Day 37

 

Jiyong’s eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at the four people standing in front of his door. However, they were not staring back at him. Three of them were staring at the woman beside him while the one in the middle was smiling widely at him.

 

“I’m so going to kill you, rat,” he said in between gritted teeth.

 

Dara had a scared look in her eyes as she stared back at the three men in front of them. She was slowly sinking back into the room but she knew it wouldn’t do much as she and  were already found out.

 

“Uh-oh…” she could only say. Funny how she had already said the same thing two days ago before crawling back into the darkness. She stared back at the one in the middle who wasn’t staring at her but to her boss. However, as if he felt the weight of her stare, he stared back at her and then smiled.

 

Seungri stepped inside the apartment, pulling the other three. He dropped his arm over Dara’s shoulder and enthusiastically exclaimed, “I introduce you to our leader’s nanny… err…” he paused, remembering how Jiyong didn’t mention her name two days ago as the moment he found her out, he was immediately kicked out of his apartment.

 

Dara stared up at him. The kid was taller than her. “Uh… uh… D-Dara.”

 

“DARA!” he said.

 

There was an eerie silence inside the apartment before Jiyong’s eyes zeroed in on something he didn’t notice.

 

“YAH! GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!”

 

Instead of complying, Seungri tightened his grip on her shoulder and ignored his leader. “Dara-ssi, my name is Seungri, nice meeting you. These here are Daesung, Taeyang, and TOP.”

 

“TOP…” Dara muttered under her breath as she stared at the tallest guy in the room – the guy who had a chiseled face and sharp eyes, a guy who looked like he came out straight out of the Twilight movie.

 

“I told you to get your hands off her,” Jiyong once again barked as he pushed Seungri away from Dara.

 

“Geez, you sound like a clingy, jealous boyfriend instead of a boss,” Seungri said, making his way to the couch.

 

Hearing this, Dara immediately flinched. “Ah, no. it’s not like that. It’s just… Jiyong here… he has…”

 

“We have strict rules to comply,” Jiyong said nonchalantly, sitting on the couch opposite Seungri. He then looked back at the three who were still dumbfounded on their spots. “YAH! Are you going to sit or not?”

 

The three complied immediately as if the order came from the highest general instead of just their group leader. However, even though they were already seated, their eyes never left Dara, who just stood stiffly, her eyes casted on the floor.

 

Suddenly, Daesung reached out his index finger and poked Dara’s arm. The latter jumped back as if she was electrocuted. She even held on to the spot Daesung poked.

 

“OH MY GOSH! SHE’S REAL!” the ever overreacting BIGBANG member exclaimed and then hid behind Taeyang’s braids.

 

“I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it,” Taeyang murmured repeatedly, shaking his head back and forth.

 

Jiyong buried his face on his palms. He felt a hand on his knee.

 

“Tell us what the meaning of this is,” TOP’s deep voice came.

 

Jiyong stared up at Dara. “Go and prepare us some drinks. Soda sounds good for everyone, doesn’t it?” he asked for everyone’s suggestion. However, Taeyang and Daesung were too shocked to even answer back. TOP just nodded and Seungri ordered orange juice.

 

“Can you guys cut the stupidity out?” TOP had finally run out of patience. His deep and loud voice shocked Dara back in the kitchen.

 

“I just… I know Jiyong ever since we’re little. I know every girl he brings into his apartment, but—“ Taeyang was cut off when Jiyong immediately ran to cover his mouth. The former just pushed his hand away and continued. “—this is the first time he didn’t tell me. This is the first time he even hid this from us. Don’t you guys feel betrayed or hurt?”

 

“YAH! You speak as if I bring girls into my apartment all the time. And you’re overrea—“

 

“I do. My heart hurts!” Daesung said, clutching his chest while pretending to cry.

 

“YAH! STOP IT YOU TWO!” Jiyong once again exclaimed. As he finally relaxed, he sat back into his seat the same time Dara came with their drinks. “Dara had a debt to pay me. My ankle was hurt because of her.”

 

“So you hired her as your nanny?” Seungri asked.

 

“I am not his nanny!” Dara exclaimed and then covered , realizing it was disrespectful of her.

 

“She’s not my nanny. She’s my personal maid,” Jiyong answered calmly.

 

“How did she cause your ankle to twist? Weren’t you hurt after your stage in Inkigayo?” TOP inquired.

