Sleepless Night (1/2)

Dara opened her eyes and blinked.

The room was pitch black.

She stretched out her arm across the other side of the bed only to find it's empty.

'He really didn't come.' She thought.

==FLASHBACKk==

Hours ago...

"Mmmmm... perfect!" Dara smiled after tasting the stew she was cooking.

She checked the time and it showed 6:30PM.

She was almost done preparing dinner for her and Youngbae's second year anniversary.

'RING... RING...'

She rushed to answer the cordless phone lying on the kitchen counter.

"Yoboseyo?"

“Baby?”

"Youngbae-ah?"

"Yeah, it's me." He replied.

"Where are you?" She asked. "Dinner will be ready soon. Are you on your way?"

The excitement in her voice was too obvious.

"Baby, I won't be able to make it tonight, I still need to get some work done here in the office."

Silence.

"Baby? Dara-ah? Yoboseyo?"

"Ne. It's okay, Youngbae-ah." She answered quietly.

She was actually looking forward to spending some time with him that night since they hardly see each other lately.

"I'm really sorry baby. I will make it up to you, I promise."

"Ne,"

"Happy anniversary baby," He greeted her. "I love you very much."

"I love you too and happy anniversary, Youngbae-ah." She hung up and walks back to the stove where the pot of stew was sitting.

She was too upset to eat.Without hesitation, she carelessly put the pot into the sink then ran to her room and cried herself to sleep.

==END OF FLASHBACK==

Dara turned to check the digital clock on her bedside table. It blinked 3:45AM.

She sat up and turned on her night lamp to check her cellphone for any messages.

It showed one received message.

"Hey baby, I'm really sorry that I wasn't there tonight for dinner. I'll call you tomorrow, sleep well. Happy anniversary and I love you, baby." - Youngbae.

She smirked. "Yeah right."

She turned off the lamp and lay down.

She wanted to go back to sleep but she couldn't.

Thoughts keep running through her head.

She stared up the ceiling in deep thoughts.

It's been a month since Youngbae kept telling her he's busy at work.

She was starting to wonder.

After they graduated from college a year ago, Youngbae took over their family business.

His family owns one of the top 5 star hotels in Seoul, the Dong Plaza Hotel.

Dara, on the other hand, manages their family business along with his younger brother, Cheondung.

Her family owns one of the finest restaurants in Seoul, the PARKSan Restaurant.

Her father, Park Yong Sun, is a very well-known restaurateur.

They became busy after college, but Youngbae would always make time for her.

No matter how hectic his schedule was, he will make it a point to see her.

He would eat meals with her or if he can't see her during the day, he'll sleep over at her place.

Sleeping at Dara's apartment has become a common thing for them when they were in college.

Even if they sleep together in the same bed, there was no malice.

Unlike other girls, Youngbae never touched her and he respected her a lot.

Their friends would always say that he treats Dara like a princess.

Recently, they rarely see each other anymore.

Dara knows him too well to suspect that something was going on.

She's been hearing a lot lately from people who are close to her.

They said they saw him hanging out at clubs and bars on late nights.

"Very typical of Youngbae." She would often say.

But the rumors didn't stop.

There were witnesses saying that they saw him with another woman.

Because of this, Dara started to worry.

She cried alone for days.When she couldn't handle it, she seeks comfort from her friends, Chaerin, Jiyong, Bom, and Minji.

Often times her friends would offer to help her by talking to Youngbae, but Dara refused.

Youngbae had no idea on what she was going through.

Whenever they’re together she never asked about the rumors.

All Dara could ask him is what he feels about her.

==FLASHBACK==

Two weeks ago...

Dara and Youngbae were on their way to watch a movie.

The ride was very quiet.

Dara felt awkward after not seeing him for days.

She was having mixed emotions.

She was happy because she's with him, but at the same time she's bothered because of the rumors she heard about him.

She didn’t want to ruin the moment by asking him about it.

"So what are we going watch tonight?" Youngbae suddenly spoke.

"I don't know." She answered. "Whatever you like."

Without looking at her, he took her hand and placed it on top of the gear shifter.

Wrapping his hand on top of hers, he shifted gears.This made her giggle and that made him happy.

"You look so down these days." Youngbae said, sounding concern.

"What's up?" He asked glancing at her.

"Nothing. I’m just tired, I guess."

There was a long silence.

Unable to stand the atmosphere, Dara turned to him.

"Youngbae-ah, do you ever get tired of me?" She straightly asked.

Shocked at her question, Youngbae's eyes widened.

He slowly turned his head towards her.She was giving him a serious look.

He turned the steering wheel and the car went to the side of the road.

