(Recap in italics)

As was common  when one drinks sitting down, Caden had felt that she'd pretty much lost the little buzz she had gotten at the beginning of their meal, but found this assumption to be inaccurate upon standing.  Not that it was a mind-spinning, world-tilting situation - more like her legs had somehow managed to forget just how much effort was required to support the rest of her body.  The result was Caden standing, bobbing slightly as her knees buckled a bit, then eventually regaining her footing for good.

She tried to play this off, but GD burst out laughing, offering his arm to her for support.  She sniffed at him disdainfully, swatting his arm away, and brushing past him toward the door.  He quickly caught up with her, chuckling like mad, which she dutifully ignored.

They made their way back to the maitre d', who had GD's bags ready for him.  They barely paused as he picked them up, nodding graciously to the hotel employee before leading Caden back downstairs.  The concierge called out to him once again as they made their way past the front desk.  GD offered her a dazzling smile, promising to return soon.  The woman initially remained professional, smiling and bowing her head politely, but when Caden glanced back a few moments later, she saw that the woman - who was probably in her early thirties - fan her face, which had turned a bit red and flushed, apparently from his attention.  Caden hid a smile, glancing over at her companion, who was making his way purposefully out the door.

Spending the day together with GD like this was doing a great job of both reminding her what it was like to be his fan, and at the same time feeling like she knew him more as a person than as an idol.  Little moments like that one made her remember just how charming Big Bang's fearless leader could be, while at the same time realizing that the same actions that made the fangirls swoon no longer had an effect on her.  His calculated, purposeful fanservice was losing its appeal at the same rate that his genuine, unconscious chivalry and reverence toward his friends and coworkers became more endearing. 

She hid another smile as he got the door, quickly steering her outside.

He led her back to the entrance of the alleyway.  There was still a bit of light outside, although the sun had disappeared from view, and the street lights had come on.  This made the previously dark alley much more well lit, and therefore far less intimidating.  However, after mentally berating herself for overthinking hand contact the last time, Caden had already resolved not to act the least bit silly about such things this time around.  With this in mind, she linked her arm firmly through GD's, skipping all confusion by making the first move.  He seemed surprised for a second, but almost instantly covered it up.  They walked purposefully through the alley, once again making it to the other side without incident.

Once safely back on the sidewalk, she carefully unhooked their arms with a grin.  They headed back toward the mall, but they hadn't taken more than two steps when they heard someone call out casually,

"Oh, Jiyong-ah!"

Assuming that it must be someone who GD was familiar with, Caden turned toward the sound of the voice, noticing her companion doing the same.  Two girls she didn't recognize - both of whom looked to be college age - approached from a nearby boutique.  Beside her, Caden felt GD tense up briefly, then - almost as quickly - relax once more.  She quickly glanced over at him, wondering if she should be alarmed, but by then he was standing there casually with an easy smile on his face.

"Hello," he greeted amiably when they had made their way over. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh... we saw Jiyong disappear down the street when we were shopping earlier," one of the girls explained in a tone so casual, she almost sounded bored. "We figured that you would come back to this place eventually.  We hoped that we would have a chance to run into you."

"It seems luck was on our side," the other girl stated happily.

It wasn't until they said this that Caden realized they were fans.  At this discovery, she too unconsciously tensed for a moment - scenes of sobbing fangirls and packed concerts dancing before her eyes.  When she shook herself out of this, however, she noticed that for some reason, these two girls seemed very relaxed and normal, even in the presence of their idol.

She watched as GD chatted politely with them, asking about their day and thanking them for their support.  The girls talked about how they had been to several Big Bang events when they had been promoting the last time around.  Caden slowly inched away from the little group, not wanting to get in the way, but after talking with GD for a few moments, the bored sounding girl looked around at her.

"And who's this with you?" she asked casually. "Oh... does Jiyong-ah have a girlfriend?"

"Oh, no, I-" Caden started, sputtering slightly, but she was ignored as the other girl burst out,

"Ah! Jiyong-ah has a foreign girlfriend?  Many people will find this interesting!"

