Jiyong wanted to turn off his laptop but it will be too obvious especially now that YB caught him in act. All he wanted to do was to melt in front of him so that he wouldn’t hear his remarks on what just he saw.

YB spares this one to him and chuckles again. Then a thought came up to him.

“Have you seen the news about noona and Rain?” he asked.

He shook his head and avoids looking YB in the eyes. He clicked something on Jiyong’s laptop and then seconds later, he frowned. He saw an article about her and Rain. It took quite a moment before the article fully registered on his head.

“It was just coincidence” he muttered.

“Maybe” YB shrugged his shoulders.

He is sure that Jiyong wasn’t able to recover from what he just read. People find Rain and Dara will make a cute couple after comparing the two portraits of woman they just drew. Rain was saying that it’s his ideal woman and it somehow looked like Dara’s self portrait during the Melon Awards.

‘I really should go back at Korea now’ Jiyong told himself.

====================================================

2NE1 just finished talking to Pres YG about his future plans for the girls and he even mentioned to them that they are going to perform at Lotte World’s Christmas Party Concert since it’s been a while when these foursome fierce female rookie group hit the stage ‘complete’. It was also an advance Christmas gift for their fans since Christmas is near.

“Kya! I’m excited” Dara squealed. She’s smiling although out while jumping up and down.

“Dara unnie please stop playing around, you looked ridiculous” CL smiled at her

“Aigoo! It’s been a while since we perform as 2NE1” Bom cutely remarked and now joined Dara jumping up and down.

“I’m excited to perform again with my unnie’s” Minzy hugged the two

“Ya! CL-roo, don’t be such a spoiler- come and join us” Dara successfully dragged their leader and the four of them continuously jumped up and down and laughing because of excitement.

“You all seems happy…”

They all froze and turned around.

“Jiyong oppa!” they all widely smiled at him.

Pres YG told them that the Bigbang are back in Korea and currently resting now after doing successful shows in Japan. They are all surprised to see him - but their smiles faded as soon as they saw ‘someone’ clinging in to his arms.

“Anyeong Jina-ssi” CL manages to smile back at her.

“Anyeong CL-roo… you all seems so happy” she widely smiles after seeing Dara wearing a surprise look. She bowed at the two and put again a ‘happy face’.

“Pres YG just told us that we’ll be performing on stage again.” CL happily answered.

“Really?”

Minzy nodded her head and widely smiled at him.

“Aigoo! I’m excited to see you on stage again” Jina beamed at them

“We’re excited also!” once again, they all squealed

Jiyong chuckled as he watched the girls wearing their happy faces. He hasn’t seen them for a while because they stayed more at Japan lately. He watched Dara being her usual self again. The fragile looking girl wearing thick jackets, the scattered brain girl who’s showing her antic gags again.

‘I missed her’ Jiyong thought.

Dara sensed that two eyes are closely watching her. She bowed at Jiyong and smiled at him.

“When did you arrived?” she asked

“Just this morning. Ah noona I’ve got-” he froze. He was really excited to see her today after hearing from Pres YG that he’ll talk to the girls today. Even he hasn’t able to rest for a bit, he went straight to YG building, but too much of his dismay, Jina suddenly showed up at the door step and he have no choice but to tagged her along.

“Ya! Jiyong sunbae-nim, you must be really tired. You’re spacing out” she chuckles.

He smiled at her.

“Ehrm... I’ve got to talk with the President also. I’ll see you around” he waved at them escaping the ‘not-so-happy’ glare of Jina. He immediately turned at the President’s office leaving 2NE1 and Jina behind.

“Ah, Dara-ssi I missed you” Jina quickly hugged her.

“Omo!” she laughs. “It’s been a while since I last saw you Jina-ssi”

“So you missed me too? Right?”

Dara tried to look excited and smiled at her.

“Yeah”

“I knew it!” Jina hugged her even more tightly now. “Sorry if we haven’t seen you lately. Oppa and I we’re just spending quality time together- especially now” she chuckles.

‘Unnie doesn’t have to hear that’ CL thought. She looked at the other girls and somehow, they are connecting their thoughts by just looking at each other.

Lately they find Jina irritating especially when she’s starting to tell them everything that’s happening between her and Jiyong. If she wasn’t the girlfriend of Jiyong, their sunbae and friend, they wouldn’t mind her at all. But since she is… all they can do is lengthen their patience’s and silently pray that she will somehow be careful on everything that she’s telling them.

“It’s good to know that Jina-ssi” Dara tried to smile.

“So how you guys are doing? Are done recording?” Jina looked at them.

“Only two more songs are unfinished Jina unnie. We managed to record Dara unnie’s solo track the last time” Minzy politely answered her.

“Really? Oh! I missed it.” She sounded disappointed but she wasn’t really looked like one. She turned to Dara again. “Dara-ssi I’m sorry Jiyong oppa and I didn’t make it to your recording”

The girls are surprised on what she just told them.

