Same Old Episode, Brand New Characters




I looked at Khun Khun who was concentrating on driving. It was only one in the afternoon but we decided to go back since I still had recording for our comeback album to be released early next year. We were all expected to be at the studio around five in the afternoon. 


We occasionally talked on the way to my apartment. He shared some more about 2PM's experiences in Natuur, how they would sneak out to enjoy a good cup of ice cream after a tiring recording in the studio. He said that the boys love the ice cream there. 


I got curious with what Ji Rin-ajumma said earlier. Khun Khun never ate a single ice cream from her store and the first time he ate was when we were at the store earlier. 


"Khun Khun..." I trailed off. He looked at me and smiled. 


"Neh?" He asked as he focused his attention back to the road. 


"Ji Rin-ajumma told me that you didn't like eating ice cream in Natuur." I told him. I saw him smile all of a sudden. 


"Neh. Whenever the boys and I went there, all of them would order different flavors." He shared. "But I wouldn't. I would just drink milkshake or other desserts." He added. I looked at him, confused. 


"But why did you ask me to go to Ice Cream City and eat ice cream with me when we were in Japan?" He blushed for awhile, shook his head then chuckled. I was getting annoyed as it seemed that chuckling was becoming his habit when it comes to me. 


"I don't know." He gripped on the steering wheel with his right hand while his left hand ruffled his hair. "I guess I just loved going there and sharing something..." He paused and turned to look at my eyes as the traffic lights turned to "STOP". 


I held my breath as he leaned closer to me. 


"... with you." 


I gasped as his lips were just a few inches away from me. I froze, unaware of what I should do. 


Then suddenly, a loud horn sounded behind us. We both jumped in surprise which broke the tensed atmosphere we were having awhile ago.


He looked at me once again and I gazed at him. After a few second, we both burst in laughter. 



















I don't know how long I have been standing outside our apartment building. It was already one thirty in the afternoon and until now, there was still no trace of the missing Ssantokki. 


I looked at my watch again. They have been gone for four hours now! 


I paced back and forth in haste, kicking some dust that gathered on the ground I was walking on occasionally. 


Hayyyssssssst! Where did that leech bring her so early in the morning?? 


The sound of my phone ringing broke my train of thoughts. I looked at the caller’s name and frowned. 


The maknae. 


I pressed the receiver and answered my phone, irritated. "YA, RAT! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" I let out all my frustrations on our maknae. Mian, Seungri-ah. You just called at a bad time. I sighed. 


"H-hyung...??" He asked, uncertain. I breathed deeply to calm my nerves. 


"Neh, maknae. What do you want?" I managed to let out the calmest voice I could make out. I looked at my watch again and rolled my eyes in irritation. Hayssssssst that Ssantokki! I'd make sure to punish her later. HMP! 


"...and YG-hyung has been waiting for you since..." 


ARGHHHHH!! Are they really trying my patience?? Don't they know that they should NEVER mess with the golden dragon?! 


"HYUNG! HYUNG! HIII-YUUUUUUUUUNNNNNG!!!!!!!!!!" I put the phone away from my ears as I felt like they were about to bleed from the extremely-annoying screeching sound that our maknae was making. 


"YA, SEUNGRI!!!!!!!! WHAT ARE YOU SHOUTING FOR???!!!" I exploded like the Krakken that emerged from underwater. 


"HAYSSST, HYUNG! You weren't listening to me that's why I had to shout. TSK!" The maknae, who if only was standing anywhere within my arm's reach, would have been dead in a second, answered me with such insolence. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and reminded myself that I still had songs to finish, a love to fight for and could not afford to be put to jail. 


"What's so important that you have to bug me right now, huh, Seungri-ah?" I asked him, my normal high-pitched voice turned dangerously low. I heard him cleared his throat as if what he was about to say was of utmost importance. 


"Teddy-hyung wondered where you are right now since YG-hyung called him again asking why you are still not in YGE at the moment." He casually informed me. I slapped my forehead upon realizing I forgot that I was supposed to go to YGE to talk to YG-hyung. 


