Chapter Four

Oh My Friend – Stand up (Bigbang 2008)

Dara POV

June 22, 2015

Minzy is going to kill me, Dara mentally cursed herself as she was running towards the elevator of the YGE building. She was supposed to meet up with 2NE1’s maknae an hour ago at their gym but she overslept yet again. This is twice on her record on this week alone. She needs to stop watching too much television, she had been really busy the past few months that when she had finally gotten a few days off she used it off to her advantage to procrastinate and when it was time to restart her life, that sort of followed her too.

She was thankful that the elevator was already at the ground floor when she pushed the button. Around the same time she also had a secret prayer that Minzy wouldn’t give her a much harder punishment for making her wait for this long. Early this week when she was only twenty minutes late, Dara was forced to do 10 chin-ups and 10 pull-ups alternatively when they would switch up workout gears, imagine what the maknae would be trying to make her do if she’s now an hour late.

She kept pushing fifth floor button hoping that the elevator would hint out at her urgency… but her phone went off making her more nervous.

~Unnie, Minzy said you are in trouble… Chaerin texted teasingly, while Bom had sent out quite a bit of LOLs and emoticons showing that she was finding the situation all hilarious.

Dara rolls her eyes. Minzy had been quiet on their Kakao talk so that only meant that Chaerin and Minzy are talking privately. Even though the four of them are all mostly physically away from each other. they still frequently speak to each other as if the distance didn’t matter at all. (Though, Dara and Minzy had been sort of inseparable lately due to the fact that they have been missing Chaerin, who is in US making it as a solo artist and Bom is still in the US but on the other side of the country on her break still.)

~Yah! YOU TWO BETTER GO TO SLEEP! Dara demanded in all caps.

The two responded rather quickly making Dara feel a bit dummy…

~Can’t it’s still six pm, santokki. ;p. Bom replied

~ 9pm here! ~_^ v. Chaerin said.

“Aigoo…” she mumbled to herself feeling quite a bit stupid, how she can forget the big time difference. Well either way they should just leave her alone. She was about to think of a satisfying response when the elevator door opened, she was about to hop off when she noticed that her light for the floor she needed to be in was still going off, and the elevator had stopped at the first floor.

But what got her breathless and more anxious is that the redheaded leader of Bigbang, Kwon Jiyong was standing in front of the doors with his head down on his phone frowning at it. He still hasn’t noticed that the door has opened let alone that his ex-girlfriend is in the corner. The two haven’t spoken to each other for about three months now and they haven’t seen much of each other too but lately it seemed like fate has a funny way of showing he that her ex-boyfriend still exists especially her new web drama We Broke Up is coming up there are those shippers again claiming that the story is about Dara and Jiyong.

Dara was slowly having a mini panic attack. She felt her palms getting cold. She wasn’t sure if she should secretly keep pushing the button to close if he would notice. She even contemplated of getting out the elevator just climb those stairs four floors up as a warm up than getting stuck in the elevator with him for more than a second. Last time they had used the elevator together was the most awkward minute of her life ever.

She admits the reason why they are awkward is her. She knows she goes out of way to literately avoid him, and she also has a slight idea that Jiyong has been helping her with that because she successfully doesn’t see him. Being with him in a crowd is fine, that is where they usually talk and become civil but alone…?

Screw that, she cursed mentally. She bowed her head down as if distracted by her phone as well, since he still hasn’t noticed the door is wide open. She’s just pretend that she didn’t see him and just get out of the elevator, run there even. Praying, that he wouldn’t notice that this isn’t supposed to be the floor she was going to be at. Her legs moved on her own without her even realizing it and hopped off the elevator. She prayed he wouldn’t notice her.

But with her luck with him lately, he got startled by how quickly she had gotten out. It’s a rare moment to catch him off guard since he is always attentive but with Dara he starts turning into a blubber mess. “Dara-ah,” He stuttered.

She barely looks up telling herself to calm down and just play her part of noticing him. She barely made eye contact and smiled at him, pretending to be in a rush so it wouldn’t be too obvious that she had decided to get out of the elevator because of him. As usual, her heart skipped a beat or two when she noticed him smile back and she hated it. It annoyed her that he still gets this effect on her after of not being with him for this long.

She stride towards the stairwell, praying that fate wouldn’t play with her and just let her get into the stairwell without him noticing that the light for the fifth floor is on and he wouldn’t put two and two together.

She was almost to the door to the stairs when she felt an arm stop her, “Dara,” Jiyong held on to her wrist lightly. His voice sounded so strained and hoarse, his exhaustion of just finished a 3 day tour was too obvious in his eyes and she pitied him slightly they are still at the start of their MADE tour and he looked drained. He noticed that the boys are the same way.

Her heart clenched, she knows that Jiyong gets sick really easily that most of the time when they were dating she’d always spend at least one weekend just taking care of him because he has the tendency to overwork himself. She at least hoped he’s taking care of himself. She shivered when she realized that he was holding on to her tightly afraid that she might either shove his arm away or run. She was at least mature enough to face him if he all of a sudden decides to confront whatever awkward situation they have, she can fathom that at some point he was going to do this. “Jiyong.” she tried to sound brave but her voice sounded as exhausted as his. She was looking down at their feet, she bit her lip so a gasp wouldn’t escape her lips. He was wearing the same shoes that she had given him on her last birthday with him as a couple. She exhaled and twisted her arm free but he wouldn’t budge, “Tell me what you need to say.” She silently begged, she wanted nothing than to leave here now.

“I gave you the space you needed, I silently respected them.” He started and he cleared his throat trying to think of what to say so that he wouldn’t seem tactless, “You had always been one of my best friends for the longest time, Dara. Even after everything, I do miss that.” He said in such a low voice that it wasn’t sure that she was able to hear it.

But she heard it loud and clear, and she chewed her cheeks to stop herself from responding or reacting. Of course she missed him too. Before they dated, they were really close. He always knew how to make her feel better or just make her laugh. And most of all, she missed hanging out with Bigbang. She hasn’t seen much of Youngbae after the break up and she understood why because Jiyong is his best friend after all. She still had Seungri, Daesung and lately Seunghyun but it still is not the same. “You know why it’s hard for me, Jiyong.” she grumbles. Seeing Jiyong still reminds her of the every good thing and bad thing they had together. She had thought they were it and that’s always hard when the person you thought is forever would just easily change that. At least she doesn’t hate him anymore but she knows what effect he has on her, so she knows just to avoid it.

“Dara… I know. I still many times regret doing all the things I’ve done. And I know it doesn’t change things.” He said as he took a step closer, “This may be asking too much but can’t we at least start off as friends?” He asks bravely.

Her heart stopped and she paled not knowing how to respond. She is sure about one thing there is a huge reason why she would avoid friendship with him….

July 1, 2008

Dara was eating her soup peacefully, she had a horrible cold for the past two days and it needed to go away at least in a couple days because evaluations are up again and she can’t sing if this gets worse. She silently cursed at Bom for forcing her to finish that bucket of ice cream with her, and now she had caught her friend’s cold as well.

She was so into the after effects of the warm soup in , she didn’t even bother looking up