One kind word can change someone's entire day. For Dara, Mr. Kim's words changed her entire outlook in life.

 

However, it was far from easy.

 

Renewed hope didn't mean she could skip the pills. She still had migraines in the morning. Sometimes her vision blurs. Today, she almost poured salt in Jiyong's coffee. It was fortunate that Seungri chose the exact moment to strike a conversation with her. He just laughed while she profusely apologized for her stupidity. 'Gwenchana, Dara noona! It happens to everyone!' Regardless of the lie, she was thankful for his attempt to console her. They ended up chatting and she didn't know how and when it happened, but Bigbang's maknae was suddenly giving her a tour of the YG building. Their escapade made her forget the entire reason why she was in the kitchen in the first place. When she came back to the recording studio, the room was empty save for one person.

 

Jiyong was slumped on the leather couch. Eyes closed, hands clasped together. Her old notebook was on his lap. She didn't even realize he brought it with him. She tiptoed into the room, careful not to wake him up. Placing the coffee on the table, Dara started tidying the empty cartons of take-away food.

 

Amidst the busy morning, Jiyong instructed her to have lunch delivered to the conference room for him and the rest of the crew. He didn't give any specifics, merely handed her his black card then went back to whatever he was doing. Normally, she wouldn't condone this type of behavior. Her grandmother always said, it's not your salary that makes you rich, it's your spending habits. Just because you have money, doesn't mean you can splurge it on anything without checking its worth. 

 

Then again, she had no say in the matter. He was her boss after all. So instead of getting riled up, Dara seized the opportunity and ordered the food from their restaurant. It was like hitting two birds with one stone.

 

She now discarded the rest of the trash and made sure to store the leftover food on the fridge for later. Just in case Jiyong gets hungry. With nothing else to do, she decided to sit on the couch and openly stare at him. His hair, now back to black with an undercut, fell over his forehead as he dozed off.

 

He looks like a little kid when he's sleeping, she silently mused. With the assurance that he wouldn't wake up anytime soon, Dara reached out to brush his hair away from his eyes. She leaned closer. "Ottokae..." she muttered under her breath. "His lashes are so long." Dara seemed to realize how inappropriate all this was and she hurriedly scrambled to the far end of the couch. I shouldn't have done that, she berated herself. This was erse, she knew. Besides, she was not the kind of person to take advantage of unconscious men—even if they had insanely great skin and overly handsome features. But they were alone. And it's not like she's doing anything wrong. 

 

Jiyong stirred. She stopped breathing. He stilled again. Ever so slowly, she took her former position on the couch.

 

 

GD's POV

 

I got bored waiting for the little tokki to come back with my coffee. Where the hell could she have gone? I tried calling her phone...only to find out she left it inside her jacket. Perhaps it was a good thing too because I made an excellent discovery. Dara, obviously out of spite, listed me as 'Master Kwon' on her contacts. She even put a dragon and cash emojis with it.

 

Talk about anarchy.

 

To even out the field, I took about a hundred selcas on her phone and saved it all in a folder with the title: My Jagiya. I then changed Master Kwon to Jiyong Oppa and added three heart emojis. Let's see if this doesn't make her lose her marbles. Kekeke 

 

I was tempted to read her messages too. In the end, I didn't do it. I can't keep spouting about privacy if I don't abide by it, right? Besides, Dara would skin me alive. Debt or no debt.

 

Returning her phone to where I found it, I went back to polishing a few songs for my new album. My own concert tour was set a few months after Bigbang's so work has been demanding as of late. I basically live in the studio now. Which was just as well, I guess. Being alone in the apartment usually leads to destructive and reckless decisions. Either I end up sloshed in one of the member's houses or wake up in someone else's bed with no recollection of how I got there.

 

Contrary to popular belief, I don't make it a habit of sleeping with random girls. I mean, yes, I have shared my bed with a few flings. Mostly one night stands. Never something serious. The longest I've ever been in an on/off relationship was with Kiko. And that didn't even turn out great. 

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not swearing off girls or anything. Right now, I just want to focus on my music. Though after approximately half an hour, the words started floating off the pages. I leaned my head on the backrest of the couch, promising myself I would just rest my eyes for a bit. Next thing I know, I was awakened by feathery light touches to my skin. 

