---

[DARA]
 

  He's still deeply asleep beside me. 

  My cheek is still on the pillow as I gaze at Jiyong in amazement. He's asleep again. I'm getting the same, flurry feeling that I felt in the cab. Again he's so different from the formal Capo that he was last night, surrounded by his lieutenants and underlings, speaking to people who respected him for his young age and stone cold demeanor. 

  Since when did it became like this? When did I start to feel constricted when I see all the other ladies in the room gawk openly at him or try to get his attention? Am I too used to Jiyong torturing yet taking care of me all the time? Have I grew possessive of his protection?

  I don't know, but right now, just the sight of him being asleep in front of me is strangely comforting. We'll be back in Seoul in 3 hours. Somehow, my heart feels heavy just thinking about that.

  My phone vibrated noisily against the table and Jiyong stirred in his sleep. Hastily, I grabbed it off the lamp table and rubbed my eyes. It's a text from our store's Italy supplier, notifying me that the shoes that we have ordered had arrived. Jiyong's shoes are here!

  I glanced at Jiyong before waking him with a small shake. Kyaa, he'd be crazy happy. It took so long for it to come and now finally he's going to get those stupid shoes I destroyed back. 

  He roused sleepily, opening just a single eye to take in his surrounding.

  "Good morning." He droned in a y voice and a small smirk. I feel so attacked right now. Why is he so hot?

  "Hello, Jiyong." I answered back, trying hard not to stammer.

  He shut both of his eyes again as his lips twist into a smal smile. 

  "I like the way you call my name." He said with his eyes closed.

  He said that before when we went to fetch Hani at the airport. 

  "Jiyong. Jiyong Jiyong Jiyong." Hehehe.

  He laughed, slamming his arm over his eyes. 

  "You're driving me crazy, Dara." 

  KYAAAAA, WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE LIKE THIS EARLY IN THE MORNING? I'm defenseless against his flirtatious ways. Show me the way to react, Mother Mary T_T

  "Guess what," I quickly began another topic. "Your designer shoes that I promised to replace are here. I'll pick it up as soon as we get back and then maybe I could pass it to you by tomorrow and-"

  "And then what?" He asked, his voice a lot quieter than I expected it to be. Eh? I had looked forward to his excitement at this piece of news knowing how much he loves those kicks (enough to be so mad at me as to put me in a slavery contract when I only just spit some alcohol on them)

  So what does he meant by and then what? And then nothing, I guess?

  "Are you going to disappear after that?" He asked, turning to look at me in the eye. I blinked at him, stunned. Why would I?

  "I don't want it back yet, Dara." He sighed. "Stick by me for a while more, and when you really want out, pass them back to me and I promise I'll let you go." 

  His words were sincere, raw even. A strange lump of something clogged in the middle of my throat and I found it hard to talk. Why does the words 'I'll let you go' sounds so compromising yet so hard to hear at the same time? I must be crazy... What exactly does Jiyong want me by his side for? Am I still just his P.A? It feels like we've spiraled down into some sort of a grey area and for some strange reasons I start to become happier than I've ever been, but somehow I also started to hurt without any reasons at all. 

  Kwon Jiyong is never supposed to have made me feel this way.

  "Okay." I whispered. 

  Those shoes are probably going to stay in my room for a while. 

  

---

  

  When Jiyong and I finally pulled our luggages outside the room, most of the other occupants staying in this level has already checked out. The hallway was filled with hotel maids cleaning up the rooms. Most of them were an aftermath of a battle zone. Liquor bottles were strewn everywhere, cigarette butts, used towels... As I passed by an open room I even saw a housekeeper picking up a used with a set of tongs. Yuck. I wonder which lucky worker will get to tidy up our room. I already cleaned it up before we left. Hah, who's a courteous guest? ME!

  I am in my cardigan again with a short, floral skirt. That sinner dress that I wore yesterday is now safely tucked in the extreme bottom of my suitcase, where I'm sure it would not be discovered by Grams when I get back. We stepped into the lift which closed swiftly behind us. On the thirteen floor, the lift doors opened up, and I'm surprised to find Bom outside, mirroring the same shocked expression I have. 

  "Dara!" Bom gasped, her face quickly stretching into a huge grin.

