At Odds (All Bets Are Off Sequel)

Chapter 20

Dara stopped typing in her keyboard as she heard the splatter of rain from the glass window of her office and she turned her head towards it to watch the rain fall. It's already close to 7 in the evening and she doesn't want to go home yet. She didn't drop Haru at the Lee Matriarch's house this morning since there has been news of heavy rain so she just left him sleeping while calling Chaerin to let her know that. She sighed as she went back to her work again.

She had gotten busy for the last 4 days that she hasn't had time to wallow in her gloom except maybe at nights when she was lying in the bed and couldn't sleep. Kwanghee seems to be the same and only faking cheeriness everytime someone's around but once they were alone, they were both engulfed in the misery of their pathetic fail of a lovelife.

Kwanghee had met his father the next morning with Dara beside him after the news of him being gay broke out. He was composed and he made it seem like it was just all a big joke.

"Dad, it's me. Your son. I know that Congressman is there and I thought pulling a prank on him would be fun but I didn't realize it will turn out to be a big deal or... like this. We're just playing around. Yes, JoKwon's gay but he was one of my clients and a good friend. Being friends with someone who's gay doesn't mean you are one too. C'mon dad, ease up! We're just having fun. Dara was shocked at the news too because she knows JoKwon. And he's a prankster."

Her father was probably appeased by his explanation but he still looked skeptical. Dara just agreed to whatever Kwanghee had spouted. When Kwanghee drove her back in silence to Busan, he told her JoKwon left. And he also spoke to his parents in private feigning excitement at his surpised proposal of marriage to Dara.

"I told them I was going to ask you to marry me at father's party and that I was planning it in secret," Kwanghee said morosely.

Dara scowled. "You make it sound like being married to me would be a big nightmare."

Kwanghee chuckled. "It's not that I don't like to marry you... I just..."

"Don't want to," Dara finished for him then she patted her hand. "Don't worry. I got your back."

Kwanghee smiled thankfully. "Thank you." Then he slipped a ring from his pinky and gave it to her. "Wear it for a while. Just so... you know... less questions."

Dara slid the ring on her middle finger then smiled brightly at Kwanghee. "Looks good on me, ain't it?"

Kwanghee grimaced at her. "Looks better on my pinky."

Kwanghee then addressed the issue to the public the next morning saying the same thing to the media, acting like the news is so ridiculous to even pay attention to and he stated that he should never be used by anyone for political gain.

Dara just watched it all, immensely proud that Kwanghee can be really composed like that. He didn't even stutter once, looking every bit like an annoyed citizen caught between a political battle. After he addressed that, he had gone to her to make plans on how the proposal should be. All the media will be there and Dara promised him to act the way any girl should act for a surprise proposal. That made her think of the way Donghae had proposed to her back then. And it inevitably made her think of everything that happened for the past two years until that night when he told her he wants her back.

She had never told Kwanghee about that. He's got enough worries to mind on his own. And it looks like the relationship that he had with the Governor improved again.

Unfortunately, their stay in KMAg had extended a litte bit more because of what happened. Kwanghee told her he doesn't know when they would be able to go back to the Philippines but probably after that proposal event. She doesn't know how long she can stand to be here in Korea. To be near Donghae and yet far from him at the same time.