The lights were all but she was afraid to sleep. She was scared that she might wake up with that suffocating darkness again. She had been sitting like a little child at the corner of her room since Jiyong left.

 

Earlier, he was helping her contact her friend Gi Kwang. Strange though that the moment Jiyong handed the phone, she couldn’t remember Gi Kwang’s number. Her parents were in Canada and she figured there’s no need for her to tell them. That would just make them worry.

 

Gi Kwang, however, is the closest person to her right now. She supposed that he might be worried sick right now. She wanted to tell him not to worry. She wanted to tell him that she’s alright. But she can’t.

 

She insisted on going back to Seoul but Jiyong wouldn’t let her. He said she’s still not feeling well. He would contact Gi Kwang himself to pick her up once she got better. That was the only time she stopped insisting. For now, I have to get better for Gi Kwang, she thought.

 

Jiyong. What did he say earlier again?

 

“I..-Uh.. I was following you the day you were taken.” She laughed softly at the thought of Jiyong following her. If it wasn’t for his odd habit of stalking her, she wouldn’t be saved. Now she felt guilty for all the mean things she said to Jiyong before. He wasn’t arrogant after all. In fact,he was...gentle. Today, he seemed to be so different from the Jiyong she knew. From the man she first met.

 

================

 

No amount of liquor could drive him to sleep. He was just lying on his bed, his left hand at the back of his head while he was aimlessly staring at the ceiling.

 

I never felt this happy before. I have never imagined I will be given this chance to get close to her like this. I might have said some things to her earlier but it’s too late to turn back now.

 

For now, Aya, this is the truth.

 

*Jiyong’s Thoughts*

 

Aya. Her indifference stirs curiosity in him. How can such a woman exist? It started with curiosity, which then drove him to obsession. Then later he realized, that she opened up a huge hole inside his heart. A hole that she now occupies. Oblivious of his actions, he opened up a part of him to her. It’s hard to get her out of it now, no matter how he tried.

 

He met her when Big Bang attended a charity event. Aya, in her transitional year in med school, assisted with the same event. He would admit, she’s cute but she was not the prettiest of the flowers. Her long wavy hair, slightly tanned skin and big eyes set her apart from the other girls in the crowd. And most of all, she has this genuine smile.

 

He was at the back of the building, away from the crowd, lighting up a cigarette. Actually, he’s not a real chain smoker. It’s just that sometimes lighting a cig comes as a habit. Like right now, he needed a reason to get out from too much people so going out for a smoke always works as an excuse.

 

While he was puffing the cigarette, his attention was caught by a small group of kids and a lady with her long hair. She was wearing a simple white shirt and blue jeans that perfectly framed her body. A small smile crossed Jiyong’s face.

 

It’s playtime. He strutted his way towards the small group and threw the cigarette when he reached the trash bin. He sat down at the nearby bench and openly observe the lady a few meters away from him. He adjusted his position from the bench and sit pompously like the famous idol star that he is. His jacket was slightly open, exposing his thin undershirt. The mere shades he was wearing was enough to draw attention to him.

 

 

 

Nurses and other medical students from the corridors of the building would glance and giggle at the sight of him. But not her. Ten minutes passed but there was still no reaction from her, she was happily interacting and playing with the unhealthy looking kids.

 

Alright, that’s it. My patience is wearing thin now. I’ll make this quick, let’s see if this girl won’t flip.

 

He approached the girl and interrupted the group. “Hi kids!”, he started. All heads turned to his direction. The lady stared at him, waiting for him to talk again.

 

“I am Kwon Jiyong, and I am here visiting your teacher. Do you mind if I talk to your teacher for a while? I’ll give her back to you, I promise.”, then he showed his trademark G-Dragon smile. The kids nodded.

 

Jiyong leaned and whispered to her, “Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

 

The woman gave her an incredulous look. “I’m sorry but a quiet place bores me. Go find someone else who’s willing.”

 

Before she could go back to the kids, he quickly tugged the woman’s hand without permission. When they were about a few meters away from the kids, beside a large tree hiding them from other people’s sight, the woman struggled to get out from his grasp.

 

“Who the hell are you?”, she sounded pissed.

 

“I wouldn’t peg you for a pottymouth”, he said derisively.

 

“I don’t care about what you think. And next time you do that again, I’ll give you a slap you will never forget. If it wasn’t for the kids, you would have experienced that slap earlier,” she said and quickly turned her back on him.

 

“Ooops, not so fast.”, he said while grinning. His hands was now on her waist, not trying to let her go. The woman swiftly turned her attention to the hands on her waist. Jiyong smirked before removing his hands. She looked up at him, murderous look all over her cute face.

 

“Look! I don’t know you, okay? And what the hell do you want?”, she’s now blushing from anger. Every now and then, she would glance at the kids to check if they were looking.

