Jiyong searched around the house but didn't find Dara. He tried to look for her in the garden but she wasn't there either.

"Her art room." He said, snapping his fingers after remembering he hasn't checked there yet.

Without knocking, he entered the room and saw her there. Her head was rested on her arms that were crossed on top of her art table. Beside her is a sketch pad that has an unfinished image of Jiyong.

It made him smile. He grabbed a chair and carefully placed it near her, making sure not to make any noise.

He stared at her, tucking her loose hair behind her ear. With his thumb, he caressed her cheek.

"I'll never ask for anyone else, but you." He said in a whisper.

He took his coat off and placed it on Dara's shoulders. She crinkled her nose and batted her eyes open but closed it again.

"Are you that sleepy?" Jiyong chuckled.

Dara raised her head abruptly after hearing his voice. She forced her eyes open. "Jiyong?" She asked with her sleepy voice.

"Yes, it's me." He chortled. "It's not yet past 12 so I guess I'm still entitled to My Love?" He grinned.

Still squinting her eyes, trying to open it wide, she smiled and nodded.

He pulled her closer for a hug. "Can you sleep in my room tonight?" Pulling her closer.

"Okay." She agreed without hesitation.

With her worries, it will make her feel better to sleep in his arms.

"You missed me that much?" He pulled from the hug and looked at her sketch that's on the table.

"Yes... It felt like I won't be able to see you again." She was honest.

He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead. "You've nothing to worry about, Love. I'm yours and only yours." He smiled. "I have something to discuss with you but it can wait until tomorrow... I need to bring my sleepy girlfriend to bed now." He teased.

She clung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Jiyong."

"And I love you, too. I may have been with someone else before... but that's all in the past. You are my NOW and will always be my FOREVER."

"It's like music to my ears." She smiled, taking all her worries away.

He kissed her hair. "It's getting late... Let's both settle on bed and rest. I won't be going to the office tomorrow."

"Why?"

"I'm taking you out on a date."

"What's the occasion?" She pulled her head up and looked at him.

"Should there be a reason for a man to take his girlfriend out on a date?"

Her smile even became wider.

"I was with a different woman early this night... but you know why I had to be there... It made me felt bad that I made your heart worry nevertheless." He held her hand and took it to his lips and kissed it. "I love you... I love everything about you, Dara."

Dara felt overwhelmed by her feelings and the words that Jiyong was saying, it made her eyes water. "You're making me cry." She sniffed.

"Hey, you're crying again." Jiyong chuckled and wiped the tear that escaped her eyes with his thumb.

She started sobbing. "I can't help it... I'm so overjoyed with all this."

"Crybaby." He commented while enclosing her to his arms, resting her head on his chest.

She wiped her tears and chuckled. "I'm acting crazy right now... My tears won't stop but I feel like giggling with too much happiness."

"And I feel like I'm infected by that... I got it from you... That disease of a roller coaster of emotion." He laughed while caressing her hair.

"Do you have regrets that you have this crazy girlfriend?... You still have time to back out." She joked.

"This girlfriend you're talking about is limited edition... I won't find someone like her anywhere else... So I'm making sure I get to keep her... and not let go." He stated.

"Nice answer... You've won the bid... This girlfriend is not as expensive as SeungHyun's antique collections though... but at least she's not as old either." She snickered.

He gently pushed her away to see her face and stared at her. "We need to sleep now, we're like drank people talking about crazy stuff." He laughed. "Let's dry these tears." He wiped them with the back of his hand.

She crinkled her nose and smiled like a kid.

He kissed the tip of her nose and stood up, extending his arm, offering help. She took his hand and let him pull her up. They headed to Jiyong's room to get some sleep.

They fell asleep while she was lying beside him, tucked in his arms like a baby.

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

"Ji, can we just spend the day at home and not go out?" Dara told him while driving back home after sending the kids to school.

"But we're going out on a date, right?" His focus stayed on the road.

"I think we'll enjoy it more if we do things at home with the kids... There are a lot of fun stuff we get to enjoy without constantly being followed, right?"

"Is it because of the media trying to get a scoop out of our life?"

"It's just too complicated if we go out... We don't get to enjoy it because we get conscious as to whether there are cameras taking pictures or not." She tried to reason out.

"This is why we need to let them know about you." Jiyong said.

He didn't notice that he was saying it out loud.

"Huh?" Dara reacted.

"Was I saying out loud?" He looked at her side and saw her nodding.

"Remember I told you last night that there's something we have to discuss about?"

"Yes, I remember."

