"Yah, so you're telling us that you actually agreed to... THAT???" Daesung's jaw dropped open in surprise when he heard what had transpired over the weekend.

Swallowing hard and shaking his head vigourously to bring back his ability to think clearly, Seungri snapped his jaw closed before asking, "Hyung! Her slave? For a week? Am I hearing this correctly?! Hey you ARE Kwon Jiyong right? Or did someone possess your body? HYUNG!!!" He rushed forward to give Jiyong a good shake, turning him from side to side for inspection, a worried look on his face. 

"Hey get your hands OFF me!" Jiyong struggled to push the maknae away, swiping at his face, slightly annoyed.

"Hyung..." Seungri said gently, his hands by his sides as he looked at Jiyong, a confused look on his face.

"Gwenchanayo Seungri. Hey guys look, she's just a very good friend who knows me inside out. I've really missed her and her friendship... Besides, I still have to get her to fall in love with me, so this will be the perfect opportunity! Hehe, better start preparing for that punishment I'm gonna give you guys when I win!" Jiyong smirked confidently before waving a goodbye to them and skipping off.

"This is... a weird situation. Like, on one hand I'm glad to see that he's friends with Sandara, which probably means he'll fall for her soon if we start interfering... But on the other hand, he seems TOO happy..." TOP murmured in a low voice.

"Moreover, I don't know if it was the right decision to even put this bet on him. Aish what was I thinking!" TOP ran his long fingers through his short-cropped hair in frustration. He was so concerned for his best friend. Jiyong had been just friends with him for most of their lives, but had only gotten closer after Sandara left Seoul. After that, Jiyong and him were almost inseparable. He knew Jiyong's fears, hopes, dreams, and secrets. He had been there to offer a beer and a listening ear every time Jiyong was upset about something. He had been there at every fight, every failure, every laugh, every success. Jiyong was like the brother he never had... OH MAN  what the hell am I thinking?! I'm starting to get girly with all this girl talk! TOP stopped himself and shivered from the thought. Scoffing at the very idea, he started mumbling and debating with himself over that thought and walked away, ignoring the three guys who were staring at him in confusion.

"TOP is acting crazy again... Tsk tsk" Taeyang tsked, an eyebrow raised in TOP's direction, sharing a chuckle with Daesung and Seungri.

"OHMYGOSH LOOK!!!!!" A high-pitched, girly voice squealed and a collective gasp was heard from the surrounding school mates as everyone turned towards the direction of the school gate.

Turning to see what the commotion was about, the three boys' eyes almost dropped out of their sockets as they witnessed the horrifying scene in front of them.

A girly satchel was hanging off Jiyong's right shoulder, while his left arm was wrapped around some ahjumma's...Sandara Park's?... waist. He was grinning from cheek to cheek as he spoke to her, the pair cutting through the shocked crowd easily, while 2NE1 followed closely behind with grim expressions.

---

"Dara!" Jiyong called out as he saw her enter the school.

"Oh hey slave!" Dara called out merrily, smirking at the term of address. "Girls, Ji is gonna be my slave the whole of this week!" Dara declared triumphantly as she led Jiyong to where 2NE1 was waiting for her.

"Hi Bom!" Jiyong greeted a not-smiling Bom.

"You. Is Dara something you can call our precious girl? No, call her Sandara you idiot." Bom stated in a very unsatisfied tone, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Why can't I call her Dara? We're best friends!" Jiyong protested, pouting slightly at Bom.

"Best friends???!!! I'M DARA'S BEST FRIEND, YOU JERK!!!" Bom exploded, her eyebrows scrunched together as she confronted Jiyong who simply stared back defiantly.

TENSE SILENCE...

Sensing a war brewing, Dara quickly stepped in the middle of their staring war, facing Bom, and placed her hands on Bom's shoulders. Stepping forward so she could whisper into Bom's ear, she whispered "Don't worry Bom, I'm a big girl now. This is all part of my plan to trap him and win the bet! And you'll always be my best friend, Bommie, no matter what he says" Stepping back, she gave Bom a bright and warm smile, melting the tension in Bom's face. Bom reluctantly smiled and nodded, waving to CL and Minzy to say that everything was alright.