To Caden's surprise, she sounded more excited about the idea than upset or jealous.

"She's not my girlfriend," GD corrected mildly with a kind smile. "This is Big Bang's new English tutor."

"Oh... Teacher Park was replaced?" one of the girls asked curiously.

"I hadn't heard about thtat," the other girl said. "She was a very good teacher, wasn't she?"

"Yes, she was," he replied laughingly. "She left to go marry a nice guy."  There was much noise of understanding and excitement from the girls at this, which made Caden giggle.

"Teacher Park only left last week," he continued cheerfully, "but Teacher Caden here had been training with her for a month already, and finally took over full time."  The girls nodded in understanding.

"You're very good at Korean and English, then?" one of the girls inquired.  Caden was mildly startled when all attention suddenly turned to her.

"Ah, well... yes," she replied sheepishly.  She glanced over at GD, who was trying not to smile. "I also teach them Japanese..."

"Omo!  You're so clever!" one girl exclaimed.

"You're so young and pretty to be such a competent teacher!" the other added, shaking her head in disbelief.  Caden was totally thrown by this turn of events - weren't they here to see GD?  When had it become 'compliment a random staff member' time?  She glanced over at GD once more to find that he was now trying desperately to hold in laughter at her expense.  She turned back to his fans.

"Ah, thank you for your praise," she replied awkwardly.  She paused, unsure of what else to say, before adding sheepishly, "Would you like me to take a picture of the two of you with G-Dragon?"

"Oh, no thank you," one of the girls responded with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We've taken plenty of pictures and have gotten autographs from Leader Jiyong and the rest of the members many times before."  Caden laughed in surprise, looking over at GD, who couldn't hide his look of amusement at this statement.

"Although..." the other added, a bit shyly. "Would we be able to take a picture of Jiyong-ah and Teacher Caden?  To prove we met Big Bang's new staff when she first started?"

"Oh... um," Caden sputtered in surprise, not knowing what to make of this. "I mean, I guess... if that's what you really want."

"Yes please!" the girls crooned in unison, whipping out a camera seemingly from thin air, gesturing for the two of them to stand together.  GD, who could no longer hide his amused grin, placed a firm hand on her shoulder, backing her up until she was standing beside him.

"How would you like us to pose?" GD inquired obligingly. "Silly or serious?"

"Just normal smiles will be good," one of the girls responded cheerfully, holding up her camera.

"Don't forget to look friendly!" the other chimed in.  GD kept his hand rested casually on Caden's shoulder, leaning his head toward hers, and smiling.  She smiled too before the camera's bright flash blinded her momentarily.

"Was that good?" he asked the two fans.

"Perfect," they replied, grinning widely.

"And you're sure that you don't want a picture alone with..." Caden asked again, gesturing toward GD.  The two girls looked at each other slyly before one answered,

"Actually... would it be alright if Jiyong took a picture of us and Teacher Caden?"

"Wha-??" Caden blurted out unintentionally, apparently never ceasing to be astonished by their unexpected interest in her. "Why?"  This caused the two girls to giggle, and even GD couldn't hold in a snort of laughter at her loss of composure.

"Not that I mind at all," she clarified quickly. "I- it's just... isn't G-Dragon the interesting one?"

"We've been fans of Big Bang since before they debuted," one of the girls explained. "We already know most everything a fan should know about them."

"That's why it's more exciting for us when there are changes to the band or the company," the other added cheerfully.  Caden glanced over at GD to see how he was taking these comments, but he was smiling just as widely as ever.  Upon seeing the somewhat mystified expression on her face, he was forced to hold back sniggers once again.

"Go on," he urged, reaching out to take the fan's camera before nudging Caden in their direction. "Take a picture with the nice girls."

"Ah, yes.  Alright," she responded, looking back at the girls, who were smiling at her excitedly.  Her expression softened, and she crowded in beside them.

