"Why aren't you swimming?"

Dara almost jumped from her seat upon hearing Jiyong's voice.

"Holy Cow!!" She blurted out. "Yah! You startled me." She said while holding her chest.

Jiyong chuckled at her reaction. "Getting startled for no reason."

"You didn't cause a sound and appeared just like that... Who won't be startled?" She raised the side of her upper lip and pouted.

"Sorry." He said nonchalantly.

"That's so sincere." She crinkled her nose.

Seungri saw his hyung and waved at him.

"Hyung!!" He called.

"Oh, Oppa, you're awake now." Chaerin said. "Kids, let's come out of the water first and rest, okay?" She told the other twins.

The kids nodded and run towards Dara who wiped them dry with a towel.

"Good morning Papa." Both the kids greeted and hugged him after drying up.

"Good morning." He hugged them back.

Chaerin hugged him and Seungri did the same.

"Yah, you're both wet... Go dry yourselves first." He scolded the two older twins.

"Didn't you miss us hyung?" Seungri asked.

"I missed Chae... I'm not sure if I feel the same way for Seungri." Jiyong pretended like Seungri's not in front of him. He winked at Chaerin.

Chaerin stuck her tongue out to annoy her brother.

Seungri frowned.

Jiyong walked towards his cousin and gave him a slap on his arm. "I was just kidding... You're so gullible. Of course I missed you both." He gave him his sweetest smile and placed his arm on his shoulder.

"Aunt said you're behaving well these past few months... Is there a reason for that?" He asked.

"Yah, hyung... I'm really hurt now. Can't I focus on the business now since I realized I'm no longer getting any younger?"

"You're just doing it coz you like to impress the girl that your trying to pursue." Chaerin commented.

"So you have a new girl?... Who is it this time?... An actress, daughter of a politician... or is she part of the elite?" Jiyong asked.

"I'm not saying anything." Seungri stomped his foot and walked out heading the pool to swim again.

Jiyong shook his head, laughing at how easily they can play with Seungri's mood.

"Is Seungri alright?" Dara said, watching Seungri as he swam back and forth in the water.

"He's fine Unnie... That's normal." Chaerin smiled at her.

Dara looked at Jiyong and he nodded as a response.

"Let me take the kids inside so they can change." Dara said.

"We'll stay for a few minutes more... I will still go for a deep... And this man over here is coming with me." Chaerin said and hugged Jiyong and jumped in the water with him.

"Aaahh, so you want this kind of game, huh? Let me play with you then." Jiyong threatened to deep Chaerin's head in the water but the latter was quick to swim away from him.

Seungri joined the two and they ended up running away from each other to avoid being drowned.

Dara smiled at how close the cousins are. "Enjoy." She told them.

************

After the tiresome game in the water, they went to the poolside bench and dried themselves with towel.

"You drowned yourself to alcohol last night." Chaerin told Jiyong while looking somewhere else.

"Are you okay Hyung?" Seungri asked.

"I was just removing my stress in the office... There are a lot of papers to review and too little time to do it." He reasoned out.

"You think we'll believe that?... We already know Oppa."

"Know what?"Jiyong took his cup of coffee from the table and crossed his leg.

"That Kiko Noona's back." Seungri said.

Jiyong already had a feeling he would hear it from the two so he wasn't that shocked when Seungri mentioned Kiko's name.

"You're not okay Oppa... You're still affected by what she did."

"I am... but I can manage." He lied.

"I think you need to take a vacation... Mom and Dad's waiting for you to visit them." Chaerin said.

"I'll have it scheduled."

"You always say that hyung but it always doesn't happen... We always are the ones who pay you a visit."

"Don't be too hard on yourself Oppa... Just forget about Kiko and look for other girls."

Jiyong chuckled. "You think I didn't have any other women after Kiko left... I actually had a lot my dear cousin."

"But you haven't taken them seriously. You were just playing with them." Chaerin scolded Jiyong.

"Who said I was playing. My name's not Seungri."

"Yah, hyung! We're talking about you." Seungri reacted.

"Seriously Oppa, when will you get over her... It's been what?... 6 years?"

He didn't answer.

"Are you still hoping you can get back together?" Seungri asked.

"Why should I want that to happen?... I despise her!" He held his towel tighter.

"There's just a thin line between love and hate Oppa." Chaerin said.

"Will you two stop interrogating me... I'm too old to know what I need to do with my life... without anyone dictating me on what to do... I've reached this age making difficult decisions... I'm fine."

"Oppa..."

"No more Kiko-talk... Please Chaerin." Jiyong stopped her even before she can finish what she's about to say.

"Wanna have a drink with me, hyung?" Seungri offered.

