"You are mine."

Dara blinked. Still daydreaming.

"Park, are you listening? Back to earth."

She blinked again, at Mr. Jin who was looking at her like she had grown two heads.

"Ah, what were you saying again, Mr. Jin?" She tried to focus on what her Theater Club teacher was saying in front of her.

It was three days after school break and club practices resumed. To say that she was distracted and acting robotic was an understatement while managing to nail her lines.

'Damn, Jiyong, and your 'You Are Mine' words to me. Ugh.'

Mr. Jin shook his head at her. "I said, congratulations. You are getting your role back as Lady Macbeth." He said, nonchalantly, as if this news was nothing surprising and out of the ordinary. "Ms. Bae is out since she won't be bothered in showing up to practices." he scowled talking about it. "I don't want any more headaches when the play is just around the corner and tickets are already sold out. The Board agrees with me. Congrats, kid."

He then tapped her shoulder. "The guard also told me you've been coming here diligently to practice even during a school break. I must say, that's pure dedication." He seemed proud of her as he turned his back away from her, like he hadn't just dropped the news she had been soo looking forward to hearing.

She suppressed the grin showing on her face. Oh my. Finally, finally!

Jiyong succeeded. THEY succeeded.

Jiyong was so good at distracting Suzy that she lost her focus on this play, as she expected. She's almost proud of herself for concocting this master plan.

She was doing little dances in her head when she saw Minzy in the corner, looking happy for her.

Oh, one more thing.

Dara caught up to Mr. Jin as he turned to face her again when she tapped his shoulder. He gave her a questioning look.

"Yes, Miss Park?"

She cleared her throat. "I have a suggestion to make." She began. "Since I have Lady Macbeth's role back and the second witch's role is open, I suggest we give it to Minzy."

"Minzy who?"

She pointed to the surprised-looking Minzy peeking behind the stage curtains. "Gong Minzy. Freshman. You assigned her for stage lights but she's too talented to be staying behind the scenes." She smiled proudly talking about Minzy. "I was not the only one coming here every day to practice last school break. Minzy was with me. Plus, she memorized all the lines of all the roles. Awesome, isn't she?"

Mr. Jin looked deep in thought, a bit impressed at what Dara just told him as he studied Minzy for the first time. Minzy was embarrassed to be the center of Mr. Jin's attention and to anyone who heard Dara endorsing the freshman about her hidden talents.

"So...?" Dara asked, hopeful.

Mr. Jin nodded. "Okay, I'll give Gong Minzy a chance." He then remembered something. "Who will be assigned for stage lights then?"

Dara flipped her hair as she turned her back at the same time she answered, "You, of course, Mr. Jin. We need all the help for this sold-out play of yours."

Before Mr. Jin could protest, Dara escaped to the backstage and tackled Minzy for a hug.

"You'll do great." She whispered to the freshman.

Minzy blushed. "Thank you, Miss Dara. I'll do my best."

Dara grinned and hugged Minzy tighter.

Contrary to what most people think about her, including Jiyong, sometimes, she can be nice. She's not always the gloomy, nonchalant, and occasionally mean poor girl most people think.

It's nice to be nice, she realized.

---

"Who are you glaring at?"

Dara looked up to the voice of Kim Jaejoong who sat down beside her in the school cafeteria during today's lunch break.

Jaejoong followed her line of gaze (glare) and smirked upon seeing Jiyong and Suzy eating lunch together a few tables from them.

Since it's winter season already and it's getting colder for students to eat lunch in the picnic benches outside, most students eat their lunches in the school cafeteria now. It's never been busier for the canteen staff, to say the least.

Jaejoong looked back at Dara as she harshly munched on her apple. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

She turned her glare towards him when he didn't say anything to her, only with a smug look on his face.

"What?!" She hissed under her breath when she couldn't hold it anymore.

Jaejoong chuckled. "You're jealous." He blurted, sounding too pleased for his own good.

She frowned at him right away. "I'm not."

"Uh-huh."

"Wipe that grin off your face, Kim."

He laughed this time. "You're too cute when jealous, Park."

"Shut up." She puffed her bangs as she threw a french fry on his chest. "What are you even doing here? I rather have you freezing on the rooftop than sitting beside me here. I prefer to be alone."

Jaejoong dramatically touched the left part of his chest. "Ouch, Park. You hurt my feelings. And here I thought, our mutual trauma from two weekends ago will only make us closer."

She rolled her eyes at him. Speaking of which, she almost forgot Jaejoong was with her during the whole ordeal. "Seriously, why are you sitting beside me now aside from bonding over our 'mutual trauma two weekends ago'? You didn't even try to approach me once the school was back."

Jaejoong grinned at her as he took a bite from his burger; swallowing the food dramatically slow which Dara thought he was doing on purpose.

She narrowed her eyes on him.

Jaejoong took his time drinking his soda too, and only when she crossed her arms over her chest, he finally answered, "Remember Kwanghee?" She nodded. "He wanted to hire you as the lead actress for my music video comeback to be released early next year." She gaped at him. He grinned. "Bad idea, right? Kwanghee is out of his mind coming up with this."

Dara threw another fry at him which he easily caught with his hand and ate it.

"I hope you're not pulling my leg, Kim." She said, suspiciously as he rolled his eyes at her. She then squinted her eyes at him.

Acting for any music video? Wow. She never imagined that's even possible for her. But more importantly,

"How much will I earn from this?"

