It has been five days after his bold move on Bom. Again, he avoided meeting her. They saw each other several times at the YG building for work since it was inevitable. But what happened in that duration were the weird interactions between him and Park Bom.

He thinks the rest of his group mate realises it too. Hell, the rest of the YG people realises it too.

They were chummy before but everything just screamed awkward for them now.

If one enters the room or studio, they would stay around each other for four to five minute and the other would get out. If one was using something, the other needs it, he or she would wait no matter how long until the other finishes using it. These type of things happened in many different ways for the last five days. It was exhausting.

He remembered one particular and it happened to be most recent incident.

He was sitting down in the cafeteria alone with his trustee book of magnificent ideas and raw lyrics. While humming and drumming his fingers on the table, his book was snatched right under his gaze.

His head snapped to the side and was ready to say, “ off and give me back my book.” which he did and he felt immediately a little regret at saying that as he saw the culprit but his pride wouldn’t let him apologize.

“Aih… No wonder you’re so sensitive mang, you’re not drinking your coffee. Be damned if it’s cold as well.” The petite brunette said cooly.

“Mina noona, coffee or not, you know the rule. Nobody touches the book.” He said firmly while tugging the book back into his line of sight.

“Okay, okay. Sorry. Geez.” Mina said, going to the drinks section to fetch herself a bottle of Coke.

As she finished her trip, bringing back a few snacks, Mina sat back in the seat opposite of Jiyong. She pulled out her iPad from her backpack and opened up an app. She drew her usual, “SWAG”-ish cartoons.

Jiyong thought that was cute. Mina Kwon always drew things that are ridiculous but interesting to the point where she had to flash it for everyone to see. They were always saying angry things but with the combination of cute or famous cartoons to create an explosive irony. Just like the artiste herself. Small but fierce.

Just like him. The size of a body does not matter, Jiyong thinks, but rather it’s about experimentations or how much change you can bring to the things you like. Like him, music, for example and like her, arts, for example.

A few minutes of silence both artist minding their own business, the cafeteria was then greeted by a dancing Youngbae and a whining Seungri.

“Hyung please~ No, not like that! You’re freaking ruining the dance!”

“Baby, it ain’t swag if you don’t put your own character in it.” Youngbae replied, demonstrating an even more exaggerated dance movement.

“Hyung! No! This dance doesn’t need any SWAG in it! It’s supposed to give out a y feel! Geddit?! Y!” Seungri said loudly with his dramatic reaction.

Jiyong took a glance at the duo and he felt his lips are stretching into a wide smile. It was funny when Seungri did a slow-mo fall on his knees and clenched both of his hands in his chest like he was in pain or something. Jiyong chuckled a little and continued his composing.

“Oh shut up Seungri. Tweaking a little of the dances is how you make a new one.”

“But! But–” was the only thing that came out of the maknae’s mouth as Youngbae walks away and ordered his lunch from the lunch lady.

Seungri gave up and slumped onto the table next to Jiyong, grumbling and muttering nonsense every few seconds.

“What’s wrong with you maknae ah? Are you still bothered by Youngbae?” Jiyong asked as Youngbae joined them and sat next to Mina.

“Wassup Mina Kwon~” Youngbae said as he bumped fists with the Korean-American female.

Jiyong could easily tell how Mina blushes a little as Youngbae came into the cafeteria a few minutes ago. That was how she reacted whenever she met her crush, which the latest was Youngbae.

She already did that to Jiyong for the first few months they started to meet under business until he gave hints that he wasn’t interested. And it didn’t really show in public how she was smitten with Teddy but Teddy knows. And you know it, with the sensitivity of a blunt knife, he straight out tell her that he has somebody else in mind. But they were cool. Awkward but cool.

Not to be rude, but it’s not like Mina stood a chance anyways. With Chaerin sticking close to Teddy in the studios and outside, even Teddy complains sometimes. They weren’t even a couple but Chaerin seemed ready to make Teddy her husband right away. Jiyong laughed to himself quietly.

Seungri glanced up from the table, glaring a little at the famous Taeyang slash SOL and sighed, “No, I don’t mind about that stupid hyung over there. But it gets to me that we rarely spend time anymore.”

“What?” Jiyong asked distractedly while still looking at his book.

