Part V

20 June 2013

YGE, 8.45am

 

Jiyong’s eyes followed Chaerin till she disappeared then he turned back to the breakfast and put another piece of kimbap into his mouth and stared at Youngbae.

 

“So, what’s going here, Ji? You look like you are about to chew me up like the piece of kimbap you just put into your mouth.”

 

Jiyong swallowed the kimbap in his mouth, took a swig of the vitamin drink then looked at Youngbae.

 

“Bae, I’d be direct here. I love Chaerin and not just as an oppa. I’ve already told her just now during our drive here. I believe she needs time to get used to the idea before I can make my next move. I’m not comfortable with how close she is with you but I can’t do anything about it. At least I can’t tell her to stop talking to you because I know what would happen. But I hope as my best friend, you know where to draw the line.”

 

“What if I tell you the exact same thing? Cos Ji, I don’t know how I feel about letting her go to you. Whether I see her as my little sister or as a girl, I don’t feel safe about her with you. Even if you are my best friend, my first instinct is still to keep her away from you.”

 

“Why would you feel that way?”

 

“Because of your past. You come up quite a bit whenever I talked to Chaerin but if the topic is about you and your ex-girlfriends or flings, she would change the subject very quickly. Or when she hear anyone mention names of girls you were previously involved with, there would be a flicker of pain before she hides it away with a smile. Unknowingly, you might have hurt her. And I’m not about to let you hurt her more.”

 

“But doesn’t that tell you that she might have feelings for me?”

 

“Who’s to say that’s not her sisterly emotions towards you? Every time you go through any emotional upheaval with your girl, you go to her. She doesn’t like to see you hurt. You know how she is, she would rather be the one in pain than to see someone she cares about hurting. You have never seen her crying on her own after you are done getting your comfort from her, have you? I have. And it’s not pretty. So, I really don’t know.”

 

“No matter what, I’m going to try my hardest to become her comfort, her strength, her everything from now on. I’m not going to step back just because you might be interested in her. That’s not my style.”

 

“Jiyong, if she chooses you at the end of the day, I’d give you my full blessings. But know that she is precious in my heart and I will not allow anyone, not even you, to hurt her. I’m putting our friendship on the line but I’m trusting you to not ruin it.”

 

“I won’t. I have more to lose. I can’t lose both my best friend and my heart.”

 

“You seemed serious this time round.”

 

“I held her hand just now. The moment I let go, it felt like I just let go of the only thing I want to hold on to. I don’t think I can afford not to be serious when it comes to Lee Chaerin. You are not the only one interested in her.”

 

“Is this a competitive thing? Like suddenly she’s the most desirable girl because everyone’s got an eye on her?”

 

“Honestly, I didn’t even realize the competition was all around until yesterday. You, Xin, Soo Hyuk... It’s actually still quite mind-boggling. And how come I didn’t even know about the collaboration that you were doing with Chaerin?”

 

“Oh that...”

 

Youngbae actually had a sheepish smile on his face. It was one that one would have when they think of the person they love. Jiyong saw it and knew that he was really putting his friendship with Youngbae on the line with this one.

 

“So what about it?”

 

“It was really something really random but it sort of came together quite nicely.”

 

“What is the song title?”

 

“‘What I Want to Do if I Have a Lover’. It’s actually a very cutesy song that is SO unlike us. But we had so much fun coming up with the lyrics and the music that we just have to record it. Even if it isn’t the title song, it’s still something I want to include in my album.”

 

“So she’d be singing instead of rapping?”

 

“Yup~ Come on, we all know that she can sing. She’s got a really very unique voice. Actually, I’m shocked too that we can use her voice in the song. Like I said, the song is very cutesy. But as usual, she aced it. Speaking of which, let’s go and finish that song we did halfway. I want to finish the album as soon as possible. Since 2NE1 is going to be promoting for the rest of the year, it’d be fun to go on music shows with them!”

 

“Oh... I didn’t think about that. Maybe I should release the 2nd part of my album after the tour. I’d talk to Boss about this. It’d be really fun if we all go to music shows together!!”

