“Did you see his…”

“Yeah, and his…”

You and Himchan collapsed on against each other, laughing too hard to talk or even breathe properly. The two of you were sitting on the couch in the boys’ dorm monitoring their latest performance at the KBS Open Concert, where they’d performed hits from the 90’s. They’d prepared HOT’s ‘Candy’ and Park Jin Young’s ‘Don’t Leave Me’, and although the two of you had already laughed at Yongguk countless times during rehearsals, watching the actual performance still cracked you up.

“You’re lucky you didn’t have to do this!” you said, nudging your brother.

“Because I’m not there, Bbang looks like a father bringing his four sons out,” he added, wiping from his eyes tears of laughter. The two of you collapsed into a laughing fit again as the door opened.

“Himchan hyung! Hana noona! What are you two laughing about?”

You looked up long enough to see a flash of blue hair as Zelo entered the living room. He slid across the room in his socks, coming to a stop right before you and Himchan, where he dropped to the floor to look at what you were watching on the laptop. He covered his face when he realized what it was, just as the rest of the boys came in after him. Yongguk’s expression visibly brightened when he saw you, but it changed to one of confusion when you and Himchan burst into raucous laughter again at the sight of him.

Daehyun slid into the seat next to Himchan while Yongguk settled himself beside you. “What’s going on?”

Zelo turned the laptop towards Yongguk. “Hyung, look at what they’re watching!”

Everyone burst out laughing with you and Himchan, but you could see that Yongguk was the most embarrassed out of all of them. He pressed his palms to his red cheeks and nudged you with his leg. “Ya, why are you laughing so hard? You’re supposed to stand up for me when people are making fun of me!”

“Don’t you think you look hilarious?” Himchan asked, putting on a cute expression and imitating the dance moves with his arms. Yongguk reached across you to shove him and you ducked down to stay out of the fray. “Ya, not fair! You have to hit Hana too! She sent the video to your mother!”

The rest of the boys laughed and clapped as Yongguk froze and glared at you. You attempted to escape, but Zelo and Jongup were sitting on the floor in front of you and you had no space to run. Yongguk hooked an arm around your neck and pulled you back. “Ya! Why did you send it to my mom!”

“Don’t you think she ought to see her son at his cutest?”

“Noona, it’s embarrassing!” Youngjae complained.

“Why?” you protested. “You were all cute! The only funny one was—”

Yongguk clamped a hand over your mouth before you could finish. “Okay, that’s enough.”

Himchan laughed. “I see you’ve found a way to subdue my sister.”

You kicked your brother as you broke free from Yongguk’s grip. “Nobody’s subduing me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Yongguk said in mock seriousness, saluting you. “I’m going to take a shower. You want to wait for me here?”

“Who says I’m waiting for you?” you asked. “I’m here to look for Daehyunnie.”

Daehyun clapped his hands together. “Ah, that’s right. Hana noona is going to write a song about me.”

Yongguk raised his eyebrows at you. “You are? What kind of song?”

You grinned at him as you grabbed your notebook from the table. “It’s a secret.”

It was another day in the office, and you were in a cubicle in the bathroom when you heard loud voices outside, signaling that two girls had just entered. The company was pretty big, and there were lots of staff that you didn’t know personally, since you pretty much just hung out with the songwriters and the BAP boys. Usually, when you crossed paths with people wearing the staff tags around their necks, you just smiled politely and bowed just in case people recognized you as Himchan’s sister. You were pretty much prepared to do the same when you heard what they were discussing and your hand stopped at the door of the cubicle.

“I really hope I get to meet Bang Yong Guk in person soon,” one girl was gushing.

“Ya, don’t get all star-struck. You’re supposed to be working here. Besides, I think he already has a girlfriend.”

There was a gasp.

“He does? No way! Who is it? Wait, let me guess! It’s Song Ji Eun, isn’t it?”

“I don’t actually know for sure,” the second girl admitted. “They’re quite hush-hush about it, but it seems as though their manager and the members know something. They’re always teasing him and all I know is that other than Himchan, the boys all call her ‘noona’. When they’re playing around they’re always threatening to tell their ‘noona’ to control him.”

“It must be Song Ji Eun then! She’s the same age as him!”

“Even if it is, so what? Whoever it is, you don’t stand a chance.”

