“Wait, so nothing happened?” Seungri asks him that morning, hoping to hear some good details about the night before. But judging from his hyung’s tone, things did not go as expected.

“Nope, she had to leave afterwards before anything could happen,” Jiyong answers truthfully. Last night had been such a blur. One moment, he was locking lips with this amazing girl – the girl who made him realize that he could possibly have another chance in love after all; the next moment, she told him that she had to go and that she’s sorry. The change in mood had created a big whiplash in his head – it made him want to drink. A lot. Hence, the current pit of hell that he feels right now.

“Aw, so are you going to check up on her soon? Maybe you should call her,” Seungri offers an advice.

As much as he really wants to call her, heck he is dying to call her at this instant like how he has been dying to call her for hours now, his pride wouldn’t let him. He could not erase the rejection he feels after that kiss. That one special kiss. No, he couldn’t. He does not want to come off as being needy and desperate. He probably will call her later… when he has collected himself, when he manages to get a grip of himself. “Yea, probably will call her later,” he lazily answers, trying to sound and convince Seungri (and himself) that whatever happened did not mean anything. That the kiss was just a result from the heat of the moment. That it should not be taken seriously. And that Jieun is just some girl. Some girl who has been conquering his mind though.

“Okay, hyung. Whatever you do, just… don’t mess it up.” Before Jiyong could ask anything about it, the maknae has already hung up and now he is alone with thoughts of her.

He stares at his phone intently, trying to just man up and call her. Gosh, he really wants to call her. He wants to know if she is okay. He wants to hear her voice, that sweet heavenly voice. He was on the verge of pressing the call before he chickens out and exits from her contact page. That was close. He does not know what to say if she were to pick up his call.

But a part of him knows, no, he wholly knows that he should just call her. This was one of the reasons why his love life is barely successful: because of his games and cowardice when he should just be straight forward and not beat around the bushes. He likes her. He really likes her. Therefore, he should just call her and tell her how he feels. Jieun is a keeper so he should stop whatever it is he is doing and start treating her the way she deserves to be treated. Because she is special.

And that’s when, without any other second thought, he clicks on the call button and waits for her to pick up.

*

Fireworks. She could feel fireworks in her body and soul the second she felt his lips on hers. It felt right, if that even makes any sense. It felt too right. Like it’s just too good to be true. And it scared her. A lot. She shouldn’t feel this way for another guy. Not this soon. It is as if Kiha meant nothing to her. She does not want her past relationship with him to feel cheap – was her love for him not that deep? Did she not love him enough? How could she move on so easily? So many conflicted emotions inside her head that she just does not want to deal with them.

That’s why she left early that night. And that’s why she’s not answering the call that’s been buzzing on her phone right now. She almost wanted to give in and just answered it back but the overwhelming guilt inside her wouldn’t let her.

No. She should just focus on her album right now. Just one more song until the album-making will be over. She can do this. Emotions will have to wait.

*

“So I was thinking…” Jungah unnie says to her. They are currently working on the last song to be recorded for Palette. Jieun has already listened to the melody to the song and she likes it. There is something upbeat and playful about it, definitely a sound she wants to put in her album. However, the lyrics have yet to be discussed hence the current meeting. “What do you think of revisiting your Chat-shire persona and sing something playful?”

“Oh, definitely unnie. I was thinking of the same thing when I heard the guide.” If Palette is her fully self-produced album, then Chat-shire is the first album (or EP, to be exact) where she writes all of the songs. It was a fun yet challenging experience. She tried out some of the sounds that she did not get to do in her previous works, sing the kind of songs that she did not get to do in her previous works. It was quite ambitious. It might be too ambitious – as if she does not already have any controversies at that time. It doesn’t help that the songs that she wrote are rather bold – they can easily portrayed her as a ‘sly fox’.

“That’s great. I had an idea on the concept though – I based the melody on it. But I’m not too sure if you would like it and agree with me.”

“I’m sure the concept is fine, unnie. Let’s hear it. It’s nothing controversial, right?”

“No, it’s not,” Jungah smiles. “However, it is something that is rather different from your usual love songs… at least its message.”

“Okay… elaborate.”

“When I wrote the melodies to the song, I was thinking of your age, Jieun ah. You’re 25, you’re at that fun stage. The stage where you’re just starting or at the peak of your career. The stage where you’re having fun with your friends. It’s the time of your life.” Jungah excitingly explains.

“Uhhuh, but how is this going to be different from most of my love songs unnie?” Jieun nervously scratches her head, trying to make the connection.

“Jieun ah, I notice that your love songs tend to be the serious kind – the ‘all or nothing’ or that one true love kind of thing. As if that’s going to be the one and only relationship you will ever have in your entire life. You’re young, Jieun ah. Relationships happen, love is not necessarily just for one person. It can be felt for two or even hundreds of people. Also, not all parts of relationships or dating in general are going to be serious. So why not sing a song about the playful part of dating?”

***

A/N: I am so sorry for the lack of update recently – personal life has gotten in the way. I’m graduating from uni tomorrow and I will be properly moving out from my uni house (and this town) by the end of this week. So yay for me, huh? Also I’m so so so sorry for this lackluster chapter (please don’t hate me for it). I know from the very beginning that this couple would not get together immediately after that kiss. However, the good news from all of this is that I won’t be writing the original conflict that I had in mind – it’s too unrealistic and I think it would kill the dynamic of the couple if I write it (and I love this couple too much to do that T.T) Instead, the current conflict (or rather, the lack of conflict) is only going to be in this chapter and probably the next one. So anyways, thank you for reading! J