"Shall we do a silly, cutesy pose since it's just girls?" she asked teasingly.  The other two laughingly agreed.  Caden held a peace sign in front of one of her eyes, smiling widely, while the girl in the middle put one finger to her cheek, winking, and the last girl put two peace signs beside each cheek, giving her best eye-smile.  GD grinned at them, giving a countdown before finally snapping the picture.  The girls rushed over to look at it.

"Omo, it came out cute!" the first one sang out, after retrieving her camera from her idol with a polite bow.

"Teacher Caden is too pretty," the other girl gushed.  Then she shot a mischievous look at GD, adding, "Big Bang must be happy to learn from her.  Jiyong-ah, is it distracting having such a lovely girl teach you?"  Now it was GD's turn to look surprised, as Caden held back a laugh.

"Aigoo, saying such things," her friend chided, pretending to be disapproving. "Anyway, thank you both for chatting with us, and thanks for the pictures.  We'd better let you go.  We'll be waiting supportively for Big Bang's next activities!"

"Yes!  Big Bang hwaiting!" the other girl chirped brightly, waving as her friend began to lead her away.  

Caden and GD said their goodbyes, watching as the two girls disappeared into a nearby shop.  They finally turned and resumed making their way back to the mall.

"Well..." she began after a long moment of silence, following as he led them back through the 1st floor of the building. "I had no idea that when I signed on to become Big Bang's teacher that working for a famous band would automatically make me interesting by association."  He chuckled at this.

"And now you know," he replied with a hint of impertinence.

"Apparently," she said, trying her best to sound unamused. "Anyway, that's something I feel I should have been warned about."

"Think of this as your warning," he shot back mildly, grinning over at her after nodding once again to the security guard stationed beside the elevator. "Think of it this way - it's much better then receiving hate, isn't it?  And you may well get that from certain fans.  So there you go - it's the warning you asked for!"  Caden rolled her eyes with a grin, not replying.  She watched as he swiped ship card and the doors slid open to admit them.  GD pressed the button for the parking garage and the doors slid closed once more.

"It's kind of strange that your fans call you casually, isn't it?" she mused conversationally.  "I expected it to be someone you knew personally when they called out."

"Yeah, most fans don't speak familiarly like that," he explained. "Only the official VIPs - especially the ones who have been fans since before our debut, or around that time - talk like that.  They know our off stage personalities better than most fans, and they know all of our eccentricities.  They've met with us so often over the years that it's almost like we are people they know personally."

"That's pretty interesting," Caden replied thoughtfully. "That makes it sound like they're the exact opposite of what people usually think of K-pop super fans."

"Oh, we get those too," GD joked with a shadow of a smile as they stepped out of the elevator and back into the parking garage, "but I'm really grateful that most VIPs are so cool like that.  I really think our fans are the best."  She glanced over at him, wearing a small smile.

"You're lucky.  That must make your job all the more rewarding," she pointed out, still smiling as she quickly surveyed the garage before spotting the car.

"It is," GD agreed quietly, watching her locate their vehicle. "The fans' love is unbelievable and allows us to do many things... but I think the love and support from our families and staff is what we rely on the most."  This caught Caden's attention.  She glanced over at him with a knowing smile.

"That makes sense," she replied brightly, thinking of her own family and friends - who were all supporting her, yes, but from afar.  She chose not to elaborate, leaving the two to walk the rest of the way in silence.

When they approached the car, GD unlocked the trunk and began putting his bags inside, while Caden stood beside the passenger door, observing him with vague interest.  Just as he was about to close the trunk, he noticed her standing there somewhat listlessly, waiting to be let into the car.

"Oh man!" he exclaimed, walking up beside her to open her door. "I just realized that we spent all of that time at the mall, and I'm the only one that bought anything."  Caden laughed as she slid into the passengers' seat.  GD quickly closed her door, hurrying around to the other side before situating himself into the driver's seat.

"We spent so much time there," he continued rather apologetically. "You must have been bored."

