Day 45

 

Jiyong rarely came home in the past days. Dara assumed that since his foot had recovered now, he was back into a workaholic. He just went home in the morning and then go back to work in the afternoon after he took his late lunch. They rarely talk to each other now, not because there were hard feelings though, because he apologized that he crossed the line a week before when they argued in front of the other BIGBANG members. He was just busy, too busy in fact.

 

Dara even fixed her schedule of preparing his food. Since he arrives in the evening, she would prepare dinner. At times, he would go straight to sleep the moment he arrives, which means, she would keep the food to be eaten the next day, or sometimes, she eats them herself. Before he goes back to work, she cooks him lunch that would be enough to get him by for the rest of the day. She even packs some for s.

 

It was one of those rare days that Jiyong was home during daytime. He was just relaxing in the living room while Dara was doing the laundry in the laundry room.

 

“DORA! Seungri says he misses you,” Jiyong said from the living room.

 

Dara chuckled, finding it absurd how that kid missed her even though they weren’t practically friends.

 

“I told you not to pack me those foods. They feel as if you are concerned about them. Now they’re missing you,” he continued.

 

“What’s wrong with being missed? And I’m sure they can’t eat properly like you too. I’m just being nice,” she said.

 

Jiyong stood up and went towards the laundry room. He stood at the doorframe and looked down at her. “Do you miss them too?”

 

Dara pursed her lips as if thinking and then shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

 

“Who do you miss the most among them?” he asked.

 

“TOP,” she answered without thinking. Realizing what she just said, she stared up at him. “I mean all of them. TOP, Daesung, Seungri, and… that guy in braids.”

 

“His name is Taeyang,” Jiyong said. He walked closer to her and inspected her face. Seeing this, Dara faced the washing machine once again, staring at the spinning clothes inside as if they were the most fascinating things in the world. “TOP really has mesmerizing eyes, eh?”

 

“Yes. I mean, no. I mean, yes but not in the way that—“ she cut herself off when she realized she was already blabbering.

 

Jiyong scoffed. “Don’t think about it. He has standards you know. He wouldn’t like you back.”

 

“WHAT?! What do you mean by standards? What are you trying to imply?” Dara asked but Jiyong was already walking back into the living room. “And I didn’t say I like him!”

 

“Talk to the wall. It might be the only one who will believe you,” he said.

 

Dara hissed. “It’s not like I have feelings for him,” she said, facing the wall. “His eyes are just really piercing and mesmerizing, like what GD said.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re actually really talking to the wall,” Jiyong said appearing beside her once again. “You looked stupid.”

 

Dara jumped back, surprised. “I wasn’t talking to the wall. I was staring into space while talking to myself.”

 

“It doesn’t change the fact that you looked stupid.”

 

Dara gritted her teeth. She then raised her chin. “You violated the one-meter rule twice,” she said.

 

Jiyong just turned his back on her once again and shook his head.

 

“I’m keeping count on it, remember? In my head!” she yelled.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

When Dara finally finished some of her chores, she went to take a rest before going back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. When she dropped herself in the sofa, she saw a box in the coffee table. She thought it was a package that Jiyong left on the table. She stared at the closed door of his studio where he was probably recording some demos. She picked the box up and went to his bedroom and placed it on his desk.

 

After a few minutes of rest, she stood up once again to prepare dinner. While cooking, she heard the door to the studio room opened and then closed. She looked back and Jiyong passed by, probably going to his room.

 

“You’re done recording? The dinner will be ready in a few minutes,” she called back.

 

“Okay,” he answered briefly.

 

When she finished cooking and preparing the table, she was going to call for him but he wasn’t in his room. She then realized he was in the bathroom. She went back to rest on the sofa but caught a familiar thing on the table.

 

“Why is GD’s package here again?” she asked and picked it up and returned it back to his room. When she went out, Jiyong just came out of the bathroom, with his wet hair and bare upper body. She looked away. “Dinner’s ready.”

