KWON JIYONG
Why exactly am I now?
I don't why how I end up here. The sunshine is extremely shining through me as hell. I fly my hand blocking the sunshine to see where I am clearer. But it's too shining. I can't even see anything but gold.
However, I am at least able to feel what I am stepping on, it feels like a grass but I am not sure. I try to walk around so that I can stop to somewhere that doesn't have the sunshine comes by. At that time, I slightly hear the sound of an acoustic song as if someone is playing a guitar nearby.
I decide to yell in the air and hope someone would hear me,
"Hello. Is anyone here? I can't see anything. Please help me." And I don't even know why I am yelling in English Language. Why don't I yell Korean?
"There's too sunshine. Could you take me to the shade? I can't help myself," I yell again even louder.
Suddenly the sound of guitar stops, and I hear some footsteps slightly come closer. Someone is approaching to me. I try to force my eyes to fight with the sunshine so that I can see who is approaching to me, but it doesn't work. My eyes are getting blind, and I need to close them already.
And there's a hand touches mine. I try to open my eyes to see who is holding my hand but they are still blind.
That hand leads me to walk along without any words. I begin to curious whether I should say something. Then, the hand releases mine, and I stop walking. I open my eyes and gradually look around.
I am standing under the big tree which is in the middle of the meadow of white flowers; which have the yellow circle in the center of any of them. I have no idea what these flowers are called. And I discover a girl who's standing among the flowers, dressing in a beautiful clean white dress. A girl with a crown of flowers around her blonde natural hair. She's holding a brown guitar in her left hand. I don't see her face clearly, so I begin to emerge into where she is.
She gently bends down to pick up a flower by the hand and the other one still holding her guitar. I'm approaching to her but I definitely still can't see her face.
Putting a flower on her crown, and she begins to walk away.
"Wait up!" I shout. She immediately stops. I'm quite glad that she does.
I start to run into her as she gradually turns around. Her face looks similar, and I still don't recognize it.
"Watch out the branch," she shouts as pointing at something above my head. I look up and then...everything is shut.
* * *
"Hyuuung!! Hyung! Open the door, Hyung!"
A similar boring voice wakes my dream as if a cane smashes against my forehead.
Ugh! Why does it so hurt as hell?
I slightly let my eyes fly open and blink rapidly. I rub my forehead as it literally hurts like it was hit by a real cane. I try to keep my mind on myself and gradually get up from the bed.
Ah! I think I knew why my forehead hurts as fuck.
I was bumped with my fucking headboard.
"Hyuuug! It's emergency. I know you're in here. Ahjumma told me you got home late last night. Hyung. I need to talk to you."
It's my fucking youngest bandmate, Fucking Seungri. He is smashing the door rapidly as if someone is going to die and I need to check on him.
I hoped him that I referred was Fucking Seungri who apparently just stole my precious rest.
"Coming!" I yell and check the watch at my wrist which I haven't even taken off since yesterday and also haven't showered yet. Fuck it's afternoon already.
I unlock the door and open it for the one who made my precious forehead got pain.
"Hyung. Is that tru—ouch!" Seungri groans painfully as being interrupted by my palm hitting his head.
"Why did you hit me, Hyung. It hurts as hell. Is it bleeding?" he moans, rubbing his fucking head. Then, his eyes widen gazing at my forehead. "Oh, Hyung! Your forehead. It's red. What did you do to get that?"
I snort before reply him, "Huh. Who the hell was smashing my door like someone's house was burnt? I even just got hit the fucking headboard."
"I just knocked," he argues with his innocent look.
"Mind your knock, dock." And I smash his head harder again.
"Hyuuung! My head!"
"What are you doing here?" I annoyingly ask.
He groans in pain and grimaces. "I just went from the wood in Busan to shoot the TV boring show for weeks, and you didn't even ask me how I am?"
"Who cares?" I instantly snap.
"What an evil Hyung," he murmurs, working on a rotten face.
"So you're gonna tell me what exactly you're doing here?" I decide to ignore his boring moan.
