His eyes.

His eyes were those that Dara had always dreamt of, loved to draw, and were deeply embedded into her memory.

The stunning young man was Jiyong.

He looked at her blankly, without recognition, then blinked and looked away passively.

He did not recognise her.

---

"Hyung, who was that lady? The one who called your name?" Jiyong turned to ask TOP in the car.

TOP frowned, a painful expression on his face as he eyed Jiyong. "You really don't recognise her? You don't get headaches or anything?" He asked carefully.

"Um, no... Should I know her?" Jiyong asked, confused.

TOP sighed inwardly and said, "No. Nevermind, she is no one." Satisfied, Jiyong turned back to face front.

TOP whipped out his phone and texted Bom: I found her.

---

The only word Dara could use to describe how she was feeling was "stunned". Long after Jiyong and TOP's car had sped off, she was still standing there, staring at the spot where the car was. Her busy manager was too occupied to notice Dara's change in mood and simply kept on talking about her schedule, while pulling the girl up to her suite.

Dara sat on the edge of her fluffy white bed, her mind still in shock. Why did Jiyong not say hi? Did he stop loving me already? Dara tried to shake off that thought... It was too painful to think. It couldn't be possible, not after what they had gone through together. Right?

*DING DONGGGG* The room's doorbell rang, stopping Dara's busy manager from all her hectic activity to open and peek out of the door.

Dara heard muffled sounds through the crack of the door, as her manager argued with someone outside.

"Unnie, who is out there?" Dara asked, her curiosity, sparked.

Suddenly, her manager stumbled backwards and the door swung open wide, revealing three poshly dressed girls.

"SANDARA PARKKKKKK!!!!" A familiar voice screamed in the small space as the three girls advanced towards Dara. The three girls took off their shades and smiled great, toothy grins at Dara, with their arms wide open.

2NE1!!!

Dara jumped up to her feet and immediately jumped into the embrace of her three friends. The four of them immediately started squealing and jumping around, everyone talking at once, while crying.

After most of them had calmed down, they pulled apart from their four-person embrace. CL's, Minzy's and Bom's were all over Dara, as if doing a mental check on her health. Bom cupped Dara's face with her hands, her thumbs smoothing over her cheeks to wipe away the tears.

"Yah!!! Napeun yeoja! You bad girl! How could you leave without saying goodbye? Don't I mean anything to you? And how could you not contact me for two years? Do you not want me as a friend anymore?" Bom wailed as a fresh bout of tears sprung into her eyes.

Dara hugged her best friend, patting her on her back to comfort her. "Aniya!!! I love you three so much!!! It's just that... circumstances came up, and I had to leave. I... I didn't contact you because for the first year, I could only think of Jiyong, and of getting back to Seoul. Then the next year,  I was too caught up with work, and I didn't want to be distracted. I knew that if I contacted you, all I would want was to come back and not work anymore so..." Dara explained.

She sat all four of them on her bed. They sat cross-legged in a circle, and Dara started talking. She told them everything that happened. From the first letter from Mr K, the bet, what Jiyong told her on the night before she left, the video message from Mr K, all the way through what happened to her in the past two years.

They smacked her for not sharing her problems with them. They cursed Mr K with a passion. They looked slightly uncomfortable at every mention of Jiyong. They threw their hands up in the air in celebration when she told them of her success and hugged her genuinely with much congratulations.

"Wow, all you girls look great! What happened to you after I left?" Dara appraised the clothes that her friends were wearing and nodded in approval at the plush fur coat that Bom wore, the fashionable, tight dress that CL wore, and the latest fashion, not-yet-out-in-market jewellery that Minzy wore.

"Well, Bom took over her father's hotel conglomerate, and being the brightest girl in our group, she's doing very well. Minzy took over her parent's diamond business because they decided to go into early retirement. I took over my parent's wedding planning business." CL said with a smile.

"But you seem like the most successful one of us all!" Minzy grinned at Dara, reaching over to hug her.

The girls exchanged laughs, funny stories and experiences for a while before they settled on the most important and sombre topic: Jiyong.