“If it’s Song Ji Eun, I’d willingly concede. She’s perfect for him.” There was a sigh. “Don’t you get to work with the Secret members too? Can you tell if there’s anything going on from her side?”

“I don’t know, but there seems to be something going on between the two groups. I don’t know everything that’s happening between them. We’re only doing the administrative work here. We don’t really get to interact with the idols much.”

“Don’t you at least see them in the hallway? Can’t you see if they’re hanging around with each other?”

“Why would they do something so obvious here? Yongguk doesn’t really hang out with girls that much in the office. Most of the songwriters that he works with are all male, except that new girl who just came in not too long ago. I heard she’s Himchan’s sister.”

“Kim Hana?”

“You know her?”

“I read about her on forums. She was an ulzzang in high school and I think she models for advertisements. I remember seeing her in one of those beverage ads.”

“Ya, is there anything you don’t know? You’re even stalking their siblings now?”

Laughter.

“Unnie, I’m not stalking them! I’m just reading what their stalker fans post on the forums!” Pause. “Why is she working with Yongguk all of a sudden? Isn’t she a model? Could she be the one he’s dating?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve heard them arguing in the studio a few times. It seems like they don’t get along. Besides, he’s always saying that he likes moralistic girls who are sweet and polite, but she doesn’t seem like that kind of girl. She seems a bit cold.”

“Is that so? It can’t be her then. He likes selfless girls who care more about others than themselves. Models are too self-obsessed. Did you know that he’s fostering children from Third World countries? How much more perfect can a man get?”

You rolled your eyes to yourself as the girl squealed. You hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but they weren’t actually giving you a choice by bursting in and talking so loudly, right? What did they even know? Who were they to say with such certainty what kind of girls Yongguk liked, and who were they to discount you from that list? Were they saying you were not sweet, not polite and not moralistic? You were tempted to open the door and let them know that Yongguk was fostering those kids with you, and you were the one who’d given him the idea in the first place. How dare they assume that you wouldn’t give a damn about poor children because you got paid to pose in photographs? You normally didn’t care if people criticized you, but it irked you for some reason that they were comparing you and Ji Eun and deeming you incompatible for Yongguk.

“I like the idea of Yongguk and Ji Eun as a couple,” the first girl, whom you recognized as the one with the higher-pitched voice, was still blabbering. “But then again, she sets the bar so high. I’d feel better if it were Himchan’s sister. If he’s dating someone average, then it means the rest of us have a chance too!” Their laughter trailed off as they left the bathroom, leaving you seething in your cubicle.

Average? Did that just call you ‘average’?

You swung the door a little too hard on your way out, and the loud slam as it rebounded against the wall made you wince. You took a deep breath as you washed your hands, telling your reflection in the mirror that you had to calm down. These people didn’t know you. They were entitled to their opinions about you. You didn’t have to let it bother you. You exhaled, feeling a little better. At the end of the day, no matter who they thought was better for Yongguk, he was with you. The two of you had something special that nobody would understand. You repeated these words to yourself like a mantra as you walked down the hallway, back to the recording studio. Yongguk, still engrossed in his writing, barely lifted his head as you entered the room.

You curled up in the chair next to him, making yourself comfortable. You picked up your cell phone from the table and went online. You’d promised Yongguk you wouldn’t obsess over what was being said on their fan sites and forums, but you felt indignant after what you’d just overheard.

“Ji Eun unnie is a really nice girl, huh?” you asked casually, scrolling through the pages. Apparently, the girl’s sentiments were not just hers alone. There was a surprising amount of support for Yongguk and Ji Eun online, no thanks to how Yongguk always described his ideal type to be some kind of angel. It irritated you a little, although you knew there was no way he could control what people were saying online.

“Hmm?” he muttered, his head still bent over his work. “I guess so. Why?”

“She’s sweet and polite to her elders, isn’t she?” you continued, glaring at the top of his head.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Does she also pick up trash and raise her hand before crossing the road?”

Yongguk hesitated, and you could sense that he was no longer oblivious to the motivations behind your line of questioning. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Just wondering,” you replied airily. “Would you consider her a moralistic woman?”

He turned to look at you finally, eyeing you suspiciously. “What is this about?”

“Nothing,” you insisted innocently. “Just thinking to myself that you two look good together. Did you ever consider dating her?”

