- DOUBLE UPDATE -

 

 

 

The night had gone by fast. The group of friends, laughing and chatting, was almost drunk after drinking lots of alcohol, having fun for hours, singing for hours… the night couldn’t get more fun than it already was.

 

Except for one soul who had her mind several kilometers away from where she really was.

 

She promised herself to have fun, to not worry, and to just enjoy this night as this was her first time showing herself up to her friends after months of disappearing and telling them she was in the province to clear her soul. Possibly the lamest excuse ever but her friends bought it.

 

It had been long that she was away from them that they even thought they were seeing an apparition of her when she appeared at their usual hangout place – a quiet club ran by Bom’s parents and also where they usually play music as a band. It had been long that they didn’t believe it was her at first. Until she spoke and told them she missed them.

 

However, Dara couldn’t fulfill her promise. She told them she would stay with them for the rest of the night and enjoy but here she was, sitting by the seat by the wall, isolating herself from her friends, and staring at her phone. She went over the exchange of messages between them.

 

J: Have you arrived at your bandmate’s club?

D: Yes. I just did. Have you eaten? I prepared your dinner.

J: I don’t have appetite. I’ll wait for you.

D: I’m eating here. And I don’t know what time I’ll go home.

J: I told you not to be late, didn’t I? And you nodded your head.

D: I did. But I promised to enjoy this night with them.

J: so you’re going to ignore what I said?

D: it’s not that. Hey, wait a minute. It’s my turn to sing.

J: Are you done?

J: Hey?

J: What did you sing? Is it my song?

J: YAH!

J: HEEEEEY!

J: YAAAAAH!

J: There are cockroaches under the bed. Help!

J: /stabbed by cockroaches/ Ugh.

J: Don’t you even care for me even if I got stabbed by the cockroaches?

J: okay. I get it now. Bye. I’ll miss this world and everything in it, except you.

D: YAH! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WTF ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? Stabbed by cockroaches?! Riiiight! That’s the most possible thing to happen when I leave you at home right? Okay then.

J: you dare talk to me like that?!

D: I dare! :P

J: aren’t you coming home yet?

D: I just got here an hour and a half ago.

J: but the toilet is broken and I need to go.

D: What?! You want me to run there, and leave my friends to satisfy your bowel needs by fixing the toilet? Besides, I showed you how to do it, right? You can do it.

J: but… it’s disgusting. T_T

D: then, hold it in. and wait for me. We’re going to play a game with my friends. Bye!

J: you’re going to leave again and won’t reply for a while? /sigh/ I’m always not the top priority.

J: are you done?

J: was it fun?

J: did you have fun?

J: can you come home now?

J: you’re not going to reply anytime, are you?

J: the heater is not working! Come home please? /puppy eyes/

J: I’m freezing to death. Brrr….

J: /teeth clattering/

J: I’m getting frozen bites.

J: okay then.

D: you sure are dramatic aren’t you? I can’t even leave my phone for ten minutes and you’re bombarding my phone with messages.

J: are you mad?

D: no, I’m completely happy! /sigh/ Jiyong, let me enjoy this night please?

J: you can ignore my texts you know? It’s your choice that you reply.

D: okay then. Bye.

J: I’m kidding.

J: don’t stop replying.

J: Hey! Where are you? You took it seriously?

J: Dara!!!

J: Dora, Dora, Dora, the explorer!

 

Dara laughed loudly as she reached the end of the thread. She received it just five minutes ago and it seemed like Jiyong finally gave up bugging her. the thing was, even though she wasn’t replying to Jiyong, her mind was wandering off to where he was, how he was doing, what he was doing. Even during the time she was singing, she even forgot the lyrics to the song. While playing the drinking game, she felt a little tipsy now because she lost many times because she couldn’t focus well.

 

And it was all because she was thinking of him.

 

She looked to her side where the group was enjoying, drinking, and laughing. Bom was singing to the audience while Minzy and Chaerin were with the other boys. They were playing another round of drinking game and she had to excuse herself because she promised not to drink too much tonight.

 

After a while of her phone’s silence, it beeped again.

 

J: Is this Sandara Park? Kwon Jiyong’s maid? I have Kwon Jiyong right now. I am waiting at your apartment unit but I won’t tell you where I hid him. You better come home right now and we’ll negotiate about the ransom you have to give me to free your boss.

 

Dara stood up immediately and rushed outside of the place. Her heart thumping fast, she dialed his number to try to warn the kidnapper to not hurt him. She was already by the side of the road, waving for a cab to immediately go home.

 

After several rings, there was a voice on the next line. “Are you coming home now?”

 

Hearing the sound of Jiyong’s cheerful and excited voice, Dara’s hand which was waving for a cab slowly fell to her side. She felt all her system heating up as she realized what he had done.

 

“Dara?”

 

“Jiyong…” she called, gritting her teeth. “Were you messing with me just now?”

 

“He, he, he. I thought it would bring you home.”

 

Dara’s grip on her phone tightened and she just wanted to throw it towards the busy road.

 

“JIYONG, YOU STUPID ! YOU GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK! I WAS ABOUT TO DIE FROM NERVOUSNESS WHEN I SAW YOUR MESSAGE AND I THOUGHT IT WAS TRUE!”