"OK. OK." He rolls his eyes, giving up being a childish bastard. "I just heard from T.O.P hyung this morning that we've got an exclusive producer as Delansey Kim from America! It's unbelievable! Is she pretty as she was in camera?" Seungri excitedly explains.
Narrowed eyes, I snort. "You just came for this?"
"Hyung. I am serious. You know I'm such a fan of hers."
"So what?" I shrug and walk past him to the dining room.
My American breakfast is placed on the table already. Ahjumma who slicing the vegetables at the counter, greetly nods for me.
"Good Afternoon, Ahjumma." I bend down as greeting her and Seungri who comes along—swiftly imitates me to greet her too.
"Good Afternoon, kids," Ahjumma kindly says before stares at me in shock. "Oh! Jiyong ah. What happened to your forehead? Why is it so red?"
I turn to look at the kid—who shyly rubbing his hand around his neck, and then I sigh.
"I just hit with some dog last night, Ahjumma."
"Does it hurt, Jiyong ah?" She goes out from the counter to look at my forehead nearly.
"It's gonna be okay," I reassure her.
"It really looks so hurt. Y'all let's have a breakfast first. I'll go give Jiyong the balm," she volunteers before murmurs to no one particular, "What a jerk dog. Don't let me see it, I'll hit it with my slippers!" she growls before gets out from the room.
Seungri tries to force a smile on his face. I smirk and pour the honey on my pancake plate.
Less than three seconds later, Seungri starts to open his big mouth again.
"So she's pretty? Is her real hair blonde or brown, or two-tone? Oh! Oh! And is that real that she wrote all of her songs about her exes? And—and does sh——bgssfgghhbb ssdd." And he's cut off by me putting a piece of pancake into his damn mouth. I thought he stopped already.
"Shut up, dude."
He chews and swallows the pancake quickly and keeps moving his mouth again.
"However. I'll go to studio today. I wanna see her. She's surely beautiful as she is in the camera. Oh. Oh. I've just learned from T.O.P Hyung that she is Judy's niece. As if God blesses us!"
I can't help rolling my eyes over and over.
"Anyway, I'll ask one last question."
"I don't allow you to ask me any thing anymore," I tell him.
"Sure. You gotta answer me honestly. No lying. No yelling. No hitting. Okay?"
I stare at him with 'Seriously? Didn't you hear what I just said?' look.
"Alright. Put your fork down and listen to me."
"Kid. I don't wanna play your stupid game."
"Do you like her?" Seungri and I say at the same time, and I'm kind of shocked of his question. He looks a little serious, and I panic. My spine turns icy.
Did T.O.P Hyung accidentally tell him? No way.
"Wh—What?" I mutter in surprise.
"Just answer me, Hyung. Do.You.Like.Her?" His voice breaks the short silence.
"Everyone likes her." I hear myself reply to him.
"I didn't mean like that. I mean...Do you like her as a boyfriend-girlfriend?" he explains as I'm drinking the milk and I immediately chock.
"What the hell was that question?" I complain.
"Ah. Forget it. I know you don't like her that way." He gives up and passes me a tissue.
"Why do you think like that?" My eyes twist unsteadily. "I—I mean. Why do you even care if I like her or not?"
He giggles.
"If I told you. Promise me you won't tell anyone," he excitedly says and I annoyingly nod.
"I think I'll flirt her!"
The dining room immediately turns into an absolute silence for a minute straight.
Then I burst out laughing so hard until my stomach hurts.
"What's so funny?" he asks, narrows his eyes on me in curiosity.
"Oh, my poor Bona." I think I couldn't stop laughing. That's the absurd thing I've ever heard.
"Who's Bona?" He looks at me in confusion.
"Are you her real top fan? You don't even know her Korean name?"
His eyes widen with tons of stars. "Really? That's her real name of here or Did anyone here name her?"
"I don't know. Judy introduced her like that," I reply to him, and that makes my mind throw back to the yesterday memories.
"Bona. Kim Bona. Aww. So cute." His hands intertwined, he moans passionately.
"I knew you were talking about her." There's a similar voice comes in behind us and we immediately turn to face that voice.