"HAYYSSSST! I knew i forgot something!" I mentally scolded myself for being so distracted. Hayssst, Darayang! This is your entire fault! You and that leech of yours... ANIYO! He doesn't belong to you and you don't belong to tha---- 


"Hello? Yoboseyo? Can you please return my Jiyong-hyung to earth, please, dear alien abductor? ARASSO?" Haysssst! The maknae's really trying my patience! 


"Alright! Alright! I'll go there now! HAYSSSST!!" 


With that, I entered my White Bentley and drove off towards my destination, wondering what YG-hyung had in store for me. 



























I was able to reach YGE in just a matter of ten minutes partly because I was anxious on what YG-hyung wanted to talk to me about. One of the reasons why I was dreading the YG "talk" I would be having with him was because the last "talk" we had was when we discussed the consequences and plan of action for the scandal Yoona and I were in. That was the talk where Soo Man-sshi suggested that I pretend to date Yoona. 


Now, just a few steps away from his office, I took a deep breath and calm myself before I opened the door to his office. 


"Finally!" YG-hyung exclaimed as I stepped into his office. He wore an annoyed expression. "You really like to make me wait, huh?" He raised an eyebrow at me as he took his seat and motioned for me to sit down. 


I gulped as I watched his annoyed expression, thinking to myself that I might not be able to make it out of his office alive. 


But then a miracle happened. His face suddenly went soft as he looked at me, scrutinizing me as if checking out if I was having a problem which I wasn't telling him. 


"How are you now, son?" I looked up in surprise as he called me "son". It was not the first time he called me that. He often called me “son” whenever it was just the two of us. He never did that in front of other people, probably afraid that other people, especially our YG family would think he's playing favorites. 


"Uhm, I'm doing good, I guess?" It was like a question rather than an answer. He smiled a little as he continued talking. 


"I saw what you did last night at MAMA. That hug with Dara and the award speech of yours... that was EPIC, I must say." He told me meaningfully. I gulped again and felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I hastily wiped them away, feeling the cold trembling hands against my damp skin. 


"About that hyung, I----" 


"I admire your courage, Jiyong." He told me with a hint of smile. Was he smiling with pride while he said that? Nah, I must be hallucinating...


I continued looking at him, my worries were unexpectedly subsiding. He took his pen which was lying on his table and played with it as he continued to talk to me. "I have always known you were the brave kind, the rebellious type. You never wanted to be an idol. You wanted to be an artist. That's what you keep telling me." He looked at me meaningfully. 


I nodded. All that he said was true. I would rather be an artist and freely express my artistry than be an idol, bounded by countless dos and don'ts. 


Thank goodness YGE was different from other agencies. Instead of tying us up to the tried and tested formula of Korean idols and idol groups, YG experiments and treads on foreign grounds, on paths less taken. Aside from that, YG let us bring a little something of ourselves to our music, style and performances, making us feel as if we are artists expressing ourselves rather than robots masked as idols. 


I turned my attention to YG-hyung when I realized that he had stopped talking. 


He looked at me and this time, I was sure his eyes showed pride, as if he was a father seeing for the first time his son who's all grown up. 


"I was surprised and happy that you did what you did last night." 


My eyes widened in surprise at what he told me. He smiled at me as he walked towards the couch I was seating at and sat beside me. Just like he did when he teased Dara about her hair being cute, he ruffled my hair endearingly. I smiled as I felt the same feeling I had back then, that warm feeling of being with family. 


"Back then, I didn't have the courage you possessed now. I couldn't tell the world how I was so in love. I couldn't tell the world that there was someone making my heart beat insanely fast and giving me inspiration to continue my dream because I shared that dream with her." 


He paused for awhile and chuckled to himself. 


"I admit, I was even a little jealous of you as I watched you last night. How I wished I could have done that as well back then. Make the special person of mine feel more special and boast to the whole world that there's a person keeping me alive, loving me unconditionally..." His voice trailed off as his mind traveled elsewhere. 


I watched as hyung's expression varied, from sadness to joy to pondering then to a satisfied smile. 


"I can see that you have matured a lot, Jiyong." He told me proudly. I couldn't help but feel like tearing up. YG-hyung was one of the people I looked up to the most and every day, I worked hard, not only to fulfill my dream and be successful but also to gain his approval. Hearing this affirmation coming from him, it was enough for me to feel that I have done something good. 