 

"Ottokae...His lashes are so long," I heard Dara whisper. 

 

Eh? What was she doing?

 

Her exploration continued down my nose. Then over my cheekbones. When her finger finally grazed my lips, it took all of my willpower to stay very still. She then began tracing it from the edges. The action felt very intimate and at the same time, oddly relaxing. When she moved toward the center, I quickly opened my mouth and gently bit her finger. Her surprised gasp was music to my ears. When I sneaked a peek, Dara's face was red from her chin up to the roots of her hair. In hindsight, I should've known better. I mean, I did live with her for a month. You'd think I learned my lesson.

 

Her hand descended on my cheek with a resounding slap. I didn't even have time to blink. "Ah, jinjja!" Burying my face on the couch, I pretended to be in deep pain. I kept groaning like a wounded puppy. 

 

Dara must've felt guilty because she fumbled with my hand and tried to pry it away from my face. "I...I'm so sorry! It's just—you took me by surprise!"

 

I carried on with my acting. Curious on what she'll do next. "It hurts," I whined. Kicked my legs for good measure. 

 

She my hair. "Mianhe, Jiyong-ah. Sometimes I don't know my own strength. Aigoo, I'm such an idiot."

 

"Take responsibility, Park Sandara-ssi!" I cried out. 

 

"Okay, okay! What do you want me to do?" She was on her knees, looking over me with a worried expression. "Do you want me to give you a massage? Or I can get someone from the clinic—"

 

"Aniyaaa. I want you to do it." She waited expectantly. I slowly removed my hands from my face. "Kiseu," I deadpanned.

 

She blinked. And blinked again. I could swear I saw her eye twitched. "Morago?"

 

I crossed my arms and pouted. "I said I want you to kiss the pain away."

 

Like an active volcano, Dara exploded. "Ya, jugulae?!" She smacked me hard on the shoulder. "Crazy bastard! You! You dragon ert!!" She kept striking whatever part of my body she could reach. I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down on the couch with me. Because she was so light, she almost bounced off of it. I swiftly laid my head on her lap before she can protest. "Ya, what do you think you're doing?!"

 

"Arasso, I won't ask you to kiss me. I'll settle for this one instead." I wriggled into a more comfortable position. Well, as comfortable as I could given the narrow couch. My feet dangled off the end. "You were the one touching me without consent, ahjumma. If there's a victim here, it's me. So quit complaining." That effectively shut her up. I poked her thigh. 

 

"What now?" she hissed. 

 

"Play with my hair."

 

"What?!" She shrieked. Jesus.

 

"Could you not talk so loud? My ears are sensitive." I cracked one eye open and found her looking at me with a furious expression. Aigoo, she looked fetching. I should push her buttons more often. "Go on. Do what your master tells you." A few seconds later, I felt her hand on my hair. I smirked. 

 

"Are you enjoying this, juinim?" Her voice was laced with acid. 

 

"Immensely, love." 

 

"Jerk," she muttered under her breath.

 

"I heard that."

 

"I know," she snapped. Just then, my phone buzzed from the side table. Dara stopped with her ministrations. "There's someone calling you," she said. 

 

I brought her hand back to my hair so she would continue. "Who is it?"

 

"Um, someone named Kiko?" My eyes immediately opened. "Should I answer it?" I snatched the phone from her grasp and ended the call. "Why did you do that?"

 

I shrugged. "Because I can."

 

"Doesn't mean you should."

 

"Never stopped me before." She pulled on my hair. "Ow!" I scowled. "You did that on purpose!"

 

"And so?"

 

"Why would you do that?" I rubbed my scalp. , that hurt. 

 

"Because I can."

 

"Doesn't mean you should," I mimicked her own words.

 

"Never stopped me before," she spat back.

 

I sat up and grabbed her face, pulling her cheeks apart to punish her. "Oh, you think you're funny, huh?" She fought back by pinching my nose. "Ya ya ya let go!!!" 

 

"Let go first!!" She barely got the words out. 

