Chapter Seven

He was getting worried already. It has been almost a week since she last talked with him. It seems like she was desperately avoiding her and that thought made him more frustrated than ever. He terribly missed her company and their fun conversation that always lift his burden off on his shoulders. But now, it’s just like they were drifting apart from each other. Or rather, she was detaching herself from everyone especially with him and it was hurting him.

He doesn’t have any idea what happened exactly and he doesn’t even have a clue on what was going on inside her head or what was happening between the two of them. He knows and feels that she still loves him one way or the other but he can sense that there is something wrong going on and he cannot just pinpoint it.

This is the main reason why he was here at the rehearsal room’s door and checking her out. He just wanted to make sure that she was alright and if she was feeling better. Right now, he was more worried for her health than his own cloud of doubts. If anyone can see him right now, he knew that he would be laughed at. Even he finds this one ironically funny.

Who would have thought that the great leader of the famous Big Bang will hide and stalk someone behind their back when he almost has everything in his hands? No one would until she came along in his life. He has changed and has grown up from the little Ittaewon boy many people knew into a matured man that hold the world with his hands.

Thankfully, the door wasn’t locked and it wasn’t closed properly. It made it easier for him to peep through it and find her in the practice room. He saw her crouching into the farthest corner of the room. Her face was colorless and her eyes were barely opened. She looked so tired and unhappy. He doesn’t want to admit it but she awfully looked unhappy.

Was she unhappy with him?

But he didn’t do anything wrong. He needed to talk with her and asked her about things or he would really lose his sanity. He was about to barge in there when he heard Jaewook called them out to start practicing for their choreography for the new song.

Fine, he’ll just stay here and watch her from afar. He’ll just ask her later and he knew he wanted answers to his questions. Whether she likes it or not, he will get some answers.

“Hyung…” He heard someone spoke behind his back. Carefully, he turned around and saw a confused Youngdeuk looking at him. He smiled reluctantly at him and his smile turned sour when he heard the younger Kwon asked him, “What are you doing here? Don’t you want to go inside at all?”

“Uhm, I would love too but…” He said and his eyes tried to avoid meeting the younger one’s eyes. “…I have a lot of things to do… You know, I’m a very busy man…”

“Right…” Youngdeuk agreed hesitantly as he grinned at him. “And that’s why you’re babbling nonsense stuffs…  and peeping through the small space offered by the opened door… when you can just step inside the room and watch the girls practice…”

“I was just passing by!” He said defensively and tried his best to hide his flustered cheeks.

“And you just wanted to catch a glimpse of noona… who seems to be distracted and unwell as of the moment.” Youngdeuk said with a smirk on his face. Sometimes it felt really good to tease the Big Bang’s leader who was often to be one bullying others.

“She seems unwell?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

He saw Youngdeuk peek at the room and nodded which added to his worries.

“Is this only for today?” He asked and the playful atmosphere between the two of them changed quickly into a serious one. He grabbed Youngdeuk’s shoulder and shook him as he added, “Or was this going for quite some time? Tell me! I need to know.”

“I’m not sure, hyung.” Youngdeuk answered and smiled apologetically. “All I know was noona wasn’t as energetic as the ones before… She has merely said a word the last few days and the mood around her was a bit gloomy.”

“I see… Did you hear her mention anything about not feeling well? Or something? Probably you’ve heard anything from Mingkki?” He asked as he tried to fish out more information from him.

Youngdeuk shook his head slowly which made him smile bitterly.

“Thanks,  man… but if anything’s up, just tell me okay…” He said as he looked down with his shoulders slacked down. He didn’t get any information at all. He sighed.

“You don’t want to come in?” Youngdeuk asked.

He shook his head and watched as the latter enter the practice room. He was in gratitude as Youngdeuk didn’t close the door entirely. In fact, he left it open a bit wider than earlier. He saw him as he gave him thumbs up that made him nod as an acknowledgement.

He decides to be contented on watching her from afar for a while. After a few more seconds, he decided to leave for a meeting with Teddy and Kush about the upcoming Big Bang album.

