Breaking Rules

RULE # 19: DON'T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK

Losin' that hating feeling

Ji Yong woke up to darkness. He didn't know how long he had slept but he was feeling better than he previously did. A doctor had come by a few hours ago with Teddy. He couldn't remember much of what he and Teddy talked about but the doctor had advised him to continue to rest and prescribed a stronger medicine for his fever and cough.

He remembered, though, Teddy thanking Dara and asking if she needed help taking care of him. But he didn't know what she answered.

"I hope she agreed to get help" he thought, sitting up slowly and getting accustomed to the darkness. He was all alone, tablets and a glass of water were on his bed stand and his window was slightly open to allow slivers of moonlight inside.

Dara could be in his living room, looking out for him still or it might be another person. Teddy could have gotten a nurse. He had just remembered that all of them – BIG BANG and 2NE1 – had been told by Teddy to take the weekend off.

"Why didn't Dara go home?" he suddenly realized.

He heard scuffles from behind his door. That must be Gaho wanting to get in. The dog must not be used to seeing Ji Yong just lying down all day. He wasn't used to it too. He had never been a sickly kid.

He wanted to take a peek outside – dying of curiosity whether Dara was still there – but controlled himself. With a clearer head, things were starting to sink in to him and he knew he had to face all of those.

Se7en and Han had learned of the situation between him and Dara. It could have only been her who told them that. What exactly did she say? From the look he got, he knew Han was pretty angry at him. He was beginning to get angry at himself too, however, coz he had let things go this far.

But how could he help that? This was the best way he could think of to protect himself from her – to make sure she didn't get the chance to make a fool out of him like she once did. She didn't look like it but her hand had squeezed his heart and had it bleeding still.

He stood up from his bed slowly, feeling whether his legs could finally support him without him falling flat on his face.

Taking a deep breath, he let go of holding on to his mattress and was relieved to find that he could stand up. He walked towards the open window and despite his wooziness found he could focus on what he wanted to do. He looked out the night sky and saw the full moon.

He was all torn up inside.

He wanted to get as far away from her as possible but the whole universe was conspiring against his plan.

Now... Dara had been the one to take care of him and he wasn't so sure how to face her. Could he keep up a cold front after what she did for him?

***

This never happened before

He must have stared at the moon for almost an hour – finding some sense of calm inspite of the height of intensity of the battle waging within him.

Still feeling slouchy, he couldn't get back to sleep now his head had been cleared and his stomach was demanding he head for the kitchen. He vaguely remembered that the last time he must have eaten was a day ago.

Grumbling its command, Ji heeded his stomach and with deliberate movements, opened the door.

His living room was bathed in lamp light and he saw Dara sleeping uncomfortably in his couch, hugging her stuffed rag doll – a toy that he remembered originally belonging to Chaerin. They had been busying themselves with it during practice last week that he lost his patience and tucked the doll in his jeans – much to Dara's frustration. What did they call it? Was it Tam-Tam or Tom-Tom?