The One Who Got Away

Chapter 36

Dara expected some interrogation from Donghae but surprisingly he did not give her the third degree. They both slurped their hot and spicy ramyun in contemplative silence. As she patted her stomach in content she looked up to see Donghae looking at her intently.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked while she wiped her lips and chin with a table napkin.

"You have nothing on your face. That's the thing that's bothering me. Figuratively speaking, I mean. I heard you and Jiyong broke up. But your face..." He paused. "Your face shows nothing for someone who supposedly lost her one true love... That worries me."

"I'm okay. This..." Her expression darkened. She gestured at her face. "This is me putting on my I'm all right so back off face."

Donghae raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, Huh! At least now I sense some anger there. You're still human after all."

She raised an eyebrow at him in answer.

"Okay. Okay. I get your point. I'll back off." He raised his hands in surrender. "For now."

She rolled her eyes at him. Then after a while she sighed then played absentmindedly at her table napkin. She looked up and told him, "I think whatever happened should stay between me and Jiyong. I know you're worried but I'm fine or I'll be."

She gave him another one of her sad smiles. "I've been through worse. I survived. Besides I lost him once but then I found him again. Who knows I just might find him again someday? No matter what happens Jiyong will always be my first love. If he's also going to be my last that remains to be unseen. Life has taught me enough wisdom to know that it might not work out like that in the end. But I'm not going to dwell on that. For now I'm going to try to live my life for me for once. Not for Jiyong or for you or for my parents or for anyone else but for me."

"Oh...kay." Donghae said uncertain on how to reply to her words.

Then she scrunched up her nose and smiled sheepishly at him. "But don't ask me yet how I'm going to do it. I'm just going to wing it for now and go wherever my instincts take me."

She then stretched her arms up and yawned. "Now my instincts are telling me it's time for me to rest."
She abruptly stood up and called out, "Ahjumma! Thank you! He's paying tonight! Jaljayo!"

She then ran out before he could protest. Donghae smilingly shook his head pulled out his wallet then took out a couple of bills and placed them on top of the table. "Ahjumma, the ramyun tasted wonderful, as always. Thank you. Jaljayo, Ahjumma."

He went out and saw Dara's figure skipping away from him. She turned back once and waved happily at him. He gave her a small salute in response but she had already turned her back on him again. She followed sedately behind, respecting the space that she needed and requested.

Dara was skipping happily towards her car in the lighted parking lot. As she neared her car she stopped as she finally noticed the lone figure squatting beside her car. For a second her heart skipped a beat because in the shadows for a moment she had mistaken the person as Jiyong but it was only Soonho.

As her steps approached Soonho looked up then stood up to face her. He held a gift box in his hands. She looked questioningly at him then at the box. "I thought I've seen the last of those packages?"

He smiled sadly. "It's not from me. He's the one who left you this, this time."

Her brows furrowed at his words. "Left? What do you mean left?"

"I'm sorry. I tried to stop him and told him to tell you goodbye properly but he said if he did that he might not be able to go away. He flew off to God knows where just an hour ago, Dee."

Dara stood and stared blankly at Soonho and allowed the words left and flew off sink slowly into her consciousness.