 

“So, let’s go and work on that song now. I give you 4 hours. Otherwise, when Chaerin comes and look for me, I’m just going to lock you inside while I go for lunch with the rest of them!”

 

“You can’t do that to me!! I’m your best friend!!”

 

“Not when you have been sitting on that song for so long! Let’s go!”

 

The two friends quickly packed up and made sure they didn’t leave any trace behind. When they made their way down, they passed by the dance studio that 2NE1 was practicing in. They could hear the music coming out. Both turned and look at each other.

 

“You want to go in so bad right?”

 

Jiyong nodded.

 

“I bet she’s inside alone. I want to see her!!!”

 

“Well, every minute you spent inside is one minute less you have to work on my song. But if you are confident of finishing it, then go ahead.”

 

“Let’s go in. She might be the energy source that I need to finish the song!”

 

Youngbae shook his head but entered the dance studio with Jiyong. Once they were inside, they just stood at the back and kept quiet while watching Chaerin do her own practice.

 

Chaerin was going through her playlist of warm-up songs. Most of it was 2NE1’s songs that they were going to perform. As the music played, she went through the choreography and think of the performance space and what she could do to maximize the enjoyment the audience would get from their performance.

 

When “I Am The Best” started playing, she got into the starting position. That was when she saw Jiyong and Youngbae standing at the back of the dance studio. She smiled and waved to them, then signalled for Youngbae to come join her. Youngbae stepped forward and got in line with Chaerin. They exchanged a smile when the introduction ended.

Jiyong watched the two of them going through the entire dance sequence. From the looks of it, this wasn’t the first time that Youngbae had joined Chaerin during her dance practice. He started to question just exactly how much time they actually spend with each other for the past months since he’s not been around much.

 

“YA! Bae oppa, you are not supposed to do that!!”

 

That got Jiyong’s attention and brought him back from his thoughts. What he saw caused him to clench his fists. He consciously told himself to calm down. Youngbae had his arms around Chaerin’s waist and was looking at her with a goofy smile of his face.

 

“But it’s always fun to see you flustered!! You are too cute, Chaerin ah~”

 

“Oppa, now I have to start all over again!”

 

“It’s ok, I’d do it with you.”

 

“Don’t mess it up this time!”

 

Chaerin went to restart the song but she caught a glimpse of Jiyong’s expression and knew that he wasn’t too happy.

 

“Bae oppa, wait a minute.”

 

She walked up to Jiyong and placed her hand on his arm. Jiyong looked her in the eyes and Chaerin caught a flicker of sadness and anger in them.

 

“Jiyong oppa, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

 

Jiyong closed his eyes and choose his next words very carefully. He removed Chaerin’s hand on his arm and held it in his hand instead.

 

“I was just wondering how much time I have lost and I’m truly afraid that you will slip out of my hands. I don’t know... All these emotions I’m feeling inside of me are so new. What do I have to do, what can I do, what should I do... I feel like I’m treading on thin ice here... Chaerin ah...”

 

Chaerin took her hand out of Jiyong’s and gave him a hug. Jiyong was a little shocked but recovered quickly to hug her back.

 

“Oppa, you are being silly. I’m always here. When you need me, when you call me, I’d be there, don’t worry.”

 

“Chaerin ah, what I’m saying is it’s not enough anymore... at least for me. So I’m at a loss as to how to react when I see you with another guy, without scaring you. What do I do?”

 

“Oppa, we have to give each other time. You barely told me about your feelings, I’m still getting my head around it. And you have to remember that I’m close to a lot of the oppas here and I can’t possibly just start distancing myself from them. But I promise to be more mindful of my actions, alright?”

 

“Would you, please? I know it’s a lot to ask but..”

 

“But you cannot be angry if I don’t do it all the time. It’s not going to be easy and all the oppas are going to start asking questions, to which I have no answers yet. So, I hope you can understand too.”

 

“If you want, I can talk to them...”

 

“NO! Aigoo~ Oppa, that would just be awkward. Just let things happen on its own.”

 

“But if it’s not happening the way I want it...”

