The last rays from the hot setting sun and the heat waves emanating from the concrete pavement immediately enveloped the girls as they stood outside the YG building.  They were both huddled together, right outside the entrance door, unaware of the audience they had drawn on the other side of the privacy glass windows.

"Hey now..." Amina wiped the tears streaming from Yuri's face.  "It's alright... 'I'm still alive'," she joked.

Yuri choked on a sob, but smiled through.  "I can't believe you're finally back.  I heard about your appa... Mianhaeyo."

Amina nodded, feeling the urge to stay strong amidst Yuri's sorrow.  "Gomawo Yuri-yah." She glanced around the empty parking lot and spotted the security guard milling about.  "What are you doing here?"  She smiled into Yuri's face.  "This was the last place I expected you to be at."

Yuri sniffed loudly and dried her eyes.  "Ah... neh.  Well, the hospital started laying off remember?"

Amina nodded.

"So... I always wanted to work for YG."

"You mean next to Seungri-yah?" Amina grinned.

"Well, that too..." Yuri dabbed at corner of her eyes.

Amina laughed heartily, the sensation feeling foreign to her. She had forgotten how good it was to just let to go and be with friends.

Yuri smiled.  "You told me... to stick with my Accounting and it worked out for me in the end.  They had an opening and I applied."

"And just like that," Amina snapped her fingers, "...you got in?"

"Well..." Yuri ho-hummed. "Not exactly." She had the graciousness to appear chagrined.  "I did put Youngbae oppa and Seungri oppa as my reference."

Amina raised a brow.

"Neh... but to be honest, I think it was Youngbae oppa that got me in." Yuri nodded her head.  "Seungri oppa... He may be good looking, but when it comes to work," she shook her head.  "I think I might have actually done myself a disservice by putting his name on the application."

Amina grinned.  "So Youngbae oppa got you in?" she asked quietly, her eyes softening.

"Neh..." Yuri replied.  "They said in the interview that he had some good words to say about me. So I'm sure it was that."

"I'm sure it was more than just that," Amina heatedly reassured her friend.  "You discount yourself too quickly, Yuri-yah.  You're a hard-worker and fast learner.  Anyone would hire you!" 

"Gomawo unnie," Yuri grinned.  Her eyes became sad as she stared at the faded mark above Amina's collarbone.  "Does it hurt?"

"Mwuh?"

"The scar?"

Amina gently touched the faded line against her collarbone and attempted to glance down.  "To be honest, I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it right about now."  She shook her head.  "Ani... it doesn't hurt.  And it's so faint... I hardly see it when I look at myself."  She could see Yuri still reminiscing about it.  "Don't think about it.  I've long moved on... I don't even have nightmares about it anymore."

Yuri smiled faintly, her eyes still red-rimmed.  "So you're back for good now?"

"Neh," Amina nodded, a small smile on her lips.

Yuri glanced down at Boss.  "And you're with Youngbae oppa?"

Amina's smile faded.  "I'm watching his dog for him."

Yuri raised a brow.

"And I'm having his baby."

"MWUH?"

Amina rolled her eyes to the sky.  She felt Yuri's hands on both of her arms, shaking her lightly.  She grinned at Yuri's shocked expression. "Mwuh?"

"How... You?..." Yuri clamped shut.

"It's complicated," Amina supplied.  "Right now, I'm living at his apartment until the baby comes and he's staying at the dorm.  We're... just taking things as they come."  She shrugged her shoulder.

"Do you love him?"

"Mwuh?" Amina let out a half-laugh, her brow raised.

"Do you love him?" Yuri pressed again, her moon eyes going dreamy.

"Yuri-yah... you've been watching too many dramas lately."  She kneeled down and opened the tote bag to plop Boss inside.  Unhooking his leash, she set it inside and pulled the precious cargo high on her shoulder.  "You don't need to love someone to make a baby," she replied, her eyes carefully blank.

"Neh... but I know you," she replied solemnly.  "You wouldn't just sleep with anyone without feeling something."

"Well, Yuri-yah... I did."  Amina smiled forcefully.  "It just so happened that it was on the night of my father's funeral and I was distraught and needed comforting."  She shrugged her shoulder.  "And it just happened."

"Oh..." Yuri nodded, her eyes going sad.

Amina felt a little twinge of guilt for lying, but she didn't feel the need to bare her soul right about now.  "So what's going on with you?  You've changed!  I hardly recognized you!" she grinned upon seeing the blush on Yuri's face.

"Neh..." Yuri grinned and bowed slightly.  "I grew s over the summer..." she sheepishly added.

Amina laughed, her eyes filling with mirth. "Omo... you did not just say that!" She grinned, her body shaking with unconcealed laughter.

"We bloom late in my family..." Yuri smiled.  "I guess it was just my time."

Amina smiled.  "I wish I were as lucky in that area..." She winked at Yuri.

"Well unnie... now that you're pregnant, maybe you'll get your wish," grinned Yuri.

"Hmm," Amina tapped a finger on her cheek and twisted impishly.  "Maybe I will..."

They laughed.

Suddenly, the entrance glass door forcefully swung open and an angry Youngbae appeared.  He jerked his head at Amina, his eyes shooting fire.  “Get inside,” he snapped.  He eyed the tote on her shoulder.  “And put him down!” he sneered. “He’s too heavy for you to be carrying around.”  With one last irritated glance, Youngbae went back inside the building.

