Woah long chapter! I am a generous god~

Jiyong was practically flying around the room while his entertained audience watched him eagerly on the sides. One minute he’s going to the sink to re-soak the folded towel that was on Dara’s head. Another minute he’s looking at the sleeping beauty with a face that they could compare to a worrying mother. And then on another minute he’s pacing around the room and swearing at the universe for some unintelligible reason.

And yet after all that, he didn’t even spare them a glance. Who made up this audience? Well child, they were Seungri, Daesung, Seunghyun, Bom, and Chaerin. After Dara passed out in the events hall, this group helped her get to her room and stayed there to avoid the humiliating team building exercises. More than half of them weren’t even following the instructions. Before they left, they saw the majority either ignoring the announcer’s pleas and leave to go ski outside.

SM may have had a team building trip but YG had fun, the group thought sarcastically. Maybe YGE had a little bit too much fun.

“Oh my god why is she so thin and pale? Should I call the doctor? Yeah, I think I should. Where’s my phone?” Jiyong scrambled around the room in search for his phone. Daesung picked something out of his pocket and called out to him before throwing his phone in his direction. He gave him a quick thanks before fidgeting with the phone and accidentally dropping it in the process. He let out a soft curse.

Seungri glanced at Daesung with an amused smile. “Why do you have Jiyong hyung’s phone?”

“He told me to keep it for the meantime because he was going to get crazy looking at Dara noona’s pictures.”

“And to think that he’s not the sasaeng in this relationship.” Chaerin rolled her eyes. “I haven’t seen hyung acting like this since… ever.”

Everyone nodded as the Kwon Jiyong panic cycle continued right before their eyes. He wasn’t able to call a doctor because his battery died just before he could press the call button. Seungri shot another curious glance at Chaerin and the catty-eyed girl nodded her head towards him in a rather threatening way. He just tilted his head in question.

“I’ve been wondering.” Seungri started. “Why do you call Jiyong hyung ‘hyung’? Shouldn’t you be calling him 'oppa'?” he said, popping the ‘p’.

Chaerin scrunched her face making the rest look at her expectantly. “Unnie always thought that I had a crush on Jiyong hyung and she’d get all sulky and jealous whenever I called him ‘oppa’.” She explained. “I started calling him hyung to get her off my back and make her know that I only see hyung as an older brother. Unnie is really sensitive like that.”

“She is?”

They turned towards Jiyong who was stifling a dreamy and contented-looking smile. The latter looked at Dara’s unconscious body and did a shy little hit in the air while mentally saying “oh you~” with a slight blush. They all gave him a weird and revolted look before Bom broke the silence, pulling away from Seunghyun’s grasp and sitting on Dara’s bed.

“There’s no need to call a doctor, Kwon.” She said, brushing the girl’s hair. “She’s not sick or anything. This is just from too much stress. It happened often during high school and college so I should know. There’s no need to call a doctor. She’ll be fine once she wakes up—a little dazed and confused, but she’ll still be fine.” Bom flashed him a pointed look. “Just stop pushing her too far. She can only take so much.”

Daesung nodded. “She’s right, hyung. Even from the other side of the room I could hear you confessing to her and going in her space. I’d be pretty freaked out if I was noona too.”

“Do you need dating tips from the master, Jiyong-ah?” Seunghyun offered making both Jiyong and Youngbae roll their eyes.

“Oh please. I tried one of your ‘tips’ and almost landed myself a restraining order. Trust me Jiyong, Seunghyun hyung is the last person who you should be learning from.” Youngbae chided.

Seunghyun ticked his tongue at him. “You’re forgetting something, Baebae. My wonderful tips gave me that bombshell over there.” He winked at Bom and the latter scowled at him. “And lucky for that bombshell, she got the tip too, you get what I’m saying?”