Having defused the situation, Dara smiled in relief and turned back to Jiyong.

"Here, hold my bag, slave!" She commanded, secretly doing a victory dance in her heart at being able to order the school's player around.

Indignant, Jiyong opened his mouth to protest at being called a slave, but a better idea formed in his mind. Griining, he bit his lip as he slid the bag onto his shoulder before moving to her side and slipping one arm around her waist.

Dara jumped in surprise at the contact and turned to Jiyong, blushing. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Doing what slaves do. Protecting their masters." He said, smiling from cheek to cheek.

How can anyone resist that smile and those eyes? Dara thought as she debated between letting him put his arm there or pushing it away. Forget it... It's pretty comfortable and warm anyway. She thought and let herself be led into school by Jiyong.

---

"Oh my gosh, that jerk is touching our Dara! Hold my earrings, Bom, I'm gonna beat the living daylights out of him! HOLD MY EARRINGS!" CL fumed as she started to walk towards the pair.

"Hold on CL." Bom said calmly, putting an arm out to prevent CL from rushing at Jiyong. "Dara just told me that she knows what to do, so we should just trust her." Bom said, her eyes never leaving the pair as she started to follow them into school. CL stared at Bom and then Minzy with unbelieving, wide eyes, putting her hands up in defeat as Minzy just shrugged and followed Bom. Grimly, 2NE1 followed behing Dara and Jiyong as they entered the red-bricked school.

---

"I don't think we'll be getting Jiyong's things anymore..." Seungri said sadly, hanging his head low in defeat as he saw Jiyong's hand around Dara's slim waist. "No one has been able to resist Jiyong's charms. EVER. Moreover, look at the target. It's an AHJUMMA for crying out loud. Jiyong has had trucks of y S-lines and there's no way in HELL that he'll fall for her... ARGH...." Seungri messed up his hair, upset.

"Hmm.. Maybe not, maknae. Dara is... different." Taeyang commented as he watched her closely. Maybe she's the one...He thought to himself. 

---

"Here." Dara slid a list over to Jiyong as she plopped down in the bench beside him. They haven't had a class together the whole day, and lunch was the only period that Dara and Jiyong had together.

It was a list full of blue scribbles.

THINGS JIYONG MUST DO AS DARA'S SLAVE ^^

1) Jiyong must always carry Dara's books and bag around school when she asks.

2) Jiyong must come within 30 mins when Dara calls.

3) Jiyong must come to Dara's house to do housework every day.

4) Jiyong must come to Dara's house to receive tuition every day.

5) Jiyong must not say anything mean to Dara or make her angry.

6)

7)

8)

signature_____________________

"Wait... Why must I go to your house everyday to receive tuition from you? And why isn't the list complete?" Jiyong raised an eyebrow sceptically as he handed the paper over to her.

"Hmm... I haven't finished thinking of what I wanted you to do for me yet, but just sign it ok? It's not like I'll make you do something bad... And I noticed that your homework's really bad, so as your friend, it's my obligation to help you!" Dara smiled sweetly at him.

Jiyong was stunned for a moment at her sweet smile, but mostly because he realised that she cared so much for him. Even his other best friend, TOP, who was at the top of the class never did such a thing for him. His mind went blank for a moment but snapped back quickly.

"But what if one of the conditions in the list is for me to have... YOU KNOW... with you every night?" Jiyong winked suggestively at Dara.

"Umm, I know what?" Dara said, confused as she reached into her bag to pull out her lunch box.

"." Jiyong mouthed slowly before biting down on his lower lip ily, his lids half-closed as he gazed at her.