 

“I’ll come out after I put a shirt on. You’re getting red,” he said, as he passed by her.

 

“I am?” she said, feeling her hot cheeks.

 

The dinner went by silently. After a while, Jiyong would go back to work. He said he was rehearsing something with s. She didn’t have an idea what that is because she wasn’t updated with his schedule. After she finished washing the dishes, she went to prepare her sleeping bed a.k.a the sofa.

 

But, once again, the box was there on the table. She picked it up and decided to ask Jiyong about it. “What is this?” she entered his room, while eyeing the box on her hand. When she looked up, Jiyong was on the process of wearing his pants. She immediately turned her back.

 

Jiyong clicked his tongue and zipped his pants and then put on his coat. He picked up one of his favorite scarfs and went to check himself on the mirror. “You can look now,” he said.

 

“Next time, close the door when you’re changing,” she said.

 

“I didn’t think you wanted to see me anyway, that’s why I left it open,” Jiyong said, fixing his hair.

 

“I didn’t!” she exclaimed and then shook her head. “What is this, anyway? Is this yours?”

 

“It’s yours,” he answered briefly.

 

“No, it’s not. It’s my first time seeing this,” she said.

 

Jiyong then faced her and sighed. “It’s a…” he trailed off. “…a gift.”

 

Dara stared back at him, eyes wide. “From whom?”

 

“You’re expecting it came from TOP?”

 

“WHAT!? No, I’m asking because I don’t know. I’m not asking because I’m expecting it came from TOP,” she said. “Who gave me this gift?”

 

He then turned away. “Me,” he said softly.

 

But Dara still heard him. “You?” she asked but he didn’t reply. Dara’s lips curved into a smile and she opened the box. “What is this?”

 

When she opened it, it was a SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab and a SAMSUNG Galaxy S4. She then stared up at him. He was still facing away.

 

“Are you sure these are mine?” Dara asked.

 

“Yes,” he answered softly.

 

“What… why, I mean why would you even give me these gifts?” she asked.

 

“Is it too hard to say ‘Thank you, GD’?” he asked, facing her once again. He glared at her while she had a stupid grin plastered on her lips. “Don’t feel too special. It was sponsored and I didn’t want to throw away my current phone.”

 

But the stupid grin didn’t die down. Tears even started to well up.

 

“YAH! Stop it, you’re scaring me,” he said.

 

“GD~~~” she slurred.

 

“We have a one-meter rule but I know you wanted to hug me for being grateful, right?” he asked and she nodded. “I have another one,” he said, going towards his desk. He pulled the drawer. “I know you miss going outside so, here,” he said and gave her something.

 

“What is this?” she asked. “A plane ticket?”

 

He nodded. “You’re coming with us in Hong Kong. We’re performing there for an awards show.”

 

Jiyong didn’t even get to finish his statement because Dara immediately wrapped her arms around him and repeatedly said: “Thank you, GD! Thank you!”

 

“YAH! ONE-METER RULE!” Jiyong said, trying to pry her off him.

 

Dara laughed. “Deduct my salary just this time. I’m just so happy!” she squealed.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

While Dara was alone in the apartment and she was staring up into space, she remembered Jiyong’s words:

 

“I just found you pitiful for not knowing anything about KPOP, so I gave you the tab. You can use it to search for videos and shows about KPOP artists. Also, I found you pitiful for not having a phone, so I gave you the phone. And for the ticket, it was TOP’s idea.”

 

Dara squealed, not caring how loud she was. Her boss wasn’t around anyway. “I don’t even know what I am happy about. GD being nice or TOP being thoughtful,” she said to herself.

 

“Hey, Ding Dong!”

 

Dara flinched as she heard that. “Where did it come from? Why does it sound like GD?” she asked, sitting up and looking around her. “He’s not here at home, right?”

 

“Hey, Ding Dong!”

 

It came again and Dara saw the source. It came from her new phone. She picked it up and something flashed on the screen.