“You’re always busy with work or your friends or new friends.” He started somberly. “Youngbae hyung only spends time with Lydia or this noona here.” Pausing to look at Mina with a little respect. It made sense. Youngbae almost never hangs out with women every day like this, apart from Park Bom or the permanent staff. “TOP hyung is busy with his filming or whatever schedule he has with modelling and I can’t find out about his secret dates. No trace I tell you! Not. A. Single. Freaking. Trace!” He stopped to catch his breath. “Daesung hyung is… Well, I think he is dating someone right now. He’s more concentrated on his phone nowadays more frequently than ever and always ended up smiling like a fool.” The maknae updated, his eyes (even with the eye bags) were shining with enthusiasm.

That was interesting to Jiyong since he didn’t know what’s going on with half of his group members, except for Youngbae, maybe.

“So, what are you saying?” Jiyong asked, finally closing his book.

“The only time we see each other is when we have to record. It’s sad.” Seungri mumbled almost unintelligible.

It was disheartening to see the maknae like that. He succumbed to hear Seungri’s plea.

“What do you want me to do?”

Before Seungri replies, a loud chattering from the cafeteria’s entrance caught Jiyong’s attention. Another usual sight as always but has been more rare nowadays. Park Bom came into the view, bickering with TOP who was on her side.

“So what I was saying was that the rap part shouldn’t be mingling with the early part of the bridge.”

“No, it should. Then the overlap can be interesting and it will definitely leave the listeners feeling intrigued.”

“But it will mess up the softer sound and lyrics for the first two lines. Plus, I know you’re going to tell Teddy oppa to give more echo into it to make vague sounds, right?”

“I already did and he agrees with me.” TOP said, triumphantly.

Ah… Bad move, hyung.

“Well, nice talking to you Choi Seunghyun-sshi.” Park Bom said with a pokerface, leaving a flabbergasted TOP on the spot as he realised the horror he had set free.

“I’ll buy you corn? I’ll slip it secretly to your apartment. I won’t tell ssabu-nim.” TOP pleaded as he followed Park Bom around.

“How about Moomins? I’ll buy brothers and sisters for Poong Poong, ‘kay?”

Still no response.

“I’ll buy health foods. I’ll supply the best food for Yeoreomi, Danchu and Choco for a year?”

She huffed angrily as she shrugs him off.

Seunghyun combed his hair to the back with his hand and groaned in frustration. He looked so lost and confused. A lot more than he normally do.

“I’ll talk to you later. Okay?” TOP said to Park Bom which again, she ignores.

He turned to look at Jiyong, and walked towards him. There was a sense of purpose the way the man walks and what he said turned Jiyong's stomach upside down.

Seunghyun whispered to him since there was too many pair of ears surrounding the table. Oh, especially from Seungri. TOP pushed him away as the poor maknae tried his hardest to listen in.

“You never ask me the thing I was about to tell you that day after you wake up. I’m not gonna tell you now but we’re pretending that we agreed on going to Yeolbong and have a drink over this sometime later this week, okay?”

To be honest, he was thinking about it the whole time but he was afraid of the answers that might come out of the man’s mouth. So he pushed it back as long as he could before he could muster his courage to ask Seunghyun about it. Seems like he have to do that now starting tonight.

Jiyong just nodded and with that the Tee-Oh-Pee took a last look at Park Bom and shook his head as he went out of the cafeteria.

Yeah, this was the kind of thing they always do. Park Bom and “The Official Pimp” are always like this, endless quarrelling. Important matters, small details, nonessential things, whatever it is, no matter how ridiculous, they were always like this.

And Park Bom can be really cold if you did not warn her beforehand about anything regarding decision making.

Jiyong’s eyes never left Park Bom as she wandered around the snacks section and took a cold glass of watermelon juice. She took what she wanted and sat at one of the tables alone.

Damn… That woman has the most gorgeous back side I’ve ever seen.

That alone made him forgets his burning curiousity for Seunghyun’s big talk or Seungri’s wailings.

He decided trying to reduce the awkwardness between them wouldn’t hurt. So he took his book and coffee, ignored the inquiring look from his table and went to Park Bom’s table, sat next to her.

Park Bom looked up from her snack and forced a smile, Jiyong could see that.

“Noona…” He started, face flaming with embarrassment.

“Noona?” Bom teased. “Now I’m a noona?”

“You know what I mean. Do you really want me to call you Bom in front of them?”

“Do whatever you like.” Bom said, continuing to munch on the BBQ flavoured corn chips.

“Bom ah…” He whispered, trying to catch her attention which he successfully did. “About the last time… I was a little… What I did was a little uncalled for, okay? I’m sorry to distress you or anything.”

