Hot and Cold

Dara didn’t find anything about Jin-ah that she could dislike – the other girl was bubbly, a big fan of music, really talkative – and she once dated Ji Yong.

But she couldn’t find it in her to like Jin-ah. The admission that she went out with Ji despite having a boyfriend and finally deciding to dump Ji afterwards really turned Dara off.

“Could this be the girl YB told me about?” she thought silently, remembering that scene almost a month ago.

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“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.”

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If Jin-ah was that girl, she decided that she didn’t like her at all.

She shook her head as she looked on at the others rehearsing. She asked to take a fifteen minute break just to rehydrate.

BIG BANG had left with Jin-ah and she and the girls decided to stay to practice.

She remembered how Ji had looked upon Jin-ah’s arrival. He had his mega-watt smile on.

However, that had disappeared after Jin-ah began telling everyone about how she broke his heart.

“It must not have been a hard decision for her” Dara told herself “She might have never cared for her at all. Haissssh!”

After last night – dazed as she was by the memory of it – she thought that something could finally begin to happen for her and Ji Yong. He had hugged her hadn’t he? And pronounced just how much he had missed her.

She had felt elated beyond words. She had felt so protected – hearing his heartbeat against her ear. She had even begun to question what it meant for the two of them… but just as she had made a sort of headway into Ji’s heart… a woman from his past returned.

Despite the squeezing pain she had felt upon meeting Jin-ah, she saw from Ji Yong’s expression that he did care for the girl deeply. And to actually see how his affections had just been carelessly tossed to his face, her heart broke more for him than for herself.

“Maybe he does still care for her…” she thought sadly “Maybe I’ve never really had a chance with him…”

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*All for you*

Ji returned to the training building and decided not to hang-out longer with Jin-ah and the other boys. It was good catching up with her but he found that he couldn’t focus on her stories about Jeju and how beautiful it was.

The way Dara looked when they announced that they’ll treat Jin-ah for a snack kept popping itself in his head.

She looked very grim – like her head was up in a cloud somewhere. And he was afraid that she had begun to consider things she wasn’t supposed to be thinking at all.

Walking towards the training room, “I don’t like Jin-ah at all – I’ve never liked her” he said aloud – imagining that he was saying it to her, practicing already how he was going to.

“Really? Who’s Jin-ah?” a voice from behind him asked – Teddy’s voice.

He turned to face the other man, doing his best not to look disconcerted. “Manager” he greeted.

Smiling, “Ji Yong, you do know that in some countries talking to one’s self is measured as a sign of insanity” Teddy joked.

He laughed - relaxing. Good thing I didn’t mention Dara’s name, he thought. “I think they think that way in this country too” he replied “Are you here to look at how we’re doing?”

“Actually, no. I came to look for you Mr. Leader.”

“Ow. What for Manager?”

“Could I speak to you privately? Let’s go to my studio” Teddy told him, suddenly stern and began to walk towards the direction of the stairs.

Worried, Ji wondered what the talk could be about. “” he thought to himself “I hope he isn’t going to suddenly tell me he’s noticed things between me and Dara too.”

Teddy let him in the studio and asked him to close the door.

“Things have been going around about Dara” the Manager began, making Ji gulp… “People have been saying that she’s the weakest member of 2NE1 and I don’t like it.”

Ji made a mental step back. “What???” People have been saying that about Dara? What right do they have? She wasn’t the weakest! None of the girls were weak at all!

“It is true” Teddy continued, as affected as Ji felt “Chung told me all about what some of our patrons have been saying while we have been busy with activities in Japan. Not everyone thinks this, though, but I don’t want that sentiment to grow. I have seen her hard work – she trains almost 12 hours a day everyday – and I’ve seen her dedication. She has also become quite an eye-catcher for some of our Male Patrons and artists from other clubs. She has become an asset and I don’t want to lose that… We have to do something Ji. I cannot let all our hard work go to waste.”

JI nodded. “Of course. Of course” – so she’s caught the eye of a lot of the patrons and even some artists from other clubs… who the -?

“Is there anything we can do that is on the top of your mind right now?” Teddy distracted him.

Trying his best to cage the budding dragon with very green eyes that was beginning to sniff the air, he once again looked back at Teddy and remembered something he had ALREADY planned to do “I’ll have a duet with her.”

“A duet?” Teddy asked, taken aback. It wasn’t, obviously, what he expected.

However, like a train gathering speed, Ji nodded enthusiastically. “I’ve been thinking up of a lot of material lately – most especially for that special solo project you’ve given me” he answered “I have one very fresh song that I’ve written while we were in Japan. I want to do it with Dara.”

“You’ve written a song while we were in Japan?”

“I have” Ji confirmed “I’ve actually really thought of doing it with Dara coz her voice is perfect for the part. If you permit this Manager, I’ll begin working with her immediately and I assure you… people are going to love it.”

Teddy looked at him curiously but did not say anything more at the moment.

“But don't tell her that I’m doing this duet because of those rumors” Ji told Teddy in all earnestness “I really want to do that song with her with or without the gossip coz I believe in her. I really really do.”

He wasn’t going to just sit and let people trample Dara down. He’d do whatever it takes to make sure that everyone knew how special she was. And maybe give them hints of how much he cared for her too, he added as a mischievous after thought.

“No one is going to mess with my girl” he told himself with conviction “Not while I’m around.”