“Dara, are you sure about this?” Hye Jung carefully watches her daughter pack the few clothes that she brought with her to Japan the night before.
Dara smiled weakly and nodded.
Hye Jung put her hand on Dara’s shoulder and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “You know that you can tell me anything, right?” She looked at her with worry.
Dara nodded without looking at her.
A few hours earlier, Jiyong and Bom went back to the airport to catch the last flight back to Korea. He didn’t want to leave without patching things up but Dara insisted that she needs time and space.
Dara has been showing a brave front, not wanting to be a burden anymore. But as her mother, Hye Jung knows that deep inside, Dara is devastated.
“Make sure that you give us a call once you’re back in Korea, neh?” Hye Jung hugs her daughter, afraid to let go.
“Don’t worry, Omma. I’m stronger than you think.” Dara hugged her back. She gave her mom a reassuring smile, not wanting to worry her anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kiko is lying on her bed when she suddenly received a message from the last person she ever expected.
Kwon Jiyong.
She quickly sat up on her bed and with trembling hands, she quickly opened the message.
The smile on her lips quickly vanished.
I am asking you to please meet up with Dara and tell the truth. Once and for all, end my suffering and clear this misunderstanding. What we had was all in the past. I am in love with Dara and no one can change that fact. I am sorry if I hurt you. Believe me, it wasn’t my intention. I hope we can still be friends.
Jiyong
Kiko wipes away the tears as she reads the message once again. Every word of rejection is piercing her heart.
Kiko shook her head in disbelief.
No. It can’t be. Jiyong is just confused. He did kiss me momentarily the night of the ball. He loves me. Kiko smiled as she remembers the tender moment that she shared with him.
She heaved a heavy sigh as she started typing a response.
Okay. I’ll meet with her.
Kiko
This is how much I love you, Jiyong. Kiko thought as she went back to bed and curled under her blanket.
She didn’t realize that she had already fallen asleep as she clutches her cell phone to her heart, with the wall paper that of her picture with Jiyong in the ice skating rink of Central Park…the day he first said ‘I love you’ to her.