"No, I was having fun, really," she assured him upon seeing his skeptical look. "I'm just as happy window shopping.  Especially here - there were so many interesting items that I'm not used to seeing in normal stores."

"Hmm," GD responded with a grin, sounding only a bit more convinced.

"Besides, most of those clothes were much too fancy for me," she continued with a teasing smile. "Not exactly proper teaching attire... Plus I'm far too lazy to wear such nice outfits usually.  Even if I bought something, I don't have anywhere to wear it."

"What about to my birthday party next weekend?" he countered, starting the ignition before throwing the car into reverse, backing expertly out of the parking space.  Caden looked over at him with some surprise.  He glanced over at her briefly as he exited the garage, right before turning back onto the street.  He mistook her expression for confusion.

"Oh," he said in surprise, turning his attention back to his driving. "Had you not heard about it?"

"No, no - I'd heard you all talking about it for weeks now," she responded laughingly. "It's more like - 'What? I'm invited?'"  She paused, laughing at herself.  GD chuckled, glancing over at her again.

"Why are you surprised?  A bunch of staff and other YG family members are invited.  Teacher Park always came to my parties - it wouldn't make sense to leave you out."

"See, but I didn't know that," she explained with a wide grin. "I just assumed that the party was for your closest friends and family."

"Oh, I'll have one of those as well," he informed her with a smile. "But anyway, it's too bad I didn't tell you sooner - I should have made sure that you knew about it.  Then, if you had wanted to buy something, you'd have had a reason."

"Is the dress code for your party very fancy?" she inquired curiously.

"Mmm, not exactly," he answered somewhat thougtfully. "The restaurant where it's being held is quite dressy, but I've booked a private room for us, so no one will be around to criticize the guests' attire."  Caden chuckled at this, to which GD shot her a grin as they cruised down the darkened city streets.

"Hmm, if that's the case, should I ask you to take me back to that mall again before the party?" she teased.  He was quiet for a moment, trying to judge whether or not this was a legitimate request.

"Don't worry, don't worry," she assured him, laughingly. "I was just kidding - as if you aren't already busy enough.  I'll manage to find something on my own before Saturday."

"Don't make it into a chore for yourself," he insisted with a grin. "Even if you come wearing pajamas, I'll happily let you in... but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to protect you from the others' teasing."

"Fair enough," she agreed with a giggle.  With that, their conversation tapered off, lulling back into comfortable silence.  Now that night had fallen, the sweltering temperatures from earlier had finally cooled down, until the small inkling of a breeze felt perfectly comfortable.  GD turned off the air conditioning, rolling down the windows to let in the night air.  He didn't seem to be in much of a hurry, cruising along with the flow of traffic, allowing them to enjoy the breeze created by the vehicle's movement.

Caden adjusted her position, sliding down in her seat until she could lean her head against the window frame just enough to enjoy the feel of the wind, but not have her hat blown off..  As they continued on in silence, she became so comfortable in this position that she begn to doze.  She didn't notice that she had nearly drifted off to sleep until GD - quite suddenly - pronounced,

"Speaking of fans calling me casually..."

The unexpected noise startled her awake, causing her to jolt up, yawning and stretching.

"I don't remember speaking of that," she murmured, still a little dazed, arching to the side with one arm stretched above her head and the other covering her yawn. "In fact, I don't think we were speaking at all..."  GD burst out laughing so hysterically that he accidentally yanked the steering wheel enough to jerk the car slightly to the right.  Startled again by the sudden movement, Caden immediately righted herself, chiding him, saying,

"Yah!  Chuckles!  Eyes on the road!"  GD, though not yet in complete control of his laughter, nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes and focusing solely on the road.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said, doing his best not to look over at her as he finally began to calm down. "It's just - I can't believe you were able to fall asleep in that short amount of time.  I thought you were just being quiet."

"I wasn't asleep!  I was falling asleep - that's different," she joked. "And since when is it my fault that your expensive luxury car is so comfortable, huh?"

