Dara arrived at school the next day with puffy eyes framed by dark circles. To many, she looked like a panda, but she hardly had the energy to care. Her terrible sleep last night had her walking around like a zombie in the day-light. The lessons passed painfully slowly, and the usually attentive girl struggled to stay awake, ignoring the teacher's annoyed glares at her as she yawned and blinked sleepily. If she hadn't been one of their favourite students, Dara may have already had a chain of detentions in her wake. The moment the bell rings, the girl rushes restlessly out of the stifling room and bumped into a solid shoulder. She cried out in alarm, dropping all her books and the male she collided against bent down to help her.

"Woah Dara I always knew you were kind of clumsy but this is abnormal even for you! Is there perhaps something bothering you?"

The girl looked up at the familiar voice,it seemed that the boy she had bumped was no other than Taeyang. The sight of the kind face sent waves of relief through Dara's system. There was indeed something bothering her and so she nodded in response to his question.

"Do you want to tell me what it is?" He asked gently.

"You probably don't want to know." Dara scoffed lightly, "it's boy problems."

Taeyang raised an eyebrow, looking confused, "But didn't you just get together with your boyfriend yesterday? "

It was Dara's turn to be puzzled. "Umm...No. I have no idea what you're talking about. "

"There's no need to be shy Dara, we saw you guys hugging in the cafe." He revealed.

"What the heck? That doesn't mean that we're back together, it was a farewell hug stupid!" Dara poked the boy's forehead light. "Besides, I like Jiyong." She whispered the last part unconsciously.

"Wait, what was that?" Taeyang's eyes sparkled when he heard what the girl said.

"Nothing." She squeaked.

"Yeah right...'' Taeyang looked less than convinced.

"Fine! I do. So what?! He already has a girlfriend anyway! I saw them at his house looking all cosy." The girl chewed her lip, alarmed at her own outburst.

Taeyang's eyebrows furrowed, as far as he knew, Jiyong haven't had a real girlfriend whom he had genuine feelings for; sure he had seduced a fee, well more than a few for his own gains and amusement before, but he would never invite them to his house. That meant crossing the boundaries.

"Maybe you should go ask him about it Dara, who knows, perhaps you misunderstood after all I misunderstood your relationship with Wooyoung. It is really about time we stop jumping into conclusions."

Dara nodded carefully, how she wished Taeyang was right about Jiyong still being single and it being all just a misunderstanding but just how was she supposed to find out the truth without embarrassing herself? She really didn't want the boy to get the idea that she like him before she was sure that he was unattached. A braver girl may not have cared but Dara liked things calculated, she wanted at least a small probability that GD would return her affections before she opened her heart vulnerably. A lightbulb lit up in Dara's head, of course, she could just get someone else to ask.Bom? That would be way too obvious, as with TOP and Taeyang, Jiyong may guess it was Dara who wanted to know. Then the perfect idea struck her, why not get the naturally curious maknae to do it? Plus she could bribe him by offering to put in a good word to Chaerin.

~~~

"Jiyong hyung!" Jiyong sat up wearily from his lying position on the grass.

"What do you want Seungri?" He asked gruffly.

"Why are you so mean to me hyung? I just wanted to say hello." the poor maknae bore the blunt of Jiyong's frustrations, the older boy like Dara had not really slept well last night. In fact that was probably an understatement, he flipped and turned in his bed all night trying to dissipate the image of Dara hugging Wooyoung that refused to leave his mind. 

"Hyung! Let's go karaoke this weekend!" Seungri wrapped his arm around Jiyong. "Unless you already have other plans?" He asked meaningfully.

"Nah, why would I have any plans? You're the one who might have plans with CL." He teased, still a bit bitter about having less of a love life than his dongsaeng. "But sure bro, I'm in.''

"E...eh hyung there's nothing between that cat and I, I'm not into ." Jiyong only scoffed at Seungri s lame denial.

Seungri decided to take it at step further, he had to make sure he was getting the correct information. "I wonder why such a fine specimen of the male species still doesn't have a girlfriend."

"I don't know. Perhaps they are intimated by my good looks and over flowing swag." Jiyong answered shamelessly.

'Or perhaps it's because of your bad personality and over sized ego.' Seungri thought rolling his eyes. But at least he had all the information he needed "I was talking about me Hyung!"

"Oh..." Jiyong lowered his head in slight embarrassment.

'Now I can tell Dara that Jiyong is a sad bachelor.'  

~~~

"What? So Jiyong doesn't have a girlfriend?" Dara asked incredulously.

"Nope! He doesn't!" Seungri replied with confidence.

"But I swore I saw him getting comfy with a girl yesterday..." Dara's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Aishh are you doubting my detective skills noona?"

"Of course not Riri, but I really did see a pretty girl at Jiyong's house yesterday." she explained.

"Yesterday? Isn't that the day when Jiyong's cousin Jennie came for a surprise visit?" Seungri clicked his tongue.

"Cousin?!"

'She is his cousin? I feel so ridiculous right now... But at least that means there's still hope right? But why was he ignoring all my calls and messages? He isn't even sitting at the same lunch table as us right now.'  Dara leaned her head on her hand, feeling a new wave of worries crashing down upon her. But for the time being, she pushed the nagging question to the back of her head. On the weekend she would be able to see Jiyong when they go karaoke. and hopefully they will be able to work things out there.

"Noona?" Seungri interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes Riri?"

"What about my reward?" He pouted.

"Don't worry, noona has got it all under control. Just you wait and see on Saturday." She winked mysteriously, she certainly knew something the younger boy didn't.

~~~

"Jiyong, you might want to put on something nice." Taeyang reminded as the other boy pulled on a wacky shirt full of rips which complemented with his jeans full of holes. 

The latter raised an eyebrow. "Why? it's not like I'm going on a date or anything." He said, continuing to check out his reflection in the large mirror. 

"Well Dara is going to be there.'' Taeyang hinted and Jiyong's face darkened at the mention of her name.

"Why should I care that Dara is going? What does it have to do with me? Let me guess, is her boyfriend going to go too? Why didn't Seungri tell me that he was inviting her along? I'm going to kill that rat when I get my hands on him." Jiyong ranted, ignoring his friend's attempt to interrupt.

"Ji, Dara doesn't have a boyfriend.'' 

"What are you talking about? Of course she does! We saw them, remember?" He almost shouted. Ever since that afternoon, the boy had been trying convinve himself to get used to the idea that Dara already had someone else she liked and to let go of her. This was easier said than done, and now Taeyang was trying to tell him that his efforts were for nothing?! Yes, it would make him over the moon if Dara was indeed single but if he was to get his hopes up only to have them dashed again, he wasn't sure whether he would be able to take it. The evidence he saw that day was pretty clear, or so he thought, and he didn't know whether he wanted to take a chance.

"I told you Jiyong, she doesn't have a boyfriend. She said so herself." Taeyang assured.

The air was knocked out of the slightly older boy when his friend had tackled him into a hug. Not a word was said, but Taeyang understood.

The fashionista shooed his friend out as he changed his hobo-style clothes for something more trendy and himself, suddenly a new level of excited for the karaoke. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beep boop my lovelies~ :P

Happy New Year you! I hope 2014 brings you much joy and happiness! 

Thanks for sticking with this story for more than one year so far :D I'm sincerely thankful to you all ;u;

And for helping me reach more than 300 subbies! :OOO It was so unexpected and I don't know what to say except thank you so very much! ;;u;;

Love, -adorateur- <3