When he was younger he did all the flashy romantic stuff with Dara - secret dates in amusement parks, balloons flying out of car trunks, staged private concerts. He obsessed about these things, trying to make secret but drama-worthy events to surprise her. When he had exhausted his romantic repertoire on her he had thought that his love had died along with it as well. 

Dara had then become his favorite sweater to lounge in on any given day but Kiko was the avant-garde coat that he thought would be perfect to wear on a romantic adventure. He didn’t realize he had just been naively swayed by romance thinking that it was equivalent to love.

As he grew older he realized that it’s not in the grand gestures that you find meaning in your relationship but it is in the quiet moments that you have with the one you love. It’s in the mad scramble for that last bite of sweet dessert and the chocolate flavoured kiss that follows after. It’s in the cool caress of a soothing hand on a febrile forehead. It’s in the slight brush of a hand before her fingers get entangled with his. It’s in the cold chill of a rainy day spent underneath a shared damp jacket with only the warmth of their bodies to save them from freezing. It’s in the silent conversations happening within a shared glance. It’s in the secret smile exchanged over a private joke no one else understands.   

Because when the reality of all that he had lost had finally set in, it wasn’t the grand gestures that he missed but these ordinary day to day moments. He found too late that what mattered most were the things that he took for granted in exchange for the short thrill of a forbidden glance and a sultry smile.

After having lost her, he realized that all he ever needed was to just be with her. So when Dara agreed on those two hours, he told himself he would make sure that he won’t waste time on epic productions and romantic schemes but he’d try to simply just be there in the moment with her. 

He soaked up her nervous energy as she was preparing for the pilot episode. During the two days immediately preceding it, he spent his two hours with her helping her prepare for the show. They watched video footages of WINNER, their behind the scenes clips and the actual shows they had been before. All these occurred beneath the radar of the press within the soundproof walls of YG’s studio in between breaks from his recording. 

YG Sajangnim didn’t make his presence known despite his talent’s daily two hours of truancy. He knew everything that occurs in his building but it appears he had given them his silent approval. It was a little bit out of character for him but Jiyong didn’t dwell on it because all he cares about now are these little snippets of her that he’s storing up for forever.

Saturday came and they had to forego their two hours because she had to get ready for the show. Dara was once again a nervous wreck but his encouragement over the phone calmed her. He had put him on speakerphone as she was preparing herself. She was surprised to find how in such a short time he had once again gained that big a traction on her.

It worried her because they had only just spent a total of six hours and she was already starting to feel his effect on her. She brushed her fingers over the almost imperceptible scar on her stomach to remind herself about their past. She needed to keep her feet grounded and remember that what