Chapter 42
"I wish I was there too." I whispered to myself as I stared at G-Dragon's latest Instagram photo.
I sat down on my couch as Lily shuffled the channels on my new flat screen TV.
"Thanks for inviting me over on your day off." Lily smiled as I nodded.
"Thanks for not telling him..." I felt the guilt of lying to Jiyong when Lily replied to his texts couple days ago.
"Hey, it's for his own good right?"
"Yeah... I hope his concert went alright."
"The video is out last night, you haven't seen it?"
"It was? I was so busy with modeling I haven't even checked!"
"I heard it went amazing, really wish I've went."
"Same..."
I was holding myself back from buying his ticket, it would hurt me more if I bought it and didn't go.
"Celia, it's okay. I'm here if you need someone to talk to." Lily noticed my watery eyes and I stared at her with contemplation.
"Alright, will you help me then? Help me... Say his name?"
Lily was a little taken back by this request, but she accepted it.
"I would be glad to help, what exactly is the problem?"
"I have this problem of not saying... A lover's name after this trauma, but some how, it happened again randomly." I stuttered while trying to keep a blush in.
Lily nodded with question and offered her advice.
"You need to start from the beginning if you want me to help you solve it."
I fumbled with my hands as I thought about how I should began my story.
"Let me get a glass of water, then I'll be ready to began." I got up rapidly and shuffled into my kitchen.
After this, 3 people would know my secret...
I really do trust Lily as I trust Mia and Jiyong... Right?
Well, I gotta take a chance now.
I got my water but forgot about my manners.
"Lily! What would you like to drink?" I grabbed a new glass but heard no reply. "Lily! Drink?" I picked up my volume as I cautiously walked to the kitchen door.
Weird... She should hear me by now.
So I yelled.
"LILY? DO YOU WANT SOMETHING TO DRIN-"
When I poked my head out the kitchen, I saw Lily's wincing face as she held a finger up to her lips. My eyes widened when I heard a muzzled voice in the phone she was currently on and I immediately grasped the situation.
Lily was trying to get me to be quiet... Because-
Lily automatically shut the phone before I finished my sentence and stare at me with a ghostly expression.
"That was Jiyong." Lily stood up urgently and ignored the phone call that just came in. "He heard you."
Because Jiyong might find out...
"Wha, what are you going to say?" I was speechless as my heartbeat slowed to react.
"I, I don't know..." Lily flinched each time her phone buzzed and rung in her hand.
"I'm so sorry I dragged you into this." I felt the need to be brave in Lily's scared eyes so I snatched the phone from her hands.
"Celia, what are you-"
"I got an idea." I placed the phone near my ear and clicked the answer button.
"WHERE'S CELIA?!" A male voice screamed into my eardrum as I pulled the phone away for a second before any real damages could be done.
"I'm deeply sorry for the sudden interruption, but Lily was immediately needed for her translation job. I am her assistant. How may I help you?" I lowered my pitch of voice and pretended to be someone else.
Lily chuckled silently at my fake tone and I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Oh." Jiyong seemed to fall for it. "I need to see her at this moment, where is she?"
"That information is confidential." I replied with the best of my abilities in professional Korean.
"Don't you know who I am?" Jiyong sounded sad, but I kept my cool despite my tugging heartbeat.
"I do, but that is not important."
"So you do know? Then who am I?"
"A Kpop idol."
"Which one?"
"The leader of Big Bang... Now if you have no further-"
"What's my name?"
"I must really get going n-"
"Say it."
Blood rush to my face as I remained silent. My eyes dart towards Lily's confused face and I found myself unable to do what he said.
"I believe this conversation is o-"
"Say it."
He won't let this go unless I do it!
I have to try.
Try.
"G..." I paused before I could stutter even more. I squeezed my eyes shut as I heard a chuckle on his end.
"Celia... Babe, I missed you."
"Excuse me?" I continued my act nonetheless.
Jiyong sighed before fully revealing me.
"Your voice acting was so-so, your vocabulary in Korean is far from professional, and you referenced Lily as a friend rather than a ms or mrs." Jiyong heard no reply from me and laughed. "You still can't say my name."
"... I'm trying." I responded with defeat as my act crumbled.
Lily looked down when she realized what it meant for my real voice to come back.
"Babe, where are you? I should've called Lily long ago but I just kept forgetting. I'm worried sick. Searching for you day and night... Don't you know how painful it was for me, and all of us? Please come back Celia. It hurts so much you know... I need you girl."
I interrupted him before he could sing This Love, which would shatter my heart and leave me with no choice but to see him.
"I'm sorry." I heard a whine from him. "I can't come back just yet."
"Why not? We can still secretly meet."
