parted in surprise.

Amina dove into the depths of Jiyong’s soulful dark brown eyes, finding his warm heated gaze filled with passionate concern and a hint of sadness.  The longer she stared, the more exposed and stripped down she felt.  It was as if he could see deep within her heart and was unlocking all of her forlorn secrets inside.  His eyes shifted over hers, reading and memorizing all the misery, loneliness, and despair she had felt over the past year.  She hadn’t felt this vulnerable since the night of her father’s funeral. Amina quickly blinked away. 

“Don’t worry about me,” she whispered.

“Someone has to,” Jiyong uttered under his breath for her ears only.

She jerked her head back towards him, her eyebrows creased in anguish. “Are you telling me that Bae-yah can’t take care of me?”  Her voice shook quietly, her teeth clenched.  “Wasn’t it just a few hours ago that you were telling me how much you hated me? For hurting him?” Her lips trembled with anger as she waited for Jiyong to respond.

Jiyong ignored her display of emotions and looked off into the distance.  He slouched down in the booth, his pose nonchalant.  “Mimi… I may be loyal, but I’m not blind.”  He angled his head back to face her, his eyes now reflecting reserved boredom.  A strand of hair fell boyishly over his brow bone, ruining his hardcore I don’t give a pose.  He stared at her quietly.  “You really shouldn’t carry Boss-ah around town.  He’s too heavy and you could hurt the baby.”  He glanced up briefly as if spotting someone before turning his face away to look outside the window.

The quick change of subject threw Amina off guard, confusing and taking her a moment to process. But before she could tell him to mind his own business, Amina saw a movement from the corner of her eye.

“So, what did I miss?” asked Youngbae, his handsome face smiling down at her.

Amina quickly schooled her features and moved over to make room.  “Ah… nothing.  I was just waiting for you to get back before eating.”  She gave him a shaky smile and ducked her head.

“Where are the other guys?”

“Back there,” Amina jerked her head towards the back of the room where another table was grilling behind a divider.  “And I think Seungri went into the kitchen,” she cringed teasingly.

“More wine?” his eyebrow rose.

“Neh,” she grinned sheepishly.

“You should go ahead and eat,” Youngbae implored, bringing the barbecue tongs towards her.  “Do you want me to feed you?” His eyes twinkled at her, a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips.

Amina returned his soft gaze and shook her head quietly.  His comment suddenly reminded her of their first date at this exact place, where they hand fed each other.  She shyly lowered her eyes and smiled before preparing herself a ssam to eat.

Youngbae hesitated briefly before leaning his head above Amina.  All traces of teasing gone, he politely asked, “Jiyong-ah, did you eat?”

Amina glanced over in time to see Jiyong nod his head slightly before replying in the same polite, impersonal, tone.  “Neh, I ate.”  He turned back towards the window and resumed his solitude posture.

Amina glanced between the two, her appetite suddenly decreasing.  Youngbae seemed unconcerned as he started eating and preparing ssams on the side, adding pieces of grilled meat and garlic.  He dipped the wrap in ssamjang before handing it to her, his smile inviting.  Whatever was going on between him and Jiyong, Youngbae wasn’t letting it affect his mood towards her.  She allowed him to feed her and ate for the sake of their baby.  “Good?” he prompted.

She nodded her head and chewed, barely tasting the food.

“Hey, I think I’m going to head out,” Seunghyun said as he walked back up to their table.  “I have an early flight to Tokyo tomorrow that I’m dreading.”  He grinned down at Amina, his dark intense eyes glittering like sapphires.  “Take care of yourself Amina-yah… Next time I see you, you’ll probably be waddling around with a belly out to here.”  He made an exaggerated fat circle with his hands, his mouth puffed up with air as well.

“Yah!” Amina cried, her eyes filled with laughter.  “I get the hand gesture, but what’s with the face?”

He chuckled and quickly sobered.  “Seriously though,” Seunghyun looked pointedly between the couple in front of him.  He shook his finger at Youngbae, his eyes on her.  “Make sure he takes care of you.”

She felt Jiyong stiffen beside her.

“Because if not…” He opened his arms and shrugged, cocking his head arrogantly.  “I’ll be your baby daddy.”

