Step by step

“I don’t think Ji will do that without reason” Se7en told Han. It was Sunday morning and they had just come from a walk - they still had one more week before going back to L.A.“Well, what could be his reason?” Han asked.“Do I look like I know what his reason is? I don’t know that too Han but we need to talk to him first” he paused “I understand how you feel for Dara and I can also understand why you did what you did last Friday but it wouldn’t seem fair for us to just take Dara’s side.”“I’m taking Dara’s side coz I know she didn’t do anything wrong. You and I both saw it. Ji began dating other girls just about two months after Dara left and then he now treats her like a stranger. What possible reason could justify such a behavior?!”“You’re angry.”“I am” she dignified “I’m angry coz he can’t be a man. I’m angry coz Dara was already going to break up with her boyfriend for him when he suddenly began this “dating frenzy” he had with girls and I’m angry coz he left her hanging then and he’s leaving her hanging now.”“I’m sorry but I have to talk to him first about this. He’s a good friend of ours Han. He was our friend first before we even met Dara.”“But he’s such an ihaveabigbutt!”Se7en drew breath “I used to be an ihaveabigbutt too, remember? And you were this angry with me then… but when I told you that I did all those because I thought you didn’t like me, you understood, right? So… let’s not make decisions about this issue yet ok?”“I promised Dara that we won’t talk to Ji Yong about this.”“You made that promise” Se7en cleared “How could I break a promise I didn’t even make?”

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Speculations

Young Bae arrived at the apartment complex earlier than everybody else. He had learned that Ji was down with fever over the weekend and decided to immediately dropped by his brother’s unit.However, other than worrying about Ji’s condition, something had been troubling his mind as he tried to have time off from work. It was a futile exercise as he had been unable to think of anything else throughout the whole weekend. He decided to test how Ji would react to his thoughts first before asking right away.He knew his brother’s reticent nature and it wouldn’t do to be on Ji’s wrong side.He arrived when Dara was just leaving.“Anyeong sunbae” she greeted him.“How is Ji?”“Stubborn as a mule” she replied and pointed a finger to Ji’s room “He’s inside resting now sunbae. I just came in to make sure he drank his medicine.”“That’s good of you. Thank you Dara-noona” he answered.She bowed. “It was nothing. He’s my sunbae just like you YB.” She stepped out of Ji’s unit and headed for the stairs.YB stepped in and locked the door. Gaho ran towards him and he patted the pup. “You seem like Dara even fed you. Lucky lucky dog. Do you know she’s afraid of doggies?”Ji came out of his room with a towel on his head.“Did you just get out of the shower?”“I did.”“But you just had fever.”“I’m already okay” Ji answered, drying his hair.“Still. It might not be okay for you to take a bath yet.”“You’re sounding like Dara” his brother told him.“I’m glad she had sense enough to try to stop you” YB put Gaho down and looked in the kitchen. He saw that Dara had again cooked soup for Ji. “Weren’t you surprised?”“What are you talking about?” Ji asked, perplexed.“Dara’s soup. It tastes just like Auntie’s soup” YB answered.His brother wasn’t able to answer immediately “Did it?”YB raised a brow “It does. Didn’t you taste it?”“I did” Ji replied “but I couldn’t make out its taste.”“Ow” YB commented, taken aback “Well… it tasted like Auntie’s. I told her so when we camped here in your unit and she gave me a funny look.”“I don’t think she could have asked my mother for the recipe” Ji told him - poker faced.“Yeah” YB agreed “But what a coincidence, isn’t it? You two have too many coincidences going on. You were able to finish her rap and she knowing how to cook your mother’s soup.”“You said it bro - coincidences” Ji emphasized and turned his back from YB “I’m going to my room for a while. I’ll be back.”YB followed his brother’s movement with a tentative gaze. He knew his mind could just be cooking up things since he was sure he was the only one to notice these but then again… one couldn’t be too careful. He had to find a way.

