"Ji?" Youngbae answered.

"Yes, I'm with her."

"She doesn't want to talk."

"Give her some time, Ji."

"You can't force her."

"Just give her some time."

"Jiyong? Yoboseyo? Yoboseyo?"

"Let me guess." Chaerin said when she saw Youngbae staring at his cellphone screen. "He hung up on you."

He just stared at her expressionless.

"Stubborn as always." She said rolling her eyes.

Dara started to sniffle and tear up again.

Knowing that she's on the verge of crying, Youngbae pulled her towards him and he wrapped his arms around her.

Unable to suppress what she was feeling, Dara wept on his chest.

"Unnie," Minji uttered.

The girls exchanged glances as they sadly watch their friend break down.

++++++++++

"You can release that statement tomorrow." Hyun Suk said to his staff.

"Ye, Sajangnim." She bowed and quickly went out of his office.

Hyun Suk leaned against his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Should I call Jiyong now, hyung?" Jinu asked.

He shook his hand.

"Meet with Jjangoo and discuss the schedules of the girls." Hyun Suk said.

"I want them to finish recording next week." He added.

"Ye,"

When Jinu left the office; Hyun Suk sat up from his chair and stared at his computer screen.

"Jiyong, Jiyong, Jiyong." He picks his cellphone from the table and sighed.

"You really are a troublemaker." He muttered under his breath.

++++++++++

Jiyong was lying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

It's getting dark and he still hasn't seen or spoken to Dara yet.

He tried calling her but her cellphone was already turned off.

He already gave up calling Youngbae and the girls because they're not even answering his calls.

So many thoughts were running through his mind.

The longer he stays put and not do anything, the more anxious and irritated he gets.

He cursed as he lazily sat up and scanned around.

His ever so clean room is now a complete mess.

"It's a good thing Gaho is not here." He mumbled to himself.

There was a knock on his door.

"Jiyong-ah," Namguk called. "Aren't you going to eat? It's almost dinner."

He rolled his eyes.

"I SAID I'M NOT HUNGRY!" He yelled.

"Suit yourself." He heard his manager said.

He scoffed and laid back.

"WHAT I WANT IS TO SEE DARA! IS THAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND?!" He yelled.

Silence.

His cellphone suddenly vibrated.

Without checking who it was, he answered right away.

"Dara?" He said. "Baby?"

"Kwon Jiyong!" He heard a familiar voice on the other line.

"Hyung?"

"I want you in my office." The president commanded. "Now!"

"Ye, Sajangnim."

He scrambled to his feet and grabbed his hoodie from the floor.

++++++++++

While watching the television in the living room, Namguk heard Jiyong's door swing open.

"Yah!" He called when Jiyong passed the living room. "Where are you going?"

"Didn't I tell--"

"Sajangnim called." Jiyong cuts him off. "He wants to see me."

He looks around wondering where everyone is.

"They went back to their dorms." His manager informed him.

"The two boys need to rest. They have activities for tomorrow."

Jiyong put on his hoodie while walking towards the door.

Namguk's cellphone rang.

"Ye," He said on the phone.

"Ye, sajangnim."

Jiyong was about to open the door.

"Chakaman, Jiyong-ah." Namguk called grabbing his keys from the coffee table and slipping his cellphone inside his pocket.

Jiyong paused for a second and looked over his shoulder.

"Sajangnim wants to make sure that you'll go straight to his office first." His manager said walking past him and opening the door.

"I'll drive you there."

++++++++++

Walking down the hall towards the president's office, Jiyong started breaking out in cold sweat.

In front of the door, he prepared himself.

He knocked and entered the office.

He saw their president typing something in his computer.

He could tell that he already felt his presence but he still wasn't looking at him.

"Hyung,” He greeted him quietly.

The president turned to look at him with a serious face.

Before he could open his mouth, Jiyong started explaining.

"The rumors are not true at all." He began "I didn't give her the ring. We are just friends. She's friends with all the members. And whenever we go out in Japan, I made sure I was in disguise."

His eyes widened at his last statement. "I mean-"

"Jiyong," Hyun Suk said in a stern voice.

"Ye, hyung?"

"Shut up."

He bit his lip and bowed his head.

"I would ask you to sit down but I'm terribly disappointed in you right now."

"Choesonghamnida, sajangnim."

Hyun Suk leaned forward, clasped his hands together on the table in front of him.

"I called you here not because I need your explanation. I just want to tell you that regardless of what's going on between you and this Kiko Mizuhara, I have already prepared a statement to be released tomorrow. "

"Ye, sajangnim."

Seeing him looking regretful and troubled, the president couldn't help but sigh.

"I don't think I need to remind you that all of you here in YG Family are like my children." Hyun Suk said. "I would do everything in my power to shield you from harm."

Jiyong was silent, still keeping his head down.

"We both know that someone is affected because of this scandal." He continued. "She is working so hard for their upcoming comeback and I don't want any kind of distraction. Do you understand?"

"Ye, sajangnim."  He replied, still not looking at him.

"And Jiyong-ah,"

He looks up from the ground.

"Clean up you mess." Hyun Suk commanded. "In this case, I can only do this much for you."

"Ye, sajangnim."

++++++++++

Outside the president’s office, Jiyong leaned his back against the wall.