"It's too risky..."
"That text got me all confused, please explain it to me." Jiyong was trying to get me to stay on the phone as long as possible, and it's working.
And because I left my old phone with him, he must've found out about the Boss's texts.
"What ever I do, someone always catches me. I have to stay away-"
"Let's just catch the person who catches you."
"What?"
"Someone is doing this to separate us."
Besides from our crazy stalker fans, who else got the time and motive to do that?
"I think this is good for you-"
"I can't function well without you Celia! This is not good for me!"
"I... Just give me some time..."
"You know I don't have time for that. I will find you, and I will never let you go."
That's sweet... And possessive.
"... I have to go."
"Don't leave me like this, I love you girl."
I love you too...
"... I'm sorry, I am so sorry!."
"CELIA-"
I hung up with tears staining my face. Lily patted my back and we sat back on the couch.
"He's calling again..." I whispered when Lily's phone won't stop buzzing.
"He'll stop eventually. He knows this is my phone, not yours." Lily gave me the glass of water and I gulped it down. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
I stared her in the eyes and saw her smiling like a caring mother I never had.
"Yeah."
It was almost midnight by the time Lily left.
We had shared almost everything about our lives together. Lily was an amazing listener, she accepted my situation and helped me with the best of her abilities.
"Good night Celia, thank you for trusting me with your problems." Lily held her purse and walked to my front door.
"Thank you for listening Lily." I opened the door for her as she smiled gently.
"Don't run away Celia, be brave. Remember what I said to you today: act on your gut, don't let what others say bother you, do what you want to do before it is too late."
"I will." I bowed and she left.
I entered my bed room and flopped on my bed.
Wow, I got so much off my chest today.
And I even got to talk to Jiyong.
Ji...
I miss him so much...
I want to see him so much...
All I can do is check the stupid inaccurate media that gossips.
I opened my laptop to those news and my eyes widened at the latest ones:
G-Dragon suffers an injury during Osaka concert...
G-Dragon injured...
O.M.G
Jiyong got hurt!
All my senses about leaving him alone was nullified and I ran out my apartment as fast as I could.
I pounded on Lily's door and she opened it with surprise.
"Oh Celia! Did you forget something?"
"May I use your phone?" I gasped for breaths as Lily offered me inside.
"What happen?" Lily handed me her phone and I dialed one of the Big Bang boys.
"G hurt his leg during his concert."
"Oh no!" Lily sympathized and understood why I was calling TOP.
Hopefully the boys are still in Korea since I can't call to Japan.
Nobody picked up, except for Seungri.
"CELIA?" The maknae answered when I called his name.
"Heh, no time no talk."
"WHERE WERE YOU? WE'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK!"
"Seungri, can we talk about this later? I have a favor to ask."
"OH! Well, I'm heading to Osaka on a private plane right now."
"Wait Seungri! That's exactly the favor I want to ask!"
"You want me to head over to Osaka?"
"No! I mean yes! But I want you to bring me along!"
"Well what are you waiting for? Come to the airport right now!"
"Thank you so much!"
"Thank me when you're here."
I gave back Lily's phone after thanking her and dashed back to my apartment.
I grabbed all my essentials and waited for the elevator.
After 5 seconds, I grew impatient and just took the stairs instead.
I flew down 22 flights of stairs and sprinted across the empty lobby.
Gathering looks from the security guards outside, I fixed up my disguise and stopped the nearest taxi.
Shoot, I don't want to call Seungri on my own phone because of caller id.
So by the time I got to the airport, I was careless where to go.
Until a mysterious person glomped me from behind when I was strolling around.
"I missed you." A male voice whispered in my ear and I calmed down.
"Seungri, don't do that." I took off the pair of hands that were covering my eyes and turned around to face the disguised maknae.
"How did you know it was me?" Seungri pouted and then hugged me again.
"Haha, who else but the maknae have the courage to jump on a person's back?" I smiled and he grinned back.
"Heheh well come on, the plane just arrived. Let's walk and talk."
Seungri led me to a restricted part of the airport and we boarded the small private plane.
"I see, Daesung called you in the middle of your work?" I said while viewing the night view out the window.
"Yup, and when I found out Jiyong hyung was injured, I couldn't even make time to come till now." Seungri munched on plane foods as I gave him more of my share.
"So glad you were late, or else I wouldn't be able to get to see you guys at all."
"Thank this plane too! Reserving a private plane at this time was so expensive, I just hope hyung helps me pay for it..."
I definitely can't pay for one that's for sure.
I glanced at the cramped interior of the plane and giggled.
My first time on a private plane.
There was only 10 seats and a food bar in the middle. With actual food!