“Oh, but Jiyong oppa was there” CL corrected her.

For a swift moment Jina looked shocked but she manages to quickly recover from it. She even smiled brighter at them.

‘Oppa didn’t tell me about that’ she thought.

Bom who was watching her closely saw how Jina froze for a moment. It actually confuses her on how quickly she manages to put a smile quickly in a snap.

“Oh, I remembered now. Jiyong oppa told me about that one” she laughs “So how was it?”

“Dara unnie really did well. Everyone was proud of her” CL smiled.

“I’m really glad to hear that.” She smiled back. “So, do you have any plans for Christmas?”

“We’ll be working on Christmas Day” Dara answered since Jina was looking at her. “No chance for vacation now” she continued.

Jina let out a deep sighed and lightly shook her head. “The price of being an Idol”

“But we’re still excited. We’ll go to Busan” Dara tightly squeezed her hand and didn’t hide the excitement on her voice.

“Busan? Is that a place close to your heart Dara-ssi?”

She nodded her head and smile even wider.

“It’s my home town. That’s where I was born but I didn’t get a chance to spend more time there since we moved to Philippines when I was 10 years old.” She’s actually beginning a friendly chat with her for the first time.

Then an evil grin flashed on Jina’s face but Bom failed to notice it since she was checking her phone that time.

“I heard from oppa you lost your career there. It must be terrible”

The three girls straightened up on their seats and dangerously glared at Jina but she stubbornly ignored them and continued to play and look so innocent in front of them. She sounded concerned and sweetly but she actually looked enjoying what she’s seeing.

Dara’s face fell for a moment but she manages to pull back her happy face even her eyes looks very affected. Then she saw Bom looking worriedly at her. She smiled at her.

“Dara unnie is very successful and popular actress there” Minzy broke the defeating silence. “but unnie choose to continue training at YG that time that’s why she moved back and settle for good here” she continues. She smiled to cover up her irritation at Jina.

“Minji-ah is right, She’s a very popular, even up to now. Did you see her fans when we all had vacation? Filipino’s love unnie” CL agreed

“Oppa’s a bit exaggerated” Jina laughed. And they all find her laugh very annoying.

“ So, Jiyong sunbae had told you something about us?” Dara smiled.

She nodded her head.

They all thought she was finished but they are wrong.

“A bit. Well he even mentioned that someone from you used to have y pictures. I just can’t remember who exactly that was” she played dumb this time.

‘Aissshhh, this girl sure has a big mouth’ Bom thought.

It hit Dara. She finally find herself lost for words. She can feel her eyes becoming hot and tears are forming at the corner of her eyes. It was one of the things she really wanted to forget. She wasn’t even debuting during that time when her pictures swarm the net at some Korean websites. And she only confided her feeling on Jiyong that time….

-FLASHBACK-

Pres YG’s words continue to repeat all over her mind. She just finished talking to him and now she’s heading back at the practice room. She tried to put a brave face while he’s talking to her but as soon as she stepped outside the door, her eyes became blurry, and her knees weakened. She walks further and further away from his office without any exact place in mind. She continued to walk and walked until she bumped on to someone.

“Dara..”

She knew exactly who owns that voice. Without any hesitations she threw herself to him and hugged her. She cries silently on his chest. She buried her face on his chest and started to soak his shirt.

Jiyong was waiting patiently for her after learning that the President talked to her. He knew exactly she would cry like this. He hugged her tighter and brushed her hair with his fingers.

“Shhh….” He planted a kiss on her hair.

“I feel so small Ji… I fe-” she snobs

“That’s not important anymore Dara… It’s your past… It’s nothing” he rubbed his hands on her back and trying his best to not sound hurt too. He never wants to see her crying. It pains him.

“But they’ve seen it... They all-”

“I didn’t see it... And I don’t have any plans of looking at it” he cut her off.

That made Dara cries harder. She feels small and ashamed on herself. But she had no choice. They don’t have anything that time. They are broke. They have no money for living. She has to do something for her family. So even she doesn’t want to do that, she accepted the offer to be the cover of a y photo shoot. She continuously thinks of her family that time. Her family. She did that so they can all go back to Korea…

Jiyong hugged her even tighter.

“If only I earn so much that… I could have-”

“I know Ji… I know… Thank you” she sniffs

Jiyong felt useless. If only he was already popular during those days he could helped her. He could have helped her.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

Dara calmed herself and put a brave face. She smiled.

“Oh, Jina-ssi it was me” she bravely answered.

“Really?” Jina sounded shocked but she was faking it.

Dara nodded at her.

“I did that because I lost my career and we have financial problem also, but good thing that didn’t affect my image when I debuted” she smiled

“It’s because Ssantoki is very lovable” Bom hugged her.

Jina was about to say something more but she saw Jiyong already heading towards them. He’s smiling widely at them, excited to spend more time with Dara but his smile faded as soon as he saw the serious faces of 2NE1.