In the midst of Seunghyun’s eye wiggling, Bom hurtled a pillow towards him. When he was caught in shock, she pulled him out of that room to save them from further embarrassment and humiliation. The Maknae line looked into space with horrified expressions, their innocence gone from that dirty comment. Meanwhile Youngbae bowed his head dejectedly and Chaerin—as always—scoffed at nothing.

“I… I think I’m gonna go now…” Daesung said uncomfortably.

Seungri stood up with him. “I think I’m gonna go with hyung too.”

When no one answered them, they just left and went to their rooms to think of their childhood and something pure like puppies rolling around in a field full of flowers.

Chaerin’s phone suddenly rang and she rolled her eyes at the sight of the caller. She answered it with a sigh and started heading out to the door too. “What do you want, Seungri?” she paused at the door, furrowing her brows. “What? …Watch cartoons with you? Am I 5? …Why the hell would I waste my time with cartoons? …So what if Daesung oppa’s there too?” she sounded like she was uninterested but her eager steps definitely contrasted that. She bid the people in the room a quick goodbye before leaving and bantering with Seungri on the phone.

Now it was only Youngbae, Dara, and Jiyong.

Jiyong was narrowing his eyes at Youngbae while the latter just took out his phone and started playing some games.

“Hey Youngbae.”

“What?” he said distractedly.

“Can you leave?”

“Nah.”

Jiyong made a frustrated noise. “And why the hell not?”

“I’m lonely.” He frowned at him. “I don’t have anyone to play with. Is that what you want to hear?”

Jiyong sighed irritably. “Alright I’ll play with you later, just leave.”

“Why…?” he looked at Jiyong suspiciously. “Why do you want me to leave so bad? What are you gonna do with noona when I’m gone, huh? Are you gonna take advantage of her or something.”

“W-What?! NO!!! What the is wrong with your head, dude???” he looked at Youngbae incredulously.

“I’m lonely…”

He shook his head at him, still unbelieving. “Oh my god, you really need to stop watching those daytime crime dramas and those weird- documentaries. I promise you that after I’m done with this, I’m gonna help you find a girlfriend.”

Youngbae’s eyes twinkled in gratitude. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah so get out and leave. Watch some cartoons with Daesung and them. Protect your sanity, Bae.” He shooed him off.

Youngbae gave him a quick hug before dashing on out of there. He grinned to himself and sat at the end of Dara’s bed, just quietly scanning her face. The girl looked noticeably weaker and it made him worry that she was skipping her meals or not getting enough.

He noticed that things turned back to the way before but with a whole new different meaning. Back then Dara would run away because she had a massive crush on him. Now she was running away because she legitimately doesn’t want to be associated with him anymore. He knew he had to change that. Dara was forcing herself to stop what she knows she couldn’t and it was up to him to make her live more comfortably by helping her through her struggles. She might resist and cry but he knew that was her way of asking for help. He’d learn so much from Bom that he knows now what her actions meant. He might not know them fully but he knows enough.

Dara started to stir in her bed and Jiyong started looking for something that would look like he was preoccupying himself with. Dara stirred again. Jiyong panicked. Slowly, the girl opened her eyes to see the dim ceiling in front of her. She looked around the room and stopped when she saw a familiar figure on the foot of her bed. Unconsciously, she looked at him from head to toe when her eyes stopped on the book he was reading.

“Why are you in my room?” she asked, furrowing her brows at his book.

Jiyong blinked innocently as he closed the book and neatly put his hands over it. “Just doing some reading.” He shrugged.

She was quiet for a moment before looking at him weirdly. “You read that?”

“Yes I do,” he distractedly flipped the pages. “I read—” he paused when he saw the title and the cover. It Takes Two to Tango, it read. And there, a picture of a half- man and a woman who had her legs wrapped around his hip entered his view. He quickly threw it away after some lag time and looked at Dara with a horrified expression. The girl looked at him amusedly before sitting herself up and smirking at his direction.

“Don’t worry, I know it’s Bom’s.” she reassured. “She’s the only one I know who reads her as in public. I know you don’t read them.”