  "Why're you here? Haven't you checked out? Where's Donghae?" A million questions bubbled out of my lips like froth. Behind me, Jiyong gave Bommie a small nod of acknowledgement. He's back into his aloof mode again. 

  Bom stepped in and stuck her finger on the close button.

  "He's downstairs. I heard there's a hotel bar here so I wanna take a walk around." She winked. Aish, what's so nice about a bar? Don't they all look more or less the same?

  I was just about to verbalize my thoughts when a hand jammed into the tiny gap between the lift doors just before it completely closes, making both me and Bom jump.

  Someone staggered into the small space with us, reeking of booze. Oh my, he looks terrible. Who on earth gets himself drunk before noon? 

  "He's from the Traids." Bom mouthed, shrugging. 

  He turned to look at us, his face flushed and rosy. His eyes were sunken and his wet lips pulled into a lopsided leer. I took a small step away tentatively and got closer to Bommie, who didn't seemed to mind him as much as I do. Jiyong was leaning his back against the wall of the lift, fiddling with his fingernails. None of them are bothered by the strong and almost unbearable stench of alcohol. 

  "Eh." The drunkard slurred suddenly. I tensed, keeping my eyes straight on the floor.

  "I'm talking to you." He said in a booming voice. OMG, how much did he drank? Even his voice is vibrating with the sheer amount of liqour that he is holding in his system. I glanced up slightly, and yeap, he was staring flatly at me. Time to play deaf.

  "Cocky, eh?" He sneered, talking a step closer to us. "I said I'm talking to you, hoodrat, look up-"

  Bom snapped her head up, looking furious as she opened . But before she could get a word out, a hand clamped down on the Traid member's shoulder and slammed him face straight onto the lift door. 

  I backed off with a loud gasp, almost tripping myself over Bom. Jiyong's eyes were masked by something, reflecting nothing but stillness. It looks as if the whites of his eyes were engulfed completely by black; they're cold and rigid. With his hands still yanking on the back of the man's collar, he pulled him back, sending him forcefully to the ground. But he didn't stop there; Jiyong threw a solid punch on the man's jaw so hard that blood began to pool on his lips. Another punch later the man looks almost unrecognizable, his nose becoming twisted and his nostrils leaking crimson. 

  Bom looked on with a grim expression. Why isn't she telling him to stop? 

  Another ominous, dull crack sounded and I wheeled around, my head spinning from all the violence. A small purple bruise is starting to expand on the skin of his upper chest, just below his collarbone, and I knew immediately that it was a ruptured blood vessel. Jiyong's going to kill him.

  "STOP!" I didn't recognize that it was me who was screaming as I flung myself at Jiyong. He was far away, his breathing heavy. Ignoring me, he lifted the man's back off the ground of the lift by his collar. 

  "What did you just call her?" He asked dangerously.

  "A HOODRAT. SO WHAT? AFTER YOU'RE DONE IN WITH HER SHE'S GON BE BACK AT HER LITTLE-" The bloody man on the ground laughed hysterically. The beating didn't seems to knock the alcohol out of his system. I starting screaming at Jiyong again as he resumed raining down blows on the man's face.

  "You're killing him!" I yelped, wrapping myself around his back to withstrain his arms. "Stop, Jiyong!"

  His fist halted midair and I held my breath, fearing that it'll land again on the man's now mangled face. Instead, Jiyong exhaled heavily and shut his eyes before straightening up. Immediately, I rushed to attend to the injured. , how am I supposed to fix this?

  "Don't touch him, Dara." Jiyong snapped. 

  "But he-" I protested. 

  "That bastard deserves it." 

  The lift doors opened up at the first floor and the chattering of Youngbae and Daesung outside were silenced instantly by the mess in the lift. They glanced at the drunk Traids member who's grunting painfully, and then to Jiyong's messed up hair and bruised knuckles, looking surprised, but only mildly.

  "What the hell-" Someone else behind them shouted, and I recognized him to be Jackson. "Da Ge! The Mafians attacked a brother!" 

  Upon hearing the commotion, Donghae, dressed in a clean, check shirt with a white singlet underneath it walked out from the checkout counter. He narrowed his eyes at the scene and looked up at the obvious attacker.

