Of injections and steaming soup

As night came, Ji Yong’s condition got worse.What was an acute fever was now a raging, full bloody battle of heat that overturned him and almost made him want to ride the Lava Explosion even a hundred times if it would only make him feel better.“Oh no Oppa” he heard someone say but wasn’t sure if it was Chaerin or Minji. Their day-off had turned into a “day-care off” as Seung-ri had joked earlier when his temperature started going higher.“It’s viral” the doctor told Teddy and the others “Let him rest tonight and if he’s strong tomorrow, I could give him another shot in the afternoon so he can be up and performing for the night.”“Thank you doctor.”“It’s no problem Teddy and I’ll make sure that he gets better. I’m excited about their performance tomorrow.”He heard the two men talk some more but he couldn’t really care. Sleep was calling him.

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Like a light switch, he knew he was turning on and off from the real world.Everything was too hazy and he kept seeing shadows.“You rest up hyung” someone said. Was that Daesung?A cool hand touched his forehead and sponged his face - the first thing that somebody did that actually made him feel better. Was that a nurse? Was he still at the hospital?“Ji Yong” somebody whispered “be better ok?”

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He had no idea how long he’s been asleep but when he opened his eyes, they still felt rather heavy. In his periphery, he saw a muddled image of Dara - sleeping while seated beside his bed.“Dara?” he asked throatily.The girl stirred. “Ji-sunbae” It was Bom “You’re awake! Do you need anything?”He hid his disappointment. “Oh…” he coughed, he sounded weird “I’m feeling hungry…”“Just wait here. I’ll get some soup for you.”He watched as Bom ran out of his room - so, he was back in “his room”. Maybe his brothers had carried him to his bed.He grunted. This was the sickest he had ever been. How could he have possibly got this?Bom came back with a steaming bowl of soup. She laid it down on his night stand and helped him sit up. “Eat this.”Ji smiled gratefully at her. “Thank you…” his voice still sounded scratchy. He had motioned for Bom to give him the spoon instead. He didn’t want assistance.This was already embarrassing.As his tongue touched the soup, he was surprised. This was his mother’s recipe. “Is my mother here?”Bom shook her head.“Who cooked this?”“Dara. She was the one with you a while ago. We’ve all decided to take turns looking after you sunbae. Manager Teddy wanted to keep you at the hospital but other Big Bang-sunbaes disagreed” she explained “So, we’ll all be seating with you.”He gulped down the soup. “Are you all here in my apartment???”Bom nodded. “We set up beds in your living room.”He wanted to stand up and see them. He was extremely touched. “Thank you.”Bom smiled “It’s the least we could do for you sunbae. You have helped us all and Big Bang told us that this is the first time you got sick.”And so it was… but man… if he had known that getting sick would give him this treatment, he would have wanted to get sick a long time ago.“I think I’m feeling a little better” he told Bom “Thank you for the soup too… uhmmm… why don’t you go and sleep with the others? I think I can handle things on my own now. And since you’re just at my living room, I can call out loud for you guys. You look uncomfortable in that chair.”Bom took the bowl from him and helped him slide back to his bed. “Don’t worry about us. You just get better. We got a stage to kill tomorrow.”He nodded and felt himself sliding back to sleepiness. “Thank you” he muttered.

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A very “parky” conversation

Dara had dreaded this moment but knew that she could never run away from it - not under the current circumstances. It was bound to happen - would eventually happen in point of fact. She had decided that she was just going to face it head on rather than wait for it because much was at stake and she had to do this for...“Dara!!!!!”Han’s sweet familiar voice jolted her from reverie but easily painted a smile on her lips.This was only Han. She could handle this.They hugged each other tightly. “I’m so happy to finally see you” Han told her. “This is so great! How are you? I’ve really missed you!”OK. So… maybe it wouldn’t be as easy as Dara thought.“I’m doing really really great!”“You’ve been very secretive over chat lately. You haven’t even told me what it is exactly you do now. The last I knew you were waitressing - I didn’t even know where. I’d always forgotten to ask.”She laughed. “Why don’t we both sit down first? Have you eaten?”“Goodness, no!” Han answered “The moment you called me, I rushed out.”They both laughed… nothing much had changed.“I was unsure if it was still your number. I messaged you over Cyworld.”“Well, it’s a good thing you tried it. I haven’t been able to check my account at Cyworld since I returned. I’ve been kept busy by meet-ups and reunions and family. I hadn’t realized that being gone for almost three years, I’d still see these people… I mean… look at you! The last we saw one another was at an Ice Cream Gallery before you left for the Philippines.”Dara nodded. “Yeah. I felt really sad to learn that you and Se7en wouldn’t be able to come back to Korea when I returned.”Han held her hand. “I felt sad about that too… Se7en had become so busy managing clubs and doing events in Cali while I barely had time to breathe from tapings that we sometimes wouldn’t even see one another for days!”“Hey! I’ve been watching your series” she told Han “and I’m dying to know how it’ll end this season - most especially as you’re step mother hatched something really evil.”“Oh you watch out for that!” Han answered “Thank you. I hadn’t realized that they were already showing it here. I was surprised to be asked for an autograph.”“They’ve only just began season one here but I’ve been watching it via youtube” Dara explained “so, I’m more advanced than the others.”A waitress stopped by their table to hand them the menu. They both ordered Strawberry lemonade and lots of mini cakes.“It’s a good thing that you and Se7en are still going strong. My! How long have you been together?”“Seven years” her friend smiled “I never thought we’d last that long and going to America was really a gamble for both of us. I was afraid that being there would tear us apart but despite everything, we’ve grown closer to one another than we ever have here. Maybe it’s because we both kept thinking that all we had over there was one another.”“That’s great. Where is oppa by the way?”“Oh. He’s at our hotel. He just arrived last night. He wanted to come but he wasn’t really that ok-looking yet from the jet lag. I told him that we’d see you some other time together.”“It’s good that he’s here too.”“We’re both here for a friend. - which! I just remembered! Have you and Ji seen one another yet?!?!”“Here we go….” Dara thought and took in a deep deep breath.“About that” she began “Uhmmmm… the things is -“The waitress arrived with their orders and Dara had to stop as Han was distracted. As soon as the waitress left, though, Han re-focused on her. “You were saying?”There was no easy way to do this so she’d go direct to the point. “Han, I’ve been working at Teddy’s.”Han would have jumped up if her seat allowed her. “TEDDY’S??? The UBER CLUB TEDDY’S??? WHY! Dara! Teddy is the friend who requested me and Se7en back here! We’re going to the launch of his new girl group later! Oh my God! What a small small world! SO! This must mean you and Ji have already seen one another!!! I can’t believe this!”Surprised by her reaction, Dara tried to calm Han down by holding her hand. “Uhmmm… Han… this is the reason why I wanted to talk to you - other than of course to just see you.”Han looked at her strangely, her happy bubble bursting. “What do you mean?”Knowing that she had Han’s complete attention once again “Han… it’s really really difficult to explain but will you promise to just listen to me? And to think about what I will ask of you? Coz… I will need your help. I do need it very much.”