Let's Not Fall In Love

Chapter 7

At quarter to 6pm, Dara was seen pacing back and forth at the hospital’s lobby, muttering to herself and occasionally biting off her nails – unhygienic especially for a doctor but her nervousness brought out her childhood mannerisms. If she were honest to herself, she’d admit that the nerves were due to the fact that she’s a little worried on who would win the bid for Jiyong. The girls’ words at the coffee shop had been haunting her for the past hour. 

But she would die before she admits that. When asked she’d swear she’s just worried that Jiyong might not show up and she’d be forced to auction herself. A part of her, the part that is scared of the possible entry of Jiyong’s still to be found The One during the charity auction, wishes Jiyong won’t show up. The other part of her, the one who’s social development had been arrested since grade school, wished he’d show up already and end her suffering.

Just as the clock on the wall struck the hour of six, a white-shirt-black-jeans-clad Jiyong with a black leather bomber jacket slung over his right shoulder came striding in. 

“What the heck are you wearing?” Dara exclaimed, the words went out before she could stop them. He looked too good in his outfit. Females young and old would surely bet on him. She just hoped her idea won’t come back and bite her in the ass someday. 

“Why? The event’s informal, you said.” Jiyong told her, unworried at her negative reaction to his attire. “We even match.” Gesturing at her white loose shirt, dark jeans and combat boots.

Dara ignored his remark, grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the hospital’s covered parking lot that had been temporarily converted into an auction hall. “Let’s go and get registered.” 

A half hour later, the crowd was cheering as the stakes have gone higher than anticipated during the bidding for Jiyong. The bidding have now reached five thousand dollars and the two remaining contenders showed no signs of giving up. 

One bidder was one of the hospital’s major shareholders, a widowed middle age lady whose networth was rumoured to be worth more than her weight in gold. She had more money than sense. Most of her wealth was being managed by her dead husband’s trustees but they say that the monthly dividends she gets could still feed a small country for a month. Her face occasionally would grace society pages and scandal sheets. She’d been caught with numerous dating scandals with mostly young and virile men in the past. She’d been lying low the past few months. No guy had probably caught her eye lately. Tonight though, it seemed that Jiyong had captured her attention.

The other bidder was the hospital’s darling, Kiko Mizuhara, a Japanese American heiress. She could have chosen the easy way and worked in their family’s medical-aesthetics group of companies but after medical school she still chose to train to be an OBGYNE. Everybody liked her. Dara had nothing against her. She was always nice to everyone. Honestly though, Dara sometimes felt that Kiko was being too nice with her. Although Dara would just rationalize that maybe she just felt awkward with Kiko because she was everything Dara was not.

Looking at her and at Jiyong, Dara felt a chill run down her spine. One thought ran through her mind, “They would look good together.”

Her mind temporarily blanked out after that thought. The next thing she knew the crowd was already cheering widely. Kiko won the bid. She was walking demurely up the ramp as the MC called her up to be introduced to Jiyong. Jiyong was smiling and he dramatically kissed Kiko’s hand instead of giving it an impersonal shake. Kiko blushed.

The crowd went wilder at the rare sight of two beautiful creatures smiling at each other's eyes. It was a Kdrama-worthy meet cute scene. Dara’s heart sank lower and she unconsciously dropped her auction paddle as she took in the scene before her. Could it be that the girls’ prediction was coming true?