Bet 3 - Come Back Home

5 years later...

Dara entered the Love Club merrily. A lot had happened and everything changed. She is now working as a cashier/service crew at a restaurant for a year. She had work on various jobs for the past 5 years.

"Good Morning noona!" Hanbin greeted her while moping the floor. He's a part-time student waiter.

"Same to you, B.I," she smiled and called him by his nickname.

She got to her post at the counter and started working. She looked up when the glass door open again revealing Bobby, anothe part-time student waiter.

"You're late, Bobby," she greets the lad playfully.

"Morning noona! Mianhe! I over slept," Bobby smiled sheepishly.

"Arasso. Next time don't be late. Boss may scold you if he caught you," she said.

"Who I will caught?" their Boss suddenly butts in from their behind.

"Opps! Speaking of," Dara gasps.

"Er...Boss Taeyang!" Bobby smile with I'm-screwed face

Yes. Dara is now working at Taeyang's expanded business. His 1AM bar had already expanded a year ago. On daytime, it is Love Club the restaurant and at night, it becomes 1AM bar. His employees are separated on shifts. Day shifts works at Love Club while night shifters on 1AM.

"Good morning Boss!" Dara greeted him.

"Late again, Bobby? Tsk. I'm putting you on warning next time. Now, start you're work," Taeyang is one cool and fair boss.

Bobby quickly scampered away and help Hanbin fix the tables.

Taeyang turns to her.

"Noona, are you free later? Can you work for 1AM just for tonight? I will be holding a welcome party and I'm a bit understaff. Hayi can't come tonight. Can you cover for her?" he asked.

"Mianhe, Tey. I can't. You know I don't work after my shifts here. Besides, Chae, Bom and Minzy will come to my house later. I need to be home," she refused apologetically.

"Is that so?" Taeyang sigh. "I guess, I'll use this punks then."

"You'll be fine, Tey. Anyway, who will be coming back? He or she must be very important for you to throw a huge party," she said.

"He is. He's been away for so long. He will be returning later from Canada," Taeyang told her while weighing her reaction. "You actually knew him."

Dara frowns.

"Really? Who?"

Taeyang is silent for a second contemplating if he'll tell her.

"Jiyong is coming back, Dara," he finally said watching her reaction.

Dara gazed at him then smiled.

"Really? That's nice. How is he?" she mused without remorse or ill feelings.

She didn't heard any news from him ever since he left. Though, she would admit that she never stopped loving him all these years. She doubt if she can especially that he had left something for her to hold on.

Dara had already moved on to what had happened. She had forgiven him and bigbang boys. It's been so long.

Taeyang looks surprised at her reaction. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I? I told you. What happened before is all in the past," she giggles lightly.

"You're a saint, Dara. We're bunch of to treat you that way before."

"Taeyang... past is past. I'm not mad. Never. Okay? Forget it already."

"Haist, if you say so. But then I hope you and Jiyong would be fine. You're good for him. You may not believe it but he cared for you that time," Taeyang said before leaving for her to continue her work.

Dara looked blankly ahead reminiscing her moment with Jiyong. And a faint smile forms her lips. She know. Though Jiyong only did those things because of the bet, she felt somehow that he cared for her. It may not be love. At least he actually cared.

***

A loud upbeat music Bang Bang Bang filled the whole 1AM bar as the party started. Food and alcohols flooded the entire party goer. The dance floor is alived with techno lights.

"Welcome back, hyung!" Seungri embraced Jiyong the moment he arrived at 1AM for his homecoming party courtesy of Taeyang.

"Wow! I felt miss!" Jiyong laughs tapping the maknae's back. "Thank you!"

"I miss you, GD-hyung!" Daesung exclaims dramatically.

"Aw! Daesungie!" Jiyong hugs him too.

"Bigbang is finally back!" Top cheers raising his glass.

"I'm glad you're back, bro! It's about time!" Taeyang chirps at his best friend brother.

"Thanks, bro! This is awesome!" Jiyong said pertaining to the party. "A lot had changed here. I miss this place. I miss you guys. I miss..." he trails off upon remembering a particular person that became part of his life. "Anyway, how are you these past years?"

"Well, aside from being awesome, I'm good. Appa finally hand me down Lee Estate," Seungri proudly informs him.

"Whoa! Uncle really did trust you the company? That's new. Last time I remember, he wouldn't handed it to you unless you straighten up your life. From what I heard, you're still the same," Jiyong smirks before sipping his margarita.

"Aigoo! Hyung, ever since Chaerin broke up with him, Seungri changed a lot," Daesung joked and didn't notice the weight of his words.

Well, they knew why Chaerin cut ties with Seungri and resigned as Daesung's stylist. It's the topic they don't want to talk about though. Because of what happened in the past, part of them had lost.