Dara immediately flushed a deep red, her eyes widening. "YAH KWON JIYONG! What are you thinking! NUUUUUU!!!!" She angry-whispered at Jiyong, her eyes constantly darting left and right to see if anyone was listening to their conversation. She smacked him lightly on the arm, making him chuckle.

"It's a joke. I'm not that type of guy." Jiyong smiled.

"Aish, you." Dara rolled her eyes in defeat as she reached into her bag to take out another lunch box. "Here. I made this for you!" She slid the lunch box in front of him, surprising him.

"You....made this for me?" Jiyong's mind went blank for the second time that day as he blinked slowly at Dara.

"Ah... yep!" Dara smiled and rubbed the back of her neck, slightly embarrassed. "It's the first time I'm doing this for anyone apart from my brother, so I hope you like it. It's...to celebrate the fact that we're friends again!" Dara gave a small smile and fixed her eyes firmly on her food, not knowing what to do in this sort of awkward atmosphere.

"Thank you. Jongmal. I'll eat it well." Jiyong said in a gentle, warm voice as he opened the lunch box, happiness and gratitude flowing through his heart. In the box sat a most exquisite array of different sushi, the colours and arrangement making it very appetizing. Wah... I never knew that Dara could cook! And be so good at it! Happily, he put one into his mouth, feeling the deliciousness and flavour burst in his mouth. His eyes widening at the amazing taste, he put one after the other into his mouth. Looking over at Dara who was watching him, he gave an excited thumbs-up to her and gave an eye-smile.

He's eating it so deliciously, yay! Now, it's time for me to execute my plan, Dara thought.

"Jiyong ah, I'm glad you like it!" Dara said while placing one hand on his left thigh hesitatingly.

The feeling of Dara's warm hand on his thigh sent an electric shock through Jiyong's body and he spit out the entire mouthful of sushi in shock.

"YAH, what???" He turned to face an embarrassed Dara, some rice still stuck to his lower lip.

Dara's breath suddenly became very uneven as she tried to sniff back tears that were forming quickly behind her eyes. Oh my gosh that was SO embarrassing. , she shouldn't have taken TOP's advice on this! To think the two of them even had a long conversation the last night, planning today's lunch! But... Did Jiyong have to be so shocked? It was not like she was some ugly beast that was trying to molest him or something! I mean, she knew she was not attractive, but surely not to that extent, right? Now the entire canteen was staring and them and sniggering.

Tears that her eyelashes could not hold back fell freely onto her porcelain cheeks as she grabbed her bag and dashed out of the canteen, utterly shamed.

---

Jiyong was shocked at Dara's action because in his mind, she would always be the innocent friend he knew when he was 12. To go beyond that, was a scenario Jiyong had never thought of before or even imagined could happen. Sure, he liked to , but those words never became fantasies for him because Dara was.. Dara. His friend. The sweet and innocent girl he knew. So his only reaction was shock.

But when he saw tears flow out of her eyes, he suddenly remembered the scene 5 years ago when he had ripped up her confession letter...

---

FLASHBACK

They were 12. They were standing in the middle of the school courtyard, Jiyong, TOP, and a few of his scumbag friends (not Daesung, Taeyang or Seungri), and Dara. His scumbag friends were telling him that Dara wants to play a prank on him and that he should rip up her confession letter for fun. Dara was standing very still, her arms outstretched, holding a single letter.

Without emotion, Jiyong walked over, took the letter from her hand and ripped it up without even looking at it. Then, when he was done, he threw the pieces into the air.

The pieces of the letter floated down like pieces of snow. All this while, he was waiting for his best friend in the heavy glasses to start laughing and tell him that this was all a joke.

Start laughing, start laughing, start laughing... Jiyong chanted earnestly in his head as the silence between them bore on.

But when his best friend lifted her head to look at him, there was no laughter in them. Instead, there was only tears. Tears sparkled in her eyes like stars and he saw hatred and betrayal in them.

That was the first time he saw her cry. That was also the last time he saw her.