 

“Oppa, if it’s what WE want, it will happen the way we want it.”

 

And that was Jiyong’s greatest worry, that what he wanted wasn’t what Chaerin wanted. He felt Chaerin pulling herself back from the hug and his first instinct was to hug her tighter. But he could also hear noises coming from outside and knew that her members were going to burst through the doors. So he had no choice but to let her go.

 

Chaerin stepped back and turned to Youngbae.

 

“Bae oppa, I think you’d better go and get Jiyong oppa started on your song. Otherwise, you might really have to lock him up.”

 

She turned back to Jiyong and gave him her cute eye smile.

 

“Oppa, you are going to work hard today and finish the song right? That’s my condition for going out with you tonight. Other than I have to finish recording before 9pm, you will have to finish Bae oppa’s song. Otherwise, I’d just go back home and rest for tomorrow’s departure.”

 

“Chaerin ah...”

 

“I’m serious. You have been delaying on this song for so long. Get it over and done with so you can start on other projects or have some time for yourself. Boss is going to start asking you about your solo album, Big Bang’s album once you finish up your tour. I just don’t want you to be all stressed out again.”

 

Jiyong nodded since she made sense. He told himself he would just have to finish the song.

 

“And don’t forget to eat if you are not joining us for lunch.”

 

“Well, you could always visit me with lunch.”

 

“We’ll see. Alright, off you go, oppas~ See you all later.”

 

“Bye Chae, have a good practice!”

 

“I will, Bae oppa! FIGHTING! You are going to finish the song today!”

 

Chaerin gave him a cute wink that made Youngbae pinch her cheeks. He walked out of the dance studio ahead of Jiyong because he felt that the two needed some time alone. He ran into the girls outside who were all rushing to make sure they were not too late.

 

“Oh~ Youngbae, what are you doing here so early in the morning?”

 

“We just met Chaerin for breakfast.”

 

“‘We’? We who?”

 

“Jiyong and I.”

 

“Woooooo~”

 

“What is that for, Bom noona?”

 

“2 guys and 1 girl, it always make for good drama. So did you guys get into a fight?”

 

“No, what’s there to fight about?”

 

Just then, Jiyong walked out of the studio with a broad grin while shaking his head. He looked like he had just been hit by a truck. He was about to walk away from the group when Bom called him.

 

“YA! Kwon Jiyong! Where are you going? Why are you grinning like an idiot? Did you just come out from the dance studio? What happened?”

 

Jiyong finally realized that the girls and Youngbae were standing outside the dance studio and now they were looking at him with a strange look on their face. He smiled and waved at them.

 

“Hello~ Noonas and Minzy~ Have a good practice! I have a song to finish. Let’s go, Bae!”

 

With that, he turned and walked away. He took out his phone and looked like he was messaging someone and whoever replied to him made him grin even broader.

 

“I think I’d better catch him while he’s in a good mood. See you girls later at lunch!”

 

Youngbae ran after Jiyong and when he caught up with him, he put his arm around Jiyong’s shoulders.

 

“Spill! What happened inside?!”

 

“Nothing~”

 

“Kwon Jiyong, I have known you since you were 12. You are grinning like a cat. So, spill, what happened inside?”

 

“Really, nothing happened. Let’s go and finish up your song!”

 

With that, Jiyong walked a little faster, like he couldn’t wait to get started.

 

Of course I can’t wait...

Tonight is going to be the happiest night of my life!

 

Youngbae was still puzzled by Jiyong’s sudden turn of heart but he wasn’t going to question his enthusiasm. He walked a little faster and when he arrived in the studio, Jiyong already had the unfinished song playing. He started playing around with the keyboards and the sound controls and before long the melody for the whole song was completed. He played the whole song and Youngbae was surprised at the final product.

 

“If I have known, I should have gotten Chaerin on your case a long time ago. That was fast work!”

 

Jiyong grinned and then started filling up the lyrics for the song. Youngbae was amazed at the speed he was working.

 

“Take a look at the lyrics and see if we need to change anything. If not, let’s start recording and take it from there.”