"That's true, I guess," he admitted with a grin, "but I still think it's funny."  Caden rolled her eyes good-naturedly, sitting properly upright in her seat now.

"So what was it you were saying to rudely awaken me from my near-slumber?" she prompted teasingly. "Something about fans calling you casually?"

"Ah... yea," GD responded somewhat sheepishly. "I was just thinking about what you were saying earlier - it being strange for fans to call me casually."

"Ah yes, I vaguely remember discussing this... It seems very long ago now," she said, still teasing.  He smiled a bit at this, but continued on in earnest.

"We got off topic when we were talking about it before, but something about your comment didn't sit right with me... Don't misunderstand-" he insisted quickly when she opened to object. "-I don't mean in a serious way.  It just made me think; rather than that being weird, if fans call me that way, isn't it more strange that my teacher doesn't?"

It took Caden a moment to register the meaning of this question.  She stared over at him briefly, several various looks of confusion crossing her features until her expression finally changed into one of realization.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, looking cutely surprised. "You don't like how I address you!  ...Is it wrong?"  GD pressed his lips together, trying not to smile as he watched her silently question herself out of the corner of his eye.

"No, not wrong exactly," he corrected casually after a moment.  He glanced over at her briefly  before continuing. "It's just - and I'm not the only one who thinks so - isn't it more strange that you address us by our stage names all the time, even in class?  All the rest of the staff knows us by our birth names, as well as all the other YG performers - you're the only one who doesn't, and we spend most of our time with you.  At least lately..."  He paused, thinking deeply about his statement.

"Well, I mean, technically you call Daesung by his name, because he doesn't have a different stage name... And most people call Top and Seungri by their stage names to differentiate them... since their first names are the same...  So I guess this mostly concerns Young bae and I..."  Caden, who had been trying not to laugh during his slightly out of character word-vomit (which was usually much more her thing than his), just grinned upon his conclusion

"While that may be true, I'd just briefly like to remind you that YOU ALL were the ones who introduced yourselves to me by your stage names," she pointed out. "So before thinking on this too deeply, also consider who's truly at fault."

"We naturally use our stage names with foreigners," he mumbled, sounding a bit affronted by her accusation. "Easier for them to pronounce, usually..."  She just rolled her eyes with a chuckle, not bothering to address this comment.

"-but now that you bring it up," she continued, ignoring the interruption, "I guess you're right.  I didn't really think about it before, but now that you mention it, I realize that I think of you as 'GD' even in my head." She laughed quietly at this. "So how would you like me to call you, then?  Or rather, how would you like to be addressed by me?"

"Is there a difference?" he joked with a snicker, but he couldn't hide the satisfied smile that crept across his face. "'Jiyong' will do.  It's strange not to be called by my name by my teacher.  I think Young bae would also prefer his given name.  Top and Seungri - since they are both Seung hyun, I don't think they mind using their nicknames to differentiate."

"Fine by me," Caden responded with an easy smile. "That's how I'll address everyone from now on."

"Great," he said with a nod and a smile.

"Good," she replied, smiling back.  They went quiet again, both watching the road ahead through the windshield.

"Jiyong-ah..." Caden said after a moment, shooting him a sideways glance as he pursed his lips one way, then the other, trying not to grin.

"Yes?" he asked calmly after a moment.

"Teacher had a very good time today," she sang out cheerfully, making him laugh despite himself. "Thank you for showing me around, and thanks for taking care of me all day."

"You're welcome, Teacher," he replied jokingly. "It was my pleasure."  They both smiled, turning their gazes forward again, riding the rest of the way in silence as the radio played softly in the background.

After a calm and pleasant remainder of their drive, the two finally found themselves back at their apartment building.  They entered the parking garage where GD quickly steered the car into his designated spot - ideally located directly beside the entryway.  He immediately shifted into park and turned off the engine.  Neither of them moved for a moment, instead remaining seated, quietly staring straight ahead as if pondering their next move.  Finally, it was Caden who acted first, turning to her companion with a bright smile,

"Do you need any help bringing the bags up?"