  "What's going on, Kwon." Donghae demanded, looking furious. I stood frozen in the lift, not daring to make a single sound.

  People from the Traids were starting to gather around, all of them waiting for an explanation with menacing eyes. Oh my god, not another fight on a bigger scale....

  "Your man called Park a hoodrat." Jiyong growled. Youngbae unfolded his arms from his chest and Daesung cursed softly.

  Donghae's furrowed eyebrows twitched as his face darkened. 

  "He called you a what, midget?" Donghae said quietly, shifting his eyes to me. 

  "I- I don't know-" I blabbered, blinking from all the attention. 

  "Drag him out." Donghae commanded with a tilt of his head towards our direction, Two Traid members immediately stepped into the lift and pulled the unconscious man out by his arms. "Punish him with our house rules when he wakes." He ordered loudly.

  "Yes, Da Ge!"

  Donghae flashed Jiyong another look before approaching me and Bom. Still in a daze from the sudden whirl of events, I flinched when Donghae suddenly held up both of my hands

  "Are you hurt?" He asked in a soft voice, bending down to meet my height. 

  I shook my head, noticing Jiyong who had sharply turned to walk away, flinging his bruised fist by his side.

  "And you?" Donghae turned to Bom.

  "No. But he was freaking rude to Dara." Bom snarled.

  "I know. He's dead when we get back to Seoul." Donghae muttered threateningly. "What an embarrassment."

  "Stop hitting him, Donghae. He needs the hospital." I urged. Are they really going to treat the poor guy with more punches? He might really suffer a internal hemorrhage. His body could go into shock. Do they know how serious are these blunt trauma against human flesh???

  Donghae rolled his eyes. 

  "Someone could've tried to drown you and you'd probably tell us to save him first, Dara." 

---

[-]

  Jiyong is already on the jet by the time Dara got on board. She searched the rows for him, and Seungri gave a small nod of his chin towards the last seat. 

  Dara threaded quietly past the seats. She got the hint that the Caporegime is probably in a foul mood from the grim look on Seungri's face.

  There he was sitting by the window, with his head leaned against the window, his fingers silently drumming on the tray table with his eyes shut. Dara took her seat beside him without a word. Sensing her presence, Jiyong shifted slightly closer to the window, but the tiny gesture wasn't missed by Dara's eyes, and she felt a small sting of pain. 

  "Your hands." Dara breathed, catching sight of his bloody knuckles. Her fingers brushed past his injured hand, sending an electric jolt through his entire arm.

  "Its nothing." He muttered, withdrawing his hand sharply. "I've dealt with worse." 

  Dara clamped together. He's pushing her away and she knows it. It really shouldn't bother her but it does, and its hurting. Why? She wanted him to stay away from her in the first place. 

  The rest of the hour long flight back was in silence. Jiyong was aloof, as if he's somewhere in a faraway land, miles away from her. They didn't speak, they didn't make any signs of eye contact. The mood was wrong and even the rest of the Untouchables sensed it, and when the plane finally touched down, Seunghyun offered to give Dara a ride home. 

  Jiyong let him.

 

---

  Seunghyun stopped by the red lights and glanced at the girl strapped in his passenger seat. She had been gazing out of the window for the entire time, deep in thoughts, trapped in her own bubble. He cracked a joke or two and she'd laugh with him, even though he's aware of how horribly hollow it sounds. He didn't know what happened after he left with Seungri to the takeoff area first, but he heard from Daesung that Jiyong was involved in a brawl with some Traids people, and it was because of Dara. 

  Something seems off to see her like this. He's so used to her being the goofy, happy-go-lucky spirit that seeing her this down and sullen makes him feel sort of helpless. 

  "We're here." He announced, pulling the vehicle to a stop by the apartment block. Dara blinked as his voice snapped her out of her trance. 

  "Thanks, Seunghyun!" She grinned, mustering the most-cheerful voice that she can managed. The invisible block weighing down on her chest doesn't seems to be going away. 

  "Hey, if its Jiyong who's killing your vibes, tell me and I'll give him a good whack when I get back." Seunghyun sighed heavily.

  His words made a small, genuine smile form on Dara's lips. "Isn't he your boss?" Dara teased lightly.

