mode to 'How-the-hell-should-we-get-out-of-here?' I seriously wanted to vanish. This shaved 10 years of my life, I swear. Watching her made me want to tear up in embarrassment.

I faced Dara and sighed weakly. "You and your genius ideas."

_____________________________________________________________

JOO WON's POV

I don't know what to expect, and I honestly don't want to know. Perhaps Dara wanted to talk to me about something when she insisted that I meet her at the park. But when she mentioned the words 'picnic with my friends' and hung up the phone, the uneasy feeling crept in. What friends and what picnic? At this hour? Needless to say, I felt like I was walking into a trap.

And I was totally right. I saw them sitting on the ground around a pile of groceries in the middle of the park. Lee Chaerin was eyeing me like I was a deformed piece of Chicken McNugget; Hadana Bom and Jursa Seunghyun whom I both met during Jeju trip were looking at me like they could tell my past, present and future; and there was this other dude who was curiously staring at me and nudging CL. And then there was Dara - waving at me like there was absolutely nothing wrong for her to summon me in such super awkward gathering. The surprised look on their faces was an art. It was exactly the kind of scene I pictured if I announced that I just laid eggs.

"What is he doing here?!" CL screeched.

"Yes, Dara. What am I doing here?" I asked as I sat beside her.

"Well, since Hadana Bom wanted to have a picnic in the park, I thought it would be fun if we all hang out together", Dara explained. "I tried inviting Jiyong, but he said he needed to talk to the Big Bang band."

"You're not invited to the Big Bang meeting?" CL asked the guy next to him.

"I was! But Jiyong hyung told me that he'd just talk to me separately, and he asked me to accompany you guys", he said. "By the way, I'm Seungri", he extended his hand and shook mine. "Joo Won", I said.

"Dara's ex-boyfriend who dumped her", CL added, because she is such a sweet lady who meant to annoy the living crap out of me. God, she's still the same. On my first month of dating Dara, she was worse than a mother-in-law. I was grateful that she didn't have access to my food because whenever Dara was not looking, CL would inconspicuously open the kitchen cabinet to show me an assortment of bottles in varying colors that could probably turn my intestines into stone. I wonder if Dara knew how protective CL was.

"Sweetheart, that wasn't nice", the guy named Seungri said. "Dara noona told us that they already put the past behind them, didn't she?"

"Fine, I'm sorry", CL mumbled while giving me a side-glance. I was slightly taken aback. Who is this guy and how the hell was he able to tame Lee Chaerin?

"Are you two...a couple?", I asked curiously.

"Me and this vagina? Of course not!" CL shrieked.

"YOU HAVE A VAGINA?!" I asked in surprise. This dude has a vagina?! Holy shit! Seungri just shook his head while chuckling. "Nah, that's just her term of endearment for me", he replied while dodging CL's elbow.

My eyes settled on Jursa Seunghyun who was observing us silently. "Hey, man", I greeted and extended my hand, my palm facing down to give him the bro palm-slapping. He slowly looked at me with a furrowed brow and shifted his gaze at my hand hanging in the air. After an awkward pause, he leaned forward AND KISSED MY HAND! WTF is wrong with this guy?! I immediately retracted my ruined hand and turned to the others with wide eyes. Did anybody just see what he did?! I'm going to have nightmares after this!

"Calm down and breathe", Seungri said while CL tried to hide her smirk. Dara was of no help because she was already rolling on the grass while laughing. "Jursa Seunghyun and Hadana Bom have different set of...uhm...customs", Seungri stated. Exactly what kind of customs do they have?!

"My apologies. I misunderstood your intention", Jursa Seunghyun mumbled.

"I thought you and Hadana Bom already learned how to live as huma-...to live in Seoul", Dara remarked.

"Reading ten thousand books is not as useful as traveling ten thousand miles."

Wow. He talks like Yoda.

