Dara woke up to the cawing of seagulls in the distance. Lids fluttering open, she slowly took in the sight of the sun's rays streaming in through the open window, the white sheer curtains hitting the seashell wind chimes as it billowed in the wind. She groggily searched for her phone, thumping across the mattress until she felt something coarse hit her fingers. Turning her head to the side, she was pleasantly surprised to find a single red rose placed on top of Jiyong's pillow. Underneath it was a small white envelope. Clutching the sheets to her chest, Dara pushed herself up so she could lean back on the headboard before opening the letter. The words Good morning, my love! greeted her in his perfectly neat handwriting.

I hope you slept well last night. I know I did. *Wink-wink* Don't mean to sound too cliche, but waking up next to you is my definition of happiness. Thank you for putting up with all of my , babe. You deserve someone better, but as you already know, I'm quite selfish and so I've decided to keep you all to myself. kekeke And if it's still not clear to you, I'll say it again: I LOVE YOU. Y-O-U. Only you. Never forget that you are my everything. Arasso?

Nobody knows who you are to me, but that doesn't matter because we always know.

Yours in this lifetime till the next,

Kwon Ji Yong

P.S. Hurry and come to the veranda. I'll be waiting. <3

Moved by this sweet gesture, she found herself smiling as she brought the flower to her nose. Jiyong must truly be sorry for him to willingly cut his sleep short in order to prepare all of this. Fun fact: Bigbang's ruthless leader was not a morning person. Whenever she stays over at his apartment, she's always the first one to wake and despite her consistent nagging, he refuses to get up and even manages to convince her to 'cuddle' with him for a few minutes longer. He would charm his way out of any argument and like any hopeless romantic, she would just roll her eyes and do whatever his highness wants because once he flashes that gummy smile, she goes weak in the knees and all reason gets chucked out the window. With a sigh, Dara clambered off the bed and tried to do her usual stretch only to end up groaning in discomfort, her body aching all over. Aigoo, it felt like she just ran a freaking marathon. Jiyong proved that his prowess as an all-out performer wasn't just limited to the stage in front of a large audience, but also extended toward the privacy of his own bed. After two more rounds of passionate lovemaking, she had to wave the white flag or else they would've ended up not getting any sleep at all. 

Dara tiptoed into the shower and quickly cleaned herself from traces of last night's activities before ambling her way to the sink to wash her face and brush her teeth. Nothing more could be done to her hair so she just decided to run her fingers through it to lessen the frizz before tying it in a messy bun. Feeling a bit refreshed, she padded her way back to the bedroom and was about to rummage through her belongings when she caught sight of Jiyong's discarded white shirt haphazardly strewn over the dresser. Languidly picking it up, she pulled it over her head, the hem of the shirt ending a few good inches above her knees. She decided to ditch the pants since the weather felt nice today and the less clothes she wears, the more comfortable she feels. After deeming herself presentable, she grabbed the rose from the bed before heading to the veranda. Dara initially thought there'd be a mess in the kitchen however, she remembered how much of a neat freak Jiyong was so it no longer came as a surprise to see everything placed back in its proper order. Once she passed through the double doors, hang agape at the sight of a full English breakfast laid out for her on the table. Toast, eggs, bacon, a bowl of fruits...the smell of coffee lingering in the air. Another rose was delicately placed on top of her plate. 

"Ottokae..." A bright smile crossed her features as she picked it up. "He's totally raising the bar right now. Aigoo." She raised her head and started searching for the culprit. Where could he be? Walking barefoot toward the shoreline, Dara allowed herself to bask in the afterglow, inhaling the salty breeze and feeling the sun on her skin as she tipped her chin to the sky. 

"Delivery for the beautiful Miss Sandara Park."

Two strong arms suddenly enveloped Dara in a hug. Jiyong kissed her temple before handing her another rose. She giggled and he nuzzled her neck, his scent enough to make her heart flutter wildly in her chest. They stayed like that for a while, not saying anything and just gazing out into the vastness of the ocean before them. The waves rolled to the shore, the water glistening like diamonds under the morning light. 

"Ya, ahjumma."

"Mmm?"

"Wae?"

She broke their embrace to look at him. "Why what?"

He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing into slits as he gave her a once over. "Why did you come out looking like that?"

