“I wish I could come with you in the Philippines”, he texted, hours before her flight.

Dara: It’s not your birthday yet, you’re not allowed to make wishes. Kkk

He rolled his eyes.

GD: Speaking of my birthday, I’m expecting you to be there, alright?
Dara: Of course, I can’t miss all the foods and drinks you’ll be serving, right? Yumyumyum. And besides, I’m a party type of girl
GD: Since when did you become a party girl?
Dara: Starting on your birthday. Anyway, do you want anything for your birthday?
GD: Just be there, that’s enough for me.
Dara: Oh, good. I won’t be spending money. It’s such a waste to spend it on you, don’t you think? Kkk

He’s not really expecting anything from her. Honestly, her presence would be enough but to say that it’s a waste to spend on him was overboard.

GD: Why don’t you just enjoy your trip and stop messing me?
Dara: I will! U should have a vacation yourself. Ur working too hard this past couple of months. I can see that you’re losing weight rapidly.

He smiled.

GD: Concerned?
Dara: kkk. You’ve been teasing me with about how fragile my body is, I’m just having my revenge. . .Ah… It’s so sweet!

He’ll definitely miss her. Three days felt like three weeks for him.

GD: Yeah, I think I can eat and sleep well now that you’ll be gone for three days. You’ve been disturbing me with your messages for 24/7. It’s kinda annoying.

He was just teasing her of course. He actually liked the idea of her texting him late at night, or early in the morning or even during lunchtime. And, this is his way of saying that he’ll miss her badly, and her meassages. He knows she won’t be able to text him regularly once she arrived in the Philippines

Dara: Fine, then. I won’t text you anymore if it’s annoying you already. I know you only want to text CL, but u don’t have to tell that too bluntly.
GD: hahahaha. Don’t be such a baby, I’m just kidding you.

He waited, but she never replied. He tried to call her, but her phone was off. He sighed.
‘I was just kidding her’ he thought.
She can be really hardheaded and hotheaded sometimes. She also got a lot of mood swings. It’s actually driving him crazy sometimes.

‘I’ll just call her again later’ he told himself. He shook his head. She’s really one of the most unpredictable girls in the world. He sighed again. He knows she’ll be seeing her “ex” again, because she mentioned that she will be having a reunion with her fellow contestants from the talent search she once joined in the Philippines. He never really asked her if she still loves him. Maybe because he was afraid to hear what the answer is, to hear her say the word “yes”. It was already too painful for him to hear her say that she loved him so much and that she thinks she can’t love another guy again. To hear her say that again would too much for him. He could literally lose his sanity.

He knew that this is her lifelong dream: to be singer and a performer. She wanted to prove wrong all the people who didn’t believe in her, the people who thought she was just another pretty face. And of course, this is her way of earning for her family. He doesn’t want to distract her yet, since she’s just beginning her career. To confess his feelings to her would put her career at risk. He doesn’t really care about his, but he can’t risk her career for his own happiness. All he could for now is just watch her from afar, secretly loving her.

---

He went to the workshop. And as usual, TOP, Teddy, YB were there, but this time, Kush was with them.

“Hi!” he greeted.

They greeted him back.

“So, how are things going?” he asked.

“Good, good” Teddy answered.

After a swift moment. . .

“Ah, it feels weird that the girls are not here, especially Dara. She always gives me quite good laughs” Teddy chuckled.

TOP sniggered. “Dara noona’s really unique”

‘Oh, please, not you, too’ GD thought.

“I just noticed that TOP and Dara are the same in a way” Teddy chuckled again.

“Yeah, yeah. I thought I was the only person who noticed their similarities” Kush agreed.

“In what way?” GD frowned.

“They’re both very shy, but they can crack up really good gags”

“Both of them have the same facial features, too. The hollow cheeks and smoky eyes” Kush added.

“I don’t think noona’s cheeks are hollow” he disagreed.

“Dara can be a gangsta if she wants to, so much like TOP” Teddy continued, as if not hearing anything he said.

“I rhink CL fits the gangsta image more” Gd disagreed again.

“But noona’s really sweet, too. In her own way.” YB said.

GD’s frown deepened. “I don’t think TOP hyung is a sweet guy”

“Ya! Why are you talking about me as if I’m not here?” TOP asked. Teddy and Kush laughed.

“Ah, that’s where they differ. She can be compared to YB in that category”

He looked at them expectantly, waiting for them to say anything that Dara also have similarities with him. But no one did. They kept on comparing her to other people. He doesn’t what to hear any of it anymore. It’s as if they’re saying Dara’s compatible with everyone except him.

‘What kind of friends are these people? Are they blind? Dara and me have a lot of similarities’ he thought. But then, he realized, they’re really nor aware about his feelings for her.

He was in that thought when YB’s phone rang. “Hello?” YB answered. GD saw him paused for a while then smiled. “Oh, so you arrived already? Really? Wow!”
There was too much enthusiasm in his voice. Then, YB looked at him for a moment. “Yes, yes. Oh, I see. Of course” YB excused himself and went outside the workshop.

“I wonder who’s he talking to? He’s been talking on the phone almost everyday. I wonder if it’s the same person” Teddy voiced out.

“His face usually lights up like that when there’s good news” TOP said, “must be his mother” he continued.

“Or must be someone special” GD muttered. ‘Someone special to me’ he thought. The other three whoop in glee.

“Nah, YB’s too shy” he heard TOP say.

He stood up. ‘I think I got an idea who that is’ he thought.

“I need to go to the bathroom” he excused himself.

Upon going outside, he saw YB in a corner, still talking to his phone. As he passed by him, he caught the words “noona” and the “Philippines”

‘I knew it’ he thought.

He went to cubicle and locked it. He leaned his forehead against the door.

‘This is really pissing me off!’ he thought grimly. ‘If this what she wants, fine then, I’ll give it to her’

After a while, he went back to the workshop. He saw YB still talking on the phone. He didn’t hide the grim expression on his face.

YB saw how grim GD’s face was. He shook his head and sighed.