#since1765

*

Seoul Garden Apartment Tower

City of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province

Three days after the camping, Kim Taeyeon agreed to spend the night in her boyfriend's place. Even if she was busy, she made time, largely due to the overwhelming guilt she felt about how she spent the last weekend.

Another man slept beside her, another man kissed her, another man whispered sweet nothings in her ears, and this same man fed her a Sunday morning breakfast in the camp. She even agreed to sit in the passenger's seat while this man drove. Yes, SNSD, Big Bang and Nuthang mixed and matched the passengers in the two separate truck/vans they brought. While Choi Seunghyun and Tiffany Hwang led the other pack, Kim Taeyeon and Kwon Jiyong drove for Lee Seungri, Seo Joohyun, Lee Soohyuk, Im Yoona, Dong Youngbae and Kwon Yuri.

Was I cheating?

During the time she was in the camp, Taeyeon never questioned her morals, because that weekend was arguably the most fun she's ever had with friends. Even if she only met Jiyong's gang, they were so fun and funny. SNSD couldn't have picked a cooler crowd to hang with! And so Taeyeon allowed herself to ride the waves of such a fun camping trip, whilst Kwon Jiyong was being extremely touchy-feely, and overly expressive.

I was cheating, crap. But wait... it's not like I had with him. He didn't even kiss me on the lips!

No matter how much Taeyeon defended her actions, the taunts and comments from SNSD echoed the exact opposite, especially Fany's. Her friends thought she and Jiyong matched well together, had unbelievable chemistry, and acted like a loving couple. They clearly preferred the man over her current boyfriend. That's why even if she was hella busy with so many things, she entertained Byun Baekhyun's invite for another date night.

I'm not cheating. I love my boyfriend. I'll make it up to him.

“I heard you went on a trip with your members. Was it fun?” Baekhyun asked. The two of them were having dinner on the bar table.

“Y-yeah. It was really spontaneous, and very fun.”

“Were there others? Or was it just SNSD?”

Taeyeon coughed. She didn't plan much on what to tell him. How was she supposed to explain having a sleepover with the YG Entertainment squad?

“Uhm... Fany invited some of her male friends over.”

To Taeyeon's surprise, Baekhyun touched the side of her lips. She realized he was wiping food off her face, so she smiled.

“The food's really great noona. Thanks for cooking for me.”

“Of course. Anything for my boyfriend.”

She was overcompensating. She cooked dinner, was extra touchy, was extra expressive, played video games enthusiastically, had a few bottles of beer with him, and laughed at everything he said, funny or not. After dinner, they hung in Baekhyun's loft to have chips and soda while watching TV. A rerun of Superman Returns was playing, and she was entertaining every bit of Baekhyun's commentary, like she's never had before.

I'm so sorry Baekhyun. I promise to never enjoy another trip with Jiyong as much as I did last weekend. But who was she kidding? Every moment with Kwon Jiyong was the funnest she'd ever experiences, bar none.

“I love you,” Taeyeon muttered. It wasn't the first time she expressed those words to him. But it was the first time she didn't mean it. She only said it because she was sorry.

“I love you too,” Baekhyun sweetly replied.

And they kissed. While the young man closed his eyes, Taeyeon's remained wide open. She was trying her hardest to get in the moment, but the moment never came. Why did the intimate moment with her boyfriend fail to provide her the so-called feels? She wasn't tingly, or jittery. She wasn't anything but awkward and tense.

Why can't I feel the same when Jiyong hugged me all night?

“Do you want to spend the night? I'm free all weekend,” asked Baekhyun after the kiss. There was a certain sparkle in his eyes that Taeyeon feared.

“S-sure. Why not.”

Kim Taeyeon was so apologetic, trying her hardest to overcompensate for the weekend's slight infidelity. But did that mean allowing the young man to go beyond the first base?

Sure. Why not.

*

Club Symmetry

City of Seoul, Gyeonggi Province

Meanwhile, Kwon Jiyong chose to spend his weekday with their friends. Outside Big Bang and Nuthang, his other squad members were present in Club Symmetry. He decided that a night of getting wasted was the cure of his overthinking about Kim Taeyeon.

