Do you work here?” Dae Sung asked curiously.

“No wonder you are so busy all the time,” Tae Yang spoke up, understanding why they hardly ever saw her.

Seung Ri looked up to her and smiled. “You look cute as a waitress. Is that flour on your face?”

Lia quickly wiped it away. “I was baking at the back . . .”

“Why didn’t you tell us you got a job?” Ji Yong’s voice was hard and cold with a tinge of hurt inside.

“Why did you get a job?” TOP demanded to know.

“I — I —” Lia stammered. She was unsure of what to say.

Chung Ho came to her rescue. “Hi, is my waitress causing a problem here?” he asked Big Bang politely.

“Yes, she lied to us,” Ji Yong snapped. He glared at Lia.

Lia hung her head. “I needed to find a way to earn money but I didn’t want to ask any of you for it,” she mumbled.

“Wait, you guys know each other?” Chung Ho was confused. “Omo, Lia, you know them? That’s so cool!”

Ji Yong stood up and began to leave. He put the disguise back on to go out but Lia ran to him and grabbed him by the hand.

“Please let me explain,” she said quietly and he stopped. Signing that he was listening, she said in a rush, “You guys always told me that the reason why you guys were teaching me how to speak Korean was so I will be able to communicate in the outside world in Seoul. How do you expect me to put it into practice by keeping me home or at the YG building?”

“I don’t care why you got a job, Lia,” Ji Yong retorted. “It’s good that you have a job to pass time but why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell me? Don’t you trust us? Did you know how worried we were about you?”

“How could you say that?” Lia asked back, her anger rising. “I’m working so you don’t have about how I will get by in life! I’m getting some work experience here, you know. I’m not famous like you guys so I can’t earn money by all the hard work you guys do. I earn money like this.” She was shouting now, close to tears. “I want to earn money like this, it’s my wish! Just like how your wish is to be where you are now: a singer.”

Suddenly Ji Yong turned around, his eyes flashing. Lia stepped back, scared he might raise his hands at her.

“Ji Yong,” TOP said, standing up.

Ji Yong grabbed Lia by the wrist and pulled her into his chest. Then he crushed her lips with his. He kissed her fiercely, ignoring the stares of other people. He just wanted to hold her in his arms.

Lia was kissing him back with just as much passion. She missed being this close to him. She’d forgotten how good it felt to be in his strong, muscular arms. “Ji Oppa . . .”

He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up. “I love you,” he murmured in between kisses. “But don’t ever keep secrets from me ever again. Deal?”

She nodded, her eyes still closed.

Someone cleared his throat and they broke apart quickly, remembering that they had an audience. Lia blushed, remembering she was working and quickly ran to the back to the kitchen to finish the cakes.

One day Big Bang came out of YG building in the evening, free from work, and Dae Sung was surprised to see little hearts being posted up everywhere. “Oh, what’s with the random hearts?” he asked.

Seung Ri whacked him on the head. “Yah! Valentine’s Day is tomorrow. Have you not remembered?”

“Obviously,” Ji Yong muttered.

TOP turned to him. “Valentine’s Day, eh?” he teased, nudging him a bit. “I wonder if Lia knows the tradition.”

Ji Yong blushed. “I don’t care about that,” he mumbled. “As long as she’s in love with me, that’s all that matters.”

“But deep down inside he knows he wants chocolate,” Dae Sung added, smiling.

Ji Yong blushed even deeper. Truth was, ever since February came, he’d been thinking of Valentine’s Da. He checked his watch. “I gotta go,” he said and dashed off.

“Where’d he go?” Tae Yang asked.

The other three shrugged as they made their way back home.

Meanwhile at the café, Lia was looking at all the heart-shaped chocolates she and the twins had baked at the counter display.

“They’re delicious,” someone said.

She looked up and smiled. “Kamsa,” she said. “But why are you eating them? They’re not for you.”

He smiled and shrugged. “I ate those ugly looking heart-shapes.”

“Char Lie made them.” She laughed at the turn-out. It was so badly out of shape that they put it one side because they didn’t have time to throw it away. “Oh. So there’s where those missing chocolates went. We wanted to eat them later but then they were gone.”

“I could throw it up to you if you want,” he said with a sneaky smile.

“Go away!” she said, laughing just as Char Nie cranked up the juke box.

Chung Ho took her by the hands and began to twirl her around in a dance step. Giggling, she let him. All of a sudden he dipped her and she gasped. Their eyes met and she giggled. “I didn’t know you’re a good dancer,” she remarked.

He smirked. “There’s a lot more than just baking and cooking for me,” he replied.

The door opened and someone had entered the café. Chung Ho and Lia looked up at the same time.

