Dara's POV

l've never felt more conflicted than I am right now.

Ever since that night, Jiyong had been sending me messages without falter. He'd greet me in the mornings, asks me if I've had lunch and tells me to eat well. When evening comes, he shares what his day was like, sometimes they're good, most times he's just ranting, but he makes it a point to assure me that he was doing fine. Usually he ends it by saying goodnight and telling me how badly he misses me each day.

I never texted back.

I felt immense guilt for continuously lying to Seung Ho. It was already bad enough that I made out with his brother, I can't possibly betray him more by entertaining Jiyong even if it's the only thing I want to do right now. Not texting him back didn't mean I've ignored his messages. I read them all. When he told me he was flying to Hong Kong, I immediately googled the weather to make sure it was alright to travel. When he said they were going to appear at MAMA, I watched the live streaming and recorded his performance. Only G-dragon would diss Mnet while performing on stage for Mnet.

Such a savage king.

He did call me once, that very same night. And judging by his raspy voice, there was an off-chance that he might've drunk dialed me. 'Wae?? Ahjumma waaaae?? Why are you *hic* making me f-feel this way?' Jiyong then paused for a long time and I thought he fell asleep. I was about to hang up when he whispered into the phone, 'Mani bogoshipoyo, Santokki.'

I literally had to bite my lip to stop myself from crying. I wanted to tell him I miss him, too. That I never stopped thinking about him. That my heart was just afraid of getting hurt again. I wanted to tell him that, but I never did. Seung Ho didn't deserve to be treated like this. And so I continued to push the memory of our kiss out of my mind. Fought my feelings for Jiyong as hard as I can.

I'm beginning to think it's a lost cause.

*Kring Kring Kring*

I pulled my phone out and saw that it was Bom calling.

"Yoboseyo?"

"Hey, where's my golden girl at?" Her voice was chipper than usual. She must be in good spirits today.

"She's working," I replied, clipping the phone between my ear and shoulder as I picked the books scattered on the floor. 

"Give up yet?"

"Nope. I'm starting to get the hang of it, actually."

She enthusiastically booed. "What's the agenda for today, seonsaengnim?"

"Craft lessons with the kids." I returned the books one by one on the shelf, mentally taking note of their titles for inventory later.

"Like painting and stuff?"

"That's for the next day. We're currently teaching them how to shape animals using clay dough."

"Oh God, that's so boring. Are you sure you don't want to join me here? I could totally use your help."

I grew silent for a few seconds. "You know why I can't."

"Oh come on, he's not even here," she scoffed. "Sajangnim wanted Jiyong to take a rest day after he collapsed during rehearsals last night. Apparently, he's been over-exerting himself with both Bigbang's comeback and his own upcoming world tour that his body eventually gave up."

The book I was holding fell from my grasp. Jiyong collapsed? That's...that's not possible. I distinctly remember him texting me last night...

J: Dara, annyeong! How's it going? Seungri accidentally hit my face during practice today. :(( I'm fine, though. Only a little gash. Nothing your cartoon band-aid can't fix. ;)

J: Dont forget to eat ur dinner, okay?

J: Miss u

Was he lying then? 

"Darong...you still there?"

I nodded absently and realized Bom couldn't see it. "N-neh."

"What time will you finish?"

I glanced at the clock. It was still five in the afternoon. I still had an hour to go. "Around six."  

"You want me and Chaerin to come over? I mean, we can watch a movie and order pizza."

After a long and heated discussion with my father, he eventually agreed to let me move out of the house with a few terms of his own. First, he gets to pick the apartment and I should have no qualms about it regardless of its location or how expensive it might be. Secondly, as his sole successor, I should, once in a while, show up during board meetings and other special events in lieu of securing a high position in the company. It was a tough bargain, but I ultimately decided to take it. If it means I'll be free of his constant surveillance then I'm more than willing to settle for a compromise. 

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Can we do it another time? It's still messy in there what with all the boxes lying around."

"Mmm. Okay!"

"Why? Did you want to talk about something?"

"Ah aniyo. Just wanted to know if your day is better than mine."

