Chapter 16
Lia was running away from the studio with tears streaming down her face. She doesn't care anymore how people looked at her running while crying. Her heart just breaks into thousands of pieces knowing that Dan has a fiancée. She just doesn't know why Dan has never told her anything about it. All this while she thought she know everything about Dan.
Meanwhile Dan, he was still running looking for Lia while shouting her name.
"Lia-ah!" shouted Dan while looking at his surroundings, trying to look for Lia.
*where are you Lia?* thought Dan as he took out his phone to call Lia but it was a voicemail. After calling her for many times, Dan gives up and try to look for her again. A few minutes later, he saw a familiar figure was walking slowly not too far from him. She was walking while looking down. He went near that girl and notice that it was a wrong person.
"Sorry." Said Dan as he bowed slightly.
Then, he tried to look for her again and saw that Lia was sitting at the bus stop alone. He tried to call her again while looking from afar and noticed that Lia purposely trying not to answer his call. With that, he decides to go to her and talk slowly.
"Lia," called Dan.
Lia, who had just calmed down from crying, heard the familiar voice called her and when she turned to her right, it was Dan. His face looked so worried and Lia thought that he probably was looking for her.
"Go away." Said Lia coldly.
"Lia…" called Dan again and try to look at her face. He noticed that her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"I can explain-" said Dan but before he could finish it, Lia has cut his lines.
"Just go away Dan! I don't wanna hear anything." Said Lia and her tears were running down her face again.
"Lia, I'm sorry I can explain everything…" said Dan softly as he caressed her face and wipe her tears, trying to calm her down. Lia just couldn't stop crying as she was too heartbroken knowing the sudden news. But listening to Dan's soft voice really calmed her down. She wanted to hug him so bad and cry on his shoulders, but she just can't.
"Just go to your fiancée." Said Lia as she pushed him away and wipe her tears on her own.
"Lia, we're not-"
"Let's take a break." Said Lia. She was looking at Dan with tears were pooling in her eyes.
"B-but why?" asked Dan
"I know you have so many things to explain. I'm sure you have a reason why you date me when you already have a fiancée." Said Lia trying to hold her tears.
"Lia-" called Dan.
While they were talking, the bus has arrived.
"I'll give you time to explain everything. And once you're ready and settle everything, let's meet again. I'm not asking for a break up, let's just give us some time to think…" said Lia as she paused for a while trying to hold her tears.
"Goodbye Dan." Said Lia and she get on the bus leaving Dan alone.
She was sitting near the window, trying so hard to hold her tears and noticed that Dan was looking at her from below. She tried not to look at him because if she sees him again, her tears will fall. Then, the bus drives away, leaving the bus stop.
"Lia-ah!" called Dan but the bus has driven away.
Right after the bus left, Lia took out her phone and starts typing.
"Happy Birthday Dan."
***
At night, Lia was sitting on the rooftop alone, looking at the stars and at the same time she was caressing the star pendant on her necklace.
"I remember you told me that you hope you can pick a star one day. Meaning to say that, you can achieve your goals. So, when I was taking a stroll, I saw this and thought of giving it to you."
Those lines were lingering in her ears, remembering the day that Dan confessed to her and gave her the necklace.
*I thought I'd really found love but I was wrong…* thought Lia as a tear escaped her eyes.
"This might be the best for us.." muttered Lia alone. Suddenly, her phone was ringing and it was a call from her mom.
"Hi mom~" greeted Lia
"Lia-ah, what's with your voice? Are you alright?" asked Mrs. Han in worried.
"I'm okay mom… I'm just tired…" answered Lia
"Take care of yourself… don't get sick… alright? You're alone… if there's anything, call Dan or Liyli, alright?" said Mrs. Han.
At the mentioned of Dan's name making Lia's eyes pooling again.
"Okay… don't worry…" said Lia tries to sound happy.
She was talking with her mom asking about her dad's health and making jokes with her other siblings. Talking to her family gives her comfort. They give her happiness and make her forget about what had happened today.
A few hours later, right after she ended the phone call with her family, Lia went inside and sat in front her laptop. She stares at the laptop for a while, getting ready to type a new chapter. She let out a heavy sigh and began typing.
"Dear Dahlia"
"Chapter 13"
Dahlia was preparing to make a surprise to Daniel for his birthday. She baked some cookies and bought a coffee for them too. She even bought a cake for him too. They decided to have a picnic at the Han River today. Lia waited for a while, but Daniel is nowhere to be seen. Then, she decided to call him. But what surprised her the most is the one who answered the phone call was a girl's voice.
"Hello?" said the girl.
Lia was surprised by the voice. She takes a look at the contact and it's true, she called Daniel.
"Hello, Daniel went to the washroom for a while… I'm Heera, his fiancée. You can say it to me and I'll pass it to him later."
After Dahlia heard that, she almost dropped her phone and she felt like the time has stopped for a while.
"That's okay, I'll call him later." Said Dahlia and hang up.
Right after the phone call, Lia hurriedly packs all the things and throw the cakes and the cookies in the dustbin nearby. She was crying. Trying to deny what she just heard. Then, she heard her phone was ringing and it was a call from Daniel.
"Dahlia, Heera said-"
"Heera. Your fiancée…. I know…" said Dahlia "If you have a fiancée why did you date me? What am I? A joke? Daniel, I have feelings too… I thought I knew everything about you why didn't you tell me, huh?" asked Dahlia as she was trying to hold her tears.
"Dahlia, it's not that-"
"Daniel, we should stop seeing each other for a while. It's for the best. I'll give you time… there must be a reason why you're not telling me… we'll meet again soon." Said Dahlia
"Goodbye Daniel, happy birthday."
***
Dan was in his room, sitting in front of his laptop, reading the latest chapter that Lia just posted. He knows so well that the chapter was meant for both of them. He even knows that what Lia has written, are the words that she wanted to say just now, but she kept it and wrote in the novel. She poured every sadness in her feelings just now on that chapter. But, no matter how sad she was, both Lia and the female character in the novel, never forgets to wish him and the male character a happy birthday.
Just to let him know, that she still loves him.
Dan let out a heavy sigh and turned off his laptop. Then, he took his camera and take a look on Lia's photo that he captured before and caressed the screen.
*I'm sorry, Lia. I missed you.* thought Dan
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A month later, winter is finally here. It's been a month both Lia and Dan did not talk to each other nor meeting each other. Both Liyli and In Ha knows about it and they got mad at Dan for not being honest with Lia. In Ha who's his best friend got really mad at him because she too, never knows that he has a fiancée and feel sorry towards Lia for not knowing about it. However, Lia told that both of them did not break up yet, but they're just taking a break for a while.
To be honest, she missed Dan a lot. She wanted to meet him, to hug him, and tell everything what had happened to her every single day. A photo of her and him at the Yeouido Park last time, was pinned up on a small soft board on the right side of her table. Whenever she missed him, she would look on the photo. She wanted to call him, but at the same time, she wants him to call her first.
While Lia was doing her work, she got a call from her manager saying that the Director wants to meet her.
"Lia-ah, Director Seo would like to see you now."
"Oh, okay." Said Lia and went upstairs to meet Director Seo in his office.
She was nervous.