END OF FLASHBACK

---

This was the second time he saw her cry. It brought him back to when they were 12. The time when he wished with all his heart that he could undo and make everything better. The time when he wished he had not been the first one to make her cry and break her heart. The time when he wished he had gone after her when she had ran away. He didn't do it then, but he could do it now.

"Dara wait!" Jiyong chased after Dara as she ran out of the canteen. The crowd that had gathered to laugh at the poor girl immediately parted to give way to Jiyong.

His heart pounding erratically, his breathing frantic and heavy, he ran. He didn't know where she had gone, but the only thought that he had was to chase after her, apologise and make that hurt in her eyes go away. After looking everywhere, even disturbing a few classes with ongoing lessons, he finally found her in a music room, sitting at the grand piano that was shimmering in the dim light.

"Dara! There you are!" He burst into the room, his heart racing with happiness at being able to find her.

Dara turned her head away from his direction. "Haven't you shamed me enough? I never knew that that was your plan. But it worked. You got me to believe that you wanted to be my friend, and then you went and betrayed the trust I had for you as a friend. Go away, Jiyong." Dara mumbled, her voice full of tears.

"No... no no no no no Dara, please, I didn't mean it. Please listen to me." Jiyong begged, terribly upset at the prospect of losing his best friend. "I was just shocked. I really didn't mean to react that way. I'm so SO sorry. And I would NEVER do that to you! You are my best friend! Always have been, and always will be. Please don't leave me again, best friend. Please Dara." Jiyong begged, close to tears as he sat on the piano bench beside her and holding on gingerly onto her arm, tugging on her slightly to make her look at him.   

Dara wanted to pull away, but his earnest, sad and pitiful voice made her stay still and look at him. When she saw him in tears, some ice in her heart melted and she gave out a long sigh.

"You sure? You... didn't mean to hurt me?" Dara asked, tentative.

Jiyong shook his head vigourously, his eyes wide. "Never! You're my best friend! Why would I do that to you?!" Jiyong protested strongly.

"Aish fine. I believe you." Dara gave a small smile and looked at the piano in front of her.

"Doh, doh, doh" Dara pressed a piano key three times. The sound resonated around the wooden room, and both her and Jiyong took a breath of air, glad to have cleared the painful misunderstanding.

"D...Dara?" Jiyong said quietly.

"Hmm?" Dara said, still looking at the piano peacefully.

"I... I want you to listen to something." Jiyong said, gesturing for her to move over a bit more on the bench and placing her hands on her lap.

Settling his hands on the piano, he started playing a beautiful song and humming a melody.

Don’t go, don’t leave me and run away
I don’t have any confidence even though I fool my own two eyes
Don’t go, don’t leave me and run away
I’ll still wait for you like a fool

Jiyong sang softly as he played the smooth melody.

"This song. It's so familiar. It's the song you sang at the mall right? But where have I heard it before?" Dara said gently.

"At around the time you left, I was composing this song. But it was only half done when you left so perhaps you've heard the first part of the song only, but you remembered it." Jiyong reminisced.

The two of them sat there in comfortable silence as they thought of many things. It has been so many years. So much has happened. But that didn't change the friendship they had between them. And that was something amazing.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

HI! So as I've promised, here's an update!!! I'm not sure if it's good cos I'm still quite traumatised over my exams (they end today!!! YAY!!!) so do give me feedback and drop me some love if you think it's good ^^ (blushes)

I have so much to say to all you wonderful people who subscribe and comment on this fic, so I just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support! I have a pretty good idea where this fic is going, but all your wonderful comments keep inspiring me to no end so I keep dreaming up better ideas! So thank you for being my motivation!

Also, I watched a few Big Bang interviews and MVs recently and may I just say that GD and TOP are HOT!!! hehehe ^^ Recently been listening Taeyang's cover of "Don't Judge Me" and I can't stop listening to it! hee hee!

So drop some love by commenting, upvoting and subscribing kay? ^^

Love forever,

hannahnah