"That's a good idea." Jiyong replied and the two did a fist bump.

"Why do men always think that alcohol is gonna solve their issues." Chaerin rolled her eyes.

"At least we're not cry babies." Seungri retaliated.

"It's normal to cry you retard." She answered back.

"And it's normal to take alcohol, too." Seungri said.

"It's not normal, idiot." Chaerin flickered his brother's ear.

"Hey! It's not nice to fight in front of someone older than you. Let's get in and we'll eat out with the kids." Jiyong stopped the two before it ends up to a fight.

"Your treat Hyung?"

"Yes... My treat."

"Come on Chae... Let's have a shower now... we don't want Hyung to change his mind."

Chaerin stood up and Seungri did the same. She clung her arm in his and they walked skipping towards the house.

"Unbelievable... They were just fighting and then few seconds after they're like super close twins." Jiyong was left shaking his head.

************

"You didn't tell me you have art talent?"

Dara looked behind her and saw Jiyong holding a bottle of beer.

She was in the garden, finishing a charcoal drawing of sunset.

"I'm not that good at it though." She humbly said.

"What?... It looks like you're at a professional level."

"I don't think so... I still have a lot to learn."

"But that's really good." Jiyong looked closely at what she's drawing. "It's very detailed... Is it for someone?"

"It's a request from a friend and I need to finish it tomorrow... My room's not giving me inspiration that's why I came out here in the garden." She smiled then went back to drawing.

"Are you done drinking with Seungri?" She asked after Jiyong seated her.

"Yes... Seungri has a low alcohol tolerance so he easily gets drank."

"Are you planning to get drank again just like what happened last night?" Dara glanced at him and waited for his reply.

"Was I that drank last night?" He asked.

"You were... really really drank." She pictured Jiyong's drunken state in her head. "You were even crying while we were on our way home."

"Really?!!... That's too embarrassing... Sorry for bothering you last night." He scratched his head.

"You were calling Kiko's name." Dara looked at Jiyong to see how he will react.

He sipped beer from his bottle and looked away.

"I know that I'm not in the position to ask this but I just want to know...."

Jiyong stayed silent, looking somewhere, away from her stare.

"Is it really that hard to forgive?"

Jiyong looked at Dara after hearing her question.

"I don't know Dara... I'm even asking that to myself."

"Do you still love her?"

"Maybe??"

"You were calling her name again and again last night... You were crying while saying 'don't leave... stay.'... You still haven't moved on Jiyong... It's still in your heart."

"Anger... love... missing her... hating her... Those emotions are all jumbled in here." He touched his chest.

"For me, forgiveness is something you do, not for that person you're forgiving but for yourself... to move on and feel better."

"It's easy to say but hard to do."

"I know... Try starting by listening to her explanation."

"I did."

"By heart?"

"I did."

"Did you listen and understand or just listened?"

"Is there any difference?"

"Of course there is... When you listen without understanding, it's nonsense. You listen to understand... If you know what I mean."

"But..."

"Emotions get in the way... Your upset... angry even... so it gets your understanding mixed up... You think irrationally instead of believing what she's trying to convey."

"I don't know... I think I'm really not yet ready to meet her."

"Is 6 years still not enough?"

"Should I have a time frame on when I should move on?"

"No... But I think 6 years is already too long."

"You think so?"

Dara nodded.

"I don't." He said.

"That's your call... I'm just saying."

"I know."

"Aren't you sleepy yet?"

"No, not yet... Are you?... You said you should finish that landscape... portrait... or drawing you're doing, right?"

"I might stay a little longer."

"I should stay, too."

"Aren't you tired yet?"

"I am tired... That's why I'm taking a breather and having some fresh air here in the garden."

"Shouldn't you go to bed and sleep now?"

"Am I not allowed to stay in my garden?... Am I disturbing you?"

"Of course you can... I'm just worried you might not get enough sleep again... Your schedule in your office is unpredictable."

"So you're worrying about me? That's thoughtful of you."

Dara took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. "It's hard to have a normal conversation with you, Sir."

"You always call me Sir when you're annoyed." Jiyong smiled.

"That's because you're my boss, Sir."

"Fine, fine... I won't bother you anymore."

"Success." She exclaimed and grinned.

"I'm going in... Don't take too long... It's cold here outside... and it's almost midnight."

"This is almost done."

"You'll go back to the orphanage tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Take care then."

"I will, Sir."

"It's Jiyong." He pointed at her. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight... sssssi.." She teased.

Jiyong widened his eyes to warn Dara.

Dara chuckled. "Goodnight Jiyong."

"Good." He said and turned around.

A smile formed on his lips.