Audition [Daragon]

Target 24: New Beginning

Dedicated to iamanchoi. She always comments but I can't dedicate a chapter to her because I am following a first comment-dedication policy. But because I'm getting guilty for not dedicating a chapter to her amidst of those flattery comments, I decided to break the rule. ;) 

Hello! *u* Hope you will like this chapter. 

Dara's P.O.V


"Let me in! I want to see her!"

Jiyong?

I try to move my fingers but even with trying, there's no luck. Pain surges in my abdomen, spreading like wildfire. I could feel a piece of metal searching for something inside me-at my abdominal muscles. The metal was so cold it made me shiver but I can't move-even a little bit. After a few minutes, I felt something being drawn from inside of me, heavy-big even and quickly, relief rushed through my veins after it was removed, but the pain was still there, greater-more unbearable. 

I try to open my eyes but they were locked as if all of my muscles had gone numb. My breathing suddenly became ragged, and I felt someone strap a nose-piece to me. 

"Quick! We're losing her!" I hear someone shout. It wasn't Jiyong. It wasn't Top. It wasn't Bom. It wasn't Sanghyun. 

I could feel my breathing being dragged out of me but through the nosepiece, it's equally given back to me. Around me, all I can hear is TOOT TOOT TOOT and PUMP PUMP PUMP. I felt everyone around me panic but the one who was stitching my abdomen is calm. She stopped stitching, cut the thread and glazed it. I felt the thread quickly melt against my abdomen and then, for some unbelievable reason, I felt in one piece-literally. 

"Everyone calm down! She's fine. You guys are overreacting." I felt him smile.  "I'll tell her friends the news, especially the raging dude back there. I want you guys to transfer her to a private room. Joon, you'll be her personal nurse. Good job, everyone."

They didn't remove my nosepiece, which made me somewhat glad. My eyes felt sleepy, even if they weren't open. I am tired. I am wounded. 

"Wifey,"

I fell asleep.


"When will she wake up?"

Jiyong?

I try my luck again to move my fingers and luckily, it oblige. I mentally smiled in triumph and slowly, open my eyelids. The sunlight greeted me rather harshly that I wince. At least, I'm alive. Thank God.

"Dara!" I hear everyone in the room shout in unison. My eyes slowly adjust to the sunlight and I saw them perfectly, everyone on the couch except for Jiyong, who is holding my hand beside me. 

"Oh gosh, Dara. You made me so worried!" Bom squealed and ran up to me, wrapping her hand around my neck. Using my free hand, I pat her back. 

"I love you too, Bom." I said, and when she broke the hug, she winked at me. Omo, does she have news stored for me?

"Noona!" I bend my head to the owner of the voice. "You made me worried that I scheduled the earliest flight from Busan. I'm glad you're awake." Sanghyun scratched his chin.

"I love you too, Sanghyun." He laughed, dryly and turned his head to the opposite side.

"I'm so sorry, Dara." Top stepped forward and kissed my forehead. 

I smiled. "It's fine, Top." I showed him my biceps. "I'm mighty fine!"

All of them laughed.

"Hey, babe." Youngbae called behind Jiyong. "Glad you're fine. Need anything?"

"I'm fine, Youngbabe." I smiled, which caused everyone to cough. "Coke, maybe?"

"On my way." He ventured out.

"Nooonaaaa~" I smiled and stretch my arms, welcoming them into an embrace. Seungri and Daesung oblige and run up to me, squeezing their selves between my arms.

"Noona, I thought you were going to leave me!"

"And we always thought about you and your happy endings!"

I raised a brow. "What about my happy endings?"

Bom gave me a wide smile together with the maknaes. "We planned your future with Bom Noona!"

"Huh?"

"Of course, it's going to be a Church wedding! And then, the motif would be white and cream. Dara Noona will be driven by a carriage than a limousine. She will be wearing a designer dress!" Daesung told Seungri.