"Youngbae hyung!" Seungri exclaims and swiftly runs into Youngbae and wraps his arms around him tightly.
"I miss you, Hyung. How was your date with Hyorin Noona? Did you flew flew flew with her yet?" Seungri teasingly asks, and Youngbae's hand flies to smash at Seungri's head loudly. I quite flinch the sound of his smashing but still can't help giggling. Then, I turn back to my breakfast.
"Hyung! Why did you two hit me in the same day? I'm feeling my head is being exposed!" Seungri hurtly groans.
"If you say 'flew flew flew' or ask me about that thing again, next times it's not even your head that will be broken," Youngbae scolds him and passes me a tiny bowl of balm. "Here. I just passed Ahjumma and I assured her to give this to you. She told me you were hit by a dog last night. Which dog? Gaho?"
"Thanks," I say after taking the balm. "My Gaho is a gracious dog. He wouldn't even hurt me. There's the dog, actually," I tell him, pointing him to the dog Seungri behind him.
"I knew it," Youngbae says, grabbing a cranberry cookie from the plate on the table into his mouth, and leaning against the counter. Seungri slightly comes back to join the table.
"Anyway. What are you doing here? Don't tell me you came to ask about that Delansey chick like that dog did," I ask Youngbae as biting my one last pancake.
"As we live in the same penthouse. Can't I go upstairs to meet my friend?" Youngbae scoffs.
According to what he said, My band includes T.O.P Hyung, Youngbae, Daesong, Fucking Seungri, and me. Five people. We live in the same luxurious penthouse in Seoul which has five apartments on each floor—perfectly fitting to our lifestyles. And we decided to sort the floor as our ages. So it turned out that Seungri, who is the youngest, gets the bottom floor, the second one for Daesong and the third, fourth, fifth floor classified by Youngbae, me and T.O.P hyung.
"To be honest, I kind of wanted to talk about that girl, too." Youngbae admits—makes Seungri's eyes widen again and he raises his palm to high-five with him, eventually he's passed a cookie from Youngbae instead.
"Hyung!" Seungri groans.
Youngbae and I share a quick look before raising our palms to hit his. And he burst into the smiling ear to ear.
"I know you guys love me."
"We have just one Makné, why don't we love you," I say as patting his head tenderly.
"Hyung ahh. I love you," Seungri euphorically says and opens his two arms to wrap around my shoulder. But I push his head away.
"Hey, Makné. You are stealing my scene," Youngbae scolds.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Hyung. What do you want to ask Jiyong Hyung? I have a bunch of questions, too, but he ignored all of them. But I love Jiyong Hyung anyway," Seungri alertly says. I shake my head.
"I haven't gone to studio ever since Seungri went to Busan so I didn't know we've got Delansey Kim as our producer. Honestly, I'm not surprised but I just wonder why it must to be a chick?" Youngbae begins. "I'm not resisting her, by the way. I just wanted to know why Judy had to send chick instead of man."
His question hits my mind shut for a moment. I don't know what to say and nor do know what I am supposed to tell him about the Bona thing that I just saw yesterday.
"Who cares? It's Delansey Kim," Seungri says.
"I know. But this is the man project, and look at her music style—it's quite not even close to us," Youngbae explains his pure opinion.
"She's great, though," I say without thinking. "Maybe because Judy is her aunt that probably is easier to take her work with us," I suggest.
"Hmm. That kinda makes sense, though." Youngbae rubs his chin.
"What about Daesong? Does he come back from Japan, yet?" I try to change the subject.
"I just called him last night. He said he'll finish for his debut project there in the next couple days, but he decided that he'll wait for us there as we have to shoot our photoshoot for a comeback in Japan this Sunday, anyway," Seungri briefly tells me.
"What the hell is today, anyway?" I ask him since I've been obsessed with making songs for all weeks long. I forgot the day and the month already. I just know this is the 2013s year.
"It's Monday," Seungri says.
"Don't worry about our songs, dude. I know you do but I've got a couple songs that I was writing during dating with my girlfriend. You'll be listening to it in the studio today. You're gonna love it," Youngbae cheers me up.
