What to follow

Minhwan looked behind him as he walked by his Uncle’s side, exiting the hospital after the YG President’s display of fury. He had never seen anyone dare touch or treat his Uncle the way that man had. He believed that maybe… his Uncle’s arrogance might indeed have gone too far now and have begun to border on recklessness.

“I will show Yanggoon!” Song Yu Seuk said bitingly “That man will know fear again! I shall personally take away Ko Young’s life and make him and everyone see who they are really dealing with!”

“Are you declaring war Uncle?!?”

“Yes” the older man replied “I have stayed low for far too long and it has made all these jack-asses believe that I have become weak. I can’t very well let that happen now, can I?”

Feeling ill at ease with that answer, Minhwan’s inside were squirming… telling him something was wrong and he ought to put a stop to all of this. “This could kill you” he warned.

“No one can kill me” Yu Seuk replied with confidence “I can never be killed.”

Reaching their car at the hospital’s parking lot in the back, Minhwan looked up the night sky as though it would hold the answer to filling his dread. However, his eyes fell on a window at the far left - the area where the waiting room they had come from was located. In the hallway’s window stood Dara, looking out into the night sky.

She had both of her hands clasped upto her chin and Minhwan knew she was praying for Mai, the sunbae who had taken care of them and Minhwan felt his insides further constrict.

“Minhwan!” his Uncle called out as he kept looking at Dara.

“Will I become like my Uncle in my pursuit of you?” he suddenly asked himself.

“MINHWAN! What are you looking at?!?” his Uncle growled impatiently, the car revving to go.

As his heart beat with troubled confusion, he saw a guy - Ji Yong - emerge from Dara’s back and talk to her. He couldn’t very well hear what the other man said but he saw him reach out for Dara and comfort her with his embrace. He exhaled sharply at the stabbing pain he felt.

He saw Dara close her eyes as she slid close to Ji Yong and knew, somewhere inside him, that despite what was happening around her… she had one place of solace and comfort… it hurt him to acknowledge that another man - Ji Yong could just be her heaven.

His Uncle slammed open the car door and walked towards him “MINHWAN! What the hell are you looking at?!? I said let’s go!”

“Will I become like you Uncle?” he asked out loud.

Taken aback, Yu Seuk stopped and looked at where his nephew’s eyes were directed. He saw that young girl, Dara, and the Big Bang Leader, Ji Yong embracing one another and felt his eyes flame with more rage. “If you could just take something like this lying down then no! You can never be like me!”

“But -“

“But what?!?” Yu Seuk demanded “You are the best man for her are you not? You have to make her see that! And standing here looking like a loser is not going to make her see THAT!”

Minhwan expelled a long drawn-out sigh “But what if I’m really not the best man for her? What if… what if you are not the best man for Mai-noona too!”

Yu Seuk slapped him. “What has gotten into you huh? What garbage are you saying?!? Have you become crazy like your father??? Believing in goodness and selflessness to bring him happiness?!? That is not the way of this world young man and you ought to have that tattooed on your head! You take what you want and you take it without reserve! That’s the only way to be happy - the ONLY way!”

Minhwan set his jaw and lifted his head to look straight into his Uncle’s eyes “I don’t want to become like you Uncle… never.”

“Then you shall forever be a loser” Yu Seuk declared “just like your father.”

The older man stormed back into the car and ordered it to leave immediately. Minhwan watched as his Uncle set out for what could only be a tragedy. “I don’t want to be like you Uncle… I will recognize my defeat for the sake of her happiness because that is what this world is all about” he looked back up at Dara and Ji Yong and despite the ache felt a heavy boulder come off his shoulders.

“I pray that this is all over soon” he whispered to himself and finally turned to look up the night sky.

------------------------------------------------------------

Daybreak

“Will you stop it?!?” CL screamed at Seung-ri, breaking off Dara and Ji Yong from their embrace as they suddenly saw their brothers and sisters lined up, watching the two of them.

“Haissshhhh! The two of you!” Daesung said in irritation “I was about to take a picture of them already!”

Unable to stop herself from slightly blushing, Dara gave a small smile but did not let go of Ji Yong.

Ji, on the other hand, allowed himself to laugh. “You look like a squadron ready to fire at us.”

“We really didn’t want to ruin the moment oppa” CL explained, raising her right eye brow at the guy beside her “But Seung-ri-ah was squeezing my hand so tight!”

“Hey! I was just holding it! I wasn’t squeezing it at all!” Seung-ri defended.

“Oh! So… you were holding hands” Ji teased, smiling with menace, as the “cat and dog” both looked stunned.

“I’m happy for you two” Bom declared, walking to the two of them and joining in their hug.

“Noona!” Ji complained.

“Group hug!!!” T.O.P. announced and they all converged.

“I can’t breathe!” Ji told them “Seung-ri! Why don’t you just go and squeeze CL instead of me?!?”

“Ah hyung! Don’t be like that!” the maknae replied “Since you and Dara-noona are together, I can’t sleep beside you anymore so…”

“Kya!!!” Ji admonished “What are you talking about?!?”

They all laughed.

“Isn’t it nice to be like this?” Daesung commented.

“It would be nice oppa if I - could - only - breathe” Minji answered, causing all of them to laugh again.

They heard footsteps headed for them and saw Danny. “The operation’s over!” he announced.