 

Jiyong, on the other hand, was now languidly leaning from the tree while looking at her with interest.

 

“You,” he simply said, smirk running from the side of his lips. He was studying her reactions very carefully. She’s making him smile in the inside.

 

The woman opened and huffed. “You’re the most arrogant guy I have had the misfortune to meet.” She gave him a death glare. Unfortunately, it just excites the man even more.

 

‘Oooooo. Fierce. I like that.’ He thought. Good thing she can’t read my mind.

 

“Okay, your name...and your number and address. Then, let’s see if I can behave,” said Jiyong, obviously enjoying the banter.

 

The woman, on the other hand, was on the verge of eruption. She was so red from anger and he could feel how much patience she’s trying to hold in.

 

“My name is Guess Who. My phone number is 010-GO-TO-HELL and my address is #11 Please- Leave- Me- Alone - Whoever -You - Are. Got it?”

 

Jiyong laughed so hard he had to hold on the tree he was leaning. He never laughed this hard for quiet a while now.

 

“I see your idea of having fun is at the expense of other people. That’s low,” she said, her tone was serious.

 

He was about to say something when one of the kids came running, calling her name.

 

“Teacher Aya! Teacher Aya! Joon hurt his knee and he’s crying!”, said the little girl.

 

Without a glance, the woman left him alone and went back to the other kids. He saw her carrying the little boy back to the building as she tried to comfort the crying boy. All the other kids follow her back to the building.

 

Jiyong scratched his chin. Hmmm. Aya, huh. So Guess Who is actually Aya.

 

From then on, he started following her wherever she went. He learned that Aya was a med student and currently on her traditional rotating internship at a teaching hospital just few blocks away from her school. He knew about her schedule. Also, he found out she was living alone since her parents migrated to Canada.

 

The second time he met her, he had to fake food poisoning and asked personally for Aya as his attending physician. Their meeting was epic since Aya had no idea he was not actually sick.

 

He was waiting for her, sitting on the hospital bed, his back to the door. When the clinic door opened, he heard the familiar voice.

 

“Annyeonghaseyeo, Kwon Jiyong-sshi. I will have some few questions to ask you then I’ll check you up to make sure you’re safe and that the level of food poison-”, her head was bowed down the entire time that when she looked up, her speech was cut off as she saw his annoying grin.

 

“Hello, AYA! I meant, Doctor Aya,” his eyes smiled as he grinned.

 

“I’m not a licensed doctor yet so you can drop that. What was the last food you eat?,” she tried to act professional.

 

“You look great with that uniform. I’ve never imagined anyone can look that hot with that white gown”, he was chuckling now, eyeing her from head to foot.

 

She tried to keep quiet. She tried not to listen to the annoying blabber of this Kwon Jiyong. She checked his eyes, his throat, checked his temperature and she had to...

 

“Do you experience abdominal cramping?”, she inquired seriously.

 

Jiyong just looked at her.

 

“Kindly lift your shirt up, I will check your abdomen, let me know where it hurts,” she was now sitting on a chair in front of him. Jiyong’s legs are wide apart he was almost straddling her small frame.

 

Jiyong smirked as he lifted his shirt. “Knock yourself out. Doctor.”

 

There was silence as she was checking his abdomen. He could feel her gentle finger pressing places on his abdomen. He couldn’t help but grin. He had to bite his lip. He could feel that he was blushing. For some reason, her touch made his neck and face hot.

 

“Do you want me to lie down, Doctor. For... better access?”, he tried to stifle a laugh at her expression. he knew that casting a ual innuendo was not a good idea but he did it nonetheless. She involuntarily had to close her eyes as exasperation was now trying to get the better of her.

 

She stopped and backed away from him. She took her medical records, and she wrote notes on it.

 

“Are you nauseated?”

 

Jiyong shook his head.

 

“Have you vomited a few hours ago?”

 

“No.”

 

“Diarrhea?”

 

“No.”

 

“Fever?”

 

“Yes. In fact, I was not feeling good for the last two weeks. Since last Sunday,” he tried hard to be serious. A couple of weeks ago was the time he met her.

 

Aya seemed to be looking for something in the drawer. When she returned she was holding a huge syringe. Jiyong’s eyes grew big at the sight of it.

 

“Let’s see if your fever won’t go away once you have the taste of this,” she smirked.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!  I was just kidding. I never had a fever,” his feet were now on the ground ready to run just in case.

 

“And you weren’t food poisoned.”

 

“I- I...might not have..” he stuttered.

 

Aya retrieved her medical records folder and started her way out of the room.

 

“You’re fine now. You can go.”

 

“You know that I won’t stop, right?” Jiyong said. It’s hard to guess the tone in his voice. She knew he was not smirking.

 

In fact, he sounded serious.