"Naw, I'll be fine.  But thanks for offering," he answered with a grin, unbuckling his seatbelt and sliding out the driver door.  Seeing this, Caden quickly followed, becoming slightly clumsy in her hurry to keep up with him.  GD - who had made his way around to the back of the car - laughed as she tripped out the door, pausing to collect herself and shoot him a sheepish glance, but otherwise continuing as if nothing had happened.

"Are you sure?" she asked casually, leaning against the open door. "You've got a lot of bags... Besides!  I never got the chance to see most of the things you bought.  I'll help you carry them up to your room, then you can show off your purchases."  GD couldn't help but grin at her cute insistance.

"Would that be the best idea?" he mused aloud, still smiling slightly. "Seungri will be upset that he wasn't invited to join our outing no matter what, so he'll defintely make a fuss if we go up there..."  Caden burst out laughing at this - both because it was ridiculous, and also because it was true.  She had quickly learned that Seungri could be a bit... dramatic at times.

"I guess you're right," she allowed, inching her way around the car door so that she could finally close it.  "Then I guess this is the end of our tour for tonight?"  GD grinned at the question in her voice.

"I'll walk you up to your room," he announced, balancing all of his various bags as he firmly closed the trunk. "C'mon."  With a beep, he locked his car before turning to make his way into the building, with Caden following closely behind.

They nodded and smiled to the staff behind the front desk - who bowed their head politely in return - as they made their way over to the elevator.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take a couple of those off your hands?" Caden offered again as the doors opened and they stepped into the car, gesturing toward the shopping bags.

"No way!" GD joked, pretending to chastise. "A man is supposed to carry a girl's bags for her, not the other way around."  Caden did her best to look unimpressed.

"Wow," she remarked, crossing her arms as she struggled to sound serious. "I had no idea you were such a stubborn manly-man."

"There's a lot you don't know about me," he deadpanned with a flip of his hair, causing her to devolve into laughter.  The elevator dinged on the 4th floor, allowing them to exit and walk the short distance to her door.  They paused outside, and Caden hesitated slightly as she reached out to enter her door code.

"I guess this is where I leave you-" he started to say, but she blatantly interrupted him.

"Hey!  Since you're here anyway, why don't you come in for a few minutes?" she suggested brightly. "You didn't want to bait Seungri, but if we're at my place, there's no reason you can't show me what you bought."  GD's eyebrows raised slightly in acknowledgement as he considered her offer.

"Sounds fine to me," he agreed finally with a smile. "I have nothing against that plan."

"Great!" she replied, grinning excitedly as she hurriedly punched in her code, swinging the door open so that they might enter.

"Feel free to spread your things out on the coffee table," she offered cheerfully, making her way into the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?  I could make tea...  Or whatever, really.  You know what's in my fridge."

"Whatever you're having is fine," GD announced, watching as she stared blankly into the open refrigerator for a moment before making her choice.  She returned with two bottles of flavored vitamin water, looking victorious.

"Here you are," she sang out, handing over one of the bottles.

"Thanks," he replied, accepting it before proceeding to take a sip.

"So!  Ready to show off your purchases?" she asked, positively beaming as she plopped down next to him on the couch.  GD eyed her incredulously for a moment as she stared down at the bags with rapt attention.

"I thought you weren't even that into shopping," he pointed out mildly. "Why all the sudden interest?"  Caden regarded him with some surprise before bursting out laughing - mostly at herself.

"Ah, is my interest a little too extreme?" she asked sheepishly. "Sorry... I know this is strange, but - since I moved here, I've never had guests over, so I'm a little excited.  The only people who ever come over are students.  Even though you are a student... but today, since we went on an outing as friends, you're more like an actual guest."

"Ah, I see.  So that's why," he murmured, unable to contain his grin. "In that case, I'll show off all my purchases excitedly."

