I slowly opened my eyes to a bright and warm morning. I yawned and stretched on my bed. It was then that I realised that I had not slept under the bed covers and my Mr Panda acted as my pillow the whole night. My notebook lay beside me and through my half closed eyes, I took a look at it.
I had tried to come up with some lyrics for the first verse and also the chorus for the song last night. There were a few cramped up papers on the bed and some on the floor. I made a couple of mistakes until I found the right lyrics for the chorus. Hopefully, G-Dragon would find the lyrics okay.
I rolled on my bed and reached for the other side where the lamp stood on a small chest of drawers. Beside it was my phone and I took it. With my back still on the bed, I texted G-Dragon about meeting at YG. He immediately replied to my text. Looks like he was also up early.
His text read: "Okay, I'll see you there, Pikachu. ;-)"
I smiled at the text. And I quickly replied: "Seriously? You're still calling me that? Pikachu is long gone now."
He texted back: "You will always remain Pikachu to me."
I thought of what to reply next, but I decided to end the conversation right here by texting: "Meet you at YG. Say around 10?"
"10 it is."
I quickly put my phone aside and sat up on the bed. I made sure to pick up all the papers on the bed and those on the floor. I threw them in the little waste bin in the room.
When I was done making my bed that was barely in need of it, I went to the bathroom to get ready. It was six in the morning and I knew I was really early. But I had to go through a few things before I left for YG.
There was no need for dance practice today so the rest of the group members were fast asleep. After taking a nice hot shower, I was blowing my hair in the bathroom. I thought the noise might wake Zoey up but when I went back to the room, she was still asleep. She had her face mask on that covered her eyes and her legs were spread all over the bed. She's not such a good sleeper and she was slightly snoring. She was really tired from all the fun we had yesterday.
I wasn't going to disturb her peaceful sleep, so I quickly dressed up, grabbed my phone and notebook and left the room.
As usual, the place was quiet and empty. The others were still asleep. I went to the lounge and sat there, going through the photos on my phone. Yesterday was fun.
After the fan signing event, we went to the mall for lunch and that attracted so much attention since I was in my Pikachu costume. We took so many photos with the fans and also signing some autographs. If it weren't for the body guards, I wouldn't have eaten my lunch in peace.
Many people wanted to take photos especially with me. I was on such high demand yesterday, but luckily, I was saved by the guards and I peacefully ate my burger. I took a selfie of myself opening my mouth to put the burger in my mouth. I smiled when I looked at the pic. I had to admit, I did look cute in the Pikachu costume.
When I posted the picture online, I got such cute comments, even from mum who immediately texted me later on last night when we got back to the hotel. She couldn't stop commenting on how adorable I looked and she told me to make sure I carried that costume back home and wear it just for her to see.
I continued to look at the pictures taken at the food court and I looked at a selfie I took with G-Dragon. The both of us were taking smoothies and looking at the camera with cute googly eyes. I also posted the pic on Instagram and people couldn't stop talking about it. I should have thought twice about posting that picture but G-Dragon didn't seem to mind when he saw it online and posted a comment.
Speaking of G-Dragon, I was quite surprised that he was talking to me again. Could it be that he wasn't mad at me anymore? We both had such a good time yesterday. And if he was still mad at me, he wouldn't have responded to my text the way he did this morning. He would have been formal and not have called me Pikachu. I found myself smiling at the thought that he had called me Pikachu. I sighed and I continued to look at the photos.
There was one photo that made me laugh out loud. Before we had left the food court yesterday, Mike pulled at my tail and that got me upset. Zoey was the one who had my phone at the time and took the photo. Mike was smiling with mischief at the camera when he pulled my tail and I was looking back at him with an angry stare. Daesung and Seungri were also in the photo, laughing their lungs out. I would have chased Mike around the mall but that would only grab attention and the fans would have followed us around. So I stayed put and pulled my tail away from Mike and walked away.
I was still looking at the photos I had taken with the others, when I heard the sound of the door opening and closing. Looks like someone was now awake. I wondered who it was. Lee soon appeared in the lounge in her white sleeping gown and bed slippers. Seems like she had a really good night sleep given that slight smile on her face. She walked up to me and sat down next to me on the couch.
"Morning. Why are you so up early?" Lee asked, as she yawned.