Seungri nodded. "Then, GD will be wearing the best designer suit! We'll delay the carriage so he'll freak out."

I blushed into a deeper shade of crimson. Bom snorted with Top as Sanghyun drag the maknaes away from me while they babble things about my future wedding. 

"Hey, Dara." I jolt. Just his voice sends shivers to my spine. 

Bom coughed. "Dara, we'll just, you know, get some food and follow Youngbae."

Before I could even answer, they had ventured out quickly, leaving me with Jiyong alone. I looked up to him, quizzed. "Care to explain?"

"Cute." He commented, grinning. 

"I was worried, you know." He started, slipping his hand to mine. "I thought when Bom told me I couldn't have you until I proved it, I wouldn't have you anymore. The feeling when you got shot was a thousand times of that."

He added, "The doctor told me there would be a fifty percent of a chance you will live since the bullet is shot right in your abdomen. Mina was sued with what she had done but it wasn't enough to ease the feeling. You were there for five consecutive hours. We were all worried until the doctor announced you're okay."

"I heard your voice," I said.

"You did?" He raised a brow. "That's good. I wasn't even allowed to enter the OR."

I chuckled but quickly stopped when it had caused pain. I quickly masked my wince with a smile. "Of course you can't, Jiyong."

"I know. I was just dumb in terms of you." He admitted, rubbing his nape. "I missed you,"

I chuckled and cup his cheeks. "I missed you."

He smiled and I leaned forward, capturing his lips. Jiyong deepened it, probably savoring and after a few seconds, I pulled away, leaning my forehead against his. "I love you."

"I trust you."

I raised a brow, removing my hands from his face. "Huh?"

He half-smiled. "You can't always trust the person you love but you can always love the person you trust." He grinned, mischievously and I pinched his nose, shaking my head. 

"Too early in the morning and you're giving me cheesy lines! Going smooth, eh?" I chuckled. 

"I am!" He grinned, when I pull out and he massaged his nose.

"Aigoo," I gave him a quick peck. "What am I going to do with you?"


The doctor decided to release me already since my wound isn't a centimeter deep anymore, mainly because of modern technology blah blah and partly because I was resting for a long period of time already, giving my wound time to heal. Bom and Top was happy about that, also Jiyong and the couple decided to tell me their news, which occurred a day after the incident. 

"We're getting married." Bom announced inside my hospital room. Everyone was gathered around my bed as Jiyong sat beside me, massaging my palm where the dextrose was once stuck. 

"Too early?" I asked.

Top shook his head. "We're going to America to have a vacation. Also, I can woo and persuade Bom's parents about this. I've been planning this for so long. The reason why it was pushed because of what happened two days ago."

Then, I suddenly remember I was asleep for two days. "Is the marriage going to be here?" I asked.

"Of course," Bom replied and turned to Top. "So everyone could attend."

He smiled at her and then, turned back to me. "I was asking if it's okay with you..."

I nodded. "Yeah, nothing's wrong with that."

"I've already asked Jiyong to accompany you back home." Bom announced, again.

"Wait. What?" I asked. "Pardon?"

"I told Jiyong to accompany you back at the apartment. You can't stay home alone." Bom repeated, much clearer. "After all, he's your boyfriend now."

"Wait. What?" I yet again asked. "Pardon?"

"Ssantokki, I am already giving my blessing for you two," She said. Huh? Was her blessing needed? I thought she just told me to keep things slow? Were we having things unclear? "You two can date now, officially. I was wrong with what I said." Bom paused to look at Top. "Top is the best thing I've had." 

"Oh," I gushed, monotonous. "So, Jiyong is now my boyfriend."

"Maybe best friend." Bom rolled her eyes. "Of course!"

"Oh," I turned to Jiyong. "I wasn't expecting this kind of, you know, hooking up."

"Shall we start again?" He asked me and then turned to Bom for opinions. She shrugged and then, waved her hand as if letting Jiyong have his way. The latter seemed to be happy with what Bom said because he grinned and told us he'll be back.

