A/N: The end is very near. . Have faith in my storytelling, hehe :)

Chapter 9:

CL stood in front of her mirror and took one last look at her outfit before turning and walked out of her bedroom and over to the living room. There she saw Jiyong sitting on the couch looking over one of the photo albums she kept on a shelf under the coffee table. She walked over and peeked over his shoulder and saw the album he was looking at was the one with the photos from their last year in high school. The page he was on had photos of their gang at a dance. One photo in particular, which she suspected was the one he was staring at, was of him and Dara, happy and smiling at the camera. CL sighed and bent over and gave him a brief hug before she straightened and held her hand out to him. “Let’s go.”

The two were headed out to a party honoring Youngbae’s release of his first album. Jiyong would have never thought that Youngbae, who went by the stage name of Taeyang now, would become this huge idol star. It had started back in high school at the end of the school year dance during their Junior year. There had been a live band performing that night and, on a dare, Youngbae had gone up and sang a song and practically blew everyone away with how great a voice he had. That led to the band leader asking Youngbae if he’d be interested in joining them as lead singer. One thing led to another and the band, with Youngbae singing lead, ended up signing with YG Entertainment two years later and became a huge hit. Now Youngbae, aka Taeyang, was set to release his first solo album entitled Rise that night at midnight. Jiyong was living and working in Japan but had flown home to support Youngbae. He was staying over at CL’s while in town and was set to fly back out to Japan late the next morning.

While CL drove, Jiyong sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed while CL talked about the party and who they would probably see there, etc. Jiyong wasn’t really paying attention. His thoughts were instead on the one person whom he couldn’t seem to forget no matter how hard he tried – Dara.

He knew it was his fault that Dara was now gone from his life. He’d been such a fool. More than anything he regretted his actions that drove her away. If only he’d been braver and had not freaked out. Even now the memory of what had happened filled him with shame. He and Dara had been dating for three years. Both were enrolled in college, happy, and in love. And then Dara came down with what they thought was the flu. When she got steadily sicker he took her to see the doctor. That was when they found out it wasn’t the flu but morning sickness. Dara was pregnant.

All he could think of while sitting in the doctor’s office that day was that it couldn’t be true. They’d taken precautions – Dara had been on birth control. They were too young to have a child, they were both only 19! But Dara hadn’t felt that way, and when he suggested they abort the baby, she’d gone pale. The spark in her eyes faded. To this day Jiyong couldn’t forget that look in her eyes when he’d said they were too young. He’d tried to explain but the damage was done and Dara told him she would never abort her child.

Her child.

On hindsight he wished he could go back to that day and take back the words he’d said. He wished he hadn’t gotten upset and taken off. He wished he had answered her calls and messages. But instead he’d disappeared, trying to clear his head. And three days later he’d gotten a message from CL that Dara was in the hospital and that she had lost the baby.

“Jiyong?”

Jiyong snapped out of his reverie of the past and turned his head to look at CL, who was looking at him worriedly. “Are you okay?” she asked.

He took a deep breath, placed a smile on his face and nodded. He noticed then that they had arrived at their destination. CL pulled up to the curb and they both got out while CL gave her keys over to the valet. Fans lined up on either side of the red carpet leading into the event and snapped photos and took videos of everyone that was arriving. Jiyong and CL made their way inside the club that had been rented for the private launch party. It was crowded inside and the DJ was spinning a beat that had the crowd jumping. CL wrapped her arm around Jiyong’s as they began to make their way through the crowd.

“I see Youngbae over there.” CL had to shout a little to be heard and she pointed toward the middle of the floor, near the DJ.

CL and Jiyong went to the bar for drinks first before they worked their way over to where they had seen Youngbae. Jiyong looked around also for Seungri and Daesung. Both had said they would be here tonight. CL stopped a few times and introduced Jiyong to some people. She worked for a fashion designer and was familiar with a lot of the idols in attendance tonight, some stylists, and models. At one point when she started talking with some person, whose name Jiyong couldn’t remember, he began to drift off through the crowd, continuing toward Youngbae. He was almost there when he heard someone call his name. He turned toward the voice and saw with surprise it was Seunghyun.