"I've some things to go through," I answered. "Was working on the song last night."
"Oh! Did you manage to finish it?"
"No. I was really tired. I texted GD to let him know that we should meet to look at the lyrics."
"You texted GD?" Lee looked at me with a look of surprise.
"Ya, why?"
"That's because yesterday, he wasn't talking to you until you wore that costume. Which by the way, you really killed in it."
"Thanks," I said with a smile. "Please, continue."
"Now he texts you early in the morning....wait. Was he formal or what?"
"He wasn't. In fact, he called me Pikachu."
Lee's eyes seemed to bulge for a second. "Oh, that's cute," she said. "Looks like he isn't mad anymore. I noticed the way you two were talking to each other during lunch yesterday. And also, he couldn't stop staring at you during the fan signing event."
"Wait, you were watching? I thought you were backstage."
"Well, I was at first, then I decided to join the fans in the hall and see how things were going."
I could have told Lee that I already knew about G-Dragon giving me glances on stage, but it was best to keep my mouth shut and act surprised.
"I'll tell you who else couldn't stop giving you sneaky glances on stage," said Lee, with a playful tune in her voice.
"Who?" I asked, suddenly not interested as I continued looking at the photos on my phone.
"Daesung," Lee whispered in my ear.
I felt the world had finally stopped as I stared at Lee. Was she telling the truth or was she just playing tricks on me? I clearly felt my cheeks blush so much and I pretended to keep swiping at my phone as I waited for Lee to go on.
"Ya, I was pretty sure he was looking at you, so did TOP, Seungri and Taeyang," she continued. I closed my eyes in relief. Looked like she was just joking around. What a relief.
"I looked funny in that costume and you know it," I said as l looked at Lee. "They were bound to look at me the whole time."
"Well, some were looking at you in amusement, but the others..." Lee paused for a second as she looked at her nails and then at me.
"What?" I asked as I shrugged my shoulders.
"Well, you already know. Others were looking at you the way your male admirers do. With dreamy eyes and stuff."
"Stop joking around Lee. So not funny."
"What? I'm just telling you what I saw. G-Dragon and Daesung were staring at you like they were your secret admirers. Are they really your admirers?"
I frowned. "You can't count G-Dragon as my admirer and you know it."
"Why? Because you still think he and Zoey are perfectly meant for each other or do you still think he is still mad at you?"
"Well, both."
Lee rolled her eyes at me and shook her head. "You're so hard to convince, aren't you? What to do to make you see that GD only has eyes only for you."
"No, he doesn't. The only reason why he spoke to me was because of our managers and the group. Including the fans. I bet he knew it was going to be weird and for everyone's sake, he just had to talk. Besides, don't forget I had that costume on, so I obviously looked funny."
"Stop using Pikachu as an excuse and face the fact for once, Sam. What if G-Dragon is the only guy truly meant for you?"
I hadn't thought of it that way and I didn't like the fact that Lee had brought that up. I wasn't going to let what she had suggested slip into my mind and stay there. I quickly stood up and went to the hotel landline to order breakfast.
"I'll have oatmeal and some warm tea with milk, please," I said over the landline and then I looked over at Lee. "And what will you have, Lee?"
"Toast with bacon, eggs and juice," Lee replied and I said out the order.
"Don't you dare try to change the topic with me, Sam!" Lee warned as I put the landline down.
"Come on, can we just drop this, Lee?" I asked, almost mourning. She knew me too well. "You know I'm not ready for such things."
"And when will you ever be?" Lee folded her arms and she gave me a look only mum used to give me whenever we were having a serious conversation.
"To be honest with you, I don't feel like I'm ready to be in a relationship," I said, as I slowly walked over to Lee and down next to her.
"And why not? I know you don't like talking about finding a boyfriend, but what's so bad about GD?"
I sighed. Where was I going to start with all of this? I liked G-Dragon but I wasn't completely sure about how I truly felt about him or if I could consider him boyfriend material. He wasn't bad though. But what's happened the past week kind of made things a whole lot difficult. I shouldn't forget that there was Daesung too.
Coming to Daesung, he was...I don't know. What happened at the park last week Tuesday was still stuck in my mind. He never tried to bring up that incident ever again and that kind of worried me a little. But I also had to question myself. Did I really like Daesung? If I did, I would've tried to talk to him about it but instead I was as quiet as a mute. I also was to blame for not bringing that up too.
