“Why did you call anyway?”

GD was silent for a while.

“We haven’t talked for a while”

“So?” she asked.

“Why are you being so difficult again?” he asked back.

“Difficult? What do you mean? Why are you talking in riddles these days?”

“I’m not talking in riddles. It’s not my fault if you’re really slow”

He heard her gasped on the other line. He can clearly imagine how her nose is flaring right now. She was probably pissed off. But then, she surprised him by laughing.

“You sounded so much like CL-roo. It must be fate, don’t you think?” she teased.

He frowned. ‘There she goes again’ he thought, shaking his head.

“You’re being random again” he answered.

“Hmmm.. Are you trying to get close to me because you know I’m closer to CL than any of the other girls?”

He sighed heavily. He was still wondering how he fell head over heels to this kind of girl. ‘Ah, the works of love’ he thought.

“Do you need help with CL?” she continued.

“I heard you’re going to China again”

“Oh, yeah”

“Be careful”

“Ya! I’m not as clumsy as you think”

“And don’t attract too much guys’ attention”

“It’s not really my fault if-“

“You should always wear jacket and pants since it’s really cold there. Don’t even try wearing shorts in front-“

“Ya! You know I’m not that comfortable wearing shorts in front of-“

“You did perform wearing shorts not long time ago” he mumbled.

Bom’s always wearing shorts. Why don’t you tell those things-“

“She’s different” he insisted.

“Ya! Are you trying to say that I can’t-“

“I didn’t say anything”

"Then why are you so against me wearing shorts?”

“I’m not against it. I just. . . don’t want. . . you wearing it in public” his voice trailed away slowly.

‘Aish! What are you thinking?’ he told himself.

“What an overprotective senior and dongsaeng you are”

“I told you not to call me dongsaeng again”

“I’ll call you whatever I want” she answered stubbornly.

He heaved a great sigh. “How long will you be gone again?”
And they talked and talked. She was always being random, not to mention sarcastic at times and incoherent that no matter how much he wanted to still talk to her, he let her get her sleep and put some sense into her mind.

On the other hand, a smile never disappeared as he went to sleep.

---------->

Practice room. . .

They were practicing. She kept yawning in between. She’s been covering every now and then to hide it.

Then, he arrived. She looked at him, confused.

‘What is he doing here again?’ she asked herself as he greeted everyone cheerfully.

Later. . .

“What happened to the both of you?” the trainer asked. The others looked at each other, frowning and confused.

She frowned too and looked at their trainer, who was turning his head back and forth to him and to her. When neither of them answered, the trainer continued.

“Both of you are yawning every now and then”

She blushed as she heard his soft chuckle from the side. He was sitting five seats away from her, Bom and Minzy in between.

“A phone call kept me up last night” she mumbled in irony. She can totally imagine his smile right now.

GD cleared his throat. “I slept late last night, and then someone woke me up early this morning, so I didn’t get that much sleep”

She went redder than before.

-FLASHBACK-

He jerked awake as he heard his door banging open, thoughts still incoherent. He looked at the intruder with curiosity and a confused look, making him frown.

“Good morning!” she greeted, then he followed his gaze to her physique as she went to his wardrobe, opened it and looked for something.

“Aha!” she exclaimed, finding what she was looking for.

“I’ll just borrow this one, I’ll return it soon” she said, pointing at something that he can’t clearly see. He blinked for a few times and just nodded, mesmerized by her smile.

Then, she gave him a look that brought him to his senses. He looked down and his eyes grew wide as he finally realized that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He quickly took the blanket and covered himself, sinking deep into the bed.

“Dara! What are you doing here?”

She laughed and shook his head.

“Ya! You can’t just barge in my room like-“

“You can go back to sleep now” she said dismissively and walked out the door. He glanced at Gaho who was peacefully sleeping.

‘Where were you when I needed you?’ he thought.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

Then, they resumed practicing.

As he was watching them, he can’t help but think of what will happen in the future, on what’s laid in front. To think that he’s falling even deeper made it a lot harder for him to take the path that’s laid out in front of him. He knew once he put one step forward on the path he’s been willing to take and painfully chose, there would be no turning back, that he can never go back, never retreat. He smiled bitterly. He can’t believe how something so plain and simple would turn as complicated as this. Realizing his feelings for her brought all this complications up. He can’t clearly remember when it all started. He just knew that the very first moment he saw her, she already stirred something in him, at first he thought it was curiosity about her life and career in the Philippines. Then, eventually, it turned to a friendship then, as for him, it turned into love. He secretly mocked himself at how his love for her remained hidden for years.
“Oppa!”

He blinked.

“We’re having a break, come eat with us” CL called. He smiled at her then nodded. Then, he glanced at Dara who was looking down on the floor. Then, he turned his gaze to Bom and started teasing her with her eating habits.

