I slump against the couch in our dorm, feeling dead-tired. Our group has been swamped with promotional activities in Japan since we released a mini album here 2 months ago. Not that I’m complaining, my members and I feel excited that our Japanese debut is a success. Our EP ‘For the World’ ranks 10 on the Oricon chart. Not too shabby for GD, baby.

It’s 3 p.m. My stomach still feels a little bloated from all the food I shoved into my mouth at lunch. Ugh, this doesn’t feel good. I find it hard to keep my eyes open. They slowly start to feel heavier until I finally give up. There’s nothing wrong in enjoying a little slumber after work, right?

After what feels like only a minute and a half, I feel a nudge on one side of my body. Half awake, I choose not to pay attention. The constant nudging gradually feels like a mini quake as a pair of hands shakes my body ruthlessly.

“Aish… Yah! What the is your problem, dude? I’m exhausted! Leave me alone and let me sleep!” I yell at whoever the owner of those hands was. “Hyung! Hyung! Wake up now hyung, it’s almost 6 o’ clock! We’re leaving in half an hour, and you haven’t finished packing,” I open my right eye and see our maknae Seungri, looking slightly agitated. Almost 6 o’ clock? , that means I dozed off for 3 hours? I let out a big sigh as I stretch my body and start shuffling on the couch. I yawn for the nth time today.

“Ayyy, hyung! Come on, wake up now! Nam-Gook hyung has been calling a million times to check up on us. We have a flight to catch, hyung, ireonabwa!” Seungri pesters me nonstop. “Arasseo, you punk! Get away from me, I’m getting up now!” I groan loudly as I glare at him. He runs off to the kitchen while mumbling, “aigoo… I woke the beast. Scary dragon…” Tch, he thinks I can’t hear his voice. Wait until I get my energy back and kick his .

I wearily march my behind into the bedroom and finish packing. I wash my face to freshen up, and go to the living room, where everyone is. Nam-Gook hyung is here already. Time to go now.

Without too much hassle, we reach Narita International Airport; check in, go through Immigration, board the plane, and we’re now waiting for take-off. See you again soon, Tokyo. That was the last thing on my mind as I slowly drift into dreamland.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll be landing at Incheon International Airport shortly. The local time in Seoul is 10:30 p.m. At this stage you should be in your seat with your seatbelt firmly fastened.  Personal television screens, footrests and seat tables must be stowed away and all hand luggage stored either in the overhead lockers or under the seat in front.  Please ensure all electronic devices are turned off,” I breathe in deeply as I hear the announcement. I close my eyes, this time not feeling urge to snooze; probably because I already had too much sleep earlier.

Seoul, 13 March 2008

Soon, we are in the van on our way to the dorm. Home sweet home. After saying goodbye to our driver and manager, all five of us get ready for a good night sleep.

I toss and turn on my bed. Damn, I can’t sleep. Don’t you hate it when your body feels so tired but your eyes won’t shut? Should I watch TV or something? Nope. Too lazy to get up. I fall deep in thoughts, and when I finally feel my eyes fluttering and threatening to give up, I glance at the wall clock: 3 a.m.

Seoul, 14 March 2008

My eyes creep open. I wake up feeling revived. Wait a minute, how come there’s no noise from outside my bedroom? Hmm, that’s odd. Usually by the time I wake up, I can hear the sound of Seungri watching TV or Daesung playing video games in the living room.

The wall clock says 7 a.m. What?! It’s 7 in the morning? What’s wrong with me today? I got 4 hours of sleep last night and now I’m feeling fresh as if I just got back from the dead. Well, might as well take a shower now and get ready. Today I have to go to YG Building at Hapjeong-dong to meet up with Teddy hyung and discuss the material of some new songs.

I read a text from Teddy hyung, telling me not to come too early and to take my time resting since he’ll be at work all day. Awesome. Relaxedly, I take a shower and get ready. I don't see any of my members around. I bet they're still asleep. Done with the whole shebang, I head out and jump into my car. I shove my backpack on the passenger’s seat and zoom off.