“Mwuh?” Youngbae guffawed, his eyes crinkling up in a smile.  “You don’t even like kids.”

Offended, Seunghyun drew his eyebrows together.  “I never said I didn’t like kids.  I just said I would never marry until I was over forty.”

“It’s implied…” Youngbae shook his head knowingly, chewing on a piece of lettuce.  “You don’t like kids.”  He chuckled upon feeling Amina’s smack on his arm.

“Mwuh?” challenged Seunghyun, his eyebrow cocked.  “You’re saying I have to get married in order to have kids?  Apparently not…”  He looked smugly between the two.

Youngbae turned towards Amina, his eyes teasingly light.  “Marry me.”

“Bae-yah!” Amina scolded, her cheeks burning up.  She felt her heart literally stop for a second.

He chuckled and moved slightly away from her wrath before continuing with his meal.

Amina turned towards a smiling Seunghyun and shook her head.  “He’ll say anything to prove a point, apparently.”  She glared back at an oblivious Youngbae, feeling very annoyed.

“Well,” Seunghyun remarked.  “The offer still stands.  And if you want your baby to be blessed with the good life, you should definitely name your baby after me.”

Amina felt herself slowly grin. “Neh?”

“Aniyo, hyung…” Seungri called out, walking back with another bottle of wine.  His cheeks were red from all the liquor he had consumed earlier in the evening.  “She’s going to name the baby after me.”

Youngbae choked on a laugh, his mouth full of food.

“Aish,” Seunghyun balked.  He turned back to Amina.  “Maybe you shouldn’t name the baby Seunghyun.  Seems like there’s already too many of us around.”  He put on his jacket and smoothed invisible wrinkles from his sleeves.  He half-bowed to the table.  “Annyeong.”

He looked over at Jiyong and jerked his head.  “Ji…” He sent a small two finger salute that was briefly acknowledged before he left the building, with his manager in tow.

Seungri plopped down in the seat in front of them, his bottle of wine clunking loudly as he set it on the table.  His eyes were just as bright as his smile. He didn’t say anything… just kept smiling.

Amina finally took mercy on him and helped him out.  She smiled.  “Seungrie… you look so happy tonight. What’s the occasion?”

He shook his head.  “Nothing.”

“Don’t lie,” Youngbae jerked his head at him.  “She’ll find out eventually.”

Amina glanced over at Youngbae, her gaze curious.  “Find out about what?” She returned her eyes towards Seungri.  His eyes started to waver, his smile not as confident.

“Ahh… it’s nothing noona.”  He his lips self-consciously.  Seungri tugged on the collar of his dress shirt nervously, suddenly wary.  She had never seen him so unsure of himself before. It was so uncharacteristic of the Seungri that Amina was used to.  It took her by surprise.

She chewed slowly, her eyes sweeping over his features.  He flushed under her gaze, causing her to grin.  “It doesn’t seem like nothing.”  Amina swallowed.  “Is it something I can help you with?”  She furrowed her eyebrows.

Seungri’s eyes brightened.  “Maybe.”

“Say whaaat?” Youngbae smirked.  He started chuckling.  “I thought you told us you already sealed the deal.”

Seungri bristled.  “I never said that.”  He could see his hyung was about to prove him wrong, when Youngbae started to his lips and open his mouth.  Seungri rushed on, raising his hands up to further explain.  “All I said was… I talked to her.”

Amina raised a brow, chewing mid-stride.  “So, this is about a girl?”

Youngbae was quietly shaking with laughter by her side.  He continued to eat, avoiding her gaze.

“Ah… neh.”

Amina stared openly at Seungri’s painful expression.  She glanced over at Jiyong, but he was still staring out at the window, uninterested in their conversation.  “Do I know this girl?” she asked, returning back to Seungri.

“Ah… neh.”

Amina reached for her glass of water and took a careful sip.  There weren’t too many girls that she was familiar with… at least not ones that also shared the same circles with Seungri.  She quickly concluded who the person in question was.  Her eyes narrowed on him. 

“Leave her alone, Seungrie.”

His face grew red under her reprimand.

Youngbae paused and glanced up at her.

