Days passed with Dara being the class president. She didn’t knew that she will actually enjoy being the class president. She might have tons of works, attended meetings everyday, but it gave her joy, the pleasure of helping others not just because it was your job but because you also wanted to. She was not really having a hard time especially her friends were there to help her although most of the time Seung Ri and Chaerin just became a nuisance as they bicker endlessly, while Minzy was obviously just joining to see their cute Student Council President and Youngbae was just hitting on her.

They were in full packed schedule as of now since the school was going to hold its annual charity program in which kids from five different orphanages will spend their day on the whole school. It was almost four when the class was dismissed and as usual, Kwon Jiyong didn’t give a damn about school activities, about anything. He will just came to school, listened a bit, then slept in the rest and when the bell rang he went not even trying to help on the presentation that the class was preparing for.

Jiyong stood up after grabbing his backpack as he aimed for the door only to be stopped by Dara. Dara held his arm that everyone’s eye was on them while Youngbae was clenching his fist tightly, prepared to throw his strongest punch once the dragon did something to hurt Dara. Jiyong snapped his head to the petite girl who was holding his arm. ‘Ahmm, I would just like to...’ Dara trailed off as she let go of Jiyong’s arm as she bowed down at him. ‘Thank you for electing me as the class president,’ Dara said facing him with a smile on her lips while he kept his straight face. He rolled his eyes definitely bored of the situation as he turned his back from her and began walking again with his right hand holding his bag over his shoulder while the other hand of his was inside his pocket.

Dara quickly jogged towards him. ‘You know I am always having fun, helping others is great,’ she said smiling but he just didn’t give a single shit about it. Then Dara started telling him stories while all their classmates were about to breakdown from too much nervousness with the dangerous thing that their fragile class president was doing.

Jiyong stopped walking as he stared at her that made her stop from telling her stories. ‘You’re annoying,’ he said as he continued walking but Dara grabbed his arm once more. ‘Now what? Can’t you just fuck off?’ he asked as Dara bit her lips. She then put her hand inside her pocket and grabbed something. She then peeled it off and gently placed it to Jiyong’s wound on his hand. ‘There much better,’ she smiled at him as he stared at the flower patterned band aid in his hand. Jiyong roughly pulled his arm from her causing her to lose balance and fall. Her friends gasped as they practically rushed to her.

There was a weird silence hanging in the air. When Dara was about to fall Jiyong was agile enough to catch her in his arms while Dara had her eyes tightly shut waiting for her body to slam on the floor. He then made her stand gently. ‘Next time this happen I will not catch you anymore; you should know how to take care of yourself,’ he said in a low voice as he began walking to the door. ‘Thanks,’ Dara said waving her arm at him though he was not even looking at her. ‘And eat,’ he added making Dara tilt her head in confusion.

When Jiyong was finally out of sight her friends rushed to her, they were practically turning her around expecting her from head to toe making her giggle. ‘Are you hurt somewhere?’ Youngbae asked worriedly with his teeth gritted. Dara laughed while shaking her head. ‘Aish! Don’t go near him again!’ Seung Ri said raking his hair with both of his hands. ‘Come on guys, you saw it. He’s kind,’ Dara said smiling as she quickly went to her seat and grabbed the folder she needed. ‘I’ll go now, I still have some meeting,’ she smiled at them as they all rolled their eyes.

...

Just one day left before the big charity event and Dara was already on the move checking everything. She even forgot to eat breakfast which worried her mom alot. She was about to eat. But then she was being asked here and there that she already forgot about eating. She felt nausea and she just sat at a random bench in the school field silently negotiating to her head which was throbbing like it was about to split in half. She heaved a sigh.

She was not regretting being a class president, having to work as part of the Student Council. She doesn’t regret anything. In fact she was enjoying it. She liked the feeling she gets every time people will thank her for her hard work, she liked it when they appreciate her efforts. For her, their smiles and thank you were enough payment for the work she’s doing in which she never fails to give her best to.

