IU's heart began beating fast and she could not help but wonder if Taeyang could feel her heart thumping against his back. She closed her eyes forcefully, trying to escape from the throbbing pain in her head. However, Taeyang carrying her on his back seemed too unreal, in fact everything seemed too unreal.

'Why is the sky green?' IU asked Taeyang sleepily.

'You're still drunk so just stay quiet.' Taeyang laughed, shaking his head, 'I think I can remember your block number now, so just lie on my back and go to sleep.'

IU looked around in a daze, she could no longer differentiate what was real and what was not. Taking the smart move, she decided to keep shut tight so she would not blabber any more nonsense.

Taeyang on the other hand had other thoughts. He wanted to take this opportunity to find out what was IU truly thinking, and what were her true feelings for him.

'Why do you like me?' Taeyang asked suddenly, jerking IU softly on his back to wake her up in case she had fallen asleep.

'I don't know,' IU said softly, 'It must be my weird taste. Everyone in school must have the same weird taste as well, since you are so popular and adored by many. Frankly speaking, I can't see why.'

'So you never really liked me before?' Taeyang replied sadly in a small voice as he slowed down his footsteps.

'You fool,' IU answered cheekily, 'I do like you, I like you a lot. It's just that I find it funny for myself to fall for a guy who is only 173 cm tall, has teeny weeny eyes, and a weird hairdo.'

Taeyang chuckled, 'You're funny when you're drunk. Next time when I want to know what is really on your mind, I'll just feed you lots of alcohol.'

'But do you know why I haven't accepted your confession yet? Do you know what is holding me back when I have the same feelings for you?' IU asked dejectedly, 'It's because I feel so insecure around you. You've broken up with so many girls, so what would make me so different that you would stay with me? This thought always rings in my helpless mind, warning me to stay away from you, so that you would never have the chance to hurt me.' 

The air fell silent and Taeyang felt his heart sinking. It was indeed true that he had broken up with many girls in the past, but he was never serious about any of them. It was also no wonder IU would doubt his feelings when he had so many flings in the past. But IU was different, he really did like IU and wanted to be with her. However, how long would the feelings last? Would it be better to ignore how he was feeling to protect IU from getting hurt? He himself knew that there would be a time where he would hurt her, maybe unconsciously, because there was a small part of him which knew that his selfish heart could not be trusted.

'Is that really how you feel? So will it be better if we pretended we never had any feelings for each other?' Taeyang gathered the courage to ask. If letting go of IU would be a better choice, he would do it. Even though it meant that he would be the one getting hurt instead.

'No,' IU said in a firm voice, hurriedly shaking her head. 'It's true that I fear that my heart would break one day because of you. However, if you just leave me alone from today onwards, I may not even survive from my bleeding heart. So let us stay this way, and we'll see where fate would bring us.'

Moments like this reminded him of the bet he and GD made in the past and he could not shake the pang of guilt which was surfacing again.

'But don't you want to give up?' He asked cautiously, 'Don't you feel jealous when the girls at school flirt with me, trying endless ways to grab my attention? Don't you feel wounded when people tease me about liking a girl like you, saying that you aren't fit for me?'

'Yes I do,' IU said sadly but smiled, 'but it's my fault anyway. It's my fault because my stupid heart yearns for you.'

Taeyang trudged slowly, not knowing what else to say. How could he be with IU while not hurting her?

'That's my house!' IU exclaimed suddenly as she spotted a familiar building, 'hurry and put me down.'

'Is it really your house?' Taeyang asked suspiciously, afraid that IU was still drunk and wasn't aware of what she was saying.

As they approached the house, the dim street lights shined on a woman pacing up and down behind the gate.

IU immediately recognised the figure, 'Omma! Were you waiting for me all this while?' She shouted to the woman.

IU's mother's face perked up instantly at the sight of her daughter. 'How dare you not tell me when you were coming back. What if something had happened to you? Do you know how dangerous it is for - ' She scolded until she noticed Taeyang's presence.

'Who's this fine man with you?' IU's mother asked, eyeing Taeyang up and down. 'And why is he carrying you on his back? Are you hurt?'

'I'm IU's friend,' Taeyang introduced himself awkwardly, carrying a sheepish grin, 'The heel of her shoe broke off when we were on our way back, so I carried her all the way here.'

'I can get down now,' IU whispered to him but was interrupted by her mother's sudden plans.

'Thank you then for taking care of my precious daughter,' IU's mother replied, seemingly satisfied with Taeyang. 'If I knew she was with you all this while, I wouldn't have worried so much.'

Her words turned IU and Taeyang red, but she remained oblivious to the duo's awkwardness, instead she even invited Taeyang to come into the house.

'I'll get going once I put IU down,' Taeyang said, 'it's really late and my family would be worried about me as well.'

He continued carrying IU on his back whilst trotting up the staircase. He laid the sleepy IU on the bed, and was about to leave when IU grabbed his hand suddenly.

'Taeyang oppa, thanks for today,' IU said half awake, 'But I want to ask you a question.'

'What is it?' Taeyang asked, wondering what else there was on IU's mind.

'Why do you always silence me with your hugs but never once with your kisses?' She asked, furrowing her brows.

Taeyang burst out laughing and knelt down beside IU's bed, 'So do you want me to kiss you?' He asked playfully.

'No!' IU protested, as if she realised what nonsense she had just said, 'Your lips have no value since you have kissed so many girls before. But mine are different, I've never even had my first kiss yet.'

Taeyang smiled and bent forward, kissing IU on her forehead lightly and sweetly.

'Silly girl, I'll save my kisses for you for some other day,' Taeyang coaxed IU as he covered IU with the blanket. 'So for now, just go to sleep and visit my dreams later in the night okay?'

IU was already sleeping soundly, and a slight smile formed on her face as if Taeyang was already in her dreams.

Author's note:

Thanks for reading! I am currently preparing for my prelims and the comments really cheered me up and motivated me to write! ^^ So please be patient when I don't update so often or when the chapters are shorter. Anyway, hope you guys like this chapter! I included a forehead kiss (finally) !! Hehehe, tell me what you guys think okay? x)