LEENA’S POV

“Hello?” Nonchalantly, I pick up the phone without looking at the caller’s ID, eyes scanning the lines on the document, more papers scattered on the table.

“May I speak to my princess?” A playful deep voice rings through the phone, sending a smirk across my face. That cannot be anyone else.

I lay back in the swivel chair and take off the glasses, pinching the bridge of my nose, grinning. “Her hands are pretty full at the moment, would you mind leaving her a message? She would get back to you later, perhaps. Since it depends on how high you rank in her heart, you might have to wait for a month, mister.”

“Ow….” He fakes a dejected sigh. “I should have known that. She just wants me for my body.”

I exclaim in disbelief. “Excuse me?” He giggles. “I should never have let her touch my body, now she can’t get enough of it.” I spin around in my swivel chair, racking my brain for refutation. It’s childish, but I can’t let him win over this childish bickering.

“I’m sorry to point out that your self-partiality is unhealthily overflowing, your performance might not be as gratifying as you think it is.” I cover my mouth with my hand to muffle my giggles as I imagine his ashen face.

To my surprise his voice turns hoarse. “I was being gentle for your first, but someone seems to be ungrateful for tenderness, you’d have to beg me to stop next time.”

My eyes are the size of saucers, a burning sensation can be felt on my face. Suddenly I feel hot as if the temperature of the room has mysteriously climbed ten degrees.  “I… You…”  KO.

It is silent except for his deep chuckling, announcing his own triumph. Then he clears his throat. “Are you still working?” I clear my throat as well, straighten up in my chair, trying to at least regain some composure. “Yea…” “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” He sounds concerned. “No, I was just going through some reports, I was going to call it a night anyway.”

A moment of silence. I can imagine him caressing my hair softly if he were here, in front of me. “Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?” He is back to the caring and tender boyfriend.

Taking a glance at the calendar on the table, I count the days he has been gone to Japan. It’s almost a week. He left in rush the morning after we…we united for the first time after getting a call from his manager about an urgent meeting for some endorsement in Japan.

FLASHBACK

I can feel a finger brushing away the hair falling on my face, then it touched my eyebrows, my nose and my lips. I stayed still, pretending that I was sleeping but my heart ran thousand miles per minute. What should I do now? Open my eyes and greet him a good morning? Is this what people do after ?

“You at acting, you know.” He planted a kiss on my forehead, I can feel his smirk without opening my eyes. “Lucky for me that I don’t act for a living.” I glared at him and stuck out my tongue but I get a warm smile in return. “Good morning.”

The dark orbs looking at me brought back memories of last night, a flush of heat swiped across my face and I tried to hide under the cover panic-strickenly only to push myself further into his chest. A glance at his bare chest reminded me the fact that we were both , lying in bed covered only by a layer of duvet. So I threw myself to the sole option I had in hand, under the cover. But a rush of sore shot through me, nailing me on the spot.

He must have been alerted by my contorted face as he cupped my face and looked me in the eyes. “What’s wrong? You all right?” I shake my head. “It’s just… I feel… sore…” “Just sore? You’re not in pain, are you?” Again I shake my head. He sighed in relief and hugged me tighter with his arms. “You should stay in today, get some rest.” I simply nodded, too tired to counter, it won’t hurt to work from home for a day.

“Are you staying as well?” He huffed a laugh. “Sure, my princess. I won’t go even if you kicked me.” Pieces of memories of intense limbs wresting and lips locking from yesterday replayed in my mind at the mention of the new pet name he gave me. “Don’t call me that.” I whined with muffled voice. He teased. “Why?”

I opened my mouth but before I could say a word I was interrupted by the chiming of his phone on the bedside table. “Sorry.” He muttered before turning to grab his phone. “Hyung, you promised me one week off.” He grunted to the phone and he fell into silence as his brows raised and then knitted together in a frown.

“Okay.” He talked to the person whom I supposed to be his manager like a child promised his parent that he would behave and do whatever was told. The apologetic gaze he sent me after he hung up the phone told me whatever the call was about, I was not going to like it. But I had to ask anyway. “What is it?”