  "I'll take the risk." Seunghyun smirked, relieved to finally see a hint of amusement on the girl. 

  

  Dara made her way up to Bom's apartment and collapsed on her bed. Bom had reached Seoul an hour earlier than her, and she has already started to unpack her suitcase, which leaves Dara gratefully alone. She decided that she'll take a nap here before heading back to her own place. But her peace wasn't granted for long. As soon as Bom finished dumping all of her clothes into the washing machine, she had sunk her unceremoniously into the bed.

  "Give me a nap, Bom." Dara groaned, pulling a spare pillow over her ears. 

  "Noooo, get up!" Bom whined, sitting Dara forcibly up. "Tell me honestly. Are you together with Jiyong?"  

  Arghh, why is everyone going on and on about Jiyong? Dara raked her hair in frustration. She just wants to nap the strange heaviness in her chest away. "No, what together are you talking about?" Dara answered, glancing longingly at the dent that her head made in the pillow.  

  Bom narrowed her eyes and tilted her face slightly to the right, as if she's closely scrutinizing her best friend's credibility. "Then did you slept with him?"

  "Yeah." Dara mumbled. Bom's eyes widened at her before she broke into an ear splitting squeal.

  "NO! I MEAN, WE SLEPT ON A SAME BED!" Dara cupped her hand over Bom's mouth immediately, stopping her before the neighbours alert the police. 

  Bom deflated like a balloon, throwing Dara a grudging glare. "Psh." She clicked her tongue, "Then why is he so worked up when that stupid drunk called you a hoodrat?"

  That phrase caught Dara's attention. It was because of that word that Jiyong hit the crap out of that guy just now.

  "What is that word?" Dara plodded.

  "Its horrible." Bom murmured. "He's calling you a that sleeps with different gang members." 

  Dara recoiled with disgust.

  "But still," Bom crawled closer to Dara, her eyes twinkling with mischief and cheekiness. "A Caporegime of the grand Mafia trashed that idiot in public just because of an insult thrown at you! I don't believe you guys have nothing going on."

  Dara collapsed flat on her back, heaving out a frustrated sigh as she stared at the ceiling. In one moment Jiyong can be so protective of her but in the next moment he's completely aloof and stoic. 

  "Did you think I didn't see the way he was lurking around you the whole night yesterday at the Gala with laser beams shooting out of his eyes. The whole freaking ballroom saw how he tied that funny thing around you to stop all those creeps from gawking at your s." Bom continued dreamily. "KYAA! I'm so happy for you!" Bom dramatically came to her own conclusion as she slapped on Dara's thighs while spazzing like a fangirl. 

  Dara rolled over on her stomach, blinking at Bom as she contemplated her words. Is Jiyong really fond of her?

  "Definitely." Bom concluded as soon as Dara opened . "Do a test to verify it for yourself if you think I'm talking trash."

  "What sort of test?"

  "If you pretend to fall over and he isn't by your side in three seconds flat, I'll eat my words." Bom challenged.

  Dara raised an eyebrow, looking at her skeptically. This test sounds dodgy. 

  "ARGHHHHH. I don't know." Dara screamed into the pillow. "I'm so confused." 

  "About what?" 

  "About him! About me!"

  Bom crossed her legs and wagged a finger at Dara's face.

  "Tsk tsk tsk, if you're this bothered by him already, don't you think that you've already got your answer?" 

 

---

[-]

  Youngbae traveled alone to the highest apartment in Seoul. Their leader isn't at Parc Vera as he had expected. The tight security system recognized his identity, and although the process was long, he got through every finger scan and iris identification to get to the penthouse. 

  Most of the time, Jiyong was his leader and his boss. But way before they even got themselves entangled in the underworld, Youngbae's simply Jiyong's best friend. He still is. And that is what Youngbae is coming as right now.

  Sure enough, Youngbae found Jiyong standing in front of the huge glass window overlooking the skyline of Seoul as soon as he pressed in the pin numbers to his front door. Wordlessly, he joined in front of the setting sun. 

  "Why aren't you with the guys?" Jiyong asked after a moment.

