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I left Bottoms Up with a slap in my face from something called reality. It stung and hurt like a , especially if I knew that reality would eventually catch up I just didn’t expect to get hit by it so hard. I slept in on Saturdays but today I reminded myself that I needed to meet up with Daesung at ten in the morning so I was out the door by 9:30. “What I’m saying is pretty much to hate the players all you want, just don’t hate the game.” It echoed in my mind all night and as I tried to remember the feel of Daesung’s track; I think he noticed I wasn’t myself in the mixing. “Hey Jiyong, we can always take a break if you want,” he reminded me at 11, only an hour into our work.

“A-ani, I’m just having some…girl troubles,” I told him, even if it was much more than girl issues. Where’s Daesung’s double? He smirked at me and sighed.

“I thought you and Dara were doing fine!” he knows about Dara, I’ve worked with him long enough to divulge some of my personal life to him.

“We are but my other friends are starting to second guess our relationship.” It was true, some of my friends (from an alternate universe) are thinking about me and Dara’s relationship. “What if they don’t like her but I do?”

“Screw them, it depends on how you feel about her,” he said quickly and I nodded.

“Yeah, you’re right…”

“Of course I am.”

At our lunch break at 12:30 I met up with Dara at a café, my eyes readjusting to my own love instead of the girl in prison. I hope I don’t have to do that too often… ”Same dream?” I nodded and took a long drink from my double shot coffee. I know that Bottom’s Up isn’t just a dream, but that’s what Dara thinks it is.

“My head hurts a lot, I drank a Mind Eraser last night,” I mumbled and she rolled her eyes. “Luckily this college student found me passed out on the sidewalk.”

“Don’t drink that when you’re out, one glass can knock anyone out,” she advised, rubbing my arm gently and held my hand. How can this not feel right? Really I’m asking, because my heart flutters when she holds my hand.

“How’s home?” I wondered.

“Crazy, the girls are always fighting or screaming at Chaerin’s boyfriend when they video-chat,” she groaned and I couldn’t help but smile. That was when I realized it’s been a while since I smiled. Everything washed away my happiness, I was glad I was with Dara. She has that smiling factor about her, it’s infectious.

“Is Youngbae a good guy?” I asked, I was truly curious about him.

“He seems okay, he’s polite and stuff like that. As long as he’s not in a gang then we’re all good,” she said simply and I smiled once more. But if Taeyang is a police officer wouldn’t Youngbae be a criminal? Doesn’t that just seem logical?

“Does Minji like boys yet?” I asked once more.

“She’s thinking, why?”

“The college student I met last night seems perfect for her.”

Have you had the feeling where everything just seems to be good and then someone makes you think deeper and life isn’t really that perfect? Ji explained life like it was something to do not something to enjoy. Seeing him be friends with people in jail, seeing jail from the inside was like so intense. Seeing Dara act like that and hear what she did to end up there was a smack upside the head. I thought a lot about this, Ji was telling me Dara was gonna be the end of me. He was saying Chaerin was the right direction for a happy heart. I was being held to high standards by my boss. Finally I know now my life isn’t near perfect because life isn’t just about my personal relationships. I’m starting to hate the game more than the players.

After work it was about six o’ clock, in time for dinner so I went to the bar to pick up a burger. I made my way to the counter and shouted for Seunghyun who appeared from the back with a smile. “Hey man! Just in time for my dinner break,” he smirked and took a seat next to me. We ordered a couple double bacon cheeseburgers and started talking. “What’s your work anyway?”

“I’m a song writer and producer,” I answered and his eyes widened.

“That’s really cool! Man, I would’ve never took you as a music kind of guy,” he admitted and I shrugged.

“Music is an outlet for people who don’t wanna blow up in public,” I told him and he thanked the man who brought us our dinner.

“Well I prefer the gym for that stuff, I could never actually write a song,” Seunghyun took a big bite and I followed with one.

“My life’s kinda complicated write now so I’m kind of a songwriting gold mine at the moment.”

“Ah, I won’t ask.”

Right after we finished eating our burgers Seunghyun went back to work, so I walked outside and dialed Little Seunghyun’s number. I had to find out if the kid was single or not so I can hook him up with Minji. I was really eager to get them in a relationship with each other and see if it has any effect on Seungri and E-Minji. “Yobosaeyo?” he answered tiredly.

“Seunghyun, you a single guy?” I asked straightforwardly and I heard him stutter over the line.