---

"How did you girls find me?" Dara finally asked.

"Well, TOP told me that he saw you here and we immediately rushed here to find you. Finding out your room number was easy because after all, I own this hotel!" Bom said with a flourish and a proud grin.

"Ah... So what about Big Bang? What are they doing now?" Dara cocked her head to the side and asked.

CL, Minzy and Bom exchanged uneasy looks that did not escape Dara's notice. She frowned and leaned forward to touch CL's knee. "What happened? Why can't you tell me?"

---

FLASHBACK

Jiyong had almost died in that car accident.

He underwent emergency surgery for 2 whole days, and was in and out of critical condition for two whole weeks. The 2NE1 and Big Bang gang had literally slept in the hospital those two weeks. The doctors finally told the gang that Jiyong's condition was stable and he would live. When he would wake up, though, was a different story.

He might never wake up.

The gang took turns staying vigil beside his bed every day, praying and praying that he would wake up.

Like a miracle, he finally woke up. Everyone wanted to celebrate. They were so thankful that Jiyong was alive.

But then TOP told them that he could not remember Dara. They had immediately flocked to the hospital. They took turns, frantically asking him if he remembered them. He would smile and say their name in return, in a weak voice. They would sigh in great relief.

Yet when asked if he noticed anyone missing, he would look confused and shake his head in a "no". When the maknae, Seungri, couldn't take it anymore, he asked, "Sandara Park. Do you remember her?"

Jiyong only frowned suddenly, his face twisted into a painful expression. He grabbed his head, as if suffering from extreme pain, and started screaming in anguish.

They had called in the doctor to administer a sedative.

They tried again the next day when he was awake.

But the same thing happened for three days.

Everytime Dara's name was mentioned, Jiyong would get a splitting headache that made the gang frightened and guilty for even mentioning her.

The doctor said that he suffered from selective amnesia. Either because he was in so much pain from a memory or a person, or because he felt so guilty that it disturbed and hurt his emotions so much, that his subconscious decided to block the memory out. In this case, his subconscious blocked out a person and all related memories. In its place were just white blanks. It was his mind's way of protecting itself.

The doctor said that the headaches would go away with time, but it was advisable not to mention the person, or show him pictures of the person. Whether his memory would return was subjective.

So the gang never mentioned Dara again. They went to his house and hid all photos he took with Dara, and all evidence of Dara in his home and life.

It was as if Dara never existed.

---

Jiyong recovered at a miraculous rate that the doctors could not fathom. In a month, Jiyong was discharged.

It turned out that Mr K was suffering from stage 4 nose cancer. That's why he was desperate for a successor.

It also happened that Jiyong remembered that he promised to take over his father's position. He remembered that he had a strong, overwhelming reason for doing so, but no matter how he tried, he could not remember the reason. He asked his friends, but they said that they did not know. How could the gang tell him that his reason was "Dara" without giving him a headache that made him faint?

The succession ceremony proceeded.

Mr K died a week later. As per custom in the underworld, when a leader dies, his righthand man must also die. It was to ensure absolute loyalty of the righthand man to the gang's leader, and that mutiny would not occur. Minho chose death by jumping off the building of the hospital when Mr K was announced dead. Even though Jiyong hated him, he did not wish for Minho's death, and tried to prevent him from death. But he did not expect Minho's resolve to be so strong.

TOP, Daesung, Seungri and Taeyang joined Jiyong's gang.    

He told them that he would give them a high-paying job. He said that he needed men that he could trust to help him man and transform his father's business into something more than what it was now. The boys trusted him, so they joined him.

The next 8 months that followed were the hardest. Jiyong wanted to scrap his father's best money-making venture -- the drug business, and pool the money into business investments instead.

Naturally, he was faced with opposition from all his father's "business partners". The hundreds of drug dealers, the drug manufacturers, his father's alliances and other mafia bosses -- all did not want to lose a huge source of their income and go into something that paid less.

The initial meetings were heated, voices and tempers raised as Jiyong and his men argued with his father's men. Finally, the tension cracked and the men ended up in a gun standoff. 30 men stood around the large table in a meeting room somewhere in a hotel, their guns raised, pointed, and ready to fire. Their eyes were merciless as they tried to stare Jiyong down.