She was feeling a bit y and pitchy today. Earlier this day, she had met up with Teddy and asked him to write a solo song for her but he declined her request. She asked the reason why he would not give her any solo songs and only get her major parts on their songs or do a duet with one of the girls but he just won’t say a word about it.

Now, she was in the practice room again trying to learn the steps for the new song. She decided to try and calm herself by focusing on learning the steps.

“One, two, three…” Ji Hye and Jaewook counted as they watched the girls repeat the steps again.

It has been smooth sailing and they have to repeat two or three times but not everything will really go as you wish it would.

“Dara-yah, you have to do this…” Jaewook said as he demonstrated again the steps.

She watched as the guy taught her a couple of times to do a step where she failed to get. She was staring at them and saw the frustration in her eyes and the paleness of her skin. This made her mad at her as she thinks that the older girl was faking her sickness again.

“Are you okay?” She heard Ji Hye asked which made her snort.

“Can you do this unnie?” Minzy asked as she went behind Dara and placed her hands on her shoulders as if the maknae was trying to support her.

“I-I’m okay.” Dara replied weakly and smiled at them.

“Then go and do the steps again.” She finally said and rolled her eyes, earning a furious glare from the maknae. She added, “Didn’t you realize you were slowing us down?”

 “Oh I’m sorry…” Dara apologized as she looked down at the floor. “I’ll try not to… delay you guys again.”

“Don’t be just full of words, just show it…” She scowled as she turned her back from them and didn’t notice the grimacing face of the others.

“Let’s start from the top, okay?” Jae Wook said, changing the topic quickly.

Dara and the others nodded.

“One, two, three… four… Then turn… one, two, three, four… then jump.” Jae Wook counted as he watched the seemingly fragile girl do the steps. Afterwards, he added, “Nice. Let’s continue…”

The flow of their rehearsal was going smoothly but that only lasted for a few minutes as she noticed that Dara was not able to follow the steps smoothly. Even the oldest member was doing a better job and it infuriates her seeing it.

“Is your heart really into this?” She asked as she stopped and turned around the pale looking girl.

Dara stopped for a moment with a shocked face. She blinked a couple of times as if checking if she was the one being talked to.

“Yes, I was talking to you.” She stated and rolled her eyes.

“CL!” Bom exclaimed and glared at the blonde girl.

“But it’s true. You’re doing better than her in the dance steps.” She pointed out. “And that’s something.”

“Stop it!” Minzy shouted and moved in front of her and Dara. “Don’t speak anymore.”

“Move it, brat.” She hissed and tried to walk pass the maknae but the latter didn’t budge.

“I told you to stop it.” Minzy firmly said.

“And I told you to move.” She hissed and frowned. “I needed to tell her a piece of my mind.”

“And I’m telling you, she doesn’t need it.” Minzy said gritting her teeth.

“And I’m telling you, I don’t care… So move!” She said as she finally pushed the maknae away and walked pass through her.

“I’m sorry… I’ll do it again…” Dara whispered in a very soft voice without looking at anyone.

“And what? You’ll commit the same mistakes again? So that you’ll mess it up again and cause us longer hours of practice? Your heart is not in it! Why don’t you just stop it? You are really useless to us anyway!” She said and shoved her making her fall. “You ca—“

She was about to tell a lot more when she noticed the girl on the floor clutching her stomach with a pained look on her face. Then she felt the maknae pushing her away from the girl.

“DARA-UNNIE!” Minzy yelled out as soon as she got closed to her. She wrapped her arms around Dara’s shoulder, “Are you alright, unnie…?”

“My stomach…  it’s hurting…” Dara uttered in a very painful voice.

“SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE… AND JIYONG-OPPA…” Minzy shouted and made everyone in the room panic.

She just watched there as the maknae held Dara’s hand while waiting for the help to come. She stayed rooted on her place until they take her away… and that’s when she noticed about the water running down the girl’s legs.

“Oh my god.” The only words that escaped her lips as she stared at her hard, “Don’t tell me…”

“Congratulations, you just ruined one life. I hope you are happy.” Minzy uttered as she followed Dara who was carried out of the room.