Prolonging the agony here because we all want to be happy, even me. Dilla, thank you for the banner! ^_^ I was thinking of the right time to use it.

 

 

I really appreciate you guys! Don't worry, the twins won't hurt that much anymore. I love them too! Let me start making all the characters in this story happy, one by one.

 

 

Thanks again! \(^o^)/ - Rui

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filming the music video took the whole day. The trainees were asked to stay for Harang and Christian had last minute changes that even Jiyong got involved in. In the end, Jiyong’s ideas won over but a lot of takes were done before they were all satisfied. No one complained though and the energy inside the set was always up.

 

 

Dara watched as Jiyong worked. He was the producer of the boys’ album and a co-writer of the song. She noticed that he was the same guy who worked with Bigbang, less involved when it came to performing but more so where the whole album was concerned. In all honesty, this is where he found him most attractive. Not exactly the guy performing on stage, but the guy behind the scenes. His passion for music and his desire to give his all into what he does, whether for Bigbang, for his solos and even for the new artists he makes music for, he’s been consistent.

 

 

 

And Dara loves consistency in every way.

 

 

 

“Hey there, Darong!” Gummy greets, standing beside her.

 

 

 

“Gummy-unnie, hi!” Dara smiles at her then Hayi stands on her other side and smiles at her. “Hi there!” She takes the girl’s hand. “All done?” Hayi nods then looks at Lena and she waves. Lena smiles at her twin.

 

 

 

Gummy sees Jiyong talking with the boys and going up the set spurting directions.

 

 

 

“Oh, so he’s a director now too?” Gummy jokes with Dara and the latter smiles.

 

 

 

“You know him. The kids look like they’re enjoying though.”

 

 

 

“Well, they better because this is the future they’ll be having.” Gummy grins. “Don’t you miss it?”

 

 

 

“Me? Ani, not really. You know how I crack under pressure during takes.”

 

 

 

“You did all right in my music video, if I remember correctly. Wasn’t that your first music video featuring?” Gummy smiles knowingly at Dara who laughed and covered her face. “Anyway, I just came to check on them. I have to go. Great seeing you again, Dara!”

 

 

 

“Take care, Unnie!” The two women hug each other before Gummy left and Dara’s eyes goes to the entrance of the set. She sees Mino with a girl then she glances at her daughter. Lena smiles and waves at her friend. Dara observes the small exchange then she catches Lena’s eyes on her. When her daughter averts her eyes immediately, it was as good as a confirmation to Dara. She didn’t even notice that her hold on Hayi’s hand tightened.

 

 

 

“Oma, ouch!” Hayi said. Dara said sorry, then kissed her hand. Dara looked at her other daughter then she pulled her to sit on the sides.

 

 

 

“Lets sit for a while, Hayi.”

 

 

 

“Ne, Omma.”

 

 

 

“Hayi…”

 

 

 

“Hmmm?”

 

 

 

“Did your heart again?”

 

 

 

“Ani.”

 

 

 

“Did Lena tell you anything that’s troubling her?”

 

 

 

“Ani, not really.” Hayi looked at her mom and smiled. “Oma, gwenchahnah. I will take care of Lena-unnie. She’ll be all right as long as she has me.”

 

 

 

Dara remembers a time that a young boy of 16 said the same thing when she started training in YG. That day, he became her oppa-like-dongsaeng. Now, he was her husband and the father of her children.

 

 

 

Dara pulls Hayi towards her and she laughs. Hayi looks up at her mom, wondering why she was laughing.

 

 

 

“A dongsaeng once told me the same thing when I first met him. He said, “Everything will be all right if you just stick to me. At that time, I was too scared because I was a new trainee here in YG.”

 

 

 

“Chinja?” Dara smiled and nodded. “And then?”

 

 

 

“And then it was as he said. He made everything all right. He took care of me. He brought me food when I was hungry. He made me smile. He made me laugh. He gave me courage. He practiced with me until I got the steps right. He was my shoulder to cry on when I was getting frustrated with myself. He became my strength.”

 

 

 

“Who is he?”

 

 

 

“Who do you think?” Dara asked back then Hayi mimicked The Thinker, pouting as she thought hard. Dara poked her cheek then Hayi turned to her and smiled.

 

 

 

“Appa?” Hayi asked and Dara nodded. She smoothed Hayi’s hair back, smiling fondly at her.

 

 

 

“So I know Lena will be all right as long as she has you.” Dara kissed her daughter’s head. “Thank you, Hayi.”

 

 

 

 

 

The ride home was quiet. Hayi fell asleep in the car but Lena just looked outside the window. When they got home, the girls kissed their parents good night. Dara deliberated on telling Jiyong that he knew who the guy  that broke Lena's heart was, but she decided not to. She was scared at what Jiyong might do. It was better for Lena to sort this out by herself but Dara couldn’t help but be worried.

 

 

 

“Gwenchahnah?” Jiyong asked when he saw her looking at the girls going up the stairs.

 

 

 

“Ne…” She turned to him and kissed him. “They’re growing up so fast.”

 

 

 

“I know.” Jiyong sighed then kissed her forehead. “But we can always make more.”

 

 

 

“Not tonight babe. I’m quite tired.” Dara said, smiling at him. “And you should rest too.”

 

 

 

“I will but I just have to check on this CD Jordan gave me. Its their group’s collaboration with Seungyoon. I wanna do it now.”