"Anyway, since we're already complete, let's start eating!" Dara merrily announced and started preparing the food. We all helped out and soon after, our odd circle became filled with comfortable chatter.

However, I still couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling at the pit of my stomach. I stared at Dara. She was smiling beautifully as she told the story about her encounter with Lee Minho. The Dara before me was perhaps happier than how I remembered her to be. And it was quite obvious that she brings smiles to the people around her.

"Is there anything bothering you?" Hadana Bom asked.

"Not really. It's just...I realized it has been a long time since I saw that kind of smile from Dara. And the people around her really looks happy", I said.

"A candle lights others and consumes itself", Hadana Bom whispered as she placed a slice of apple on my plate.

_____________________________________________________________

It was an odd sight. When Jiyong entered his office, he saw Min Young and Dara standing side by side while staring at the photo on his desk. They seemed to be engrossed in a serious discussion and failed to notice that he was already inside the room.

"Potato head", Jiyong called out, startling the two. "What are you doing here? Don't you have to prepare for our upcoming meeting with the investors?" he asked.

Min Young glanced at Dara before looking at him. "Yes. I'm about to head out now", she said and walked past him. Before closing the door though, Min Young paused momentarily and glanced back again at Dara, who just smiled at her. Strange. Jiyong darted his gaze at the two while frowning.

As soon as Min Young left, Jiyong looked at the photo of him and Min Young on his desk. He then shifted his gaze at Dara, who just looked back at him quizzically.

"What?" Dara asked while blinking her eyes innocently. With a frown, Jiyong slowly walked towards her and leaned down to level his gaze with her, making her step back. "What?" she asked again.

"Are you jealous again of potato head?"

"Of course not!"

Jiyong straightened out and shoved his hands inside his pockets, his gaze never leaving hers. "Then why have you been hanging out with your ex-boyfriend? Why did you invite him to meet your friends while I was not there? Did I do something wrong? Are you planning on breaking up with me?"

Dara was stunned in silence. It took a few seconds before his questions registered in her mind. Slowly, a smile crept on her lips until it turned into fits of giggles. Is she really hearing this from the cyborg?

"You're not cute", he shot back.

"Awww, hubby is throwing a tantrum", Dara cooed and rubbed his chin playfully with her fingers.

"Why were you with that guy again?" He pressed on. "Why is he always hanging around you in the first place?"

"Ohhh, I don't knowww", Dara said in a sing-song voice while playing with Jiyong's necktie. "Maybe he's still in love with me. Maybe he wants to marry me!"

Jiyong's lips twitched in annoyance. "Who would want you to be their wife? You can't even carry a baby with that body of yours. I bet your womb can only carry one gummy bear", he said while darting his eyes up and down Dara's body.

"Yah!" Dara tugged his tie, leveling her gaze with his. "Don't drag my womb in your jealous fit, okay? And just so you know, even if my body is small, I can carry twins!" She said smugly.

"Twin gummy bears?" He smirked. Dara pushed Jiyong and crossed her arms over her chest. How the hell did their conversation end up with her womb being ridiculed to such extent? If that's the case, then...

"You talk as if you're that big! I saw your...thing in Jeju, and it's not really something to brag about." Lies. She had no recollection whatsoever of seeing his majestic, super jumbo treasure. But he also had not seen her womb for him to judge her capacity to bear babies! Of course, she had to retaliate and talk about his ding-a-ling, because that was the mature thing to do.

"What thing?" He asked while grinning. "You mean this thing?" He said and pointed at his lower region.

"Yes, it's not that BIG", she retorted and lifted her chin up.

"You've seen the strawberry-flavored condom, right?"

"That won't fit you!"

"Do you want to confirm that?" He stepped forward while unbuckling his belt, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Don't you dare show that to me! I'll hit you!" Dara warned him while stepping backwards.

"Go on, hit me. I'll still show it to you", he said while slowly lowering the zipper of his jeans.

