My Turn

[Dara’s POV]



“Oppa…?” I opened the lamp beside my bed and adjusted my vision…



“No Dara… it’s me…”



“Omma…? W-what… are you doing here…?” I suddenly felt nervous again



‘What is she doing here in the middle of the night..?’ I thought… I immediately sat up ad my body began to stiffened as she slowly approached me



“Dara we need to talk…” she said coldly… she sat at the edge of my bed and I could see her face expressionless…



“But… can we… just talk tomorrow mom since… i-it’s already late…” I stuttered… I already know what she wanted to talk about but I’m still not ready to hear it from her…



“No Dara… I want to talk to you right now… maybe you already know what I’m talking about…”



“No mom… I- I don’t know…” I can’t look straight to her eyes because I’m lying… I just want to get away on this confrontation…



“Don’t hide it anymore… I already know about you and Jiyong…” she said… I quickly looked at her upon hearing it… I saw her face still expressionless…. I felt stiffer and tears are starting to form in my eyes again… I hate myself for being this weak, and I can’t even stop my emotions to pour out…



“Dara-ah… you must stop this nonsense now… he’s your cousin for Christ’s sake..! Upon hearing that, tears started to fall… I can’t believe that this is happening right now…. I can’t believe that mom is saying this… I tried t shook my head but I won’t wake up… he nightmare that I’ve wanted not to happen already become a reality…



“Ho-how did you know…?” I tried to act calm but my tears won’t help me… she tried to wipe my tears off but it kept on pouring out…



“Rumors are spreading fast… do you think I wouldn’t know…? I didn’t believe it at first but because it’s getting worse, I hired someone to look up on the both of you… I can’t believe you both could do this….” She said as she gripped on my shoulder…



“But… mom… I love him…” I couldn’t stand this anymore…. I don’t want to be separated from him…



“Stop it Dara..! You’re still young..! You don’t know anything about love…! If your father knows about this… I’m sure both of you will get hurt more…!” She said as she tightened her grip… I shrugged it off, stood up and ran towards my door… I want to see him… I don’t want to be separated from him… but mom caught my wrist and pulled me back to face her…



“No mom…! You are the one who doesn’t know how much I love him…! I will never leave him no matter what happens…!” I tried to reason out…



“Dara don’t make this hard for the both of us… don’t ruin this family just because of your selfishness…!” she said



“Family…? Since when did we act as a family…? There was no family in this house… it was only been me and Jiyong and those maids…!” the next thing I know is that I heard a loud slap and I am slumped on the floor holding my swollen face… I cried harder for I felt really helpless… I hope that Jiyong could hear me and come save me from mom….



She bowed down and caressed my cheek..



“I’m sorry Dara… I didn’t mean to hurt you… it’s just that I don’t want the both of you to be hurt when everything got exposed… I love you both… and if your father knows about this… who knows what he will do to Jiyong…. You’re our only daughter Dara… I love you so much that I don’t want you to get hurt just because of the scrutinizing world we have…. Leave him now before you two got hurt more… before he got hurt more” she said as she hugged me…



“But mom…. I really can’t… I don’t know what will happen to me if I don’t see him anymore…. I love him so much….I don’t care about what other people think about us… I just don’t care as long as I’m with him… Please mom… don’t do this…” I tried to plead as long as I could just to save the both of us… she stood up leaving me on the ground gripping at her feet, pleading…



“No Dara… if you truly love him, you wouldn’t want to see him in pain… do you think he’s not hurting protecting your relationship… don’t be selfish Dara…. Letting him go means you’re protecting him...” I was taken a back with what she said… she’s right…. All those bruises were evidence that he’s hurting…. All this time, oppa has been protecting me… I haven’t done anything for him yet…. Maybe mom’s right…. I’m selfish, all I could think is about my happiness… I never considered him being in pain…



I stayed quiet the whole time… I couldn’t believe that the only way to protect him is by being separated with him…. Why does loving him hurts so bad…? Why does loving him means to distant ourselves from each other…? Why of all people did I fell for him…? Thoughts were running in my head… I don’t want to listen anymore to mom…. All that’s been coming out from her mouth were separation and letting go…



