A/N: It seems that I am OCD, I couldn't think about anything else except updating Bom's part to make up for the previous dark chapter.  I love Jiyong~  Now back to studying... <.<

            The alarm went off on Park Bom’s cell phone; quickly she reached over to turn it off before it could wake up anyone else.  It was still dark outside and the sun wasn’t even up yet.  The past few weeks of her life had been hectic.  What with practices, vocal lessons, dance rehersals, and music chart performances, Park Bom barely had time to breathe much less sleep.  After putting up with the hectic schedule and the lack of sleep, finally 2NE1 had finished their promotions.

            Getting up quickly, Bom slipped out of bed grabbing a hooded sweatshirt along the way.  Pulling her hair up and tying it in a ponytail she stood in front of the mirror looking at herself.  Boy, she was a mess.  Dark bags could still be seen under her eyes and her face was all poofy and swollen.

            “Great.  Just what I need on a day like this,” Bom sighed.

            Even though she was still very exhausted and not fully recharged, there were more important things on Bom’s mind than sleep.  She had to see him.  For the past couple of weeks, Bom had been following the news and media regarding the entire controversial plagiarism scandal that seems to have latched on to her fellow label mate and it didn’t seem to want to let go.  Kwon Jiyong needed her.  She had texted him and tried to call him countless of times whenever she got the chance in between shows and interviews but he never replied or answered.  They ran into each other a few times at music shows and at the YG building, but always with others around.  She knew just by looking at the smile that he plastered on his face, that there was something more than meets the eyes.

           Park Bom knew Kwon Jiyong well before he was G-Dragon.  The Jiyong that she knew was not the arrogant, snobby, genius that everyone dubbed G-Dragon to be.  He was a hard worker, dedicated to his dream and his passion.  He was also sensitive to those around him, and always sincere in his words and actions.  Park Bom also knew that Jiyong was his own biggest critic.  Everything he did wrong was amplified 100x in his mind.  It broke her heart knowing that the cruel hateful words that had been floating around the web were directed at her long time friend and what it was doing to him.

            Spending most of her time growing up in America, Park Bom was sheltered from the scrutinizing eyes’ of a society that did not hesitate to judge and condemn.  She was able to live freely, experiencing very little of the suppressing society that was more prominent in Asia.  When she finally passed her 3^rd audition and was accepted into YG, Bom was so happy that her dream was finally going to come true.  She did not know though, at the time, that with fame came hate.  Hate from those that do not love her for who she was, or what she wanted to be.  Hate from those who feels threatened by her and her presence for whatever reasons they could come up with in their mind.

            The first time she encountered that hate was at Bigbang’s first showcase.  Playful words were thrown out carelessly, taken too seriously, and escalated way out of control.  For the first time, Bom found out how scary and vicious girls can be.

            “This is the girl that Jiyong loves warmly,” Youngbae had announced to the cheering crowd.  Bom could hear the crowd screaming loudly, laughing awkwardly she shook her head.

            “She’s my girlfriend!” Jiyong quipped, unknowingly adding fuel to the fire that was ignited by Youngbae.  Her cries of ‘no, its not true’ went unheard.

            “She’s my one-sided love! It’s a love triangle,” Seung Hyun finally added, turning the screams into a roar.  It was deafening. 

            Those three playful remarks from her friends started a flame that could not be extinguished, a flame of hate and jealously against her.  At the time she was just a rookie in YG and no one knew who she was.  Suffice to say the following days and weeks after the showcase was hell for her.  Fans of Jiyong, Seung Hyun, and BigBang spammed the message board asking for clarification.  Girls that she did not know stopped her in the street to tell her to get lost, letters of hate telling her go back to America, and mean glares were directed towards her wherever she went.  Park Bom was at lost for words; she did not know what to do.

            One day while making her way to practice she was stopped by a group of girls waiting outside of the building.  Quickly, they surrounded her and confronted Bom for her supposed wrong doings.

            “You don’t deserve to be with Jiyong and BigBang. You ugly !”

            “Stay away from them if you know what’s best for you, we hate you! Just go back to America!”

            “You should just kill yourself and save the world the trouble of having to see your ugly face every day!”

            Finding strength from somewhere deep within her, Bom pushed her way through the crowd tears streaming down her face as she ran inside.  She wanted to block out the words that were said but it was already too late.  The words they spouted at her had done the job it intended.  It had broken her. 

            Rushing into the practice room she threw herself on the bench and wept at the injustice of it all.  The door opened slowly and a figure approached her cautiously.  He had seen everything that happened.  Reaching down, Jiyong pulled Bom up next to him. His arms encircled her body pulling her into an embrace.  He did not say anything as she cried into his shoulder.  Bom cried letting out all of the frustration that had built up in the past weeks.  Jiyong held her for the hours that she cried until her sobs turned into sniffles and only then did he speak.

            “Shh, Park Bom-yang.  I’m here now.  Don’t worry… I’m here now,” Jiyong said as her rubbed her back soothingly to calm her last sniffles.  When Bom was finally able to stop, Jiyong lifted her chin up to look him in the eyes

            “No matter what anyone say, don’t listen to them.  The whole world could be saying the same thing but all you have to do is turn the other way.  Believe what is in your heart, what is real here,” Jiyong said as he pointed to her heart.  And at that moment, Bom knew.  She knew that he was someone she could trust with all of her heart and that he was always going to be there for her no matter what.

            Bom shook head clearing her thoughts.  She quickly made her way to the kitchen.  Turning on the lights and going through the fridge, she pulled out the ingredients for the meal she planned on making, braised chicken for the kindred soul.  Washing her hands she smiled to herself as she started to cook.  Bom was reminiscing the nights that Jiyong had stayed up late talking to her until the sun came up.  He listened to her worries and fears, and gave her advice when she needed it.  In return, he confided in her with his own fears.  How he was afraid he wasn’t good enough; how everyone expected so much and he was so scared of disappointing them.  She reassured him over and over whenever his confidence waivered, and she sat with him in the recording studio on those nights giving him the muse to keep writing.

            It was known to everyone in YG that Park Bom and Kwon Jiyong were close friends and you typically couldn’t find one without the other.  People could see the love that they shared and the bond between them was real.  She loved him and she knew that he loved her too.  As time passed, Bom got involved with 2NE1 and training for their debut, while Jiyong and BigBang were getting more popular each day.  There were periods when she went weeks without seeing Jiyong, but on those few occasions when their schedules were free, everything went back to the way it was before.  As if nothing had changed, she would call him up before bed or he would call her down to the recording studio and they would spend the rest of the night catching up.  Unfortunately, it was during the most crucial time for the both them that she was not available.  Bom regretted how she had to disregard Jiyong’s need, and was embarrassed with herself.  He had always been there for her, but she had failed him this time.  The opportunity to make things right again finally presented itself to her.  After completing the goodbye stage Bom received a call from YG.

           “Bommie-ah, since you are done with your promotions after today, go visit Jiyong.  Cook him something to eat and bring it to him tomorrow.  He hasn’t been feeling well, so take care of him ok?”

           “Ok, sunbaenim.  I understand,” Bom had replied.  She knew exactly what she had to do now.