More minutes passed by, Donghae and Dara didn’t recognize they were holding hands for too long. The swarming crowd had already eased out of the way but they remained motionless in their positions. Words failed them at the moment, tongue-tied at the given situation.
Their silence could have lasted for more minutes but not until they heard Jiyong’s voice again.

Jiyong said, “Grandma~ Glad you’re both still here.”

Donghae and Dara then looked at his direction. He was of course together with Nana again. 
Dara flinched at the thought that Jiyong might see them holding hands. Her hand moved a little but Donghae clenched tighter and didn’t let her go.

Donghae spoke, “Ye?”

Jiyong pointed at Nana then said, “She wanted to eat dinner and invite you to come with us.”

Donghae and Dara looked at each other as if waiting for each others’ approval to go. While they paused to think of an answer, Jiyong finally noticed their hands in tact with each other. It brought him an unusual feeling. He may not act like it, but he suddenly had a flashback from what happened to him and Dara in Japan way back.
It was unpreventable to compare to what happened before. He held her hand back then but let go right after he noticed they had been doing it for too long. And right at this moment, seeing her holding hands with someone else and knowing that they didn’t let go even if he had already caught them made him feel inferior, like he was a nobody.
Bitterness came to his heart when he saw someone else doing it to her the way he failed to do so before.
He loved her, he knew that—but it was crystal clear now, especially seeing it with his own eyes, she already belonged to someone else, holding hands, unashamed and most importantly, he didn’t let go.
He wished he also didn’t let go before but it was too late.
It was only when Nana held his hand that he felt like he was slapped hard by the reality. He immediately came back to his senses and said, “Nana, I told you they need some alone time. Let’s give them their privacy. Let’s just eat the hotel’s dinner.”

Nana said, “Why don’t we ask them instead? Maybe they wanted to come.”

Dara asked Donghae, “Are we going to eat dinner?”

Donghae answered, but more to the tone that he didn’t want to go, “We’re supposed to.”

Jiyong didn’t like to go with them too as it would make the situation awkward. He knew Nana was doing it on purpose to see how he would treat Dara in front of her. She’d like to see if he really meant what he said that they were just friends.
Donghae, on the other hand, also felt uneasy because he didn’t like to see Jiyong and Dara interacting close to him. Although he knew they were just friends, there’s still something about them that was making him feel otherwise. Men can sense it from one another. It's in their instincts. 

And now that Donghae and Jiyong seemed to be opposing the idea, Dara felt uncomfortable so she said, “Maybe it’s better if we eat separately?”

Nana replied, “I insist.”

The three of them shared an awkward silence after it. No one agreed yet no one objected as well. They just stood there, avoiding each other's eyes with their mouths hushed.
Nana felt the drop of the mood so she cheerfully tried to convince them, “This moment is rare. All of us here in Paris? This doesn’t happen very often. Let’s have fun tonight at least.”

Jiyong nodded to his girlfriend’s idea to support her. Even though he knew deep inside that he didn’t want any of this to happen, he willingly did it just so they wouldn’t fight again.
Dara, who’s naive with what’s going on, agreed to go and said, “Let’s make this night memorable!”
She dragged Donghae’s hand and said, “Let’s go?”

Donghae was hesitant at first but because Dara was holding his hand, it gave him the feeling of reassurance and courage. He bobbed his head once and said, “Let’s go.”
Jiyong saw them confidently agreeing to go, not knowing Donghae was having troubles dealing with the situation like him too. Because of it, he thought he must feel the same as them too so he removed his hand from Nana’s grip and used the same arm to wrap it around her shoulder.

He said, “Nana and I know a place that’s perfect for tonight.”

“That’s great. You’ve probably roamed around here together often so please tour us~” Dara energetically replied.

Nana said, "Yes!”

They walked side by side together, having Jiyong and Nana a little bit in front as they were leading the way. They headed to a taxi bay to hail one and it arrived faster than they expected. It caught them off guard so they haven’t decided the seating plan just yet. 
Three had to stay in the back seat and one must be beside the driver’s seat. 
Nana hopped in first so Jiyong had to follow and sit beside her. He thought that this wouldn’t happen if only he weren’t on a private vacation because surely, he would have a private car to drop and fetch him anywhere. But since, the scenario would cause controversy to each one of them when known by their managers or anyone from their offices, they settled on living like a normal tourist in Paris for a night. Hence, a cab as their main mode of transportation.

Donghae didn’t like Dara to sit beside the driver they didn’t know but he also didn’t want her to sit beside Jiyong. He was torn and it took him quite a while to decide which one to prioritize; his feelings or her safety. Dara felt that Donghae didn’t want her to sit beside Jiyong when she remembered that he mentioned before that the reason why he avoided her at the dinner with the Borrow Trouble team was because he got scared of her dating scandal with Jiyong.
So then she volunteered to sit in the front but Donghae abruptly spoke in opposition, “No. I’ll go there.”