But Jiyong was unfazed. Suddenly, one of the other mafia bosses' sidekick ran in and whispered into his ear. The man's face paled instantly. He glared at Jiyong and said coldly, "What did you do?"

Jiyong was expressionless. "I just burned down your largest drug manufacturing centre. I also have men armed with explosives and firearms, all ready to burn down Every. Single. One. of your factories at my command. Oh, I also told them: If you hear news of my death, burn down the factories immediately. Don't worry, my men will take care of your families.

"Gentlemen. I don't want anyone to die here. I only want what is best. Don't you want your children to be proud of what you are doing? What are they saying now, at the Parent Appreciation Day in schools? Do you think they are proud to say that "My daddy sells drugs and women?" Don't worry. I will take care of you and your families, like my father before me did. But I intend to use a better method. I want to make everyone even richer than before. Trust me. Or we can die together. Your choice."

Many men looked uneasy and hesitant.

The one who had the factory burned down was the first to lower his gun. "He's right. I'm tired of being the bad guy. The one that the police always suspects when something goes wrong." He tucked his gun into his back pocket and walked over to Jiyong. "You're a fine young man and I see the resolve in you that your father had. I'm with you. I will put in my entire fortune ." He clapped Jiyong on the back and shot him a fatherly smile. Jiyong smiled gratefully and lowered his gun, putting it on the table and gesturing for his men to do the same.

Murmuring and whispers filled the room as the other men thought over the offer and discussed it among their alliances. One by one, they all lowered their guns and sat down.

Jiyong smiled gratefully at every one of them and started the slideshow -- his proposal for greater richness among the triads.

---

Jiyong was still the same Jiyong that they knew. He was playful, gave snarky comments, teased the girls and joked around with the boys. But there was a certain coldness in his eyes that he could not shake off. The coldness was a shadow of his father's coldness. A constant reminder to his friends, now turned colleagues, to his business partners and to himself that he was his father's son. A reminder that he was not to be messed with.

END OF FLASHBACK

---

"So, Dara. The question now is: What are you going to do? You can choose to leave and forget him like he has forgotten you. Or if you still love him, please get him back." Bom looked at Dara with pleading and earnest eyes.

The room had fallen silent. Even Dara's manager unnie had joined them on the edge of the bed, listening intently.

"You have to get him back! True love can overcome all obstacles!" Dara's manager unnie suddenly leapt off the bed, pumping one fist in the air and declared loudly.

The other four girls looked up at her in surprise as they blinked at her sudden outburst.

"What?" The 28 year old baby-faced unnie looked at them with an innocent expression, and all five of them burst out laughing.

---

Not only had Dara gained fame and recognition for her talent in the past two years, she had also gained confidence, that she wore like a coat.

And with that confidence, she was determined to question Jiyong. Did he dislike her so much that all memories were painful enough to forget? Or was there some other reason? No matter what, the love that she had cherished so much, she could not just forget and leave it as it is. She needed answers. If his answer was the former, then she would try to forget him.

---

Three days later

"Okay, Jiyong has booked out the entire pub tonight, and is already in there. He does this once in a while, in order to just drink in peace. Other than the bartender, who is my close friend, there is no one else." TOP said in a loud whisper to Dara. They were outside one of the most popular clubs in Seoul. Dara had announced to the entire Big Bang and 2NE1 gang that she was intent on making Jiyong remember her and give her a proper explanation, so they were going all out to aid her in her plan.

"If anyone asks, I did not help you!" TOP warned Dara with wide eyes as he waved her through the front doors of the club.

"Arrasso Tabi Oppa!" Dara said with a confident wink as she glided through the marble doors, giving her short, tight dress a last tug for neatness, and a soft pat to her updo.

---

"Tabi hyung, I thought I said that I wanted to be alone?" Jiyong said irritably as someone walked past him.