Yongguk was silent for a moment, and you could see that he was resisting the urge to sigh out loud. His eyes searched yours for a few seconds before he snatched your phone out of your hand and looked at the screen. The sigh that he’d been holding back escaped. “Why are you taking all these things seriously? How can I control what is being said about me?”

“I’m not,” you protested, snatching your phone back from him. “Some of them do have a point. You two look good together. Besides, you did proclaim your love for her on broadcast, so you can actually control it to some extent.”

“That was a joke,” he explained, grabbing your phone again so he could close the page you were reading. “If what is circulating online is true, then you should be very worried because I am also in a secret gay relationship with your brother.”

You fought back the smile that was tugging at the corner of your lips. “That I wouldn’t find too hard to believe either.”

He laughed and poked you in the side. “Ya, what is that supposed to mean?”

You scooted away from him to defend yourself. “Exactly what it sounds like. Who knows who your ideal type is? It certainly doesn’t sound like me.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t sound like you?” he demanded, pulling your chair so you rolled closer to him again. “Are you an immoral woman?”

You smacked him on the arm. “Ya, Bang Yong Guk!”

He laughed. “Then what are you mad about? Would you like me to announce to the world that you’re my girlfriend?”

“No,” you grumbled sulkily. “It would just be nice if Ji Eun unnie weren’t so perfect for you.”

“Are you jealous?” he teased, sounding ridiculously happy. You glared at him but you couldn’t stay mad at him for long when he was giving you that cute cheeky smile. He took your hand in his and held it. “Don’t be silly. How can anyone be more perfect for me than you are? We are two halves of a whole, remember? I get asked my ideal type in almost every single interview and I can’t keep describing you in all of them, can I? Whoever knows the both of us would figure it out instantly.” You grudgingly nodded. “Our fans, especially young girls, take what we say seriously. I say I like these qualities because I have the power to influence them to do good things like treat their parents kindly and cross the road safely. It doesn’t mean that I’m describing a particular person, okay?”

“Fine,” you said in a small voice. “Don’t go declaring your love for other girls on television again, though.”

“Okay, I’ll only do it on radio shows then,” he joked, earning a jab in his ribs from you. “I’m kidding! I’ll try my best, okay? But in future, don’t take whatever I say on broadcast too seriously. Sometimes they make us say things for the sake of entertainment, and I don’t have any control over that.”

“Yeah, since everyone finds it so entertaining when you talk about Song Ji Eun.”

“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” he said with a grin.

“I’m not jealous.”

“You totally are.”

“I’m not!”

“Pabo.”

Author's note: New chapter's up pretty fast this time, no? Heh. :D

I had lots of fun at the GD concert on Sunday! And yes, cranberrylips, I'm from Singapore. :) Singapore happened to be the last leg of the One of a Kind tour and I went for the concert on the very last night (he was here for 2 nights), so he got a little bit emotional towards the end and it felt really special being there. My friend happened to be able to get us really good seats too, so we were really close even though we weren't in the standing pit. The show was ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR! Nobody can perform like GD/Big Bang, seriously. They were my very first love, and they got me really into Kpop (yes, GD is my bias, if anyone is interested). It was also my first time seeing 2NE1 live even though they travel to Singapore quite frequently, and they were AMAZING. Without Big Bang, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Korean music and culture, and suffice to say, I would never have discovered our wonderful BAP. Since BB hasn't been actively promoting, I've kinda gotten really obsessed with BAP over the past months, but being at GD's concert reminded me why he was my first Kpop love. Great night, overall. <3 <3

Singapore will also be BAP's last stop on the Live On Earth tour before the encore concerts in Seoul, and tix are going on sale soon! Unfortunately, as with every other stop on the tour, event organizers seem to have underestimated BAP's popularity and tickets are extremely limited. :( Everyone please WISH ME LUCK in getting my hands on one because I think I will be utterly depressed if I'm unable to be there at their concert! It'd be the first concert after Coffee Shop and I think I'll just DIE if they perform it and I'm not there. >.<

This part doesn't advance my timeline very much, but it has several important hints that foreshadow what's going to happen really soon with Yongguk and Hana. I wonder if you guys find it obvious? Heehee. All these random little episodes look like they're in bits and pieces now, but eventually, they will all come together. *Rubs hands in conspiratorial manner* I know I'm really rambly, so Imma end it here with the usual THANKS and HEARTS! Don't stop commenting!

xx.