She jerked her head up after seeing someone offering her a lollipop. ‘Sweets give you energy,’ he said in a cold voice as she smiled at him. She then accepted the lollipop. ‘Thank you,’ she said still with a smile. ‘You’re just the class president of 3-4 not the whole South Korea,’ he said as he turned his head staring at the gymnasium. Dara chuckled a bit, getting what he said. He was practically saying she was over working herself. ‘No biggies, I’m happy,’ she answered as she twirled the lollipop in her hand. ‘Now, we’re even,’ he said as he walked away after putting his lollipop back to his mouth, he then placed both of his hands in his pocket and walked away from her with her following him in her eyes.

But before he completely disappeared from her sight she stood up and called him. He stopped but he never looked at her, he was telepathically telling her that she was lucky enough to make him stop and listen to all the crap she’s going to say. She quickly jogged to him. ‘Can I call you Jiyong?’ she asked, hoping he will say yes though it was one of the impossibilities that this world has. He stared at her then rolled his eyes as he continued walking. ‘Do what you want,’ he said.

She laughed a bit at his pride then her lips drawn into a smile as she looked at the lollipop. She was about to peel its cover but she hesitated. After seconds of contemplating she turned her back and walked her way to the cafeteria to grab something to eat as she kept the lollipop in her pocket.

...

Dara was checking the last area she needed to check, the school’s pool area. She was roaming all over the place as she checked whether the safety measures were placed perfectly and if the athletes did clean the area. She smiled, seeing everything was perfect, she then grabbed her bag which she left in one corner. She was about to leave the place when she saw a familiar sleeping figure in one of the bench. A smile emerged in her lips as she walked towards him stealthily.

‘Stop walking like that, you already woke me up,’ his voice boomed all over the place as her lips curved into a tiny cute pout. ‘What do you want this time?’ he asked as he sat down and picked his phone in his pocket to look at the time. ‘Well...’ she started as she bounced to him. Jiyong rolled his eyes. He can feel it to his bones that this girl was one stubborn bitch. ‘You know we got a charity event tomorrow right?’ she asked as he stood up not giving her an answer as he paced aiming to the area’s door making the girl pout in annoyance. She was really about to look for him after checking the area since she wanted to ask a favour from him.

‘Hey Jiyong,’ she called to him. Jiyong snapped his head to her with a pissed look in his face. ‘Listen brat not because I gave you lollipop and let you call my name that doesn’t mean we’re already friends, know where you should put yourself and stop sticking your nose to my god damn business,’ he hissed which left her dumbfounded. This was probably the only time she heard him really talked. She smiled and jogged her way to him. ‘You know you should talk more often, I like your voice a lot,’ she said as Jiyong shook his head in disbelief as he let out a frustrated groan.

‘You know what? Just tell me what you want,’ he hissed at her. ‘Well, I wanted you to be my partner tomorrow,’ she said smiling as if it was something that he will say yes easily, something as natural as the sunset and the sunrise. He rolled his eyes for the nth time as he just continued walking not bothering to answer something that was so obvious. Tomorrow was the school’s annual charity event that will invite five orphanages to spend a day in their school .He has been attending for almost 2 years of that charity event, okay he was not attending, he was hiding or just cutting, leaving school. But though he always did that, he perfectly knew what took place in that school’s event. Students from the senior year, his year, her year, their year were all required to pair up as a husband and wife and pick one child that will serve as their own child. Yeah, it was like those cheesy stuffs that he can’t and will never understand nor take. He hated those scenarios that’s why he often hid in the clinic to sleep or just go outside of the school and work on his bikes.

He hated how everyone gave false hope to the children of the orphanages. Those children don’t need a one day parents, they need someone who will always stand near them, someone who will take care of them, accept them, not just for one day but for a lifetime, until they grew and reached their dreams, until they have their own family.

