Chapter 4:

Jiyong’s P.O.V

We are now in the Philippines and we are swimming on the pool of the hotel. We are currently having a rest time. Isn’t that great? The boys and I are playing in the pool and it’s not crowded so you can swim freely like you own it. The Filipinos are so hospitable and Dara came with us to tour us here for our stay. She says we are going to Tagaytay but we are worried about the weather because it is cloudy. Sun please come out.

I playfully drown Daesung in the pool but a lifeguard stops us. He must have thought that Daesung is really drowning. Then a person floats up between us and Daesung. We both squeal in shock, not the girlish squeal but it is still a shriek.

She wipes the water away from her face then she screams not that loud and point at me. “GD,” she mutters in surprise.

“Jihye,” I utter. Daesung then turns her around to confirm that it is really her.

“Daesung, hey,” she greets.

“Jihye-noona!” Seungri screams in happiness and jumps in the pool to hug her.

“Ji, are you okay?” The girls came out of nowhere asking…wait, we are both Ji. Are they asking me or her?

“I’m fine. I bump into them accidentally.” She points at Daesung and me.

“Oh! Hi guys,” They greet. “I think your bodyguards are going to pounce on Jihye any minute if you don’t let go of her, Seungri.” Eunjae states while pointing on our bodyguards. Suengri let go of her and moves away.

“Oh girls, you are staying here too?” Youngbae asks while he is sitting at the edge of the pool.

“Yes,” the girls replied. Jihye is nowhere to be found again. Then Sumi screams but she is being dragged down. Jihye floats up laughing at Sumi. Sumi lunges for her but she moves swiftly away from her.

“Ji, stop there already. Sumi will drown if you go further.” Eunjae reminds her.

“Arasso,” she nods her head. Then a loud splash of water is heard. She turns around to see a little chubby boy crying afraid of drowning. She instantly swims towards the wailing boy. “Hey, baby, it’s fine already. You are safe,” she coos while swaying her body lightly in the water to comfort the little boy.

The boy is pushed by a mean boy. Wow! We are talking about a bully at a young age here. She walks towards the stepladder near her. A lifeguard waiting to get the little boy from her arms but the boy wraps his little hands in Jihye’s neck.

She chokes a little but chuckles. “I think he thinks I’m his mother,” she jokes. “I can manage to get out of the pool with him in my hands. Don’t worry about him.” She says to the lifeguard. Then while supporting the boy from one arm and the other gripping the railing of the ladder. She plops her at the edge of the pool.

The girls get out of the pool too and all eyes turn around them. They surely have the body all the girls want. Even if they are wearing one piece bikini, they can capture the eyes of men. Jihye stands up and her fit body shows in her black one piece bikini. We are talking about wow here.

She wraps a towel around her and the baby boy. And goes to the lounge chair and it is near ours. She wipes the tears and nose drippings of the boy. “Aaron,” a woman hurriedly went to her side. It must be the mother.

She gives the baby boy to the mother but she is still clinging to her like a leech. Boy, he is not your mother. Let go. Jihye and the girls laughs softly again. “He is just distress about what happen. He will let go after a minute or two.” I hear her says to the mother calmly when I pass by their way.

“I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” the mother says apologetically.

“No,” she shakes her head. “It is fine.”

And as she says after a minute or two, the boy let go of her and goes to her mother and cries again. “Are you being captivated again?” TOP mumbles while sipping his drink.

I scoff and reply, “I have a loving girlfriend, okay.”

He raises his hand and say, “Okay, okay, there is no need to be defensive.”

“Hyung, don’t start with me again,” I warn him. He is saying something like me being captivated by this girl that I didn’t even know that much. That is impossible.

Then the girls walk past us and stop at the edge of the pool. Jihye holding a whistle in her hand while the other girls position their selves. Are they going to have a competition? And they are even starting at the deepest part of the pool.

