Chapter 32

~*Dara’s POV*~

“Then I suppose this is the only option.” YG sajangnim says quietly as I hang my head in utter disappointment and embarrassment. I can only nod, not wanting to say much more that what I’ve told him.

“I’m sorry that things didn’t work out more smoothly.”

I shake my head and look up at him, “Please… don’t apologize.” Shame spreads throughout my body at hearing him apologize for my own personal matters. Someone who was so kind and expected so much from me… I didn’t want to know what he possibly thought of me now.

“I suppose we are done here… Please gather your things and return home… I’ll be sure to inform the othe—“

“YG SAJANGNIM!” The door of YG sajangnim’s office swings open and enters a very frantic Jiyong. “Don’t… don’t…” He tries to catch his breath, sweating all over. Did he run?

“Don’t let her go.” He finally utters his first sentence. “It was my mistake… a complete misunderstanding… she did nothing wrong… I take full responsibility. Please.”

I stare at him hunched over while still trying to get his plea across the room. So… he finally believes.

“Jiyong.” YG sajangnim says firmly.

“Please, sajangnim.” Jiyong replies, “She did nothing wro—“

“Jiyong, I know.”

His eyes widen and he holds his breath as if trying to hear clearly.

“You… know?” He looks at me and then to YG sajangnim who clears his throat before explaining.

“Yes,” He gets out of his chair and moves over to a flat screen TV that was hanging on the right side of his desk. “Unlike someone… when a situation happens, I make sure to get all the facts before coming to a conclusion.”

“Sandara-ssi.” YG, sajangnim suddenly calling my name made me jump.

“Y-yes, sajangnim?” I turn to him not realizing that I was completely focused on the words coming out of Jiyong’s mouth.

“As I was saying before, please go home and rest. There’s no need to worry about practice and training for today.”

“But…” I start but he brings up his hand to stop me.

“This will not happen again, so take the chance to rest and start fresh for tomorrow. Don’t believe I’m doing this only for you. Everyone has had a rough night and they will be off for today as well.”

With the sternness in his voice, there was no way I could refuse. I thank him again and bow before turning away.

“Dara…” I halt at Jiyong’s soft voice, not knowing if I should turn to look at him. There were a few minutes of silence as I stood my ground keeping my back to him.

“I’m… really sorry.” He finally whispers. My heart pinches hearing those words. I could hear the guilt and the pain in his voice. But I couldn’t say ‘it’s okay’. I just couldn’t find those words in me.

So, without saying a word, I left.

~*Jiyong’s POV*~

I wanted to go after her. I wanted to grab her arm, to make her look at me, to make her see how wrong I was, how sorry I was, how I wanted to so badly reverse time and take back everything I did.

But why would she believe me when I didn’t believe her?

“Jiyong.” YG’s voice enters my mind, “I want you to see something.”

He grabs a remote to turns the TV screen on and appears a series of rectangles. It takes me a while, but I soon realize that each rectangle was a view of somewhere in the YG building.

“Are these…”

“Yes, I have cameras in every room of this building.” YG clarifies as he presses buttons on the remote, flipping through pages and pages of rectangles until finally he reaches the screen he wants: the small dance studio from last night.

Was it… recorded? My heart starts to beat fast, unsure if I am ready to see what really happened last night, to know the truth.

“I did not show this to Sandara-ssi… I only told her that I was aware of the situation. She’s already been through enough that she doesn’t need to know the details. However, you, Jiyong, I believe you should witness exactly what happened, before you carelessly jumped to conclusions.” His words sting in my ears. He’s pissed.

YG presses some more buttons until finally the rectangle has spread to full screen and the video begins with Dara entering the room last night. Just by looking at the expression on her face, it was clear that something was wrong. That she was upset. What was wrong?

            ’So you end up coming here. Here to reminisce your romantic moment with MY Jiyong oppa?’

My ear twitches at the sound of a familiar voice calling my name. Sohee’s voice is loud and clear from the TV. Although she wasn’t in view, Dara flinches and turns to look at where she must have appeared.

            ’Sohee-ah.’

            ‘Don’t ‘Sohee-ah’ me. It makes me sick when you call me with such endearment.’

Although those words weren’t meant for me, I still felt the sting in my chest, my heart growing heavy. How could she say such things to family? With so much hate? The Sohee that was on the screen, speaking in such ways, was not the Sohee I thought. She completely fooled me. I was a fool.

            ‘Why are you Jiyong oppa’s backup dancer? How did you do it? Why are you trying to steal oppa away from me?’

It felt like I was watching a movie, but I was too engrossed and emotionally connected to the characters. My heart beat fast in anticipation for Dara’s reply, I watch as she clenches her fists and was shaking in anger.

             ‘Why are you acting like this? Jiyong is not something that you can own! He’s not yours, he’s not mine, he’s not anybody’s! Why are you acting like… like a child?!’

A slight ounce of joy appeared when hearing her speak up for me, for understanding that I am a human as well... although, I couldn’t make out why I felt disappointed hearing her say that I’m not hers.

            ‘A child?! I’m acting like a child?! Oh, well I’m SORRY. I guess I should act more like an adult like YOU! What should I do, hmm? Oh, I know! Maybe, next time if I don’t get what I want, I’ll go SLEEP with someone! That’s how you got here in the first place right?! You slept with YG sajangnim to get here since that’s the ONLY way you could’ve gotten here today! Should I be an adult like that?! Be a like yo—‘

It all happens so quickly. Sohee’s irrational and disgusting words and Dara’s very well deserving slap all happen before my eyes. Not at all how I imagined it last night when trying to make sense of everything.