Jaejoong acted disgusted at her. "You couldn't even tone down the greedy excitement and dollar signs in your eyes, Park." He teased. "To think, your boyfriend is a gazillionaire gangster." He lowered his voice at the last word as if it was a dirty little secret.

Dara begs to disagree. It was probably an open secret. Only she, won't be bothered by the signs before. But it's different now, she wanted to know more about Jiyong.

Speaking of Jiyong...she glared at Jiyong's direction again who was looking at her this time. He seemed unbothered by Suzy trying to talk his ears off. Dara couldn't decipher the look on his face right now, but if she could guess, he was unhappy seeing Jaejoong beside her. He had always been jealous of Jaejoong around her.

She smiled tauntingly at him. And just to be petty, she scooted closer to the oblivious Jaejoong.

What is Jiyong even doing with Suzy right now? She got her role back yesterday and he should not be spending time with that Suzy anymore, but here he is, eating lunch with that woman.

She might be scowling when Jaejoong snapped his fingers in front of her face to gain her attention back to him.

"Back to me, Park. Are you even listening?" He asked, amused.

She frowned at him. "What?"

"I said, your starting pay is ten grand, and if the music and MV go well, you'll be paid more after." Jaejoong was grinning at the smile coming back on her face.

10,000 dollars and possibly more after? Hell, yeah!

"Based on the look on your face, is that a yes? Should I tell Kwanghee that you agreed?" He fished his phone out of his pocket, ready to message his manager.

Dara remembered an important detail. "Where will we shoot this music video? I hope it's not in Yorkville." She asked, worriedly. She didn't really wanna go back there after what happened to them.

Jaejoong had the same thoughts as he shook his head. "Of course not in Yorkville. I already told Kwanghee about this condition." He looked thoughtful, afterward. "Kwanghee told me, we don't have to shoot the MV in the capitol, particularly. We're doing it in the next town over." There was a glint in his eyes after saying this.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Where?"

Jaejoong lowered his voice again. "It's in Mount Vernon aka District 4." He looked proud of himself at this tidbit. "I've been talking with Dae about the gangster stuff. It's interesting, I must say. I thought this town was very boring. Turned out, I was very wrong." He smiled sheepishly at her when she didn't comment about it.

Damn. Hearing districts' names again gives her headaches especially when she remembered the threat from Mayor Yang to Jiyong last week.

"So?" Jaejoong looked at her, hopeful. "Are you gonna take the acting gig for my awesome comeback video?"

"Yes." Sure, why not? She could use the money especially when she is planning to move out soon. This is the perfect timing. "Though, I need the money in advance."

Jaejoong rolled his eyes at her. "I knew you'd say that." She faked a grin at him. He frowned at her. "Your boyfriend is mega-rich and very much in love with you. He can probably buy the whole country just to please you."

Probably will buy the country by using the dirty money he earned from violence. Imagine, the bloodshed.

Dara shivered at her train of thought.

She shook her head at those rabid thoughts. "The boyfriend you're talking about is with another woman right now, if you haven't noticed, yet." She said, sarcastically, spice in her voice too.

Jaejoong glanced at Jiyong's direction but immediately regretted it after seeing Jiyong glaring at him.

"Snap." Jaejoong cursed. "Is Kwon leader after my head later today?"

She didn't answer.

"Not answering is not a good sign, Park. You're an awful friend. You should have my back." He then studied her face, looking at her thoughtfully. "You regretted your plan, didn't you?"

"What plan?" She feigned innocence.

He pointed a finger at her. "Your evil plan on using the gang leader aka your boyfriend." He jabbed his thumb backward in Jiyong's direction. "To get Lady Macbeth's role back. Now that you have it back, things should be back to normal between you two, but since you're sulking alone in today's lunch, looks like dear Queen Bae, won't leave Kwon leader alone." He snapped his fingers. "She probably caught on to your plan and thought that since you have your role back now. She should gatekeep Kwon leader from going back to you...or else she will snatch the role back from you, again." He looked pleased making conclusions, ignoring Dara's deepening frown. "Uh-huh! I knew your plan would backfire! Now, you're jealous."

"You're pissing me off, Kim." She gritted her teeth as she warned him. How is this dumbass so inquisitive? "How do you even come up with these ridiculous assumptions?"

Seriously though, if it's true, should she suggest to Jiyong to threaten Suzy to get her off his back?

Maybe with a gun? Only as a threat. The gun won't even have bullets. Just to scare Suzy off.

'No, no, no, I should NOT be thinking this way.' The horror on her face.

Jaejoong grinned at her. "Watching too many kdramas, that's how. I know the plot even before it happens. And your story, my dear," he pointed his french fry towards her to make a point. "is one of the most interesting shows I've been watching. It's full of twists and it's still ongoing. Can't wait for the next episode! It deserves to be a series."

He just kept sounding ridiculous and Dara had no time for Kim Jaejoong's bullshits anymore. She stood up and was about to leave him when he stopped her.

"Oh, by the way, Park. You will love the title of the music video we're about to shoot next weekend." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She put her hands on her hips, impatiently. "What?"

Jaejoong grinned. "Seven."

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

--//--//tbc

a/n: Thanks for reading. When I saw Seven MV for the first time, I knew it suited the story - District 7. Imagine the MC as Dara as she kept walking and walking, ignoring her love interest lol coz Dara in this story is like that haha stubborn as fck.

THANKS FOR READING and for ALL the lovely comments about not giving up on the frustrating Dara from the previous chapters. Stay safe.