"We need to talk." Dara and Jiyong said in unison.

 

Dara and Jiyong found themselves in a rather tense situation. With their gazes locked onto each other for a timeless moment—blazing brown meeting piercing ebony. The air in the room was getting thicker and neither of them wasn't planning on breaking the silence. Dara's face was merely inches away from his face and she could feel his cool breath on her cheeks. She hadn't had a clue what was running through his mind but she was surely captivated by his dark, piercing eyes.

 

Then, they heard a faint knock on the other door, snapping them from their little 'staring showdown', followed by an unfamiliar voice, presumably it belonged to one of the maids, "Young master, breakfast is served. Please make your way to the dining table while the food is still hot."

 

Sighing, Jiyong called out, "I'll be down in fifteen minutes. I want to take a shower first." 

 

"Do you want to?" Jiyong turned to look at Dara and asked suggestively. "Take a shower, I mean."

 

Dara was too quick to answer, straight up jumping to conclusions. She was clearly not thinking straight. "W-with you? No. No tha-" before she could continue, her line was cut short by his chuckle.

 

"Pabo, of course not. My house doesn't only have one bathroom you know." Jiyong replied. "What were you thinking? Hm? Already imagining us showering together. You're a ert, Dara." A playful glint evident in his eyes accompanied by his trademark smirk that Dara had seen so frequently and been familiar with since they first met.

 

A blush crept up to Dara's face, she looked away from him immediately, trying to suppress her embarrassment. "I- I'm not!" she murmured.

 

Jiyong chuckled once more, "Relax, I'm kidding. Just thought you needed a cold shower to ease your throbbing headache." He said, "You drank a little too much last night." 

 

Her mind wandered, trying to recall what happened last night but to no avail. She was still fuzzy-brained about the whole thing, only forming hazy images and faint flashbacks, nothing vivid; and her stinging headache just made everything worse. This was the price to pay for binging on alcohol last night. Apparently, she needed a cold shower after all.

 

"I guess I'll have a shower first." She said, her shoulder sagged in defeat, taking his offer.

 

They made their way out of the walk-in closet quietly, and was soon greeted by a huge mess; the room almost appeared to be ransacked by burglars or perhaps destroyed by a very angry tornado. Pillows sprawled on the floor, in all directions, some of the dainty feathers were sticking out, the bed was , bed sheets and quilt were on the floor merely collecting dirt, some of his items were also scattered everywhere, presumably the ones that Dara threw haphazardly when she went ballistic right after waking up. For a split second, Dara felt remorseful for her thoughtless act.

 

She opened once, twice, no, thrice but she closed it again, not knowing what to say. She looked up at Jiyong and gave him an apologetic look. 

 

"Your luggage is in the guest's room, in case you're wondering." Jiyong stated. "Just across my bedroom."

 

My luggage? That never even crossed my mind. Thankfully, he brought it up.

 

"Once you exit my room, turn left and head straight until you find a door with a golden doorknob," He continued. Dara took a mental note and envisioned his instructions. "That's where the bathroom is." 

 

"Thanks." She said simply, not sure of what else to say.

 

"No problem, make yourself at home." He gave her a slight nod, "I'll meet you at the dining room."

 

After a few moments, she replied, "Okay," and ambled her way towards the door. But a hand stopped her midway and she flicked her head just in time to see Jiyong. Her gaze was directed to what he's holding.

 

"Um... your ." Jiyong said quietly, lowering his gaze and stretching out his hand with her red laced hooked onto his forefinger.

 

Dara's eyes widened in shock. "H-how? W-where?" She couldn't even form a proper sentence due to utter astonishment. Swiftly, she grabbed her from his finger and hid it behind her back, cheeks turning pink.

 

Jiyong cleared his throat and said, "It was under my bed."

 

"Ah. T-thanks." She said shyly, not looking him in the eye; and exited his room as fast as she could, heart thumping wildly in nervousness.

 

That was so embarrassing! My . Oh god.

 

Turning the knob opposite his room, she found herself in a familiar setting. Where had she seen it before? It clearly felt like déjà vu. Just like Jiyong mentioned, she spotted her leopard print suitcase stationed just beside a king sized bed. Wasting no more time, she took out a new set of clothes—black high waisted jeans that complemented her long slim legs and a cropped denim top that embraced her shape.

 

She headed out of the room to look for the bathroom, following Jiyong's instructions, she managed to get there without getting lost. She stripped off her red dress immediately and felt something fall from the pocket. Crouching down, she picked it up gingerly and almost let go of it upon realizing what it was.