Crap. She should have left when she had the chance.

Amina slowly lowered the tote and took Boss out of the bag, snapping the leash back on.  When she stood back up, Amina had to smother a laugh.  It was almost comical to see the frozen look on Yuri’s face.  Her friend’s face had gone pale, her eyes bulging almost as wide as Boss’s.

“Omo,” cried Yuri.

“Mwuh?” Amina said nonchalantly, trying to hide her nerves.  She readjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

“I’ve never seen Youngbae oppa so mad before,” worried Yuri.  Her eyebrows creased together.  “Are you going to be alright?”

“Yuri-yah,” Amina stressed, her smile widening. She quirked her head to the side.  “I’m sure I’ll be fine… Besides, there are still a lot of people in the building.  I’m sure someone will hear me if I scream.” She wiggled her eyebrows teasingly.

“Unnie…” Yuri whined.  “Don’t joke like that.”  She worried her bottom lip.  “Seriously, do you want me to go with you?”

“It’s alright.  I’m sure it’s nothing.”  Amina kept telling herself that as she slowly made her way back to the entrance door.  “I must have forgotten to shut off the apartment light or something.”  She shrugged her shoulder and started opening the door.

“Mwuh!” exclaimed Yuri.  “He gets mad about stuff like that? Omo... omo… omo…”

Amina smiled. “I’m just joking Yuri-yah. Go home, okay?  We should meet up later this week... for lunch or something.”

“Neh, unnie,” sulked Yuri.  “But if you don’t show up…”

“Yuri-yah!” Amina grinned.  “Just go home!”  She gave Yuri one last smile before opening the door again for Boss to head in before her.  Once she passed through the doorway, however, her smile started to fade away.

He was waiting for her, his body leaned up against the wall, with his arms folded across his chest.  Amina stepped up to him until she was an arm’s length away.  “I thought you’re going to watch the trainees practice?” she asked, her eyebrows carefully raised.

Youngbae took his time appraising her with his eyes before he finally pushed off the wall.  “I changed my mind.”  He took out the piece of paper that she gave to him earlier.  “Will you go over this with me?”

His attitude had changed all of a sudden.  No longer was he angry like he was moments ago.  Now, he was docile and polite.  Amina instantly became on edge.  “Sure,” she replied hesitantly. 

Youngbae started walking ahead of her towards the elevators.  Left with no choice, she tugged on Boss’s leash and followed him.  They exited off the second floor and walked past several rooms.  Amina glanced into one room they passed by and caught Jiyong’s curious gaze on her.  She lowered her head and continued to walk meekly behind Youngbae as he kept marching ahead.  Finally, he stopped at the end of the corridor, ushering her inside a door that led to a small private room.

The door shut behind him with a resounding thud.

Amina let go of the leash and watched as Boss sniffed around the small workroom.  It looked like it was a place that held unused sound equipment and old office furniture. Maybe it was even used for extra shelter purposes because there were no windows at all.  Amina turned around and found Youngbae watching her.  She eyed the paper in his hand.  “What questions did you have?”

Youngbae tossed the paper aside on an empty desk and slowly advanced towards her.  Unconsciously, she began to walk backwards, counteracting his steps.  He saw the wariness in her eyes and it further heightened his predatory senses.  With a possessive gleam in his eyes, Youngbae asked, “Do you always try to make it a habit to irritate me?”

Feeling affronted, Amina paused on her tracks.  “Me, irritate you?” she asked in disbelief.  He stepped closer, so she took a final back until she felt herself press up against the wall.

“Neh,” he sneered, nodding assuredly.  “Telling people you’re a dog walker… it irritates me.”  Her platform pumps brought her face to face with him, their mouths directly inches apart.  He leaned in, leaving no room for her to move.

“But that’s what I do,” Amina said defiantly.

Youngbae smirked, his eyes roaming her face.  “I don’t want people knowing that my girl is a dog walker… and that’s all that she does for a living.”  His eyes shot fire at her.

Amina’s eyes softened.  His girl?

He noticed the change in her body language.  He eased back a little.  “Mwuh?”

“She knows about me?”

Youngbae’s eyes took in the softness of her face, the change of tone in her voice.  She sounded vulnerable and lost.  Suddenly it dawned on him.

“Is this what this is about?” His eyes narrowed on her face, his eyebrows creasing together. He watched as Amina lowered her lashes, shielding her eyes from him.  He let out a breathless small laugh, his eyes lovingly skimming her downturned face. 

Flashback

“Taeyang-sshi…”

Youngbae turned around as he was leaving the dressing room to join the others for their musical performance.  “Neh?” he asked Nara, walking back towards the room.

“Ah… mianhae,” Nara bowed.  “I saw this laying around and I didn’t know who it might’ve belonged to.  So I turned it on…”  She looked up at him painfully and smiled apologetically.  “I didn’t mean to pry.”  She handed over his phone to him.

Youngbae took his phone from her outstretched hands and powered the home screen on.  As it had been for the past year, the wallpaper picture of him and Amina smiling into the camera stared back up at him. He smiled his thanks.  “Gomawo, Nara-yah… I wouldn’t know what I would have done if I had lost my phone.”

Nar