When they reached the bottom of the platform, Dara removed her mic as well as her ear piece, and started walking away. Naririnig n’yang tinatawag s’ya, ngunit hindi n’ya nilingon ang kahit na sino. She can still hear everyone screaming “2NE1” on top. Everyone haven’t recovered yet with their surprised performance.
“Miss Dara,” a staff called, but she didn’t stopped and continued walking away.
“Ma’am Dara!” she still didn’t stopped.
“Dara-ssi!” still.
“Dara!” or even Jjangmae’s call.
She covered her ears, and run.
She didn’t know where to go, but she wanted to be alone.
But even before she can get away, she felt a hand grasp her arm, and then she was wrapped in a warm embrace.
She started sobbing, and cried everything out.
“You did good…” Jiyong said while soothing Dara’s back and shaking shoulders. “Dara...” he gently enclosed her more in his arms, covering her with his jacket.
Dara stopped crying after a while. They were just standing outside, with all the people passing by them, unaware of their identities.
Dara looked up, and saw a worried Jiyong staring at her.
She detached herself from him, as well as his jacket on her head.
“Thank you,” Dara smiled. “I really needed that.”
He spread his arms. “It’s yours.”
Dara just smiled, but still went back to Jiyong’s arms for it.
“Just for a while…” pagod na sabi ni Dara habang yakap ang gulat na si Jiyong. She snuggled even closer to him, burying her face on his chest and feeling his erratic heartbeat inside. “Thank you.”
Jiyong hugged her with his huge jacket, hiding her again from everyone.
“You’re safe here…”
They went back after another minutes of hiding from everyone inside. Kalmado na din si Dara ngunit hindi pa din maiwasang mag-alala ni Jiyong. He didn’t know what happened, he was on his room and watching there when he felt that something’s odd with them, especially Dara. When they bowed and started descending, he knew that something’s off. Myembro n’ya na ang sunod na lalabas upang tumanggap ng award pero mas pinili n’yang lumabas upang masiguradong maayos lang si Dara.
And then he saw her, running outside while crying.
She looked at Dara who’s obviously still out of it. Hindi ‘to nagsasalita at naka-tulala lamang. He had to lead her or she’d bump to everyone.
“Hyung?” nagtatakang tawag ni Jiyong kay Seunghyun na nasa labas ng dressing room nina Dara.
Top also looked at him with confusion. “Jiyong?” then his eyes landed to the girl next to her. “Noona.” He acknowledged and Dara remained spacing out.
“Why are you here? Diba awarding na?”
“As if we have members outside,” umirap si Top. “Teka, hindi ba dapat ako nagtatanong n’yan sa’yo? Why you here, huh?”
Jiyong’s head tilted. “What do you mean about our members outside?”
“No one’s there,” Top shrugged, completely distracted from prying why Jiyong’s here in Hongkong.