Surprise and pleasure hit him. Jiyong reached over and shook the older guy’s hand. “Hey, man, good to see you.”

“Good to see you too,” Seunghyun offered, smiling at him. They hadn’t seen each other since… well, since before him and Dara broke up.

“Who are you here with?” Jiyong asked. What he really wanted to know the second he recognized Seunghyun was whether he was here with Bom. Were they even still together? And if yes, did he have any news of Dara?

Seunghyun gave him what looked like a pitying look and he looked around the room before motioning Jiyong to follow him. After five minutes Jiyong found himself seated at a table further away from the crowd and noise with Seunghyun sitting across from him.

“The place is packed tonight,” Seunghyun said, making small talk as they settled. Jiyong though needed answers.

“Are you still with Bom?”

Seunghyun stared back at Jiyong, weighing his words carefully and wondering if what he was about to do was right. “Before I answer that question, I need to ask you a few questions of my own.”

Jiyong nodded. “Go ahead. Ask me anything you want.”

Seunghyun pressed his lips together, hesitating still. Should he do this? Bom would be furious with him if she knew. But if he and Jiyong’s situations were reversed, he knew he would want Jiyong to help him. Taking a deep breath, Seunghyun asked, “Do you love Tokki? Dara?”

“With all my heart,” Jiyong replied, no hesitation, sincerity in his eyes. He’d tried to tell her family that forever. But he understood they were only protecting Dara after he’d hurt her like that. But he just wanted a chance to correct everything, to speak with Dara and let her know how much he still loved her.

“A lot of time has passed since you’ve last seen her.”

“Five years,” Jiyong said. “After she… After she miscarried I tried to see her but they shut me out, wouldn’t let me near her. Teddy wanted to kill me. I suspect it was Dara that probably stopped him from doing so. I begged for forgiveness and the chance to see her. Byul told me, and CL confirmed, that Dara was gone. She’d left Seoul to recover. I looked for her for over a year and I couldn’t find her. I went back prepared to beg to Teddy, but he wouldn’t even see me.”

Jiyong sighed, recalling those dark days. “Bom and Byul wanted nothing to do with me. I’d lost her. She was gone, her family wouldn’t tell me where she was, I didn’t know what to do. Eventually I went into the military and returned 14 months ago. I hoped she would be home or that they would be willing to let me know where she was, if she was okay, anything.” Jiyong gave a small humorless laugh. “Nothing. Even CL couldn’t find out anything. All she could tell me was that Dara was still not here in Seoul. I don’t even think she’s here in Korea, right?”

Seunghyun shook his head. “All I can tell you is that she’s well. And that she’s not married or seeing anyone. Other than that, I shouldn’t be talking to you. Bommie woud have my if she knew I was. But a part of me feels that you and Dara should at least talk and find some closure over the past. Dara isn’t seeing anyone right now, but honestly I don’t know if she has any feelings left for you either.”

“All I’m asking for is a chance to see her, hyung. Please help me.”

Seunghyun sat studying Jiyong for several long seconds, then nodded. In his mind he knew his soon to be sister-in-law still loved Jiyong even though she was silent on the topic. And it was obvious to him that Jiyong still loved her. He knew the Parks were doing what they thought was best but the two people best qualified to really make that decision about whether they had a future together or not were Dara and Jiyong, especially given the situation. This fool sitting before him didn’t even know the whole story of what had happened.

 “You didn’t hear this from me,” Seunghyun said, as he jotted something down and slid it across the table to Jiyong before he stood. “Good luck,” Seunghyun said, silently wishing both Jiyong and Dara well before he strode away.

With trembling fingers Jiyong reached for the napkin that Seunghyun had written on, his heart racing within his chest. Finally after five years he was being given the chance he’d longed and prayed for. He looked at what Seunghyun had written and read: ‘Alabang, Philippines.’