Beginning note: I didn’t get time to edit this so I’m sorry for any confusion/grammars and mistakes. Forgive me!! >.< Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!! <3

Previous Chapter:

“By the way...” In Na started, placing the tube of lip gloss back in the upper shelf. She turned back to the mirror, watching her facial expression. She smirked in the mirror.

“Who ever said that I was in my right mind, anyway?”

She smiled sweetly, closing the closet door as new thoughts flooded her mind.

Chapter 10:

“IU-ssi! Is there something wrong with you today?!” the PD shouted. “It’s not like you to forget your lines over and over again!”

The M Countdown recording was stopped for the third time as IU stumbled over her words in the same exact spot she had been messing up the last two tries. There was no emotion in her eyes as she was recording the ‘Nagging’ Special Stage with Seulong oppa and she seemed completely out of it.

“Ch-chesonghaeyo!” IU bowed in apology, her expression as if she just woke up from a deep sleep. “I’ll try again! I won’t mess up this tim_”

“Just how many times are you going to say that, IU-ah..” The PD sighed in frustration. “Everyone! Take a 10 minute break. IU, use this as some time to get yourself together. This can’t go on with you behaving like this.”

IU nodded obediently, staring at the ground.

“Dismissed!” The PD shouted to everyone in the room.

IU puffed up her cheeks, disappointed in herself. She released the puff of air, sighing as she made her way to the dressing room.

I’ve never had problems like this before...I always make work priority! Why does...

Her mind flashed back to last night: the words Suzy had said to her through the phone.

“IU-ah, I swear I’ve never seen Taeyang like this before.” Suzy said quietly, in the middle of a phone conversation with IU. “It’s the second time he’s been like this, the first being when he left_”

“Eh?” IU said.

Left you... Suzy thought to herself before speaking again.

“No, it’s nothing. That’s besides the point. Taeyang was crying and...he looked so hurt...lost...and guilty for something. I don’t know what happened once he stepped into In Na’s room but he walked out broken.” Suzy sighed unhappily.

IU heard it through the other line.

Taeyang...I hope he feels better now. He’s strong enough. What is Suzy trying to get me to do by telling me this?

“Unni, you know this isn’t my problem. He’s the one who left me first. We’re not friends anymo_”

“IU, can’t you just let go of your pride once?!” Suzy raised her voice over the other line, not being able to hold it in any longer.

Her voice then cracked in an effort to express her feelings.

“No one knows where he is, Ji Eun-ah. He’s gone. He hasn’t been in contact ever since and his phone is turned off! Can’t you just forget about your stubbornness for once? It’s not all about you anymore.”

IU bit her lip as she heard her unni’s desperate tone of voice.

“Unni...weren’t you with him yesterday at YG?” IU asked calmly. “Didn’t he leave with you?”

“I was, but when we left the building, he told me he had to go somewhere to calm his emotions and that he wouldn’t be in contact for a week or two. He told me not to follow him and also...not to tell you.” She hesitated before continuing her sentence. “But..I couldn’t help it. You’re the only one who he will listen to, Ji Eun. There has to be a reason why he told me not to tell you.”

There was silence over the other line as thoughts reeled through IU’s mind. Suzy took this chance to continue.

“I think you...are the only one who knows where he is. Ji Eun-ah, I’m begging you to go find him. He...he needs a friend to be by his side right now. He needs...you.”

IU froze at the last three words, not knowing what to think.

What does she mean, he needs me? He never did...He was the one who left without even saying anything. He didn’t even give me a heads up!

“Unni, I’ll...I’ll think about it.” She said. “Give me a few days.”

“...Araso. Ji Eun-ah, I hope you make the right decision.” Suzy replied earnestly.

She hung up, leaving IU hanging and confused.

“IU-ah, are you sure you’re okay?” Her manager asked, walking up to her.

She was in her dressing room, sitting in front of the mirror, her hands fumbling with her phone. She kept on locking and unlocking her screen as if she were waiting for some sort of notification. She continuously bit her lip, anxious.

“If you don’t feel well, you can always tell me. I’ll deal with the producer myself, okay?” He said soothingly, seeing unease in her eyes.

“I-I’m fine, oppa. I can continu_”

“Ji Eun-ah, you’re...” He hesitated for a second. “...You’re worried about Taeyang, aren’t you?”

She turned suddenly from the mirror to look up at him.

“How did...Did Suzy tell you?” She said startled.

“..These days, whenever you’re worried, I can tell it’s about Taeyang. You think your own manager doesn’t know anything about you?”

He gave her a small reassuring smile.

“I...I’m sorry for worrying you, Oppa...This never happened to me before, so I’m not really sure why I’m acting like this.” IU mumbled, feeling ashamed of herself.

