All 2NE1’s members and all YG staffs had already left but Chaerin decided to stay in the US a little longer. 2NE1 had a week off so staying in the US wouldn’t be a problem; Chaerin wasn’t ready to deal with Jiyong yet. Of course, she wanted to know if he had watched her performance - if he had listened what she had to say, but dealing with all that was still painful to her, so she decided to take a week off.

A place to stay wouldn’t be a problem; Jeremy always said that his door would always be opened to her any time, so it wasn’t much of a problem when she appeared at his front door with her bags and tearing eyes. “Jer, can I stay over for a few days?” Chaerin said when Jeremy first opened his door; she was holding her tears. “What happened baby?” Jeremy replied tying the cord of his robe.

Chaerin couldn’t say any further words and just ran into Jeremy’s embrace. He understood the situation and left her in.

Jeremy and Chaerin passed almost all night talking about the incident and when she was able to fell asleep, she dreamed with Jiyong. The dream was now a painful memory, the day when everything changed.

**

She was once again going to practice with Jiyong but this time she was nervous. When everything changed for her? He was always a close oppa, but never a close…man. Her feelings changed along the way. His laughter, his smile, his voice; everything was different for her now.

Now she would get nervous if he was around her, she would hold her breathe unconsciously when he got close to her. She didn’t know if he felt the same way and honestly she was afraid he wouldn’t. She did not know how he still did not know her heart; she was constantly hugging him and she would always smile to him whenever he looked at her.

That day she spent the whole time waiting for everyone to just leave so she could be alone with him. She wanted him to be comfortable enough to smile and joke around; she wanted to see his smile.

When everyone left, she felt a mix of relaxation and nervous; she wanted to be alone with him but was afraid he did not feel the same way. She took a deep breath before starting their practice, “Lee Chaerin you’re not the type of girl who stays nervous! You perform before millions of crowds, and Jiyong is only a man!” she thought to herself.

She tried to dance normally but whenever she could, she would steal a glance at him. “Stop it! Otherwise he’ll notice!...But isn’t that what I want? Aaaaish Lee Chaerin, get a hold of yourself!”

And then, everything happened really quickly; she made a turn and when she realized his arms were around her waist and he was pulling her closer. Even though everything happened quickly, her heartbeat still skipped a beat and her breathe left her whole body.

His lips gently kissed hers and for a minute, she felt like she would faint; it was really happening. Her arms found his neck and wrapped around it; her body moved accordingly his. She could smell his scent, she could feel him and it felt amazing. But when he backed away, she felt like her soul was leaving her.

“I’m sorry” he said apologetic. She noticed he was shy and kind of embarrassed by his own action; but she wasn’t. “Are you?” she said challenging him; “Should I be?” he replied with a smirk and was then that she knew: he didn’t regret it. “Ani..” she said with a smirk and then leaned in for another kiss. “This time you won’t escape from me…” she thought to herself.

Chaerin woke up in the middle of the night sweating; the dream was really real, as if she was living it all over again. She sat on her bed and took a deep breath before taking the glass of water that Jeremy left beside her bed.

“Why did I dream with it?” she thought to herself. She looked around the dark room she was in and felt alone. “Do I miss him this much?” she spoke to herself; she leaned down her head and tears started to flow.

**

On the next day Chaerin woke up with the smell of fresh pancakes. She rolled out of her bed and went down the stairs, heading to the kitchen.

“What smells so good?” she said lazily once she saw Jeremy on the stove with an apron on. “Pancakes! I’ve just made it!” he turned to face her. “You know, your style is really funny Jer” Chaerin said sitting in one of the benches that were placed in front of the counter. She took a pancake and placed it on her plate.

“My style is funny but you still use my designs…” Jeremy shot back with a smirk. “Ouch, it hurt, but you’re right…” she replied and then sliced a piece of her pancake and munched it. “The girls already know about…everything?” Jeremy said carefully.

“Nope. Not yet. I don’t know how to break the news for them…” Chaerin said without taking her eyes off her pancakes. “They’re both close to me and Jiyong oppa, so it will be difficult to explain the situation…” she completed.

“I see…but they’re still your friends and they deserve to know.” Jeremy said glancing back at Chaerin. “I know but, for them, we are The Golden Couple, The Leader Couple and I just…I’m not ready to lose this title yet…” Chaerin said with a heavy sigh; she then stayed quiet for some time and was then that Jeremy knew he had to change the subject.

“Wanna go to the studio with me today? I have a new collection that I was going to show to you any way…” he said turning to face her. “That sounds like a plan…” Chaerin said lifting her head and smiling at Jeremy.
 

***

Jiyong was at their apartment sat on their couch, waiting for her to open the door and run towards him, calling him “Oppa!”; but it didn’t happen. He got no news from her and didn’t know where she was, the only thing he knew was that 2NE1 and all YG’s staffs that were with her in the US had already come back, but she didn’t.

After dinner, Jiyong decided to check her Instagram to see if she had uploaded a pic from where she was but unfortunately, she didn’t. He then remembered something - Jeremy, the stylish, lived in LA the same city 2NE1’s photoshot happened. “Maybe she stayed over his place like she usually does whenever she visits LA…” he mumbled.

And he was right; Jeremy had uploaded a pic with Chaerin on his studio with the subtitle “MY BABY IS VISITING ME THIS WEEK! CAN’T BE HAPPIER! #lovehersomuch #bff #alwaysherewhensheneedsme”; he sighed. “At least I know where she is…” he said throwing his cell phone gently at the couch.

Suddenly Jiyong felt tired and his mind was rushing. He had so much he wanted to tell her, so much he regretted about that night; he couldn’t think straight. Jiyong got up and went to his bedroom.

There he started to search for something that would help him and he found it inside the draw of the little table inside the bedroom; his lyrics’ notebook. He went back to the living room, sat on the couch and started to scratch some words until he formed a whole sentence.

I should’ve treated you better when I had you

Jiyong looked at the piece of paper and read what he had written. He sighed and felt like he was finally putting everything he was feeling out. He then took a deep breath and wrote more.

Love is leaving
Like a fool, I’m blankly standing here

Why didn’t I know
About the weight of sadness that comes with breaking up?

Jiyong felt his heart aching while reading the things that he wrote himself. It was exactly how he felt at that moment - he regretted leaving. He regretted getting so upset about the way Chaerin acted; and most of all, he regretted the way he acted, leaving her crying alone at their apartment.

He knew it was childish of him, walking away in the middle of a fight but honestly, he did not expect that things would go this far; he didn’t know she would leave. And that was what pained him the most.

Without him knowing it, tears started to roll down his face and fell on his notebook. He brushed it off and took a deep breath.

“Yeah…I’ll write, it will make me feel better. And if I cry, it will also help me.” Jiyong said sturdy.

Jiyong fell asleep while still writing on his notebook but he wrote enough material to compose a new song.

If you’re struggling like I am
Can’t we make things a little easier?

Were the last phrases Jiyong wrote before falling asleep.

***

The seven days Chaerin spent in LA were the most relaxed days she had ever spent in her whole life. She went clubbing with Jeremy and his friends, she went to fashion shows and she met a lot of artists during her time there.

But of course he was still there, in her mind and in her soul. She was dreaming with him all nights about the happiest memories she shared with him: the day everything changed, her daily life with him, his proposal and…the night everything crashed down.

Of course she didn’t let anyone know about what was happening besides Jeremy, even though she didn’t tell him about her dreams. Chaerin would cast her best smile and act as if she