I clicked my tongue. "Aigoo. Of course mine's better. I get to sweep dirty floors during my break and show random strangers how to make the perfect elephant origami."

"You're right. Life couldn't get any better than that." We both laughed. "I need to go. Sajangnim requested a YG family meeting and we need to be present. Tsss. I'm probably going to doze off while he's talking."

"Just make sure you don't snore."

"You make sure you don't snore. I still don't understand why out of all the places you could get assigned to, you had to choose the most boring one in the whole roster."

I chuckled at her proclivity for dramatic flair. "It's not that bad. Yongsan actually suits me. It's fun watching people create their own masterpiece from nothing. It exercises your artistic side."

"No offense, but I'd really rather sing than get my nails dirty."

"Really? I thought you'd be interested on next week's agenda." 

"Huh? Why? What are you making?"

"Nail art."

"Ha-ha very funny, Darong." I smiled. I could imagine her rolling her eyes right now. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Neh."

I continued with my tasks and acted like my cheerful self around the kids, but in reality I was worried about Jiyong. That guy even skipped meals on a regular basis which was why I always brought him food back when I still worked as his personal assistant. The bell rang as the last customer went out the door and I quickly took my apron off before rushing inside the locker room to get my stuff.

"Dara-ssi, we're going to eat out and celebrate my wife's birthday. Wanna come?" asked Professor Lee as he turned off the lights.

"Thank you for the invitation, kyosunim," I replied and helped him lock the door. "But I don't think I'll be able to come."

"Oh? You've got plans for tonight?" He gave me a knowing smile. 

I shook my head. "It's not like that. My...friend is sick and I'm planning to visit him." I was actually still debating with myself if I should go through with it.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. It's not serious, is it?"

My shoulders dropped. "I don't even know, to be honest."

"Well, you better check on him if that's the case. He might be going down with the flu." He walked over to his car. "You want me to drop you at your friend's house?"

"Aniyo. It's okay. I'm going to the grocery store to buy some food anyway."

He nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Neh. And greet your wife a happy birthday for me, kyosunim."

"Will do. Bye, Dara-ssi!"

I waved and watched his car disappear on the curb. Not giving myself a moment to think about it, I trudged forward to the nearest store and bought the ingredients needed in making chicken soup. Just in case Jiyong's fridge is empty again. After making sure I got everything, I hailed a cab and recited the address I know by heart. I was feeling all sorts of emotions throughout the ride, but mostly it was apprehension. Not knowing what I'd find in his apartment was stressing me out. When I arrived at his building I immediately felt nauseous. It got worse as I stood in front of his door. 

I stared at the lock. What if he changed it? I don't want to look like I'm trying to break into his house. What if he's not around? Or worse, what if he's in there with someone else? I started to turn around. Then I noticed the plastic bag dangling from my hand and remembered the reason why I came. It would be downright inhuman if I just leave without checking up on him. Yes, it was the right thing to do. It'll just take a second. I stood in front of the door again. Hoping for the best, I finally punched in the code. 

It worked. 

I sighed in relief. Pushing the latch open, I slowly entered Jiyong's apartment. At the corner of the entryway, my furry pink slippers were still on the same spot where I left it. He didn't throw it away. I removed my shoes and wore them instead. Being back here felt slightly nostalgic, like I was coming home. Weird, I know. When I ambled my way inside, the only light came from the tall lamp in the living room. Was he out? I padded silently to the kitchen and put the groceries on top of the counter. Shrugging my jacket off, I draped it on one of the chairs. 

Meow.

I smiled. Crouching down, I gently brushed Iye's fur and he automatically purred. "Good to see you again, little guy." I petted him for a few more minutes before standing up to look for his master. The door to Jiyong's room was open and when I cautiously took a peek, I found him sprawled on the bed, fast asleep. Keeping my steps silent so as not to rouse him, I walked over to his bedside table and switched on the lamp. I frowned when I saw the huge bandage on his right arm. Not only that, but there were beads of sweat on Jiyong's brow and neck. His cheeks were also flushed. I reached out and placed my palm over his forehead.

I gasped. He was literally burning up! 