 

The two good friends spent the next 3 hours working on the song and by lunchtime, they were done. Jiyong heaved a sigh of relief since it meant that his afternoon was freed up to visit Chaerin and Youngbae when they were recording. But he thought he would work on something else first before their recording started.

 

At around 12.30pm, both of them were ready to go for lunch. They were waiting for Chaerin to pop by so they could let her listen to the song before lunch. But she didn’t appear and she was not answering her phone. They decided that they would go look for her at the dance studio instead and made their way over.

 

When they arrived outside the studio, Chaerin and Xin were just exiting it. They were discussing something when they heard their names being called. They looked up to see Jiyong and Youngbae walking towards them. Chaerin face-palmed herself. She totally forgot that the two of them were waiting for her.

 

“Jiyong oppa, Bae oppa, I’m so sorry! I totally forgot that I was supposed to go meet you for lunch. We got too engrossed talking about the outfits for our comeback and such.”

 

Jiyong walked towards Chaerin, looked at Xin and pulled her towards him, then spoke to her softly.

 

“It’s ok. Are you done now? Do you want to go eat something now?”

 

“I can’t. We need to go and pick up the outfits from some brands which are willing to sponsor our wardrobe. Because this is rather last-minute, we have to go on our own. The PR and wardrobe team have their hands full with arranging our variety show appearances and outfits.”

 

“Do you need me to come along? I know some friends who would be willing to sponsor outfits for you and the girls.”

 

“No, we are good. We have already called them just now so now it’s just the picking up. Seungho oppa can drive us. Have a good lunch!”

 

With that, Chaerin turned away from Jiyong and walked to the elevator with Xin, still talking about the outfits and the accessories. Jiyong and Youngbae looked on. Both felt a little weird when Xin put his hand around Chaerin’s shoulders. Jiyong just wanted to walk up to them and tear his hand away from Chaerin.

 

“Do you think I should talk to Seungho about him not being touchy with Chaerin?”

 

“I don’t think you should, at least not till you guys are actually official. Seungho is their stylist so touching is actually something he would do, especially when he has to adjust their clothes and all. And you know he pays more attention to Chaerin than the other girls. You would just make it awkward for Chaerin.”

 

“Aish~! Now I’m going to think about how he would be helping her to adjust her clothes when they are doing the fitting. Maybe I should follow them...”

 

“And get scolded by Chaerin? I don’t think you want to do that. Chaerin knows what she’s doing, stop worrying. Let’s go for lunch. I’m sure Chaerin will pop by when she’s back.”

 

“I have no appetite anymore. I’d go back to my studio first. Look for me there when you are done.”

 

Without waiting for Youngbae’s reply, Jiyong walked back towards his studio. His buoyant mood was totally gone. He tried to console himself that he would still see Chaerin later in the afternoon, but it wasn’t helping.

 

He started tinkering with another song he was working on previously but nothing was going right. The image of Xin helping Chaerin with adjusting her clothes and touching her just kept invading his mind.

 

“Argh! Get out!!”

 

“Alright then, but let me pass you your lunch.”

 

“I don’t want...”

 

“Before you say you don’t want to eat, Chaerin was the one who wanted me to bring you food. And she wants me to take a picture of you eating it.”

 

“Why should I eat it just because she asked me to?”

 

“It’s for your own good. She worries about your health all the time.”

 

“Then why didn’t she call me or message me herself?”

 

“She did but she couldn’t get through to you. She only called me thinking that you were not picking up her calls.”

 

Jiyong checked his phone then and realized that his phone was off. He quickly plugged in to charge his phone. When his phone was revived, he saw the messages and missed calls notices and smiled.

 

“Happy now? Now, eat up!”

 

Jiyong took the bag of food from Youngbae and upon peeping inside, saw that it had all his favorite food. He took all of it out and spread it out on the table. He passed Youngbae his phone and got him to take a picture of him eating.

 

“I’d leave you to your lunch. I need to go to Tablo hyung’s studio and talk to him about another song. See you~!”

 

Jiyong started scrolling through the messages that Chaerin had sent to him.