Caden giggled as GD proceeded to display each and every item, along with a running commentary that kept them both in stitches.  Once they had exhausted that particular means of amusement, they continued to chat casually until Caden was forced to point out how late it was getting.  With her help, GD replaced all of his new items back in their respective bags, and followed as she walked him to hte door.  He transfered all the bags to one hand, opening the door with the other.  Then he paused, turning back to bid goodnight.

"Thank you for taking me around the city today," she said with a smile. "I really had a wonderful time - the whole day was very fun."

"No problem," he replied, grinning back. "I should be thanking you - I rarely get a chance to go around all day on my own like that.  It was probably even more fun for me.  We'll have to do it again sometime before Big Bang gets too busy."

"I'd like that a lot," Caden agreed. "We can't forget!"

"Just keep reminding me, and it will happen," he announced happily. "For now, I should be going.  Goodnight Caden ssi."  He bowed his head toward her.

"Goodnight," she replied, bowing back as she watched him turn and make to leave.  Just as he was about to let go of the door, she remembered that she was still wearing his hat from earlier.

"Oh!" she cried, causing him to stop in his tracks.  He turned back just in time to see her rip the thing off her head as quickly as humanly possible, sending pieces of hair flying onto her face in the process.

"Here!  I almost forgot to give this back," she pronounced breathlessly. "I promise I'm not trying to steal your things."  GD looked her over for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching up into a crooked half-smile.  He set the bags down so that they propped the door open, while at the same time freeing up his hands.  Turning back, in one fluid motion he took the hat in one hand, while brushing the hair gently out of her face with the other, before carefully placing the garment firmly on her head.

"You keep it," he ordered mildly. "The 'disguise' items from the back of my car - I hardly wear them.  Besides, it looks better on you anyway."

Unsure of how to react, Caden stared up at him in blatent surprise.  After a moment, GD couldn't help but grin.

"Tsk.  What's with that face?" he teased, pulling the brim down past her nose.  Although now mostly covered, he saw that her face became scrunched up in a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Hey!" she cried, righting the hat once more.  GD only grinned again, ruffling the hat on her head one last time before bowing low.

"Goodbye again, Teacher," he called, turning to retrieve his bags. "I'll be going first.  See you back here on Monday when I return as a student."  Caden blinked rapidly a few times before bowing back.

"Yes, Monday..." she said a bit wistfully, smiling weakly as he began to walk away.  After a moment, she shook herself out of her mild reverie. "Thanks for the hat!"

"No thanks required," he called politely over his shoulder with a grin. "Goodnight."

"Goodbye," she called  She watched him for another few steps before quietly adding, "...Jiyong-ah."

GD continued walking without turning back, not bothering to disguise the wide grin that was slowly spreading across his face.  After another moment, he heard her door click shut behind him.  He pressed the button for the elevator, still smiling as he rode the rest of the way up to the 10th floor.

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A/N

*peaks cautiously* Heeeeey everyone!  Sigh.  I know you must all hate me for taking so long.  I know I would. :P  I'm very very sorry!  Something about summer just dulls my brain.  Anyway, I will not allow myself to get into the habit up updating so infrequently.  The next chapter shouldn't take too much effort, so I have no excuses!  I promise an update within the week at the very latest!

Now, about the story - besides the fact that you guys might have forgotten what happens T_T GD and Caden's tour is finally all wrapped up!  Dang!  That took way more chapters than I thought.  But I thought it was a good one.  I defintely (purposefully) made comparisons to some events from Caden and Daeho's tour (if you can remember that far back =P)

For example, I thought it would be funny if the normal boys' (Daeho and Jung Su) fangirls were really mean and nasty to Caden, while GD's (the actual star) were really, unusually nice. :P

Anyway, let me know if you like it.  We have the return of other characters and GD's birthday to look forward to in the next few chapters!  Yay!  I'm pretty excited about that. :D

Comment and subscribe, if it's not too much trouble. :D  I love feedback!  And yes, you're allowed to yell at me for taking forever.  Sniff, I can take the abuse T_T  Haha.