"G-Dragon was not feeling well last night that's why I let Kwon Jiyong take his place." We both laughed at my comment. 


But something was still bugging at the back of my mind. 


"If you're ok with what I did last night, I mean, when I openly told everyone that I was in love with someone and practically made it obvious that the "someone" was Dara, why did you decide to let me pretend to date Yoona? You could have refused Soo Man-sshi's suggestion. You are, after all, my president and I report to you and not him." I told him as I bowed my head, hurt a little that he didn't stand for me. 


He placed his arm on my shoulder like a father giving comfort to his son. 


"I wanted you to decide on your own, Jiyong. I wanted you to make your own decisions and not be bound with my own. I thought for sure you would disagree, being the hard-headed Kwon Jiyong that's why I was surprised that you obliged. But upon hearing the reason you agreed to such arrangement, I realized that you were thinking of other people's welfare instead of your own. You knew that you were the one who committed the mistake and innocent people were affected by your carelessness that's why you decided to agree. Even if your way of making up for your mistake was a crooked one, I must still give you props for sacrificing your happiness in order to protect the people that could have been affected by the controversy your action have brought. But now..." 


He paused and looked at me meaningfully. 


"You think it's time that I straighten things out once and for all, right?" I asked him, although I already had an inkling it was what he was trying to point at. 


"Are you ready to do that? He asked me, concern was evident in his eyes. 


I breathed deeply. "I think I am." 


"Are you sure? You do know the consequences of confessing the truth to the public, right? They would either love you for humbling yourself and admitting your fault or they will abandon you for playing a trick on them. It can go either way. It may work or backfire against you." 


I knew the gravity of my situation and I know that there is no guarantee that I would be receiving positive feedback from the public. 


"I know, hyung. It's just that I think the situation's going to worsen if I prolonged this charade. I don't want to continue hurting myself, especially Dara..." 


He looked at me for a long time, as if weighing my words and after awhile, he smiled. 


"Well, it seems that you have decided already. Just give me a date and time. I'll arrange for your press conference." He replied. "Aigoo... my son is all grown up now!" He ruffled my hair once again and I writhed to escape his constant teasing but deep inside, I was very happy. 


I was sure of my decision and I will stick by it. 



























It's been an hour since I brought Dara to their apartment but until a big goofy smile was still pasted on my face. 


"Hey guys!" I called out to my members who were all lounging by the living room, watching some random TV show. We were given the day-off that's why I was able to go out today which reminded me that I wasn't able to inform the guys about my sudden "date". 


"Khunnie Boy! Where have you been?" Our big maknae, Chansung, asked me like a worried brother. Behind him, Junho emerged and grabbed my arm. 


"We were looking for you earlier! Where did you go??" He looked worried which made me feel guilty. The sleepy, Junsu, lazily got up and hissed at me. 


"Hayyysssst! As if you're not used to our little Khunnio Boo sneaking out and playing around." He teased me which earned him a smack on the face courtesy of the nearest pillow lying around the sofa. 


"Do you even have to ask? Just look at the stupid grin on his face and you will know he was with Dara-noona." Woo teased me. I smirked at him but he just chuckled. 


I smiled. Among the members, it was always Woo who understood me the most and knows how my mind works. 


Taecyeon walked over to me and pinched my cheek. "Wipe that silly smile off your face, Khunnie Boy. You're making me gag." He joked. I rolled my eyes at him as he sat on the spot I was supposed to be sitting at. 


I was about to share with them what transpired with my date with Dara when our doorbell rung. 


"Let me get that." I volunteered as I was nearest to the door. I was still smiling foolishly while walking towards the door. 


But the smile was quickly wiped off from my face the moment I opened the door and revealed the person standing in front of me, smiling shyly as if unsure of what to do. 


I gulped hard as the person greeted me, staring deep into my eyes. 


"Hi, Nichkhun." 


I blinked several times as if unbelieving that the person standing in front of me existed. 


Finally, after a long grueling battle with myself, I managed to let out a meek reply. 


"Y-y-yoona??" 


























It's been awhile since I last visited their apartment. One year and two months to be exact. 


A lot has changed. They repainted their walls. Instead of the ash gray interior which I openly despised, the walls were now painted Teal Blue which was refreshing to my eyes. 