People stare at them, maybe because of their body or because they are waiting for the swimmers to start. Even us, we are waiting on what they are going to do. Jihye blows the whistle, Eunjae and Dahee goes to position. And the next whistle blow they dive in the pool like a pro.

It is an intense battle like you really are watching a real competition. Youngbae and Seungri are cheering on them, like really loud cheers.

“What’s happening here?” Dara asks when she checks upon the commotion.

“Girls are having a swim competition,” I reply nonchalantly but my eyes are train on the one holding the whistle.

“Sumi, come on, continue,” I hear Eunjae shout it aloud. My eyes shift to the girl who stops just before she hits the six feet mark. Sumi shakes her head violently not taking a swim just near the finish line.

“Seunghyun-oppa,” my head turns towards TOP side and see Jihye sitting beside him, “Can I borrow money from you,” she asks sweetly. TOP lowers his sunglasses and looks at her bewilderedly. “Come on, I’ll pay it later. I promise.” She raises her right hand and grins at him.

“Here, I have a 20 dollar bill.” Dara reaches out to her. She looks at her inquiringly. “I’m Sandara Park,” she introduces herself.

“Ah, from 2ne1, my friend is a blackjack. I’m Jihye or you can also call me, Ji. But thanks for lending me some money. I’ll pay you later surely.” She says and hurriedly goes to a little girl in pink lifebuoy. She is making a deal to buy the lifebuoy for 20 dollars. She pleads at her and smiles when the little girl agrees.

“What is she going to do?” Seungri asks. We shrug because even us is don’t know what she is thinking.

“Sumi,” she calls as she waves a phone in front of her. She dips her feet at the water.

“You’re going to give her a heart attack,” Eunjae declares smiling like she knows what Jihye is doing.

“This will be bloody war,” Chaewon states as she goes out of the water.

“Definitely a bloody war,” Dahee agrees, “Sumi’s life is her phone after all.”

Jihye smiles sweetly as she waves the phone just near the water. “I really don’t want to get to her bad side,” Seungri shudders in fear.

“Yah! Ji-ah, not my phone,” she whines.

“If you want to save your phone, try swimming that few meters to goal,” she challenges.

“I can’t swim,” Sumi reasons out and she’s in the verge of crying. I feel sorry for Sumi but if her phone is her life then she is mentally giving her a challenge to save her life. Is it even a good way?

“Sumi, you can do it.” Chaewon cheers. “Ji will really dump your phone in the pool if you don’t swim to her place.” Then the shy Dahee starts cheering for Sumi even Seungri and Daesung joins in.

“You have many supporters now. Come on. Swim or wreck phone?” She really is a devil in the flesh. She is not afraid to speak her mind, not afraid to defend and won’t back down if she knows she is right. The phone is just a few inches away from the water and Sumi was wailing like a child already. “Crying won’t help you,” she states.

Dahee clicks her tongue. “If she doesn’t swim, Ji will plunk her phone any second.” She looks at Jihye warily. Damn! I’m getting confuse on her name and mine.

“We can’t do anything after all. Sumi got her trauma when we are swimming in the beach and she is left in the deep part swimming for her life. Jihye found her just on time and Jihye knows what she is doing.” Chaewon speaks, trusting Jihye to what she is planning.

“I know. She bought that lifebuoy for Sumi after all. It is pink and cute just like Sumi’s favorite things.” Dahee utters agreeing with Chaewon.

So, she buys the lifebuoy for Sumi, who she is threatening to submerge her phone in the pool. She really is weird. “I like that girl,” Dara nods while saying that.

“My patience is running thin, Sumi,” she tells her. Sumi wipes her tears away and put a brave front but she sniffs when she takes a step, she will wail and shakes her head in fear. Traumas are really things that are hard to overcome. She may look devil but her eyes say that she is supporting her friend.

“Just swim like you always do,” Dahee shouts.

“Go, Sumi!” Chaewon cheers.

