Seoul, 13 September 2008

"Sleep tight, Ga-In ah!" Kyung-Sun unnie waves her hands before she shuts the door. The van zooms away afterwards. I walk into my apartment lobby and ride the elevator up to my floor. After punching in the security code, I storm into my apartment and run to the bathroom. Gosh, I shouldn't have eaten that tofu stew for dinner; it was too damn spicy, but I ate it anyway. Now look what it's doing to me. 

After taking a quick shower, I sit on the couch and scribble on my sketchbook. Ji-Yong said he was going to call, so here I am waiting for my mobile phone to ring. I grab the 'Stand Up' CD from inside my bag. I knew that my unnies had planned to ask for autographs from Big Bang, so I intentionally left my copy of their CD at home. What would my unnies say if they saw Ji-Yong's signature on it. They would ask a lot of questions, that's for sure. I look at the CD Ji-Yong gave me at MBC earlier. He slipped a little note inside and wrote 'a special copy for a special lady' on it. I smile as I remember how I giddy I was when I read that note for the first time. That G-Dragon has really boggled my mind. 

A ringing from my phone pulls me out of my daydream. Oh, speak of the devil...

"Yeoboseyo?" I answer. "Heeeeey..." Ji-Yong says cutely. Tsk, this guy... "Did you eat something weird for dinner? Why are you like this?" I try to sound nonchalant while restraining my laughs. "Ayyy, just be honest and tell me how cute I am," he snickers. "Dream on, Kwon Ji-Yong!" I exclaim. Yes, you're cute but I won't tell you that! Tch...

"Have you had dinner?" he asks. I nod cheerfully, as if I was in front of him, "mmm! I went out to dinner with unnies and ate sundubu jjigae. Have you eaten?" "Yeah. I had kimchi jjigae. It was yummy, but I'd rather eat kimbap made by your hands, noona," he says. Omo, Kwon Ji-Yong, stop flattering me! "Yeah, well, sorry. You won't get to eat any of those anymore. Ga-In's kimbap shop is closed permanently," I scoff. "Ah, jeongmal? Why is it closed down? Did it go bankrupt? Maybe because that Kwon Ji-Yong guy is the only customer at Ga-In's kimbap shop..." he jokes. "Yah, Ji-Yong ah, let's drop it. Don't make a fuss over a little thing like my kimbap!" He snickers, "even though it's just kimbap, it was the best kimbap I've ever tasted in my life... Don't tell my mom I said that, though." His remark makes me spazz inside. Kwon Ji-Yong, you're such a sweet talker...

"Why would I tell your mom? I don't know her and never met her," I reply. "One day you will, noona," he says softly. Omo! What? Why would I meet his mother? "When I introduce you to her," he adds. Umma! Help me! This is only a hypothetical scenario but my heart is beating so fast!

"Are you at your dorm now?" I ask in attempt to change the topic. "Yeah... I'm in my bedroom now," he says. Oh, thank God he falls into my trap... 

"Ji-Yong ah... I've been meaning to ask..." "Ask away, then." Should I ask? I've been dying to ask about this, so I should, right? "Err... Did your members, you know, ask or say anything about what happened on your birthday?" I blurt out the question. "Ah... you mean the night you drank a bottle of wine all by yourself?" he chuckles. Oh man, why is he bringing up that subject now? "Tch... forget I even asked!" I curtly reply. He chuckles again, "aigoo... so cranky! Anyways, to answer your question, no they didn't. I had a talk with Taeyang, though, since he already suspected something." I sigh in relief. That's good, then. The less people who meddle, the better. 

"What were you doing before I called, noona?" "Hmm, just drawing things," I tell him. "Drawing another one of my face?" he asks playfully. Gosh, that's like the 5th time he's had me speechless in the last few minutes. "YAH!" I yell into the line. "Whoa... Son Ga-In, I think you just made me half deaf," he giggles. "Well, that was my intention, so... mission accomplished!" He laughs at my words, "you're so mean, Ga-In noona..." The way he says Ga-In noona... Kyaaa! I squeal in my head. I cover my chest with one hand, afraid that he would hear it through the line. 

We talk about some silly stuffs after that, like what we always do when we talk on the phone. He makes jokes, some are good and some are bad, but I laugh at every single one of them. 

"Are you busy tomorrow, noona?" he asks. I try to remember the schedules I have for tomorrow before answering him, "I have radio guesting at noon and then Inkigayo. What about you?" "Yay! We're going to see each other at SBS, then! I hope our dressing rooms are facing each other, just like today at MBC," he shrieks. I'm going to see him again tomorrow? Hurray...! I scream inwardly. 

