“Ahhhh~” Jiyong oppa exclaimed with a big smile as he stretch his arms out wide, embracing the autumn wind. “Yah where are you going?” He asked as he quickly grabs a hold of my wrist, preventing me from advancing without his company.

“What? So you bring me out just to stand here? Then I’m--”

“Who says we are just going to stand here? Yah it has only been 2 years since you were last gone and you have turned into such a dull person?”

“So what if I’m dull? I--” I said and before I could continue my sentence he pulled me in to give me a kiss on my lips. “Y…yah let go!!!” I said and when I finally pushed him away I roughly wipe my lips with the back of my hand.

“But there’s one thing that never change in you.” He said as he leans in closer to my ear. “You still blush when I initiate skinship with you.” He said and before I could gather my fist to give him a good punch he caught my hand and intertwine mine in his. “Shall we proceed?” He asked with that charming smile of his…yah Song Yoon Ji knock out of it!!!

“Can you at least tell me where we are going so that I know what to expect?!!” I asked since for the past 10 minutes we have just been walking non-stop.

“Aigoo be patient will you? I thought they say that when women give birth they become more patient because of their kids?”

“Really? Haven’t heard of it.” I said as I look away from his direction.

Although it has been 2 years since I’ve been away from this place but it was different from what I’ve seen the last time. This place definitely got more happening and the standard of living was getting better. However there was one thing that wouldn’t change and that would be the feeling it gives me. I have been away for such a long time and even with all that changes happening around, it still feels like yesterday when I’ve decided to leave everything and head to Seoul to debut.

“What is in your mind right now?” Jiyong oppa asked making me look up at him.

“Nothing in particular.” I said.

“Mmmm.” He simply hum as we continue on our way.

Soon we arrived at the café that I brought Jiyong oppa to during his visit to Gwangju with just me and Seungri oppa. Asking me to take a seat by the window, he head to the counter as he ordered a cup of hot chocolate for me while he settles with a cup of americano and accompanying our beverage was my favourite chocolate truffle cake. When the orders were ready, he came to the table and set everything neatly before he too tok a seat.

“Are you hungry? If you are I can go get some sandwich.” Jiyong oppa asked since we haven’t had lunch.

“I’m fine. You?”

“As long as you’re here with me, I can survive.” He said making me turn my head and look out of the window.“Remember how this was the very first place that you brought me to when Seungri left you to bring me around while he settles his academy matters? You introduced me to this café and I was really quiet? The last time I was alone in the café with a girl was before I found out Sohee has two-timed me. It was really awkward for me as I try to fight with my own bad memories but looking at you smile and with you telling everything about you to me, I wasn’t bothered by what happened in the past anymore, rather I felt comfortable as time goes by. I guess that’s when I started to realize that I actually have something for you.” Jiyong oppa said.

His confession was followed by silence when he was expecting to hear something from me but instead I couldn’t find any words to say. It was a revelation of something that I’ve never known, even when I was his girl. Of course I knew about him and Sohee unnie but at that time when I brought him to the café, I was totally clueless and just thought that the way he acting was normal since he’s usually quiet to people he don’t know so well. I was thinking that although I have been his dance partner and under the company for months, I thought that it was because we were still not that close for him to initiate a conversation with me.

“How have everyone been doing?” I asked, this time deciding to break the ice first since he did his part earlier on.

“It was terrible when you left. The girls…they took out “Girls Girls” from YG Family Concert in Japan.”

“I know.” I said before looking down at my cup and stirred my cup of chocolate.

“They refuse to perform it no matter how much we persuade them. They say it’s not the same performing that song without you cause with their leader absent, the four of them would never be YGgirls but instead just 2NE1, and that song is not 2NE1’s song. We knew you would be sad if the girls didn’t do it just because you aren’t there but there was nothing we could do to change their thoughts cause that is what we thought so too, that without you they would only be 2NE1.” Jiyong oppa said.

“I couldn’t blame them can I? After all it is my responsible for me to be leading them but I wasn’t.” I said.

“They tried. There was once they tried to move on and do the song with just the 4 of them but they just couldn’t do it. So after talking to YG hyung, they have decided to not do the song, unless you came back.”

“I wish I could too. After all it was only a month away but I couldn’t take the risk of harming the twins in me. Even the gynae said that it was going to b dangerous if I continue to do the concert, rehearsing for almost a month and then going up on stage dancing in heels for hours. She said my body wouldn’t be able to take it, looking at how I was already weak on my 3^rdmonth. Besides since I was carrying twins, my stomach was twice bigger than moms who carry one baby so I was going to show.”

“Do you hate me?”

“Neh?”

“At the time when you found out you are pregnant, did you hate me for hurting you and resulting you to give up your lifelong dream that you don’t want me to know about the presence of our child?”