She looked down at herself. "Oh yeah, um, I borrowed your shirt. Hope you don't mind."

"I do actually." 

"Eh?"

"Don't get me wrong, I love seeing you in my clothes. More so when you're out of it," he coyly added with a wink. "But this—" he motioned toward her, "—this is for my personal viewing only. You can't just go around the beach seducing people, you know." She stared at him for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Ya. Wae gurae? I'm serious, ahjumma!" His petulant expression just made her laugh harder. "Aiiish jinjja. You think this is funny?" He clicked his tongue. "Keurae. I'll show you something funny." Without warning, he lifted her from the ground and flung her over his shoulder like a sack of potato. She instantly squealed. Because of the awkward position, Dara's shirt rode up her waist and ultimately exposed her black underwear. Jiyong smirked and playfully spanked her . 

"Ya, you're not even wearing any shorts!" He hissed in admonition. "Aigoo. Such a naughty naughty Darabbit." 

"That's because you told me to hurry!" She kicked her legs, her small hands hitting his back. "Ya, Kwon Jiyong! Put me down this instant!!" 

He did put her down. On his lap to be specific. She tried to protest, but he quickly cut her off with a deep kiss, his tongue darting in as soon as she parted her lips. In a matter of seconds, she was kissing him back, the little tokki completely putty in his hands. "Mmm. Peppermint," he murmured between kisses. "You taste divine, love." Just when he was about to nibble on her ear, Dara's stomach began to growl. He leaned back and gave her an amused look. 

"What?" She said defensively before moving out of his lap so she could sit across the table from him. "In case you forgot, we did skip dinner, you know."

"Really? I'm rather full."

"But you didn't eat anything."

He tipped his head to the side as if trying to remember something crucial. "Didn't I eat you out last night?" 

It took a few seconds before Dara got the gist of the thinly veiled provocative remark and when it finally registered, her hand descended on his arm with a resounding slap. "Yah!" Her cheeks burned in embarrassment.

Jiyong guffawed at her slow pick-up. "I'm kidding, babe! Oww! Stooooop!!" He tried his best to fend off her attacks. "Geez, it's just a joke. Relax, ahjumma. Here," he plucked a strip of bacon from the plate and urged her to open so he could feed her. "Come on. I know you're hungry." With a final glare, she finally conceded and ate what he offered. They took turns in feeding each other, the scenic view of the beach serving as their backdrop.

Sometimes the littlest things take up the most  room in your heart. And right now as he watched the little tokki enjoying the breakfast he cooked, Jiyong's heart almost felt like bursting in overwhelming happiness. Dara had a voracious appetite, the kind that makes you want to eat whatever she's eating because she makes it look so appealing. She didn't even have to worry about going on a diet cause no matter how much she eats, she never gets fat, usually the cause of envy for most girls. 'Daebak. How come Dara unnie eats twice as much yet she's still so skinny? All I have to do is smell food and I gain a few pounds!' This would be Chaerin's constant complaint when they eat together.

Well, there's no helping it if his girlfriend was too y for her own good. Kekeke

Making sure the little tokki was still busy munching on some apples, Jiyong grabbed the camera from its carrier and stealthily took her picture. She looked up in surprise after noticing the flash. "Ya, Jiyongie!" She scolded, her cheeks puffy with all the food she stuffed inside .

"Aigoo. You look really cute!" he told her when the Polaroid finally came out.

She circled around the table to check it over his shoulder. "Aiiish! I wasn't ready!"

He merely grinned and made her sit on his lap again. Placing his head on the crook of her neck, he then stretched his hand out to take a selfie. "Smile, babe."

*flash*

"Yah! My eyes were closed!!"

This went on until they used up a whole pack of films and left with nothing else to do, Jiyong suggested they take a leisurely stroll along the beach to which Dara enthusiastically agreed to. She managed to hold the camera this time and proceeded to make Jiyong her subject. After walking for a few minutes, they stopped to sit on the sand, Dara contentedly leaning against Jiyong's chest, his knees bent on either side of her. They talked about the most random of things and laughed over the silliest jokes, mostly unshared stories from their childhood and at one point, the conversation deviated to the night they first met. 

"Come on, be honest. You remember that night, right?" He asked, his hand absently playing with her ear. "The girl with the pink scarf was you. You even tried to steal a kiss from me."

