Green = Past (in hangul except for Kiko)

Black = Present

Chapter Nine

Jiyong POV

"Ms. Kiko is on the phone again, sajangnim," Jiyong's assistant said. He had only taken this job for a month and then it's driving him crazy already. He wasn't even sure why he said yes to help manage the new label. He hated this kind of job. It would have been a Seungri kind of thing. He was better behind the studio. No wonder Hyunsuk-sajangnim was having a hard time balancing artist comebacks. YG wants everyone to promote separately plus his perfectionism he'd rather not have any comebacks at all.

Jiyong wanted to try a new position as well and now he totally regrets it. He just needs to put this up for three more months, he has a month down.

"Sajangnim?" The assistant called for his attention because it seemed like he didn't hear her at all.

And that word, he never can get used to it. He's annoyed really. He's rather be called PD-nim still but his assistant won't do it. "Sorry, what?" Because he didn't pay attention to her.

"Your wife called, again." Hyerin repeated calmly. She felt terrible telling Kiko that Jiyong was going to call her back. In the past two hours, this is her third call.

Jiyong wanted so slap his forehead but he didn't have the strength.

He had forgotten again, but he has so many things to do right now he doesn't have the time. He thought he was going to be done twenty minutes ago but the work pile started to rising and which doesn’t make sense.

"Tell her, I really will call her back in twenty minutes." He knows he said that three times now but Kiko has to understand. Besides he is she's calling, probably asking what time he'd arrive in Japan this weekend. Like clockwork he goes back to Japan then Korea on the weekdays for work. They have been doing this arrangement going on a year now since his family moved to Japan when he enlisted in the military three years ago.

Hyerin just sighed and nods again. When he is focused on something nothing can stop him on doing that, which is also why she was given his cellphone to keep him off distractions. "I'll tell her again." Then she left the office.

Jiyong had a headache, he still needed to make three phone calls to major broadcasting stations to cast some artists. Three more months... He chanted to himself. Now he can never tease on sanjangnim ever again... He totally understand.

Fifteen minutes later, He immediately stood up realizing he had left XCL, a coed group who just debuted under YGE two months ago, who he is the main producer for, to record and he had told them he was going to get back to them.

He cursed under his breath and almost ran out the door to go to the recording studio without getting his phone from his assistant.

It wasn't until about 10 pm when he had finally gotten home. He wasn't done but he didn't care anymore. As long as XCL finished recording the group’s tracks.

Maybe if he slacked off much would sajangnim reassign the new label for someone else more suitable? Possibly Seungri? It's going to be in different management soon anyway. He didn't want to think about it. He was exhausted and had a headache that had started when it crossed his mind.

He enters the code of his house. And walks in. He almost about a heart attack when he heard the television in the living room. He was reaching for something ready to tackle the possible saesang that is in his house. This has happened before though it was only when Bigbang was still active and they lived in the same dorm. Or when he was still promoting as a solo artist. There hasn't been an incident since he's gotten married but one can never be sure. Those persistent crazy fans,

"Jesus, you scared me." Jiyong almost cursed out when he saw that it was Kiko sitting on his couch watching television. He was surprised to see her here, she didn't tell him she was coming.

He walks over to her and quickly kissed the top of her head. "Who has Daehyunie?" He asked since Daehyun had just started kindergarten this year and couldn't go with her since it's still a school night.

"My mom has him. He wanted to come but he knows he can't. I guess you weren't able to call him tonight?" Kiko asks as she turned off the television looking at him as if she already knows the answer to this question because if he talked to Daehyun then he would know she's in Korea.

Jiyong looked away guiltily. These past few he hasn't had time to call as much. The only time he can fully spend with Daehyun is when he is in Japan but sometimes he'd be on the phone or in his studio trying to catch up on work. Daehyun would just be following him around watching him work.

He stands up and clears his throat, "I was going to but I realized it was late. He's probably asleep now." He walks over to the kitchen to get something to drink. "Do you want anything to drink?" It was awkward asking her about wanting something to drink as if she was a guest in house and not his wife.

She pursed her lips together and shakes her head.

Jiyong sighs, obviously she'd say no because Kiko has a very sensitive stomach so she can only have specific things to eat or drink which he doesn't have in his fridge at the moment. He grabs a can of beer and drinks from it, "You should have called me and told me you were in town so I can prepare these things for you."

Kiko's face soured and she just stared at Jiyong in disbelief. She was too annoyed to even say anything.

Jiyong just looks at her in confusion, "What?" He doesn't understand why she's giving him attitude.

She shakes her head and smiles sarcastically to herself. "I did, six hours ago. You said you'd call me back."

Jiyong cursed under his breath. He knew he had forgotten something but he didn't realize it was this big. He looked away and stared at the fridge again. He grabbed his open beer and finished it in one gulp. He could feel it, a fight is coming on.

Kiko and Jiyong rarely fight because they in the same place together for very long, also the fact they don't want to act as if anything was wrong around Daehyun but when they do fight it can go on for weeks and it never gets resolved. He knows they fought a month ago when he accepted this job and it lasted for three weeks.

"I'm sorry." He said sincerely. "There is just so many things going on. I usually know how to control things but this is getting way too out of hand."

Kiko just sighed and shakes her head lightly. She walks over to the breakfast bar and sits, "Okay."

Jiyong could feel his eyebrows frown in confusion. He wasn't expecting this reaction from her. She seems too calm. He felt the need to make it up to her for some reason. "How long are you staying? I can leave early tomorrow and we can have dinner?" He offered. It has been a while since the both of them went out alone. If Jiyong is busy in Korea, she is also busy in Japan since she had also started to become a more known actress in Japan.

