“Unnie. Hurry up! We will be late for our practice.” CL shouted across the living room.

“Why are you such in a hurry, CL-roo?” Dara asked CL as she went to their living room and sat at the couch beside CL.

“I just don’t want us to be late at the rehearsal, unnie. All our sunbaes will be there.” CL pouted at her. Dara laughed slightly at CL’s cuteness.

“Unnie, what is taking Bom unnie so long?” Minzy said as she stepped outside her room and went to the couch and sat beside CL.

“I don’t know.” Dara shrugged her shoulders and just looked at her friends.

“Bommie unnie! Hurry up!” CL shouted as they stood up from the couch and went to the door.

“I’m here!” Bom said as she stepped outside her room and immediately went to the door where the girls are and looked for her shoes.

“Kajja.” Dara said as she stepped outside their door and head straight to the elevator.

__________________________________

“We are still waiting for Jiyong.” Jaewook replied when Seven asked him why 2NE1 and Bigbang haven’t started rehearsing for their song ‘Lollipop’ yet.

“Oppa, what is wrong with Jiyong oppa?” Minzy asked Daesung who is beside her on the bench inside their practice room.

“Waeo?” Daesung looked at Minzy and smiled at her.

“He seems to be late at every of our appointments lately.” Minzy said as she smiled back at Daesung.

“He said that he is busy with something.” Daesung said. Minzy just nodded her head and stood up from the bench and head to where CL is.

“Yah, Dara. What are you thinking?” Bom nudged at Dara’s side when Bom noticed that Dara is spacing out again.

“Huh?” Dara looked questioningly at Bom.

“Why are you spacing out?” Bom asked as she stood beside Dara.

“Nothing.” Dara shrugged her shoulders. She doesn’t want to tell Bom that she is thinking about Jiyong and wondered why he is not here yet.

“Hmpft.” Bom stomped her feet lightly on the floor and turned her heels around and went to where Minzy and CL are. Dara was left standing on her own.

“Jaewook?” Jiyong’s personal manager peeked his head inside the rehearsal room and called for their choreographer. Jaewook went to the door and stepped outside and talked to Jiyong’s personal manager. Dara’s eyebrows furrowed when she saw Jiyong’s personal manager on the door. After a minute or so, Jaewook entered the room again and gathered all 2NE1 and Bigbang members.

“Where is Jiyong hyung, hyung?” Seungri asked.

“His manager says he can’t come today.” Jaewook said as he went to the DVD player and played the music.

“Why?” Daesung asked as they took their positions.

“He said that Jiyong suddenly had a fever and he can’t stand up from his bed.” Jaewook said. Dara got worried over Jiyong. She can’t seem to take her mind off Jiyong as they practiced for their performance.

“Yah, Dara-yah. What happened to you?” Bom said as she elbowed Dara on the arms lightly when they finished their rehearsal for ‘Lollipop’. Dara just shook her head and went to her bag and grabbed a towel.

“Get ready for the ‘Romantic Cat’” Jaewook announced. All the girls gathered in the center as they readied themselves for their practice.

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“Are you okay, man?” Youngbae asked Jiyong as he sat at the edge of his bed. Right after practice, he immediately went to their dorm to check on his best friend. And when he opened Jiyong’s room, he saw Jiyong still lying on his bed with the blanket covering his whole body.

“Yeah.” Jiyong replied in a weak voice.

“Do you want anything?” Youngbae asked as Jiyong just shook his head.

“Why are you pushing yourself too much?” Youngbae asked again when Jiyong didn’t say anything.

“Because I need to.” Jiyong replied.

“You can do that some other time.” Youngbae smiled at his friend.

“If I do it some other time, it will be too late.” Jiyong said as he tried to get up from his bed but failed. Youngbae helped him and he was able to sit up with his back leaned on his headboard.

“But you’re getting sick.” Youngabe said.

“Don’t care.” Jiyong mumbled as he reached for his phone and checked if someone messaged him. Youngbae rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“We have a concert coming up, if you don’t know about that yet.” Youngbae said.

“I know. And I was sorry that I didn’t get to practiced earlier. But I  promise tomorrow that I’ll be there.” Jiyong replied.

“I just wish that this plan of yours will work.” Youngabae said as he scratched his head.