My car rolls on the busy street of Hongdae. Oh, the pain of being stuck in traffic during rush hour. Suddenly, I spot a sign in my view: Coffee Lab. I imagine the enticing scent of coffee. I'll ask Nam-Gook hyung to buy a cup for me later. I would buy it myself but I’m not wearing enough disguise. I drive by the shop and notice that the café is almost empty. What happened? Did they go bankrupt or something? That place is always crowded, especially at this time of the day. Just then, I spot an empty parking space on the side of the road. I smile to myself. Kwon Ji-Yong, this might just be your lucky day. Looks like you’re starting your day with a good coffee, after all.

I park my car smoothly and take a look in the mirror before I jump out. A beanie and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. Not too bad. I send a text to Teddy hyung telling him that I’m coming soon and asking if he wants me to take away a cup of coffee for him.

I walk at a fast pace into Coffee Lab and sigh in relief when I see there are only three other customers in there. Someone who looks like a businessman, a middle-aged woman, and a girl who’s ordering at the counter.

I feel the girl who’s standing behind the counter eyeing me as she’s taking the girl’s order. All of a sudden she suddenly gasps and squeals in delight, “omo!” while grinning widely with one hand blocking . Oops, someone recognizes me.

The girl standing in front of me looks panicked. I can’t see her face but her body language says it all. She squats down, her side facing me. She scatters her belongings on the floor and her hands fumble for something. Oh? She looks so familiar. The pale white skin, pinkish plump lips, the hair… Before I can put a name on her face, she abruptly puts her things inside the bag and stands up.

“Umm… Did you, by any chance, make my order already?” she asks the girl behind the counter. Hey, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but her voice was at a normal decibel and the quietness in the café is not helping. Wait a second, that voice... It sounds so familiar. Can it be… her?

“Yup! It’s done, Ga-In ssi,” the girl behind the counter answers her cheerfully while pointing at her drink that’s already sitting at the other end of the counter. Ga-In ssi? Huh. So I was right. It is her. What’s she doing here all alone?

Ga-In ssi just stands there and looks frozen. “Err… The thing is, I don’t have enough cash with me, and all my cards are in my other purse. Would you mind if I cancel my order?” She pleads with the girl at the cashier. She sounds desperate, I chuckle inwardly. Then she asks if she can pay later after she borrows money from her manager who is picking her up.

Before any word escapes the cashier’s mouth, I utter my order, “Can I have a large cappuccino, please? And, uh, I’ll pay for her order.”

“N-neh? Ah, yes! Yes, of course! One large cappuccino coming right away!” The cashier answers in surprise while still beaming.

Ga-In ssi quickly turns around and firmly rejects my gesture. Maybe she doesn’t recognize me. I was about to say that it's ok when she gasps and says, “K-Kwon Ji-Yong…ssi?” Her voice sounds more like a whisper. Oh, so she does recognize my face. I feel happy.

“Ah, good morning, Son Ga-In ssi. What a pleasant surprise running into you here. Don’t worry about the coffee, it’s my treat,” I tell her while handing money to the cashier, “here you go, and keep the change.” I make my way to the other end and wait for my drink. I look at her still standing on her spot, mouth slightly agape. Afterwards, she moves and stands close to me.

“Andwaeyo, Ji-Yong ssi. I’ll pay you back now. I’ll tell my manager to come here quickly.” Aigoo, this girl. It’s just a cup of coffee, why does she feel so burdened about it? I yank her phone as gently as I can before she makes a call to her manager. “It’s ok. Don’t worry about it. Please. Just take it as my White Day gift for you,” and with that, is ajar for the second time.

I sit myself down at one of the tables, not too close to the window. Ga-In ssi is coming over while stomping her feet slightly. Does she have any idea how cute she looks right now? “Uh, Ji-Yong ssi, thank you, but I don’t feel comfortable with that idea. If you’re in a hurry then I’ll… Oh! Give me your bank account details and I’ll transfer the money!” What? Bank account details? She wants to pay my 8,000 Won via money transfer? I laugh inside my head. This girl just doesn’t get it, does she? Worrying so much over a cup of coffee. I poke her hand and say, “Ga-In ssi, stop worrying, please. If you insist on paying me back, I’ll feel offended,” I make my face look as serious as I can muster up, hoping she would drop the issue.

