The first time GD saw those twinkling lights, it was september the 23rd and the rain would not stop. He remembers the tap-tap of the raindrops against their rooftop and holding her little sister so close. Their house was a mere square feet of old property but it was his little heaven. With two tiny bedrooms and a living room that doubles as a kitchen and an entertaiment area.

“ oppa, what is happening?” he looks over at the girl in his arms, his little sister- minji. They are the only ones left in this world along with their mom. He tries to look strong and  pretend that the storm does not frighten him in the least bit, but it does. He hears the wind like a voice trying to scare him away, where is his mom?

“ it’s just raining, probably a typhoon. Don’t worry.” He says with a reassurance and tells her sister to go back to bed and put alot of blankets on. He knew that minji was afraid of the dark and the howl of the wind, but he needed her to be strong. They all needed to be strong. They are a family whose hearts are made of steel. They had no one to turn to.

He walks out of the house, trying to look at the street if his mom is there. She did not call them which is unusual. She should have been here, her phone is probably out of battery or the signal is terrible because of the typhoon.

At a young age of 9, he felt something bad was bound to happen but he grit his teeth and opened his eyes wider. He should be strong, he is Kwon Jiyong- GD. He is the man of the house. No matter how many times people at his school taunt him for his poverty, they can never take away his pride and his passion for music and the art. All they had were material things that will die and wither away but what he had was different. What he had was intangible and will never fade away. That is what his mom said, and he believes it.

His eye catches the light from a distance and he squints his eyes to see clearer.

“ Mom?” he calls out but the once huge light dissolved into tiny dots of lights and came closer to him. He tried to run away but the light travels faster than his body could and he ends up on the floor- on his knees.

“ don’t! Don’t hurt me!” he pleads, but nothing comes after. He looks up and sees the light encircle him, almost embracing him. The warmth it gave off was incomparable, the best embrae he ever had in his life. His eyes drift close and for a moment he believes that he can let go and put his guard down.

But a voice shattered the moment and his eyes open once more.

“ Jiyong! What’s wrong?” a woman came close to him and he recognized her as Gummy-unnie. She was their neighbor who goes to the university, helping him up he sees that her eyes are red rimmed and she quickly hugs him.

“ unnie, what’s the matter?” he asks innocently and pats her back.

“ Your mom - ” she sputters and then the tears fall, “ an accident- ”

            It was all he could remember. The next thing that happened, he was driven at a hospital to identify his mother’s body. Along with 10 others, she fell victim to a bus accident. He remembers the blank look on his mother’s face and he grieves that she had no peace even to her death. His pictured graveyard with a well carved stone, hundreds of roses and candles everywhere was reduced to a tiny grave with one stone and a bunch of small flowers.

Minji is crying beside him along with neighbors and his mom’s friends that came to the burial. In the distance he saw it, all those tiny lights  that he saw that night.

He despised them.

//

10 years later

“ Oppa! Shut up.” Minji huffs and rolls her eyes at his brother who would not stop teasing her over breakfast. She looks at his face and fails to find what all the girls clamor for when they see him, or maybe cause he’s her brother.

“ what? I am not doing anything-” he complains.

“ yes! You are teasing me, and excuse me- i don’t like that boy you keep pushing-” she complains and GD cuts her off by laughing.

“ i am not setting you up, you’re too young- plus, you are only suited for a prince.” He mock-bows at her sister and hands her the orange juice.

“ blah- blah, how’s your work?” she asks lightly.

“ it’s fine, it’s fine- I can do it very well .”

He says finally and Minji cannot help but be grateful, despite all the teasing. His brother is his parent and sibling all in one, she was too young to remember well what happened when her mother died. But all she knew is that his brother took charge of everything. He finished his schooling till high school with the help of goverment scholarships and with his skill in dance. She knows his fondness in going to a performing school but he said no inorder to take a job for their bills are piling up.

 She remembers his words all the time, “ i am the only one you got, i will make sure you will live comfortably.” His brother was 12 when he said it and she believed him.

She is studying in highschool and her brother does everything to give her what she wants.

“ day dreaming?” GD jokes as he catches her deep in thought.

“ No, i am just sleepy! Idiot brother.” She retorted but the latter only chuckled and threw her an umbrella.

“don’t forget to take that! It’s raining!” he calls out and steps out the house.

He breaths in the air and wills himelf to relax. His phone rings and he picks it up quickly,

“ GD, We have a gig tonight,” the voice on the other end speaks up- TOP. His close friend. His heart picks up as he learns of the news, it’s been awhile since he did rap underground. It was a natural high, no matter how much he loved dancing and a little bit of acting- music is his true passion. Music saved him after all the heartaches he had gone through.