"Kiko and I talked... She said she needed to gain people's curiosity to remain in the lime light that's why she released those photos... She apologized and asked me if she can tell media that we still go out as friends... But there are articles saying you're the third wheel to our relationship when truth is you are my girlfriend."

"I've read some of them."

"You did?" Jiyong looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"There's those articles appearing everywhere, Jiyong."

"And you didn't tell me about it?"

"They're just made up stories... I have kids to worry about... I have no time to mind them." She smiled.

"But I don't want them to talk about you that way." His grip on the steering wheel became tighter.

"Don't worry about me... I'm not a celebrity. It's not gonna affect me."

"Don't say that... Of course I worry about you... Your my girlfriend... You are important."

"Ji..."

He interrupted. "I'm telling them about you... I wanna let them know who you are."

"That hearsay will just die down eventually... Let's just let it be."

"No."

"But Jiyong... this will bring more attention to the issue. If you tell them I'm your girlfriend, they'll ask for more... They'll dig deeper to it... But if we let them believe what they want, they'll just get tired of asking for answers and stop in the end."

"But it's just not right."

"This is what's right."

"Then they might assume Kiko and I are still together."

"Is it the truth?"

"No!"

"See... We both know what the truth is." She touched his arm. "People will believe what they would like to believe, Ji. Even if you tell them about me, you're not sure if they'll accept me."

"Dara... I don't want you to have that worry anymore... What if media goes overboard... like them saying I'm still dating Kiko?"

"But you're not... I'll still be with you everyday... I get to hug you and kiss you the same as before."

"You sure you don't want me to tell media about you?"

She shook her head. "You know I don't want the attention."

"I know... But I also..."

"Ji..."

"Fine... I'll ask Kiko not to tell them about you."

"Thank you for respecting my decision."

***********

"Unnie." Chaerin placed the piece of cloth she's holding on the table and gave Dara a hug. "Where's Oppa?"

"He said he'll be out for a few hours... There was something urgent in the office."

"But Seungri said he'll not be in the office today, right?"

"We have plans at home... He just need to check on something but he'll be back in a few."

"He's that busy he doesn't know how to take care of his girlfriend." She pouted.

"He does... This one's just urgent." She half smiled.

"Is there something wrong?" Chaerin noticed that Dara's not being her lively self.

"I feel insecure about myself, Chae." She started.

"Let's have a seat and talk." Chaerin guided her to her couch inside her work room and sat beside her. "Now, tell me about it."

"I just can't say yes to it."

"To what?"

"He said he wanted to let everyone know I'm his girlfriend... through media."

"Then shouldn't you be happy about it?"

"I want to... but I also don't want to be compared to Kiko... because I know I'm no match to her... I, in no way possible, can be like her."

"Because you're not her... Oppa loves you for being you, Unnie."

"I cant help but think of our difference, Chae... That's why I told Jiyong he shouldn't let people know I'm his girlfriend."

"But you know about the article that says bad things about you, right? We've read them together."

"Let's just don't mind them... We know the truth anyway."

"You sure this is what you want, Unnie?"

She looked down and shook her head. "I don't know, Chae... All that I'm sure about is that I'm happy just to have the assurance that he loves me... I'm contented with that."

"How about Kiko Unnie?"

"She agreed to tell media that Jiyong and her are now just close friends."

"Close friends?... They don't even talk."

"She apologized to Jiyong... and admitted she had to do it for her to keep her position in the modelling industry."

"But we don't know what's running into her head, Unnie."

"She never have done anything to disturb our relationship, Chae."

"Not YET."

"Jiyong trusts her... I do, too."

"Don't be too sure about that, Unnie... Fame can change a person drastically... Who knows if it hasn't done that to Kiko Unnie, too?"

"If Kiko can't be trusted, then let's leave it to Jiyong's judgement."

"Unnie, I suggest you step up your game, too. There's nothing wrong with being kind... It's actually amazing that you can be as calm as this... But please don't lose confidence in yourself... You'll need it."

"Thanks you, Chae... I don't have anyone to talk to about this. You're the first person I thought about. I just want to release this feeling... my worry."

"Anytime, Unnie... Call me or visit me here. I'm more than willing to listen."

"I think I should go back home now... Jiyong might be back anytime soon."

"Want me to drive you there?"

"No need. I'll take a walk instead. It's not far from here anyway... It will give me time to think while walking back."

"Wanna have some ice cream first?"

"Maybe next time." Dara smiled.

Chaerin nodded and smiled back. "I'll walk you to the gate."

"Thanks."

They both stood up and headed out.