All in

Dara didn’t know how it had come to this but if she was honest with herself, she had never been happier than she was now.

“You can’t stop smiling my lovely Sandara” Her Grandmother told her as they peeled potatoes.

“Of course Grandma” she answered immediately “I’m happy to be here!”

“Ow my dear grandchild! Don’t be coy with your grandma. I was the one who fed you your first bottle when you were still a baby and I know you well. You are smiling because of that young man outside” the Park Matriarch chastised her.

“Are you talking about Sanghyeun?” Dara purposedly answered.

“Stubborn child” the old woman answered, looking out their garden where Sanghyeun and Ji Yong were busy putting up the tents they’ll be using for her birthday “I may be 80 but you can’t fool my ancient eyes. I know a woman in bloom when I see one!”

“Grandma!” she exclaimed “Can’t your grandchild smile just because she’s happy to be with you?”

“Psssssssshhhhhhh!” Gradma Park replied as she reached for another potato “Stop lying to your grandma child and stop looking at that boy Kwon Ji Yong because the next thing you know, you’ve already peeled your fingers off!”

Blushing (Dang! She’s blushed more for the past 24 hours than she ever did in 10 years), she didn’t answer anymore and tried to concentrate on the potatoes. What was wrong with Ji Yong anyway? For some time now, he had become softer and softer towards her and had now even come home the same day she did and was helping out with their family’s preparations for her Grandmother’s birthday.

All her relatives had taken notice.

“That young boy… isn’t he Mr. Kwon’s youngest son?” one of her Aunties asked “Is he your boyfriend Dara?”

She had answered in the negative but was met with skepticism that she didn’t dare explain anymore. How was she to tell everyone that she herself was surprised by Ji’s actions? None of them believed her – even her Umma.

“I think he can take care of you Dara” her Umma had told her the night before “Are you two dating already? You should formally introduce him to all of us. You’re Appa’s been asking me constantly and I’ve not told him of the news yet because I want it to come from you.”

“Umma!” she answered “Me and Ji Yong are just friends!”

“Ow! Are you sure?”

Rolling her eyes, she walked out of the living room and headed for her bedroom. “Haissssh! What are you doing Ji Yong?!? What is all this for?!?”

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Test # 1

“You do know hyung” Sanghyeun began, standing up from his kneeling position wherein he had just tied down one tent “that you helping me out doesn’t mean I’ll allow you to date my noona.”

They were laying out the second to the last tent now and Ji had been telling Dara’s younger brother about pieces that he could listen to so he can improve with his rapping more. He was aware that Sanghyeun had also began training with an entertainment company, if memory served him right, it was Bi’s newly-established production house.

“I wasn’t even thinking that” he answered non-chalantly, trying out the waters first. Sanghyeun was a different guy now from the kid he’d met all those years ago and he wasn’t sure yet how to talk to Dara’s brother. He had to thread carefully.

“Really?” Sanghyeun answered, challenge rising in his tone “I may not know everything that’s happened between you and noona but I do know one thing… you’ve made her cry a lot hyung. I just can’t let that pass.”

Ji knew that there was no turning back from this conversation now. He had to do everything right. He’d expected this already.

“I know I’ve hurt her” he answered with utmost honesty “and I know I’ve been an a lot of times but I want to make up for all those times she cried because of me. I promised her that I’d wait for her and I told you to take care of her and you’ve done a great job because she had you beside her when I couldn’t be there. Now, I’m here dongsaeng and I’m not going to go anywhere until I prove to you and everybody, most especially to your noona, that this time… I’m never going to let her go again.”

“Are you sure of that?” Sanghyeun asked – not yet budging “You’re not going to suddenly go off and begin dating hounds of girls and leave her without even an explanation?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life” Ji responded, he wasn’t going to buckle under this “And there’s an explanation why I did what I did in the past but I owe it to your sister to explain everything to her first.”

“Are you telling me that you haven’t even told noona about your feelings for her?!?”

Ji nodded. “I want to tell her everything when I’ve settled all I need to settle. I want to make sure that when I tell her about how I feel, she’s not going to think of anything else but just that moment.”

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Anomaly

“So, has he confessed already???” CL asked YB eagerly as the two of them, Daesung (who was still recovering), Seung-ri, Minzy, Bom, and T.O.P. met up in their favorite ice cream parlor. They all knew they were supposed to be in vacation and shouldn’t see one another but one day of lying asleep in your house could be boring as they have now been used to being active from the time they wake up until the time they sleep.