Top had lost his chance with Bom and he heard she had already a boyfriend. Of course, Seungri lost his girlfriend. Daesung lost his best stylist. Taeyang, well, he lost a friend and potential business partner. And out of them, he lost the biggest one. He lost the girl that can only love him so much.

Regrets. That's the only thing left for them.

"Uh...bro, I need to tell you something," Taeyang said but drunk his own glass of alcohol to ease his tension. The other Bigbang except Jiyong already had an idea on what he's going to say.

"What is it, Tey?" he asked noticing the bothered look on his best friend.

"It's...it's Dara." Taeyang shut his eyes when he heard them gasp.

"W-what are you on about?" Jiyong carefully asked.

Taeyang looked at them one by one and settled his eyes at him. "She's working for me. Dara is Love Club's cashier," he finally confessed.

Jiyong his breath and stares at his best friend warily.

"H-how..." he swallows the lump in his throat that hindering his words.

"I'm sorry for not telling you, bro. We don't know how to tell you," he apologized.

"Tey...I..." he stuttered cannot make up of something to his revealation. And his other friends knew about it as well?

"Ji, we did not inform you for a reason. You decided to leave 5 years ago because of what happened. And we thought you wanted to forget. So we didn't say anything," Top explains to him.

"That's the point, hyung! I did not forget. I didn't moved on. That's the very reason I came back in the first place! I want to try and get Dara back," he admits as he shuts his eyes.

"Ji, are you serious?" Taeyang asked in buffled.

He just nodded.

"Well then," Top said seriously. "I think it's time for us to make it up to Dara."

Jiyong looked up to him confusedly.

"What do you mean, hyung?" Seungri asked.

"We are going to help you, Ji. I still feel guilty towards her. She's too kind to just forgave us that easily. She don't deserve what we did to her."

"I know, hyung. I'm a jerk for not realizing sooner," he quietly said.

"Don't blame yourself, hyung. I started the bet remember? Chaerin was right. It's my fault. If I didn't proposed that bet then none of this would had happened," Seungri sighs guiltily.

"Come on! It's all OUR fault. Don't carry the burden alone. We made a mistake. What's important now is to make it right. Let's make it up to noona, neh?" Daesung raised his glass to them. "Cheers!"

"For Dara and Jiyong!" Taeyang smiled and followed Daesung.

"For happy ever after of our dear Kwon and his girl Park!" Top chimes in.

"For world peace!" Seungri said earning a slapped from Top.

"What world peace? Are we on world war, you idiot?!"

"Yah! Hyung, I can't make up anything because you said it all," Seungri pouted.

"Aisht!" Top hissed.

Jiyong can only shakes his head at them. He smiled at them as if thanking them for being a supportive friends.

"Thank guys! I owe you this," he raised his glass to celebrate. "Welcome back and goodluck to me! Kampai!"

"Yeah! Cheers!"

*** 

Dara stirs the pot of her seaweed soup absentmindedly. Her thoughts are filled with what Taeyang had said to her earlier. She was thinking of how he's been now. He must be very happy. And maybe, he already forget her. Knowing him that may happen.

But she's cool with it. It's not as if she's still hoping he would remember her. She knew him. Jiyong wouldn't waste his time with just a random girl that only means a bet for him. Dara had already accepted it. And she's already satisfied with her life now.

No need to dwell on the past.

"Dara! Dara-ah!" Bom's voice cut her reverie. She turns to her with questioning eyes.

"Bommie? What is it? Do you need anything?" she asked while looking at her.

Bom scowls at her with both of her hands on her waist.

"Everything is done at the dining. We're all waiting for your soup," she said.

"Oh! It's almost done," she said remembering the dish she was cooking.

"What were you thinking a while ago? You seem lost," she asked eyeing her suspiciously.

"Hmm... will tell you later with the girls, neh? I'll finish this first," she promised.

"Arasso! I'm already curious but that can wait. Your little tokki is already hungry so hurry up, bummer," then Bom left her alone.

Dara smiled at the mention of her little bundle of joy. Her 5 years old love child. Her little tokki, Park Dalyong.

Yes. Her last moment with Jiyong resulted with a lovely girl. Dara and Jiyong's daughter. But of course, nobody knows about her Dalyong except her three best friend. The three personal Aunt fairies of her daughter.

With the help of the girls, taking care of her daughter wasn't difficult as it seems. She may lost the easy life but having her daughter is everything she needed. She was broken but Dalyong was their to fix her. She made her complete.

All her love for Jiyong was showered to their daughter. To forgive was easy to her because of Dalyong. She made her accept things and be a better person.

The sacrifice is all worth it.

After the soup finished cooking, she serves it in a large bowl and walks out in the small kitchen. Her dining/living is also small but enough for the two of them. But since the girls are there, it looks crowded.

