A/N: So...the king is back guys!! Kekeke and on that note...I’m also back!!! Deeply deeply sorry to all of you who have been patiently waiting for updates to this story. I’ve been MIA for months and there’s no excuse. Life just really caught up with me and I had to focus on that coz sadly, we can’t be fanfiction writers all the time. I know. *cries in hangul* Anyway, I will be posting additional chapters soon. Don’t worry, got a few surprises up my sleeve for you beautiful folks out there! For now, enjoy this one! 

 

 

 

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Jiyong chewed on his nail, a frown etched on his face. Three different layouts for the concert poster were taped on the board and only one would make the final cut. Rolling his shoulders, he then pointed to the one in the middle. "Let's go with red."

 

"See? I told you he'd pick the red one."

 

"And the title?"

 

"Put it at the bottom."

They all nodded and jotted down his instructions. He looked around and noticed the tired faces of his production team. The time on the overhead clock told him it was half past ten. They've been at it since seven in the morning, roughly fifteen hours with only a few minute breaks in between. No wonder the atmosphere in the room had gotten a bit despondent. Suppose we can call it a day, he thought wearily. Pushing his chair back, he stood and clapped his hands to gain their attention. "I think it’s time we wrap it up guys. I'm sure you all have somewhere to be on a Friday night. Good job everyone." After promptly discussing last minute modifications with the costume supervisor, Jiyong exchanged goodbyes with the rest of the staff before exiting the PMO headquarters.

 

"By the way, Kiko left a message for you again. Do you want me to ring her up now?" Taehee asked when they entered the car.

 

"Tell her I'm busy."

 

"But your afternoon's free, though."

 

He pulled his gaze away from his phone screen long enough to give Taehee a sour look. "I said I’m busy."

 

"Oh come on, man. You keep ignoring her calls and messages and quite frankly, I’m running out of excuses here," he muttered, opening a bag of chips and popping a handful in his mouth before leaning back and offering some to Jiyong. "I feel bad about it too ‘coz it seems like she has something important to say."

 

"Then by all means, you go. I can't screw things up with Dara again. I mean, what do you think will happen if I say yes to every dinner invitation I get from my ex-girlfriends?"

 

It was meant to be rhetorical, a fact known to both men yet something Taehee ostensibly disregards when he replied, "You'd be forty pounds heavier, I wager." When Jiyong's eyes started to turn into slits, Taehee decided it was for the best to not push his buttons for tonight. Who knows, he might get lucky and maybe his friend would have a change of heart come morning. "Alright, alright. You win. I’ll let this one go, but just to be clear, if she asks again, I’m telling her the truth. You know she's pretty insistent—"

 

"Like I said, it's fine so just drop it," said Jiyong gruffly. "Now can I get some peace and quiet?"

 

Taehee raised his arms in a show of surrender, finally leaving him with his thoughts. Truth be told, he had completely forgotten about Kiko since he and Dara got together. He was being an inconsiderate friend, he knew, but he needed to be on the safe side. Meeting up with Kiko could be construed differently despite the fact that their current relationship was purely platonic. He just got out of hot water and he intends to stay that way indefinitely. Cracking his knuckles, Jiyong leaned back on the leather seat, folding his legs under him as Taehee turned the music on. He rolled the window down and stuck his hand out, almost instantly feeling the cold breeze caress his fingers as he marveled at the sight of holiday decorations hanging from the lampposts, storefronts bedecked with spectacular fairy lights and the sidewalk lined up with bright colorful trees. If he listened hard, he could hear Christmas carols playing in the background. Jiyong closed his eyes and sighed. It was times like this he wished his relationship with Dara wasn't so complicated. He promised he would do his best to stay in touch with her, he really did, but there's just too many things going on that needed his attention especially now that his solo tour was set to kick off around the first week of February, a little over two months away. He was constantly in and out of meetings and burning the midnight oil just to get his recordings done. When he gets home at four in the morning, he'd stumble on the couch and falls asleep right off the bat. Taehee wakes him up by seven and he'd drag his sorry into the shower to begin another jam-packed day. This vicious cycle had been going on for weeks that it got harder and harder to keep his promise.