"Thanks."
"So can we go to the studio yet?" Seungri claps his hands excitedly.
"Let me take a shower first," I say and head to my room.
"Don't forget to put your hair cover your red forehead, dude," Youngbae says behind me.
And I cooly yell back, "I've got tons."
* * *
There are three of us—Youngbae, Fucking Seungri and me, finally got out from the penthouse together and headed to our studio. At the same time T.O.P Hyung; who's come here since this morning, called us to hurry for recording our new song before the sun sets since he obviously needed to finish the project as soon as possible.
Eventually, we're in the front of the studio room. While Seungri is going to twist the doorknob, all of the sudden there's a smooth singing voice comes on through the door.
And we immediately turn stunned for a moment.
Seungri is still holding the doorknob but not desires to twist it. We're absolutely tongue-tied in the doorway as if we're sneaking something.
'Follow me home if you dare to
I wouldn't know where to lead you
Should I take chances
when no one took chances on me?
So I watch from the dark,
wait for my life to start
with no beauty in my memory.'
A wonderful bright voice with an acoustic melody from a guitar, shining through the door. Why is it so similar like I used to hear it before?
As if I'm floating among of a bunch of flowers, but I don't know what's kind of flower exactly. I automatically picture the white flowers with the yellow circle on them. Why does it have to be white-yellow ones?
I don't know why I genuinely don't want Seungri to open the door; as if I don't want this brightest voice to be stopped as we get in.
However...
If I don't get in,
I wouldn't see the owner of this beautiful voice.
I kind of know whose voice is already.
But I just want to see her in my eyes.
See her singing.
I wonder if she puts her most beautiful smile on while singing.
How is her most beautiful smile?
"Should I open it?" Seungri's question pulls me into the face softly.
"Wow." Youngbae seems completely speechless. So do I.
"Open it."
I slightly find whose said this command is, It's definitely not me. I am now unspeakable. I look at Seungri and Youngbae. Did they say that? And I found they are staring over my shoulder.
I immediately turn around and finally got an answer for what I was just wondering.
That command was from Daesong. "Open it, boys," he repeats with his blissful smile.
"Hyung!" Seungri excitedly exclaims. Daesong opens his two arms, and Seungri runs into them immediately.
"Why'd you come back here? You said you'll wait for us there," Youngbae asks him.
"How could I leave you guys out here since we've been on the deadline, though?" he scoffs with a small chuckle. "Plus, T.O.P hyung kept calling every day to come back early," he explains.
"Didn't you come here because you've known about our chick producer, right?" I ask, helplessly.
"Why do you such worry about her, dude?" Youngbae teases, eyes narrowed on me.
"I just asked. Everyone seems so obsessed about her."
"And you even don't?"
I glance back to the door again, and there's T.O.P leaning against the door fame—smirking. I didn't even know how long he has left the door open. Wishing her inside there doesn't understand this joke from Hyung, though.
"Come on in. We need to finish this project before sunset. We have a dinner party tonight," T.O.P hyung commands, and then he turns to Seungri. "Oh, Seungri, I already asked her for you, she'll be there with us."
"What dinner party?" I questioningly ask, prioritizing the questions one by one.
"Didn't he tell you?"
"Tell me what?" I'm sort of confused. "And who is she, though?"
Seungri grips my shoulder, forcing a blissful smile to me.
"We're gonna have a little private party tonight at my apartment for celebrating our new producer!!!" he excitedly yells and about to walk past me to get into the room.
"Hang on." I reach his hoodie to stop him. "What do you mean—in your apartment?" I narrow my eyes. "Isn't your apartment is our penthouse? You didn't even ask me for permission," I scold.
"I didn't invite anyone else except us and her. Just six of us, Hyung," he explains. "It's just a little dinner. I know you don't like taking anyone else out of list hanging around there except the basement, but if I told you since this afternoon, you wouldn't have let me do it anyway. So I begged you to come here so that I could ask Ahjumma to prepare for our dinner food. It's gonna be fun, Hyung," Seungri tells and immediately runs to the room as if he's afraid he's going to get the head hitting from me again.