 

“True but my foot was already hurt even before that. I felt the pain while I was getting down the stage after my performance and that was when I fell and twist my ankle.”

 

“EEEHHHH?!” all four reacted at once.

 

“You’re kidding right? How shallow could you get?!” TOP asked. “Cut the little girl some slack. I’m sure she didn’t mean whatever she did to you.”

 

Hearing that made Dara’s cheeks flushed. It was nice hearing that one from a complete stranger. But when she realized his whole sentence, she realized he called her ‘little girl’.

 

Almost at the same time, Dara and Jiyong spoke at the same time:

 

“I’m not a little girl!”

 

“She meant it! I’m sure!”

 

Dara stared back at him. “I didn’t! You were being a ert that’s why I did that to you!”

 

“ERT!” Seungri exclaimed. “You see, guys! I’m not the erted one! It’s Jiyong-hyung!”

 

“You were groping my s!” Dara exclaimed.

 

“WHAT?! OH MY GOSH, MY HEART!” Daesung exclaimed, standing up, clutched his heart, and fell to the floor as if he fainted.

 

“I didn’t feel anything anyway! What’s the big deal?!”

 

Dara’s fists clenched tightly as she heard that and if there wasn’t anyone who was going to stop her right at this instant, she could lounge at him and scratch his pretty face off.

 

“O-KAY! Let’s stop now, shall we?” TOP said, covering Dara’s sight by standing in front of her. He then turned to Jiyong. “How can you even say those things to the little girl?”

 

“Right? She’s just a little girl that’s why I didn—“

 

“Not another word,” TOP warned. Even though Jiyong was the leader, TOP was still their hyung. Jiyong immediately sat back on his couch and pouted like a kindergarten kid being told to behave. TOP then turned back at Dara. “Relax, little girl.”

 

Dara stared back at him. “Don’t call me ‘little girl’.”

 

“Okay, Dara-ssi isn’t it?” he asked. He just stared at her, trying to calm her down.

 

Dara wasn’t sure why and couldn’t even believe it but she started to calm down. One thing she was sure at the moment was that she couldn’t stare straight at his eyes so she looked down.

 

“Good. You can sit between me and Daesung,” he offered.

 

Dara looked up again. “No,” she said, frantically shaking her head. “We have rules,” she said. She just then realized he was real close to her so she stepped back, too far than intended.

 

A snort of laughter came from behind TOP. TOP could just guess that it was Seungri.

 

“I’m pretty sure the rules only apply between you and GD-hyung,” Daesung said behind them.

 

Hearing this, Jiyong perked up once again. “No. you’re in my place so everyone should follow my rules.”

 

“Ehhh! You’re kidding right?” Seungri exclaimed. “How can you be so childish, hyung?” he asked and then laughed.

 

“Come now, you can sit between TOP and Daesung,” Taeyang encouraged. “It will be safer that way,” he added.

 

“Yeah. I can’t even imagine what kind of tiger is waiting to get unleashed inside of you,” Jiyong agreed.

 

Dara hissed at him while she was making her way to the sofa.

 

“Oh, hyung. Tell us the rules. Quick! I think they will be funny,” Daesung said, clapping his hands enthusiastically.

 

“She can’t touch any of my things without my permission,” Jiyong said.

 

“I can’t go and tell the people I know about my nature of work and who I’m working under,” Dara said.

 

“She can’t leave this apartment without my permission,” Jiyong said.

 

“That’s the rule I most despise,” Dara whispered. “And our most important rule…”

 

“The one-meter rule,” both of them said in chorus.

 

“Can you further explain?” Taeyang asked.

 

“Ah! Is that why you took a big step backwards a while ago?” TOP guessed, earning a nod from Dara.

 

“AH! You can’t get close at each other in less than a meter’s distance?” Taeyang guessed too, earning nods from them.

 

An eerie silence passed and then Seungri, Taeyang, Daesung, and TOP laughed aloud.

 

“So childish!” Taeyang barked.

 

“I don’t even get why!” Seungri exclaimed.

 

“One-meter rule! I doubt they even complied!” Daesung said.

 

“WE DID!” Dara and Jiyong both said.

 

After a few minutes, the laughter died down… TOP was the first one to break it.