 

"I can't breathe!! Yaaaaahh!!" The door suddenly opened. We both turned, our faces still stretched by the other. TOP-ssi gave us a bewildered look. 

 

"What the hell are you two doing?"

 

 

Dara's POV

 

Two weeks have gone by and I'm almost ready to wave the white flag. I'm positive he enjoys watching me suffer.

 

Just then, a leather jacket hits me in the face. I lifted my eyes to the sky. Please give me the strength not to kill him. I removed the infernal thing obscuring my vision and put it over the growing pile of clothes slung on my shoulder as I followed his highness to the next rack. I'm not sure if he intends to buy the whole store with the amount of stuff he's carelessly tossing toward my direction.

 

God, shopping makes me sick. 

 

"Can I interest you with our new line of fragrance, sir?" The sales clerk asked with a smile as she offered a small bottle to Jiyong. 

 

"Where is it from?" He inquired while inspecting the packaging.

 

"Paris, sir."

 

He meticulously sprayed it in the air and caught it with his wrists. He then shoved his hands on my face. "Smell." I internally cursed him with every fiber of my being as I took a whiff of the cologne. My nose involuntarily scrunched.

 

"Too strong?" He surmised. I nodded as I fought the urge to sneeze. He wordlessly gave the bottle back to the clerk and moved to the next one. "Oh!" He suddenly exclaimed and pulled out a red dress shirt displayed on the front of the store. "I like this one."

 

"Excellent eye, sir! We just had them flown from Italy. As you can see, the design is based from the—"

 

"How many are there in production?" He asked, cutting her off. 

 

"Well, it's a limited edition..."

 

"Yes, but how many are there?"

 

The clerk looked confused as she answered him with, "Two, Mr. Kwon. It comes with a pair."

 

Jiyong instantly put the shirt back on the rack and walked off. I gave the lady an apologetic smile before following him.

 

"What's going on with you?" I asked while falling in step beside him. "You said you like it."

 

"I do."

 

"Then what's wrong?"

 

"Didn't you hear what she said? It comes with a pair."

 

I raised a brow. "So?" 

 

He looked at me like I just made the stupidest comment ever. "It's a couple shirt, Santokki. Go figure."

 

It took a few seconds before realization dawned on me. "Oh."

 

He placed his hand inside his pocket and continued to walk. "Tabloids circulate the craziest stories about me even to the littlest details. If word comes out that I bought a couple shirt, no doubt the press will automatically have the rumor mill running about a secret flame of mine."

 

Well that blows. "Why not have a real girlfriend instead? That way, you won't have to be linked to anyone else."

 

"Gee, I wonder why I haven't ever thought of that," he deadpanned. "Should I hold an audition, you think?"

 

"I doubt many will come," I muttered under my breath. 

 

"You mind your tongue, shorty," he hissed.

 

"Or what?" I daringly challenged him with a raised brow. "You gonna sing me to death?"

 

Jiyong shot daggers at my direction. "I can always have you replaced, you know," he threatened. That automatically shut me up. Jerk or not, I needed the money. "Thought so," he quipped before turning around.

 

Aigoo. When will this madness end?

 

I studied Jiyong as he scanned the accessory section, his face set in a serious expression as he picked a few baubles from the set. From the time we spent together, I discovered a few things about him that I never imagined he possessed. Random stuff like, how he has this habit of tying his shoelaces twice, the fact that he laughs like roadrunner after three glasses of wine, how he binge watches period dramas while silently tearing up, and most of all, the way he puts up a cold front to cover up the dark hole that's slowly him in. 

 

Even if he doesn't tell me, I know he's depressed. The signs were all there. I'd have to be blind as a bat not to see it. 

 

"Ya, Santokki."

 

He's still a jerk that's for sure. Only that, this jerk had more to him than what meets the eye. I gruffly approached him with the mountain of shopping spree in tow. "Does his highness need something?" 

 

He didn't say anything and grabbed my hand instead. "Omo, tokki has such small hands." He turned my palm over as he chuckled. "Aigoo, you got calloused fingers, too!"

