So afraid to take a chance again, so afraid of what I feel inside

But I need to be next to you

For Chanyeol's birthday, Dara had planned her present for days, together with much persuasion from their company president. Yang Hyun Suk was hesitant at first, he was adamant about it, but the stubborn girl gave him no choice but to say yes in the end (his kids were always his weakness).

Dara had this thought planned out for months, asking the president about the favor a month way back, but now, she knows that it was perfect timing, and the president just had to say yes.

"President!" Dara charmingly calls on Papa YG as he leisurely sits at his chair, pulling it back, at their practice room to monitor the girls' performance.

"What?" The YG grumpily says.

Dara smiles widely at first, "Do you still remember what you told me when you mistakenly "forgot" my birthday a few weeks ago?"

Hyun Suk rolls his eyes, remembering Dara's birthday just when he saw the pink and purple balloons all over the practice room, Dara a lot for that, "Of course, you wouldn't stop pestering me for your birthday gift."

Dara sheepishly grinned, "But you do remember what you promised me that day, too, right?" YG blinked, as Dara continued "The wish I could have? That I could have anything I wanted as long as it's under your reach?" Dara's eyes sparkled as she imitated the words Papa YG had told her that day.

"Why am I suddenly scared where this is going.." Dara hears the President sigh.

"No~ Sajangnim, you see, I've thought about this for a while now, and uhm, have the managers told you about the recent issue with Dispatch?" Dara starts with her preposition.

"Dispatch? What happened?!" Darkness spreads through Papa YG's eyes.

"Well..there was one time that they.. how should I say this? Uhm.." Dara was flustered all of the sudden, have the managers not told the president? Maybe they got it fixed already, not wanting the president to know. Or maybe, he was waiting for Dara to be the one to admit it. But the look on Papa YG's face had told her that the message wasn't relayed to him, yet.

"You see, Dispatch caught Chanyeol and I in a.. well lets say not so nice situation." She mumbled the last parts.

Papa YG sighed, "Don't tell me this is a dating scandal waiting to be revealed." He knew the outcome.

"Well.." Dara grinned sheepishly.

"Anyway! Sajangnim, don't get mad just yet. I thought of this perfect plan!! As it happened, aha! I just knew this is the perfect opportunity." Dara happily tells him.

The president scrunched his face, "Don't tell me this is about the collaboration again." Caught.

Dara grinned widely at the president, then did her famous ET sign, followed by a long "Please!!!"

"You know I could always do that, but SM's CEO had been really tight with Chanyeol ever since we dropped the WGM with him." Papa YG tells him.

"We Got Married?" Dara's brows were the one to curl this time, "We were supposed to go on the show?"

"Long story short, Chanyeol didn't want to do it with you and we end up pulling you out of the show.” He explains.

“You pulled me out of the show because I was not to be paired by.. Chanyeol? I didn’t even know I was to be casted on the show..” Dara asked, hoping the president was just bluffing. He can’t be serious, right? And why would Chanyeol not want to be paired with her?!

“I guess you’d want me to explain myself, too.” The president sighed, “It happened as such when your managers told me that you were being invited to the show. You know that we don’t accept offers like those so easily, especially since it’s a reality show, but when I told the other kids, or more particularly Chaerin and Bom, they told me you had to go to the show with Chanyeol, no one else but him. I, on the other hand, was kind enough to actually ask the latter first, before telling the show to you, but when he declined, I decided to pull you out, since the other kids told me you’re only going to want to do the show with Chanyeol.”

“Even Jiyong told me that you’d pick Chanyeol to be your partner.” The president added. Dara scoffed.

“So is it true then, Dara-yah?”

“What is? Sajangnim?”

“That Chanyeol is the new guy in your life? The one you chose over Jiyong.”

“Ah.. Sajangnim, you say it like it’s such a bad thing. I didn’t choose him over the other, I just went to where I was to be happy.” Dara figuratively said.