I really liked Daesung. He is so sweet and understanding. G-Dragon is also sweet and such a great guy with an awesome personality, until I saw his bad side. They both gave me goosebumps whenever I saw them but I knew only one of them stood out. But who? Liking both guys was wrong and I didn't like it at all.
"You look lost in your thoughts, Sam," said Lee. "Are you trying to figure out what to say next or is there something you aren't telling me?"
Lee was almost like Taeyang. It's like they always knew I was hiding something. Should I tell Lee about Daesung too? I had to think real hard before I made a decision and I had such little time in my hands. Luckily enough, our breakfast arrived and that gave me some time to decide whether to tell Lee or not about Daesung.
The room service left our breakfast on the table and the two of us went to the dining table and sat down while I was deep in thought. I slowly put a spoon of oatmeal into my mouth and it tasted delicious. As for Lee, she took a bite out of her toast and looked at me.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" Lee asked.
"I don't know if I should tell you this or not," I started. "But you aren't going to like it."
"Spill," said Lee as she jumped with excitement on her seat and looked at me with her eyes so huge.
"Well, I...um..."
Before I could say what I wanted to say, my phone rang. Someone was calling. I looked at the caller ID and I almost dropped my phone to the floor because my hand shook. I managed to keep my hand steady as I continued to look at my phone.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" Lee asked.
"I...eh...can you give me a sec?" I asked.
"Ya, sure," said Lee.
She didn't seem to mind as she continued to eat her breakfast. I left the table and walked over to the balcony. I answered the call and put the phone to my ear.
"Hey, morning," I answered, trying my best to sound normal.
"Hey, black kitty, or can I call you Pikachu?" Daesung said.
I swallowed hard. "This name calling is completely getting out of hand, don't you think?"
"Really? You don't like your new name?"
"Well, not really," I said, as I felt my cheeks flush. "Pikachu is long gone and I don't need another nickname."
"Alright, I'll try not to call you Pikachu then. I just wanted to ask if you would be busy today."
"Oh, uh..." I scratched my head. "Well, yes, I'll be busy. I have to work on the song with GD, remember? We have to finish on the lyrics before the managers get to look at it."
"But it's a Sunday, Sam," Daesung sounded as though he was whining over the phone. "I thought we were all supposed to be resting today."
"I know, but I'm sorry it had to come to this, Daesung. We really need to work on the song, like urgently."
Daesung sighed. "Well, okay, if you say so. Maybe next time then."
"Wait, were you planning on taking me somewhere this morning?" I became really interested this time around. I walked over to the rail of the balcony to take a clear view of the city.
"I wanted us to have breakfast together." I smiled that Daesung had thought of that. I couldn't stop myself from blushing.
"Well, you should have thought of that way earlier," I said, still smiling. "I'm having breakfast with Lee right now."
"Ya, I'll make sure that I will tell you earlier on in the future."
"You better. Anyway, I better go. My oatmeal is getting cold."
"Okay, maybe we'll meet later on in the day?" That sounded more like a suggestion.
"Hopefully we will. Bye, Daesung."
"Okay, bye."
I cut the line and I couldn't stop smiling to myself. I quickly turned away from the balcony rail to start heading back inside. I saw Lee standing by the door of the balcony, looking at me with her arms folded.
"Was that Daesung?" Lee asked.
My smile had completely been wiped off my face when I saw her. I knew there was nowhere to hide.
"Yes, it was," I replied.
Lee didn't say anything at first, until her face looked like she was about to burst into laughter. She did laugh and she came towards me and held my shoulders.
"Oh my goodness, I knew it!" Lee said with excitement. "I knew Daesung had a thing for you. Why else would he call you to have breakfast with him?"
This time, I felt my facial expression change. Lee had heard my entire conversation.
"You heard my entire conversation with him?" I asked, frowning.
"Well, I couldn't help myself. Please, don't get upset, Pikachu. You look funny when you're upset."
"Don't call me that," I said as I brushed off Lee's hands on my shoulders and folded my arms.
"Okay, I won't call you Pikachu. But I just had to listen. I was right about Daesung that he liked you."
I didn't say anything as I felt my cheeks heat up again. I looked the other way, but that didn't stop Lee from noticing the blush on my face.