I'm kind of shocked. That's kid is such an evil.
"Does anyone...?" I wave my finger between Youngbae and T.O.P hyung, and turn to point at Daesong who standing behind me with an absolute smirk.
Everyone nods at once.
"Wh—what?" I stutter. Daesong pats my back before leads the rest of us to the room. And I stunningly stand still in front of the door; as if a puppet.
* * *
Less than four hours later. We finally finished for recording a few songs from our upcoming album, and I feel like taking loads of rocks out of my shoulders. We all extremely have intended. Turning put it was so great and considerably progressed so well. Even though it was so annoying at the first half-hour since Seungri couldn't even stop staying away from Bona and tried to flirt her with his lame skills.
Now we're all riding in the private van to head back to the penthouse. Riding with Bona isn't quite a big deal to me, but the big deal of me is Fucking Seungri—since he tried to beg me to sit at the back row seat so that he can sit with Bona at the front row. I extremely resisted at first, he even already knew that I hate sitting in the crowded seat in the back row. However, I eventually let him go impatiently. Then, we ended up like—me sitting at back seat row between Daesong and Youngbae, and Seungri sits in the middle seat row with Bona, and T.O.P hyung sits with the driver. I'm telling you that I don't really have a crush on Bona as if no one ever can sit with her. I'm just annoyed by this kid. I bet this American girl isn't going to give him her heart because Seungri's flirting skill definitely sucks as hell.
So I've put on the earphones since I've got in the van and try hardly to focus on the songs that we just recorded whether they are really great enough.
As I'm closing my eyes soaking in the songs, one of my earphones is softly pulled out from my left ear by someone.
I slightly open my eyes looking at her.
"You're okay?" I confusingly whisper after found out my four guys are all asleep already.
"Here." She reaches a pink plaster to me. I feel my eyebrows knitted.
"For what?"
She presses her lips together, eyes smiling. "I heard your forehead got hit by a dog."
I hesitate. "How did you know?"
She shrugs nonchalantly. "I asked Seungri. I just wondered why you haven't taken off your hat since this afternoon." Then, she reaches me the plaster again. "Sorry for being so pink, though it's cute, anyway."
I wonder why she gave me as she didn't even see my forehead yet. Plus, the dog isn't the glass that if I hit it, I'd be bleeding.
"It's not bleeding, but thanks," I say, finally taking it from her.
She giggles quietly. "I knew. But most wounds could be healed by plasters. They'll remind you that you have to be easy while you stick them. I got this trick from my dad, by the way," she says with an adorable grin, raising her eyebrow for me before turning back to her seat as usual.
I slightly look away from this blonde hair and stare at the pink plaster in my palm. I notice its pattern has a bunch of the tiny bears through the paper shell and I think I know these bears called already. I gradually glance at a small quote on the corner of the paper shell. It says,
'You'll get better with me!'
I then put the plaster in my pocket. A smiley grin growing over on my face.
* * *
The jingle sound of the spoon collided against the ring of the glass comes on. Seungri stands up in the center of the table begins to make an attention.
"Alright, guys. Let me make a toast," he smilingly says in English language as raising his glass in the air.
"Alraaaaaaai," T.O.P hyung makes the sarcastic sound to tease Seungri's English accent, which makes everyone in the table bursts into laughing instantly.
"Hyung. You're not supposed to steal my scene," Seungri scolds, and Hyung shrugs his shoulder carelessly.
Seungri glances at Bona who sits next to him. (Not just sit. She is sat by him.) He forces a smile to her with a 'Please, Ignore his words' look, and Bona laughs ear to ear like a cute kid. That's the first time of me seeing her hardly laughing. Was that her most beautiful smile? Could I see more kind of her laughing so that I could get my accurate answer?
Then, Seungri clears his throat and begins to make a toast again.
"ALRIGHT. This is for our new super-duper beautiful and talented producer, Delansey Kim!"
"Ugh." I stick to put my tongue, rolling my eyes. Everyone giggles. I glance at the way Bona laughs—shoulder shaking, one eye closed and a fist on her lips. I can't help but try to hide my pleasant smile.
