What everybody knows

“So, how long will you be here Jin-ah?” YB asked, passing a bowl of beef stew to Seung-ri, who had been pointing at it with childish enthusiasm.

“I’m really not sure” the girl replied, a mysterious smile curving her lips.

“Ow. You’re vacation could take longer?” Daesung inquired.

“It really depends actu ally…”

T.O.P. put down his bowl. “Don’t tell us you’re back for Ji Yong” he said matter-of-factly, looking straight into the girl’s eyes.

YB’s eyebrows raised as Jin-ah gulped. “Is that true? You came back for Ji?”

Jin-ah covered her face “Ommo!!!”

“Noona!” Seung-ri exclaimed “Are you crazy?!?! Ji-leader won’t like that at all.”

“Well, don’t put it so bluntly!” Jin-ah answered “I want to try again you know.”

“Have you broken up with your boyfriend?” Daesung’s face was empty of all emotions.

Jin-ah nodded.

“That’s the reason why you want to go and pursue Ji?” T.O.P. asked.

“No T.O.P.-oppa. We broke up because I wanted to pursue Ji.”

“Jin-ah…” YB was at a lost for words “We’re friends, right? Don’t do this to yourself.”

“I’ve given him time guys… You know I’ve given him time. But after I left him, he hasn’t dated anyone else right? So, I think I do stand a chance with him. He told me before I left that he cared for me but I still turned my back from him coz I thought it wasn’t true… but –“

“Noona” Seung-ri interrupted “I love you but you didn’t stand a chance with hyung then and we think you still don’t stand a chance with him now.”

“Seung-ri you’re shocking me!” Jin-ah told him.

YB was just as surprised – he had never heard Seung-ri talk like that.

“I am telling you the truth” the maknae answered.

“Right now, Ji cares for someone already” T.O.P. added – surprising YB even more – what were the guys talking about??? “And we think he might care for this person more than he’s ever cared for anyone we’ve met.”

“You guys haven’t told me a thing!” Jin-ah accused.

“We didn’t think you still cared for him” Daesung replied.

“But! But!” Jin-ah covered her face and stood up from her chair “Excuse me… I – I – I’ll just go to the restroom.”

She sped away like a hurricane.

“What was that about?” YB asked the three.

“Don’t tell me you don’t see it Bae” T.O.P. replied – dead serious “Ji and Dara aren’t exactly good at hiding what they feel for one another.”

Young Bae almost wanted to do a 360 degree flip.

“You’re so surprised hyung” Seung-ri told him “We know everything.”

“I thought I was the only one who –“

“Well… even the girls know” Daesung enlightened him.

“2NE1?!?!?”

The three nodded.

“How???”

“We’ve been seeing it before coz Ji-leader began acting weird” the maknae explained “and you’ve been acting weird too like you’ve become so watchful of the two of them. It actually began with you if I think about it.”

“And then remember when Ji got sick? Did you taste the soup Dara made for him?” T.O.P. asked.

“I did” YB replied “It tastes like Auntie’s soup.”

“Exactly!” Daesung pointed “And we individually thought it weird. We had just begun telling one another about our doubts last week.”

“I think something’s really going on” Seung-ri further explained “I also think that they may have known one another longer than we think they do.”

“Woah! Woah! You thought up all this?” YB had not even gone that far yet.

“Se7en-hyung and Han-noona knowing Dara gave us that idea” T.O.P. said.

“Dara?!?!?” Jin-ah cried out in wonder. The girl had already returned from the restroom and had heard everything.

YB raised his hand up his forehead. He and the three guys looked up in surprise.

“Hey there” was all he was able to say.

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*Test of wills*

“Are you sure???” Dara asked the Manager uncertainly, shuffling on her feet as she had decided not ta take a seat for this particular conversation “But…”

“What but?” Teddy asked her, very surprised at her reaction “Ji has composed a song and your voice will blend perfectly with it.”

“Ahhhhhh…” she didn’t know what to say – the Manager’s announcement had completely caught her off guard.

She had not expected Ji Yong to compose a song for her at all. She had always thought that he’d do such a thing for any of the other girls but not for her. She knew she wasn’t the strongest vocally and she couldn’t rap as fiercely as CL does.

“Don’t you have faith in yourself?” The older man asked, her face a picture of bewilderment.

“I – I…” Dara stammered. What could she say to answer that kind of question? – She was confident alright but a duet with Ji… she’d love to do something like that of course but THIS early?!?!?

“Ji and I both have faith in you” Teddy told her firmly – seeing the battle of emotions on her face “Your voice is the fresh component we need for this song.”

“Manager…” Dara began but the office door opened – cutting off Dara’s rebuttal again.

Disgruntled by the break, she faced the door to find Ji Yong (in all his handsome glory) walk in.

“I’m going to begin rehearsing for the number with Dara” he announced to the room as though everything had already been settled, then faced the subject of his sentence “Come on! You have to hear the material.”

“I – I don’t think I should be the one doing it” Dara replied in the face of such eagerness.

Ji raised an eyebrow at her statement and decided to step closer to her “You REALLY are the one who SHOULD do it.”

Dara took one step back. It was too defocusing to be this near to Ji in front of Manager Teddy. “But why not Bommie? CL-roo? Minji?” she kept up her disbelief.

Ji looked at her like – What the hell are you saying? – and breathed a deep sigh.

“Dara, I don’t need Bom or CL or Minji for this” he emphasized each word while looking straight into her eyes – something flashing in those pools of black “You’re the one I need Dara… only you.”