"You already knew, didn't you?" Lee asked as she pointed at my face. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about before he called?"
I knew she would figure it out in one way or another. I rolled my eyes and nodded.
"I already knew, Lee," I said. "Don't tell anyone, especially Zoey."
"My lips are sealed. Were you ever going to tell me this?"
"No," I replied.
"Cute. But seriously though, now you have two guys who really like you. If not two then three."
My eyes felt like falling out of their sockets as I turned to look at Lee.
"Three?"
"I'm counting TOP. You don't look surprised."
"TOP still remains in the balance," I said. "I know he likes me. But I think just us being good friends seems more appropriate."
I walked back into the lounge and Lee followed behind me. We went back to the dining table to finish our breakfast.
"So, you wouldn't count in TOP then?" Lee asked.
"No, I wouldn't." Thank goodness my oatmeal and tea were still hot. "TOP is awesome and all, but I wouldn't get too serious with him."
"Why? His good looks and charm might make you fall for him?"
"No." I blushed as I took a sip of my tea. "He does make me nervous, yes. But I...." I was completely lost for words. I shook my head.
"You know you two would make a great couple, right? His good looks and your beautiful face, just perfect. TOP has such good looks, no wonder, he's an actor. He has that charm that makes you want to stare at him forever. Even when he appears on TV."
"Ya, you're right. I see that too."
The two of us ate in silence until we started to talk about something else. I was glad we had changed the topic on guys and focused on what to expect ahead of our stay in Korea. It then came to me that even though Lee and I were discussing whether G-Dragon could be considered the perfect boyfriend for me or not, I wasn't going to stay here for long and who knows, I might not ever come back here again. Ever!
Lee also had that in mind and spoke about it for a while. She sounded a little sad though. Just like me, she was also going to miss this place when we leave for home. I bet the others would feel the same too. That's why we had to make the most of our stay here even though we had such strict managers breathing down our necks all the time.
"Oh, Sam, I forgot to tell you something about the song," said Lee.
"What is it?" I asked. Something told me what she was about to say wasn't going to sound good to my ears.
"The managers want to take a look at the lyrics tomorrow," she said.
I almost spit out the oatmeal in my mouth.
What the HECK!
All this felt way too soon. If they gave us till Wednesday it would have been better. But MONDAY! I growled and rubbed my forehead. No wonder Monday is the worst day of the week.
"Are they serious?" I asked.
Lee looked at me with a shocked expression. I bet she was expecting an outburst from me. FYI, I was also as surprised as she was.
"Oh, I'm surprised you aren't upset," said Lee, watching me closely.
"I am, but an outburst is Zoey's thing."
"I know, but you look calm. An outburst is more like you and appropriate at the moment. Aren't you upset?"
"I am."
"Then why aren't you screaming your lungs out in anger?"
"Lee, I don't....." I held my forehead for a second. "I don't know. I'm as surprised as you're."
"Don't tell me you already knew."
"When you told me you had something to say about the song, I had a feeling I wasn't going like it. I'm upset, but I can't shout or scream. It's not going to change anything. It's like I knew what was coming."
"I wish I was a little like you. So calm and not a care in the world."
"Are you kidding? If it was any other day, I would've called Collins and argued with him over the phone. Looks like it just wasn't today."
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Lee asked as she looked at her empty plate on the table.
"Tell G-Dragon about it and try to finish the lyrics. He won't like it, given that so much happened last week and we had little time to work on it."
"Ya. You do that. Too bad you've to work and these guys have to stay and do nothing the whole day. They are planning to go round the city and maybe shop for a few things."
"Let me guess," I said as I stood up from the table. "Zoey's idea?"
"Yup. Let's just see if the boys will agree. They might as well stay here and play video games the whole day."
"That won't be a surprise. Anyway, it's almost eight. I still have plenty more time to look at the song for a few minutes before they wake up."
"You do that. I'm hitting the shower."
I went back to the comfortable couch I was sitting on earlier and Lee left the lounge. I got my notebook and I continued to look at the lyrics. I started to think of the second verse and started to write on a sheet of paper I tore from my notebook, in case I made any mistakes.
I was staring up at the ceiling, trying to come up with a rhyme and maybe even a punchline. I was moving my lips silently, a little habit I had whenever I was writing lyrics and trying to find the right words that would sound just fine for the song.