He put down his glass of vodka, ready to continue his admonishment on TOP, but he caught a light scent of perfume that made him curious. He looked up and saw a petite lady in a y dress that hugged her curves perfectly. She strutted over to the bar counter, crossed her legs elegantly, her back still facing him. He saw her lift one slim arm, to catch the bartender's attention, before ordering a drink.

His curiosity was sparked.

"Hey, who are you? I booked out this entire place tonight." Jiyong raised his voice a little, such that the lady could hear him over the soft music that was playing over the speakers. He didn't move, but watched every movement of hers, intently.

The lady turned her head such that he could see her side profile. From her naturally long, sweeping lashes that framed large eyes, to the high tilt of her nose. From her plump, pink lips to her milky white skin that was flawless. Jiyong was suddenly fascinated.

"Well, so did I." There was a musical lilt to the woman's voice as she answered, before turning back to her drink, ignoring him.

Jiyong's pride and confidence were stung slightly at her quick dismissal. But more than that, his curiosity and interest in this woman grew. Smirking, he got out of his seat, picked up his half-empty glass of vodka, and advanced towards the lady, determined to make her his by the end of the night.

He slid smoothly into the seat beside the lady, facing her. He placed his drink on the bar top, his arm resting on it, close to hers. If he twitched his fingers, he could brush against her smooth alabaster forearm.

"I'm pretty sure that I had this place booked out-" Jiyong smirked confidently at the lady, ready to make an impression, but was cut off abruptly when the lady suddenly turned towards him, hopped off her high seat and leaned in to kiss him.

She grabbed the front of his open, white shirt to draw his upper torso closer to her as she stood in between his legs. She crashed her lips against his too quickly for him to react.

As quick as the strong peck happened, it ended. Jiyong felt the loss of warm lips on his cold ones, but she was still standing there, her face close to his.

"You're right, Jiyong ssi, I intruded. I'll leave now." She whispered, her voice suddenly deeper and ier. Her voice and penetrating honey brown gaze fixed Jiyong in his seat, rendering him speechless and immobile.

With a smile that spoke of a million things, she released the front of his shirt and stepped back, her smile widening into an innocent one, before spinning on her heels and leaving.

Jiyong's eyes were wide as he found himself watching the lady walk away from him.

No one had ever been so daring.

And she even knew his name. No one who knew who he was, would be so daring.

Her light perfume lingered on his clothes, where she touched him. Jiyong ran his tongue over his lips, tasting where the mysterious lady's lips touched his. It was sweet, yet refreshing.

A lady with an angelic face, but a taste for adventure. She was so different from the thousands of girls who flung themselves on Jiyong, with heavy perfume and makeup.

Somehow, she made him feel different. A good kind of different.

Wait, but he didn't even get to know her name!

Jiyong jumped out of the high chair and ran out of the club, where he found TOP standing guard.

"Did you see her? That lady that just left?" Jiyong was flustered, his hair slightly mussed from the short sprint.

TOP raised one eyebrow coolly as he regarded his friend. "Ahh, Ssantokki? Yes, she said you wanted to meet her, so I let her in. Wae?"

If Jiyong detected the lie in TOP's eyes, he ignored it. He was too busy thinking of the girl.

"Ssantokki? That's her name?" Jiyong looked at TOP anxiously. In that moment, TOP saw the innocence that Jiyong had lost with his memory. He saw the true friend that he knew. And in his heart, he was celebrating, eating pizza and congratulating himself on his ingenuity. But on his face, he only wore the standard, professional look. He nodded curtly at Jiyong's question.

"Find her for me. I want to know everything about her -- Where she lives, her past, and how she knows me." Jiyong ordered. He regained composure as he straightened his white shirt and walked towards the waiting car.

He missed the naughty grin that spread over TOP's face as TOP got into the seat behind Jiyong.

Sandara Park had succeeded.   

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hie guyssss!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the comments!!! It really made me want to write and post the next chapter faster!!! So here it is!!! 

Your comments really make me feel very appreciated and I truly am honoured to have such lovely readers and subscribers such as you all!!! *90 degree bow*

Here's to celebrate 12 000 views, 384 subscribers, 42 upvotes and the many many comments!!!

Love you all!

hannahnah