"Jiyong!" Dara screeched. She wanted to look elsewhere but her eyes have a mind of their own, following Jiyong's hand as he very slowly lowered his zipper, a cocky smile never leaving his face.

"Jiyong, I swear. Stop it", Dara said weakly, swallowing hard as she saw his black brief. Oh my God! OH MY GOD! Just a little more... Her eyes widened when Jiyong traced the garter of his brief with his fingers, taunting her.

"Lock the door."

As if under a spell, Dara immediately spun around and dashed towards the door, locking it. She remained in that position, her back facing him as she rubbed her chest and exhaled loudly. "Stop it, okay? I give up", she said. Dara yelped in surprise when suddenly, Jiyong wrapped his arm around her waist, hugging her from behind.

"You perverted cheeseball", he whispered and lightly bit her ear, sending shivers all over her body. He turned her around to face him, and she immediately lowered her gaze. "I've already zipped my pants", he chuckled, making her blush. He placed his hand on the doorknob while locking his eyes with her. "I have a meeting with the investor. I'll show it to you later", he said and winked at her.

"I hate you!" Dara exclaimed as Jiyong stole a kiss from her and hurriedly escaped.

Left alone in the room, Dara chuckled softly as she made her way towards her desk. Her smile slowly faded when her gaze settled on the desk calendar. A few more days... She opened her laptop and began typing an email, setting the scheduled date of delivery to a future date.

To: Kwon Jiyong

From: Sandara Park

Subject: To my cyborg hubby

I sincerely pray that I'm still alive while you're reading this...

==

Almost everyone in the conference room were dumbfounded by what Choi Jin-hyuk announced. Only Lee Soo Man and Jiyong's expression remained impassive. The sudden change of decision would clearly have a negative impact on Lee Group of Companies.

"It's the decision of the board. I'm merely the bearer of bad news", Jin-hyuk added.

Jiyong exchanged glances with his father, his face unreadable. Jin-hyuk just told them that they would pull out from the contract and pay the penalty because they wanted another developer for the amusement park project. If that news is announced, the stocks of Lee Group of Companies would suffer again. This time, they might need to liquidate some assets to make up for the loss.

"May we know the reason for pulling out of the contract?" Soo Man asked.

"We are not confident that the construction arm of the Lee Group of Companies will be able to deliver the outcome that we are hoping for. We'd rather pay the contract penalty than take the risk", Jin-hyuk explained.

"I see."

Jin-hyuk stole a glance at Jiyong, a tiny smirk forming at the corners of his lips. But this did not escape Lee Soo Man's observation.

"Well then, we wont take much of your time. Let's adjourn this meeting and let our lawyers handle the rest."

"We apologize, Mr. Lee. But this is purely business."

"Indeed. This is purely business", Lee Soo Man said as he stood up, followed by Jiyong. "We will take our leave. Please excuse us."

The two left the room in silence. As they were walking in the corridor, Soo Man finally spoke, "Choi Jin-hyuk is making their business his playground. He sees people as pawns to be played with and has completely no regard to those who will be affected by his decisions."

"I'll end his playtime soon", Jiyong assured him.

_____________________________________________________________

The two ascendants watched as another bubble rose from the River of Unbreakable Oath and burst into a small sphere of blue light. Another oath has been accomplished.

"The fact that the oath made by the ruler of the underworld will soon ascend from the river is truly saddening", Jae Sang remarked.

"It is inevitable. The oath must be fulfilled", the lunar matchmaker god said.

"Why do you want me to gather all the jursas on the coming full moon?"

"I have mentioned before, the least we could do is give Sandara Park a lovely death. I will gather all the hadanas, and on your side, I request that you gather the jursas so we can all send the soul of Heloise off to the underworld", Yang Goon replied.

Jae Sang sighed and settled his eyes in a distance, "Nine hundred years, old friend. It took Heloise and Abelard nine hundred years to get this chance again."