 

“D-Dara? Are you m-mad?”

 

“THE HELL I AM! YOU SHOULD KNOW YOUR PLACE, JIYONG. I TOLD YOU I’M COMING HOME TONIGHT NO MATTER WHAT AND I PROMISED NOT TO DRINK, NOT TO FLIRT, NOT TO WALK HOME. CAN’T YOU JUST TRUST ME?!”

 

“But, I just wanted to—“

 

Dara panted to calm herself down. “Stop it now, Jiyong. I’m tired.” And she hung up.

 

She stared down at her phone and shook her head unbelievably. She angrily wiped her tears she didn’t notice were there. With slumped shoulders, she walked back to the club, not even feeling the falling of thick snow on her shoulder.

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Another two hours had passed and Jiyong grew restless. He thought that even though she was angry, she would still come home. It was coming close to midnight and she didn’t even send another text. He apologized numerous times, tried to call a million times, but she didn’t respond.

 

“Aish, Seungri, this is your fault.”

 

During the interval he didn’t reply, he went on to ask for advice from his group’s chat room – how to get Dara home immediately. And it was only Seungri who replied. His advice?

 

S: pretend you’re the kidnapper and text her you’re waiting for her in your unit. Kkk

 

Right now, Jiyong was bombarding Seungri with threats. And the maknae wasn’t able to do anything but leave his phone outside of his bedroom while he hid under his blanket.

 

“What should I do?” he asked himself. He was done asking for anyone’s advice. But he was just left sitting on the sofa, thinking of ways for Dara to forgive him.

 

He tried calling again but was once again redirected to the voice mailbox. He breathed deeply. “Dara, I’m really truly sorry. I, I don’t know what to say. I won’t make excuses, but I just did that so that you would come home sooner. Because, well… just because. I just want you home soon because I mi… I mean… nothing… just because. Come home! Please?”

 

And he hung up, breathed deeply, and hung his head low.

 

“What was I saying? I miss her? Why would I even miss her? It’s not like we weren’t together just a couple of hours ago,” he said to himself. “But… what is this feeling? This empty feeling? This strange feeling?”

 

He leaned his head back to the backrest of the sofa and stared at the ceiling.

 

“Could it be?” he asked, placing his hand on his chest. “My heart races fast when she’s near. I get butterflies when she does things for me. I miss her when she’s not within my line of sight. I get angry seeing her with TOP, even just by knowing they’re exchanging texts with each other.”

 

He stopped speaking but was still continuing his line of thoughts in his head. It would seem like it would take him forever to list of all the explanations to what he thinks he was feeling for her. But even though he had the hunch, he couldn’t say it with his own mouth. He was scared. He was confused. He was unsure.

 

“I promised TOP that I would be the only one to figure my feelings out for her… without his help, without anyone’s meddling. But why am I the one who refused to acknowledge it?”

 

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, causing him to immediately jump to his feet.

 

“Dara?!” he excitedly exclaimed, although at the same time wondering why she would ring the doorbell even though she knew the passcode to the apartment.

 

Upon opening the door though, without taking a peek on the peephole, he was shocked by the sight beheld in front of him that the enthusiastic smile he had just seconds ago was immediately replaced by a disappointed expression.

 

“Won’t you invite me in?”

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

Day 90

 

The clock struck past midnight and Dara and her crew, minus the boys, were far from finishing their party. Dara originally planned to stay only until ten but with the prank that Jiyong pulled off, the thought was put back to the deepest recesses of her mind and she was currently wasting herself with alcohol.

 

Laughing, Bom pushed Dara a little bit too hard. “Why are you drowning yourself in alcohol, idiot?! You’re drunk, stop it!”

 

Dara laughed back. “Look who’s talking. I’m quite sure you’ll end up puking all over the streets on your way home.”

 

Chaerin, being the matured one in the group, decided to interrupt. “Really, Dara unnie and Bom unnie. Both of you are drunk. Are you both undergoing heartbreak?”

 

“Heartbreak!” Dara spat. “Ha! What a funny word. We’re not even committed to each other and he’s acting like a possessive boyfriend! He acts jealous with someone I had a crush with, with someone who I had broken up with eons ago. Heck, I won’t even be surprised if he gets jealous with the mailman or the bodyguard or the ice cream vendor. I don’t understand that jerk!”

 

Chaerin and Minzy who were not yet drunk looked at each other. “Who, unnie?” asked Minzy.

 

“He’s acting as if he’s my boyfriend when in fact, he’s not! I’m his maid; he’s my boss, for ssakes! Why is he even acting as if he’s scared to lose me?” she continued, her words a little bit slurred. “He’s even pulling pranks on me, desperate to make me come home. Seriously? Are you even a sane person to pull a prank on your maid, Kwon Jiyong?!”

 

“You’re Kwon Jiyong’s maid?!” Chaerin asked, hearing this for the first time. She stared in shock at Minzy who had her eyes wide as well.

 

“You mean G-Dragon? THE G-DRAGON? Big bang’s G-Dragon?!” Minzy asked.

 

Dara only laughed and dropped her head on Bom’s lap who had been unconscious since minutes ago. In seconds after incoherent mutterings, she fell asleep. “But I think I fell in love with that jerk,” she muttered before she adjusted herself on Bom’s lap.