            ‘What is going on in here?’

My eyes automatically move downward towards the floor, knowing very well what happens next and not wanting to see it.

            ‘Why are you here? Why are you here as my backup dancer?’

            ‘I…I… I can’t say…’

            ‘Is it true that you hit her?’

“Stop… please. That’s enough.” I say quietly. Although I wasn’t looking at the screen, the scene was playing crystal clear in my head. I could see her distraught face. The face that I chose not to believe.

            ‘IS IT?!’

            ‘Yes…’

“Please. I get it now. I was so wrong.” I plead louder this time. The pain in my chest was becoming unbearable as I see the innocent crumble before my eyes. Why am I such a fool?

            ‘Please Jiyong… please believe me…’

“YG sajangnim! I get it!” I cry out. Hoping that my pleading will stop the suffering and stop me from hearing anymore of the desperate cries of the girl that I hurt. But it didn’t… the video just kept playing, mocking me.

            ‘Please Jiyong.’

She was begging me. She was begging for me to believe her. All she wanted was for me to listen to her, to trust her, to understand her…

            ‘I think we’ve all had enough.’

But I didn’t.

The tape stops. There is dead silence in the room as YG watches me. I look up at the paused screen and see an image that I didn’t see that night… Dara had collapsed on the floor. Then with the image etched into my mind, the screen goes black.

“Sandara is Sohee’s older cousin. They’ve known and grown up with each other for as long as she can remember. Sandara has always seen Sohee as a cousin, a close friend, and even as a younger sister. But clearly from this video, Sohee does not feel the same.” My body had shut down and the only thing I could do was listen to YG’s story, “Because Sohee’s parents were strict, Sandara has always been asked to accompany Sohee to all sorts of things, starting from dance lessons to your auditions. Sohee asked Sandara to accompany her to your auditions because she was a huge fan and saw it as an opportunity to get closer to you. Although at first she came as a favor, Sandara found different reasons for wanting to be your backup dancer. She found a love in dance, in the company, and greatly admired you. However, because she had so much drive and passion, it caused Sohee to feel uncomfortable and she was told to promise two things: one, that if she won, she’d give up her spot for Sohee and two, to never mention to anyone that Sohee and her were related.”

I was beginning to feel again in my chest, but soon after feeling the pain there, I wish it were still numb. Images were piecing together in my mind now clearly seeing Sohee planting lies from the very beginning, neither Dara nor I realizing it.

“After she lost the audition, she lost herself and that drive until I offered her the chance to be a YG trainee.” My eyes meet YG’s at his words, “I assume you are now aware of the opportunity I offered to Sandara. I told her and Youngbae to not speak a word of this, thinking that it would be for the best and wouldn’t avoid problems with the other backup dancers. Clearly, I was wrong. Without knowing, I had put her in a compromising position with no one knowing exactly why she was there. For that, I admit was my mistake. However, I never would’ve know that a professional such as yourself, would be so easily tricked and have such a bad judgment of character to the point of almost costing someone’s future career.” My eyes lower to the floor in shame at his words.

“If half of your fans out there believed in everything they’ve heard about you, regardless from who, it would cost you your career. Fortunately for you, you have fans that listen to what you have to say, find all the facts, and believe in you. Now imagine if they didn’t.” He sits back in his chair and begins going through the paper work in front of him.

“You now know her story that she had just told me. Now you know all the facts, Jiyong.” Each word slices at me, “Now you know the damage you could’ve possibly done to a girl with so much talent and potential. Now you know how badly you screwed up.”

It takes me a while to notice that my feet have been moving on its own after YG had excused me. I was in such a daze but of course it would only be her voice to bring me out of it.

“Yah! Youngyang! You can let me go!” She sounded flustered.

That’s when I see them. I thought my heart was already done from all the pain I’ve experienced earlier, but it could still feel. It could still hurt.

She was so small that she was completely engulfed by Youngbae’s embrace. His arms were wrapped tightly around her back, his face buried in the crook of her neck. How much I wished to be him.

“YAH!” She yells louder.

“I thought you left…” Youngbae says still hugging her tight, “I thought YG cut you off…”

After a few minutes, she gives up and relaxes her body into his, letting him bring her in even closer.

“Sorry…” I hear her whisper. Things were quiet as I painfully watched them. A feeling of a thousand knives stabbing me all over my body overcame me, wanting so desperately to feel what Youngbae was feeling.

Finally, I see Dara’s hands gently push against Youngbae’s chest putting them arms length away. She looks up at him, her cheeks slightly red and smiles. I can’t see his face, but I know he’s smiling back at her too. Who wouldn’t smile to a face like that?

He holds up his hand to her, palm up. “Let’s go?”

She looks at his hand for just a second before putting her hand in his and nods, still smiling. Hand in hand, they walk down the hall together away from me. I notice the way their hands fit with each other, how they walked side by side, how they joked and laughed together. I couldn’t help but think that if I had just believed in her, it would’ve been me instead of Youngbae.

That was when I really realized exactly how much I ed up…

Because I, Kwon Jiyong, was in love with Park Sandara.

*BlueNote*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hello my loves! I am back... for now!
I still have a few exams coming up but I am done for the week
and wanted to thank you guys for all waiting with an update!
I am truly thankful and blessed for having such understanding and supportive readers
Thank you all again for letting me have time to focus on my studies!

I hope you all enjoyed this update.. that will be all for tonight
But hopefully I'll be able to update again tomorrow!

Thank you to all the new subscribers and comments!! <3 
I don't know what I'd do without you all!

*If you are confused about layout/weird details that seem wrong+right at the same time, please read the story description!*