Chapter 63:

 

Jihye’s P.O.V

 

Did I decide in a jiffy? I am not comfortable being with Jiyong still and doing the things we used to do. It is frustrating me because I want to be comfortable but there is something pulling me back to the uncomfortable zone.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

I look up and see a worried Jiyong. I place my hand on his cheek and smile warmly. “I’m a bit uncomfortable,” I say honestly. I have to do this relationship right and no more lies. “I’m still threading slowly to the way it is.”

 

“You can do it as slow as you want. I am not rushing things like in the past. This time I will wait until you’re ready.” He kisses me in the forehead and stands up. “I’ll leave you with Top-hyung. I’ll just record my part, okay?” He smiles warmly to me.

 

I nod my head. “Do your best,” I encourage back.

 

“For you,” Jiyong responds, still with the warm smile then he enters the booth.

 

“What are you talking about?” Top-oppa inquires and plops in the couch, beside me.

 

I lean my head on his shoulders. “Why can’t I be as comfortable like this when I’m with him?” I sigh and close my eyes.

 

I feel the warm palm of Top­-oppa in the side of my head as he caresses it.

 

“Because I am a friend and a brother, whatever happens, a problem or a fight, our bond will not break,” Top-oppa remarks, “but,” I hear his silent sigh, “Jiyong is more than what our relationship is. Your bond is breakable and fragile. This time the crack still hasn’t healed back.”

 

“When did you become so wise, Top,” Teddy-oppa teases.

 

I chuckle in amusement. “Well, he’s the only one, who has a strong relationship until now and still hidden in the eyes of the many,” I remarks with mirth. “Teddy­-oppa and I will never find out even if he has another girlfriend.”

 

“I agree,” Teddy-oppa muses back and I know that he is smiling.

 

“YAH! There are no other women and it’s only Dahee in my heart,” Top­-oppa shrieks.

 

“Teddy-oppa, tell Jiyong to repeat the last verse,” I state. Even if I’m busy teasing with these people, I am still listening to my boy… to Jiyong.

 

“Eh?” Teddy-oppa utters, “But I think it was fine.”

 

“Was it? I don’t think so. Why not make him listen? I bet he will ask the same thing.” I challenge and open my eyes to let my message pass through.

 

“Fine!” Teddy-oppa says annoyed. He is like that because he has a date with his girlfriend and I’m delaying him from going out of the building fast. But I delay him unintentionally. There something amiss in the way Jiyong sang the last verse. “Jiyong, repeat the last verse,” he says exasperated.

 

 “Okay,” Jiyong replies, confusion in his voice.

 

“Jihye ordered it and I am not annoyed with you but your girlfriend,” Teddy clarifies.

 

“You are so petty, oppa,” I mutter mockingly.

 

“Stop teasing the lovesick man,” Top-oppa whispers to me but it is loud that even Teddy-oppa heard it.

 

“I’m not a lovesick man!!!”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

I want to crack up at the timing of Teddy-oppa’s girlfriend. “Unnie!” I shriek in joy. “Are you picking up, oppa?”

 

Teddy-oppa glares at me because of the teasing tone that lies from my statement.

 

“Noona, have a seat,” Top offers. “We will wrap this up in a minute. We are just cleaning up the little mess of our vocals.”

 

“You, two, act like lovers when her boyfriend is right in front of the two of you,” unnie points out.

 

“We’re always like this,” Top and I say at the same time with nonchalance. This kind of thing is normal on us and we don’t put any malice on our actions.

 

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Jiyong’s P.O.V

 

I open the door to the office of YG-hyung. Jihye leaves earlier on the recording room and goes here. “Is Jihye still here?”

 

“Yes, she fell asleep while waiting for you,” YG-hyung points his finger towards the sleeping Jihye in the couch. “Let’s talk before you wake her up. Please, have a seat.”

 

I feel my nervousness rising up. “Did she tell you something?” I queries.

 

“She didn’t have to. I can clearly see that she is not coping up well with the situation. She’s having difficulty grasping the way back to the way, you, two, are.”

 

I can see that too and she always tells that to me. Even I am threading carefully around her. I don’t know what she is thinking or feeling, which is why I always ask her how she feels. I don’t want the old us but I want us to be happy like the past. I know that it is hard to be happy like the past because this time, we are back, knowing our issues.

 

“Are you sure you’re not hurting each other? You can…”

 

“No,” I shake my head. “This time, I will not let one of us let go. This time, I want to be with her and know what’s bothering her and be there to listen and comfort her. I will not let her handle things, alone.”