 

 

 

“Araso. Don’t keep me waiting.” Dara knew there was no stopping him so she let him be.

 

 

 

“I won’t.” Jiyong kissed her goodnight.

 

 

 

Sometime later, when Jiyong got out of his studio, he noticed the curtains by the door to the back of the house move with the wind. He walked to it and saw his daughter sitting on the wooden chairs outside the patio. He knocked on the glass and she looked at him.

 

 

 

“Hi!” Lena says to her dad.

 

 

 

“Can I join you?” Jiyong asks and Lena nods. “Can’t sleep?” She nods again.

 

 

 

“I still feel the adrenaline rush.” She answers simply.

 

 

 

“I know the feeling.” Jiyong confessed.

 

 

 

“Do you miss it, Appa?”

 

 

 

“Being on stage? Yeah, sometimes I do. I can’t even begin to describe how it feels.” Jiyong looks at her and tucks her hair behind her ear. “I know someday you will get to be on your own stage.”

 

 

 

“Can I tell you a secret?” Lena gathers her knees close to her and leans her head on top of it, facing her dad. Her eyes dancing with glee.

 

 

 

“Of course, what is it?” Jiyong asks, loving that she’s now willing to share something to him.

 

 

 

“I think I liked it, performing in front of the camera. Its like I was a completely different person. Its like I forgot being Lena in those moments that the camera was rolling and I felt so light. I just wanted to drown myself in the music and go on dancing.”

 

 

 

“I noticed you were enjoying yourself.” Lena smiled at him and nodded. “But its actually harder when you’re the artist.”

 

 

 

“If you like the music that you make then it shouldn’t be so hard, right? Did you ever write or make something that you didn’t like, Appa?” Jiyong nodded.

 

 

 

“There were a few. You’re right though, since I liked most of the songs I made, and I knew just how I wanted to make it appear for the audience then shooting the videos were fun. Once you love what you do, it hardly feels like work.”

 

 

 

“I want to be able to create the songs I like.”

 

 

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll get there.”

 

 

 

“What’s been your greatest inspiration, Appa?”

 

 

 

“Take a guess.” Jiyong challenged then Lena was thoughtful for a moment before she grinned at him. “Oma?”

 

 

 

“Ne, your Oma. Its easy to write about feelings especially when you’re so caught up in it.”

 

 

 

“Were there other girls you loved before Oma?”

 

 

 

“There were others but that was even before I met your Oma.” Jiyong chose to be honest. “But even so, I don’t think I ever loved another woman more than I loved your Oma.” Lena was quiet again that Jiyong became worried. “Lena, I hope you’re not mad.”

 

 

 

“Ani, I’m not mad.” Lena smiled at him then she hugged her dad. “I hope someday, I’ll find a love like yours, Appa.” Jiyong laughed and held her close.

 

 

 

“No Lena, I’m sure you’ll find someone better than me. He will treat you right and he won’t ever let you go and he will love only you.” Lena looked up at her dad.

 

 

 

“Why did you let Oma go?”

 

 

 

“Because it was what she wanted, but if the decision was mine, I would never let her go.”

 

 

 

“Then why didn’t you just tell her you didn’t want to?”

 

 

 

“Because Lena, when you love someone, her happiness comes first. And at that time, I was always away and I always made your Oma cry that I felt that I could never make her happy. She said she will be happy if I let her go so I did what she asked of me.” Lena pulled back to look at her dad.

 

 

 

“You are wrong though.”

 

 

 

“Yes, I realize that now. We were even more miserable after we separated.” Lena looked away from him.

 

 

 

“Why can’t people just be honest with what they feel?”

 

 

 

“I was wondering the same thing when I was young.”

 

 

 

“Were you always honest with what you felt?”

 

 

 

“I tried to be. Did you know that when I realized that I loved your Oma, she was with someone else?” Lena turned to her dad.

 

 

 

“Chinja?” Jiyong nodded. “What did you do?”

 

 

 

“I still told her I loved her.”

 

 

 

“You did?” Lena looked at him, wide eyed and he nodded. “Then what happened?”

 

 

 

“What do you think?” Jiyong caressed his daughter’s face with the back of his hand. “I am with her now, right?”

 

 

 

“She chose you.” Jiyong nodded, smiling at her. “And I thought that, that would be the happiest moment of my life.”

 

 

 

“Its not?”

 

 

 

“Its not. Of course I was happy when she said she chose me. Then I was happier when she said she will marry me. The happiest moment of my life, that I thought I was going to burst, was when you and Hayi were born.” Jiyong was so caught up with reminiscing that a tear fell from his eye and Lena wiped it away. He pulled his daughter to him and hugged her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you were growing up.”

 

 

 

“I’m still growing up, Appa.” Lena told him, grinning and he couldn’t help but laugh. He kissed her cheeks.

 

 

 

“You are both the greatest gift a father can receive. You are both proof of how much your Oma loves me and how much I love her. So don’t for a second believe that you are not special, Lena. Like you said, it will be easier if we were just honest with what we feel. If I wasn’t, then perhaps, you and Hayi wouldn’t be here.” Lena kissed her father’s cheek.

 

 

 

“I love you, Appa.”

 

 

 

“I love you too, Baby.” Jiyong held his daughter like he wanted to absorb her and Lena felt so loved. “I like it that we’re talking like this. Never hesitate to talk to Appa, araso?”

 

 

 

“Ne, Appa.”

 

 

 

 

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter