The restaurant was empty, it was still closed. Jiyong walked in, scowling as he made his way towards his father's usual table, at the back of the restaurant. He bowed at his father in respect as he reached him. His father nodded and gestured him to sit in front of him.

“I ordered you an omelet.” His father said and Jiyong smiled bitterly. He hated eggs.

“Thanks, father.” Jiyong said and grabbed the juice in front of him. His father smiled and looked at Jiyong with warm eyes. It confused him, so he just nodded as he looked down at his juice.

“Jiyong, I am concerned about something.” His father said and Jiyong nodded, now looking at him. “What happened yesterday?” He said. Jiyong bit his lip, his father never missed anything. He always knew everything, so why try to hide?

“Someone punched me.” Jiyong said. His father nodded.

“Thus the bruised eye.” His father said and Jiyong smiled nodding. “And the hand?”

“I don’t even know how I cut it.” He said. His father nodded and extended his hand towards Jiyong.

“Can I see?” His father said and Jiyong took a deep breath as he gave his hand to his father. His father examined his wound and nodded. “It’s well taken care of. Who did it?”

“Hmm?” Jiyong said and his father smiled.

“Who cured you?” Jiyong gulped and grabbed the juice, sipping on it.

“A friend.” He simply said. His father nodded and the food arrived. Jiyong looked at his food with disdain, the hunger had already left his system.

“Is she still at your apartment?” His father said as he cut his pancakes. Jiyong his lips as he closed his eyes.

“Yes.” He answered and his father nodded.

“Don’t get involved.” His father said and Jiyong looked at him with narrow eyes. “It will only bring you pain in the end.”

“Who said anything about getting involved?” Jiyong said and his father shrugged.

“How’s the cleaning going?” Younghwan said and Jiyong bit his lip as he drank more juice.

“Youngbae retrieved my bullet and Daesung erased the CCTV, everything’s fine.” He said and Younghwan nodded.

“I know you will make me proud with this.” Younghwan said. Jiyong’s eyes lightened up as he looked at his father. He cleaned his mouth and looked at Jiyong seriously. “I have another job for you.”

“What job?” Jiyong said and his father smiled.

“It’s easy, locate and eliminate.” Younghwan said. Jiyong nodded and set his juice aside.

“I’ll do it.” Jiyong said and his father smiled.

“I know you will, and I trust you will fulfill this.” Younghwan said.

“Then, what is it?” Jiyong said and Younghwan smiled again.

“The Lees heirs, find them and eliminate them before they want to eliminate us.” Younghwan said and Jiyong smiled as he rested his back on his chair.

“Consider it done, father.”

Chaerin gulped down a fistful of saliva as Youngbae narrowed his eyes at her. She felt in front of him, completely exposed. Then Seungri walked in, and she felt herself shrinking into an ant.

“Miss Lee, did you- Did you spent the night here?” Seungri said as he looked at her. Chaerin bit her lip and let out a sigh, then nodded. She noticed how Seungri opened his mouth, but Youngbae just snickered.

“I told you.” Youngbae said and Seungri nodded.

“But don’t misunderstand.” She said and they both looked at her with narrow eyes. Just then, she heard the front door opening, and her heart stopped again. Just great…

“Bae? Seungri?” She heard Jiyong’s voice, and as if an angel had fallen on earth, she let out an air or relieve. “What are you doing here?”

“We came to crash, and we found ourselves crashed.” Seungri said. Jiyong walked next to them and smiled at Chaerin, then looked at s with narrow eyes.

“I think you’ve gotten the wrong idea.” Jiyong said. Youngbae nodded with raised eyebrows and crossed his arms.

“Right, anyways, I’m out.” Youngbae said and walked out of the room. Seungri kept looking at Chaerin with narrow eyes.

“If we got the wrong idea, how come she’s wearing your clothes?” He said and Jiyong slapped the back of his head.

“Get out.” Jiyong said and Seungri pouted while rubbing the back of his head. Jiyong laughed and Seungri left. He stopped and looked at Chaerin with apologetic eyes. “I am sorry, I forgot to tell you they had the key.” He said and Chaerin shrugged.

“It’s ok.” She said and he nodded.

“If you want to go back to your house, I can drive you there.” He said and she shook her head quickly.

“It’s ok, I’ll grab a taxi.” She said and he widened his eyes.

“I can drive you, besides, we still need to record, so I can’t afford you being late again.” He said and Chaerin bit her lip. She didn’t wanted to owe him anything more. After all, he had saved her the night before, she didn’t know where to go, and also, given her food and water to clean up, she already felt she owed him too much.

“Alright, but tonight I can go home by myself.” She said and he nodded.

They both walked out of the apartment and into his car. Jiyong looked at her every now and then as he drove back to the YG Building. He didn’t lived exactly close to it, but neither too far. He stopped at a red light, and Chaerin let out a sigh.

“Did you slept well?” Jiyong said and Chaerin looked at him with a weak smile and nodded.

“I think you didn’t, though.” She said and he smirked.

“I slept about 2 hours, I’m fine.” He said and she widened her eyes at him. The light turned green and he stepped on the gas, changing gears as he drove.

“2 hours and you’re fine?” She said and he smiled again.

“It’s more of what I usually have.”

“And what is that?” She said and he smiled again.

“About nothing.”