“Hey, there’s no need to feel that way. There’s nothing to be upset about.”

He patted her on the head before sitting in the chair next to her.

“What do you really want to do right now?” He asked.

He studied her carefully before adding on a sentence quietly.

“..You can always break the rules..”

He coughed afterwards in an effort to pretend he never said such a thing.

“What I...want to do right now...?” She repeated, staring back down at her phone and checking the lock screen.

There was a notification. She broke out into a smile. Excited, she clicked on it.

Just like she had wanted and had been unknowingly waiting for, it was a text from Taeyang.

“I’m sorry for getting mad at you the other day. I’m fine, so don’t worry about it. :) - TY.”

Her smile faded.

..That’s all...? IU thought unhappily. I thought he would at least...hint to me where he--Wait a sec...

“‘I’m fine, so don’t worry about it.’” IU repeated out loud. “Why does that sound so familiar?”

She repeated the phrase over and over again in her head, thinking long and hard. Her manager interrupted her to remind her what time it was. Her manager glanced at his watch.

“Hey, 10 minutes is almost up, Ji Eun-ah; You have to leave soon_”

“Ah!” She suddenly gasped, jumping out of her chair. “That’s where he is!!”

The manager jumped in his seat, startled.

“Oppa, I know where he is!!!” She squealed, bending down and hugging her manager tightly. “Komowo, Oppa. I’ll treat you to bulgolgi next time, neh?”

She got out of her chair and climbed over the piles of makeup products and props on the ground, grabbing her coat from the hanger and swinging her small purse over her shoulder. She then rushed out the door, leaving her manager speechless.

“Wait, IU, where are you going?!” The manager yelled out as she disappeared.

IU stopped in the middle of the hallway after hearing her manager’s voice, realizing she dashed out without giving her manager a warning. She quickly ran back and poked her head into the doorway.

“Deal with the producer for me, okay?” She grinned. “I’ll be back. Don’t go looking for me. Araso, oppa?”

She winked before running out yet again. The manager blinked for a couple of seconds before laughing to himself.

“Looks like she found out what she wanted to do right now.” He laughed to himself. “I thought it would take longer than that.”

He stretched out his arms and yawned.

I guess I have to deal with the producer now...

He stood up and patted down his clothes, making faces in the mirror and fixing his hair.

“Hair, check! Clothes, check!” He said to himself, picking up a cologne bottle from the makeup table.

He sprayed once on the palms of his hands and rubbed it on his neck.

“Cologne, done.” He said, closing the cap on the bottle.

“It’s a good thing the producer’s a girl.” He mumbled, grabbing his agenda from the table. “Otherwise, IU and I would be dead meat by now.”

He shook his head, smiling to himself as he remembered IU’s promise to treating him to a meal next time. His stomach grumbled unconsciously.

She better not be lying...I really want that bulgolgi. He chuckled, shaking his head as he walked out of the dressing room, closing the door behind him.

~*~

IU swung open the doors of the building quickly, happy to escape the confines of the M! Countdown stage.

“...How do you get to Incheon from here...” She muttered to no one in particular.

She glanced at her surroundings. There wasn’t much except for cars passing by and vacant restaurants down the street that haven’t even opened yet. Her eyes lit up as she saw an available taxi coming in her direction and she quickly shuffled through her purse, taking out her wallet.

She opened it, about to get the fare ready for when the taxi came.

“Eh?” She looked at her wallet in shock. 

She saw only a few coins inside but no bills, and furthermore, not even close to the fare she needed to afford a taxi ride.

She groaned. She had forgotten that she hadn’t received her pay for the month yet and used up the money she got the month before on Yoseob’s new album, Caffeine. She pouted, putting her wallet away. When she thought she had no hope, she heard a familiar sound to the right. A bus had pulled up to it’s stop and the doors opened. She glanced at the number on the bus.

“Bus...1601...Seoul to....In-Incheon?!” She managed to read from a long distance.

She quickly started running down the street to the bus stop.

“Wait for me!!” She shouted as the bus was about to close it’s doors.

As she reached the corner and crossed the street, she saw the doors of the bus reopen. Before she climbed on, she held onto one of the railings next to the stairs, panting in exhaustion.

“K-Kamsamnida!” She said in between breaths.

“You got lucky this time.” The bus driver laughed, nodding his head at her. “Come in!”

She bowed to the bus driver before getting in. Too exhausted to even find a good seat in the back of the bus, she sat in the very front of the bus, collapsing into the cushions.

She watched as the bus’s doors closed, relieved that she made it in time. As the bus started moving, she pulled out her phone from her purse and unlocked the screen. The text was still on the main screen and she read it again.

“I’m sorry for getting mad at you the other day. I’m fine so don’t worry about it.”

