When TOP entered the dance studio, Taeyang stood and walked over to him. He shoved him back outside, surprising the others in the dance studio, who looked around, wondering why Taeyang of all people would have beef with TOP.

A safe distance away, down a very long hallway where they could see if someone came for them, Taeyang stopped and TOP didn’t even defend himself as Taeyang demanded, “Why haven’t you gone to the café? Do you know how terrible Rania has been?”

TOP looked away, “I rejected her. She’ll be back to normal soon.”

Taeyang shook his head, “For such a warm guy, you just got colder.” Taeyang turned and walked away, too annoyed to say anything more.

Once inside the dance studio again, this time GD grabbed the both of them and shoved them out of the dance studio. He dragged he a ways away and stated, “This has gone on long enough. You guys need to fix this before we start the tour. I’m serious, so just make up already.” He waited but Taeyang and TOP both remained quiet.

GD turned to Taeyang and demanded, “Why are you mad at TOP?”

Taeyang swallowed and then replied, “Hyung hurt my friend.”

GD raised his eye brows and he leaned forward towards TOP, “Really?”

TOP embarrassingly admitted, “Noona confessed to me and I rejected her.”

GD nodded, quite sympathetically, “Of course, TOP only knows how to reject in a hurtful way.”

TOP looked away and Taeyang added, “He could have let her down easily, but he was so mean, she is so hurt now.”

GD nodded and then looked up, “Wait, you guys have different friends. Who do you both know and are friends with?” he asked, frowning.

Taeyang and TOP shared a look and then TOP waved his hand, “What matters is that it’s better if I stay away from her because she is really hurt. I want to be at ease before our tour,” he added quickly.

GD sighed, “Well, I guess we have to respect that. Can you live with his decision?” GD asked Taeyang, who sighed.

“Looks like I will have to,” Taeyang stated and turned away.

But GD grabbed his arm and asked, “Which friend is this?” Taeyang shook GD’s hand off but GD added, “I didn’t know you guys shared many friends.”

TOP waved his hand, “Let’s practice now. We need to practice,” he added, and clapped a hand on GD’s back, nudging him back to the practice room.

In the practice room, GD led the team in some stretches and then pulled out a piece of paper with notes. “Mr. Yang has key things he wants us to pay attention to.” He, then, launched into all of their mistakes and weaknesses, truly making each member feel the weight of the gazes on them from the YG family and beyond. 

After five hours of practicing and rehearsing, during a break, Taeyang walked over to TOP and was silent for a moment. TOP felt the words and nodded, “I’ll go see her soon. But I need to get over her, first. Sorry,” he added and walked away from Taeyang.

***

On the day of the concert, Taeyang called Rania in the morning and when he heard the business behind her, he asked, “Is everything okay? It sounds busy,” he added.

Rania replied, carefully, “One of the delivery team members had food poisoning and so we’re reworking our schedule so we can make it in time. Good luck and all the best to your opening day,” she added quickly.

Taeyang sighed, “Will you be listening to our concert?”

“Mrs. Kwan will be live-streaming it into the café. I’ll be making the desserts and on my way to set it all up at the venue, so I’ll catch bits and pieces,” she added.

Taeyang frowned, “Wait, you’re going yourself? What about Kanari?” he asked.

“She has to oversee the transportation and team organization. We’re a bit short handed because the café has to stay open as usual,” she added and then called across the room, “Turn on the extra ovens and preheat to 300 degrees! Make sure the proper adjustments are there for time!”

Taeyang swallowed and nodded, “I’ll let you go now. I have practice, but I’ll see you tomorrow, noona.”

“Have fun at your concert,” Rania added before she turned to Kanari and shouted, “Put the cakes in when it hits 250! We need to get things moving!” before she hung up the phone.

Taeyang smiled and turned off his phone and he was fitted with an earpiece and ran out on to the stage. He ignored TOP’s pointed glare when GD stated, “Must have been an important call for you to make right before coming on stage.”

Taeyang laughed it off, “Well, I knew I couldn’t do it later.”

GD laughed and then returned his attention back to business. Daesung and Seungri both kept their cool, doing what they could to ease their tensions. TOP seemed stiff but Taeyang was at ease. Only GD remained completely focused and constantly observed s quite evenly.

Finally, at the time of the concert, the five members gathered in the back and sat close together. GD looked at each of them and then stated, “This is the beginning. We are brothers before anything else.” He continued but TOP felt a tug on his heart and felt Taeyang’s silence.

Later, as the crowds screamed their names and cheered, TOP walked over to Taeyang and stated, “I’ll make things right before I can’t.”

Taeyang nodded, “You should.” And then they did their version of a masculine hug, before they joined the others and prepared to appear on stage in their flashy style. Taeyang checked his phone and smiled. He hurried over to TOP and showed him a video Kanari sent of Rania singing and dancing to their music while working in the kitchen a few hours ago. It was a short clip and Rania laughed in it, but TOP felt the brick on his heart still there. But he swallowed it and prepared for their comeback concert.