“Uh, n-ne, why?” he asked back and I shrugged as if he was right in front of me.

“I know a girl that you might like; how old are you?” I questioned.

“Twenty…”

“Perfect! What do you say, Seunghyun?” there was a pause on the opposite side of the phone. I heard him sigh deeply and I smirked.

“Alright Hyung, I’ll meet her,” he agreed and I remembered something earlier.

“Gamsa! Hey, how’d you do on that AP test?” I asked him finally; he scoffed, I could pretty much hear his smile.

“Got a 5.” That’s really good right?

I don’t know why I wanted to get Little Seunghyun and Minji together, maybe because they seemed compatible in Bottoms Up. To be honest I wasn’t sure if they would be a good match in my world. I hoped they were but I had to talk to the Park/Lee house first. Sunday was my other day off because my boss is religious and he doesn’t like working on Sundays so I took my time to head to Dara’s place. I waited a couple seconds when Chaerin opened up the door. My breath caught in my throat; I was expecting anyone else but her to open the door. She might suspect my awkwardness around her but she didn’t show it. “Hey Jiyong Oppa,” I snapped back.

“Hey Chaerin, can I talk to Minji?” I asked as I stepped inside and stripped off my shoes.

“Ne, I’ll go get her,” she responded and ran off; I breathed easier. I’m just not used to seeing her and thinking about what Ji and Taeyang say at the same time. At least she has a boyfriend.

“Jiyong Oppa!” I looked up and smiled at Minji who ran down to greet me. Maybe because she’s the youngest but I feel this strong brotherly love for her. She’s sweet and easy to tease, I like talking to her even if I haven’t known her that long. “What’s up?” she inquired as we took a seat.

“Well, I have this friend. He’s 20; he’s a college student—.” Minji jumped back and held up her hands.

“Don’t tell me you set him up with me!” she moaned and I took her hands.

“Come on! He’s a good kid! Just hang out with him for half an hour and call me if you don’t like him,” I insisted. She ran her fingers down her face, upset with my rash actions.

“Oh my God, Oppa! Fine! I’ll do it but if he’s totally weird it’ll be the death of you!” I clapped my hands in happiness. Yes!

“Gamsa Minji!”

After a long argument with Bom and Chaerin, including yelling and accusations, they let me take Minji out. “Fine but if she gets hurt because of you I swear to God—!” I held up my hand to silence Chaerin. It was obvious she cared a lot about her younger sister but there was no need to question that I would ever let Minji step into danger. I was starting to have this admiration about Chaerin; she really loves whoever’s close to her.

“Minji’ll be fine, if things aren’t right she’ll call and if they get along I’ll pick ‘em up in a few hours,” I shrugged and stood up from the table. Bom rubbed her forehead, a gesture that nervousness was piling up in her temples. “Don’t worry, either of you.”

“Alright, just be careful with her,” Bom mumbled and I nodded.

“Come on, Oppa!” Minji called and I ran to the door to put on my shoes.

“Let me call him too,” I sighed once we were out the door and dialed Seunghyun’s number.

“Ne, Hyung?”

“Are you ready to go out man?”

“What?! You were serious about that?!” I rolled my eyes. His voice was panicked and stuttering, we really should get to know each other any one of my friends would’ve known joking isn’t really my thing.

“Ne! Get your out of your dorm and meet her at the café downtown!” I hung up on him before I heard an answer and turned to Minji. “Remember, you call me if you don’t like him,” I reminded.

“Ne, trust me I will,” she grumbled and I sighed. She might not necessarily be interested in coming or even meeting him but it was just an experiment for me. I didn’t really care; if they worked out that’s awesome but if not, eh.

Minji continued to stare at the ground and shuffle in her seat as we waited for Seunghyun. She’s nervous, after all it is her first date and with a guy she doesn’t know. Once I saw him I would be out of there though, I didn’t want to make things any more awkward. Please come, please come. It was probably around six or seven minutes later when his recognizable black hair came into view; I jumped up. “I’ll see you later Minji!” and I took off back to my apartment in a different direction. Hopefully I get some results in Bottoms Up, in the meantime, where’s Dara? I pressed on my speed dial contact for her and listened to the ringtones but no answer. Odd, she must be busy. Sometimes Dara can hang out other times she can’t, I never really questioned the reason of why she couldn’t go out. Whatever, I made another couple!