Kwon Ji Yong was standing at the entrance, frozen, as he saw the two of them in each other’s arms.

Chung Ho quickly pulled her up next to him in a standing position. He bowed. “Hi, welcome to The Library.”

“Hi, Ji Oppa,” Lia said softly, smiling.

Ji Yong still didn’t say a thing. Instead, his eyes landed on Chung Ho’s hand that was still firmly on Lia’s waist. “Hi,” he said stiffly.

Chung Ho dropped his hands as Lia went up to him and hugged him. He kissed her tenderly on the forehead.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

“I came to see you but I come in here and found you in the arms of another man,” he joked lightly. But deep down, he was jealous. He wanted to be the only one who holds her like that.

She blushed deeply and Chung Ho looked away. “Ah, anni —” she started to say. “We were just —”

“It’s all right,” he cut her off gently. “I was kidding. I came to pick you up. Your work is ending soon right?”

She checked the clock. “Half an hour,” she said sadly. “Do you mind waiting?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I don’t mind.” He smiled sweetly at her.

Chung Ho came up to them. “Actually, Lia, you can go off now if you want,” he told her. “No one is gonna come in anymore so yeah. Don’t worry I won’t cut your pay.”

Lia beamed and hugged him. “Kasahamnida, Chung Ho-sshi!” She ran to the back to grab her things, leaving the two boys outside in total awkward silence.

“Lia is a really sweet girl,” Chung Ho spoke up, trying to ease the tension.

“I know,” Ji Yong said flatly.

Chung Ho nodded. “Ah . . .” He tried to think of something intelligent to say but he came up blank.

Lia came back, smiling. “Let’s go!” she said, taking Ji Yong’s hands and dragged him out. “Thanks, Chung Ho-sshi! I’ll see you in two days!” she called behind.

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?”

Lia shook her head. “He gave me a day off so I can spend time with you.”

Ji Yong couldn’t believe his good luck. “I got a day off too!”

Lia squealed and jumped on his back. “Yay! I can be with my boyfriend on Valentine’s Day!” she shouted with glee.

Ji Yong laughed, just as happy, as he piggy-backed his girlfriend all the way back home.

The next morning Ji Yong smiled when he woke up to see Lia sleeping soundly in his arms.

Lia woke up a few minutes later and smiled at him. “Morning, oppa,” she said softly.

“Morning, my baby boo,” he said, her cheeks. He smiled fondly at her.

She turned away.

“Hey,” he pouted as he grabbed her to turn her around. “What’s wrong?”

She nodded shyly. “I’m okay.”

He sat up. “What is it?” he asked. He had a feeling that she was hiding something.

She sat up, shaking her head. “It’s nothing,” she lied. “Don’t worry about it.” She leaned forward and kissed him. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ji Oppa.”

He decided to drop it and kissed her back, pushing her on the bed gently. When they came back up for air, he smiled at her and leaned back down to kiss her.

He kissed her cheeks.

“What —?” He pulled back. “Lia, what’s wrong?”

She pulled the blankets over her head. “Nothing,” her muffled voice said through the blanket.

He went under and saw her biting her bottom lips. She quickly turned away. He frowned at that. He threw the covers away and climbed on top of her, pinning her down so she had to look at him. “What’s wrong?” He stared into her eyes. He cupped her chin so she can’t move her head. “Lia, you’re driving me crazy! Will you just tell me what’s wrong?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. “Open your eyes.” Ji Yong could feel her heart thumping. She opened them slowly. When she looked at him, she blushed.

She blushed.

He was confused. “Are you blushing?” he asked.

She wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Then it hit him and he began to smile. “Seriously? You’re feeling shy around me?” he asked, bursting into laughter.

“Argh! Don’t laugh!”

He kissed her sweetly and passionately. “Babe, you don’t have to be shy around me,” he breathed into her neck. He kissed her there and he felt her arms wrapped around him tighter.

She gently pushed him away after awhile and sat up. She smiled. “I’ll be right back.” She ran out of the room and when she came back, she was holding something behind her. She held it out once she reached him.

It was a box of chocolates.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” she said and he kissed her.

“Kamsa, Lia,” he said. He took a chocolate out and ate it.  “Hmmm, it’s delicious!”

Lia smiled. “I’m glad you like it. I made it myself.”

He hugged her. “I love it. I can totally feel your love in here.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re so full of it!”

He laughed. “Now this is the Lia I’m used to. Not the shy one just now.” She blushed and he sighed. “Perhaps I spoke too soon.”

“Yah!” She poked him on the sides. “Eat your chocolate!”

He gave her a chocolate-y grin and she smacked him, giggling.