After an hour, Jiyong wasn't still back. My nurse, Joon, is finally back to get another blood sample before we go home. 

"There," He said after he had taken blood from me. "You can go home now, Miss Park."

"Thanks, Joon." I smiled at him, opening and closing my palm. He smiled back in his own carefree way and bowed before retreating back to the nurses' headquarters. I looked at my elbow and then back to Bom. 

"Shall we go?" I asked. "Jiyong has been gone too long. I'm eager to watch America's Next Top Model tonight."

"Sure," Bom frowned and glanced at Top. "That guy sure is mysterious." Top shrugged. 

Sanghyun helped me stand up and sit on the prepared wheelchair for me. The chair was unexpectedly comfortable to sit in and with a happy expression; I sit back and put my hands on the armrests. 

"Glad to be going back home," I smiled and Sanghyun kissed the top of my head. Bom and Top walked ahead of us, opening the door first but then, the couple stopped in midway through the door. 

Bom turned her head over her shoulder and said, "Dara, you've got to see this." 

She moved aside to let Sanghyun push me out. There is a commotion-like incident happening right in front of my hospital room. Several patients-some were cancer patients while some were just having common colds, nurses, several doctors, and civilians gather in front with their backs faced to me in a big circle. I raise a brow and mutter, "Huh?" mutely. 

A patient in a wheelchair turned around, holding a paper with the letter I written on it. "I," He started. "I believed in love at first sight when I met you."

The second one, the one on his left turned-my nurse, Joon. This time, he has a letter L written on his paper than I. "L," He started. "Look at me now, smitten and completely taken by you." 

Then, another followed suit, a fifteen year old civilian with Beats slung around his neck. He had a letter O written on his paper. "O," He started. "Obviously, you were the first one who made me this nuts."

"In a positive way!" One piped in. 

Another civilian turned-a one year old boy. He had a big letter V written on his paper in scrawny hand writing. "V," He started, cutely. "Victorious Dara Noona may be in making Jiji Hyung nervous but she has fallen over his charms."

Jiji? The heck?

A bald man turned, obviously was just forced to do this kind of cheesy thing-which I tremendously (and awkwardly) find cute. He was also holding a paper with the letter E scribed in it. "E," He said, frowning and with a lazy voice as if he had just woken up. "Everlasting love is heavy."

"No! Not like that!" One protested. 

"Fine," The bald man sighed and thought. "E. Even if there are odds to face, I'll still be there to love you and to cherish every bit of you."

"That's it!" One shouted.

One followed but unlike the bald man, he's energetic-happy, even. He raised his paper rather proudly, grinning like a monkey who had just eaten his favorite type of banana. His paper shows no letter. 

"It's blank!" He shouted. "Because we ran out of letters!"

Everyone laughed. 

Then, one by one, they pronounced each letter. I LOVE...

"Where's the 'you'?" I suddenly asked, looking around for the word you. Unfortunately, neither of the people crowding in front of me has the word. Slowly, one by one, every one of them turned around and walked away until only one is left. He wore simple clothes but I find cute on how he wore his clothes. He feigned Grandfather Robinson in Meet The Robinsons. He wore his polo shirt with the back part forward, a polka dot bow tie at the collar and his jeans were dark brown, tucked in high waist, all paired with long, leather shoes. His blonde hair is slicked back that he reminded me of how the boys looked like back in the 80's.

He turned around and I nearly knock my head off to see Jiyong. He showed us his toothy-gummy grin, all teeth shiny and white. "You," He started, smoothly that made half of the female population had their ovaries explode. 

You're my piece of mind, in this crazy world
You're everything I've tried to find
Your love is a pearl
You're my Mona Lisa
You're my rainbow skies
And my only prayer is that you realize
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes... 