As soon as they stopped, he looks at her with a confused expression on his face.

"What was that all about?"

Dara shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing, I was just wondering if you ever felt like you've fallen out of love with me."

His jaw dropped and then he chuckled.

"Is it because we don't get to spend much time together nowadays that you're thinking like this?" He asked her.

He noticed that she was having a hard time looking back at him.

She gave out nervous laugh. “Ani. It’s just that..."

But before she could finish her sentence, Youngbae pulled her into his arms.

"I will never stop loving you." He said softly.

"That will never happen." He added as he slowly released her, then he gave her a passionate kiss on the lips.

At that time, Dara decided not to confront him about the rumors.

Not because he was sweet to her, but because she was afraid to know the truth.

The possibility of her believing the rumors was high.

She knew him too well.

==END OF FLASHBACK==

Youngbae and Dara became the best of friends when they met in college.

After three years, they became a couple.

Both of them never expected it, but people close to them already saw it coming.Back then, Youngbae already had the reputation of being a playboy.

Known as the only successor of Dong Corporation, no doubt that girls would be swarming around him.

He's got the look, brain, money, and fame.

Dara was also a campus figure.

With beauty and brains, not to mention, a reputable family background.

Guys are always hitting on her.

As demure as she is, she just completely ignored them.

She was more into hanging out with her close friends and having clean fun.

==FLASHBACK==

Five Years ago…

At the campus ground, Youngbae was breaking up with his clingy girlfriend when he noticed a girl walking by.

Dara was oblivious of what was happening around her when she suddenly felt someone grabbing her arm and that someone was putting his arm around her shoulders.

She froze and was unable to react.

'What just happened?' She thought with a puzzled expression on her face.

Slowly, Dara realized she was facing an angry girl and right beside her was a guy she barely knows.

"…and by the way Eunbi," Youngbae said to his soon to be ex-girlfriend. "I already have a new girlfriend."

He smiled pointing at Dara, who's still not saying anything because of shock.

Dara couldn't believe that a random guy just grabbed her, wrapped his arm around her, and now she's being introduced as his new girlfriend.

Eunbi scowled at the two of them.

"I HATE YOU DONG YOUNGBAE!!!!" Eunbi screamed and walked away.

Seeing her disappearing from their sight, Youngbae snickered.

Minutes later, Dara recovered.

She quickly released herself from him and she pushed him.

"Yah! What do you think you're doing?!" She angrily yelled at him.

He chuckled.

"Oh, mianhe." He apologized and dipped his head.

"Don't worry about her." He said motioning his head to where Eunbi went. "She just needed some closure." He explained, winking at her.

Dara was speechless.

"Thanks anyway." Youngbae said giving her a sweet smile.

He waved at her as he ran towards the university entrance.

Her jaw dropped as she shook her head in disbelief. "Did he just used me?!"

After the first encounter, Youngbae would always greet Dara whenever he sees her in campus.

"Hi there, gorgeous!" Dara heard someone said.

She looked up from her food and saw Youngbae with his friends, Kang Daesung and Lee Seungri passing by.

She nods and smiled awkwardly at him.

He winked at her and headed towards the cafeteria exit with his friends.

Dara suddenly heard more than one throat clearing.

She looked around the table and saw her friends staring at her.

She gave them the "WHAT?" look.

"What was that all about?" Bom asked curiously.

"Is there something that you're not telling us, Park Dara?" Chaerin asked raising her eyebrow.

Dara felt her face burning.

She wrinkled her forehead and took a bite of her sandwich.

"Dara unnie!" Chaerin called out to her, waiting for an answer.

"Ani, it's nothing. He just said hi." She simply explained.

"Unnie, you do know Dong Youngbae's reputation, right?" Chaerin reminded, looking straight at her while tapping her nails on the table.

"Yah! It was just a simple greeting, there's nothing else." She assured her friends.

==END OF FLASHBACK==

Despite the warnings and reminders of Dara's friends about Youngbae, they weren't able to stop the two from becoming friends.

Dara never thought of Youngbae as a boyfriend and Youngbae never thought of her as a girlfriend.

It made it easier for them to become close.

They know many things about each other, their similarities and differences.

Youngbae trusted Dara with all his secret rendezvous with different girls.

He opens up to her about what he thinks of the girls he has dated.

Sometimes he even asked Dara to help him get out of his crazy flings - by pretending to be his girlfriend.

At first, it annoyed Dara. She hated it and she doesn't feel comfortable about it.

But after awhile, she got used to the game and played along.

She enjoyed seeing the girls envious and jealous of her for being Dong Youngbae's girlfriend.