"Hey, Sam, what are you doing?" came Zoey's voice from across the lounge. I looked up from my notebook. Zoey was in her sleeping gown, walking slowly towards me.
"Working on the lyrics," I answered.
"I thought you were supposed to do that with G-Dragon."
"Yes, I am. Just came up with some new ideas and I plan on looking at them with him today."
Zoey sat down beside me and asked, "today? Why today? I thought we were all resting?"
"Well, we're are so behind and the managers plan to look at the lyrics tomorrow."
Zoey rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Alright, you do that. Too bad you won't join us as we go out shopping today."
"Ya, Lee told me," I said as I crossed out a word on the paper I was doing my rough work on.
"I noticed you were up almost the whole night. What were you doing?" I paused as I looked at Zoey. I couldn't tell her I was working on the lyrics or else she would get real suspicious. What was I going to say?
"Um, just looking at stuff online."
Zoey looked at me with an eyebrow raised. With what I said, I could see she was fully wide awake now. I was ready for the questions that were bound to come my way.
"For real? You're never a fan of checking what's going on online unless you're just checking on random stuff," said Zoey. "And to stay up late at night? That's so unlike you."
Damn it! Zoey knew me too well.
"Well, yes. I was checking out random stuff on the internet, as usual," I said.
"I thought maybe you were chatting with someone the whole night. Must be a guy and you're just not telling me."
Oh, no. Not again. I've talked enough about guys today and I didn't want Zoey to start making up silly stories.
"So, who were you talking to?" Zoey asked as she turned on the couch to look at me.
"I wasn't talking to anyone, Zoey," I replied.
"Really? You seem to have a certain glow on your face. Something tells me it's a guy."
I rolled my eyes. "Who can I be talking to late at night? And just because I have a glow on my face doesn't mean a guy made me like this."
"I can guess if you want me to."
"Please, don't," I begged, clapping my hands together before Zoey could continue.
"Mmm, I guess since you had so much attention yesterday, I bet you made so many friends online and only one guy, who's definitely Korean and totally hot, caught your attention and you had such a long conversation."
"I told you not to say anything. When are you ever going to listen?"
"When you tell me the truth."
"If you don't believe me then that's your problem."
"Okay, okay. I'll stop. I see you almost want to blow a fuse."
I sighed in frustration. "It's not that. I'm just a little upset that we were given a little time to finish working on the song, given that we had little time ourselves. I feel so under pressure."
"Sorry. I know how you feel. Have you told Collins to give you guys a bit more time?"
"Nah. Besides, now that there isn't just Collins but also Yang Hyun-suk too, they wouldn't listen to me."
"True that. You better finish working on it tonight."
I slowly nodded my head and all of the sudden, my phone rang. I wondered who would be calling me now. Probably not Collins. I took my phone and looked at the screen.
It was G-Dragon.
"Who's calling you?" Zoey leaned closer and looked at my phone. "Oh! It's GD! Let me answer it!"
Zoey sounded so excited and she quickly took my phone. I didn't even have enough time to open my mouth and protest because Zoey quickly answered the call. I made a mental note to scold her afterwards.
"Morning, my lovely G-Dragon," said Zoey in a sing song voice. "Hope you had a wonderful night."
I hope G-Dragon wasn't surprised that Zoey had answered my phone. I tried to take the phone away from her but Zoey slapped my hand away as though it was a fly. For crying out loud! It was my phone after all!
"I also had a lovely night too," said Zoey as she continued her conversation. "Tell, me, what did you want to discuss with Sam over the phone? Is it about the song?"
One thing I hated about Zoey answering my phone calls, was that she was so pokey. She had to know every little detail like a news reporter. If it was someone she never knew on the phone, she would start to ask the person's name and other details like where they worked or whether they were married or not.
"Come on, Zoey," I protested. "Give me the phone."
I tried to grab her handholding my phone to her ear, but she quickly avoided my grip and stood up from the couch. I stomped my foot on the floor like an angry child.
"Oh, I'll tell her just that," said Zoey as she looked at me with a mocking smile on her face. I wondered what G-Dragon told her now.
"Let me talk to him, Zoey," I said as I stood up from the couch.
"Oops!" Zoey held the phone away from her ear. "The line went dead."
I took my phone away from her. "What did he say?"
