“So you’re saying you’re a YG trainee now?” Jiyong asked in his softest voice so no one around them would hear.

Dara nodded. She doesn’t know how the hell Chaerin knew and now every one of her friends knew about it. One thing she’s sure of, it was only Seunghyun who knew about it. Maybe he told Chaerin and Chaerin told Bom and the others. It’s not that she wanted to keep it from her friends; it was just that Mister YG told her and the other trainees to keep it a secret until they debut or else, she wouldn’t debut ever.

“Really?” Taeyang said from across the table excitedly. He stood up and raised his fists in the air and danced around. “See? I told you that you would someday become an artist! Now, you won’t just sing for that club. You’re singing for the whole world now!”

Jiyong pulled him to his seat forcefully. Every one hushed him.

“It’s supposed to be a secret, Taeyang,” Dara said, whispering. “or else I won’t be able to debut.”

“Oh,” Taeyang said, zipping his mouth afterwards.

“Aren’t you going to be tired? You’ll go to school, you’ll work, and now you have to attend trainings and workshops,” Jiyong said.

“Don’t worry about me, guys. I know I can do it.”

“So…” Chaerin said, awkwardly, breaking the silence.

“This calls for a celebration. Let’s go to the club!” Bom said, excitedly.

While they were walking outside the school…

“Um, I have an appointment to attend to,” Seunghyun said.

“What? Why now?” Dara asked.

“I have to attend to this, Dara. But don’t worry; I’ll be going to the club right after.”

“Um, me too…” Jiyong said.

“You too?!” Dara said.

“I’ll be going to your celebration too. Dad just called. He asked me to do something.”

“Okay, don’t be too long!” Dara said, waving.

While waiting for the others to come, Bom, Taeyang, and Chaerin were just sitting on a table talking. As for Dara, she joined the band on the stage and performed some duet songs with Donghae. After a few good songs, they let Dara rest first and it was Wooyoung’s turn to be the lead.

“They’re not here yet?” Dara asked walking towards the table.

They shook their heads.

“A delivery for the upcoming YG artist!” a voice said behind her.

She turned with a big smile on her face as she knows who was behind her. That someone however has his face covered with a very big bouquet of flowers. Dara’s smile widened.

“Seunghyun! You didn’t have to!” Dara said, grabbing the flowers from Seunghyun’s hands.

“So that’s the appointment you were talking about,” Chaerin said.

“How sweet!” Bom squealed.

“Thank you, Seunghyun!” Dara said.

Seunghyun smiled and leaned close to kiss her forehead. Dara’s cheeks blushed.

When she looked up to him, something caught her eyes from behind him. Someone just ran away.

“Um, sit now, Seunghyun,” Dara said. “Order all you want, guys.”

“Sit here, Dara,” Seunghyun said, patting the space beside him.

“Um, wait,” Dara said, thinking fast. “I’m going to the…comfort room first.”

“Oh, okay.” Seunghyun said.

As they were talking to the waiter taking their orders, Dara hurriedly ran not towards the comfort room but towards the door. When she reached outside, she glanced to her left and right but there wasn’t someone she was looking for. Never knowing how it happened, she found her feet bringing her to somewhere she doesn’t know exactly. It was like her feet have its mind of its own. Suddenly, she found him waiting by the bus stop, his back facing her.

“Why didn’t you enter a while ago?” she asked.

Jiyong got surprised. He didn’t expect her to see him. He thought she was busy looking into Seunghyun’s eyes.

“Is there a problem, Jiyongie?” she asked.

Jiyong exhaled and turned to face her.

“I would really like to thank you, Jiyong. You were always beside me. I would never have this job and would never even make it to YG if it weren’t for your help and support… and of course, Seunghyun too.”

Jiyong looked down.

“Come, let’s go celebrate.”

“What’s so good with that jerk Seunghyun?” Jiyong asked, his fist clenched tight on his sides.

“What? Who are you calling jerk? Look who’s being a jerk here!” Dara burst out.

Jiyong clenched his fists tighter.

“I think you know that the one you’re calling a jerk is my best friend, Jiyong. Never ever call him a JERK, jerk! And for your information, the one you’re calling jerk just went through all his efforts to congratulate me…”

Jiyong’s nose flared and he gritted his teeth.

“…unlike you…”

Dara got cut off when Jiyong scooped her waist to get her closer to him and he pressed his lips against hers. At first, because of Dara’s anger, her body was tensed up. Her hand was about to fly on his face to slap him so he would lean away. But as she felt his lips moving against hers, her hand fell to her side limply and her body began to relax. Next thing she knew, she was kissing him back.

The sounds of the cars on the road, the crowd of people chattering as they rode the bus that just arrived, even the sound of her heart beating wildly in her chest, they were all but forgotten and unheard as their lips are still against each other.

She wanted to hug him. To not let him go. She loved the feeling of his arms around her waist. His lips on hers. His free hand cupping the side of her face. She wanted to melt because of these feelings but she also wanted to stay like that forever.

Until he let go.

Dara gasped for air finally as she had even forgotten how to breathe while they were kissing. Then she stared at him with questioning eyes.

“I…” Jiyong started. He turned away. “…can congratulate you too.”

As Jiyong walked away, Dara was left standing on her spot with her hand gripping on her chest and the other wandering on her lips.

Dara’s head was leaning on her desk.

“Boo!” Chaerin said on her ear.

“Ya! You scared me,” Dara said.

“Sorry,” Chaerin apologized. “Whoa, you look tired. Did you sleep last night or not?”

“I can’t sleep,” Dara admitted.

“Why?” Chaerin asked.

Dara was thoughtful. She felt her face heat up then she stared at Chaerin. She forgot that she likes Jiyong. She felt she had committed a crime. She doesn’t want to betray anyone. Instead of answering, she leaned her head again on the desk.

“Okay, let’s talk later,” Chaerin said, instead. “Oh, hi, Jingyo!”

Dara heard this and her face heat up again.

It was lunch time when Dara roamed the whole school instead of eating with her friends to look for one person. After half an hour of searching, she found him on the rooftop.

For a while, she didn’t dare take a step towards him. She just stood there staring at his back while looking the sky. She hated the feeling of longing to hug him, knowing that at this time, she can’t.

“You’re here…” Jiyong said still looking at the sky.

Dara jumped. How did he know I was here all along? She thought.

“Um…” she cleared then took a step towards him. “I was looking for you.”

“Me too…” he whispered but she didn’t hear him.

“I need to talk to you,” she started, then stopped just a few feet behind him.

Jiyong turned to face her and waited.

She noticed that he looked as tired as her. She wondered if he had trouble sleeping just like her.

“I want to ask you,” she started again. “Why did you kiss me?”

She shut her eyes and looked down on the floor. She regretted asking. It didn’t sound curious or something. It sounded accusing. She was afraid that he would misunderstand.

She gripped the necklace tighter which she believed to bring her good luck.

“Can I ask you too?” he asked.

Dara looked up.

“What’s wrong with kissing you?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” she asked. He was about to answer when she talked again. “I always thought you treat me as a friend. That’s why I treat you the same. And I believed it until last night. If you have told…”

“I did that just because you were bugging me so much.”

Dara’s eyes widened.

“You kept on talking about how that Seunghyun bought you flowers to congratulate you. You were going on how great he is just because he did that. I kissed you just to top his congratulation. That’s all, are you happy now?”

Dara felt a sting in her eyes. She blinked and she felt hot tears rolling on her cheeks.

“Why are you…?”

Before he could ask, she ran and left him standing there wondering why she cried. But I thing is for sure, he regretted every lie he just said.