“How do you know?” he teased.

A blush suddenly crept up on her cheeks but she quickly hid it behind her irritation. “Why are you here, Kwon Jiyong-ssi?” she snapped.

“You fainted and I carried you back to your room.” He explained. “Are you feeling better?”

She formed her lips into a thing line and nodded begrudgingly. He smiled in relief and petted her head. Dara flinched a little bit but didn’t slap his hand off like she used to. Jiyong thought that there was some progress happening between them. Dara glanced up at him and immediately looked away when they locked eyes. “How long was I out?” she murmured.

“Not that long actually. You just slept for around 2 hours.”

“What time is it?”

“It just past 3 in the afternoon.” He answered. “Are you hungry?”

“Not really…”

He scoffed. “I don’t believe you. Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? Why are you so thin??? Are you still sick? Do you want me to call a doctor? Why are you smiling? This is not a laughing matter, Dara! Wait here, I’m gonna call a doctor.”

Before he could leave, Dara caught a sleeve of his shirt and made him stop. He turned around with an erratic heart as he found her looking softly at him. “I’m fine, Jiyong-ssi. This is how I normally look.”

He frowned. “You look twice more beautiful when you’re healthy. I’ll get you some food. Wait here, okay?” Jiyong was out before she could even stop him. She let out a big sigh and kicked the comforter off the bed in irritation. Why does he have to be like this?! She cursed in her head. She knew that Jiyong was trying to get her back and she knew that she shouldn’t fall for his charms but…

I love you, Dara.

She scolded herself for letting his words get into her head again. She definitely found it hard to keep up her cool attitude with him flying around her space every second. Dara hated it.

…

Okay, she was trying hard to hate it.

Damn him and his handsome ing face and his ing brown eyes and his Kwon Jiyong name. him, I say! that guy!

She repeated that but she couldn’t help her immature mind and the words ‘’ and ‘Kwon Jiyong’ in the same sentence. Dara cursed again. Damn that man to hell. She was furious! How can she be easily swayed like that for all that he’s done to him? He made her feel the same things that she felt when her parents left her and she swore to herself that she wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. But damn Kwon Jiyong to hell because he made her repeat the same dreaded fault.

She should have learned by now. How could she have let this ‘love’ thing go far yet again? Love was only meant for fools that didn’t care if they would get hurt or not but she cared. She might not have cared about it when she was in his arms but she knew deep down that she was still insecure about it. The girl should have treaded over that word with careful steps but as always, she stomped on it. And the broken shards of that word called love pierced right through the soles of her feet and she would soon feel the regret of her actions every time she would take a step.

Dara gambled but got nothing out of it.

No, she got something worse from it. She got pain, humiliation, and rejection.

Dara loved with an innocent heart and utmost devotion. What did she do to deserve such harsh consequences? Was this a sign telling her that she should really stray away from love? She couldn’t help but ask that question repeatedly but then another one popped in her mind and left her to contradict herself.

How can you survive without love?

Yeah, call her the cheesiest girl in the world but that thought was genuine. She really wondered how do people survive without it. Even though she was abandoned, love gave her a chance to live. Her parents wouldn’t have made her without love and she started to feel whole again when she fell in love with that damnable man. She wouldn’t have had the will to pursue her goals and profession if it weren’t for the love of her friends and family. Love had always gotten her through everything and she loved that feeling of being in love.

So even if she decided to unlove a man because of her fear, would she still be the Dara that she was right now?

Hating someone was harder than loving someone, she thought to herself. When her parents left her, she never felt resentment from them but only disappointment and depression. She tried to hate them back then so that she could blame someone for everything that was going through with her but she couldn’t. Whenever she thinks about her parents, it only makes her miss them more. She was not the kind to hate someone but she wasn’t the kind to fall in love easily either.

Her phone suddenly buzzed and she eagerly took it as soon as she saw the contact ID of the messenger.