Instead of those thingamajig most airplanes call food.
I felt extremely famous and important for the services that were just for us.
"I've never been to Japan before." I noticed the city lights below differed from Seoul's and assumed we were in Japanese territory.
"Then stick with me! Because I'm fluent in Japanese!" Seungri proudly raised his fist in the air and I laughed.
Turned out he was telling the truth, because he had gotten us a taxi in a matter of seconds when we got off the plane.
When we reached the hospital, Seungri called TOP to ask for Jiyong's location.
"Do they know I'm here?" I wondered when Seungri and I entered the sterile environment.
"Nope! I guess it'll be a surprise." Seungri kept a smug face on when we went up the stairs. When we reached the right floor, he poked his head out and scanned each side. "There! They're over there!" He turned to me and winked. "I'll go first, and you come out on cue. Okay?"
I nodded and he strode over to the 3 boys chatting in a waiting room.
"Seungri! You're late!"
I heard TOP, Taeyang, and Daesung greeting and mocking Seungri when they group hugged.
"You know I was busy! And besides, be glad I was late or else this wouldn't have appeared." Seungri emphasized the last part and I peeked over the wall.
I believe that was my cue.
I walked out my hiding spot and the rest of the guys gasped.
"CELIA!" They shouted as they all gathered around me and hugged me tightly.
"Holy shit Seungri you actually did something right for once." TOP joked as Seungri retorted.
"HEY!"
We all laughed out loud and a doctor came out of Jiyong's room to shush us.
The Big Bang boys and I stared at each other blankly as we all remained quiet.
"Mr. G-Dragon needs his rest now, but his leg will be fine after some physical therapy." The doctor eventually left and we broke the silence almost immediately.
"Well, why don't you go in first Seungri." Taeyang offered when the doctor was no longer in sight. "Celia's got to tell us her story before she can go anywhere."
I nervously chuckled when Taeyang gave me the suspicious look.
"Fine, Celia probably won't share that much anyways. She wouldn't tell me anything on the plane." Seungri pouted and went into Jiyong's room.
"So where have you been Celia? We see you on the media... And that's pretty much it." Daesung asked as the other 2 guys nodded.
"Working... You know, in Seoul."
"Why didn't you contact us?" TOP raised his eyebrow when he realized I'm being vague.
"You know why..." I saw the boys remembered and they sighed.
"Celia... I don't think it's possible to avoid YG since it is so big." Taeyang admitted and I glanced at my hands.
"I want to at least try."
"Don't avoid us at least, we will eventually be out of YG anyways." TOP smiled and I tilted my head in question. "We do have to be deployed in the next couple years."
"Especially since TOP is so old." Daesung continued despite the obvious glare from TOP. "Big Bang won't be here forever, and we all know that."
"We prepared ourselves for that, and we will stay friends forever because of those years of bonding." Taeyang patted my head and chuckled. "Maybe we can all be deployed together."
My eyes sparkled and I slowly started to smile.
Wow.
They're right.
What was I afraid of?
"What about your careers? What if I ruin them?" I recalled my last text from YG and still feared the threats towards Big Bang.
"We have already gotten so big, not even the cosmos could wipe our impression in space." TOP smirked at his deep and thoughtful quote. "And we're a family, we'll stay together, and we fight together."
"Fighting!" Daesung cheered and we joined him.
"Haha, I guess the threats didn't matter." I laughed out, earning puzzled looks from the boys.
"What threats?" They all asked.
"The one about deploying you guys? If I don't stay away from YG family." I tried my best to repeat the whole message and they all shook their head.
"I don't remember hearing that." Taeyang answered while tapping his chin. "And we're also in contract so technically the boss can't even dismiss us."
"What? Then why would he-" I was cut off by Seungri exiting Jiyong's room.
"I haven't told him you are here yet, so you can surprise him." Seungri said to me as I nodded.
I walked to Jiyong's door and looked back at the boys who were giving me thumbs up.
"Go, we'll fill Seungri in." Daesung smiled and I took a deep breath.
I opened the door to see a cute blonde sitting up in a hospital bed with his head low as he wrote in a notebook.
I walked in and admired the fancy treatment the hospital prepared for the famous dragon.
"If you came back here just to make another spongebob joke, I swear I'm going to kick-" Jiyong paused when he glanced up.
His eyes widened and I got the feeling his heart skipped as well.
There was a moment of silence as his writing utensil slipped out of his hand and rolled off the blanket onto the ground.
I shut the door gently and got closer to the bed as his eyes followed my every step.
I stopped when I found the courage to meet his chocolate orbs and he gazed at me with all kinds of emotions.
He slowly parted his lips to breath out his next word with a slight whisper.
"Celia."