She sighed, dropping her phone into her lap and gazing out the window. IU always loved being on the bus. It felt like a field trip, seeing new things and being able to think however she wanted to without being bothered. She smiled to herself as the scene of her and her manager just a minute before replayed in her mind. Just that one line, “Hey, 10 minutes is almost up, Ji Eun-ah; You have to leave soon_” was enough to get her going.  

She would’ve never thought that her manager would be able to get her to remember something that he, being her manager, didn’t even know about. Connecting that day, 10 years ago, before Taeyang left her to go to Seoul, to this single text message was beyond her capability.

I wonder if Taeyang wanted me to be able to find him...It seems like it by what he said in the text message...Did he really expect me to suddenly remember that day before he left me..?

Her mind wandered off yet again as that day resurfaced, the images still fresh and vivid.

Flashback:

“Oppa!” IU exclaimed, running down the sidewalk to the pond, her favorite spot in the whole neighborhood.

She ran past the bushes and found Taeyang oppa sitting on a big rock next to the pond.

“Hehe, I knew you would be here, oppa!” She grinned, back-hugging Taeyang.

Taeyang didn’t respond.

She let go of him and peered down at Taeyang.

“Oppaaaaa, are you okay?” She pouted, sitting down next to him.

Her eyes widened as a tear slid down her oppa’s cheek.

“Oppa!” She gasped. She quickly raised her left hand to his cheek and wiped the tear away. “Are you crying?”

Taeyang shook his head no, but more tears started to roll down his cheeks after he had done so.

“Oppa...don’t cry! If you cry, then I cry!” She whined unhappily, her eyes tearing up.

Taeyang looked down at IU to see her watery eyes stare up at him. He gave her a small smile.

“Pabo!” He sniffled, ruffling her hair. “I’m sorry for making you cry, IU-ah.”

He brushed her bangs away from her eyes and tucked them gently behind her ear.

“I’m fine, so don’t worry about it.”

IU smiled back at him and nodded. There was a moment of silence as Taeyang tried to stop his tears from coming. IU watched him silently, occasionally using her sleeve to help wipe some of the tears. When Taeyang finally managed to stop crying, IU stood up.

“Let’s go eat brownies!” She exclaimed.

“E-eh?” Taeyang said, startled as he looked up at her.

“Mommy made these reaaaaallllyyyyy good brownies at home, so you need to come try them!” She gushed, her eyes sparkling.

She frowned as she saw the still sad look on Taeyang’s face.

“OPPA, YOU CAN’T SAY NO.” She demanded, grabbing Taeyang’s arm and dragging him up from the rock.

Taeyang looked at her for a few seconds and almost lost balance as IU started to pull him towards the direction of her house.

“Aigoo, I get it, I get it, I’m coming!” He laughed.

He steadily caught up to her, walking hand in hand down the sidewalk.  Little did she know that the very next day, she wouldn’t see him again.

“Excuse me? Miss? We’ve arrived!” A man’s voice asked, waking IU up.

She whined, trying to turn away from the sound. By doing so, she accidentally bumped her head into the window besides her and groaned. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she blinked a couple of times to get the blurriness out of the way.

I must’ve fell asleep on the bus... She thought to herself as she stretched her arms out. She jumped as she saw the bus driver waving his hand in front of her face. 

Ah...That was so impolite!

She panicked, combing down her hair and brushing her clothes down.

“Sorry for making you wake me up!” She said sincerely, bowing to him.

“Don’t worry about it,” the bus driver waved it off, “But...can I get a signature?”

IU laughed. “Of course!”

After she gave her his signature, she thanked him. It was the first time she slept so soundly in a while and she was in quite a good mood. Standing up, she grabbed her belongings and bowed to the bus driver one more time before getting off the bus.

“Thank you again!” She shouted, waving to the bus as it left.

She took a deep breath, savoring the fresh and familiar air of Incheon.

I’m back home...

She smiled.

And this time, Taeyang oppa is here too...

He’s back.

~*~

A/N:

Hello, this is Kpopchicken back with a new update of You and I! Thanks for stopping by and reading and I hope you guys continue to support, subscribe, rate, and comment to my fanfics! Anticipate for the next chapter ^^ I wonder what will happen when IU finds Taeyang? I'm pretty sure all of you know where Taeyang is...now that they're back in their hometown they left almost 10 years ago.... ;3

Also, if you guys are interested in EXO, I started a new fanfic called "We're Not 12 Anymore; We're 13" starring EXO-M's Kris and Hyunjae (OC) as the main couple. There's also a twist of powers in the story, but it's in a normal environment (No EXO planet or anything...) so don't worry about that. And also, all of EXO plays a role as main character in this story, so I made sure I didn't leave any powers out. XD Thanks for the support! ^^

Love,

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