The whole time they were eating, he would throw a few jokes in between but she remained silent, smiling once in a while. Then, when everyone else was full and taking a rest, that’s the time she glanced at him. He stared at her intently but she quickly looked down again.

----->

His phone beeped.

Dara: We’re back!
GD: How was China?
Dara: Fun! Need to sleep! Contact u later!

Later that evening. . .

The girls were ready for sleep. And as they went to bed, she turned the lights off and sinks herself in the comforts of her own bed.

A few minutes later, her phone beeped.

GD: Still awake?
Dara: Y?
GD: Come outside
Dara: Y?
GD: I’m waiting.

She frowned then stood up, not bothering to open the lights again. She doesn’t want to bother the girls’ sleep.

Dara: Wer r u anyway?

She walked to the main door, waiting for his response but he didn’t. She opened the door, and saw a man’s back facing her. He was wearing a simple navy blue hooded jacket and a black beanie.

“Ya! Ji, what do you want?”

GD turned as he heard her voice. He saw her stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

He took her hand and pulled him towards him, imprisoning her in a tight embrace. She struggled for a while then he whispered, “no one’s here except us”

Then, he continued, “Ah, I missed you” he muttered and squeezed her tightly.

Dara’s hands stopped in midair. She was planning on pushing him away but she stopped as he heard him mutter those words. She felt weak that her arms fell to her sides. Then, she raised his arms again and put both hands on both sides of his waist. He pulled his face back a little.

“Go get a jacket and a beanie” he said and run his fingers lightly through her hair.

“Why?” she asked.

“Can you be a good girl for once and just follow me?”

She looked at him hesitantly then shrugged. She then turned around and went inside the dorm.

After a full minute, she stepped out of the dorm again, wearing a black beanie and a hooded jacket. He smiled at her then took out the scarf he brought and wrapped it around her neck, half-covering her face.

“Are we going somewhere?”

“Han river” he answere with a smile, then he took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

They walked hand in hand in silence. Her mind was buzzing and working overtime. His actions are absolutely mind-boggling. Then, thoughts and questions started forming in her dizzy mind. She wanted so much to know what’s going on in his mind right now or why was he acting like this. She wanted to ask him what’s going on or if these things will somehow lead to something. She wanted to think that he’s doing this because he wanted to be with her but she strongly fought against that thought. She was scared to assume or let her hopes up. She was afraid to ask him, to confront him and voice out her thoughts to him.

She was also feeling guilty and confused.

Guilty, because she felt she was betraying CL because she was rooting GD for CL.

Confused, because she can’t quite understand what’s going on. Then, the mixed emotions she was feeling added to that. She was happy yet scared. She was relaxed and comfortable despite the fact that her heart was beating frantically fast. But the one thing that she wanted so much to know is what was the real score between them now.

They sat on the ground as soon as they arrived at the place. He squeezed her hand, as if sending her a silent message that he doesn’t want to let go, ever. He can’t quite believe he missed her this much when she wasn’t even gone for more than three days and they were in constant communication the whole time she was in China unlike the first time.

He glanced at her then smirked.

“I hope you didn’t attract too much guys’ attention there”

“Bom actually nailed all three of us there” she said. “Ahh, I actually thought I’m hot and attract attention to myself, but I was wrong!” she added dramatically. He chuckled.

“I prefer it that way” he mumbled, mostly to himself, and then added, “You already got a lot of celebrity fanboys and you’re still craving for more attention? You’re unbelievable”

She laughed. She found it funny how she took the “rumored” male celebrities’ attention when the only attention she wanted was HIS but she can’t quite own it solely.

“Don’t tell me we came over here just to talk about rumors?”

He chuckled then sighed. “Who would’ve thought that a guy like me would be missing someone like you?” he said, looking forward.

“Hmm. . .Yeah, well, I did miss-“she stopped as the words formed in her head. Then, she burst out, “Ya! What did that mean?”

He laughed.

“Oh, well, I did miss you too” she suddenly said. He stopped laughing and looked at her with a shocked face that he looked so pale.

‘Uh-oh. What have I done? He looked so pale. I think he went into shock’ she thought. She then chuckled awkwardly then started laughing out loud, clutching her tummy.

“I can’t believe you actually believed me! This is the nth time you fell into my traps”

Then, he started gaining color, but this time, he was so red she thought he was going to burst out anytime.

“Aissshh!” he shouted frustratedly at her

And so, the bickering started.

It was almost midnight when he decided to take her home because she kept on yawning in between her rants, long talks and sarcastic remarks.

In front of the dorm. . .

“Goodnight” she said, pulling her hand from his. He didn’t let her go, instead, his head swooped down and his lips planted a soft kiss near the corner of her lips. She gasped in surprise. He pulled back then chuckled.

“I did warn you to expect more to come, didn’t I?”

She was still speechless. He let go of her hand and grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. “Now, go inside and have a good night and sweetdreams”