She elbowed him in the ribs. "I only leaned in so I could put the band-aid on your face, genius."

"Ha!" He exclaimed, his brows almost reaching his scalp as he squeezed her cheeks. "So you finally admit it! I knew it was you."

"Yeah, yeah. It was me. Happy?"

"Yep." He was feeling good about guessing it right when he realized something. "Ya, what were you doing in a club? Were you trying to get drunk?"

"Heavens no," she answered with a chuckle. "I was hiding."

"Hiding? From whom?"

"My date."

This grabbed his attention. "Wait. You were on a date that night?"

"Mmm. It was more of a business transaction, really." She felt him shift behind her. Turning around so her legs were draped over his, she gazed at Jiyong who looked at her in question. She started tracing the heart tattoo on his forearm. "My Dad has this habit of setting me up on a date with whoever meets his standards, more often than not, they happen to be sons of his work associates."

"Did you like any of them?"

She snorted. "Most were all brawn and no brains. I'd rather talk to a tree, thank you very much." Jiyong pursed his lips, debating with himself if he should say anything or not. Dara noticed this of course. After being with him for so long, she could easily pick up on his mood just by looking at his face. She craned her neck before planting a kiss on his cheek. "Hey. What's on your mind?"

"I was just thinking." He gave her a lopsided smile. "Apart from the ones you've told me, I still don't know everything about you." Her brows started to scrunch up and he quickly added, "I mean, I met your adoptive family and the Ma's are a really great bunch. I just...it would be nice to finally get introduced to your Dad, you know."

It's not like she's purposefully avoiding any likeliness of them meeting up. Her father just happens to be a different kind of story. She absently tugged the seam of his shirt. "Heojangnim is a very busy person and—"

"Why do you keep referring to your father as Chairman?"

"Sorry. Old habits." She shyly smiled. "I used to call him ahjussi when he first took me under his wing. Heojangnim is basically an upgrade."

"You don't call him Dad?"

"No. At least not to his face. Don't get me wrong, he usually spoils me rotten, but sometimes he gets a little bit over the top when it comes to my well-being. He's a stickler for perfection." Tilting her head to the side, she shot him an amused smile. "Kinda reminds me of you, actually."

"Ya," he flicked her on the nose. "Are you saying you hate me?"

She laughed and looped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer. "Nope. I'm saying that despite your flaws, I still love you to pieces."

"Aiiish," he clicked his tongue before looking away. "You say that now."

"Coz it's true." He continued to pout. "Aigoo, this little baby. Fine. I'll prove it." She pushed herself to a standing position. He curiously watched as Dara took a few steps forward, the waves already reaching her feet. "Kwon Ji Yong, you idiot!" She shouted, her hands cupped around . "How many times do I have to tell you I love you? I love you even if you're a total jerk! I love you even if you can't cook to save your life, you crazy bastard!" He burst out laughing as she continued professing her undying love for him. "Don't you dare look at other girls, you hear me?! I'll kick your sorry into the next century if you do!"

"Arasso," he breathed out, wiping the stray tears from his eyes as he stood. "I won't, I swear. Kekeke. Just stop with the death threats already." He pulled Dara in a hug and placed his head over hers. "You're the only one for me, Park Sandara-ssi."

"I better be," she muttered into his neck. He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Always." They cuddled for a few more minutes before Jiyong went, "Oh yeah. We need to get dressed. We got a busy day ahead of us."

"Did you have something planned?"

"Yep. It's a surprise." He winked. 

She frowned, but still nodded. "Fine. I'll go take a shower first."

"Okay. I'll hop in with you."

"Mworago?"

He looked innocently at her. "We can save time if I get in the shower with you."

"Ha! Nice try, but you're not coming with me, mister."

"I believe I did last—" Dara's hand effectively cut him off. 

"Your ual innuendos really need to stop," she said with a warning glare. "Tss. You're such a bad boy."

He removed her hand to reveal his annoyingly wide -eating grin. "If that's the case, will you punish me then?"

"Ji..." She started backing away. "Don't."

"Here's the deal. If I don't catch you, I'll stay in bed while you shower. But if I do—"

She didn't wait and sprinted toward the house like a gazelle trying to escape its predator. Jiyong allowed her a few seconds head start. The little tokki may be fast, but he was faster. He smirked. 

"Ahjumma!!"