From: Comma

To: Pabo

Yah are you alright? You haven’t texted me since the afternoon. I’m getting worried T^T

Dara grinned at her phone.

From: Pabo

To: Comma

Aigoo so clingy. Kwon Jiyong gave me another heart oo.

From: Comma

To: Pabo

I see that you’re still living up to your name as a pabo. Aisht, you’re annoying me! You and I both know that you still love him.

No response.

From: Comma

To: Pabo      

It's going to be alright, Dara. 

Do you want me to call you?

The door clicked open and Dara’s shock made her drop her phone. She hurriedly set it face down on the nightstand and looked at the supposed bane of her existence with guarded eyes. On the other hand, Jiyong focused on the wooden tray full of dishes that he was balancing in his hands. The staff told him that they have a wheeled table that would make his life a million times easier but he was insistent on carrying this godforsaken tray, saying that Dara would see his dedication and tenacity. So far, some of the soup has already spilled but you know what else hasn’t spilled yet?

The Kwon Jiyong morale.

yeah, dude.

Ever so gently, he set the fancy tray down the island/dining table in the kitchen area and dramatically dusted all the non-existent dust off of the sitting stool in front of the tray. He looked up with a face full of sweat (from anxiousness and that steamy soup goddamn) and a bright, diabetes-inducing smile. She inwardly winced at his beaming face and just managed to smile and nod awkwardly at him.

“Get your cute over here and eat.”

Damn him. Damn him, Damn him! She chanted in her head.

“Why should I?” her brows furrowed in exasperation. “And what right do you have to be in my room?”

Jiyong sighed defeatedly. He then walked over to her and sat beside the girl, cupping her hands tight so that she wouldn’t dare to snatch them back. He looked at her intently and she looked back with the same intensity, not wanting to be deterred by his ridiculous advances.

“I have the right because I care for you. I care for you because I love you. I told you already that I was an idiot for doing that to you and I’m making it up to you by making you feel what you deserve.” He stole a quick kiss on her cheek, leaving her still and speechless. “Right now you deserve some food to get you back to health. Would you like me to feed you? Heol, why am I even asking you that? I am going to feed you whether you like it or not. You need to eat every bit of that! I need you fat so that no one would look at you other than me. I’ll love you even when you’re all cute and chubby—”

“I want you to leave, Jiyong.”

“B-but—”

“Please.” She said almost desperately. “I need to clear my head… Alone.”

He stared at her wordlessly before letting out a sigh and standing up. “You win this time but I swear I’m not gonna leave you alone in the next round.” He patted her head and smiled somberly. “I’m not gonna make the same stupid mistake again. Believe me.”

Jiyong placed a soft kiss on her forehead before dashing off into the bathroom to go to his own room. She looked at the bathroom door expressionlessly and then she landed herself on the bed, flailing her limbs in irritation and suppressed self-control. Groaning, she pulled herself up and dragged her feet towards the steaming bowls of food on the island. She scoffed at the tray just as her stomach rumbled.

I hate this, she thought as she scarfed down, grunting and making unintelligible noises. Dara distracted herself with the thoughts of her plans after YG instead of those stupid lingering ideas about the damnable man. But damn her too because her mind kept trailing off to Kwon Jiyong. This girl really needed a distraction from everything going on around her. She sighed.

And then a realization suddenly popped in her head. She was in a resort—a ski resort for that matter! That resort wasn’t going to ski itself, she smiled bitterly. Maybe the cold is gonna freeze her brain and make her forget everything. Oh that sounds so wonderful~

Alright! It was settled then! She was gonna go out and ski to hopefully get her mind off of things. Dara took one last slurp of the soup Jiyong he who shall not be named, gave to her. She scavenged in her luggage for a towel so that she could take a quick shower to help liven her up. Somehow, she never trusted the bathroom towels hotels have for her. She couldn’t wrap her head around other people using the same towel even though the hotel had already cleaned it. Call her crazy (because she was) but she’s sticking with her own towel, thank you very much!

Dara grabbed