*No poll*

Taeyang just wanted to see how Dara was. See if she was still ok and comfortable where she was and then he’d leave. But after one glance, he got a bit greedy. The community center building was empty, and it turns out that they all went to the park so the kids could run around. But it was the same park he and Dara played basketball together. He was walking along the street, pretending to take a phone call when he saw her. She looked the same, but her previously blonde hair turned back to dark brown. He saw big perfect curls draping her right shoulder as she laughed and talked to little kids as if they were her own. He was too far to hear her voice, but close enough to see her face. Her smile was bright and understanding… Yep-Taeyang was greedy.

“Ugh…I’m not like TOP or CL.” He said to himself, thinking of a way to approach her. Unlike his fellow Leaders, he was shy when approaching Students to check up on them. The reason why he was standing near this particular Student however made his mind go absolutely blank. Suddenly, a little boy came up to him and stared at his hand. Taeyang blinked, “What is it?”

The boy said nothing but kept staring at Taeyang’s hand. He looked at it himself and sighed. The unbitten cookie in his hand. The boy wanted some. Taeyang bent down and picked a piece off, “Did you want some?”

“Neh…”

Taeyang smiled, “But didn’t your parents warn you about strangers?” The boy nodded, but kept staring deep into the chocolate chips, “Do you trust Hyung? Does Taeyang-hyung look like you can trust me?”

“Dara-noona says to trust people with eye-smiles.” He responded and Taeyang grinned widely again.

“Here.” He said, handing the whole cookie over with the exception of the piece he tore off.

The boy stared at the cookie in awe and smiled, “Thanks Hyung!” He bit into it greedily and said with a mouthful of cookie, “Hyung! Come play with me.”

Taeyang tilted his head to the side. Instead of approaching Dara himself, he could use this boy to lure him in and get on a good side. Taeyang stood and nodded, “Alright. Let’s play!” Taking his hand, the boy ran across the playground, no doubt catching Dara’s attention.

“Oh? Dongho?”

Dongho either didn’t hear Dara or didn’t care, “Hyung! Push me in the swing!”

“Alright.” After helping the little boy, Taeyang began to push him gently in the swing and he squealed happily.

“Higher!”

“Yah! Hold on!” Even Taeyang was shocked by Dara’s loud voice. He halted the swing, he and Dongho quieting down suddenly at her call. She strutted over and stared Taeyang right in the eye. Both of their gazes flickered. Dara didn’t think this guy would be so cute up close, “Dongho-yah, who is this?”

“Noona, this is Taeyang-hyung. Hyung is nice, he gave me a big cookie!” Dongho stretched his arms wide and grinned, “A big cookie!”

“A cookie?” Dara’s eyebrow rose. She was suspicious of him, great. Dara took Dongho out of the swing and smiled at him, “Dongho-ah, go play with the others. Let Noona talk with Taeyang-hyung for a bit, ok?”

“Alright!” He jogged off, yelling and joining a game of tag with the others.

Dara glared at him and Taeyang dodged her eyes. To think, a year ago he was considered as her boyfriend and she was giving him the death glare, knowing nothing! His heart hurt. She crossed her arms over her chest and asked, “So, who are you?”

“W-Who am I?”

“What are you doing here?” She clarified.

Taeyang smiled nervously, “I was just walking. Dongho came up and asked for my cookie so I gave it to him. It’s not a big deal, he asked me to play with him.” She didn’t look convinced so he continued, “It’s instinct, I love kids.”

Dara smiled at them and sighed, “Sorry…it’s just I get protective of the little kids.” She sat in one of the swings and stared at them, “They’re poor, naïve, innocent and weak little things.” She mumbled, “They’re easy to take advantage of and I get worried since I’ve been around them a lot.”

Taeyang sat beside her and nodded, “I get it. I know what it’s like to worry about others…be protective.” To be honest, he didn’t know that as much as TOP or CL either. TOP was the eldest of the three, which seemed to play a role on him when they were scolded or invited as a group. CL was a god damn ticking bomb. She does what she wants with confidence, which includes splitting them apart from their heart’s desire. Taeyang? Taeyang didn’t know what role he played in the three. Sure, he gave people hope, but what did he do for TOP and CL? Be TOP’s sparring partner? CL’s oppa?

Dara popped his bubble and smiled at him, “You seem to be nice. These kids don’t usually warm up to people so easily. I guess you’re different…” The thought made her blush, which he saw but pretended not to. Dara sighed again and whispered, “Um…kids remind me of my friends Bom and Jiyong.”

Bom and Jiyong? “Why?” He asked, curious as any stranger might have been.

“They’re naïve and innocent in a way…poor too. Bom is getting more money but paying off debts and rents…Jiyong recently paid a lot to go to school and live near campus.” In Paris. Taeyang hissed at how much money it would all add up, “Both of them are a bit…innocent. They’re open, that’s why.”