 

“You can do that as friends,” YG­-hyung­ remarks.

 

“I know but…”

 

“Why are you antagonizing my boyfriend, appa?”

 

I turn around in surprise. “I thought you are asleep,” I mutter in shock.

 

“I was,” Jihye replies, “but I woke up with the two of you talking.” She chuckles and smiles. She stands up and walks towards us. She wraps her arms around me and places her chin on my shoulder. “We love each other, appa. We even all know that I will not enter this relationship if I end up regretting my decision. I am not a person whose mind is fickle. I know what I have decided and I know where my heart’s lies with. It is with him.” She plants a light kiss on my head.

 

YG-hyung smiles affectionately. “I am just checking if he will give in. But I can see that even if you’re still uncomfortable, your love for him is unbreakable.”

 

“Shall we start our date?” Jihye inquires.

 

“Yeah,” I respond.

 

“Appa, we shall get going. I have a meeting tomorrow with her,” Jihye mumbles at the end.

 

I know who is that her and even if I’m not supportive of this meeting, I can’t do anything. I put my arm around her and squeeze her shoulder for reinforcement. “We’ll get going, hyung.”

 

“Okay but be careful on not being seen by people,” YG-hyung reminds with concerned. “I’m not worried about issues but your relationship this time. So, I want you to be careful.”

 

Jihye chuckles and nods her head. “We are just going to eat at home, appa. All the people close to us warned on not dining and going outside but as promised, in two weeks’ time when I’m already comfortable with Jiyong again, Jiyong and I will do a press conference and talk everything excluding the baby. Our baby is to be kept private.”

 

YG-hyung affirms with a nod of his head. “I’ll put that in my schedule. You should get going.”

 

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“Cherie,” I mumble uncertain. I don’t know what her reaction is and I want to know. She is currently resting her head on my shoulders as we sit silently in their home’s garden.

 

 “Hmm…” she responds.

 

“Are you sure about your decision of seeing Haeri? I am worried about you and your feelings.”

 

I see Jihye’s hand lift and press her palm on my cheeks. “Don’t be worried about me. I will be fine and I have contemplated about this for a long time. It’s time for me to meet her after all these years, Jiyong.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

She looks at me and smiles. She now puts both her hands on my cheeks. “I am sure,” she says and gives me a peck on the lips. “I can handle myself and be rest assured that I will call you as soon as the meeting is done, arasso?”

 

I pout and point on my lips again.

 

She stares at me in amusement with a wide smile, a happy smile. “I’m just getting comfortable, don’t push your luck,” she jest.

 

I sulk more and still point on my lips. “Please,” I say it with my super-duper aegyo.

 

Jihye giggles and gives me another smack on the lips. “Happy,” she says sarcastically with a raise of a brow.

 

“Five seconds,” I gesture with my hand.

 

“How about a slap?” she remarks mischievously.

 

“Okay,” I answer, “I will stop asking for more. I love you.”

 

She scoffs and rolls her eyes on me but I got surprise when she pulls my collar and gives me the five second kiss that I ask. “I know,” she says after the kiss.

 

“Can I sleep here tonight?”

 

“Jiyong, time to go home,” Eunjae exclaims from the door.

 

Jihye covers and giggles. “You heard my mother,” she teases. “It is time to go home for you, Ji.”

 

I see Eunjae with her scary stance and her arms cross in her chest. “She is definitely serious about kicking me out.”

 

“Yeah, she is,” Jihye affirms honestly. “It’s time to throw you out of the shack, cheri.”

 

I give her a hug and a parting kiss in the head. “I’ll see you tomorrow and wherever you put the rings we had…” I push her at my arm’s length and look at her. “Are you sure you want the old ones?”

 

Jihye nods her head. “The Cartier ring is our promise ring and that’s a one of a kind design that I made for both of us. They can’t make another pair or pairs of that design. So, I want that one.”

 

I smile affectionately. “Arasso, I’ll wear my ring again tomorrow.”

 

Jihye kisses me in the cheek and nods her head. “See you the day after tomorrow.”

 

I give her one last affectionate kiss in the head before heading to where Eunjae is standing. She is seeing me out and not Jihye. “Bye,” I wave my hand to Jihye.

 

“Bye,” Jihye waves back.

 

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Jihye’s P.O.V

 

“Chaewon,” I speak to her.

 

“Yes?” Chaewon responds inquiringly.

 

“I want the rings back.”