 

2 new message s

 

She tried to open them and after several tries, she succeeded. The messages came from “My handsome and hot boss”. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to reading the two messages. The first one said:

 

Are you asleep now?

 

The second one was a blank message. She furrowed her brows and clicked the reply button. It took her several minutes before finishing the message she constructed.

 

I’m not yet sleepy. Why are you concerned so suddenly?

 

Dara laughed as she sent the message. After a minute, she received another one. “Wow, so fast,” she said and opened the message.

 

It took you ten minutes to construct that short message? XD I bet you were trying to find out how to operate that phone eh? Bwahahaha. Anyway, I wasn’t concerned, I was testing you. Now, you sleep. I’m busy here.

 

Dara pouted. Before she could even reply, another message came in.

 

How do you like your phone ringtone? I recorded it myself. There’s a lot more when you see them, I mean, IF you will be able to find them. LOL LOL

 

“YAH! Are you saying I’m stupid?” she asked as if Jiyong could hear her with her just shouting at her phone.

 

It scared the hell out of me. I thought I wasn’t alone at home. And, YAH! I thought you were busy. Go back to rehearsing!

 

And even before she could put her phone down, her phone sounded once again.

 

Goodnight.

 

“Good night?” she read the message aloud. She scoffed. “It’s really hard to read you, Mister G-Dragon,” she said before putting her phone back down and slept.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Day 51

 

Dara and the staffs for BIGBANG arrived in the airport. Dara almost squealed in delight when she felt the Hong Kong air hit her skin. It was different from Korea. Although both countries are now experiencing the early winter days, Hong Kong is warmer than Korea.

 

“YAH! Hurry up! What are you doing there gaping like an idiot?” a staff scolded her. To disguise her identity, Jiyong introduced her to everyone that she was a very distant cousin of Daesung and she would be working part-time as one of the assistants of the stylists. Jiyong specifically told them to treat her good. Apparently, that wouldn’t be the case. Probably because Jiyong and the others took the flight after them, the staff thought she could scold her all she wanted. Jiyong insisted they took the same flight but the members told him it would raise suspicions.

 

As they arrived in the hotel, they fixed the members’ outfits in their respective rooms. Dara was helping them and she was arranging Jiyong's clothes and accessories. When Jiyong’s room was already deserted, Dara inspected the accessories one by one and then she smelled his clothes.

 

“Smells good,” she said to herself.

 

“What are you doing?” a voice behind her came.

 

She turned to the staff immediately. “Ah, nothing. I just… I just t-thought I smelled something on his suit,” she said and then immediately scampered away to avoid her questions.

 

That night, Dara was sharing rooms with the other staffs. She had a companion beside her who was snoring loudly so she couldn’t sleep. She sat up and grabbed her phone. She sent a message to Jiyong.

 

Are you awake?

 

Not a minute passed and she received a reply. “Hey! Ding Dong.”

 

Before Dara opened the message, she looked around her to see if they were disturbed by the phone ringtone. “How do you silence this thing?” she asked. After successfully putting her phone on silent, she read the message.

 

Jiyong: No. I’m texting while sleeping.

Dara: Ha! Shall I laugh?

Jiyong: why? Can’t you sleep? Do you miss me that much?

Dara: I’m actually glad I can’t see you. XD but, yes, I can’t sleep. Someone snores so loudly.

Jiyong: you can finally feel my difficulties. I bet you snore louder than she does.

Dara: I don’t snore!

Jiyong: you do! Are you calling me, the Great Kwon Jiyong, a liar?

Dara: Psshhh… whatever. Hey, you should sleep now. You need the energy for tomorrow’s performance. I bet you’ll get a lot of awards tomorrow too. Fighting!

Jiyong: you should sleep too. Goodnight.

Dara: Goodnight. :)

 

With a smile on her face, Dara decided to lie back down. “Good night, Kwon Jiyong,” she whispered.

 

 

 

 

i'm sorry for the product placements. xD also, the Hey, Ding Dong ringtone is real, you can install it from dodol pop APP, but they are only available for Samsung phones.