GD's POV

 

"Just put it in there."

 

I nodded and pushed the heavy crate toward the corner. "Is this good?"

 

"Yep," replied Jae Suk with a nod. "That's perfect. Thanks, kid."

 

I wiped my dirty hands on the back of my jeans as I watched Jae Suk hyung wind a long chain through the latch on the shed and deftly secured it with a rusty padlock. He inserted the key back in his pocket and started walking toward the direction of his truck. I cleared my throat. It was now or never.

 

"Hey hyung, can I come with you?"

 

He staggered on his feet, swaying a bit when he half-turned to send me a questioning look over his shoulder.

 

"You're going to fetch Dara from the temple, right?" I shoved my hand inside my pocket and smiled before continuing. "I thought it would be fun to tag along since I've got nothing to do here." Complete lie, of course. "Besides, it's a little stuffy in the house."

 

And I also have something very important to ask that niece of yours, is what I don't add.

 

His forehead creased. "Actually, I'm headed somewhere else."

 

"Oh? So she's going to take the bus again?"

 

"Uhhhh..no." Hyung absently scratched the back of his head, his gaze darting everywhere but in my direction. "She's going to stay there for the night."

 

What? Why? I asked him that.

 

"Well...the weather got pretty bad. You know, because of the snowstorm and all."

 

Craning my neck a bit, I set my eyes over the horizon and caught sight of the orange skies now mixed with red hues as the day reached its end. Aside from a few scattered clouds, there was no sign of an impending snowstorm or an ongoing one for that matter. 

 

"But the weather looks fine to me, hyung."

 

"Aigoo, Jiyong-ah," he said with a chuckle, clapping me in the back a little too strong for comfort. "You know how it goes in the mountains."

 

Nope. Can't say I do.

 

"Look, I'm just gonna drop off some supplies in the market then I'll be back in an hour." He didn't wait for my reply and jumped inside the truck, turning the ignition on. "One favor though, can I leave the cooking to you for tonight? I don't really like the idea of leaving Mino in the kitchen. He's good at cleaning and not much else."

 

Despite the unvoiced protest at the back of my throat, I found myself nodding.

 

"Okay, that's great! See you in a few!" With a final wave, he then hit the road and left me with my thoughts.

 

 

3 hours later...

 

 

*Buzzbuzzbuzz*

 

Sigh.

 

*Buzzbuzzbuzz*

 

Tap. Tap. Tap. Click. Click.

 

*Buzzzzzzzz

 

"Ji."

 

"Mmmm??"

 

"Are you gonna get that?"

 

I raised my head a fraction and looked at Tae Hee over my feet that's propped up the coffee table. "What?" I murmured, still clicking the retractable pen with my thumb distractedly.

 

Buzzzzzzzzz

 

"That." He pointed to the phone at my side, a scowl etched on his face. "It's driving me insane, dude. Just answer the damn call."

 

With an icy glare directed his way, I picked up my phone and saw that it was Seungri calling on FaceTime. Glancing at the still blank page in front of me, I realized I'm not going anywhere with the whole songwriting thing so I might as well humor the pipsqueak. Pressing the answer button, I waited for their faces—I'm pretty sure the whole gang was with him—to appear on the screen.

 

"Konbanwa, GD-san!!"

 

What the—

 

"Seungri-ah..." My voice had gotten very low as I spoke between gritted teeth.

 

"Yeah, hyung?"

 

Swinging my legs off the table, I leaned forward, my eyes narrowed at the scene before me. "Is that...is that Iye?"

 

The evil maknae grinned as he casually picked my cat from the floor and moved its paw in a mock wave. "Say hi to your master, Iye!!"

 

I felt blood rushing to my ears as I tried to focus on the details around him. I had a strong guess as to where the troublemaker was, but I had to make sure.

 

"Where exactly are you?"

 

"Eh? Can't you tell?" He held the phone away from him so I could see the whole, not to mention, very familiar background and it took all my self-control not to hurl my phone across the living room. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

 

"YA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS DOING IN MY HOUSE?!"