_____________________________________________________________

When Jiyong walked out of the hotel's function hall after attending a seminar and saw each Big Bang band members holding two white roses, he knew that day was not going to be a normal one.

"You guys are not my type", Jiyong said while frowning at his bandmates.

"Hyung", Seungri started and stepped forward, "You are the pillar of our band. Despite your cold demeanor, you are the strength that holds us together. I am so grateful that you agreed to be part of Big Bang. Thank you for accepting us in your life", he said with great effort and hurriedly tried to shove the roses on Jiyong's hands.

"It's so obvious that you just memorized those lines."

"Just accept the damn roses!" Seungri whined.

Jiyong reluctantly accepted the flowers while eyeing him suspiciously. "What the heck is going on?"

"HURRY! People are looking at us!" Daesung nudged the smiling Youngbae, urging him to step forward.

"All right, all right", Youngbae said. "Jiyong, since the first time I met you..."

"Oh dear God! Since the first time I met you..." Seungri groaned. "Youngbae hyung, save your confession of love later when it's just you and Jiyong hyung in a dark room away from my eyes. Cut to the chase, please!"

Youngbae aimed his fist at Seungri before complying. "Jiyong, you are someone whom I can rely on in putting these two idiots in place. Thank you for being a friend that I can count on to save my sanity", he said and gave him the roses.

"JIYONG HYUNG!" Daesung immediately stepped in between Jiyong and Youngbae to say his piece. "Thank you for...for...oh crap, I freaking forgot. Wait, I scribbled it here. No, I think it's in my phone", Daesung said in panic. "Forget it. Jiyong hyung", Daesung inhaled deeply, "Thank you for everything."

"That's it?" Seungri complained.

"What? I'm thankful to him for everything", Daesung said defensively and gave the roses to Jiyong. Then, all of them stood in silence while eyeing each other, not knowing what to do.

"Should we do a group hug?" Youngbae asked.

"And look like a bunch of girls? No thanks", Daesung retorted.

"Okay, just this time. Let's do it once", Seungri interjected. The three extended their arms and stepped towards the confused Jiyong, encircling him. They patted each other's back awkwardly and hastily stepped back while clearing their throats in the most manly way they could muster, unable to meet each other's eyes.

"Seriously, what the hell are you guys doing?" Jiyong asked.

"You better go, hyung. Dara noona is waiting for you. Here's the address", Seungri said and handed him a piece of paper.

"Dara made you do this?" Jiyong asked and looked at the address, his forehead creasing upon realizing where Dara was at the moment. "What is she doing there?"

"She'll tell you. Go now, she's waiting. Don't forget to bring the flowers with you", Youngbae insisted, giving him a slight push.

Slightly disoriented, Jiyong did as instructed. His mind was filled with questions as he drove towards the address that he seldom visited. His grip in the steering wheel tightened as he was nearing the place. The road, the trees, the old bench at the bus stop...the memories came crashing back to him. Memories of his childhood that were long forgotten. But now, it was all coming back. He remembered the happy memories of him with his mom before he was left in his dad's care.

Jiyong got off the car and sighed as he roamed his eyes at the cemetery. Holding the flowers that his bandmates gave him, he walked past the gates and was surprised to see his father waiting for him.

"Jiyong", Lee Soo Man approached him, carrying half a dozen white roses. "It's been a while since you visited your mother's grave, Jiyong. I know you still hold a grudge against her for leaving you but please, whatever hate you have towards your mother, direct it to me. Even it takes my entire life, I will continuously ask for your forgiveness. Your mom was a great person, and it shows on how she was able to raise a wonderful man."

"I'm proud of you son. Thank you for being born", Lee Soo Man said and handed him the flowers. "Now, get out of here. Miss Park is waiting for you", he said and began walking.

"Dad", Jiyong called out.

Lee Soo Man smiled upon hearing that word again. "Yes?", he said and glanced back at him.

"This is totally not our style."

"I know. Your girlfriend is so cheesy."