"You don't have to. I'm not staying long anyway." She replied softly.

Jiyong just looks at her even more confused than he was two seconds ago, "Why—" but before he could finish his sentence he noticed that she was holding a big white envelope. She slid it on the table towards his direction. He stares at the envelope blankly and asks, "What is this?"

Kiko just sighs deeply and smiles sadly, "I think you know what it is."

Kiko and Jiyong got married in Korea five years ago. So resident in Korea knows what the white envelope means. Anyone who has a rocky marriage dread these papers. For Jiyong, he isn't really sure if this is what he wants but he one this is for certain it could only mean one thing... "Is this what you really want?"

"I don't think it matters what we both want but a divorce is best for all of us."

"What about Daehyun?" Jiyong asks as much as he hates to admit that she is correct he never brought this up because of Daehyun.

Kiko sighs as she finally takes her hands off the paper so he could take it. "As much as I am grateful for everything you’ve done for Daehyun and seriously I can never thank you enough being there for him,” Her voice cracked as she started knowing all too well that this is not going to be an easy choice for everyone. “But if I'll tell him what is going on. It might be hard at first but I think me and Daehyun can get through this."

Jiyong clenched his fist. The way Kiko is talking, It's like after this he might not be able to see Daehyun ever again. Despite his lacking as a husband, he does care for the kid like his own. "Where does that leave me, Kiko? You can't just take Daehyun away from me after I raised him."

Kiko lowers her head and tears started to fall from her eyes. "You say that Jiyong but honestly do you really believe that?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jiyong demanded. He could feel the anger rise in his chest. When they have a fight it's normally Kiko that does the talking because he knows he is lacking as a husband but now how dare she say that he's neglectful on Daehyun when the real reason he stayed is because of him.

"Jiyong, you're rarely home or with Daehyun to say that you are. Other than his name you have no other connection with him.—"

"Dam it Kiko—"

"He has a Korean name but he doesn't speak Hangul! You aren't around enough to build that connection. You may seem like a father physically but you have no idea how hard it is for me to explain to Daehyun why you aren't with us in Japan. Why you have aren’t living with us in Japan!" Kiko's voice has raised now. She wanted to have a calm conversation with him but she couldn't take it anymore. This was something she had been holding for three years now. Which is mostly the reason why she fights with Jiyong but she couldn't voice it out because despite everything Jiyong does try to be a father for Daehyun.

Everything had started to change for six months now that Daehyun is slowly beginning to ask questions about it and she can see the pain in her son's eyes when he goes to bed without talking to his father or how short their conversations had become, and that is something she can't take anymore. She was able to handle it if it was towards her but this time if it’s her son then it is going to be a different story.

"It's for work. He understands that."

Kiko scoffed, "Is it really for work or are you just trying to distract yourself to forget about what you really gave up to be with me and Daehyun?"

Jiyong closed his eyes and let out a groan in frustration. He obviously knows what she means by that. It's about Dara. Though her name never gets mentioned but it's always that she's that thing thats an issue that’s hanging in the air between both of them. The hidden cause of their fights but doesn't get brought up. "It's obviously been five years Kiko, why can't you just let it go." If this is the main reason for their divorce it is just insane.

"Because you haven't."

"This is bull." Jiyong snapped. He rarely curses at Kiko.

"Don't lie to yourself Jiyong. I know you well enough. I hear your music, your songs. I know it's all for her. And I am not using this as an excuse because I know what I did, I am also at fault here.” She admitted to herself something that she would never say out loud. “I should have let you go when I know you couldn't. Those years ago when you came back after her accident I shouldn't have taken you back when I know that you just felt obligated to be with me." Kiko wipes her tears and pursed her lips trying not to cry even more because she is also at fault for this situation. "More than anything Jiyong, I know you’re with us because you didn't want to break a promise. And I had to live with that all these years."

Jiyong bites the inside of his cheek. He really can't deny these things, either. The reason why he came back after Dara's accident because she wanted nothing to do with him.

And a year and a half ago when he got discharged from the military he went to New York instead of going to back to Japan. He had known for a while now that Dara was living in New York, because it wasn’t the first time he searched for Dara. He went to London to see Sanghyun hoping that Dara was somewhere in Europe since that fake person pretending to be Dara is there. It was then that Sangyun told Jiyong Dara was in New York but he never had the guts to go find her because of what Sanghyun said, “This better be what you are sure about. You have a family of your own, this isn’t a game anymore.”

So a year and a half ago, he finally searched for her and by chance he had found her.

But the thing was, when he did. He saw that she was happy with someone else, and had moved on. So with all that he just buried himself with work thinking that maybe it'll go away soon but it never did and it showed in his music. he felt foolish because it wasn’t only six months ago when he had heard that the man he saw Dara with was Jay Park. So he had been miserable for no reason because he knows Jay and Dara has a special dongsaeng-noona relationship.

"I'm sorry." Was all he could say at the moment.

Kiko smiles and she slides the envelope even further towards Jiyong, "You shouldn't be. I thought me and Daehyun could fill in that hole that makes you want to feel isolated from the world like this. For five years I waited but I can't have Daehyun wait along with me. I can't think selfishly anymore. We should just all move on with our lives."

"What happens now?" He asks in fear. He can only imagine how Daehyun would react to this and that alone is causing his heart to ache. "Can I still see him?"

Kiko looks at Jiyong sadly and replies, "Takeshi wants to meet Daehyun."

Takeshi Shun. If Jiyong had Kiko during Dara's moments of confusion, Kiko had Takeshi. So when Kiko got pregnant Takeshi refused the child saying that it couldn't be his. He was still starting off as an action star and this scandal would ruin him.

Jiyong knew he was slightly responsible fo