“The company in Japan calls upon a meeting, they want to talk about shifting the schedule forward.” “They’re coming to YG?” He sighed and shook his head. “No, we’ve to go to Japan,” he added, “My flight is in two hours.”

I bit my lips but I said no words. What can I say exactly?

“I’m sorry.” He muttered defeatedly. I wrapped an arm around his waist and buried my head under his chin, so desperately wanted to feel his warmth while I still have this luxury. “Don’t. You’ve work to do, I understand.” “I didn’t kick you though,” I murmured in a voice low enough that I thought he would not have heard it, but the soft kiss he planted on the crown of my head and his tightened arms around me told me otherwise.

From the first day I said yes to becoming girlfriend to this man, I knew it would not be easy with his status, his popularity around the globe and his packed as hell schedule. I did not get to see him as much as we used to for the last couple of weeks and Bigbang had not made a comeback yet. I can’t imagine how we would hold it together when they started promoting and all.  

END OF FLASHBACK

“I miss you. When are you coming back?”

“In three days, two if everything wrapped up earlier.” I nod, but realise he can’t see me. “Okay.” “It took you one whole week to say the three words. Did I just slip your mind and you only remembered me being your boyfriend minutes ago when I called?”

“You’re the one who dumped me after we…” I gasp and cover my mouth with my hand to stop my stupid tongue from further splurting anything else foolish to embarrass myself even more. But he is fast to pick up as he teases, “After we what?”

I roll my eyes. “That’s not important. The whole point is, you dumped me, and here I am, in Seoul, all alone.” He chuckles from the phone. “You’ve Clarence.” “He’s sleeping, in the other room.” I think childishness is contagious, and he is the source to mine.

He seems having a hard time to stop his snickering. Then he clears his throat. “What can I do to make it up to you, my princess?” I am caught off guard by his sudden address of that name but I regain composure faster this time. “Hmm… Buy me something from Japan? Something expensive, since you’re earning a lot from the endorsement.”

“Well… Let me think…” That is weird. I expect him to ask what would I want for a present. “Are you sleepy?” “What?” He repeats his question and I am in total confusion.

“Look, if you’re trying to brush me off, you can be a little more straightforward.” “I’d take that as a no then.” I take a gulp of coffee, my lips curl in disgust at the cold beverage. “No, I’m not sleepy. In fact I feel a bit heated up right now.” I am not asking for a luxurious present, if that is what he is thinking. A box of chocolate or a postcard from Japan will make my day as long as it is from him.

“So you’re up for a treasure hunt?” I am going to ramble on but his question puzzles me. “A treasure hunt?” “Yes, your present. You’ve to find it yourself.” “You can’t be serious.” It is incredulous.

“I’m. Being a good boyfriend as I’m, I’ll even give you hints. It’s in your bedroom and it’s pink.” When I am too dazed to respond he urges. “C’mon, you’ve ten minutes. Clock is ticking.”

Taking his words with a grain of salt, I open the door to my bedroom and walk in, eyes scanning for anything pink. That’s not helpful at all, for most of the things in my room are in pink. One by one I throw open the drawers of bedside table and my dresser, there are a lot of pink stuffs but they are all mine.

“I need more hints.” “You’ve eight minutes left.” “Please…” Aegyo is not something I’d always use on him but I know he can’t resist this. “Okay, but remember, I’m a good boyfriend.” “Yes honey, you’re a good boyfriend.” I praise in earnest immediately and I can almost see him roll his eyes when he tells me the hint. “The last hint, it’s in your closet.”

Skeptically I walk over to the closet and open up, a hand holding on to the phone while another rumbles through the clothes hanging in the closet. Nothing. I have tried every pocket as well. “Are you sure it’s in here because I…” Then my hand feel something when I am rummaging through the pile of shirts in the far corner of the lowest drawer of the closet. I pull it out and study the box wrapped in pink. “You found it?” “Yea… I guess so… Can I open it?”