Amina continued, her eyes steady on Seungri, “She’s going to school and is scheduled to finish next semester.  The last thing she needs is a distraction right now.”  She pressed her lips together, suddenly hating the ill feelings she was experiencing inside.  Because a small part of her… regrettably wished someone would have done the same for her. 

“If it’s any consolation,” Amina kindly looked upon Seungri, her smile small.  “I’ll let her know you asked about her.”

Seungri’s eyes dimmed but he smiled through.  “Gomawo noona.”  He nodded and looked wistfully away.  He glanced up seeing Daesung’s approach.  The rest of the team was ready to take their leave. Seungri quietly stood up to join them, his bottle of wine long forgotten.

Amina glanced over at Jiyong.  “Did you need to leave with-?”

“Did you have to do that?” Youngbae cut her off.

She whipped around.  “Mwuh?”

“Ruin his mood like that?”  He eyed her arrogantly.

“Ruin his mood?” Amina looked at him incredulously, exhaling a half-breath of disbelief.  “I’m just trying to bring him a little perspective.”

She shook her head at Youngbae, her eyes stormy.  “He doesn’t know Yuri like I do.  He doesn’t know the fact that she’s the oldest in her family… that her mom is a single parent. And that Yuri’s practically raising both her mom and brother.”

His face closed up.

“Neh,” Amina nodded, her voice rising heatedly. “Her Accounting degree is practically the only thing her family is depending upon to support them for the rest of their lives.”  She pressed her lips together in distaste. “So don’t tell me I’m ‘ruining his mood’,” she chastised, her chest rising and falling.

She dismissed him with huff and turned to face straight ahead.  Maybe it was her hormones… she didn’t know anymore.  But suddenly, she felt angry at him. Youngbae never used to say careless things before.  If anything, he was a deep thinker and was sometimes overly cautious.  Yes, she knew he had deviated from being serious and straight forward and could be friendly and easy-going. But lately… all it seemed that he was interested in was having fun and letting loose.

While that was fine, there was always a time and place for those things. It seemed his carefree moments were starting to blend over with his better judgment.  It made him appear… for better lack of a word – like an .

“Baby…” He touched her sleeve.

She shrugged him off and eyed him with ill-concealed patience.  “You think I would just offer him that advice without reason?”  Her brow rose marginally.  “It didn’t even occur to you that I might have actually thought my response through?”  She couldn’t control herself… it kept spewing out.  “I’m not like you.”

He narrowed his eyes on her.  “What’s that supposed to be mean?” He jerked his head up marginally at her, sneering slightly.

“Hmph.”  She compressed her lips together in distaste.  “You think about it and tell me.” 

Youngbae leaned into her space, his eyes slowly burning up with anger.  He gritted out, “Tell me. Now.”

“That little marriage comment earlier…” she bit out.

“I was joking,” he spat in return.

“Not funny,” she glared.

He fumed.

“The lack of introduction earlier.”

“I already apologized for that.”

She raised her brows.  “My point exactly.”  Amina stared at his profile as he glanced away in frustration. She watched as he took in a few calming deep breaths, doing his best to school his features.  But it gave her time to think… which was bad.  Because suddenly she started remembering.  “You never even asked me about the appointments,” she said dully.

“Hmm?” He turned to her absent-mindedly.

His lukewarm response said it all.  Suddenly Jiyong’s little comment earlier was no longer confusing.  It became her epiphany and her heart started aching because she now knew the truth.  “Tell me…” she turned in her seat to fully face him. “Why’d you come back and get me?  After you left with Nara…”

“You know why…” He knitted his eyebrows.  “The dog walker comment-“

“Ani!” she snapped.  “Before that! You were angry at me when you came out… Wae?”  She raised her eyebrows in challenge.  “Because Jiyong told you to come out and check on me? Was that why?”

His face turned red and he avoided her gaze.

“Did I ruin your plans this afternoon when I stopped by unannounced? Huh?”

Youngbae scoffed.  “You were the one that was in a hurry to leave.  What did you want me to do?  Beg you to stay?”  He sneered, his eyes hard. “Like that worked the last time…”

Her eyes slashed in pain as she quietly told him off. “ you, Bae.”

Youngbae’s head snapped back as if she had sl