 

Patience had never been my strong point to be fair. In my peripheral vision, I saw Tae Hee almost fell off his chair from my sudden outburst.

 

"Aigoo, calm down, GD-san."

 

"WHY ARE YOU ADDRESSING ME IN JAPANESE? AND PUT DOWN IYE THIS INSTANT! HE DOESN'T LIKE TO BE CARRIED!"

 

"Okay, okay! Geez." He placed my cat on the floor again and Iye immediately padded toward the main direction of my bedroom. "What's gotten into you, hyung?"

 

"Is that Jiyong?"

 

*Slap*

 

"Ow!!"

 

"I told you not to call him!"

 

YB's distraught self suddenly came into view and he momentarily paused as he scanned every facet of my face that's undoubtedly showing a very pissed off expression on their end.

 

"Nice hair, Ji." He noted with a light chuckle. "Are you by any chance, trying to disguise yourself as a girl there?"

 

My anger went down a few notches as confusion took its place. "What?"

 

"That's what I was about to comment on before he started biting my head off," yammered Seungri with a shake of his head. "He does look like one, right?"

 

"If he wore make-up, I think he might just be able to pull it off."

 

Incredible. They're throwing insults to my face as casually as discussing the weather.

 

"Let me see, let me see."

 

The view became distorted a little bit as Seungri decided to put the phone down. Judging from the crooked angle and the fact that I can see the television from the living room, I'd wager he's balancing it on one of the fruit bowls found on my marble countertop.

 

"Daebak!" Daesung exclaimed with an awed look on his face, his small eyes reaching the point of oblivion. "Your hair's long, hyung!"

 

I stifled a sarcastic reply. Tell me about it.

 

"Konbanwa, GD-san."

 

I already expected this bat-sh*t craziness from Seungri, but why is TOP hyung sharing this madness? Not that he wasn't mad to begin with. Unless...

 

"So, about the suggestions," YB cut in smoothly, pushing TOP hyung's face away from the camera in one brash move. Too brash for his placid nature, in my opinion. "Do you want to go over the details now?" He continued, panning the camera in so that only his face could fit in the screen.

 

"I'd like to talk to TOP hyung, actually."

 

YB looked apprehensive, his gaze fixed on a point above my head. "Why?"

 

"Because you clearly have to work on your lying skills, Youngbae-ah. You seem to be forgetting who you're talking to." I fixed him a knowing look, my chin resting over my knuckles as I raised one eyebrow at his guilty expression. "Let me talk to hyung. Now."

 

With a resigned groan, he disappeared from the screen only to come back dragging a smirking TOP by the sleeve of his shirt.

 

"GD-san! Hisashiburiiiii!" *giggles* "Genki desu ka?"

 

Oh boy. Don't tell me—

 

"Are you drunk?"

 

*Hiccups*

 

"Noooope," he answers in a sing-song voice, ending his dissent with a pop.

 

He's drunk all right. One fun fact about the oldest member of Bigbang? He turns to a blabbering Japanese schoolgirl when he's smashed.

 

I ran a hand over my face. "Why on Earth did you let him inside my house when he's this drunk?"

 

"We didn't."

 

"Care to elaborate?"

 

"Well..." Daesung scratched his nape, eyeing the others as if asking for permission to divulge the truth. They both gave him an imperceptible nod. "We had a couple of drinks after the meeting with the director and hyung got one too many. When it was time to leave, he said we needed to drop by somewhere and wouldn't stop yelling about it until we did. We had no idea he wanted to crash in your place."

 

TOP-ssi was hysterically laughing at this point.

 

"How did he even manage to know the location of your spare key?" YB asked while maintaining his hold on a now sniveling TOP.

 

I sighed. Blame it on the drunken stupor I had put myself in the day before sajangnim shipped me to the unknown lands. Now that I could recall, TOP hyung was the only one who sent me home when no one else did.