***

Rania moved quickly, cooking and tasting, setting and packaging as Kanari ran the kitchen for the café. When she had time, some of the cooks hurried over to help Rania, and they kept up their furious pace until the concert started. By then, everything was ready to be shipped over and she got into the first of the vans. Kanari texted quickly before she orchestrated the final move and the vans took off into the night.

Woobin got the text from Taeyang moments later and drove towards the venue. He hadn’t planned on going, but he knew better than the allow a strange meeting between Rania and the other BigBang members. He liked being relied on to keep her happy and content. He didn’t want to give that up, not even for TOP. He respected GD, but he felt it would be better for her to disappear completely from his life without giving him a chance to come to terms with her.

Through the streets, he finally parked and was let into the great hall where the catering vans were unloading. He hurried through the rush to find Rania staring at the large screen showing the concert. She stared at the screen as GD and TOP performed together. Though she knew her eyes recognized TOP, she frowned, feeling very familiar with GD as well. But she kept that comment to herself.

When Woobin reached her, she snapped out of her reverie and put him to work. They unloaded the dishes and arranged them carefully before the wait staff changed and prepared to take care of the evening. She saw to the final adjustments to the snacks before she turned to see Woobin admiring her work.

“These are amazing, noona,” he stated, his lips hungrily.

Rania nodded, “I’ll bake your wedding cake, Donsaeng,” she laughed.

Woobin noticed the time and then grabbed Rania’s arm, “Let’s head back to the café? I drove here, so we can go together,” he added.

Rania nodded, “Thank you, that would be easier than taking a taxi.” She left him for a moment to check in with the wait staff and Woobin felt regret even before he pulled his phone out of his pocket but he dialed and waited.

When TOP’s answering machine picked up, he scolded, “If your point for all this was to break her heart, then congratulations, you’ve done it.” Woobin swallowed and added, “Give her the goodbye she deserves. As the man she fell for, you owe her that much.” He hung up as Rania joined him, smiling.

“Shall we go?” she asked.

Woobin smiled and turned his phone around, “Let’s take a selfie by all this food!”

Rania picked up a small dragon and puckered her lips as Woobin opened his mouth, as if to eat it. He snapped it and smiled, “Leg’s go, noona.” Rania replaced the dessert and hurried out of the party hall quickly, Woobin by her side.

***

In his dressing room after the encores, TOP changed and showered. As he pulled on his after-event outfit, he noticed a message from a strange number. He picked up his phone and froze when Woobin’s gruff voice was heard. The message was simple and short. And then he noticed another one. As he played it, he could hear the wind around Rania as Woobin drove her home.

“Do well, Dongsaeng. Be happy and safe,” she added and then the line went dead.

TOP stood very still, attempting to assess the feelings running through him. Part of him felt very dry and stuck, as if sandpaper had been coated in his blood vessels and his throat. The other part felt like he’d been struck. There was shame, anger, and a lot of frustration. So, he grabbed his phone and his keys before running out of his dressing room.

Running down the hall, he met up with his other members and, after a quick word to Mr. Yang, he excused himself and ran out the back door without hearing a response. Though his team freaked out and tried to catch up, he got into his private car and sped off. He didn’t answer any calls, he didn’t wait, he just drove. When he reached the Lovely Café, he parked and hurried out. He hurried to the back door and ran inside.

Mrs. Kwan stood in the back, on her way out, and was very surprised when TOP appeared. He stood there for a moment, speechless, and then she sighed and, without a word, walked past him, leaving for the night. TOP watched her go and walked over to the kitchen door. He pushed through and saw that no one was there. He swallowed and thought before running out of the kitchen, up the staircase to the patio. When he reached the landing, he heard soft and slow Kim Kwangseok music, sung by Ailee, undoubtedly from Immortal Songs.

He swallowed, listening to the sad lyrics, and pushed through when he felt an urgency in his chest. Unintentionally, he pushed through the door as Ailee dropped her powerful explosive lyrics. Rania stood at the rail and stared out at the lights of the concert hall as she listened. When she turned, in surprise, TOP crossed the patio, grabbed her face, and kissed her without hesitation.

The surprise Rania felt disappeared as she reached up and clutched the sides of his jacket, as if trying to pull him closer. TOP kept his kisses open and when she responded, he wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her close, before he moved one hand up to the back of her neck, guiding their passionate kiss, before he heard the powerful last note of the song and broke the kiss.

Rania opened her eyes and swallowed as TOP opened his eyes. She stared at his lips for a moment and then up into his eyes. In the silence, all she could think about was what to say to him. But he swallowed and stammered first, “An-young.”

Rania replied, “Oppa,” she took a deep breath and asked, “are you coming down to my league?”

TOP his lips, not having expected to enjoy the kiss as much as he did. But he’d forgotten why he was there. The sudden slip caused him to pause before he replied, “Aniyo, I’m coming up to yours.”

Rania opened to speak but TOP dipped his face to hers and kissed her again. He didn’t want to think, he didn’t want to see; he just wanted to feel, so he indulged in her kisses long into the night without any regrets. And too happy and lost in the moment, Rania only clung to him, as if holding on for dear life.