Do I love her?

When Taeyeon asked her that question, he was dumbfounded for a few seconds. He expected himself to straight out deny it, and yet he played with the fire. They never talked about their intimate sleepover the next day, and both of them acted like nothing revealing happened. He still stayed the same as he was towards her -- touchy, expressive, and teasing.

“Heard Kiko's broken up with her rebound guy,” Verbal stated. He was in Korea with his wife Yoon.

Daniel Lee, an artist, added, “They fought about you, you know. Dude couldn't handle the fact that you are the G-dragon.”

“You gotta sweep in and get her back!” teased the YG producer Teddy Park.

Jiyong's mind was still filled with Taeyeon when his friends' comments brought him back. He saw how the friends he camped with last weekend eyed him with much meaning.

“Ehem... But Jiyong already has a girlfriend,” announced Yang Seungho.

“Oh come on! She's just a pastime with an expiration date,” Verbal's wife and Audrie's BFF Yoon commented. “Kiko's done with her boy toy, you should be done with yours as well.”

Lee Soohyuk, Hong Jonghyun, Yang Seungho and Choi Seunghyun all edged up. They looked at him with bated breath, as if they were expecting him to defend his girlfriend.

“I'm not playing with her. We're serious,” declared Jiyong, which earned him the raised glasses of his four Nuthang brothers.

“Seriously?” exclaimed independent producer Kush.

“Hell yeah. We've met her and she's ing coooooool,” Soohyuk cheered.

Mademoiselle Yulia probed, “You've introduced that Yeonnie girl to the guys?”

“Of course. It's a serious relationship, why wouldn't I?”

“And who's in a serious relationship?”

A honey-like voice asked in Japanese. Looking up, the group saw Audrie Kiko Daniel approaching their booth, alone and looking just as how Jiyong met her seven years ago -- dangerously beautiful.

“Hi there .”

“Just in time.”

“Jiyong was just telling us about his serious girlfriend.”

After their friends welcomed her, Audrie chose to seat beside Jiyong.

“Yeon-ah, the college babe?” wondered Audrie, looking at Jiyong with such fake nonchalance coated in a sugary smile.

“She's not a college babe, but a colleague,” explained Jiyong.

Nuthang and TOP began to share their affectionate comments about Kim Taeyeon, although they were careful about giving too much details. It was clear that his closest friends were helping Jiyong with his Operation: Make Audrie Jealous project, because they doted on and mused about their sweet Yeon-ah and her friends.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

“Speaking of the devil. Excuse me, my girlfriend's calling,” Jiyong announced as Taeyeon's face and number appeared on his screen.

His voice and action cut Audrie's very hearty story-telling, and he just hurriedly left their booth. He felt all eyes follow him as he looked for a quieter place to speak with Kim Taeyeon.

He found the back alley of the club. He stepped out and felt the chill of the midnight air. He got a little bit concerned that Taeyeon would call him in such wee hours of the night. The moment he clicked Accept, Taeyeon did not even give him a chance to welcome her call.

“Oh my god Jiyong. Help me, help me... I'm gonna die. I can't breathe. Oh my god, oh my god.”

The woman sounded overwhelmed and breathy, like she was in a life-threatening situation. Jiyong felt his stomach drop rather painfully upon recognizing the fear in Taeyeon's voice.

“What's wrong? Are you okay? Where are you?”

“I think I'm having a panic attack. . , , .”

“Tell me where you are and I'll come get you!” he exclaimed, running in a hurry towards the parking lot. “Just try your best to relax, okay? Breathe in and out, and tell me where you are.”

But to his frustration, Taeyeon wasn't coherent enough to answer his most important question. Instead, he heard her sigh loudly, and even cry.

“I'm not ready for this. Oh god. What should I do?”

“Ready for what? Where the are you?”

“I'm in... Baekhyun's house... it's our d-date night.”

Jiyong stopped in his tracks. If she was in her boyfriend's