He lets out a laughter. “Finders keepers.” Sitting on the bed, I tear open the wrapping paper cautiously and I have my eyes rolled to the back of my head when the content in the box reveals itself. “Are you kidding me?”

“Do you like it?” I plop down on the mattress on my back. “I would, if I were five.” He counters defensively. “I’m not five!” “You’re not, you’re just three.” He huffed a breath through his nose which I surmise to be discontent to the accusation, although to me it is a fact that he is three.

“Seriously? A Minnie bear?” I ask in disbelief. “It’s a bearbrick, not a bear.” He sounds hurt now, like someone has just insulted his treasured toy and it makes me feel regretful. My voice turns soft. “I like it, it’s lovely.” “You do?” “Yes, Hyun-ah.” It does not matter what present he gives me, I’d like everything and anything that comes from him. It’s the thought he has put into it to go to such lengths to surprise me, all this while he is hundreds miles away.

I place the Minnie in my palm and study it more attentively under the light, suddenly a supposedly mouse moulded in a bear shape does not look unnatural and freaky anymore. I would say it is cute even. Then my eyes zero in on its belly. “Wait… Are those diamonds on her skirt?” “It’s captivating, isn’t it?”

“Gosh Seunghyun, how much is it?” “Hmm?” “Minnie, how much is it?” He huffs a laugh. “When someone gives you a gift, you don’t ask them the price.” My brows are frowned now. “How can I not? It must be very expensive!” “I assure you, it doesn’t cost as much as you think, okay? Besides…” His hesitation intrigues me. “Besides what?” “Besides… I’m sorry… for leaving you that day, I really am… I should have been there for you…”

“I’m fine, good actually. There’s nothing you need to worry about.” I rest my head on a fluffy pillow, huffing a laugh. I’m an independent girl, I always am and I think he knows it.

“I...uhm…” He fakes a cough and clears his throat, obviously struggling to choose his words. “I’ve read about people experiencing some emotional stuff after…uhm…their first time and it’s better if your partner can be there with you.”

A few seconds pass by with dead silence filling the air while I try to grasp at what he is trying to say. Then he starts to lose it. “Geez I feel like right now. I being a boyfriend. Minnie doesn’t help at all, does it?”

I shake my head, amused by my boyfriend’s weird way of thinking. “Pabo.” “Sorry?” Sighing, I roll over to rest on my stomach, resting my chin on my fist, an elbow propped on the bed. “Stop pulling your hair. I can see you doing that even from here. First of all, I don’t have that emotional stuff. Yes I’ve missed you and I hope you’re here with me now but that’s because I love you, not because of what we’ve done the other day, stupid. Wait… Minnie here has something to say.”

He does not sound as tensed as before, at least he catches up with my joke. “Hmm? What does she say?” “She’s asking about Mickey. Why did you separate them? You could have bought me a pair, you know.”

“That’s my plan, getting two of them, one for you and one for me, like what the couples do. But she’s the only one left. I’m still looking for Mickey, I guess she has to wait for a while now. Tell her sorry.” He smiles sheepishly in the end.

This brings another question to me. He is in Japan for almost a week now and I’m sure Minnie was not here before he left. How and when did it end up in my closet? “I’m a resourceful man.” He answers proudly.

I believe Clarence is his only resource.

I have been spending quite a lot of time with eonni and omoni in the week of his absence. We would try new cooking recipe together, do grocery shopping and have high tea occasionally. To put it short, we have a good time together.

However, I was concerned about omoni’s perception of me and Clarence because honestly the combination of a Korean single mother and a black child does not seem appealing at all and I have witnessed the inconvenience of omoni having a conversation with Clarence during the time in Morelton.  

But spending time with them for the past week has visibly changed the notion. The elder seems to have grown fond of Clarence and the younger has even picked up Korean quite efficiently under guidance of the elder. Omoni is a better teacher than me, I have to admit that.

If it would be an ordinary lunch with the Choi, I would not be pacing back and forth in the living room restlessly now.