“I would be lying if I didn’t hate you. But what’s done has been done isn’t it? It’s not as if I can ask the child to wait for a few years until I think I’m ready, am at the right age or have already enjoyed the stage enough to let everything go before I ask them to grow right?”

“Why didn’t you let me know?”

“Would things change if I did?”

“You still didn’t trust me don’t you?”

“What are you saying?”

“I thought everything was fine between us for you to tell everyone that we are soul mates but I guess that’s just it right?”

“Put yourself in my shoes. If you were being hurt by someone not just once but twice, would you still give in that easily? Yes indeed you were making progress with all that sessions with Doctor Im but if I were to ask you right now if I did something again that trigger you, how positive are you that you would never hurt me again?”

Following this was silence. I knew very well that even he didn’t have the confidence that he wouldn’t hurt me if he was jealous or even when we are arguing with one another. Even if he was confident that he has fully recovered and would not hurt me again, it is natural for the ratio in my head to be 50/50. In addition to that the incident happened only a few months back and it has been quiet in between, too quiet to prove that he has actually changed for the better. Maybe if in between he got jealous but never once resort to violence, I would be able to trust him a little more?

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t need your apology. This might sound stupid but all I just need is your understanding and even if you have any thoughts about keeping Hoon with you, I hope you would just forget about it.”

“I know. I’ve done you wrong and never would I think about taking Hoon away from you. After all you are a better parent to Hoon and have sacrificed so much for him.”

“Thank you.”

Maybe it was because the both of us have let down everything that we have in our minds and heart for the past 2 years that it wasn’t that awkward, rather it felt more relaxing to be conversing with one another with Jiyong oppa telling me more about the 21bang couples. He even told me how one day they were supposed to throw a surprise party that was organized by TOP oppa at his personal villa for the birthday unnie and the original plan was for them to pop by at the villa when the clock strikes 12 with cakes, poppers and even stacks of corns. All 7 of them, excluding TOP oppa and Bom unnie enters the villa in their pajamas since it was a PJ birthday party with the keys that TOP oppa entrusted to Jiyong oppa but things got awkward when they heard the aliens mating. The two aliens were so loud that even when they are at the room upstairs it was as if the couple was just right beside them at the living room.

Maybe it was deliberate but TOP oppa had his family stay away from the house that night because TOP oppa didn’t want the party to disturb their sleep but seems like he has forgotten totally about the party he has planned for Bom unnie and with just the two of them in the house, TOP oppa decided to be the first present for Bom unnie and well let’s just say everyone was kind enough to not be a er as they let them finish what they were doing while the 7 of them decided to give them another hour, hoping that they would finish by then and walk around the neighborhood during that time before they came back. Thankfully there wasn’t any moans heard so the 7 decided to just barge up, knocking on the door as if they were going to bang it down and shocked the tired couple who almost fell asleep.

There were many other stories that Jiyong oppa shared, majority of it being the alien couple since they have already made their relationship known to public so they were just like us previously, showing our affection to one another in the open while the other couples were as if they are playing a game of catching with the boys giving their all out trying to get the girls. Maybe it was because of all the interesting stories, time went by really quickly and the sun was halfway down. Noticing this, Jiyong oppa forced me to finish everything up quickly before he pulls me out of the café.

“Where are you bringing me to this time?”

“Don’t worry I promise you we would be back home in time for dinner.” Jiyong oppa said, holding my hand as if afraid that I would escape from him if he didn’t take notice.

Soon enough we arrive at the beach. Is he trying to reminisce our first time together here in Gwangju? First it’s the café and now the beach? Isn’t all this the places that I’ve brought him to? Walking to a familiar spot under the tree, Jiyong oppa made sure that although it was sand, it was free from shattered glass and all before he made me seat down while he followed suit beside me. Taking off his jacket, he wraps it around me to protect me from the sea breeze.

“Remember this place?” He asked me making me nod. “Was it 3 years back? The last time you brought me here? After drinking coffee at the café you brought me here to see the sunset. If being at the café made me realize I had something for you, the time while we were here made me decide to go all out for you, even if at that point of time you have yet to debut. Well of course I haven’t thought of confessing to you since we weren’t that close and on top of that it wasn’t the right time for you to be in a relationship but I just thought that even if I could be by you, protecting you and even see you succeed, that was all that matters.” He said.

“You even took a picture of me secretly and it ended up being the cover photo of my debut album.” I said, remembering the good times.

“I was so in love with you and I came off rough didn’t I? Maybe if someone or even you were there to stop me from all these actions, I wouldn’t have hurt you after that.” He said.

“I should have seen those signs if I wasn’t that oblivious.”

“You can’t be blamed. After all you were in love with me too.”

“Yeah right.” I said looking at him and soon enough we burst out into laughter.

“Would you stay if I asked you too?” He suddenly blurted in the midst of the both of us staring out to see the sun slowly setting behind the sea.

“Neh?” I said and before I know it my back was against the sand with Jiyong oppa hovering above me.