  Youngbae dropped his line of vision to the leader's bruised hand before turning back to the landscape. "You're not the kind of person to lose your cool over some lowlife thug like the one in the lift." Youngbae spoke. "You're serious about Dara, aren't you?" 

  Jiyong shifted his gaze slightly lower, but he didn't turn to face Youngbae.

  "She wouldn't last a second in our world." Jiyong replied in a pressed voice, dodging Youngbae's question. The Untouchable thought he heard a whisp of pain in the words.

  That's true. Their world is mundane and dysfunctionally normal to them now that they're in it long enough, but Youngbae knows how ed up it really is if they were just to take a step back and look at the whole picture. 

  "Then are you just going to stay still? Keep her waiting?"

  "She's not waiting for anything, Youngbae." Jiyong rubbed his hands over his face wearily. "Are you here as a Made Man to tell me to not get myself entangled with her?"

  "I'm here as your best friend telling you to go for it, Jiyong." Youngbae sighed, nudging his friend lightly on the shoulder. Jiyong turned to him with a confused expression.

  "Don't you think you are more human-like after meeting that new girl in town?" Youngbae shrugged, a hint of a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "I mean, dude, you were a heartless piece of , I'll have to admit."

  A small laugh escaped Jiyong's lips. Indeed, so many things have changed since the day he walked into the boutique to be accused of trying not to pay for his purchase.  

  "But if you're intending to upset her like you did today, then I'm all for you to let her go." Another deep, bass-like voice rang out from the back, making the duo turn.

  It was Seunghyun, who had invited himself into the apartment. With his eyes locked with Jiyong's furrowed ones, he tossed the car keys onto the couch.

  "What happened wasn't her fault, Jiyong. Did you have to make her look that miserable?"

  Jiyong clamped his mouth together and turned away from . How is he supposed to admit that it was her interactions with that Donghae-traids-dude that angers him?

  "How does it concerns you, hyung?" Jiyong snarled softly.

  "She was about to cry in the car." Seunghyun growled back. 

  The shoulders of the Caporegime tensed. He almost made her cry? He ran a hand through his hair. He doesn't even want to think about that woman's tears. 

  "I'll be back." Jiyong declared, walking past his teammates with long strides and grabbed the keys left on the couch before swiftly exiting his apartment.

---

  

  The drive from his luxury condominium to Dara's apartment block was a short one. Maybe he ed up. He should never have vented his own inner turmoil on her. He was about to dash into the block when he realized that he didn't know which floor exactly is her apartment in. 

  A string of curses escaped from his mouth when his attempts to reach her through her phone were responded with empty rings. , is she avoiding him now? A gazillion thoughts zapped through his mind and it did not help when he saw Lee Donghae exiting from the same block.

  "Why the are you here?" The Mafian demanded, his eyes narrowing into slits. 

  "What's your problem, Kwon? I live here." The Traids Vanguard answered nonchalantly. 

  He lives here? Dara never told him that Donghae is her neighbor.

  Ignoring him, Jiyong turned around to drop her a text.

  "Looking for Dara?" Much to his annoyance, Donghae was still standing behind him.

  Jiyong was about to reply when the Vanguard cut across him.

  "She doesn't even live here." 

 

---

[Dara]

  I slurped down the remainder of my dinner and plopped my bowl down in contentment. Ahh, nothing tastes better than Gram's carrot potato soup.

  I dropped the bowl into the sink before pulling Grams into a big, back bear hug. 

  "Why there, did you do something wrong?" Grams chuckled.

  I shook my head and released her from my grasp. "Thanks for the dinner, Grams." I called out before running back to my room. My suitcase's still unpacked because yours-truly decided to drop dead on her bed as soon as she reached home. Thanks to Park Bom I didn't even get to nap at all at her apartment just now. 

  I flung my body onto the bed and rolled over, snatching my phone that's still linked to the cable off the table side. It should be fully charged now, I hope. 

  I was praying that the phone would light up when I hit a button because this stupid person you are seeing right now always connects her phone to the cable without on-ing the stupid switch. Thankfully, the batteries were full and the screen lit up. But my delight soon turn into horror when I saw over ten missed calls from Jiyong, accompanied by a message.
 

  Let's talk, Dara, I'm downstairs.
 

  Sent at 4.26pm!! Its almost 9 now! He can't be still there, can he?