Seungri sighs and tries to ignore me by continuing his lame speech, "For Delansey Kim or Kim Bona. Thank you so much for crossing the long way home to be here with us. We're so glad to work with you and let's set our hands to make our upcoming album to be successful,"
"Cheer for our new producer!"
He raises his glass in the air at the last, and the rest of us inmate his acting, "Cheer!"
Bona smiles, saying thank you properly, and drinks her glass.
"You're a good drinker," Daesong compliments her at the same time Seungri sits down.
"Not really. I don't have a good throat, though, but thanks." She smirks playfully at him, and I helplessly feel jealous.
"But if you wanna get really drunk, go to this guy." Daesong gestures for her at T.O.P hyung. "He's such a great bartender. He can brew any kind of drink.
"Really?" She excitedly says.
"What kind of drink you like?" T.O.P hyung simply asks.
"Hmm. I don't really have a nice one, though. I can drink any kind but not too much. I'm easy to get drunk. However, I used to drink the Sake. It was quite great. Is it your country's drink, right?"
"Nah. It's Japan's."
"Maybe we could have a Sake when we're in Japan this Sunday," Youngbae suggests.
Seungri instantly turns to her, his voice getting louder as exciting, "Will you come with us?"
She nods. "Sure. I really don't have any works there, but my mo—well my aunt, she'll take me too. And I'd be honored to have a drink with you there."
T.O.P hyung and I stare at each other without any words inadvertently.
"I can't wait to be there with you." Seungri beams at her, and Bona beams back.
For an instant, all of us then begins to join our dinner food, having a chick chatting, and I'm quite annoyed for correcting the wrong things that Seungri exclaims about me even if Bona joins by laughing with his jokes anyway. Moreover, he even sneaks behind me and takes my hat off to tease everyone with my red forehead. Luckily, it heals itself already. And if it's not noticed closely, it doesn't show that much wound. So, the next one who will deserve an injury instead of me is him. I hit Seungri's forehead with an empty plastic bottle. Not that hard, but at least it accurately got him a red mark on his wide forehead which I'm totally satisfied. I'll call it even then.
Three hours later. It's nearly almost midnight. T.O.P hyung has left to his apartment upstairs already. I walk out of the bathroom and find out Daesong and Youngbae are passed out on the sofa—among of a few of the empty liquor bottles. They look literally hideous which I really want to take a picture of them and post it on my Instagram. There'd be having a bunch of people who love this pic. Shirtless guys, widen mouths, still holding a bottle while grossly passing out. I giggle.
In the meantime, where are Seungri and Bona, though? I begin to curious.
I walk to find them and wonder how she can go home. I enter any rooms of Seungri's apartment, and she's nowhere to be found. Did she leave already?
As I take it for granted that she's left already and begin to be on the move back to my apartment, my eyes catch the back of someone through the ceiling-to-floor glass window.
My shoulders drop a bit seeing her outside there—sitting on the patio floor at the corner of the pool. Her legs dipping into the water and swinging slowly and even seem lonely. I quietly crack the door open. But she still hears me through, immediately squints back to me.
"Liar," she exclaims with a smiley smirk on her face.
Raising an eyebrow, I'm puzzled. "What have I lied?"
She giggles playfully. "You told me that you live with a maid. Look where you guys live."
"I didn't lie," I quickly reply. "I told them don't come to my apartment and they never listen," I say as slightly fold my pants up and slide my legs into the water sitting next to her. Just the proper centimeters apart.
A little giggling occurs in her throat. "I thought you live alone."
"My maid doesn't really hover me, though. If none of my bandmates has their issues with me, I certainly live alone. Why did you ask me yesterday, anyway?"
"Well, I just wondered if Korean adults still live with their families like I do now."
"You're living with Judy?"
"Yey. I don't have many choices. I'm looking a new place, though. I'm an adult now—should stay alone in my place," she says as staring at her feet dipping into the water. I hesitate for a moment, looking at the distance between us thoughtfully.