 

Taking his phone out, he started to compose a message for Dara when he noticed a bunch of notifications on his screen. 

 

YB: Dude are you done with your meeting?

YB: where are you??

YB: Are you on your way now?!!

YB: Jiyongie, paliiiiiii juseyoooooo T__T

 

Shaking his head, he typed a quick reply. Youngbae's not usually demanding compared to the other members so for him to nag like this meant it must be something important. "Hyung, are we close?"

 

Dong-gil looked at him from the rearview mirror, "Just a few blocks more. Make sure to keep your head low when you enter the store."

 

He nodded in response. When they arrived, Taehee scurried over to open the door and Jiyong briskly walked toward the entrance, making sure his turtleneck was stretched enough to cover the lower part of his face. He found his bestfriend talking to the manager in hushed tones near the glass display as he ambled his way in.

 

"What’s the emergency?" 

 

"Oh good, you're here." YB clapped him on the back and led him to sit on one of the plush chairs. It was evident that they were the only customers in the store since all the silk draperies were drawn and the lighting was muted. Plus the fact that there's no annoying reporters around to discreetly take their pictures. "So what do you think?"

 

Jiyong took one look at the two rings laid out in front of him and finally understood the reason for YB’s inexplicable paranoia. "You traitor," he punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You could’ve just told me on the phone."

 

"And have you immediately blabber it to someone else? Uh thanks, but no."

 

"Well telling me now isn’t going to help your case." He sent him a glare before glancing down to take a closer look at the rings. "Mmm...what do you think represents Hyorin the most? I mean, this is Hyorin we're talking about, right?"

 

"Of course, you jackass," he replied, looking mildly affronted.

 

"Okay, okay! Just covering the basics here. Don't want my buddy marrying the wrong gal, you know." He was met with a fluid eye-roll that made him chuckle. "Alright. Let's see what we have here." He lifted the rings and examined each one for a few minutes, softly humming to himself while Youngbae hovered anxiously over his shoulder, hands darting to his pocket every so often. Stifling the chuckle that's about to bubble up to the surface, Jiyong turned to look at him, face alight with amusement as he took on his bestfriend's pasty complexion. "We're just picking out a ring, man. You're not getting married yet so there's no need to be nervous."

 

"Easy for you to say," he scoffed. "You're not the one about to propose."

 

The edges of Jiyong’s lips lifted into a smirk as he fished something out of his coat pocket. His best friend shot him a disbelieving look before swiping the velvet pouch from his nimble fingers. He then poured the contents onto his palm—two infinty white gold bands came tumbling out, one thicker than the other and both had inscriptions inside them. YB was at a loss for words when he glanced back at him again. "Dude...wow. I mean, just wow. How long have you had this?"

 

"About a few months back."

 

"What?! And you've been carrying it around since?"

 

"I just...I want to be ready in case the perfect moment comes, you know." The Bigbang leader shot him a sheepish smile, raking his fingers through his hair in apparent embarrassment. "Wae? Is it too cheesy?"

 

"Moronic, actually." YB punched him lightly on the chest. "But really romantic. If I was your girlfriend and you proposed to me with this, I'd be completely over the moon. Heck, I'd even marry you right here, right now."

 

"Ugh, that’s certainly a picture I don’t want in my head." Jiyong made a gagging expression and retrieved the rings while YB laughed. "And don't you go telling anyone about this or I'm spilling all your secrets to Hyorin."

 

"Pssh, like yours isn't way worse," he countered. "Seriously though, not even the boys?"

 

"Fine. But not Seungri," Jiyong said with a scowl. YB raised a brow in silent question. After a few seconds, he sighed in resignation. "Alright, alright. You can tell Seungri, but make sure he keeps his big mouth shut until the day I propose, aratji?"

