CHAPTER 9

BIGBANG’s song, Tonight, was topping the charts. It was two weeks since their comeback and everyone was still praising them on their amazing song, refreshing style and their teamwork.

After their performance, the girls insisted on treating the guys to a late dinner to celebrate. After little deliberation (I mean, who wouldn’t want to go to dinner with 5 beautiful girls), they took off for one of the high-end restaurants that Tiffany had suggested. Dinner was an eventful event. They guys joked around and tried to impress the girls with anything and everything and the girls teased the guys. After staying out for a few hours, they headed their separate ways, promising to make plans for another hang out.

Today was August 16, two days before Jiyong’s birthday and Jessica had been chewing her nails trying to figure what to do and what to get him. It was driving her crazy. “Come on, think, what does he like…what would be good?” she mumbled to herself as she paced the floor of the kitchen. She had just finished making green smoothies for her and the girls for a movie marathon when she had remembered what was coming up.

“Mmmm, Jessi’s famous green smoothies!” squealed Tiffany as she and the rest of the girls filed into the room. Snapped out of her thoughts by the entrance of the girls, she gave them a small smile and passed around the mason jars of smoothies.

“Something bothering you unnie?” questioned Seohyun, the observant one.

“No, not really. Just thinking of what to get Jiyong oppa,” she murmured as she sipped her smoothie. The girls had settled themselves in the living room and Yoona was slipping a DVD into their DVD player.

“You can give him your lips,” suggested Hyoyeon causing the girls to holler in laughter. Rolling her eyes, Sica replied, “No, thanks.”

“Sica, can you truly tell us that you have no feelings for the guy?” Taeyeon asked, leaving the girls silent and Sica unsure of what to say.

“Come on Sica, tell us the truth,” Sunny urged gently.

Hesitantly, she opened before closing it again. Sighing in defeat, she explained her situation.

“I like him,” she admitted, “but it’s complicated.”

“Complicated? How?”

“I don’t know. Everything? It’s like…we’re from two different worlds really. And yes, our friendship is great, but adding feelings would make everything complicated,” she ranted. “Like how the hell am I supposed to deal with the fangirls, and the press when they find out? Or how would the long distance thing work? We’d both be traveling, changing time zones so often than we’d get to go on dates. That and he’s not interested in me.”

“Not interested you?” Yuri gave her a look that told her she didn’t believe her. “Do you not see the looks he gives you? Or the way he touches you and holds your hand? I don’t believe you. That man is just as crazy about you as you are about him.”

“We’re friends, guys. Nothing more,” she sighed as she toyed the straw of her drink.

“But you want to be more,” Hyoyeon deduced. She nodded her head and closed her eyes.

“Can we…can we not talk about this? I can’t afford to think about it,” she pleaded. After seeing Sica’s desperate face, the girls dropped the topic and began their movie.

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Around 4 in the afternoon, Sica left the house, determined to go shopping and find a gift for Jiyong. Getting into her BMW, she drove off to the nearest mall. She thought about all the things she learned about him and came to the conclusion that Jiyong was a fashionable (sometimes, questionable) guy who was into music, dogs, cooking, cars and books. After biting her her lips and walking in circles for half an hour, she decided that she knew what she was going to get him.

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[To: Jiyong Oppa
Message: What are you doing the day after tomorrow oppa?]

[From: Jiyong Oppa
Message: I have a meeting with YG hyung in the afternoon and then the boys wanted to go to dinner and then noraebang. T.O.P. told me to invite you and the girls’. Can you come?]

[To: Jiyong Oppa
Message: Sounds fun, I’ll tell the girls. Text me the time and place and we’ll be there. Since you’re busy in the afternoon, you’re mine in the morning then oppa. Okay?]

[From: Jiyong Oppa
Message: I’ll let the boys know then. And I’m always yours babe ;) ]

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After group texting the girls of their new found plans, Jessica went back to sketching the final dress for their show. Tiffany and Yoona along with Sooyoung and the team that they hired to assist in the production of the dresses, were currently making the second and third of the four dresses. Putting the finishing touches on the sketch, she could hear the shikshin complaining how the needles were too pokey as she walked into the room.

“Stop complaing Soo, you’re the one who offered to help” Tiffany rolled her eyes as she and an assistant sowed two fabrics together. Yoona on the other hand was piecing together the intricate beading of another dress with the help of another assistant.

She laughed as she saw Soo’s pout. “I should have never agreed to help you needle people,” Soo complained as she sorted the beadings and needles.

“Thanks for helping Soo! I think we’ll manage,” Tiff thanked her laughing as Soo excitedly left her side.

“I’ll see you guys at home!” yelled Soo as she left the room.

Shaking her head, she walked over to Fany to see the progress. Walking over to her own work station, she began working on the fourth dress.

 “Thank you guys so much! I do not know what I would do without you,” she thanked as she measured the fabrics.

“Unnie, thank you for giving us the opportunity,” Yoona smiled.

“Yeah, Jessi,” agreed Fany, “Can you believe our designs will be showcased in a few months? I’m so excited!”<