"It depends on their activities. We live in this penthouse because we have to work together. But if I didn't have to, I'd live with my fam. I miss my mom's cooking." I don't lie, though. I say the truth about my mom and I'm actually trying to open the mom subject.
"Does she stay in Korea?"
"Of course."
"You seem to be a good friend with her, though."
"Sure." I shrug cooly as looking at the water. "She's my favorite person."
"So lucky." I hear she mutters to herself.
"Why did your mom let you be here, anyway? It seems a million thousand miles away."
She stares at the moon with a sigh before answers, "She hates me. She doesn't want me to be home."
"No moms don't love their kids," I argue, now looking at her side.
"Haha." Apparently, it was a fake laugh that she makes.
"What about your dad—the one who taught you about the plaster healing thing?"
And we share a smirk to one another.
"He's in jail," she says—quite sounds whispering. "He—well, he robbed somebody's stuff to earn the money to buy his drugs since I didn't lend him. And boom. He got caught while stealing a billionaire's house. You know, the billionaire's house. How expensive their properties are. So I called Judy to borrow her money for paying the compensation. And she lent me, and also pulled me work here."
I am amazed but still try to continue.
"How long he'll be in there?"
"I dunno. He's in progress and I need to earn the money to take him back. I've been broke since he started to take the drugs recently."
"You can take my money," I immediately say without thinking. Don't regret my words in any kind, do I?
Our eye contact occurs. She slightly grins. "Sure thing. I am taking your money by working with you. I can see the number of the cheque. It's pretty much, though. Maybe in a couple months, I could take this money back home. And When I earned all of it, I'd never come here ever again. It's too far away from home and too far away from my career or even my dreams," she says sadly and I'm depressed.
I recall her words. 'When I earned all of it, I'd never come here ever again'
She would surely never come here again.
"You can have dreams here, can't you?" Words fall from my lips without realization.
She glances at me and gently laughs as if what I am telling her makes no any sense.
"Why? You write us songs, I'll sing yours."
She smiles and stares down at her lap. I couldn't get her expression.
"You know what, you can prepare your works here while you're with us. And when you get your home, you'd be able to pursue your dreams immediately." I continue.
There's a short silence from her for a moment.
She perks up with a nonchalant grin to herself. "I used to think like that, too. But I don't know when I actually get there—whether I still can come back to whom I was before. My label said I don't belong to be a singer, they said I should stay behind the camera. Like I am doing with you guys now—being as a producer, pushing the famous stars to be born."
"They suck. Didn't they see what you have done? Your songs are amazing. So many people love you." I stare at her and hope she'd face me properly.
"It's not really bad, though. I still make songs that I love but I just don't sing them. You do." She finally meets my eyes as her last words. And I could see there's a lot of words being stuck inside her throat—unable to speak them all out loud. "Just seeing you sing my songs is enough for me. It would be better that I do it by myself." She raises her eyebrow cooly and tries to force a smile.
I shake my head. "It's not like—."
Then, she interrupts, "Could you pursue my dreams?"
And I'm stunned for a moment as she continues herself. "Maybe I should fold my stupid dreams and find someone else to pursue them instead."
"Promise me that when you took your rest enough, you're going back to be Delansey Kim again," I say after a thoughtful pause. We stay silent for a briefly meaningful second.
"I do promise I'll pursue your dreams here and when everything gets back to the usual, you'll fight for yourself," I add, softly put my hand on hers over the patio floor, looking at those brown Hazel eyes.
She smilingly nods and squeezes my hand back softly. We stare at each other for a second until Bona rests her head on my shoulder. My hand's still on top of hers, and I don't know whether I should take it out or not. All I know is I just don't want to.
Suddenly, the sound of glass collided against the floor comes on, and breaks us apart. We immediately split each other and turn back to look at the cause of the sound through the window.
There's the bottle of Youngbae just dropped from his hand and his passed-out body slowly slides down from the sofa and falls from the floor eventually. He still doesn't even wake up. In the same time, Daesong's leg among falls down from the sofa, and Youngbae slightly wraps his hands around that leg and buries his face to it—as if he's hugging a bolster.