 

"And when exactly is that going to be?"

 

Jiyong plopped down the chair with a huff. "I honestly have no idea. I was hoping I can talk to Dara's father and sort all of this out, you know, make it official. Problem is, she's being held up in that mansion and with my hellish schedule, I just don't have the time."

 

"That totally ."

 

"Tell me about it."

 

YB took a seat beside him, swinging his arm over his shoulders. "Well if you need any help with the planning, you can always call me. I'll come and help you out."

 

"Thanks dude." 

 

"Yah, what are best friends for?"

 

Once they were done with their initial business, YB invited him to a nearby bar to have a drink, but he declined. He had been meaning to call Dara since yesterday, but because he got so busy, he kept putting it off. Now would be the perfect chance to make up for it. He dialed her number and waited for her to answer. "Yoboseyo?" Dara's soft voice greeted him. 

 

"Ahjumma."

 

"Jiyong?"

 

"Yeah, who else?" he said with a little chuckle. "I just got off work. What are you up to?"

 

"I'm cooking dinner."

 

"Eodi?"

 

"Um...at home."

 

"I see." He clipped the phone between his ear and shoulder while rummaging through his bag for some mints. "Listen, I'm so sorry for bailing on you again. I just have so many things on my plate right now and I know I promised to visit--"

 

"You don't have to keep apologizing, Jiyongie. I know you're busy and I completely understand. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself, okay?"

 

He shook his head, lips tugging at the corners. "Neh. I promise."

 

They talked for a couple of minutes more before she had to hang up, insisting she had to focus on her cooking. He had resorted to whining like a toddler, but the little tokki would have none of it. With a heavy heart, he said his goodbyes and promised to call her once he gets home. However, not even a minute later, his phone rang again. He didn't bother checking who it was and quickly answered it with a smile thinking it was Dara who had finally come to her senses. "Aigoo, did you miss me that fast?"

 

"Um y-yes?"

 

Upon hearing the voice from the other line, his mood instantly soured. "Seungri-yah, what do you want?"

 

"Hyung, why are you angry again? I haven't even said anything yet."

 

He rolled his eyes. "What is it? What do you want?"

 

"Why do you always think I want something from you?"

 

"So you called me for nothing? Alright then. I’m hanging up—"

 

"Chakaman, hyung! Chakamanyo!!"

 

I knew it. Jiyong clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. "Ai wae?! Hurry up and tell me. I don't have all night."

 

"Okay, okay. Um..I need some help."

 

"Help with what?"

 

"I...ran out of money."

 

"What do you mean you ran out of money?"

 

"See, uh, I kind of had a few drinks and um, well, I just found out I left my wallet at home."

 

"Whatever," sighed Jiyong. "I'll wire you some cash."

 

"I also left my credit cards."

 

"Well no . What do you want me to do then?"

 

"Can you swing by the club and help me out?"

 

"You’re kidding, right?"
 

"My driver's license is inside my wallet so I kinda need a ride, too. Please hyung!! I swear, just this once! PLEAAAAASE!!!"

 

Jiyong leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "You owe me big, you punk."

 

The maknae failed to mention that he wasn't drinking alone and in fact, was there with a couple of his own friends. He didn't know most of them, but he did recognize a few faces, including the girl who greeted him when he arrived at the VIP lounge. She was a former idol, but had long delved into the world of acting after leaving her group. Jiyong first met Lee Jooyeon on a show a couple of years ago. At that time, he was still the air-headed G-dragon who enjoyed living at the center of everyone's attention. Those were the days he spent on making public appearances, booze, parties—women. And now one of them happened to be right in front of him. "Orenmanya, GD." She smiled and offered the seat next to hers. He nodded and politely thanked her. "How's your work? I heard from Seungri you're about to go on tour." 