They also re-arranged their furniture and division. The dining area was now placed on the left side which, in my opinion, looked better and more functional than when it was placed on the right side of their apartment. 


They have a new Theatre showcase now, way bigger than the one they owned before. Their new TV looked at lot like the one we had at the girls' apartment. 


Yes, a lot has truly changed. 


As I stare at the man standing in front of me, I realized though that there are still a few things that remained the same. 


He was still handsome as ever. 


And he's still capable of making my heart beat like crazy. 


I took a deep breath and pasted a smile on my face. "Aren't you going to let me in or am I banned from your apartment?" I playfully, hoping to ease the tension in the air but what I said just made him gulp. 


"Ugh, mian. Come in. Come in." He led me towards their apartment. Upon entering their apartment, the boys all stood up and greeted me nervously. 


Geesh... they're treating me like I'm a ghost or something.. 


"So, how's everything, guys? I bet you wowed a lot of Japanese girls, neh?" I playfully teased the guys, putting on my most cheerful face. They all laughed nervously, some even blushing. 


"Aigoo, Yoona-sshi! There were a lot of real pretty girls there in Tokyo..." Junho's mind wandered off, probably traveling back to Japan. 


"Neh. It was an enjoyable trip. Girls were everywhere!" Taecyeon spoke out, unable to control the silly grin that was starting to creep up his face. 


"And the 2NE1 girls, they were awesome! Especially Bom-noona and Dara-noona..." Junsu blabbered on, uncaring if s stiffened upon the mention of Bom-sshi and Dara-sshi. I looked at Nichkhun and saw him motioning to Junsu to stop blabbering but the big guy was lost in his own thoughts that he did not notice Khun at all. 


"Wow. It's great that you guys had fun there!" I did my best to look and sound cheerful. 


"Kamsahamnida." Woo answered. "By the way, Yoona-sshi. What brings you here?" Khun's ever blunt best friend blurted out before they could have stopped him. 


Righ there and then, I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. 


I felt my face heating up and for a second, my mind went blank, completely forgetting that the purpose of my visit was to talk to Khun. 


"I-ah- I just wanted to talk to..." I looked at Khun who looked up to me in curiosity. 


Once again, awkward silence followed and I felt myself digging deeper into my own grave. 


"Wanna go outside, Yoona-sshi?" My heart skipped a beat when I heard him talking to me. Even if he addressed me with so much formality, I was still happy that he called my name. 


I followed him as he led the way outside. I heaved a sigh of relief as we were left alone outside. 


He led me towards a wooden bench outside their apartment. Both of us sat down and for a minute, no one talked. 


Somehow, feeling his familiar closeness next to me made the silence between us comfortable. 


He turned to look at me and I felt my breathing suspended for awhile. "How are you now, Yoona-sshi?" He asked me softly. I turned to meet his gaze and gave him a small smile. 


"I'm doing good. Better, I think." I smiled, wanting him to know that I was a lot better than the day he left me. 


He stared at me as if inspecting my face and I knew that he did not believe what I said. But instead of prying, he just smiled at me. "That's good to hear then." 


"Neh." I nodded. 


Another silence passed by us and this time, awkwardness engulfed us. 


I took a deep breath and prayed to God that my voice wouldn't crack upon asking him my question. 


"How are things with you and Dara?" I managed to keep a straight face and a solid voice. 


I looked at him and noticed that he now smiled a genuine smile. His eyes looked dazed, as if his mind was traveling elsewhere. 


Probably to a place where the two of them went frequently... 


I felt a pinch in my heart. 


Before he could answer, I asked the question I have been dreading to ask him ever since he came back. 


"Do you love her?" 


Silence. 


I looked at him once again. Though he didn't answer right away, his eyes already told me what I needed to know. 


I was ok with him being silent, with his eyes being the sole proof of his love for her. 


It hurt me so much to know from his eyes that he loves her. 


But I didn't know that it would hurt me more to finally hear his confirmation, loud and clear. 


"Neh, Yoona-sshi. I love her. I think I love her so much that I would die if I would ever lose her... when one day she will realize that the man she loves is Jiyong.." 


That was all I needed to know. 


That was enough reason for me to convince myself that I should really let him go. 