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Warnings

Dara was waiting for the other girls to come back. She had busied herself with cleaning up their room and was constantly looking up the wall clock. She was also mulling over the conversation she had with Ji about her owing him something. He had told her she did something from before.What was that? And was that the reason why he had treated her like a stranger? What possibly could that be?“Haisssshhhh!” she thought to herself “I’m so stupid! I could have asked him about it when he said that!” She blew her hair in frustration. “Stupid! Stupid!” she repeated to herself.A knock on their door made her jump up.“Yehey! You’re back!!!” she quirkily announced as she opened the door. “Ow!”She was dumbstruck to find YB standing there. “Sunbae!” she bowed “Anyeong! I’m sorry. I thought it was one of the girls!”YB smiled at her discomfiture “It’s ok… uhmmm… I just wanted to talk to you. Are you expecting the girls anytime soon?”“Oh. Please come in” she led the way to their living room “I don’t know what time they’ll be back actually.”“They could be back by this evening so you might have to wait a little more.”She nodded. “Uhmmm… do you want a drink sunbae?”“I’m ok” he answered “Please, don’t bother yourself.”Dara wondered what YB could possibly want. Unless, of course, it was about her individual lessons. But they usually talked about that in the training room. This was the very first time that he had actually seeked her out to talk. She knew he was shy with talking to girls - even with them (she, Chaerin, Minji, and Bom) actually. He had relaxed a little but he was still a bit detached.“This feels awkward” he admitted to her, peaking her curiosity more as she watched him look at everything in the apartment except at her. “I - I know you’re wondering why I came here to talk to you. Uhmmm… I don’t want to seem nosy or anything or I don’t even want to seem like I’m assuming things at all but I just have to say this, ok?”Her curiosity turning into confusion, “I don’t understand Sunbae.”YB grinned helplessly. “I’m sorry if I can’t seem to make sense. Actually, this is hard for me too coz I don’t even understand why I’m doing this but I just don’t want you ending up hurt. I might be wrong and you can tell me but remember that I mean nothing by this. I’m only concerned for you, ok?”“I just got more confused YB-sunbae.”He clenched and unclenched his fists, obviously gathering up courage. “Uhmmmmm… can you promise not to be angry by this?”Her eyebrows almost meeting in the middle, Dara looked bemusedly at YB.“Oh well… ok… I guess there’s no way to break this easily” YB told her, finally looking at her as he asked “Dara, do you like Ji Yong?”She would have fallen from the couch if she wasn’t seated in the middle by the shock she felt at YB’s question. “Wha - What - What do you mean sunbae???”YB immediately raised his hands “Don’t! Don’t think anything bad ok? I - I just wanted to ask.”“Do I look like I like Ji-sunbae?” she asked worriedly.“Well… I don’t know really. It’s just that you’re really concerned for him and you guys are kind of awkward with one another.”“But I’m also awkward with T.O.P.-sunbae.”YB pulled his hat lower. “I - I’m sorry Dara-noona. It’s - it’s just that a lot of thing between the two of you confuse me. There are times when I feel like there’s something going on between the two of you.”“There’s nothing” Dara denied.“Ow… well... I’m relieved if that’s true” YB answered.“Why?” she asked, unable to control herself.“It wouldn’t be good if you got involved, of course. Manager Teddy wouldn’t allow it” YB explained “And I don’t really want you guys fighting or anything… I mean, even if you got through Manager Teddy - and by some miracle – he allowed it… Ji can’t commit to anyone.”Dara was stunned by what YB was saying. She hadn’t expected to have this kind of conversation with YB at all.“I’m sorry” YB continued, seeing how surprised she was at his revelation “I - I see you as a good friend Dara and Ji has been my bestfriend since we were kids. You might not know that but we grew up together and for some time now, I’ve seen a lot of girls break their hearts over him. But it’s not his fault. He’s been hurt by a girl from the past and I think he had not yet gotten over her yet… I don’t want to see anybody hurt amongst my friends.”Finally able to grasp her voice “I - I don’t like Ji-sunbae, YB. I treat you all as my oppas and that’s all there is to it.”“I know now…” YB answered “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little quick on the trigger. I was just worried that’s all.”“You don’t need to be” Dara answered “What you’re thinking is the farthest thing from the truth.”