Chapter 12

It has been roughly a month since the issue broke out and about a month and a half since his life changed.

Ever since his break up with Dara, everything seems to be different. People around his working environment regarded him differently, especially her girls. Whenever they meet each other in hallways, the girls would give him their icy glares like butchering him will give them a lot of satisfaction. She on the other hand would avoid looking at his general direction.

More than the girls’ behavior, he’s more hurt with the thought that she can’t even have the courage to look at him anymore. Or the fact that he can no longer see her smiling eyes. But more than all those, he feels more pain knowing that she has also changed. She was not her usual bubbly self. She has become silent and withdrawn. All of those, he is to blame.

He was rounding up the corner at the entrance of the YG building with his boys. They too have changed around him. Though Youngbae is still acting like his trusted best friend, hanging with him and doing stuff a best friend should do, he can still feel a little change from him. Daesung, may be quiet and won’t voice out his opinion regarding his personal matter, he still knows that he is against what he did. TOP and SeungRi on the other hand are a different story. Subtlety is not their best asset. They have shown him how they disapproved of what he has done to their friend.

Honestly, they don’t have to chastise him anymore for him to know how wrong he is. He is already doing a pretty good job at beating himself every night for doing the most stupid mistake he has ever done.

As much as he would want to feel numb from all the pain, Jiyong has kept himself from drinking alcohol. He knows that she strongly disapproves of drunkards, so he crossed off drinking from the list of things that he can do to torment himself. Rather, being sober is torture enough knowing that he can never receive any more “goodnight” messages from her before going to sleep or morning greetings after waking up.

They were about to walk through the hallway to their practice room when they passed by the reception lobby. Some guy was standing there, conversing with the receptionist in English which the girl manning the reception area had a hard time to understand. He walked towards them to try and help.

Tapping the man’s shoulder, he asked, “Hey man, can I help you with something?”

The man faced him with grateful look. “Oh yes, finally, someone I can talk to in English. I am looking for~”

“Ross??” a tentative voice from afar asked, interrupting their conversation.

The man turned towards the voice.

“Ross is that you??” She confirmed, now with louder voice laced with excitement.

Jiyong stood up in attention hearing that voice. Turning his head back and forth, he tried to find who she was talking to. He felt a little jealousy to whomever “Ross” was that made her all excited.

“Baby~ oooff” the man beside him wasn’t able to finish what he was saying when the girl excitedly threw herself on him, hugging him by the neck.

“Woahh~ you did came! I thought you already forgot your promise. You said it’ll only take you two weeks. It’s been more than a month now. Hmpf” the girl exclaimed, switching from excited to pouty and sulky but still clinging on the man.

“Woah~ my baby’s sulking. Hey, it’s not my fault when your embassy denied my visa request the first time. Stop sulking, I’m here now, am I,” he said hugging her as well.

“You do love me, thank you Baby K!” she declared, hugging him tighter.

The boys and the girls along with Jiyong were flabbergasted seeing their closeness. They don’t know the man. ‘How is he related to Dara?’ those were the words lurking in their heads right that moment.