With all the courage I could muster, I slowly picked up the shattered pieces of my broken heart and held on to it with all the dignity that was left of me. 


"I-ah, I'm r-really happy to know that, Nichkhun..." I quickly stood up and walked away, afraid that if I stayed a second longer, the tears from my eyes will sabotage my act of bravery. 


"Yoona..." 


I heard him called out but I did not dare turn around. 


I'm really happy for you, Khun. 


Though it drained the remaining life I had in me, knowing you are happy somehow gave my sacrifice a newfound worth. 


For your happiness, I will do everything. 


I will make sure your happiness won't be snatched away from you. 


The way my happiness was snatched away the moment I realized that your heart belongs to her now... 




























I was walking outside our apartment when I received a phone call from an unknown number. 


I hesitated to answer it at first but the caller was persistent. 


"Yoboseyo?" I asked, hesitantly. 


"Ms. Sandara Park?" The person from the other line asked. 


"This is Lee Soo Man of SME. I believe you have heard of me, neh?" I frowned as I realized who the person on the other line was. 


"Neh." I answered bravely. I can't help but feel annoyance for the old man. 


"I want to speak with you if you. This wouldn't take a long time." He told me in a business-like tone. 


The more I talked to the man, the more I felt annoyance brewing up inside me. How dare he impose himself on me?? 


"What will we be talking about, Soo Man-sshi?" I asked, using the same business-like tone. 


"About the possibility of the mighty G-Dragon's career ending up in flames." 


His words made me shiver. I don't know if what he said was a threat that made me feel goose bumps but the way he said it, it was like he was proclaiming an omen. 


So despite warning signals going off in my head, I found myself agreeing to meet with him. 


"Arasso. I'll be there in thirty minutes." 



























I was standing outside Lee Soo Man's office in SME for forty minutes now but the gravity of what he revealed to me twenty minutes earlier still left me aghast. 


"Jiyong will be throwing his career away if he confesses to the whole world the truth behind him and Yoona ." 


"But Soo Man-sshi, if they continue with their charade, sooner or later, the public will catch up on their lie and the two of them will be persecuted even more!" 


"That won't happen. I have arranged everything. As long as no one who is involved in this secret talks, the secret will remain a secret."


"How long do you intend to fool the public?" 


"As long as we need to." 


"Are you that desperate to stoop this low?" 


"You may look at me like I'm a disgusting creature for going this low, Ms. Park. But I'm here to do what I feel would benefit my stars the most. Ever since Yoona's and Jiyong's pretend relationship spread, Yoona's popularity skyrocketed. It helped not only Yoona but SNSD as well."


"As you may know, Ms. Park, there is nothing permanent in our industry. Idols and idol groups can be easily replaced in a snap." 


"Yoona and the girls are living their dream and as their boss, I will make sure they will continue to live their dream." 


"And what if I don't agree to stay away from Jiyong?" 


"If Jiyong confesses and tells the whole truth, then I guess we have no choice but to counterattack." 


"I will not let Yoona be the villain in this one. After all, she was just dragged by Jiyong into this mess." 


"We will simply tell the public that he's lying. That him and YG just forced Yoona to go along with their plan to cover up the mistake that Jiyong did in the club." 


"We might have to bring up the club incident as well. And from what I've gathered, you were mainly the reason Jiyong committed that mistake of kissing Yoona." 


"You're evil..."


"I'm simply stating the facts and what might happen if your careless boyfriend decides to do something reckless. That’s why if I were you, I will avoid him like a plague. As long as Jiyong could feel that he still have a chance, he will sooner rather than later, make his confession.


"You wouldn't want to be the reason for Jiyong's downfall, would you?" 


His last words echoed in my mind as I blindly made my way out of the hell I was at earlier, my tears flowing uncontrollably as I felt my feet dragging me away to an uncertain place. 















Suddenly, the place started spinning uncontrollably. I felt my legs turned wobbly with every step.


Then, I felt two hands supporting me. The person was calling out for my name but I was too dizzy and defeated to answer the person.


I felt the person guiding me as I was walking, making sure that I was walking on the right direction.


I looked at the person and a flicker of recognition came upon me.


“Yoona-sshi…” My voice trailed off as I felt myself losing consciousness and collapsing on the cold, relentless ground.