 

“I’m pretty sure we’ll be good friends, Dara-ssi,” TOP said.

 

Dara stared back at TOP and she immediately felt her heart skip its beat. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she realized she was so close with him. “ONE-METER RULE!” she exclaimed and without thinking much, she pushed him away until he fell off the sofa.

 

“Owww…” TOP groaned nursing his .

 

“OH MY GOSH!” Dara panicked, stood up, and immediately went to his side, only to jump back away from him once again. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

 

“It’s not like the rules apply to us too. Come on, help me up,” TOP said, reaching his hand to her.

 

Dara just stood there, staring at his outreached hand. She didn’t know why but instead of grabbing that hand to help him up, Dara stared back towards his boss as if asking for his permission. Jiyong was staring at her but immediately looked away when their gazes locked. He then stood up. “Come on, guys. Let’s record some songs,” he said.

 

Dara’s eyes never left Jiyong so she almost fell forward when TOP grabbed on to her wrist to support himself to stand up if not for another pair of hands holding her in place. TOP was able to stand up and he dusted himself off with his free hand. When Dara looked behind her, Daesung was smiling at him, his hands still on her shoulders.

 

“See you later,” Daesung said, patting her shoulders before following behind Jiyong.

 

Dara returned her gaze forward when she felt that TOP was still holding on to her wrist. She pulled back immediately and bowed at him, apologizing once more.

 

“It’s fine,” TOP said, chuckling and messing her hair. “You’re a small little girl but your arms sure are strong eh?”

 

He’s calling me little girl again, she thought. “I don’t think the rules do not apply to everyone though. We should comply,” Dara said, her small voice almost not heard.

 

“Silly little girl,” Taeyang said when he passed by behind her.

 

“Rules are meant to be broken anyway. Believe me, I’ve done that several times,” Seungri said as he put an arm over her shoulders. “I sure hope this won’t be our last meeting. See you!” he said as he followed Taeyang, Daesung, and Jiyong to the record room.

 

“Bye, little girl,” TOP said. “I don’t think we’ll see you before we go home. Perhaps you’ll be asleep or doing something when we finish recording. Jiyong is really a perfectionist and we won’t be able to go home until we finish one song. And, he doesn’t want to be disturbed so I’m guessing you’re not allowed to go inside when he’s recording or something right?” he asked and she nodded. “Bye then.”

 

Dara stared at his retreating back and remembered something before he entered the room. “YAH! DON’T CALL ME LITTLE GIRL AGAIN NEXT TIME!”

 

TOP looked back and laughed. “Arasso, arasso, big strong girl!” he said before entering the studio.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

True to TOP’s words, it was past one in the morning when Jiyong decided to call it off. They didn’t finish recording the song though because he kept on scolding them for committing mistakes, especially Seungri. The rest of the boys realized that it was the consequence of Seungri revealing Dara to them. They couldn’t do anything but to tolerate their leader’s fury or else they would get fewer lines on the song.

 

Jiyong was massaging the back of his neck as he made his way to his room. Now that they had gone home, he could finally relax.

 

When he opened the door to his room, a usual sight welcomed him. Dara was sitting beside the bed and was sleeping with her arms stretched across his bed and her head on his arm. She looked like she was sleeping comfortably even though her position was not even close to being comfortable. She always did this when she fixes her bed before sleeping. It might be because she missed sleeping in a comfortable and soft bed that she always ended up falling asleep in his bed. He wouldn’t be surprised when next time, he would see her really lying on his bed.

 

He scratched his head, deciding to wake her up harshly again, like what he usually does. But he stopped himself. He realized he crossed the line today because of their argument in front of s. He bit his lip. In other times, he wouldn’t feel guilty but right now, he was feeling guilty.

 

So, instead of waking her up, he went to the other side of the bed and sat on the floor. He imitated her uncomfortable position and stared at her face.

 

“Wake you up… or not? Wake you up… or not?” he chanted repeatedly but softly.

 

Dara shifted her position so that her head was already on the bed.

 

Jiyong clicked his tongue. “How can you sleep in such an uncomfortable position? You can even sleep in sofas. It’s unbelievable.”

 

Suddenly, Jiyong found himself silent and just staring at her. A thought came to his mind. It seems like she likes TOP-hyung. And then he sighed.

 

In a very soft tone, he asked. “Do you like TOP, Dara?”