 

"I might have told him," was my lame response, my voice coming out smaller than I wanted.

 

Seungri looked aghast. "Why would you tell him that?"

 

"Because at that time I couldn't even walk upright much less think." I ran my fingers through my hair, clearly annoyed by the situation. "Just...get him out of there."

 

"Oh we we're really going to do that before Seungri here called you." YB threw a scowl at the maknae who only shrugged in return. "Except, um..."

 

I narrowed my eyes. "Except what?"

 

YB made a face. "From a scale of one to ten, how valuable are the furniture you have on display here?"

 

My eyes turned to slits. "What did he do?"

 

"Nothing worth murdering him over," quipped Seungri, his hand covering his mouth to cover his laugh.

 

"Seungri..." I threatened.

 

This time, he didn't bother with pretenses and just outright guffawed. "TOP hyung vomited inside your dragon vase." He bent over, clutching his stomach as he laughed.

 

"HE DID WHAT?!"

 

"We'll clean it up, hyung!"

 

"Ya—"

 

"We'll leave as soon as we're done!"

 

"You can't—"

 

"Take care of yourself, Ji!"

 

"But—"

 

"Talk to you tomorrow! Byeeee!!!"

 

The call then disconnected. I stared at the blank screen for a few moments before I lost it.

 

"AAAAAARGHHHH!!!"

 

The blood-curdling scream I let out was enough to draw the others into the living room, Dong-Gil arriving first. With his gun at the ready, he automatically searched the perimeter for any threats.

 

"Are you alright, sir?" He asked after realizing there was no one after my precious life.

 

"For chrissake, keep that gun away, man." Tae Hee waved at him nonchalantly. Dong-gil gave a curt nod and returned the gun back to its holster behind his waistband, still warily eyeing the living room as if someone might jump out and strangle me.

 

"You had a gun this whole time?!" Mino exclaimed, his eyes about to pop from evident shock. He was still halfway down the stairs, his hair a little messed up from springing up in bed when I screamed for bloody murder.

 

Dong-Gil merely appraised him with a stoic look, his stance now shifting to a relaxed one knowing that there was no cause to execute a security protocol. I looked at the youngest one in the room who was holding on to the banister and still expecting an answer.

 

"He's my bodyguard, Mino. It's only natural that he'd carry some protection detail." Having my anger dissipate from my system, I stood from the couch and stretched. "Sorry for scaring you guys. You can return to whatever you were doing. I'm totally fine."

 

"He says that now," muttered Tae Hee under his breath and rolled his eyes in the process. He stood up from his perch and dragged his sleepy form toward the stairs. "I'm going to hit the sack. Goodnight y'all."

 

Dong-Gil turned to look at me. "Is there anything you need, sir?"

 

I shook my head. "Sorry about the whole thing again."

 

"Quite alright, sir." He answered with a nod. "Aren't you going to sleep too?"

 

"Yeah," I said and covered my mouth with the back of my hand as I yawned. "In a while. You can go now, Dong-Gil. I'm going to be fine."

 

With a hesitant nod, he finally turned and went back to his room. I reached for the glass of water on the table and took a sip, my eyes glued to the door as I wondered what could possibly be taking Jae Suk hyung this long to come back.

 

"Hyung."

 

"Mmmm?"

 

"Aren't you going to sleep yet?"

 

I placed the glass down and wiped the edges of my mouth. "I will in a minute."

 

Murmuring a sleepy assent, Mino trudged up the stairs and I listened as his footsteps finally faded away. Certain that I was already left alone, I made my way to the door and opened it, wandering to the balcony where I moved to sit on one of the patio chairs. A cold breeze hit my face and I shivered a little. Turning my head, I glanced down at the empty seat beside me, imagining that if Dara had been here, I'd probably make a human blanket out of her.

 

Sure, it would take a lot of nagging, but she eventually caves in after a while. I think that's the thing about her, she always tries to help people even if it sometimes puts her at a disadvantage.

