Author's Note: Double update! If you haven't read Chapter 23: A Trip Down Memory Lane, please backtrack to that first before reading this. :)

“Hey, babe.” a voice calls me. Before I can turn my head around to see who it was, warm arms snake around my shoulders, back-hugging me while I was sitting. This has always been a habit of his whenever he greets me. He loves skinship, you see. It was so difficult for him to keep his hands off me when there were cameras around. Whenever they’re gone though, he shows everyone that he owns me.

I used to love that feeling - of being owned by him. I loved how it felt knowing that he always has my back. That I’m cherished enough, that I’m valued enough for him to go through all that for me. I didn’t see it as anything negative before. He was, after all, just protecting me. Little did I know I would need protecting from him too, eventually.

“Hello, Ji.” I respond. I didn’t hold on to him like I used to, and I know he noticed by the way he sighed.

He releases me, and then makes his way to the chair in front of me. He gets the attention of a server and gives his order. I take the opportunity to observe him. He’s keeping his hair short and black it seems.

“What’s up with your hair?” I ask, right after the server brings back his order. Contrary to what I was expecting, there was no awkwardness. It was the first question I had in mind, and I was genuinely curious. He usually at least had some color, if it wasn’t with a wild cut.

“Oh, you know. I wanted to tone it down. I’m getting older anyway.” he gives a lopsided smile. That smile I used to love and drove me crazy, wanting to know the meaning behind them.

“Are you sure that’s all there is to that? If there’s something else you’re conscious about aside from your clothes, it’ll be your hair and you don’t touch it without a good reason. Remember when you shocked the world when you cut your hair close to being bald? Your fans panicked, thinking you were going to enlist.” I recount.

He chuckles at the memory. “Yes, I do remember. They didn’t know it was because I lost a dare with Seunghyun hyung. The media had a great time speculating on that one.”

He looks me straight in the eyes and speaks. “I colored it black because that’s how my life was without you. I kept it short because I wasn’t playing anymore. I wanted to show you I’ve matured, that I’ve changed. Isn’t this how a responsible adult should look like?”

I swallow my bile that suddenly tasted bitter. I scoff at his words. “Don’t kid me Ji. You’ve already had that hair when you were with Kiko.”

He raises a brow at that. “So you’ve been keeping tabs, just like what I’ve been doing with you. That’s good to know, babe. Glad to know I’m not the only one who cared. By the way, did you enjoy the gifts I’ve been sending you?” he smiles innocently.

If I didn’t know him like the back of my hand, I would’ve felt giddy. I need to get this over and done with and go back to Hyuk. “Ji, I thought it was clear that we broke up? Why are you still bothering me?”

He winces at the word ‘broke up’. “Babe, we never broke up. I just gave you some time to get over that I pulled.” he pauses. “I know I haven’t personally apologized for that mistake, but how can I do that when you have every person in YG acting like your guard dog?”

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Knowing you, you would have found a way. You were good at getting the things you want.”

“True that.” he responds. “But I thought it was best to keep my distance, seeing as how you were angry back then. Are you still mad at me, babe?”

I release an exasperated sigh. “Ji, you said we needed a break from each other. Add that to the fact that you stayed with Kiko. I’m not stupid to think it meant anything else but that we’re over.”

“You know me best than anyone else, Dara. You should have known I didn’t mean that I was breaking up with you.” he replied somberly.

“Oh, I don’t know Ji. Maybe because you cheated on me, and in the end stayed with the other girl? Was I supposed to think otherwise? Don’t feed me that bull. I knew you best that anyone else, but I sure didn’t know you would try to hit me!” I tell him.

“You know I didn’t mean to do that, Dara. It was the very last thing I would think to do to you.” he rebuts in defense.

“Sure. And the next thing would be to cheat on me, right? How can you do that to me? After knowing what my father did to us and how it broke me…you still cheated on me.” I replied. I was close to tears, but I don’t want to shed any more for this guy and our past. I bit my lip to stop it from trembling.

“I thought it was the best way to derive my attention from you. I am consumed by every bit about you, don’t you know that? Everyone kept on telling me that I was suffocating you with my attention and you were no longer happy so I looked for someone else that can take the excess attention. I didn’t want to make you unhappy and leave me, so I did that. But it backfired. I lost you anyway.” he releases a bitter laugh.

“You broke my trust, Ji. You made me feel worse than my father ever did.” I pause and look at him. “There’s no going back from that.”