"How'd it go?" Taeyeon sat across from her in a quaint Italian restaurant she'd helped a Sicilian friend of hers set up. "In Japan?"

Jieun put down her wine glass. "Great, I got started on my new series."

Her friend rolled her eyes, "That was totally what I was asking you about." She drawled sarcastically, then leaned forward and stared her straight in the eye. "You're lucky I didn't shave your head when you came back as a punishment for disappearing. It was mainly due to the fact that dark hair looks very good on you." She waved her hand. "But that's not the point. Jiyong was in tears about how you had abandoned him and didn't love him anymore, come on Jieun, something must have happened since you came back."

This time it was Jieun's turn to roll her eyes, "In tears? I doubt it." She shot back. "Everything continues to be completely normal. He's acting like my best friend, and, surprise, surprise!" She threw up her hands jokingly. "He is."

"Jieun!" Taeyeon moaned. "I still do not understand why you refuse to even try to go further with GD, I really," She shook her head quickly, making her hair swing all over the place. "I don't."

The girl sighed, picking up her menu, "What are you having?"

"He loves you." Was the mangled reply.

Even though her companion sounded as if she were being mauled by a bear, Jieun just ran her eyes down the column of salads again. "I think I might be getting a Caprese salad, I'm not really that hungry, you know?"

"Jieun." It was dark. The street was empty. She had gone down to the lobby to scan the surroundings for Jiyong. She'd received his text about two hours ago and been waiting nearly as long in Big Bang's dorm. He hadn't come back. 

Sooyeon broke up with me. 

"Jieun." She heard again, she rushed all the way to the side of the building and looked into that unsettling little dark alley she usually avoided. Slumping against the wall, his eyes droopy, was her best friend. He came towards her and the smell made her flinch, "Jieunnie, there you are!" 

"Jiyong!" She snapped, trying not to show her revulsion to his drunkenness, "What took you so long?"

"Have you been waiting for me?" He grinned, throwing an arm around her. "Aww, so cute."

Her cheeks flushed and her heart skipped a beat, then she silently cursed at herself. It was ridiculous, even in his inebriated state, he managed to elicit such a response from her.

"Shut up, Jiyong," She grumbled, her shyness not enough to eradicate her distaste, "I don't like you when you're drunk." I don't like anyone when they're drunk.

She had been slowly but surely steering him towards the front doors of the building, but he stopped and turned to her. She was about to scold him again when she met his eyes.

"Are you crying?" Her irritation immediately fell, she'd completely forgotten the original reason she'd come in