Sumi starts to swim, Jihye jumps towards the pool and dives. Where’s the phone then? Sumi looks around looking for her phone but Youngbae is holding it. When did that happen? I am so busy listening to Dahee and Chaewon that I didn’t notice her giving the phone to Youngbae.

“You did it,” she shouts as she appears beside Sumi.

“I did it,” Sumi sounds unsure but then she screams out loud in happiness. She hugs Jihye. “Since I did it, I will treat you to dinner.”

Chaewon and Dahee smack their hands and give an okay sign to Jihye. She slyly gives an okay sign back and winks at them. Did they plan this then?

“Ah! It’s been a while since we came back in the Philippines. I wonder where we will stash the money of our baby girl,” Dahee stretches her hands.

“She’s definitely y,” TOP mutters. I look at him but he gives me a sly grin. I shake my head in disbelief. Oh well, Dahee’s look is definitely Seunghyun-hyung’s type.

“And she has a boyfriend,” Jihye butts in out of nowhere.

“Yah! Why are you just showing without warning?” Seunghyun-hyung complains at her.

She smiles not apologetic at all but amused rather. “Besides, you may not be Dahee’s kind of guy. She’s a person who likes serious relationships.” She states eyeing TOP meaningfully.

“Are you saying I’m not the serious type?” Hyung inquires her challengingly.

“Are you?” She inquires back with her innocent demeanor. Hyung laughs and she knows she won the opposition. “Anyway, I’m not here for you, oppa. Dara-noona, here’s the payment for the bills you gave me. Keep the change. See you in the concert later, if you can find us. We did buy new tickets because Eunjae burns the tickets to the standing pen.” She winks at us.

“Ms. Song, the meeting will start in 30 minutes,” a butler reminds her.

“Arasso,” she replies seriously. This is the first time we heard her answer seriously with her tone flat. It is like she is using her business tone. Even her expression is stern.

“Ji,” Dahee calls. Damn! I’m Ji and she’s Ji. If someone calls her while I’m unprepared I will turn around too like a freak. “We will wait for you upstairs but we’ll leave you after. We’ll just see you in the mall,” Dahee informs her.

Hyung is looking at her and Jihye notices it too, pinches hyung shoulders. He winced in pain but didn’t let out a sound.

“Don’t eat our business partners. They are not yummy.” Eunjae adds while smirking.

“Arasso,” she replies.

“And stops pinching that person, Dahee will not notice it since she’s kind of slow in that kind of thing.” Hyung, Dara and I look at her in surprise while Jihye laughs softly and agrees with her. “There’s no need to be shock. I know that you’re getting glimpse of Dahee since earlier. You’re not careful after all.” She waggles her finger while clicking her tongue then looks at me meaningfully.

“I have to go. Bye guys,” she shouts to the boys. They wave goodbye to her.

When she is gone and Eunjae is left behind. She looks at me. “I’m not the most attentive on things in all of us. If I notice your staring then surely she knows. No wonder, she doesn’t talk to you that much. She hates complication especially to someone who has a girlfriend.” She affirms.

“There is no need to tell it to him, Eunjae,” Chaewon says as she passed by us holding her slippers in her hand.

“Well, it is fun to see their reaction. It is priceless.” She mutters jovially and stands up leaving with Chaewon.

“No wonder, she is bothering me not you and not even once lay an eyes on you,” Hyung says fascinated at the situation. “I definitely like her.”

“Who are you liking, Hyung?” Seungri asks curiously. Dara chuckles at how interesting the situation is.

Now, that I think about it. The only time we converse with each other is when she accidentally afloat between me and Daesung. Then there is no interaction and it is only me listening and looking at her. If the two girls notice it then Eunjae implying that Jihye being the most attentive of them surely knows what I’m doing.

Ah! Who cares? I’m just fascinated on her attitude that’s all. Besides, I will see Kiko in Japan for our concert there again. I’ll see my haven after so many weeks.

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-authornim