 

Jiyong narrowed his eyes at the maknae who was too busy mixing drinks for everyone, totally neglecting the fact that it was his credit card the little was using. "Neh."

 

"Aigoo,why didn't you say so?" she playfully hit his thigh. He didn't fail to notice how she'd been flipping her hair over her shoulder a number of times since he arrived. "When is your tour going to kick off?"

 

"Early February. I mean, that's the plan."

 

She twirled the umbrella on her coctail drink and glanced up at him through her thick lashes. "Well, what does a girl have to do to get free tickets?"

 

It was painfully obvious that she was flirting with him and though she was a pretty girl, his heart already belonged to someone else. Still, he didn't want to come across as a jerk so he pretended not to notice and decided to just go with the flow. After all, to the public's eye, he was undeiniably and perfectly single. "You probably have to treat me to a few drinks," he replied with a smirk of his own. The coquettish smile she gave him only strengthened his suspicions. 

 

"Very well." she practically purred in his ear. "Waiter!"

 

It took an hour before Jiyong finally succumbed to the alcohol's effects and after realizing he could no longer walk without seeing double, he excused himself and dragged Seungri from the club to take him home. After dropping the maknae at his house, the next events got blurry and he regained consciousness as the car skidded to a stop. His head was hurting badly so he rolled the window down. Blinking repeatedly to sober him up, he then noticed a small kiosk situated along the street where an assortment of stuffed toys were on display and by some strange fate, included a few Bigbang merchandise. He smiled, recalling how much Dara wanted to own one. According to her, living as an only child meant more time indoors, less time with play. While all the little girls her age learned how to put on make up, she was content with locking herself in her room, nose buried in a pile of books. Rather lonely, he imagined. 

 

An idea sprung in his mind. "Ahjumma!" he yelled out to the vendor manning the stall. The old lady squinted up at him as he waved his hand. "How much is that blue stuffed toy?" He pointed to the mini Krunk plushie version of him, complete with the cross tattoo on the face and the fluffy black hat. She told him the amount and he quickly plucked the money out of his wallet, handing it to her. "I'll take it."

 

She smiled and wrapped it up. "Here you go, dear."

 

"Thank you."

 

"You're welcome. Geundae, is it a present for your nephew?" She asked good-naturedly, completely oblivious to the fact that it was GD she was talking to. His mask didn't even cover his face. Jiyong, sloshed as he might be, still had the sharp wit not to disclose the truth to some random stranger. 

 

"Um, yes. He's a fan of Bigbang."

 

"Ah, geurokona. Well, I hope the little boy likes it."

 

He thanked her again before Dong-Gil stepped on the accelerator. "Isn't that a tad narcissistic?" asked Taehee from the passenger seat, an amused smirk on his face as he glanced at the toy.

 

"It's not for me, doofus," Jiyong retorted, kicking him in the shoulder with his bare foot before placing the plushie beside him. 

 

"Who's it for then?"

 

"Not telling." He stuck his tongue out and closed his eyes again.

 

*Beep beep beep beep*

 

Click. 

 

Jiyong weakly pushed the door open and blindly reached for his slippers. Cracking his neck, he turned the lights on and ambled his way to the kitchen when his stomach growled. He let out a curse. Because of Seungri, he was forced to drink without eating anything and now he's totally suffering for it. What's worse was that he had forgotten to ask Taehee to do some grocery shopping so he's pretty sure his pantry was empty. Left with nothing to eat, he grabbed a glass from the counter and filled it with water from the fridge's dispenser. This will have to do, he sadly thought as he gulped it down. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Jiyong was about to head toward his bedroom when he paused in front of the door and did a double take. He blinked. Then rubbed his eyes for good measure. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, he approached the dining table with the stealth of a hungry panther on a hunt. I'm not dreaming, am I? Jiyong reached out and opened the lids of the food containers one by one, his mouth instantly salivating at the sight of the spicy kimchi stew, rolled egg omelette, his favorite chicken wings, and a variety of side dishes meticulously prepared for him.