 

As I sat there staring into space, I could almost see her looking back at me, biting her lower lip in annoyance, her brows meeting at the center as she tried sizing me up. The picture in my mind was so vivid that my fingers moved on its own accord, reaching out to touch the image of her...

 

...that wasn't even there.

 

My hand dropped limply to the side. Crossing my arms over my chest, I tilted my head up to gaze into the night sky, wondering and hoping that somewhere, the little tokki was doing the same thing. 

 

 

Dara's POV

 

Linoleum floors. Disinfectants. That distinct smell of a room humidifier. 

 

Drip.

     drip.

          drip.

 

And that. That sound annoys me so much. The fact that I can hear it as clearly as my own heartbeat only increases my irritation by ten-fold. I hate it when this happens. Everything around me is amplified to the point that it's causing me undue stress. 

 

Slowly opening my eyes, the faded white walls of the room where I had constant visits in the past came into view. Like any other hospital room, it came with a couch, a single wooden chair and a small television. The only color that popped out from the dreary ambiance was a bunch of fresh yellow daffodils kept in a glass vase on top of the table. Beside it was a book.

 

I frowned and raised myself to a sitting position, careful not to tug on my IV line again as I leaned back on my pillows. Reaching out to the side, I lifted the book and examined the cover. 

 

"Classic Poetry," I murmured under my breath. 

 

Upon closer inspection, the flattened yellow petals sticking out from the thin book caught my eye and I slowly flipped it to the page where it was obviously used as a bookmark. I settled in a more comfortable position and started reading. 

 

 

I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

by William Wordsworth 

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

 

My gaze returned to the flower and I can't help but feel like the poem was meant to hit me in a more personal level. It was as if whoever left me this knew I was lonely and wanted to cheer me up by reminding me that there's more to life than sadness. Twirling the stem around my fingers, I wistfully looked out the window, noticing how the sun's rays streamed steadily between the blinds.

 

Which reminds me...

 

I glanced at the wall clock and noted that it was already one in the afternoon judging by the amount of light outside. I must've slept through the whole morning. My memory from yesterday was a little blurry from having been in and out of consciousness the whole time I was here. Strong drugs could do that to you.

 

I was yanked back to the present when the door suddenly flung open and a woman with reddish brown hair kept in a messy bun entered, her white lab coat billowing in the air as she walked.

 

"Oh good, you're awake."

 

I placed the flower back to its original position and slid the book under the sheets. 

 

"So," she said, her eyes flitting momentarily to the paper she was holding. "Can you tell me your name?"

 

"Why?" I asked with a frown. "You know who I am."

 

She regarded me with a reproachful look over the medical chart, her ballpoint pen pointed at my direction. "Name please," she repeated, her voice all business-like.

 

I sighed. "Sandara Park."

 

She scribbled something on her pad. "Do you know where you are?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Can you tell me your location?"

 

"Park Shin-Young Medical Center. Third floor, room 321."

 

She raised a brow. "That's...highly specific."

 

I shrugged. 

 

"Okay, moving on. Do you know who I am?"

 

"Unnie," I whined. 

 

"You know I have to follow protocol," she said indignantly, one hand on her hip.

 

I crossed my arms and scowled at her. "This is completely unecessary and you know it."

 

"Bom told me you'd be this stubborn," Yoona said with a click of her tongue. "Now I know why you and my sister get along so well."

 

"And why is that?"

 

"You both at following orders," she deadpanned. Meticulously checking the IV drip connected to my hand, Yoona or Dr. Park I should say, wrote down a few more notes on the chart before capping her pen. 

 

"Can I go home now?" I inquired, tugging the hospital tag around my wrist. Thankfully they didn't remove my bracelet.

 

"We're still waiting for the results. Once we have it and you're on the clear then we can send you home."

 

"But I feel fine already."

