Credits go to hungry- (from  affamé graphic shop), for this amazing poster.

[ Thirty. Bad Boy ]

“The one that wanted to work with you is Jiyong.”

Dara stared blankly in front of her, minutes after Chaerin had left her dumbfounded over the fact that Jiyong was the person that wanted her to come to YG. She cannot believe this. So, everything Chaerin had said in front of Donghae and her that day was an act. What was going on? Why would Jiyong treat her this way if he was the one who wanted her to come here? At first, Dara had been feeling apologetic and flustered for showing up in front of Jiyong so unexpectedly, stepping into his territory without a welcome. But, turns out, he had carefully planned out everything? He had known all along, and arranged for her to come.

“Unbelievable,” Dara scoffed to herself, hands tightened into fists. Her nails were digging hard into her palms, but she did not feel a thing. He lured her to the lairs of his own agency to torture her. It must be. It was a perfect plan to get revenge on her for leaving and whatever else he may have held a grudge for. That is why he had gotten Chaerin to get her to work at YG, having a perfect opportunity to bully her. Then it was no surprise how everyone at YG seem to hate her, look down on her, and make things unpleasant for her.

“I already know leaving is something you’re good at. Why not actually stay and stick it out til the end instead of acting like a coward for a change?” The words Jiyong previously said echoed inside her head. He pegged her as a coward that runs away when things get tough, mocking her as he referred to the time she left when their family discovered their relationship. He was challenging her, daunting her to continue to stay at YG as he made her days miserable on purpose.

If Jiyong had thought she’d back down, he thought wrong. I am not going anywhere without a fight. Dara grimaced as she pressed the elevator to go down.

Unknown to Dara, Teddy and Jiyong had arrived back at the lobby of YG headquarters after dinner at the same time.

“So she really is the girl you can’t forget?” Teddy shook his head in disbelief, swinging the take-out bag carelessly in one hand. It was bizarre to him what a coincidence it was. But it was not impossible if they both worked in the same industry; in this circle, everyone knew everyone. “I imagined her to be a stuck-up snob, but Dara is nothing like that. She’s polite and friendly to everyone. Not to mention, having a pretty face and voice.” Teddy looked at Jiyong reproachfully, who did not answer as they waited in front of the elevator. “GD, you should apologize to her. I know you are a perfectionist when it comes to recording songs, but the way you treated her earlier was going too far. You are not even that strict to our own trainees, and they did worse than she did.”

“You wouldn’t understand, hyung,” Jiyong said quietly. “She left me at the moment I needed her the most. How can I forgive her?” After Dara left, he lost count of the days, weeks, months that passed. Every day was the same, because everything ceased to mean anything to him. In the first few months, he would have nightmares continuously about running after the taxi the day he last saw her, screaming at the top of his lungs for her not to leave and sprinting with all his might to catch up. But no matter how hard he tried, the results were the same as the harsh reality that he was waken up to face every day: she was gone.

“I’m not asking you to forgive her, I’m just saying that you shouldn’t give her a hard time,” Teddy reasoned, rolling his eyes. “Didn’t you hear what the trainees were saying about her? She didn’t say anything, but if I were her, I’d be upset. After the way you treated her during recording, I would have gotten the hell out of here if I were her. It is already hard enough adjusting to a new company.” Teddy sighed sympathetically, clapping Jiyong on the back. “Bro, I’ve been in way more relationships than you have. Hear me out when I say that hurting someone to protect your pride is not worth it. You’ll be hurting as much as she is.”

“I’d rather have both of us hurt than feel nothing at all,” Jiyong muttered as he stepped out of the elevator upon reaching the floor of the studio. His pride was all he had left, and it instructed him to lash out at Dara than let her know that he was glad to see her. He wants to be good to her, but at the same time he wants her to taste how bitter he’s become because of her. How messed up am I to think this way?

“We should talk.” Jiyong looked up in surprise to see Dara standing in front of him, arms crossed in front of her chest.

Eyes darting back and forth between Jiyong and Dara, Teddy hurriedly handed the take-out bag to Dara. “You two talk. I’ll be working in my studio. Sandy, we ordered some take-out for you. Remember to eat it when it’s still warm.” With that, Teddy left the two of them standing in silence in the empty hallway. When Teddy reached his studio, his curiosity got the best of him, and he gingerly opened a crack in his door so that he could hear their conversation.

Jiyong was the first to break the silence, raising his eyebrows apathetically. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I know what you’re doing.” Dara struggled to keep her voice calm and rational. She was not going to lose her temper in front of him. Nothing would satisfy him more than getting a reaction from her. “You’re making things difficult for me on purpose. I want to tell you, G-Dragon-sshi, that I won’t be affected by whatever little tricks you might pull. However, I do hope you can put aside whatever personal emotions you have concerning the past, and keep it strictly professional in the workplace. I came here to work, not to be played around by you.”

Corners of Jiyong’s mouth turned up in a crooked smile. “What makes you think that I’ve been purposely making things hard for you, sweetheart?”

“You made me record the same lines for nearly four hours straight!” Seeing Jiyong acting high and mighty made Dara unable to keep her emotions in check any longer. How stupid does he think I am? “And I found out that you were the one who wanted me to work here, not Chaerin! You are obviously trying to get back at me for leaving!”

“That does not make any sense, sweetheart. It’s true that I was the one who wanted you to come work at YG, but it is because I need the best producers I can find for my next album. I want songs that can make an impact worldwide, and you are someone who I know that shares my ambition. I asked Chaerin to recruit you as a favor, because she has her ways of reaching y