"I know."

"Keep her", Lee Soo Man started leaving after giving him a slight wave.

"I will", Jiyong mumbled with a smile.

_____________________________________________________________

"You", Jiyong muttered upon seeing the cheesy woman who was the reason behind the craziness. He was pretty sure his bandmates had been scarred for life, what with the white roses extravaganza. There was a long list of things that a guy could give to his other guy friend, and flower was certainly not one of them.

"Hello hubby!" Dara said, waving at him while holding a bunch of white roses. "Cling!" she exclaimed as soon as she reached him, linking her arm with his.

"What's with this?" He asked, motioning to the flowers that both of them were holding. Instead of answering, Dara just beamed at him and puckered her lips. "Miu, miu", she said. Jiyong couldn't help but grin as he leaned down to let Dara kiss her on the cheek.

"I just thought it's time for you to introduce me to your mother", Dara said afterwards. "The children welfare institution where I grew up is near here. Let's visit it one of these days", she added. Both of them laid the flowers on the grave and were bathed in momentary silence.

"It's been a while since I came here. I used to have nightmares, and I used to see her grave often in my dreams", Jiyong finally said.

"You don't have nightmares anymore because of me, right? Wink, wink!" Dara playfully said.

"You are the one giving me nightmares now. I kept on hearing tiny voices in my head what with the cheesy pickup lines explosion."

Dara chuckled and leaned on Jiyong while the latter wrapped his right arm around her. "Mom, this cheesy woman is my girlfriend", he mumbled. "She loves watching KDramas and she loves Lee Minho more than she loves me."

"That's not true!"

"Do you know that there are deities? Sounds crazy, right? Dara and I were tied with a red string before and two deities appeared before us. They didn't know how to untie the string, so we ended up living together. I never knew then that my life would forever be changed because of this girl", Jiyong tilted his head and stared at Dara, his face remaining impassive.

"She kept on giving me headaches. She did things that made me wonder why, of all people, was I tied to her. She kept on bugging me until I talk. She always called my name twice which really irked me. And then, she kept on doing all those super aegyo mumbo jumbo that only kids would do. Isn't she annoying?"

"Yah!"

"But you know what, mom? I got scared when it was time for us to get untied. I thought I would never hear her miu-miu again. I already got used to waking up in the morning and seeing her face, peacefully sleeping beside me. I thought I would never see that face again. I thought I had to let go."

Dara remained silent as she locked her gaze with Jiyong. Her heart was swelling with mixed emotions as she listened to him. An overwhelming happiness filled her from hearing his words. But sadness and guilt also swarmed through her, knowing that what Jiyong feared might come true in the coming full moon.

Jiyong sighed and shifted his gaze to the grave. "Now I understand what you felt when you left me. I'm really sorry. It must've been really hard for you." His arm wrapped on Dara's body tightened, his voice laced with sorrow. "It hurt a lot when I decided to leave Dara. Every tick of the clock felt like years. I thought I would be living the rest of my life stuck in that nightmare. Until the lady deity made me realize that even if there are a million reasons for me to leave, one right reason is enough for me to stay", he said.

I'm sorry, Jiyong.

"I might not be the right guy for her but...", Jiyong paused and settled his eyes on Dara once again, a small smile painted on his lips, "...but I love her so much. So, I'm willing to take the chance."

I'm sorry.

"We will grow old together, right?", Jiyong asked.

No, Jiyong. We won't.

"Yes, Jiyong. We will", Dara replied. His expression of relief did not escape Dara's eyes, making her heart clench in pain.

"Don't you dare leave me, cheeseball", he warned jokingly.

"I can't.."

..stay..

"..leave you", Dara smiled at Jiyong, hoping that he would believe her words.

To Do List

2. Spend time with friends.

3. Make an email to be sent on the day of the full moon.

4. Meet Jiyong's mom.

Writer's Note:

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Lotsa Love

huntress