“You know where to go. You’ve been here with the girls, right?” He asked Park Bom as he keyed in his code.

They went in without Bom saying a word. They both took off their shoes and Jiyong walked to the kitchen. He quickly put the food on the kitchen counter.

When he turned around to check on Park Bom, she wasn’t trailing on him nor was she on the couch. He panicked a little but felt relieved when he saw her still standing there with her back against the door.

He took her hand and pulled it gently as he took her to the living room and made her sit down on one of his luxurious couches. She still looked blank. It worries him. But the mascara lining on her cheeks were freaking him out a little so he went to little storage room and took out several wet tissues and make up removal kits.

It sounded selfish but hopefully she’s not lying down on his couch. It was white. It was a limited edition kind. It took him a lot of thought to buy everything in his apartment. And thankfully, as he went back to her, she was sitting but down on the floor with both of her arms folded on the coffee table.

“Bom ah, what are you doing down here?” Jiyong asked as he sat down on the floor with her.

He opened the seal to the box and pulled one wet tissue out, took Bom’s face in his hand and starts to wipe the streaks away. Bom looked startled as she felt the cool wetness against her cheeks.

Jiyong continued to clean her face, little by little, one tissue after another until there were no more black lines. He opened up the new makeup removal kit and poured some onto the facial tissue.

“I can do it myself.” Bom said in a very soft voice.

Jiyong nodded at Park Bom and went to the kitchen again.

There, he pulled out everything from the plastic bag of food after he took a few clean plates and set them up. He went to the fridge and rummaged for the pack of beers he put in earlier. He took four of them out and went to the counter again, passing his wine cabinet, noting that those will have to make do if they ran out of beers.

He was in the middle of preparing the food when a pair of slender arms was wrapped around his waist. He patted her intertwined hands and continued his work, dragging her everywhere he went.

Finally, the counter top was set and he unclasped Bom’s hands, turned around and kissed each of them. He pulled out a seat, tucked her in the chair and went around going to his. He motioned for her to start eating. And when she did, he felt warmth all over his body. It feels good to take care of his beloved. It’s been so long.

It was half-way during their dinner when Park Bom speaks up.

“Is this from Yeolbong?” Bom asked, frowning.

“Yeah.”

“Oh God… I’m really tired of Yeolbong.” Park Bom sighed.

A couple seconds of silence and fighting off their smile, they lost and laughed out loud.

“Do you want me to tell Dongwook hyung that you’re bored of his restaurant?”

“No! I’ll tell him myself.” She laughed. “He has been feeding us Yeolbong for months now. God. But I feel happy about the couple’s plan to open up at Osaka. That’s really good for them.”

“Yeah. They have a great future together.” He commented.

Jiyong looked at Bom’s smiling bare face. How can God create such a perfect being?

“Jiyong ah, you okay?”

… When things couldn’t get more embarrassing. He was caught staring at her.

“Ah… You clean up good?”

Park Bom laughed out loud. He could hear that voice all day, every day. Her laugh was his high.

“What are you taking about? Like I said so many times before, I’m always pretty!”

“Yes, of course.” He said, smiling broadly.

“Thank you, Kwon Jiyong.”

“What for?” He asked, still smiling.

“For understanding. I tried it with the girls but they sometimes didn’t understand that all I need was just a hug and complete silence.” Bom said. “You understand me most than them and that’s weird.” She laughed. “I guess that’s why I have been hanging around Chaerin recently. She’s concerned but not prying. Unlike the other ahjumah that adores you so much, she talks a lot.”

He snorts at the last bit. Everyone knows about Dara’s adoration for him. Like Mina and Teddy, he told the noona before that he has no interest in her. She accepted it calmly which surprised him but at the same time makes him feel relieved. He didn’t want to be involved in another tangled mess within the YGFam. Except for that one woman that he wanted the most, he couldn’t see him with anyone else from the company.

She was still trying to grab his attention and he still couldn’t accept her. Maybe it was because she was Bom’s friend. Maybe it was because she was not his taste. Maybe they just weren’t meant to be. She can be pretty, she can be hot, and she can age backwards to look even younger but… He just couldn’t.

It’s not that he didn’t want to. He gave it a huge consideration but it was impossible to see her without thinking about Park Bom.

Bom’s voice brought him back to the grounds.

“We were perfect, you know. But, maybe we were too fast with everything before.”

His ears perked up at what she was saying and quickly tried to compose his facial reaction.

“You think so?”

“Yeah.”

He smiled a little at her simple English answer.

“Then, is it okay to start over again?” Jiyong said, not being able to look Bom in the eyes.

That was a simple question but he could see the thousands of emotions and questions running through her eyes. It hurt him a little but it also gave him hope. She was considering it, right?

“Slowly this time.” He added again, just to clarify where he was headed.

“Slow?”

“Yeah, slow. You know, for us to get to know each other again.”

“But Jiyong, you know I have a boyfriend now.”

“Who is this man, really? Does he really exist?”

“Before I tell you about him, tell me how it is going on with you and Kiko.”

Well, if that didn’t strike a chord for him.

“Bom…”

“That’s exactly how I feel about this matter.”

“Please…” He said, his throat started to tighten.

“Please what?”

“Please tell me that… he’s at least treating you right.”

“He does.”

“Please tell me that he’s at least taking care of your health, your needs, your heart.”

“Yes, he does all that.”

“Please tell me that he’s good to you in bed.”

“We… haven’t gone there yet.”

“What?”

“Yeah, we… haven’t.”

“Why… not? Or is that too personal?”

“No… I just didn’t want to.”

That’s weird. When they were together, Park Bom wasn’t this shy. So he raised his eyebrows in amusement.

“What?” She asked him, looking scandalized.

He just laughed out loud at her expression.

“When we were together, you were a lion—”

“Shut up!” Bom said in embarrassment, her hands quickly covering his lips over the counter top.

He her palm and that made her snap her hands back on the counter top.

He just smiled widely at her flushed face. She was too adorable with her pouty lips and puffed cheeks.

Instinctively, he brought his right hand up to caress Bom’s left cheek lovingly, just feeling her flawless skin against his fingertips. Unaware that he was leaning towards her, staring only at her lips.

“Bommie ah…” He whispered as he saw Park Bom’s eyes fluttered, almost closing.

“Hey y~

Crack! Crack! Crack!”

“Goddamn it, Seungri.” Jiyong groaned as his phone rang, vibrating happily on the counter top.

Park Bom let out a nervous chuckle as Seungri’s voice practically screamed on his phone.

“Hyung! Where are you? You’re not coming home tonight?”

“Pabo yah. I’m at my apartment.”

“Why?”

“I just need some time alone, Seungri ya.”

“Okay…? No need to sound so angry. Take care, hyung.”

“Bye.”

Stupid Seungri.