Dara was surprised by his decision. In fact, she was not expecting any of his actions tonight. It was spontaneous and braver this time. She thought he would be too protective of her to sit beside the person she knew he got insecure with but she was wrong. Donghae trusted her and logically, he thought it would be safer for her to sit beside a friend rather than a stranger. She had already been with a creep lately and he just got sensitive to that matter which led him to his decision to protect her.

They all got in eventually. Everyone was seated at their seats inside the car and Nana told the driver their destination. Right after that, no one spoke. It was again awkward.
Jiyong didn’t want to speak to Dara because he was beside his girlfriend. Dara didn’t want to speak to Jiyong as well because Donghae might get jealous. Donghae wasn’t originally close with Jiyong and Nana so it’s a given that he would really feel uncomfortable, most especially because he was apart from Dara, the only person he’s close with, for the meantime.

It was a long silent ride and the awkwardness inside was unbearable. If there was something common with all of them, it would be the desire to arrive at their destination and get off the car as soon as possible. They didn't imagine that such an event would happen tonight or any time at all. Never did they expect to meet each other in the same place to begin with.
 
And so they endured the silent ride until they arrived at the place. Jiyong paid for the driver’s fee and they instantly took off.
In a short while, they were seated with their foods on the table of a restaurant. Each partner was seated in front of each other. Both partners were talking to each other and minding their own business as if they didn’t belong in the same table.

While they were eating, Jiyong poured the melted cheese on Nana’s plate then grabbed Dara’s plate next to pour some on it too. 
He said, “For you to gain weight, here’s a ladleful of fats.” then laughed at his own insult.
Dara laughed with him. She said, “I love cheese!” then ate the cheese mixed with the food on her plate.

Donghae saw what Jiyong did. He would like to think that Jiyong was just being a gentleman to the girls but he also thought that he didn’t have to do it when he’s just right beside Dara to do it himself. Due to what just happened, he began to feel off.

Jiyong asked Donghae, “Do you like some too?”

Donghae respectfully declined, “Ah, no thanks.” 

Then he ate the vegetable he ordered, quietly on his seat and repressed his emotion. 
Because everything’s starting to feel awkward again, Jiyong finally stepped up to lighten the mood so he said, “Should we order wine? Let’s turn up a bit.” as he moved in a funny way.

Dara chuckled at what Jiyong did and replied, “I like wine too but I’m not sure if we’re all into it.”

Donghae, who didn’t want to feel like an outcast, got along with the plan and decided to drink even though he knew he originally didn’t like alcohol and he had low tolerance to it.
Nana agreed to drink as well even if she doesn’t usually drink alcohol. It was inconspicuous that the two were just being competitive and not letting Dara and Jiyong get along too well on their own. They were adjusting to the situation so they wouldn’t feel left out, knowing the two had a deeper connection.

Jiyong used his fork and twisted the cheese then put it in his mouth without cutting the cheese so he stretched his head far away from the plate, struggling to cut it then laughed at what he did after.
He spoke with food in his mouth, “Is life always this hard? Or is it just when you’re a kid?”
(It was a famous quote in the movie 'Leon: The Professional')

Dara immediately got the joke and the movie reference. She laughed then said, “Who are you? Mathilda?”

Jiyong and Dara were now laughing together at something they both could relate to. Nana didn’t want to feel jealous because it was her idea in the first place but she couldn’t hide what she feels especially if she’s seeing her boyfriend laughing with not just another girl, but someone she secretly considered as a threat. 
She then cut the cheese through her hand and ate the string of cheese left. She said while smiling, “Don’t be too messy.”

She was wiping the cheese that was all over his clothes because it got cut off while Jiyong was stretching it through his head. Jiyong was munching on the cheese in his mouth when his chin felt sticky. He then looked for another tissue to wipe it.
Dara was watching them which made her get the idea that he was looking for a tissue so she gave him one.

Jiyong said, “Thanks.”

Donghae couldn’t stand watching them interact in front of him like that so he grabbed Dara’s hand on his right, put their hands together and placed it on top of the table to subtly show it as if he was marking his territory.

Dara was shocked at what he did. She stared at her left hand and murmured, “What is this?” while trying her best to hold her laughter.

Donghae said, “We’ll eat like this.”

Dara asked, “But you’re right handed.” concerned about how he would finish his food with their hands being like that.

Donghae, who was just carried away by his jealous emotions, didn’t want to get embarrassed so he stood for his decision and acted like it wasn’t any hurdle for him. He said, “I could do both.”
He continued to eat but obviously had a hard time using his left hand to eat.
Dara knew what was happening so she whispered, “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

Donghae whispered back, “Let me do this, please.”

Whi