He looked up and sighed.

Reaching for his cellphone inside his pocket, he prayed hard that Dara will answer his call tonight.

To his dismay, her cellphone was still turned off.

He wanted to call Youngbae and the other girls but he knew it's going to be useless.

His cellphone suddenly vibrated in his hand.

"Baby!" He answered without thinking.

"O-oppa?"

"Oh, K-kiko?" He slapped his forehead.  "Hey, what's up?"

He tried to act normal as much as possible.

A giggle on the other line was heard.

"Oppa, since when did you call me baby?" Kiko teased.

"Sorry. It was just a slip of the tongue." He replied.

"I was actually listening to a song that has the word 'baby' in it." He faked a laugh while walking towards the elevator.

"Ah, really?"

"Yup. So what's up?" He asked.

"Have you seen the news, oppa?"

"Ne."

"How are you?" Kiko asked with concern.

"I'm doing ---"

"Not good, huh?" She finished for him.

Jiyong chuckled. "I'm okay, Kiko-ah."

"How about you?" He asked. "Are they harassing you there?"

"Aniyo. I'll just keep silent for a while and the rumors will eventually disappear." Kiko said with a laugh.

"You know me. I don't get affected with all this crap." She added. "You shouldn't be too, oppa."

He smiled as he entered the elevator and pressed a button.

He always knew that Kiko is this kind of a woman.

She can always take care of herself. She doesn't let anything or anyone bring her down.

While all the people around him are worried about the scandal that he is in right now, Kiko will just tell him to shake it off.

"I'm really sorry." He suddenly heard her say. "I didn't know that they'll notice the ring."

"It's okay." He simply said.

Silence.

"How are the guys? How is your sajangnim taking this?"

"They're fine. A bit surprise but I already explained to them."

Jiyong exited the elevator and headed to his car.

"Well, I hope our friendship won't be affected because of this." Kiko said quietly.

"Why would it be?" He asked in surprise, stopping beside his car. "It's just a rumor. We both know the truth."

++++++++++

Chaerin and Minji assisted Dara to her room while Bom and Youngbae stayed behind in the living room.

"Sorry about earlier, Youngbae-ah." Bom apologized.

Youngbae smiled and reached for her hand.

"It's okay nuna," He said. "I understand how you feel about this whole thing."

She gave out a heavy sigh.

"I just can't believe this is happening to them. I mean, they were really a happy couple." She said sounding disappointed. "But then Jiyong started changing after you guys came back from your long stay in Japan."

Youngbae remained silent and just listened.

"Jiyong naturally is a very sensitive guy especially when he's working." Bom went on. "But Dara kept noticing his abnormal mood swings these past few months."

"Our poor innocent Dara." She gave out a bitter laugh. "Not even once did she think of him cheating."

"Well that was before the name Kiko Mizuhara came out." She continued while looking at him.

"That jerk friend of yours has a way of reacting when Dara asked about her." Bom shook his head and bit her lip.

"Aish! She should have read the signs." She said gloomily.

"What did she say?" Youngbae asked curiously.

There are things about Dara that he doesn't know even if they are close.

Things that he's hearing from Bom right now are talks that she only has with her girlfriends.

"She didn't tell me anything. But I bet she was already suspecting something."

"Then why didn't she open up to Jiyong about her feelings." He asked.

"You know Dara, she lacks self-esteem. She might be tough in other things but when it comes to Jiyong, she gets scared and weak."

"Why?" He asked in disbelief.

"She loves him so much that it scared her to even think about losing him." Bom sadly explained.

"But why would she feel that she's not good enough for Jiyong?" He repeated.

"Well, as we all know. You guys are famous." She said. "She thinks Jiyong deserves someone who is younger and talented as he is."

"That's ridiculous!" Youngbae exclaimed.

"Jiyong loves her." He added with conviction.

She scoffs. "Uh, I don't think you can convince me with that right now."

"Bom nuna," He took a deep breath. "You're already judging Jiyong without hearing the truth from him."

"Youngbae-ah, how long have we been friends?" She reminded him. "I know how he was with his ex-girlfriends."

"Yes, he's loyal and he sticks to one. But when he feels that he's tired of her, he just leaves her hanging."

"And you think he is doing the same with Dara nuna?"

Bom raised an eyebrow.

"Not answering Dara's phone calls when he's in Japan? Accusing her of cheating? Getting pissed when she asked him his whereabouts?" She stated the facts. "You ARE his best friend. I'm pretty sure you're aware of his style when he's fed up with his girlfriend.

Youngbae looked away from her gaze knowing what she said was right.

They suddenly heard someone entered the dorm.

"Oh, Youngbae-ah." Jjangoo greeted. "You're still here?"

"I was just waiting for you.“ Youngbae stood up. “Dara is resting now, I think I should go."

"Thank you for watching the girls." The manager said.

Bom walked him to the door.

"If there's anything nuna, please don't hesitate to call me." He said.

She smiled. "Thanks for coming, Youngbae-ah."

++++++++++

Jiyong was at the lobby of 2NE1's dorm.

'Ding!' One of the elevators opened.

He quickly gets into the elevator, presses the floor button.

The door started closing.

'Ding!' The second elevator opens.

Youngbae pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and steps out.