“I don’t care if it won’t work. As long as I will get to say to Dara what I truly feels.” Jiyong said as he tried to stand up. His knees wiggled and he cursed slightly. Youngbae stood up as well and followed Jiyong to the kitchen.

“Where did you go last night? I checked on you but you weren’t here.” Youngbae said as he leaned on the counter when Jiyong went to the refrigerator and got a glass of water.

“2NE1’s dorm.” Jiyong said simply as he closed the ref.

“What did you do there?” Youngbae asked.

“I was supposed to give Dara a bouquet of flowers but then I changed my mind.” Jiyong said simply as he walked back to his room and lied on his bed again. Youngbae cannot do anything but follow his bestfriend.

__________________________________________

“Dara unnie, if ever Jiyong oppa courted you, will you give him a chance?” Minzy said as she sat beside Dara on the couch. After their rehearsal, they decided to just rest in their dorm.

“Why are you asking me that question, Minzy-ah?” Dara asked as she looked at Minzy on her right.

“Nothing, unnie. Just curious.” Minzy said.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” Dara said as she smiled sweetly at their maknae.

“Why, unnie?” Minzy asked her again.

“It’s because every time I will think about Jiyong, I will remember how much pain I’ve experienced. And I don’t want that to happen again. I don’t want to feel that great pain again.” Dara said as she focused her gaze on the TV screen in front of them.

“But you still love him, right unnie?” Minzy asked with her eyes all wide and twinkling.

“Hmm.” Dara smiled at her and nods her head.

“Then you can still give Jiyong oppa a second chance.” Minzy said. Dara looked wonderingly at her.

“You still love him, unnie! That means something. You just said that you don’t want to experience the pain again and yet you kept loving the same person who inflicted that pain. It means that you can forgive him and start anew with him.” Minzy said as she flapped her arms.

“It’s too early to say that, maknae.” Dara smiled warmly at Minzy and patted her head. The words that Minzy said to her kept on repeating inside her mind.

“There is nothing ‘too late’ or ‘too early’ when you love a person, unnie.” Minzy said as she smiled at Dara.

“How come you know about this so much, maknae?” Dara asked. Minzy just smiled at her and stood up. Minzy then went to her room and locked the door.

After contemplating on her thoughts, she stood up from the couch and went to her room. When she passed by Bom’s room, she saw that her door is lightly ajar so she pushed it more and let herself in. Bom was surprised to see Dara inside her room. Dara walked towards Bom’s bed and sat at the edge.

“Why are you here?” Bom asked as she sat beside Dara on the edge of her bed.

“I just need someone to talk to, Bommie-ah.” Dara said sweetly.

“Shoot. Tell me everything.” Bom said as she smiled at Dara.

Dara then started telling Bom what had transpired between the conversation of her and Minzy.

“I’m confused, Bom.” Dara said honestly. Bom smiled at her and she combed Dara’s hair with her fingers.

“There is one thing you can do about that, Dara-yah.” Bom said.

“What is it?” Dara replied.

“Listen to your heart. Follow what it says.” Bom said.

“I’m afraid that once I listen to my heart, I will be hurt again.” Dara said as she looked down and played with the hem of her shirt.

“It’s your choice, Dara-ah. It’s your choice if you want to have a future with Jiyong on it or not. It’s all your choice Dara. We’re just only here to support your decision no matter what it is.” Bom said.

“But I don’t want to feel hurt again.” Dara said.

“And I don’t want seeing you hurt also. But, Dara-yah, we need to feel hurt in order for us to learn.” Bom said as she looked lovingly at Dara and her hair.

“I’m afraid, Bom.” Dara said as she looked at Bom and buried her head on her arms.

“Don’t be, Dara-yah. We’re here to protect you.” Bom said. “Jiyong is there to protect you” Bom wanted to add but she stopped herself.

The moment she saw the mighty Kwon Jiyong kneeled in front of her is the moment she believed that Jiyong will do anything for Dara and he will not let anything hurt her again. And that is also the moment when she truly believed that Jiyong really loves her best friend and that Jiyong and Dara belonged to each other.

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Author's Note : I planned on posting the rest of the chapters tonight! Yay! I'm just so excited sharing you the rest of the chapters! Please wait for it! :*