 

Look at this bastard. What the heck is he doing? I tried pulling my hand back, but his grip was too strong and even if I wanted to tackle him right now, I can't because of the clothes I'm carrying with my other arm. 

 

"Aisssh, hold still! I just want to check something." Then he surprised me by sliding a ring on my finger. "Oh? It's a perfect fit." 

 

Uwaaaaah. It was so pretty to look at. I can't seem to take my eyes off it. "Jiyong-ah..." I raised my hand and inspected the gem. Daebak! It even makes my fingers look so feminine! "Omo. I can't accept this..."

 

"You don't have to."

 

Eh???

 

He forcefully pulled the ring from my finger and shot me an incredulous look. "It's not for you anyway." Jiyong then turned around to have it packed.

 

This bastard.

 

Such a shame. Well, it's not like I have any use for it. Jewelry in this high end store probably won't suit me. As I waited for the cashier to finish packing the clothes, I felt my pocket vibrate. I fished it out. It was Jiyong's phone. Ever since I destroyed his precious car, he rarely did anything for himself. Even carrying his phone became my responsibility. When I checked who it was, I heaved a sigh. It was that Kiko girl again.

 

Last week during one of their dance practices, I was no longer able to stop my curiosity and asked Seungri who she was. The maknae and I have gotten close after the 'salt' incident. I found out that he was the most carefree of the bunch. And the one with the cheapest mouth. If you want to follow the latest gossip, you might want to look for Lee Seunghyun. Turns out, Kiko was the famous ex-girlfriend. Seungri claims they weren't even an actual couple since at that time, the girl had an on/off boyfriend. Another well-established idol from a different company. He didn't mention the name. Just that being in the industry meant occasionally bumping into each other at parties and getting drunk. A lot of girls were attracted to Bigbang's leader and with his popularity soaring, he was beginning to get used to their advances. 

 

"We all enjoyed the attention," Seungri added.

 

He also said they only have an idea of what transpired between the two, but after their alleged break up, Jiyong had gotten more reckless. More crooked. Worked his way to the top. Produced more songs that became instant hits. He also partied hard. Drank even harder. He was unstoppable.

 

After hearing the story, I finally realized the reason behind his question that day in the mountains. 'How do you manage to find joy in such a simple life?' With all the pressure in his shoulders, no wonder he wanted to escape. 

 

Making sure Jiyong was still busy chatting with the store manager, I scanned the message that appeared on the screen. 

 

Can you meet me at the coffee shop near your place? I just want to talk, Ji. I really want us to be friends.

 

Another message popped up. 

 

I'm here. I'll wait for you.

 

"Oi, ahjumma."

 

I got so startled, I almost dropped the phone. With a sigh of relief,  I quickly shoved it inside my pocket before turning around. "N-neh, juinim?"

 

He regarded me with a weird look. "Why are you suddenly calling me that? I thought you insisted to drop the title when we're in public." He lightly hit my head with his knuckle. "Aigoo, make up your mind, ajhumma." 

 

"Neh, jui—I mean, Jiyong-ah."

 

He put on his mask and cocked his head to the side. "Kaja."

 

"Neh." I started hauling the bags from the floor. To my surprise, Jiyong took all of them from my hands. "Eh? What are you doing?"

 

"You can barely carry two of these," he answered in a nonchalant manner as we exited the shop. "I don't want to drag you in case you faint."

 

"Tsss." I grinned and followed him inside the waiting car. "Oooh, juinim is concerned for my welfare. Such a gentleman." I poked him at the side.

 

"Shut up."

 

I poked him even more. "Kwon Jiyong-ssi, niga jjangiya!!" I pumped my fists in the air and winked at him.

 

"Paboya." He finally chuckled.

 

"Where off to, Ji?" asked Dong-gil. 

 

"Home," Jiyong simply answered.

 

I bit my lip. Contemplated if I should do it. I went with my instinct. "Can we drop by the coffee shop near your place? I really want to try that Matcha Latte."

 

"Hmm...alright. I want some coffee, too. Hyung, we'll make a quick stop before heading home." Dong-gil nodded.

 

This was it. In order for Jiyong to overcome his problems, he needed some closure first. One step at a time. I clasped my hands together and hoped for the best.