“We used to do things that were wilder than what you did at the apartment. Why would that cause me some distress?” She said, her lips for the remaining BBQ flavour.

It didn’t bother you?

“It didn’t bother you?” Jiyong asked calmly. But it was only a mask, in the inside of Jiyong’s mind, he was screaming “Whaaaaaaat?” in confusion.

“Jiyong, I know you’re not seeing anyone at the moment and what you did was just ‘that’, wasn’t it? Caught in the moment, or something? Right? It’s not like I didn’t enjoy it or anything…”

“You… You enjoyed it?”

“Didn’t you?” She whispered. Her sweet voice gone, her eyes darkened a little.

That was when he realized that this was the Park Bom that he missed the most. As refreshing as it was to see her aegyo and 8-dimensional personality, it was her bedroom attitude that he missed to see again.

It was that secret intimacy between lovers and the synchronised movements with equally raw passion to reach their . He missed that shared moment, between him and the goddess, alone.

Guess he couldn’t have that now. The thought that she might already have with her boyfriend nearly drives him insane with jealousy that he unknowingly blurted out something he knew he couldn’t retract back.

“Do you ever think of me anymore?” He asked in a hushed whisper.

“W-what…?” Park Bom’s eyes widened at the sudden question. All the dark expression was gone within seconds to be replaced by a purely innocent confusion.

“Do you still want me, Bom Park? Because I know I do want you.” He leaned forward to lock gazed with Bom.

“But, Jiyong… I’m with… him.” She mumbled, eyes looking down at the table.

“Him again.” Jiyong said, one hand up to show annoyance. “Who the hell is this damned boyfriend of yours? Do I even know him?”

“Yeah… you do.”

“Who is it?”

“My boyfriend is—”

A loud bang on the table brought their heads up.

“Ah! I’m so hungry!” Daesung said, digging into his food almost as soon as he sat down.

The two of them looked at Daesung and then back at each other. Maybe it was because Daesung was there. Or maybe they were caught up in the moment. Or that everything just didn’t make sense. Or did it?

Maybe they were just in denial but they just can’t help and just laugh out loud, making the happily eating Daesung frowned a little at the reaction.

“What?” He said, mouth full of food.

That only caused the two to laugh even harder. Daesung raised his eyebrows in confusion and turned to his food. He smiled while chewing his food.

But Jiyong knew that it was more than that because when he takes a look around, their table were receiving worried glances from everyone.

“Ohf, Bhom noonha. TOP-hyung ahsked meh ta bwing you this.”

Daesung slid a styrofoam container across the table towards Park Bom.

“A peace offering?” Jiyong asked as he saw a little note saying so on top of the lid.

He thought it was a little silly but knowing TOP, he was always a little bit different from the rest of them. Curiosity brought both Jiyong and Daesung leaned forward to see the content inside the container.

“Well, whaddya know. It’s sweet corn kernels with sliced bananas and strawberries.” Bommie said in a deadpanned voice as she popped the lid off.

But she smiled that shy smile in appreciation after that.

The boys just grinned in confusion, feeling amused at their hyung’s little trick.

Not a moment too soon, the smile on Bom’s pouty lips vanished.

“Yah Park Bom! What in that container? Is that corn?!” A very loud booming voice startled everyone in the cafeteria.

I knew it. It was a revenge for acting cold at him.

“I knew this was a trap! Choi Seunghyun! You’re so going to get it from me!” Park Bom said venomously, glaring at the innocent supposed-to-be ‘Peace Offering’ as Ssabunim approaches.

When Jiyong saw that smile, it reminded him that somewhere out there, Park Bom is smiling for that one man again.

Out of nowhere a feeling of fear started to sink in.

I have to make my move. Fast.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author’s Note:

Hey kids, this piece is a bit longer than usual. You see, I made a rule to myself that I’d limit 900+ to 1100+ words per chapter so you guys wouldn’t get bored with wordy sentences. But… This time, it’s over 2000 words. It might not mean a lot to some of you but to me, I’m risking my creativity so that you can be more immersed with the story and have an understanding the characters in this humble fanfiction of mine. Oh, also, it’s a little lengthier than usual too because I’ve been without updates for too long. T.T I hope this can curb your hunger for more a little while longer till Saturday. I’ll be updating more chappies by then. Think of this one as my treat for you beautiful readers, friends and subscribers.

So… I hope you’ll be able to enjoy reading it as much as I had fun in writing it. :)

- Agrotera