“Y-Yeh? W-Waeyo?” she stutters. As I sip on my cappuccino, I explain to her to take it as a White Day gift. I know that sounds weird. I mean, we’re not familiar with each other. Big Bang has met Brown Eyed Girls many times at programs and events, but we usually just bowed at each other. I myself have become a fan of hers. I think she has a beautiful voice that’s full of character. You’ll immediately know it’s Son Ga-In when she starts singing.

On top of that, she looks gorgeous with her eye-smile. My members Taeyang and Daesung have eye-smiles and they never stop talking about it. Well, Ga-In ssi is different, of course. She has a bewitching eye-smile, while Taeyang and Daesung’s eye-smiles are a bit… Hell, I don’t even want to go there.

She looks like she’s enjoying her Caffè Americano well. Tiny smiles appear on her face every time she looks at the cup of coffee in her hands. When she looks like she’s about to look up and face me, I quickly divert my gaze out the window and sips my coffee. Soon, silence occupies the atmosphere. 

This is a little… awkward. I don’t mind, though. She looks like a fun person to be with. Maybe because we’re not close… yet, she’s not warming up to me. She keeps glancing at her phone. Oh yeah, she’s waiting for someone. I huff softly. What do I do now? Should I talk to her? What am I going to talk about? If we just sit here quietly, is she going to leave? And I can’t leave her here, I don’t have to go, and I don’t want to.

Come on, Kwon Ji-Yong. Pull yourself together. This isn’t your first time chatting a girl up. And this doesn’t even count as chatting a girl up. You just need to make small talks. Come on! You’re Kwon Leader, THE G-Dragon. You have your way with words. Say something, damn it!

I’m about to ask her something and I hear her stomach grumble. I giggle in silence. I don’t want to embarrass her by laughing out loud. I ask her if she’s hungry, and she says no. Yeah, right. Girl, it sounded like a thunder in your tummy. The look on her face looks amusing.

I ask her again, this time raising my eyebrows to make sure, “do you want something to eat? I can buy you a scone or--“ she cuts me quickly, “aniyo! It’s ok, really. I’m not hungry. Don’t buy… Uh… just, no.” Ah, that's right. She doesn't have any cash on her. And she probably doesn't want to borrow any money from me.

“Are you sure? Because I heard your stomach just now…” I ask her for the third time. Her cheeks suddenly turn into a deep shade of red. What’s wrong? Is she sick? Is she embarrassed?

I pick up my backpack from the floor and reach for something. Found it. “Here, take this,” I hand her a small bag of rice crackers. She waves her hands in front of me, “no, it’s ok, Ji-Yong ssi. I’m not--“

“Not hungry?” I finish up her sentence and this time I let her hear my chuckle, “come on, Ga-In ssi. Your manager is coming to pick you up, that means you have a schedule. And judging by the sound I heard just now, your stomach is begging for you to eat something. These rice crackers are pretty good, you know. My members and I ate them all the time when we were in Japan. We just got back here yesterday night, that’s why I have some left in my bag…”

Smiling shyly, she takes the rice crackers off my hand, and mouths a ‘thank you’. Another silence fills air and all I can hear is the sound of Ga-In ssi munching on the snack. I think she also feels awkward because I can see her face struggle to decide whether or not she should say anything. How much cuter can she get?

She asks me what Big Bang was doing in Japan, and I tell her about our new mini album. She also congratulates us for winning Best Male Group and Song of The Year at MAMA last year. She tells me that Big Bang is cool. But, what makes me drown in joy is what she says next: “Especially you, since you made the songs.” With all my strength, I refrain myself from smiling like an idiot. I thank her and in return I congratulate Brown Eyed Girls who just released their mini album. She looks a tad surprised that I know about their album and the fact that it has topped the charts. She has no idea that lately she has been a hot topic in Big Bang’s daily conversation.

Her humble reply to my congratulation blows my mind. “Thank you. We’re just trying our best,” not even a slight hint of arrogance can be traced.

My mobile phone beeps, signaling a new text message.

From: Teddy hyung

[Ya, Ji-Yong ah! Where u at? An hour ago u told me u’d be here soon. R u coming or not?]

Shoot! I forgot about Teddy hyung. I quickly type a reply.

To: Teddy hyung

[Hyung, sorry, something came up and I’m gonna be a little late. But I’m coming for sure.]

I slip my mobile phone down my pocket and blurt out a question I’ve been dying to ask her, “err… Ga-In ssi, can I call you noona?” She smiles and answers, “yes, of course. Why not?”