The doorbell rings and I walk over to open the door but Clarence beats me to that. “Hey buddy, are you ready?” He picks up Clarence and gives him a full swing in the air before putting him down, the younger chuckling uncontrollably.

“You still not going to tell me whom we’re having lunch with?” I side eye him from the passenger seat. He stops at a red light and turns to me. “It’s just a quick lunch with eomma and a few of my friends will be joining us, that’s all.” “And who are your friends? I should at least get their names before I make a fool of myself in front of them.”

I have all the reasons to be agitated, you see. The person beside me, he’s a lot of things, he’s TOP the rapper from Bigbang, and he’s Choi Seunghyun the actor as well, not to mention his enthusiasm towards art pieces and wines that gains him some famous artist friends. I should at least be informed of the people I will be having lunch with so that I would not stare blankly at their faces and don’t even know how renowned their background is. I would act like a complete fool, and he acts all mysterious is really not helping.

“They’re just a bunch of fools, you’ll see it with your eyes later.” He smiles, keeping his eyes on the road and the car speeds down the road as the light turns green. His glistening eyes and curled up lips tell me he might be telling the truth although I can’t be sure.

“The driveway is empty and the house is quiet, so I assume the fools are not here yet?” “It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that, .” Eonni smacks his shoulder after giving a hug to me and Clarence.

“Who are the friends will be having lunch with us? He’s acting all mysterious about that.” I whisper to eonni as we make our way to join omoni in the kitchen while the other two are watching some superhero anime in the common area. Eonni smiles and opens the fridge, grabbing some food out of it. “Include the one out there,” she points at the common area, “They’re best friends, but if I were being honest, they’re a bunch of fools who happened to have some common interests. Trust me when I say Clarence has higher intelligence than all of them combine together.”

I raise my brows in question but make no further inquiry as I imagine five childish Seunghyuns in a room. Disaster. My stomach is churning and my heart pounds frantically against my chest as I hear the doorbell ring. “C’mon, I believe it’s them.” Eonni drags me by my hand to the front door.

We are greeted by four men standing behind the door, the taller of the two with buzz cut is head locking Seungri while the latter grabbing onto a well-built’s arm who has his free arm draping over the one with smiling eyes under his thick bangs. “Annyeonghaseyo!” They greet in unison cheerfully and it inexplicably makes me feel joyful as if their presence radiates bliss into the air.

“Hi, noona!” Seungri approaches with his open arms when he finally breaks free from the headlock but Seunghyun gets in his way and shoves him in his face. “Yah yah, she’s my girlfriend, don’t you dare touch her.”

“Guys, you can start fighting in the house, at least this way the neighbours won’t see and report the police.” Eonni reprimands with her hands on her hips, but there is unarguably smile on her lips.

When we are all sitting in the common area, eonni crosses her arm with mine, pointing at the guys sitting on the long couch across from us with her chin. “Leena, meet the mighty Bigbang.” She raises a brow at them. “Dongsaeung-deul, introduce yourselves, I’m not going to do that for you.” “Neither do I.” Seunghyun has his arms crossed across his chest with a playful grin.

The petite man who was head locking Seungri just now stands up and extends his hand which I grab politely. I know who he is, in fact I know all of them, I have been watching videos about them. No, it’s not stalking, I was doing that out of curiosity. Yes, that’s right. “It’s been a while since I do this…” He brushes the back of his neck sheepishly. “Hello, I’m G-Dragon, but I’d prefer you call me Jiyong.” “I’m Leena, nice meeting you.”

He sits back down and points to the man with smiling eyes who is waving at me with cheerful smile. “This is Daesung, and ignore the maknae, I don’t know even why he’s here.” He ignores Seungri who is sitting beside him, waiting anxiously to be introduced by the leader and I find the first common habit between him and Seunghyun, it’s the way they look past Seungri like he is transparent. The thought makes me chuckle.