‘Hey Jiyong...’ Dara called almost sounding like whining. ‘I don’t want to be a single parent tomorrow,’ she added giving her most charming smile hoping it can melt his cold heart. ‘Listen if you wanted to give those children false hope do it yourself,’ Jiyong gritted as his fist clenched tightly making Dara’s smiles fade away as she finally understood why he doesn’t want to join the event. She then grabbed his hand. ‘Listen Ji, we’re not going to give them false hope, we are giving them new hope... a hope that will strengthen them, the one that will make them believe that one day when time comes they will also have what they wanted,’ she smiled genuinely at him.

Jiyong waved her off. ‘What do you know about life? What do you know about hope? About pain? You’re nothing but a brat,’ he asked. Dara smiled bitterly at him. ‘More than you know,’ she said which took Jiyong a back as her answer lingered in his head hitting him with the reality that he doesn’t know her a bit. He does not know anything about her. He bit his lips then combed his hair with his fingers. He knew even though she didn’t say a thing he crossed the line. Then the whole place fell silent as Dara took a deep breath.

‘Do you know how to swim?’ Jiyong suddenly asked out of the blue as he stared at the seven feet swimming pool. Dara shook her head. ‘In fact this is the first time I saw a swimming pool,’ she chuckled a bit. ‘Do you know that I’m the school’s ace swimmer, that I won competitions before?’ he asked making Dara pout. ‘Are you boasting?’ she asked pouting.

Jiyong then stared at his hand and removed one of his chrome hearts rings. ‘You see this?’ he asked making Dara nod her head. ‘If you get this I’ll be your partner tomorrow,’ he said as he lifted his arm and threw the ring in the middle of the pool. Dara stared as the ring landed on the pool she then drifted her gaze to Jiyong who was looking at her, waiting for her response. ‘Remember once you jump there I will not save you,’ he said as he walked again aiming for the door. Dara heaved a sigh as a smile emerged in her lips. She removed her school coat and threw it on the floor. She bent down and removed her socks and shoes. She looked at Jiyong’s back who was slowly putting distance between them.

He will be back... I know he will...

She then jumped to the water as she dove in the pool searching for his ring. She smiled after she saw glinting silver in the middle of the pool. She quickly swam her way to then it and grabbed it. She quickly swam her way up to gasp air before she became out of. But her condition is still not close to perfection and she lost air when she was just inches away. She closed her eyes. She knew she will arrive. And right on cue, the last thing she saw was an arm with a flower patterned band aid pulling her up.

...

She was still coughing while sitting on the floor dripping went. Jiyong took off his shirt, hissing and cursing as he twisted it with water coming out of it. He was continuously muttering, damn, stupid, brat in compound sentences. Dara laughed as she wore the ring in her thumb since it was too big for her other finger. Jiyong threw a death glare on her, tempted to push her to the swimming pool again and let her drown. ‘Wow! That was great that was the first time I swam! I should take swimming lessons,’ she giggled making Jiyong’s patience vanished with the wind. ‘Are you crazy!? What if I didn’t jump! You could have died you know!’ he shouted making her stare at him. Then she pulled out a smile. ‘I jumped because I know you will save me... you’re kind,’ she said as she stood up and walked to him.

‘I’m not kind Park,’ he scowled as he grumpily grabbed his bag. ‘I’m the worst person alive,’ he added as he marched his way out of the place only to be stopped by her words. ‘You’re not like that... you’re just lonely,’ she said making his jaw clenched as his fist curled into a tight ball. ‘Whatever,’ he hissed as he walked after giving the steel door a strong punch that echoes all over the place.

He hated her. He hated her so much and he hated how she can read him, like he was a part of her. He hated how she’s not afraid to go near him, to talk to him, to laugh at him. He hated every bit of her, her smile, her shallowness, her innocence. He hated it all. He hated it when she looked straight to his eyes and then he will saw pity in her face. He hated that she can shook him off easily, like it was just her breathing.

-------- :]]

\ author's blabbering \

again lemme warn you... this is cliche LOL.

anyways thanks for loving and commenting, and of course for subscribing

mbie's out

muah

p e a c e