The Package (1/2)
Dara handed a glass of juice to Jiyong.
Then she went to get her laptop inside her room as her friend instructed.
She went back to the living room and sat on the couch beside him.
She put the laptop on the table beside the package Jiyong brought.
"How did you know I'm not at the restaurant?" She asked him.
"Called your office and Cheondung said you took a day off." Jiyong answered while sipping on his juice.
"Why didn't you go to work?" He asked glancing at her, putting down the glass on the table.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Just don't feel like working today."
He frowned.
Jiyong wanted to scold her friend but he knows that there is something more important than lecturing her.
He noticed her staring at the package.
He took a deep breath, picked it up from the table and handed it to her.
She looked at him confused.
He motioned her to take it and so she did.
"What's this?" She asked wrinkling her forehead.
"Open it and find out." He said quietly.
She suddenly felt a chill ran down her spine.
From the looks of it, knowing Jiyong, what's inside it is not something that she would want to see or know.
Slowly, Dara opened the package and took a peek.
She saw an envelope and a CD.
She took them all out and checked the envelope first.
'Pictures?!' She wondered.
Dara was surprised to see that the first picture showed Youngbae getting out of his car.
She noticed that he was holding a bouquet of flowers.
Second was Youngbae sitting inside a cafe alone.
Third was Youngbae standing up and handing the bouquet to a woman.
Fourth was Youngbae and the woman sitting close together and smiling.
The last picture showed Youngbae holding hands with the woman as he led her to his car.
She kept flipping the pictures over and over.
Jiyong could see tears started rolling down Dara's face.
He felt bad seeing her friend like this.
Dara didn't speak when she put down the pictures.
She was about to run the CD on her laptop when she felt Jiyong's hand stopped her.
She looked at her friend's worried face.
Gently, she removed his hand and continued.
Dara played the CD.
It showed a scene where the place is dark and the music was loud.
She could also see flashing lights everywhere.
'It's a club.' She thought.
The video was showing that the person taking the video is walking through the crowded dance floor like he or she was following someone.
It was dark and Dara couldn't see clearly.
Then the camera stopped moving and it was focusing on something or someone.
The scene was becoming clearer.
She saw two people in a not so dark corner dancing close to each other and making out at the same time.
Her breathing stopped for a moment.
She felt a pang of pain in her heart.
It was Youngbae.
Youngbae and a woman.
This time she can't contain the hurt she's feeling, she burst out crying.
Jiyong pulled her towards him and he wrapped his arms around his friend.
He wants to say something to comfort her, but he knows better that it won't do any good right now.
With his one hand, he reached for his cellphone and dialed a number.
"Oppa!" It was Chaerin's voice on the other line.
"I think you girls should come here."
**********
Chaerin and Bom tiptoed their way out of Dara's room.
Jiyong, who is sitting in the living room, was busy examining the pictures and video.
Feeling the girls' presence, he looked up at them. "How is she?"
"Unnie is resting now." Chaerin said quietly.
She sat beside him while Bom sat on the other side of Jiyong.
Both girls were looking at the pictures he was holding.
Minji walked in the living room from the kitchen, holding a tray of snacks and drinks.
She put the tray down on the coffe table and sat on the floor.
Munching on some chips, she looked up at Jiyong.
"Oppa, who do you think sent those to you?" She asked curiously.