But I freeze and my smile goes stiff when Jiyong-ssi points at another man with buzz cut sitting at the far end of the couch. “That is Youngbae, and… yea… that makes the five of us Bigbang.” He brushes the top of his head, smiling shyly as if it’s his first time introducing them. It’s a hundred-eighty from his charismatic and fierce stage appearance. I think I can get along with this guy, while I might start a war with the other.

“Okay,” Eonni stands up, “I’ll leave this to you guys, I’ll get you teas.” She holds up her index before they could protest. “No alcohol, it’s afternoon for God’s sake.” I stand up as well, a plan forming in my head. “I’ll go with you, eonni.”

SEUNGHYUN’S POV

“It’s weird…” Jiyong mutters under his breath, looking at Leena and noona walking towards the kitchen. “What is?” I lean closer to him, raising a brow. He points at the kitchen and tilts his head, confused. “Her. I think I’ve seen her before, but I can’t remember when.”

“Leena? She came back from the States about two years ago, and you were already in the army by that time. You must have mistaken her as someone else.” “Maybe……”

“You can’t tell, life is full of surprises.” Youngbae chimes in, shocking us as the stern tone in his voice is unusual for his upbeat self even for us whom have been with him for more than ten years.

Daesung chooses to divert the attention. “Hey Clarence, how are you? Did you miss samchoon?” Clarence climbs down from my lap and jumps into his arms, wrapping his little hands around his neck and soon the common area is filled with teasing, jokes, laughter, and Seungri’s screaming for help.

When Leena walks over with a tray, the smugly smirk hanging on her lips tells me something else might be happening under the table. Did I do something wrong? She isn’t planning to kill me, is she?  

Looking down at the cup of tea she just handed me before walking back to the kitchen. I talk a tentative sip with cautious. She is not the pranking type, I think to myself. Okay, it tastes good, it’s indeed tea.

“Arrgghh!” I lean forward to have a better look at Youngbae who is sitting at the far end, just on time to see the graceful scene of him splurting a mouthful of tea onto Seungri beside him. “What’s wrong with you? I didn’t say a word and I’m sure as hell didn’t do anything!” Groaning, maknae wipes his face with his shirt, disgust obvious on his face and we double over, laughing at his funny predicament.

“This girl never changed!” Youngbae readily puts the cup on the coffee table and marches towards the kitchen, leaving all of us dumbfounded, exchanging questioning looks.

“Yah!” Youngbae’s shout reverberates from the kitchen and all of us in the common area stand up simultaneously.

“Get off of me!” It’s Leena this time. I’m the first to react as I rush into the kitchen with the others behind me and our jaw drops to its lowest level at the scene before our eyes.

“Don’t dream!” Youngbae rolls over and clamps her legs effectively with his muscled ones all the while Leena pulling his hair out of the back of his head.

“Is that hoodlum over there is the Youngbae Hyung we know?” Daesung have his eyes fixed on the wrestled and twisted bodies of the hyung he once knew as the kindest and softest man and the courteous lady he met less than an hour ago.

Four of us exchange glances but we are too bewildered to speak. Noona from far corner mouths to me, “What the hell is going on?” Shaking my head, I mouth back, “No idea.”

“Are you crazy?!” Youngbae’s yelp snaps my attention back to the rolling bodies on the floor only to see Leena biting into the muscle of his biceps. “You deserve it!” Leena growls.

“I’m not the one who made ty tea to guest!”

“I didn’t invite you in!”

“Oh my god…” We turn our head to the doorway where the surprised gasp comes from, Leena and Youngbae frozen in their position. “What’s this?” Eomma sends me a rebuke glare and my mind goes blank for a moment before I rush over to separate the two, helping Leena get back on her feet while Daesung helping Youngbae.  

“I expect an explanation over lunch.” Eomma brushes past us to the stove. “Now, girls help me with the lunch and boys…” “Yes, eomma (omoni), we’ll be out of your way.” Five of us have never been so in sync before as we tumble out of the kitchen, pushing and shoving each other.

A/N: Aren’t five of them adorable? ^^