“Really? Well, if you’re uncomfortable with that, I won’t…” Ok, Kwon Ji-Yong, keep your face straight. Don’t embarrass yourself by looking flustered over a simple thing.

She laughs heartily, “of course you can! Come on, we’ve seen each other many times at programs and events, and although we’ve always been awkward, today I felt comfortable enough getting a White Day present from you. It’s a progress, right? And also, noona sounds better than Ga-In ssi, I think.”

“Ok, then. Ga-In noona…” I coo at her. “Hmm…?” she turns her head to face me with a questioning look. “Nothing, I just wanted to try calling you. You were right, it sounds better.” She asks how she should call me. I tell her to just call me Ji-Yong comfortably. I think we’re getting a little closer to each other, and honestly, I like it.

She thanks me again for the coffee and the snack I gave her. I just shrug and tell her that it was my pleasure. I tell her how surprised I was earlier seeing how quiet this café was. And apparently, she was, too. She must come here a lot.

“Do you come here a lot, noona?” I ask her. She tells me that she lives only a few minutes within walking distance from here and that she knows the people who work here. She mentions that she drinks 5 or 6 cups of coffee a day. A coffee lover, just like me. Ga-In noona, you’re becoming more and more interesting…

As we continue talking, I can’t help admiring her beauty. This is my first time talking to her and yet I can feel her charm beaming down. She definitely has the looks and the personality.

“You know what?” She suddenly asks.

“What?”

“I’m sorry you had to hear the sound of my stomach,” she says with a shy grin, “it was odd, though, because I don’t usually eat breakfast. Coffee has always been able to do the trick.” I chuckle at her remark, “it’s alright, noona. You got the chance to eat my tasty rice crackers, right? But you should eat breakfast regularly, noona. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Nice going, Kwon Ji-Yong. You’ve successfully made yourself sound like a know-it-all. I face-palm my self in my mind.

“You don’t have work today? It’s hard to believe someone as busy as you are has time to sits around in a café like this,” she must’ve noticed when I texted Teddy hyung earlier. “I do, but my appointment with Teddy hyung is at lunchtime. I woke up a little early today, which was odd, because I usually wake up late,” I flash a smile at her, “maybe I got too tired from yesterday so I couldn’t sleep well.”

As I stop talking, her mobile phone rings.

“Oh, Kyung-Sun unnie! Where are you?” she asks into the phone. Must be her manager.

When she hangs up and zips up her bag, I ask if her manager is here already. She says yes. She thanks me again for the coffee, the rice crackers, and for keeping her company. Uh-oh. Am I busted? Does she know that initially I wasn’t going to hang around? Does she have some kind of superpower?

No. Think straight, Ji-Yong. She’s leaving now, say something nice. I stand up and say “take care of yourself, noona. Eat healthy breakfast. And have fun at your schedule!” That’s it? That’s the best thing that can come out of your mouth, G-Dragon? 'Eat healthy breakfast and have fun at your schedule'? The song you wrote won a Song of The Year award, for pete's sake! Geez, you could’ve said something better. A lot better. Something that can make her think of you! 

“You’re starting to sound like my mother, Ji-Yong, but thank you. Take care of yourself, too!” She tilts her head down slightly and curls her fist up in the air while saying the cutest thing ever, “Big Bang, fighting!” With all my might I fight the burning desire to pinch her cheeks. I giggle and wave my hand at her.

She strides out of Coffee Lab and a black van pulls over. This is it, Kwon Ji-Yong, the moment of truth. Let’s see if you've made an impression on her.

3…

2…

1…

Through the window, I see her turn around and look back at me. I smile. She smiles before getting into the van. I feel like my prayers have been answered. She turned around!

Son Ga-In ssi.

No. Now it's Ga-In noona.

I sigh in satisfaction. Then my heart starts to beat so fast. What’s this feeling? I haven’t felt like this in a long time. Am I… attracted to her? She’s pretty and everything, but we’ve only talked once. Where the hell is your self-control, Ji-Yong? Don’t be an easy man. I scold myself. I, too, make my way out of Coffee Lab while trying to shake the strange feeling off of me.  

And little did I know, that day Coffee Lab had turned into the place where my true love brewed for the first time…