“You went to where your heart led you?” The president asks, but Dara only flashes a smile as a reply. A little cheesy, but true, nonetheless.

~~~

So this 27th of November, Dara had messaged Chanyeol if he would be so kind to spend his birthday with her, if only he didn't mind. Chanyeol, of course, was more than happy to spend the day with Dara. He was meaning to invite her over for dinner, actually, but was hesitant knowing that the 2NE1 member might have been busy with work. But Dara had in fact cancelled all her plans for the evening (since Chanyeol had told her about the late dinner plans because he still had to go to work in the afternoon).

Chanyeol had specifically worn his new shirt (care of Kris’ birthday gift), they had just finished taping for an episode of EXO’s Showtime, wherein the boys spent the whole afternoon looking for gifts for Chanyeol, and them spending time celebrating his birthday over a small party.

The members had greeted him well, and the staffs sang him the birthday song, too. When the taping had finally ended, Chanyeol was almost half running to the door, not minding the wolf beanie that the kids had bought him on his head, he immediately rode the company car, bound to the YG building.

Dara had told Chanyeol that if he wasn’t tired, he could fetch her on the studio, since they were having overtime rehearsals for their concert. Chanyeol didn’t hesitate, and said yes immediately, hoping that maybe he’d be bumping on Seungri or any of his sunbaes on the way.

But the ride to the elevator was silent, and checking himself on the elevator mirror, he didn’t know what to expect – the building was too quiet. Chanyeol had walked to the hallway he walked on before, the last time he entered the building was to talk to the president, and he was back here again – on enemy grounds, looking for Dara.

Dara had messaged her the room, telling him it was “Just across the room you mistakenly entered before.”

Chanyeol stood in front of the frosted door, not knowing if he should knock (what if it was the wrong room?). But he did, politely, before peeking through the door.

Chanyeol sees Teddy immediately, and he bows at him when the producer recognizes the guest. Teddy was talking to Dara, to which she immediately looked back when she had seen Teddy bow his head as a greeting.

“Oh! Chanyeollie~ You came!” Dara stood up to welcome the birthday boy, hooking her arm on his’, and pulling him to a chair beside theirs. Chanyeol immediately blushes at the sudden skinship, but the blush is immediately exchanged to a wide grin – there was nothing to be embarrassed about, Dara was comfortable with him, and Chanyeol liked that.

“Happy birthday, sorry I had to make you come here.” Dara feigned an apology, whispering to Chanyeol, not wanting Teddy oppa to hear their conversation. Teddy realizes this immediately (knowing both of them want privacy), so he pretends to be hungry and tells both of them that he would be going to the infamous cafeteria for a while.

They bid good bye to Teddy, and Dara tells him not to be “too long” since they still had the thing to finish, Teddy laughs at Dara, “I’m just giving you all the time you need.” He tells her before he shuts the door closed.

“It’s okay.” Chanyeol shyly tells her when Teddy is out of the room. It’s okay, wherever he spends his birthday would be, since the only thing that matters is that he’s still with her.

“But it’s your birthday but you’re the one who had to go to the building. I was recording something.” More like she had to deduce a plan to trap Chanyeol in the recording studio.

“Recording?” Chanyeol’s brows furrowed, “But you just released your album, noona?”

Flustered, Dara panicky answered, “Ah- eh- I’ll explain later, arasso?” How could Dara start with her plan? She was never good with surprises.

“Ah! Chanyeol, do you want to play a song? The last time, we promised each other we’re gonna play together.” Dara had pulled out her pink guitar, hoping to distract Chanyeol.

“Okay, Should I play a song for you? What would you want, noona?”

“I’ve been listening to Lucky for quite a while now.” Dara tells him, and Chanyeol’s grin is immediately set back to place.

“Lucky I’m in love with my best friend..” Chanyeol hoarsely sings with his Engrish version of the song.

Dara shakes her head fervently, “Not that Lucky!” She l