“And how can you go on?!” She said and then crossed her arms. “I spent three days without sleep and I still think I’m going to die.”

“I am used to it. But if you want to know, I am addicted to coffee already.” He said and she chuckled.

“I bet.” She said. After that, they stayed silent until they reached her flat. He stopped the car in front of the street and killed the engine. Chaerin let out a sigh and looked outside the window. “I will be quick.” She said and Jiyong nodded. She got out of the car and he rested his back on the seat. Honest truth, he was dead tired and in serious need of a bed, or at least, something to keep him going through the day, or days.

Chaerin quickly changed herself into a pair of dark jeans and a white lose shirt. She discarded the stilettos for a pair of vans. Her hair was made again into a messy bun, with her bangs covering half of her face. She fixed her makeup and walked out of the flat in a haste. Kikwang had left the keys where she told him to, and apparently, they left everything organized. She felt slightly bad she had told him to go away, but she couldn’t help it, she was simply angered at everything.

She got down to the main lobby, but quickly stopped as she saw her uncle walking into the building accompanied by Kikwang. She hid herself behind a wall as they got into the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, she ran out of the lobby. She let out a sigh of relieve as she saw Jiyong still waiting for her outside. She bit her lip and quickly got into the car. He smiled at her, but she just looked back into the building.

“Can we go?” She asked and Jiyong nodded as he started the engine. She did noticed his stiff expression, but discarded it as just being tired.

“Call her.” Sooman spoke as they entered the flat. Kikwang bit his lip and took out his phone. “You said she was supposed to be here.”

“I thought she was going to be here by now. I don’t know where she is.” Kikwang said as he put the phone on his ear. As usual, Chaerin didn’t answered his call. …

“Did she answered?” Sooman said and Kikwang shook his head. “We have to find her before she gets involved.”

“Maybe she’ll be at the YG Building.” Kikwang said and Sooman widened his eyes.

“What?” He said and Kikwang took a deep breath.

“She was a trainee there, maybe she’s in there.” Kikwang said. Sooman looked like he was about to faint.

“Get her out of there.” Sooman hissed.

“I tried uncle, but she’s stubborn, she wouldn’t even listen to me.” Kikwang said. Sooman walked up to him and slapped his face hard. Kikwang held his face and looked at his uncle menacingly.

“If she ruins this, I will kill you both.” Sooman hissed and walked out of the apartment. Kikwang stood there, glaring at the door as he bit his lips. He grabbed his phone again and dialed Chaerin, again, to no avail, she wouldn’t answer his calls.

With a scream, he kicked her sofa and clutched the phone tight on his hands. “ Chaerin, what the are you thinking?!”

Jiyong sat on his chair as he checked the lyrics that were on the desk. Teddy had left them the night before for him to check them. He was well aware that Chaerin was sitting on the sofa, fidgeting with her fingers. He chuckled slightly as he handed her the lyrics. She looked at him with wide eyes.

“What do you think of them?” Jiyong said and Chaerin looked at them with furrowed eyebrows. After a few moments, she shook her head and handed them back. Jiyong looked at her as he rested his back on his chair, waiting for her to talk.

“Can I give you my opinion?” She said and Jiyong nodded.

“Please.”

“They .” She said. Jiyong smiled as he looked at her. He had thought the same, but like always, he never wanted his personal taste to get involved in his work.

“And why do you think they ?” Jiyong said and Chaerin shrugged.

“They just do. It’s supposed to be a rap, but the lyrics fit more a depressing ballad. Is he in love with her or does he just hates her? And the metaphors are…” She said and made a disgusted face. “Terrible.”

“I know, that’s what I thought.” He said and wrote some things on the papers. “We should do them again.”

“We?” She said and Jiyong smirked.

“I like that you think like me, we should work on this together.” He said and Chaerin shook her head furiously.

“Jiyong, I’m not even a trainee yet.”

“I don’t think you should be a singer.” He bluntly said. Chaerin widened her eyes at that.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You have the material to be a producer.” He said. “Don’t get me wrong, your voice’s amazing, but you have that eye and that ear for music that not everyone has. I need you on my production team.” Chaerin raised an eyebrow at him.

“Are you offering me a job?” She asked and he smiled.

“Only if you’re willing to accept.” He said. Chaerin bit her lip and let out a sigh.

“Will I have the opportunity to move things like I want?” She asked and he nodded.

“Consulting, of course, but yes.” He said.

“And the pay?”

“Far more than what you’re having now.” He said and she smirked.

“Alright then, I’ll take it.” She said and Jiyong smirked.

“Perfect, let’s go to the CEO’S office.” He said and stood up.

Jiyong led her to Hyunsuk’s office as he continuously looked at her. For a moment, he stopped and really looked at her. It had become something for him to admire her. Since the night before, he felt like he needed to be there for her, because whatever she was going through, it was hard enough to make a woman like her, strong and determine, to throw the towel. He looked at her, walking as if nothing had ever happened, as if she hadn’t broke down in front of him just hours before. For a moment, he allowed himself to admire her, because she was, for him, a one of a kind lady, and he had to bowed down to that. Maybe she wasn’t the person he thought she was, maybe, like him, she was someone who just needed something to look up to, maybe she was as broken as him, and maybe, just maybe, she needed someone to hold on to, instead of someone pushing her down.