“Not yet” YB answered “He’s been able to talk with Sanghyeun and Durami, though. His next goal is Dara’s Umma and Grandmother.”

“I wonder what Sanghyeun-shi told him” CL said as she scooped down on strawberries.

“He was quite tough” Seung-ri answered, trying to steal some of the strawberries on CL’s and failing miserably as the 2NE1 Leader shoved him with her arm before he evn got to the tip of her ice cream bowl.

“You’re wrestling again” Dae told the both of them matter-of-factly, his voice still a bit scratchy “We should really suggest buying a boxing ring for the both of you. There’ll be weekly matches and I’ll have everyone place bets. I think I’ll earn a lot of money with it.”

Everybody laughed except for the two who seemed to not have heard Dae at all as they were battling out again with CL’s ice cream bowl.

“I was the one who planned to order strawberries first” Seung-ri complained.

“Well, I was the first one in line” CL replied, standing up and going to Bom’s back while still holding the bowl of ice cream.

“Seung-ri, stop harassing CL!” T.O.P. reprimanded “Next time, run to the store so no one gets in line before you.”

Sulking, the maknae made a face at CL who was smiling like she had won a million bucks and returned to eating his vanilla ice cream.

“YB-oppa, I heard you singing some material at the studio before we went on vacation. It sounded good” Minji began, diverting everyone’s attention.

“Ow! It’s something Teddy-hyung wrote from way before. I really liked the lyrics and I asked him if he could give it to me and if I could lay down the music for it coz he said the words had come to him but he hasn’t completed the rhythm he wanted for it” YB answered excitedly.

“The piano you did for it is actually really good” T.O.P. praised him. He had also heard YB with this when they weren’t busy training for their group “It’s going to be a great song.”

“What’s it called?” Bom asked.

“Teddy-hyung gave it the title Wedding Dress.”

“That sounds intriguing” Bom told him “Let us listen when you complete it ok?”

“Of course” YB answered “You guys will be my first audience.”

“Is it a happy song?” CL asked, she had settled back her chair but was knifing sharp stares at Seung-ri.

“It’s actually a sad song. It’s about one guy watching the girl he loves marry another guy.”

“That is sad” Daesung reacted “I would never want that to happen to me. I’ll make sure to propose immediately when I meet the girl of my dreams or if it turns out that she doesn’t love me, I’ll make sure to find another girl of my dreams.”

“When I propose” Seung-ri added “I’ll do it in a helicopter and I’ll tell her that I’ll jump if she doesn’t say yes.”

“That’s scary” CL told him.

“That means I’m really serious about her, you know” Seung-ri retorted “good thing it’s not you I’m going to propose to.”

CL reddened “It’ll be scarier if you actually do!”

Dae waved an imaginary flag. “STOP!!!” he told the two “Is this going to be my role with the both of you? A referee? Were you also like this when I was rushed to the hospital?!?!”

“No oppa” Minji answered innocently “They even hugged each other that night.”

Both CL and Seung-ri blushed to the roots. “Minji!!! What are you talking about?!?!?” CL admonished.

“Is that Mai-noona???” YB suddenly cut-in and they all looked at the direction he was looking.

True enough, they saw their Mai-sunbae go down from a black Porsche assisted by a man they all knew by hindsight.

“What is Unnie doing with Mr. Song?” Bom exclaimed as they watched Mai bid the Underground Lord goodbye.

They were all the more surprised when they found Mai head for the ice cream parlor where they all were.

“Omona! She’s going here!” Seung-ri said in panic “Let’s hide!”

“Wait! Wait! Why are we going to hide?!?!” T.O.P. asked as they had begun to scramble out of their chairs.

“Well because…” Seung-ri didn’t get to end his sentence as the store’s doors chimed in welcome.

“Seung-ri!!!” Mai said in surprise “Everyone! What are you all doing here?”

“We’re here to eat ice cream noona” T.O.P. answered unflinchingly as the rest of them rustled awkwardly. Somehow, they all felt they had seen something they weren’t supposed to see at all. “How about you?”

“Ow!” Mai looked very carefully at each one of them “I’m here to buy ice cream too.”

“Ahhh… is that why Mr. Song personally took you here?” T.O.P. asked before he could stop himself. There was something going on here. Their senior was hiding something from them.