 

FROM: CHAERINNIE

Oppa, sorry about missing lunch with you! But you have to eat ok?

 

FROM: CHAERINNIE

Oppa, are you angry with me? I'm sorry but this really came up suddenly.

 

FROM: CHAERINNIE

Oppa~~ oppa~~~ Jingyo oppa~~~ You said that's the magic word... Stop being angry with me. Pick up my call ok?

 

FROM: CHAERINNIE

Ok.. I guess you are busy or angry with me. I have asked Bae oppa to bring food for you. Please eat ok?

 

Jiyong was heartened by the care and concern she showed towards him but it made him wonder if she treated every one of her oppas the same way. He wanted to be special, the only one she showed such care and concern for.

 

TO: CHAERINNIE

Chaerin ah, I’m not angry. I didn’t realize my phone battery was flat. I got the lunch from Youngbae and will start eating now. What are you doing now?

 

Jiyong attached the photo that Youngbae took of him with the food and started eating while waiting for Chaerin’s reply. When his phone beeped, he quickly picked it up. He smiled when he saw the reply.

 

FROM: CHAERINNIE

Oppa~! Phew~ I thought you were angry with me. Eat well so that you can work well! Bae oppa said you finished his song! WOW!! You did well, oppa!! So proud of you! Me? We just picked out the outfits at the 2nd stop, now going to the last one. In fact, we’ve just arrived. Talk to you later!! ^^

 

Jiyong went to his work desk and put on the song he was trying to work on before walking back to the food. He was about to get up again so he could try out a new series of sounds but his phone beeped, getting his attention instead.

 

FROM: CHAERINNIE

Oppa, concentrate! Finish eating first otherwise you are going to get indigestion. I know it’s difficult for you but please try ok?

 

TO: CHAERINNIE

How did you know?! :) Ok ok, I’d finish eating first!

 

FROM: CHAERINNIE

You do that all the time... It’s bad for your body. Ok, I’ve got to go try on some outfits. Later, oppa~ ^^

 

The latest observation about him always getting distracted by work while eating made him realized that Chaerin paid a lot of attention to him. That made him feel good. He questioned why he never realized that before, then the answer came to him: He wasn’t paying attention to her. That, and the fact that he saw her simply as a younger sister. It’s amazing what a change in perspective made.

 

TO: CHAERINNIE

Chaerin ah, I will pay more attention to you in the future. I love you~ ^^

 

Though he didn’t get a reply from Chaerin immediately, he quickly finished up his lunch and started to work on the song. Again, he finished the composing in no time. Since he didn’t have the sound engineer with him, he put that aside and was about to start on something else when he heard the door of his studio opened. He turned to see who it was and smiled widely when he saw that it was Chaerin. But his smile dropped a little when he saw Xin walking in after her.

 

“Jiyong oppa~ Did you finish your lunch?”

 

“Aigoo~ Chaerin ah, you are treating him like a baby. He’s old enough to know his own body.”

 

“Seungho oppa, that’s where you are wrong. Jiyong oppa always put his work first before anything else.”

 

“Yes, I did finish every bit of my lunch. How about you?”

 

Chaerin looked away and tried to distract Jiyong.

 

“Oppa, Bae oppa said you finished his song! I want to listen to it!”

 

“Chaerin, answer my question. Have you had lunch yet?”

 

Chaerin knew there was no escape from the situation and shook her head.

 

“I can’t. With the outfits that we just picked up, I can’t afford to put on any weight.”

 

“Chaerin ah...”

 

Both Xin and Jiyong called out her name at the same time. Chaerin thought that it was really funny and laughed out loud.

 

“Aigoo~ Oppas, I’d go eat something later when I’m hungry. Jiyong oppa, can I listen to Bae oppa’s song now? I have to go meet him at the recording studio for our song soon.”

 

“No. I’m going to bring you to the cafeteria now and you will eat something before I let you listen to the song or go for your recording. There’s no need to starve yourself. You look fine, no, you look fabulous. Let’s go.”