“Are…you open to people?”

She laughed, “Not as much as they are. They make friends easily. But there’s always something about their newest friends that throw me off. An odd stare or smirk, drifting fingers…Bom usually finds out the truth after my cautiousness.” She admitted and brought her legs up to her chest, slowly swaying, “I wonder why I have an eye for gold diggers or jerks.”

Taeyang gave a nervous smile. Perhaps he gave that to her. He was cautious but outgoing as well. “My friends…are very independent. I feel like-I’m their parent when they go out partying.” They laughed. Silence gradually washed over the two. She seemed normal, fine and happy and confident.

He missed her though, over the year, what could’ve been accomplished over this amount of time? It was short, but at the same time, a year was long. Fifty-two weeks, three hundred and sixty-five days… It sounded like a long time… He didn’t mean to sound like he was blaming things on CL. But where would they be if things carried on? Dara suddenly scoffed, “You would get along with my friend Jiyong.”

“Oh why?”

“Your personalities are alike.” She said and jokingly chuckled, “He could use a bromance. He’s stuck in between me and Bom.” Suddenly, she stood and shrugged, “Wanna go meet him? Maybe we can all go out to dinner?”

His heart lurched, “Sure.” Dara grabbed her things and said she’d be leaving early. Taeyang saw her walking and felt his mouth curve into a smile at the sight of her Rover. “Nice car.” He sighed.

“You think so? I’ve had it for a couple years now but people don’t think it seems to fit my style.” She got in and he sat in the passenger seat.

He smirked, “What? A petite person with this big of a car? Seems normal to me.” She punched his arm and started driving. Again, silence came over them. But it wasn’t long until it started to rain harder than the drizzle before. Dara pulled over to the sidewalk and looked on in alarm, “What is it?”

She ran up to a brick building, the door swung right open and lights still on. He followed her in. A sketchbook and pencils were on the ground and skid marks from shoes were near the door. “Where’s Jiyong?” She whispered. Dara looked everywhere, only to find his jacket, without his car keys or wallet, “!” Taeyang bit his lip. CL.

“That girl takes what she wants at the wrong times-!” He hissed.

Dara’s phone began to ring and he blinked. Could it be Bom? Yes, he heard her voice over the line but Dara cut her off, “Bommie! Jiyong isn’t in his studio! The door’s open, there’s things on the floor, skid marks, and his jacket is still here, but his wallet and car keys are gone! Please, meet me at his house, maybe something happened to him.” Dara hung up and looked at Taeyang, “I-I’m sorry…he might be at his house or something.”

Again, they went back into the Rover and onto the road without a word. Taeyang was getting anxious. There was no doubt in his mind that CL did something. She did say that Jiyong saw her on the street a day after their memory erase. Perhaps he recognized her? “Impossible…” He hissed. Then again, his friend did leave quite harsh impressions on others.

“You know,” Dara suddenly began, “to me it seems odd that you come in the direction of Jiyong’s studio…the only café I know down that way is near there.”

She was getting at something-. “What are you saying Dara-ssi?” He wondered, pressing himself against the car door for good measure.

Dara only shrugged, “Your friends…you seemed nice, but every time I look at you, it’s as if you’re hiding something big.” , , . Wrong theory, but he couldn’t tell her that, she’d want to know the truth-and get the truth. “Did something happen?”

“N-No.” He insisted.

Dara turned the wheel, “Ooh. Bom’s here.” She looked at him, “We’ll find out what’s going on then.” He hurried out of the car and locked eyes with TOP.

Taeyang ran up behind him as Bom screamed: “What the ?!”

Even he couldn’t believe the sight of seeing CL in Jiyong’s bedroom, the poor man drenched in water, barely and unconscious. The sight would obviously be questionable, but Taeyang knew better than to accuse her of nonsense. The Leaders made their escape and Taeyang reached out of thin air for the white memory ‘adjusting’ rod. It hurt him to look at it again, and Dara for possibly one last time. But he switched it on and went through the portal, “I’m sorry Dara.”

A/N: HOLY . YG's having a BIG BANG comeback, PSY comeback, 2NE1's 2nd Worl Tour/ Album and debuting 4 NEW GROUPS!! >< To be honest...it makes me feel terrible. I really hope Team B doesn't debut, because it makes me feel useless and...lazy. Like what am I doing with my life? While these groups popping up, what am I doing? Ugh...YG, why do you have to be so great right at this point in time? ...Anyway, next chapter won't be a couple chapter. It might be long or short, haven't worked out the kinks yet. But this'll be ending soon. RA may be continuing as well as a new story. There's a lot in my mind though... I hope you guys cope with better than I do xP (.^_^.)

-TAIwin <3