 

The bed dipped a little as Yoona sat near my feet. "I hate to tell you this, but based from the symptoms you're showing, I'm afraid that the seizures might be a recurrent thing. I told Jae Suk a year ago to have you admitted in a specialized facility to—"

 

"I don't like hospitals." 

 

"Dara, dear, no one ever does," she chided, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "But as unfortunate as it sounds, it's the best way to monitor your condition." She crossed her arms. "Is there any particular reason why you're against receiving medical treatment?"

 

Aside from the fact that I can't afford it? No, can't say that I do.

 

She must've noticed my internal turmoil because her expression softened. "Dara," she spoke gently, a slight hesitation in her voice.

 

I glanced up and waited for her to continue.

 

"This is only my opinion, mind you," she clarified, her forehead creasing. "But if you're having some financial problems, we can always present your case to avail sponsorship from selected foundations, you know."

 

I shifted uncomfortably under the sheets. Bom knew why I could never pass for sponsorship, but her sister didn't. You see, free medical aid is given to those who fall under the lower class, people who have no stable income and couldn't afford to pay for healthcare. Now in order for a person to avail one, the foundation has to evaluate the candidate's background and financial status to know if he/she would meet said qualifications. Simply put, I'd have to disclose personal information about my family, one that I have no intention of doing in this lifetime. 

 

"It's not that easy," I answered after a while.

 

Yoona raised a brow at this, but didn't comment. She knew better than to probe me on something that I clearly didn't want to talk about. She finally stood up and brushed invisible lint from her impeccable lab coat. "Well, I'll be going now. Still have a few rounds to make before my shift ends." She tapped my thigh in encouragement. "Don't worry, I'll see what I can do to speed up the discharge process, okay?"

 

I nodded and gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, unnie."

 

"Your welcome." She was already opening the door when I called her again. "Yeah?"

 

Reaching under the sheets, I retrieved the book and showed it to her. "Did you leave this on the table?"

 

Yoona squinted for a few seconds before shaking her head. 

 

"Oh, o-okay. Thanks."

 

She sent a firm nod my way before shutting the door. Feeling a bit stiff from lying in bed all day, I decided to walk around the room, carefully wheeling the IV stand so I could sit by the window. Placing the book in my lap, I flipped it open and brought the pressed daffodil to my nose, inhaling it's sweet scent as I continued reading where I left off.

 

 

                  •••••••••••••••

 

The man's gaze did not waver from the woman reading peacefully by the window. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the small smile on her face as she flipped through the pages of her book while bringing the petals of the flower to lightly brush her lips. The innocent gesture unequivocally pleased him, knowing that in some way, he was able to make her worries disappear for a little while. 

 

"Sir."

 

Without breaking his stare, the tall man inclined his head a little to the side to indicate that he was listening. 

 

"Yu Jae Suk just arrived in the building. Do you want me to talk to him?"

 

"That won't be necessary." Glancing swiftly at the deserted hallway, the man deduced that it was time to leave before somebody notices his presence. "Is it done?" He calmly asked his assistant, his eyes returning to the window across him. 

 

"Yes, sir. Miss Park's account has been settled."

 

"What did you tell them?"

 

"That the payments be made under Mr. Yu's name, sir, just like you instructed."

 

"Good."

 

He looked at her again. She was paler than the last time he'd seen her. And slimmer. He frowned. She really should eat more. 

 

"I don't mean to cross the line, sir," his trusted assistant started to say, choosing his next words carefully, "but wouldn't it be better if you just handed the flowers and the book to her yourself?"

 

"I'd hate to see those flowers in the trash and the book thrown out the window, Mr. Kim." He lightly shook his head, a rueful smile on his angular face. "Better let sleeping dogs lie."

 

Mr. Kim never understood his boss' logic when it comes to personal matters. Then again, he tried not to meddle with it. As long as he's paid handsomely for his job then he'd adhere to his place and do what he's told.

 

Taking a glimpse at her peaceful form one last time, the man his heel and headed toward the exit, the image of her smile etched into his mind even as he entered the waiting car.