 

Without a second glance at Xin, Jiyong took her hand and pulled her out of the studio. Chaerin was shocked by the move and almost fell over. Xin went forward just in time to break her fall.

 

“YA! KWON JIYONG! Watch out! Chaerin almost fell over!”

 

Jiyong turned back to look at Chaerin and saw Xin holding her hand and looking at the bruise caused by his tight hold on her hand. He was whispering softly to her and she was pouting and shaking her head. He was just about to go over to them when they walked past him.

 

“Chaerin ah, I’m sorry...”

 

“It’s ok, oppa. I’m going off now. I will go get something to eat from the cafeteria before meeting Bae oppa. I’d call you later when I’m done? If you are going to be working on something later, FIGHTING!!”

 

“Wait! I’m going with you!”

 

“You are coming for the recording, oppa?”

 

“Yeah, I asked Tablo hyung for permission last night.”

 

“Erm... I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Xin laughed, Chaerin hit his arm playfully.

 

“Now, I want to be there too. Can I go? Chaerin, please? I have to see this!”

 

“Seungho oppa, it’s not funny. Jiyong oppa, I really don’t think you should come.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I won’t be able to keep the promise I gave you this morning.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The song requires me and Bae oppa to act lovey-dovey, so I don’t think you would be able to handle it..."

 

"You're recording, why would you need to be all lovey-dovey?"

 

"The effect was much much better. And we are doing the chorus today so..."

 

Chaerin didn't dare meet Jiyong's eyes. And she was biting her bottom lips. She decided to appeal to him one more time.

 

"Oppa, I promise to finish it real fast so we can leave earlier ok? Just don't come for the recording..."

 

Jiyong stretched out his hand and pulled Chaerin gently towards him. He lifted the hand that he held too tightly just now in his haste to bring her to the cafeteria and upon seeing the redness, frowned. He ran his thumb over the redness then lifted her hand to kiss it softly before pulling her into a hug.

 

Chaerin was surprised at the display of affection by Jiyong in front of Xin. She didn’t know how to react so she decided to just go with the flow.

 

“Chaerin ah, sorry... I shouldn’t have been so rough on you. But you can’t skip meals just so you can fit into the clothes. You look amazing so please don’t ever think that you are not. As for your recording with Bae, it’s all just to get into the right mood right? It’s for work right? Then it’s alright. Because I know there will be times when I would have to come into close contact with other girls. But as long as we are clear that you know that is for work, we’re good. So, can I go and watch the recording now?”

 

Chaerin pulled back but Jiyong didn’t let go of her.

 

“Oppa, while it is for work but the thing is I’m close to Bae oppa, everything comes out very naturally. It really looks like we’re in love with each other. If you think you can handle it, then by all means, come for the recording. But if you try to stop the recording or what we are doing, then I would request that you leave the recording studio.”

 

“What’s the most intimate action you have done with Bae?”

 

Chaerin took some time to consider and each second past drove Jiyong a little crazier. When she finally looked at Jiyong, she tilted her head, as if considering her options.

 

“Hmmm, I’m not too sure. Do you consider a quick kiss on the cheek to be more intimate than a 10-minute back-hug?”

 

“WHAT?!! Kiss on the cheek AND back-hug?”

 

“Nope, oppa, you can’t come for the recording.”

 

“Why not? Now I have to go for the recording because I don’t know what else you guys would do.”

 

“Exactly. We were going to do the back-hug and possibly the kiss today. So since you reacted in that manner, I don’t think you should be present. Seungho oppa, let’s go.”

 

Chaerin tried to get out from the loose hug but Jiyong didn’t allow that. Chaerin looked up at him and saw that he was frowning. What eventually got to her was the worry she saw in his eyes. She had expected anger but when she saw the worry, she remembered what he said to her in the dance studio. She smiled, then surprised Jiyong and Xin by giving Jiyong a quick kiss on his lips. She quickly moved away from Jiyong before he could react.

 

“Oppa, maybe now you can come for the recording since I believe a kiss on the lips wins a kiss on the cheek anytime, right? But seriously, I’d rather you try to finish as much work as you can so when we go out tonight, you don’t have to worry about unfinished work, alright?”