Her daughter smiled and her baby face lit up seeing her. She smiled back and settled the soup in the table.

"Aigoo! What took you so long? We're hungry already," Chaerin grumbles playfully.

"Mianhe, hunchae," Dara gives her a apologetic smile. Then she turns to her pretty daughter beside her. "You dolled up today, baby. Your Aunt fairies dressed you well," she said noticing her daughter's pink tutu dress and birthday party hat.

Dalyong gets her small pink drawing board and doodles her response on it. After writing down, she showed it to them.

'Aunt Chae made me wear my dress, mommy. It's pretty. Aunt Minji made the hat with me. Aunt Bom do my hair. Aunt fairies are jjang!'

Dara smiled at her lovingly as she controlled her tears. She's really thankful for the girls. Dalyong was born mute. She can't speak. It's already hard for her but the girls are there to provide her daughter's simple wish that she herself cannot give. Like a father's presence.

That thought hit her hard. And guilt begins to crawl up to her.

"Aigoo! That's nothing, baby. Anything for our little tokki's birthday!" Minzy said pinching Dalyong's cheek.

"Come on, let's start celebrating Dalyong's 5th birthday!" Bom cheers and lightens up the candle on Dalyong's cake.

Chaerin held the cake and moved it in front of her daughter. "Make a wish, baby!"

Dara watched her daughter closed her eyes and clasps her tiny hands together as she make a wish. And like for the past years, she also wished for her daughter silently.

'I wish that you and your appa will finally meet. You deserve it, baby.'

Dalyong opens her eyes after a while and blows her candles. She smiled and clapped happily as she eat her birthday treat.

"Happy birthday, Dalyong!"

***

Dara kissed goodnight her daughter's forehead as she tucked her in bed. Dalyong was already asleep in exhaustion. She couldn't be any happier watching her daughter happy on her simple birthday celebration.

"So...what are you going to tell us?" Bom asked as soon as she joins them in the living room.

She sighs and massages her temple.

"He's back," she whispered.

The three girls frown and gaze at each other before looking back at her.

"The who?" Chaerin asked this time.

Dara looked at her friends.

"Jiyong. He is back."

"What?! The sly devil?!" Bom reacted angrily at the mention of the cursed name.

"You can't be serious! He got the balls of coming back after what he did to you! Damn him!" Chaerin pound her left fist on the table.

"What's his reason for coming back? How did you know that he had return? When was this?" Minzy asked calmly though her face darkens.

"Calm down, girls. Dalyong might wakes up," Dara calmed them down. "Taeyang told me earlier about Jiyong's arrival. He actually had homecoming party for him tonight. So that's how I was informed. As for his reason, I have no idea."

"God! That bigbang boys are bunch of bastards! How dare he left and lived his life comfortable? While you suffered alone! I really hate them! Argh!" Bom said in rage.

"I agree to Bom unnie! I really regret being associated with them especially to that rat panda boy! Grrr! I want to puke just by remembering him!" Chaerin said faking a gag.

"Stop it, okay. Dara unnie, what are you planning now?" Minzy asked sternly.

"Should I have to do something? It's a long time ago already. I had forgive him and moved on. Though, I want Dalyong to see him," she mumbles looking away to their glares.

"What are you thinking, Dara?! Meet Dalyong and that...that devil?! Are you mad?" Bom hissed.

"That's ridiculous, unnie," Minzy shakes her head clearly not liking her idea.

"You're out of your mind. You really out of the line this time, Dee. What you were planning is impossible. How can you let them meet when in the first place the guy-whose-name-cannot-be-mention knows nothing of your daughter? He'll freak out. What's even worst? He might tries to take away Dalyong to you," Chaerin pointed out.

"Chaerin unnie has a point, unnie. Think of it thoroughly. Don't do rushed decision like that," Minzy agreed.

Dara exhales deeply. Everything they say sinks in her brain. She understands their concern. She does.

"Look, I didn't said they'll meet face to face. I just want Dalyong to know who is her father. She's smart and I'll make her understand that she can't be with her appa. I don't want for my daughter to grow up wondering who or how her father looks like? I want her to acknowledge Jiyong as her father even just a far. I don't want her to be like me. I didn't get the chance to see my parents. Dalyong deserves it," she pointed out sadly.

The girls can only sigh. They knew her life from the start. They witnessed her downfall and rise again. They are with her through thick and thin.

"Whatever your decision is, I'll support you," Bom finally said.

"We are too!" Chaerin and Minzy said together.

Dara smiled and hug them appreciatively. "Thanks girls. I don't know what would happen to me if you're not here. 'Love you, girls!"

"Aigoo! We're best friends, remember? And we should stick together!" Bom said.

"Yeah! Thank you," she finally said hugging them tighter.

2 more to go! I'm uploading this in one go :))

bonapaix