"Hyorin ahhh~," Youngbae sleeping moans about his girlfriend.
Bona and I watch those gross-drunken guys. Suddenly, we broke into laughing so hard. I dig into my pocket to take my phone out before capturing them a masterpiece picture quickly. Bona crans over my shoulder to peek at the picture.
"Do not post this on social media. They're gonna be so ashamed." She laughs.
"Where's Seungri? I'll take a pic of him, too. I'm blackmailing them if they dare come to my apartment without my permission ever again," I joke and place my phone on the patio floor. We turn back to the water.
"He's in his room already. Ahjamma had to carry his drunk body to the bed," Bona says.
"Ahjumma," I correct her with a soft laugh—to not sound too mean to her. Then, I add, "Anyway, don't listen to what Seungri says. He has such a big mouth. He never said the truth."
"So the way you hitting with the dog is not true, either?"
"Yes," I firmly reply. "He slammed my door rapidly to wake me up this morning, and I got smashed with the headboard. He apparently stole my precious rest. All of this is his fault," I explain.
"Anyway." She tenderly laughs. "Thanks for your texts last night, by the way. It really means to me."
I shrug cooly.
"Fuck them off?" I tease her, and she makes a touchy face—as if I just dropped her moment. Then, she cups the water throwing into my face.
"Really?" I raise my eyebrow before smashing the water to her back, and she tries to cover her face by flying her palm in the air and keeps fighting the water war with me with her another hand.
"Are you serious?" She laughs and still tries to flight me even though I'm apparently stronger than her.
For an instant, while I am not taking caution enough, she then pushes my back into the water.
As soon as I quickly pop my head on the surface of the water after dipping in it for a second, there's the sound of pure laughter that I begin to hear at first.
"You're a loser!" she yells.
"Are you sure I am?" I playfully snap, swiftly pulling her leg down. She screams through laughing before her body is slid into the water with me.
Then, she tries to pull herself up above the water, and I hold her shoulders to help her.
"You are an evil!" We laugh as she tries to press my head into the water.
"Are you opening the pool war?" I exclaim.
"Yes! And I'm gonna kill you!"
And we start to enjoy our war. She extremely fights with me by smashing the water at me since she couldn't fight me in any way else. Eventually, she gives up by swimming herself away to the edge of the pool and sits on it like the first time we did.
"You win, okay!" she sarcastically exclaims, wiping her wet face and I laugh.
I swim towards her, and she flinches a bit as if she thought I'm going to pull her down again.
"I'm done," I assure, giggling with her. She closes one eye as laughing, and I begin to adore that individual habit of her.
Then she stares at me for a brief second, then reaching my shoulders to get close to her directly. She's still sitting on the edge of the pool, and I'm still dipping in the water.
"Your eyebrows," she says, adjusting my eyebrows properly. This is the first time I see her face nearly and certainly. She's still pretty even if there are apparently a few makeups left after the water brought them away. "Done," she smilingly says after finishing adjust my eyebrows.
"Thanks."
"Get up. you're gonna be sick" She reaches me with her hand. I smirk before take it.
"How can you come home, anyway?" I ask as my feet on the patio floor.
"Can I have your driver?"
I hesitate, also avoid looking at her properly since I notice a black bra through her wet white shirt.
"I'll take you home," I say.
She stays silent for a moment and then nods.
"Okay."
* * *
Half an hour later, I gave Bona some of my clothes. They're my favorite oversize T-shirt and short pants. I chose them since I've been watching her wearing the street style lately like I do. I can tell she has a same style like me.
I then drove her to her house—well, her mom's house at 2 in the morning. It's too late but she acts as if it's literally fine. I should know this is too common for American people like her.
Bona drops out of my car before turning back and lowers her head to look at me.
"Gamsamida," she smilingly says thank you in Korean.
"Gwenchana," I say back.
As she begins to walk into the house, I see her phone vibrants in her hand, and she stares at it before turning around to me.
"Sure," she finally agrees with me.
xxxibgdrgn 02.10 a.m.
at least YOU BELONG WITH ME.