“ underground club?” he asks.

“ ofcourse, i wouldn’t be caught dead at a store- rap-battle. See you there!”

The phone shuts down and as he looks at the storm clouds, he feels like a good day will be welcoming him.

Arriving at the office, he plops down towards his cubicle and picks up the headphone. Another day of taking calls from random strangers but he does not mind it at all, it was the way to provide for himself and for minji. Plus, the idea of talking to people he did not know appeals to him, or even helping them in this simple way alone.

“ GD! WHAT UP?” The playful voice can only come from one person, Seungri.

“ nothing- just came in,” he answers finally. As much as he loves to hang out with seungri  outside of work, he cannot be bothered right now. He takes this job seriously. Plus with the look on seungri’s face, he just knows that he is up to no good.

“ your lovely muse is playing at the grove!” he said in a sing song voice and GD’s heart paces faster than usual. His muse. Why did this twi have to bring her up this early in the morning? But, it’s a good thought really.

“out with it, you er.” He seethes, Seungri smiles wider, knowing that he won this battle of wits. He likes GD, the man is cool and he is on his way to being a team manager at a young age. But when it comes to letting loose, he seems to be holding back.

“ my friend works over there and he told me about it, i can get us tickets. I can see it in your eyes! GD LOVES JIA-NOONA!” His voice is louder than acceptable and GD glares at him but his face is flushed.

“shut up will you?” he hisses and goes back to his work station, trying his best to calm his nerves and ignore the smug face on seungri’s face.

Jia. His muse. If you asked him, being her friend was enough for him. She was everything he ever wanted and dreamed about for a girl. He had girlfriend before but all they are were stepping stones to prepare himself for Jia. Although sometimes he feels like they have no chance at all to be together, he screws his eyes closed and tells himself that nothing is impossible if you believe in it.

Two things he wants the most in life, A career in music and Jia. If ever he got that, he will be a very happy man. But unfortunately, he lives in a world were nothing good ever happens to him. Or if they did, something terrible will happen the next.

As the first call comes in, his mind switches to a different state and his day begins.

//

The crowd is wild and the air is suffocating, another rap battle on the underground club- APEX. It was the usual club filled with sweaty bodies, booze and a dj who gives life to the place. But to GD, this place is freedom. He met alot of his friends who taught him about rap, music and how to produce records. It’s surprising how far a nice smile and good communication can get you. He met TOP here, as well as another friend named youngbae. The owner of the bar is called Teddy and Gd spots him at the bar, talking to a girl, probably finding out her number or something.

“can’t talk to the boss just yet, he seems busy.” GD mutters as he pulls TOP out of the dance floor and into the bar.

“ oh, he is busy.” He replies with a slight slur in his tone, “ we must not interfere, but i bet he’ll get that girl. The girls are putty in his hands, you know. ”

“ ready for your rhyme?” he asks and he runs the rap in his head,

“ ofcourse, relax Ji, you have it in you. Someone is seeing this, just hope that one day, someone will see us and pick us up as artists.”

His words gave him hope and his nerves settle momentarily. Not wanting to let his friend down, he offers a smile and jokers around.

The rap battle went well, it was not really the recognition that made him addicted to it. It was the freedom, the utter freedom to say what he wants to and people listened. He may not have the world in his hands, all his plans may not have happened. He was alone, but every night when he comes here and spits his rap- he is transformed into a different person.

He says goodbye immediately, he does not want to get wasted cause he needs to be in his element when he goes to work the next day. Plus, he will got to Jia’s store the next day. Saying his thanks and promises of next time, he walks down the street. The rain has not stopped yet and he continues walking, trying to catch up for the next schedule at the bus stop.

Then he sees it,

The same light, that big ball of light that dissolved into small bright lights. He cannot forget it ofcoourse, he had been dreaming about that eversince.

“.”

He curses and he is transported back to that day, 10 years ago. He ran, ran as fast as he could. He is quicker now, he will make it. He won’t let it get to him, he is stronger now. But his knees weaken with exertion and he slumped on the floor. But there was no warmth. There was no safety in the light.

But he felt a weight on his body, like something is leaning over him for support.

Hair? Wait, is that hair?

As he pushes the unknown weight off him, his eyes are filled with shock as he registers the image in his head. It’s a person. A woman.

A really beautiful woman.

“ Miss? Miss? Wake up!”

Our story starts here.

---

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

It's been a long time since i have written a skydragon fic, so- here it is. I will be strict with myself and follow my posting schedule and finish this on time. This will have, probably, more than or exactly 8 chapters. my drafts are still a mess, so- yeah. <3

NEXT UPDATE: January 6, 2012