“Dara… come live with us in abroad… start a new life there… don’t worry I will try to keep everything about you and Jiyong hidden from your dad…. Don’t tell Jiyong about this because I know he’ll not let you go no matter what we do and it will just make things worse for all of us…. Dara for once think about what’s good for everyone… you’re a smart girl Dara… I know you’ll do the right choice…”



“I know…”



That’s the last thing I could tell her…. I know that oppa will never let go of me that easily… and I know that it’ll just hurt him more… Even if I have to choose I felt there isn’t really a choice for me... Good for everyone? If it’s being separated from him is what’s good for everyone… I must not be selfish… I know that it would also be good for him… I don’t him to see in pain anymore…



After that conversation, all I did was to cry…. Looking at the ring that ties us… I don’t think I could sleep after knowing that I should be separated to the man I love…



[Jiyong’s POV]



The next day, aunt wasn’t at the mansion anymore… I asked the maids where she is and they said that she already left for abroad…. That she needed to come back there quickly because of work… It’s really odd… I know that something isn’t right… she just came back yesterday and now she went back abroad without even telling us….



I went to the dining hall just to see that Dara isn’t up yet… I was about to eat my breakfast but Dara is still not yet getting up…



“Where’s Dara…? We still need to attend school…” I asked one maid



“I’m sorry master but she said she wont be coming to school today… she said that she’s not feeling well…” the maid said…. It immediately worried me… she seemed normal yesterday then now she’s sick… I think it has something to do with her mom…



I quickly stood up and went to her room… I don’t care about school anymore since the only reason I attend it because of her…. I entered the room seeing her still lying down on her bed covered under her blanket… the room was still so dark so I fixed her curtains to let some light enter her room…



I slowly approached her but she’s still not moving… I sat beside her and tried to remove the blanket over her… her eyes were still closed… I caressed her cheek…



“Dara-ah… it’s me Jiyong… are you okay…? Don’t you really want to attend school today…?” then she slowly opened her eyes… I noticed that her eyes were swollen… I slowly pulled her up for her to sit… she looked really pale



“Oppa… I don’t really feel well today… can I skip just one day…?” she said weakly… I pulled her to me and hugged her…



“Sure… but what’s wrong…? Did something happen…?” I said as I caressed her head… I’m really worried about her…



“Nothing oppa… I just feel tired… that’s all…” I pulled her to face me and cupped her face… she’s not looking straight at me which really bothered me… something’s really happening and she just won’t tell me…



“Did aunt tell you something last night…? Tell me Dara…” I said



“No oppa…. Nothing…” she said but she’s still not looking straight at me… I don’t want to force her more today… I know she’ll tell me eventually… I kissed her forehead then the tip of her nose…



“Okay… if you say so…” then I softly peck on her lips



“Aren’t you going to school oppa…? I’m fine by myself here…?” she suddenly said



“Nah… If you’re not coming then I won’t be coming too…” I said… then silence… she didn’t speak after that, then finally she looked at me…



“Oppa… don’t be stubborn… go now…” she said as a crease formed in her forehead



“Why? Don’t you want me here…? But I like it here… I want to take care of you when you’re sick…” I tried to make her happy and good thing I succeeded… she made a weak smile after hearing what I’ve said



“You’re treating me like a child…” she said pouting



“Because you are like one… just kidding… it’s because you’re my baby…” I said pinching her cheeks… she wrinkled her nose when I did it… she’s really cute when she does that… I laid her again on her bed and I lied beside her hugging her as she faced her back on me…



“I really like hugging you… I hope we could be like this forever Dara…” I said as I closed my eyes and tightened my hug on her



“Me too oppa… I wish we could be like this forever…” I smiled with what she said



“Don’t worry about anything arasso… I’ll protect you from anything… just stay by my side always…” I said just to assure her about something that has been bothering her….



[Dara’s POV]



“Don’t worry about anything arasso… I’ll protect you from anything… just stay by my side always…” he said



“I know oppa… don’t worry I’ll never leave you….” I lied as a tear escaped from my eye…. Good thing I am facing away from him… I hate myself for being weak… that’s why he’s been always protecting me, because of my weakness…



‘Mianhe oppa…. It’s my turn to protect you now… you’ve been hurt enough because of me… I have to do something for you now….’