Quickly opening the drawers behind me, I grabbed a small towel from the pile of linens then rushed to the kitchen to fill a plastic basin with water. Once done, I returned to his side. Jiyong was still wearing multiple layers of clothing and at this rate his temperature would surely spike up. Breathing out to calm myself, I began to his sweater. He stirred, but to my extreme relief, didn't wake up. I continued shedding a few more of his upper clothes until he was left with only a shirt on. When he started shivering, I covered his body with a blanket before sitting gently on the bed. 

Carefully brushing his hair away, I placed a damp washcloth over his forehead then proceeded to pat his face, neck, arms and every part of him that was exposed with a sponge dipped in lukewarm water. That's all I did for the next twenty minutes and luckily, his body temp went down a couple notches. I wrung out the extra towel and replaced the now dry one on his forehead. Jiyong's brows no longer met at the middle and he looks so much more relaxed than he did before. I sagged in relief. Making sure he was tucked in just fine, I partially closed his door and headed to the kitchen to prepare some food. 

"You're also hungry, aren't you?" I grinned and fed Iye as I cooked. By eight o'clock, everything was placed back in proper order and the kitchen spotless. After sealing the bowl with cling wrap to keep the food fresh, I sauntered back to Jiyong's room. He was still sleeping. I didn't want to leave him alone knowing that he's sick. I didn't really want to leave him, period. 

I sat on the floor and gently grasped Jiyong's hand. Mine dwarfed in comparison. I leaned my head on the bed and started tracing the tattoos on his fingers.

GD's POV

It's so cold.

I tried grabbing the sheets when I realized that I couldn't move my hand. Something seemed to weigh it down. Forcing my eyes to open, I blinked at the familiar view of my ceiling. I groaned. Tae Hee wanted me to go to the hospital last night, but I vehemently declined. It was too much work and not to mention, the media would have a field day making speculations about it. I'd rather sleep it off, thank you very much.

When I leaned forward to raise myself up, something caught my eye and I did a double take.

Is this real?

Beside me, Dara was sleeping peacefully, her hair creating a soft halo around her as she held my hand. I blinked. Then blinked again. I even slapped my cheek to make sure I wasn't dreaming. As if sensing my gaze, Dara's lids fluttered open and her eyes slowly found mine.

"You're awake," she mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep. She looked tired. Lifting herself from the floor, the bed dipped as she took a seat beside me. She reached out and touched my forehead. "You don't have fever anymore. Thank God," she sighed in relief. She then grabbed another blanket from the settee and draped it over my shoulders. "Are you hungry? Stupid question, of course you're hungry. Wait here, I'll reheat the food."

I watched her leave the room. I didn't even move, afraid that if I spoke, the mirage would fade and I'd wake up. So I did nothing. I sat still and stared at the door until she came back a few minutes later, holding a tray. "You need to eat," she explained. Blowing on the soup to cool it down, she then raised the spoon toward me. I continued to stare dumbly at her. "Open your mouth, Ji," she softly said. "Please?" she added with a smile. 

I would do anything for that smile. And so I opened my mouth and let her feed me. It was my fourth one when I started to retch. She handed me a glass of water and I drank it while she rubbed my back. "You okay?" I nodded. "Do you want to eat more?" I shook my head. Dara was about to stand up when I grabbed her hand. 

"Kajima," I told her, my voice hoarse from a whole day of not being used.

"It's alright. I'm just going to put the tray—"

"Kajimaaa." After seeing how distressed I was, Dara finally relented. She took her seat beside me again. 

"Arasso. I won't go." She patted my hand reassuringly. "You can go back to sleep now."

My throat hurt, but I ignored it. "No."

"Don't be stubborn, Jiyong. You need to rest."

I shook my head. "If I close my eyes, you might disappear."

"I won't."

I searched her eyes. "Swear it," I said and held up my little finger.

"Ji--"

"Swear it," I repeated in a pleading voice. "Just promse me you won't leave."

After a few moments, Dara sighed before looping her pinky around mine. "Keurae. I promise." I finally allowed myself to relax. "Now go to sleep," she gently pushed me down on the bed. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Clasping her hand over my heart, I looked at her face one last time before closing my eyes. 

I'll be here, I promise.