 

He rushed back to the kitchen and opened his pantry. It was filled with an assortment of his favorite snacks and as expected, the hangover remedy was kept in a plastic organizer, perfectly labeled with colorful post-it notes that only Dara could've made. Even his fridge had been restocked with energy drinks, pork cutlets, rice balls, and a tupperware of homemade kimchi. She must've been in his apartment when he called which means the home she was referring to was his. This realization made him smile like a lunatic. Taking a few selcas with the rabbit shaped apples as a memento, he then uploaded it on Bigbang's chat group for no real reason other than to make s jealous. Still grinning from ear to ear, he started digging in.

 

An hour later, a satiated and sleepy Jiyong was getting ready for bed when the sudden ping drew his attention to the door. An annoyed grunt left his lips as he fought the urge to once again slip under the covers, ultimately pattering across the floor toward the living room when his visitor attempted to punch in his code. His irritation immediately went down a couple of notches when he caught sight of who it was.

 

"Hyung!" Mino hurriedly greeted as soon as the door opened, his knuckles still suspended in the air as if he had been halfway through a knock. "Sorry I'm late. Practice took longer than I thought."

 

Jiyong's brows converged into a frown. "Am I supposed to be expecting you?"

 

"Ahaha. You're funny, hyung." When he saw Jiyong's genuinely confused look, Mino realized he wasn't joking. "Wait, you seriously forgot?" He chuckled before inviting himself in, readily plopping down the couch like he owned the place. His eyes greedily took in the state of Jiyong's apartment, fascination crossing his features when he leaned forward to scrutinize the quirky centerpiece on top of the coffee table. "I rushed back home to get this because you told me you wanted them pronto." Without lifting his gaze from the magazines neatly stacked at the end of the ottoman, he laid out a small package together with the disposable camera on the couch beside him and motioned for Jiyong to take a look at it. "I also got those posca pens you wanted. Although, I'm a little curious. What do you need them for? Are you working on an art piece or something?"

 

"Something like that," Jiyong replied absently, his fingers already running through the set of doodle materials, examining it with scrupulous attention to detail as he does with most things.

 

"Is this for decoration then?" MIno continued to pry. "Stuff to hang in the living room or something?"

 

"Not quite."

 

"You're not planning to give this to noona for Christmas—" The stony look he received stopped him mid-sentence. "Well, geez. Just throw me a bone here."

 

Jiyong finally closed the box and held it to his chest protectively as he stood. "Thanks for dropping it here, man." Tapping Mino's shoulder once, he then started to the direction of his room without a backward glance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got stuff to do. Be sure to turn off the lights when you leave." 

 

It took Jiyong three hours to finally compile the polaroids in the layout he wanted and so absorbed was he with his little project that when he lifted his gaze again, it was met with the first rays of the sun escaping through the blinds on his window. Rubbing his eyes, he deftly stretched from his perch on his worktable and tried to work out the kinks on his neck. "Ahh, jeongmal~" He twisted this way and that, savoring the crack he hears from his stiff joints as he reached his arms to the ceiling. After a particularly long yawn, he leaned back to inspect his work. It needed a few more touches, but so far, it was looking pretty good. Jiyong was certain he'd be able to finish it by Christmas eve. Which reminds him...

 

Is your Dad still on that business trip?

 

For some reason, Dara was always up before him no matter what time he wakes in the morning. Her reply came not even five seconds later.

 

Dara: Yes. Why?

Jiyong: Can you meet me for dinner on Thursday then?

Dara: Aren't you busy?

Jiyong: I'll make time. Besides, I have something to tell you.

Dara: What is it?

 

"Aigoo. So impatient," he mused.

 

Jiyong: I'll tell you then. 

              

 

 

His eyes found the velvet box sitting innocently on his nightstand. Oh, yes. Jiyong couldn't wait.