We continue talking about a lot of other stuffs. He tells me that our new comeback song is good and I thank him for the compliment. He also tells me that I looked cute with my onstage hairstyle and I thank him again while trying hard not to sound nervous.

I realize that we've been talking for an hour and a half. "You're not sleepy yet?" I ask him. "I'm not sleepy if you're not sleepy," he replies. "Yah, what kind of answer is that?" I try to sound annoyed, but he just laughs in response.

"Noona..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Yes, you can ask me anything, as long as it's not one of your silly questions. 

"Ask away," I say, repeating his words from earlier.

"But promise me you won't feel burdened about it," he says with a serious voice, making me tense instantly.

"Err... Ok, I promise," I say after hesitating for a few seconds.

"What am I to you, noona?"

"Y-Yeh? What do you mean?" I ask, hoping for him to enlighten me, because I'm totally confused by his question.

He sighs lightly, "how do you see me, noona?"

"Eh? You mean how do I see you as a person or--"

"What do you consider me as?" he cuts in.

Man, how should I answer his question? I myself am not even sure of the answer. Geez, what the hell was in that kimchi jjigae he ate? Why is he acting like this all of a sudden? Oh, crap! I've taken too long to answer!

"Noona?" he asks after not hearing a response.

"Well... I... I think you're... No, I mean... To me," I pause for a bit, "to me you're special, Ji-Yong ah..."

He sighs after hearing my words. I don't know whether it was a sigh of relief or the opposite, since I can't see his face; which, by the way, is killing me.

"Gomawo..." he says, so softly that it sounds like a whisper. 

Eh? Why is he thanking me? 

"For what, Ji-Yong ah?"

"For taking me as someone special," he mutters.

After a few seconds of silence, I muster up the guts to ask him, "how about me? What am I to you, Kwon Ji-Yong?"

He sighs again. Oh no, is this it? Is tonight the night I'm going to be heartbroken again?

"Ga-In noona... You're... My V.I.P," he utters, his voice sounding tender yet I can feel his sincerity. 

Wait a minute. VIP stands for Very Important Person, right? He didn't mean that he considers me as one of his fangirls, did he?"

"You're my V.I.P, noona," he repeats louder; he probably thinks that I didn't hear him the first time he said it.

"O-Oh, geurae? Gomawo..." I smile from ear to ear.

"Ji-Yong ah, I think it's time to go to sleep now," I say after a brief silence. I still want to talk to him some more, but my eyes are starting to give up... "I guess you're right," he says, "I'll see you tomorrow, ok, noona?" "Mmm... Get a good night sleep, Ji-Yong," I coo. "You too, noona," he replies. As I open my mouth again to say goodnight, he adds, "and noona..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't dream about other guys, ok? Dream about me... Only me."

What is he talking about? I don't dream about guys... And he wants me to dream about him? Omo, my heart is going crazy again!

"Yah, why are you being weird?" I chuckle.

"I'm not being weird. Because I don't want to dream about any other girls but you..."

Please, please don't let him hear my heartbeat through the phone! I yelp inside.

"A-Arasseo, Ji-Yong ah. I won't dream about other guys."

"Good. I'll see you in dreamland, noona..."

"Good night, Ji-Yongie..."

"Good night, Ga-In noona..."

We both hang up the phone.

OMO! Did I just call him Ji-Yongie? What the hell? Son Ga-In, where the heck is your head at? You're in this label-less relationship with him and you call him by a cute nickname? Argh~ this is embarrassing! I scold myself and slap my forehead.

Meanwhile in Big Bang's dorm...

I end the call with Ga-In noona and immediately jump on my bed. Happiness envelopes my heart.

"She called me Ji-Yongie..." I squeal; I've squealed a lot tonight, but this time I let it out loud. 

Little did we know we had been destined to be each other's V.I.Ps...

__________

Author's Note:

I'm waving my hands at all of you now... Why? 

Because I can, that's why! And also because I'm thankful that you're reading this, kekeke...

eviltwin loves y'all *mwah mwah*

P.S. One of my friends read this story and told me that I should clear some things out. I don't think it's necessary, but I'll do it anyway. This story is written in a first-person narrative mode, so in each chapter, the character is speaking for and about themselves, conveying both their thoughts and the situation that's happening. And I didn't intend to array the chapters as flashbacks, which is one of the reasons why I put the dates; that's why I write it in present simple tense. Well, I hope this clears things out! ^^;