*No poll*

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TOP took a deep breath before pulling the necklace out of his pocket and telling Bom, “Close your eyes for a second.” Also mentioning before she could ask, “Trust me.” So she did and he stood from the park bench, setting down his cup of ice cream beside her. He went to her back and his lips as he gently placed the necklace around her. The cold chain hitting her skin made her jump and open her eyes.

Bom smiled at it, “Tabi, you got this for me?”

She didn’t see, but he was blushing like mad, “Yeah… You seemed to really like it.”

“But it’s really expensive. You didn’t have to.”

He nodded, “I know.” He sat back down next to her, “But you’ve been doing so well with your training, I thought I’d give you a gift.”

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

He gulped, CL’s text never leaving his mind. Should he call YG about it? He shook his head at the thought. YG could see my bills…I’m in deep if I call him and argue. So should he just take it? TOP plopped another scoop of ice cream into his mouth and pulled up his legs, gazing at the Han River. It was getting late; all he could make out was the sound and a thin outlining of the river and the land on the other side.

The sound of something crackling entered his ears and he looked to the side. Someone lit a huge bonfire. Are they allowed to do that? They did anyway. And Bom noticed. She stood up and backed away. “Bom?”

“Can we please go?”

He stood with her and rested a hand on her shoulder, “Bom. What’s wrong?”

Her eyes only looked at the fire and he remembered from her file when they first met. She gulped, “Seriously TOP. Please.” He nodded and guided her away from it, mentally telling himself to come back and through those idiots into the Han River later. Bom clung onto his shirt and he could feel her shiver in fear. They got back into his car and she said, “I’m sorry…”

“I understand…but, that fire was so long ago…”

She scoffed, “But TOP, I caused that fire.” He fell silent, “Didn’t that damn folder tell you that?”

“It just said you were involved in a fire.”

She leaned her head back, “I caused it… I was a regular child, with more imagination than ever. Omma-…Omma was taking a nap and I was at the fireplace, with a stick I found outside. I got carried away. It started with the rug, and when I got scared, I tried to put it out. But it didn’t…” She wiped her eyes and her voice went weak, “I went to Omma and screamed for help. She woke up and saw me in the corner, crying.”

“Bom…you don’t…” He shook his head but she went on.

“I remember she held me close and told me everything was gonna be ok… She coughed and held me in her arms, trying to find an exit. But the fire spread quickly, and we were growing weak. Omma fainted in the bedroom, and I managed to call for help before fainting myself.” Bom was crying now, sobbing for her mother.

And TOP let her. He took her head and pulled her closer, muffling the cries for her mother. “It’s ok.”

She went on to hit his chest, but he took it. She cursed, and he let her. She finally tried to collect herself, “I changed. I was a trouble child, a misbehaved teen, and I hung around the wrong crowd. When Appa died…I didn’t know what else to do.”

“That’s why I’m here…” He whispered, “I’m supposed to get you back on your feet, and I’m gonna do that.”

She sniffled, “Tabi, I’m sorry…sorry for causing you so much trouble.” She wiped her eyes and looked through his glove compartment, pulling out tissues and wiping her smearing makeup. She blinked at him, “I promise to work hard.”

He smiled, “You already work hard, Noona. You’re doing fine.”

Bom looked at the necklace and smiled, “I guess I am…” She leaned back in her chair and buckled up as TOP started the car. He set the gears and backed out, shifting gears once more and she looked at him, “Do you have to leave me? You’ve brought me back from my hopeless hole… What if I go back when you’re gone?”

TOP gripped the wheel tightly, she noticed his knuckles go white and he sighed, “You wouldn’t remember me anyway…”

“Does that matter? What if I go back?”

“You won’t.” He said, “I’ll stay. I’ll stay with you. So you don’t go back to your old life, so you know that you’re doing the right thing for yourself and for others. Ok? I’ll stay.” He released his tight grip on the wheel and relaxed his foot that was on the pedal. He didn’t know he was already so tense.

But the smile on her face made him warm inside and she whispered, “…Do you promise not to leave me?”

He stretched out his right hand and held her left, squeezing it reassuringly before he said, “I promise.” Now it was more than that. It was more than a promise to make sure that his student would continue in her skill. It was way more than that. It wasn’t a promise between Leader and Student.

They just didn’t know it very well.