The world will turn
And the seasons will change
And all the lessons we will learn
Will be beautiful and strange
We'll have our fell of tears
Our share of sight
My only prayer is that you realize
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes... 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/jericho_rosales/beautiful_in_my_eyes.html ]
You will always be beautiful in my eyes
And the passing is the show
That you will always grow
Ever more beautiful in my eyes

And there are lines upon my face
From a life time of smiles
When the time comes to embrace
For one long last wine
We can laugh about how time really flies
We won't say goodbye
'Cause true love never dies
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes... 

You will always be beautiful in my eyes
And the passing is the show
That you will always grow
Ever more beautiful in my eyes

The passing is the show
That you will always grow
Ever more beautiful in my eyes...


He walked towards me, handed me a bouquet of flowers, which was handed by a random dude and kissed me on the forehead. Jiyong kneeled in front of me. "Sandara Park, will you be-" Everyone squealed. "My girlfriend?"

"All of this just to ask her to be your girl?!" One protested.

"Oh gosh! What a freaking romantic and cheesy and crazy and-"

"Dude!"

Jiyong didn't mind them, and focused his eyes on me. He winked, and asked, "I'm asking for your answer, Sandara."

I looked over my shoulder to see Bom. She's smiling, her arm draped over Top's shoulder and gave me a thumb up. I turned back to Jiyong and nodded. "Yes,"

Jiyong still had his head hung low. He didn't seem to hear my reply, so I poked him. "Hey, I said yes."

He turned up, suddenly and looked around. "Did she say yes?" He asked one man, who answered him with a nod and a hidden smile.

Jiyong jumped up from his knees, raise his arms in the air and danced. "I'm a buff baby that can dance like a man, I can shake-ah my fanny I can shake em' I can! I'm a tough tootin' baby, I can punch-ah yo buns! Punch-ah yo buns, I can punch-all yo buns! If you're an evil witch, I will punch you for fun!”

"Jiyong for the win! Yeah, baby!" He shouted and immediately stopped, bringing his hands down when a nurse put her finger on her lips. Jiyong blushed and turned to me. "A-ha-ha."

I crackle a laugh, my throat still dry so I winced. "J-Jiyong," I said, breathless. "Y-You're too," Sanghyun handed me water and I chugged it down in one go, giving my throat a cold relief. "Whoa! Sheesh, I hate this kind of things."

"Surprises?" Jiyong asked, mournfully.

"No," I shook my head and gave the bottle back to Sanghyun. "I love surprises. I hate dry throats."

"Oh," Jiyong blushed and rubbed his nape. "Da-"

"Let's go," Sanghyun suddenly said, or maybe suggested-cutting Jiyong off. "I thought you wanted to watch America's Next Top Model?"

"Oh yeah," Realization suddenly dawns into me. "Then, let's go?"

"Definitely," Bom chided. "We're taking so long in here."

"But-" Jiyong raised his hand in midair. "I mean-Wait!"

"What?" Sanghyun scowled. 

"Nothing." Jiyong's face was filled with fear and his voice was uncertain. "Let's just, um, go."

Sanghyun rolled his eyes , and then pushed me forward. Everyone followed behind but I notice Jiyong's frequent glances. He seemed to want to push the wheelchair for me. 

"Wait," I declared and everyone stopped, except for Jiyong who had ventured three steps more than us. He sheepishly grinned at us and stepped backward, leveling me.

I fiddled with my hands. "Can you push me, Jiyong?" I asked, blushing.

There was a moment of-sort of-triumph in Jiyong's eyes and his mouth fell open. He made me jittery and almost jump up from the wheelchair, which would be painful in my opinion.

He pushed Sanghyun away using his hips and gripped on the handles. "Aye!"

Then, he happily skipped as he pushes me towards the elevator as if he was dancing the popular dance craze- Gangnam Style. The doors opened, revealing the doorman-sort of-and without any bade of shyness, Jiyong hopped in with equally jolly. The doorman almost laughed. 

I jolt when Jiyong suddenly kissed my hair. "I love you,"





I felt a thousand times better.