 

“Chaerin ah, he’s still trying to get his mind back after getting your kiss. Let’s just go.”

 

Just then, Chaerin’s phone rang and she stepped back totally from Jiyong’s hug. Jiyong released her but hearing what she said next made him want to step back and hug her again.

 

“Bae oppa~ I’m going to the studio now. See you soon!”

 

Chaerin slipped her phone back into her pocket and turned to Jiyong.

 

“Jiyong oppa, see you later! FIGHTING! Seungho oppa, let’s go.”

 

“Chaerin ah, I think I’d stay here with Jiyong for a while. I’d go to the studio in a bit to see you and Youngbae acting like a couple!”

 

“Alright, see you in a bit then~”

 

With that, Chaerin left the studio with a wave and a smile. Jiyong was about to follow her when Xin spoke.

 

“Can I talk to you for a minute, Jiyong?”

 

Jiyong was a little caught between going after Chaerin and maybe making things clear with Xin. He decided that he should just get the talk over and done with before going to the recording studio.

 

“If you are going to get pissed off seeing Chaerin being touched by another guy, even if he’s your best friend, then I think you really shouldn’t go for the recording.”

 

Jiyong looked at Xin with a shocked look.

 

“You have seen them before?”

 

“Of course, why do you think I wanted to follow her for the recording?”

 

“But why?”

 

“I think it’s exactly why you feel the need to go for the recording too, as a reminder to Youngbae not to step over the line as an oppa to our darling sister.  But what the hell is going on between you and Chaerin? What's the sudden hugging and I don’t know, the kiss on the lips? What the hell?! Didn’t you just meet up with Kiko 2 days ago?”

 

Jiyong turned pale at what Xin just said.

 

“How did you know...”

 

“So it’s true? Damn, I was hoping that Kiko was just high on helium when she told me that.”

 

“No, wait, what exactly did she tell you?”

 

“She told me very happily that you went to look for her because you missed her so much.”

 

“WHAT?! I didn’t go and look for her. She called me because she saw that I tweeted about being in Japan and suggested we have a meal together.”

 

“But you did see her.”

 

“Yes, we had lunch and then I went back to the hotel before going for Dae’s concert.”

 

“You are still giving her hope then.”

 

“What? It was just a meal!”

 

“Well, she doesn’t see it that way. Ok, enough about Kiko, she’s not my concern. My concern is Chaerin. What the hell is going on?”

 

“I love her.”

 

Xin looked at Jiyong with disbelief in his eyes and shook his head.

 

“Oh please, not Chaerin. I don’t care if you touch any other girls but NOT Chaerin.”

 

“Why? Because you want to keep her for yourself? Or for Soo Hyuk?”

 

“What are you going on about?”

 

“Do you like Chaerin as more than an oppa?”

 

“Kwon Jiyong, you need your head checked. She’s like a little sister to me.”

 

“Then why are you bringing her with you to Singapore for the Ambush event?”

 

“Oh that...”

 

“Yes, that. I wanted to ask her but you guys beat me to it. Why?”

 

“Well, Soo Hyuk and I didn’t give her anything for her solo debut so we thought we will bring her to Singapore for a holiday before she joins the other girls as your guests in Singapore. She had worked really hard, shuffling between ‘The Baddest Female’ and ‘Falling In Love’. Anyway, she’s still going to be at the event so you will still see her.”

 

“You know how she is when we are in public. Unless requested by the media to take a photo together, she won’t want to be seen near me.”

 

“Ever asked yourself why?”

 

Jiyong shook his head.

 

“Well, she didn’t want to be ‘one of G-Dragon’s girls’. If you didn’t know, she adores you and holds you in high regards. But she won’t want to be thought of as someone who’s just using your fame and popularity. Not to mention, your fans sometimes go all crazy because she attends fashion events with you or is just seen with you. As to why I don’t want her anywhere near you, I simply do not want her to be caught in a scandal with you. She is doing very well right now. Looking at the way her solo debut went, I won’t be surprised if YG has more in the pipeline for her. If she’s caught in a scandal with you, everything would be gone. So, please stay away from her. Go play your games somewhere else.”