 

What is a doing in my pocket?

 

She pondered, trying to recall. Her head throbbing painfully each time she racked her brain for an answer. Then, just like a flash of light, she remembered a guy named Seungri, not only him but all of Jiyong's friends as well, Taeyang, TOP and Daesung. She recalled everything that had happened from the moment they met on the airport, to Jiyong 'kidnapping' her, to them discovering their partners cheating on them, getting drunk to the bone and her ending up on Jiyong's mansion and finally having a one-night stand together. Memories flashed through her mind like a lightning bolt. She felt completely disgusted with herself; thinking about sleeping with a mere stranger. How pathetic could she be right now? Then, something buzzed in her mind.

 

Oh god. Don't tell me... he didn't use a ?

 

Shaking her head furiously, she entered the showering area and turned the tap on, instantly jolting in shock as she felt the icy cold water hit her body. The sudden splash of cold water woke her up and her throbbing headache was ebbing away. Sighing in content, she squirted a generous amount of soap in her hands and began scrubbing her body vigorously; as if to remove all traces of him. She could still feel his light-feathery touches, his tender kisses lingering on her skin—everything about him and everything that he did, she can't seem to forget.

 

How could a mere stranger make me feel this way? And, he took my ity. That just makes everything worse. But I can't really blame him, I'm partly at fault too. We both wanted it at that moment. Or did he?

 

Switching the tap off slowly, she stood quietly, thinking deeply; trying to stomach everything that just happened. Infinitesimal drips of water fell on her skin with every second that passed, forming goosebumps on the surface. Soon, every inch of her body started to shiver, teeth clattering and her two arms protectively wrapped around her body to warm herself up. The aftereffects of a cold shower felt oddly good. She felt refreshed, alive, and her throbbing headache diminished tremendously. 

 

Stepping out of the showering area, she wiped the droplets of water off her small body with a clean, white towel and wrapped it around herself. She proceeded to brush her teeth thoroughly with a strong peppermint toothpaste that made her breath smell utterly minty and refreshing. Satisfied, she walked towards the towel bar to find her clothes but only to be disappointed when she saw it empty. 

 

Oh crap! I left my clothes in the room.

 

Cursing herself mentally, she turned the doorknob and peeked her head out, frantically turning her head from left to right like a child who's waiting at the pedestrian crossing. She wanted to ensure that the coast was clear before stepping out. She didn't want to chance upon maids, bodyguards, butlers or even Jiyong, and see her in just a thin piece of towel wrapped around her body. She'd die of embarrassment!

 

Thinking it was safe, she tiptoed out of the bathroom and skittered towards the guest's room, still being very cautious of her surroundings. She heaved a sigh of relief upon reaching the door to the guest's room safely. 

 

Or so she thought.

 

The minute she turned the doorknob, she was greeted by the sight of the person she least wanted to see right now. Momentarily stunned by his gorgeous appearance—he donned a simple low-scoop neck tank, showing off his smooth chest, making his defined collarbones visible, then pairing it up with a pair of ripped denim jeans and securing it with a thick black belt that had a decorative buckle. How could a guy look so breathtakingly attractive with only simple clothes on, and not to forget, slightly damp hair? He must've been out of the shower not too long ago.

 

Jiyong had a startled expression upon seeing Dara with only a towel on; right outside his door, but soon quirked his eyebrow and said, "Uhm. You need anything?"

 

Oh god. What am I doing? Was I caught ing on him? Oh wait, I'm the one who barely have any clothes on!

 

His voice snapped her back to reality, "Oh! No. Sorry! Wrong room!" she replied, and shut his door in haste, and ran to the other room, locking the door in the process.

 

She slumped down on the floor, sighed heavily and buried her face in her hands.

 

That was so embarrassing!

 

When she finally composed herself, she threw on the clothes she picked out earlier before she had a shower. Now that she thought about it, her clothes kinda matched with Jiyong's, both wearing denims and a pretty casual outfit. Then again, why does she care if her outfit coincidentally matched his?

 

A few minutes later, she was finally done. She exited the room and made her way down to the dining room, descending the long flight of stairs nervously.

 

Here goes nothing.

 

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Author's Note: Have I mentioned how much I love you all so much for taking time to read my story? Well, I do. I really appreciate every one of you—your positive comments make even my crappiest days, good. Don't be afraid to voice your thoughts, give feedback, even criticism is fine. I like hearing from you all. I apologize for the slow update, I took time to rest my fingers. Hopefully, my inspiration will be enhanced. Till then! ღ