  In desperation, I clicked on his number. After 2 rings, the line connected with a click.

  "Jiyong? My phone's flat and I was-" 

  "I'm downstairs at your place." His voice was dull.

  That did the job. Soon I am out in the cool night air, sprinting at my top speed towards Bom's place. Thank god it's not far. When I reached, huffing and gasping for air, my eyes immediately landed on the lone figure sitting on the bench beneath the street lamp, fiddling with his phone. Jiyong was still in the suit that he wore earlier on the plane, and his fringe was down. 

  "Hey!" I ran over to him. Jiyong lifted his head and surveyed my sweaty face.

  "Why're you sweating so much?" He asked quietly.

  Right, Jiyong still doesn't know that this is Bom's place and not mine. I had wanted to tell him the truth but it kept slipping my mind whenever we meet up. 

  "Actually I-" I began.

  "Don't live here?" He finished the sentence for me, raising a brow. Huh? When did he found out? His expression was hardened. Oh no, is he mad again?

  I nodded meekly.

  He stared intently at me for a moment, before he abruptly stood up to leave.

  "Wait-" I called out, my hand reactively grabbing onto his arm. 

  "Forget it, Dara." He muttered, flinging his arm away. 

  "I didn't mean to hide it from you, Jiyong. I just thought I should be more careful with where I stay since my grandmother stays with me and-"

  "And you think I'm untrustable? But Lee Donghae isn't?" A flash of pain crossed his eyes as he demanded. 

  "No!"

  "Forget it, Dara." He growled, this time really turning away for his car.

  In my haste to stop him, I tripped over the leg of the bench.

  "Damn it," I had only just hit the ground when I heard Jiyong curse. In a flash, he was on one knee beside me. "Are you okay?"

  I blinked at him in the moment of daze with my own shock and the aching pain in my knee, and suddenly I realized that Bom's test that she suggested earlier today has came true. A surge of happiness welled up in me and as I stared into Jiyong's concern-stricken face, a small smile started to stretch on my lips.

  "Why're you smiling? Are you hurt anywhere?" Jiyong asked, his brows knitting together in worry as he helped me up.

  She's right! It didn't even take him three seconds! 

  "Bom said that if someone is fond of me, it wouldn't take him three seconds to be by my side if I were to hurt myself." I whispered.

  Jiyong frowned at me, before he covered his face to hide a smile.

  "You're an idiot, Dara. Your knee is bleeding." 

  KYAA!! He's not denying it! I tried to suppress the huge grin that is threatening to tear my face apart as I slowly die from my own giddiness.

  "So you're not mad at me anymore?" I asked hopefully.

  "I still am. What did you thought I would do if I knew where you stayed? Rob your house?" Jiyong reprimanding, albeit now adopting a gentler tone. 

  "I'm sorry." I apologized, rubbing his arm. "Don't be angry anymore."  

  Jiyong sighed before taking my face into his palms, making my heart race at an explosive speed. 

  "I just... always seem to lose my head when it comes to you." He admitted hoarsely.

  GAHH! Why does that short sentence makes me this dizzy with happiness? Is it the hotness that's oozing from his voice or how those words instantly washed away all traces of the heaviness that I felt from his cold attitude to me this morning?

  To my surprise, he gathered me into his arms. I heaved in his scent at the crook of his neck and god, he smells so good.. The feeling of warmth that's coursing through me right now feels so right. 

  "Dara..."

  "Hmm?" I answered. AHH, I don't want to let go.

  "Let me sleep at your place." 

  Not yet, let me just hug you for a while mo-
 

  WHAT?
 

  "What?" I asked, pulling myself away from his chest immediately as I blinked at him with my eyeballs almost popping out of my sockets.

  "I probably can't fall asleep alone after the two nights in Jeju." He said cheekily. "Let me sleep at your place."

 

  NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

---

  

Hello to my new readers as well as you who've been here for a while now!

I've decided to do a short QnA session in the writer's note for the next chapter,

so let me know if you have any questions for me to address in the comment box below

it can be anything related to the story, or anything that's for me :)

See you in the next Chapter for now

and feed me many comments juseyo!

 

Love,

Foreverwithvips unnie?