 

“What if I’m serious about her? Should I give her up?”

 

“Jiyong, why? Why all of a sudden?”

 

“Why are you being protective all of a sudden?”

 

“Because she’s all grown up, like all of a sudden it’s difficult to ignore the fact that she’s a girl. The protective instincts just came out naturally especially when I see how some guys are looking at her. Yet this girl is absolutely clueless as to how attractive she is.”

 

“For me, part of it is the protective instincts but it goes a little deeper. When I got to know that she went to Jeju almost alone with Youngbae, I got very uneasy. When I heard that she had gotten very close to Youngbae, I panicked. When I saw their interaction today, I wondered how much time I have lost and if it’s already too late. Right now, every second I get to spend with her is precious. I got up at 5am today just to go and pick her at her parents’. I can’t even imagine being away from her for even a minute.”

 

“Maybe you are just suffering from withdrawal. It’s been a while since your last relationship.”

 

“Why do I have to justify my feelings for Chaerin to you, to Youngbae, I don’t know, maybe even Soo Hyuk? I like her, I love her, I want her in my life. Why is it so difficult?”

 

“Because we love her, a lot. We would not allow anyone to hurt her and that includes you.”

 

“Why does everyone think that I would hurt her? I can’t wait to give her all of my love and here everyone is questioning my intentions.”

 

“Maybe we have all seen her cry because of you, or maybe we just feel uneasy about how easily Chaerin would fall in love with you. Or maybe she already did a long time ago.”

 

“Then isn’t it a good thing that I’m now going to reciprocate that feeling?”

 

“When Chaerin loves, she loves wholeheartedly. She doesn’t hold back. As it is, we see how much she had to when it comes to you. She had you categorized as an ‘oppa’, like all of us to keep reminding herself that she cannot step over that line. That kiss just now is something she would never do. So she’s definitely thinking about moving you out of that ‘oppa’ category.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that. I don’t want to be just her ‘oppa’. She has too many as it is. I want to be her man. One and only, the one who would take care of her and love her.”

 

“For always? Is this going to be more than a fling, more than a relationship and heading for marriage? Think about it carefully, because if it’s not heading towards marriage, please just take your game somewhere else.”

 

That silenced Jiyong. He sat there thinking for a while and thought about if he could handle the image of Chaerin in a wedding dress and getting married to another man. He shook his head to clear that image. That’s not something he would allow to happen.

 

Then he imagined himself to be the man that Chaerin was walking down the aisle towards. He could see it clearly, from the dress she’d be wearing, to the smile on his face and hers, to the slightly teary eyes that both of them have when they looked at each other and knew that they were going to take the vows to stay by each other’s side, till death do they part.

 

“Yup, it looks that way. I don’t think I would be able to handle watching her walk down the aisle into the arms of another man.”

 

“Well, honestly, none of us can. And none of us would have imagined that man to be you. It’s going to take a lot of convincing on your part. Chaerin might be the least resistant person towards you. But know that she has an army of oppas who’s going to fight you every step of the way. Until we know that you are going to be the one that’s going to give her the happiness she deserves, we are not releasing her.”

 

“But you can’t stop me.”

 

“We won’t because there’s a part of us that knows both of you belong together. But that belief is filled with doubts because of your past.”

 

“Like you said, that’s my past. Without all that history, I won’t know what I really want for my future. And Lee Chaerin is who I want. Now, if you are done with your interrogation, I’m going to go see my future. Are you going to come along?”

 

“Of course, it’s always fun to watch you being jealous.”

 

“Maybe I’d be, maybe I won’t.”

 

“Oh, you will be. You are going to freak out. I have seen them and I have to stop myself from stopping them.”

 

“It can’t be that bad right?”

 

“Don’t forget she did mention kiss and back-hug...”

 

Jiyong didn’t need any more reminders as he walked out of his recording studio with Xin following and shaking his head.

 

Jiyong ah,

Do well this time.
You deserve the happiness as much as Chaerin does.