Dara:

November 10.

He got over me that fast? 

I should have expected something like this would happen, but this is crazy. He acted normal the following day. Normal as in being the Kwon Jiyong that he was before he got to know me. Yes. He was talkative, attention-seeker, loud and what-have-you. He never really ignored me, but he was just so...so normal. Like he'd acknowledge my presence, but nothing of importance. We'd see each other at the halls but he's just nod at my direction. With every meal time that I had with him [with the other YG people], he acted like nothing happened.

And now this.

I was about to leave YG premises when I heard someone laughing from one of the vacant practice rooms in the building. I don't usually care about silly things like that, but ever since I was hit [hard] by that realization, I'd often spider-sense his presence. No matter what happened.

That's right. It was Jiyong's laugh that got me interested on what's happening inside the practice room.

Dara, move and get out will you. I really tried, but I can't. I was scolding myself, but my feet were still rooted on that exact same spot were I was currently standing. I think I get what my feet were trying to say. 

It's either I stay here, or go inside and check him out. He sounded so happy. And anyway, Ji Eun says I have insane stalker abilities, so I bet I can watch him closely without revealing myself. 

I stealthily walked towards the room but stopped in front of the door. It was ajar. Quietly, I moved towards the left side so I can just take a small peek. 

If my heart was beating faster earlier because of what I was doing, it definitely stopped. Stopped, started beating, skipped some beats and then stopped again. For real. Inside the room were two unlikely pair. I would never have thought that they'd be talking to each other.

Of all the people, I said to myself, why Han Mina?

"Han Mina, you're crazy," I heard Jiyong say, his voice sounded a little breathless from laughing. "I didn't know you're a dorky person."

"Well, I can't blame you. Most people perceive me as someone who doesn't really have the time to talk to normal people," Mina replied, while letting out small giggles once in a while."

I should have left, I should have left, I should have left.

"Yeah, right. You're actually quite an interesting girl." More interesting than me?

Han Mina smiled that mysterious smile of hers. "More interesting than the girls you've known/dated before?"

Jiyong looked at her for a moment. He then smiled wistfully and replied, "Hmmm...kind of."

I think Han Mina was about to give a witty reply but our eyes suddenly met. She cleared , as if feeling guilty all of a sudden. I just nodded at her, giving signals that she shouldn't acknowledge my presence in front of Kwon Jiyong. He shouldn't know. I wouldn't stoop that low yet.

Han Mina wasn't able to talk properly after that, which confused Jiyong a little. "Mina?"

"Oh." She looked nervous. Did she feel that guilty? "I, I guess we should go now." she looked at her watch and continued, "They're closing this practice room in a matter of minutes." 

I felt relieved that the ordeal would be over. I should have left, but I felt that it would be better that they'd go on their separate ways too, so I wouldn't have to entertain weird thoughts later on.

When I hear Mina doing some movements to stand up, I took a deep breath and made the initiative to walk away before they could get outside. 

But I think...I'm being punished by the heavens or something. Because as I took my first step, I heard Jiyong's voice again.

"Let's stay longer?"

I could feel Mina being torn between me and him. In the end, she chose to give in to his request. "Sure."

And that's all I need to hear to leave the two of them together behind.

Jiyong

It's so hard pretending to not care about anything related to her, but I guess I'm doing a fairly good job of convincing the others. Her, most especially.

After that conversation with hyung, I kind of felt that I should accept the fact that she's not interested with me. I guess I've been in denial. It's kind of weird because I don't exactly know when was the exact moment I started having feelings for her. When did I fall so hard for her? I guess in a way hyung was right, maybe it's all in the mind. Kind of like I'm thinking way too much about it.

So here I am, watching Han Mina practice her solo routine. It's almost closing time so there's only few people in the building. I'm pretty sure most of the trainees went home already. 

Man, I never knew Han Mina was this talented, because her dance was kind of mesmerizing to watch. When I reluctantly entered the room, she gave me a small smile, as if beckoning me to stay with her. She was doing some dance steps at that moment that I just sat on the floor near the cd player to watch her. So I guess, I never knew that Han Mina could be so laid-back, too. She didn't really care if I was there or not. It was like, she's very chill with the idea.

As the music faded away, she sat beside me and started putting her hair in a pony tail. "So what's up?

I smiled at her. "You tell me."

"Well," she started, "Nothing really. All of us were instructed to do our solo routines already, so yeah. I've been practicing mine." She stood up, twirled around, and sat beside me again. "It's tiring."

I nodded in agreement. "I know," I said meaningfully. "I've been there, done that."

Han Mina stifled a laugh and rolled her eyes. "But of course. So tell me, was it this hard?"

"Harder. Anyway, you're having a hard time? That was one awesome routine." I gave a low whistle of approval. "It's seriously good."

Mina cast a dubious glance at me. "Thank you. I take it that you liked what I did very much."

Awkward silence. This was actually my first time talking to her, because most of us find her intimidating, and I didn't know what to say at that moment. She didn't even make an effort to keep the conversation going, too. Good job, Kwon Jiyong. Talk about trying to move onwith someone who doesn't really bother communicating with other people. Fail. 

It's weird being in the same place with Han Mina...alone. And that one thought led me to to thinking about Dara again. If she was with me, we would be bickering like crazy already. Or not talking, but still comfortable with each other. 

We don't really need words. Well, I don't. I just need her.

"Your face practically reads 'I-miss-Dara-a-lot'." I almost jumped upon hearing Mina's words. "You miss her so much that you actually wandered along the halls alone and went here inside just so she'd be out of your mind." She crossed her eyes and pouted like crazy that I couldn't help but laugh.

"Han Mina, you're crazy. I didn't know you're a dorky person."

Mina just rolled her eyes again. "Well, I can't blame you. Most people perceive me as someone who doesn't really have the time to talk to normal people anyway." 

Dorky = Dara. I fail at keeping her out of my mind.

"Yeah, right," I answered. "You're actually quite an interesting girl." 

Interesting = Dara. This is so out of control.

Han Mina smiled that mysterious smile of hers in return. "More interesting than the girls you've known/dated before?"

I looked at her for a moment. I then smiled wistfully and replied, "Hmmm...kind of."

She was about to say something next but whatever it was, it wasn't able to come out of her lips. She was looking at the door, a little surprised. 

"Mina?" 

"Oh." She looked nervous. What's wrong? "I, I guess we should go now." she looked at her watch and continued, "They're closing this practice room in a matter of minutes." 

I couldn't help but feel disappointed after I heard her saying those words. I didn't want to feel alone, and her presence has been nothing but comforting so far, for some strange reason. When she was about to stand up, I grabbed a hold of her hand, much to her surprise.

"Let's stay longer?"

What I said truly surprised the both of us, and she looked torn. But whatever her doubts were, she chose to give in to my request. Maybe out of pity, since she knew right off the bat that I've been missing her friend so bad lately. She sat beside me again and took a deep breath.

"So, you really want to talk about it?"