"Get ready, my little kitty," said Zoey. "G-Dragon is picking you up. He will be here in a few minutes."
"That's not necessary. I can easily just go with the driver."
"Well, boo hoo for you. We are planning to go out using the car today for shopping and looking around Seoul. You going with G-Dragon will be fine."
"Okay. Maybe you're right." Zoey smiled at me and said, "go get your shoes. G-Dragon will be here any minute now. You don't want to keep him waiting"
"Eish, Zoey," I folded my arms. "You sound like my mum the day I was going out for prom in my senior year."
"Oh, I do!" Zoey took it more like a compliment. "It's not like you and GD are dating anyway. Besides, let's not talk about prom now. You know what happened on that prom night and you don't want to relieve it."
I thought about what Zoey said and I knew she was right. My last prom in senior year was horrible and I shook away the thought right away.
I went to the room to get my slippers and I was heading back to the lounge. This time, Zoey wasn't alone. Christine and the boys were awake and they seem to be in a heated argument already. I had only been in the room for a few minutes and a lot had already happened.
"We're not going shopping," said Mike. "We will do it at a later time."
"But what's so important that you have to use the car?" Zoey asked. "Don't tell me you plan on just looking at gaming stores the whole day instead of shopping for clothes."
"Well, ya!" Daniel replied. "Shopping can come at a later time just as Mike said."
"No, Zoey and I have to go shopping and it will be a whole lot of fun if you come with us," said Christine.
"No way, we aren't shopping with you," said Mike.
"And I don't think we are in the mood for boy stuff either," said Zoey, with her hands on her hips.
"Whoa! People! Stop it!" I announced as I came in the lounge and stood in between the guys and the girls because they looked like they were about to tear each other apart.
"Talk some sense into your brothers, Sam!" Zoey sounded threatening this time around. "Tell them they can do all their stuff later and come shopping with us."
"Sam, don't listen to Zoey," said Daniel. "They can go shopping another day. And I don't think shopping on a Sunday is appropriate. Don't you agree?"
"Look, you guys! Fighting isn't going to solve anything," I said. "Instead of shopping and going out to check on games, why don't you just go sight seeing again? If that doesn't work, you can do both your separate things then meet up somewhere when you both decide to come back to the hotel?"
"Doing our own stuff seems fine," said Mike. "I'm not just in the mood for shopping. Yet."
"There! Problem solved," I said with a smile on my face.
"You guys really know how to create drama," said Lee as she came to the lounge, all showered and dressed up.
"Tell me about it," I said as I rolled my eyes. "Lee, GD is coming to pick me up to head for YG. Please tell me you will look out for these guys while I'm gone."
"Okay. Hopefully, Collins won't ask me to run any errands for him," said Lee.
"By the way, do you have any idea where he is?"
"Nope. No idea."
"Whoo!" Zoey cheered loudly. "No Collins means, more fun for some of us!"
"That, I totally agree with you," said Daniel.
I shook my head. For me, no sign of Collins meant something out of the blue is going to drop on us like a bomb. I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up on the evening and say something that might either be a surprise or something terrible.
My phone beeped and I saw a message from G-Dragon telling me to come downstairs.
"Guys, I've to go now," I quickly rushed to the couch where I left my notebook, took it and walked out of the lounge. "Behave, okay," I looked behind me and sent them a warning look as I approached the elevator and got in.
"We will. You've fun with GD," said Zoey.
"I'll try," I muttered to myself, grateful that Zoey was too far to hear what I said and the doors closed shut in front of me. I reached the ground floor in peace. And when I mean in peace, I meant no reporters and paparazzi around. There were a few people I waved at before leaving the lobby.
I found G-Dragon waiting for me outside leaning on his white posh Lamborgini. He seemed to be preoccupied on his phone because he didn't notice me walk out through the doors.
"Looks like someone is busy," I said as I got close to him.
G-Dragon looked up at me through his stunning sunglasses and he smiled. That also sent me smiling. This was the G-Dragon whom I first met the first time I came here.
He removed his sunglasses and put them in his pocket and continued to stare at me. Was he really not mad at me anymore? I didn't want to think about that now. I had to think positively for once, but I still had my doubts.
"Hey, where's your Pikachu outfit?" G-Dragon asked with his eyebrow raised.
"Not funny, Ji Yong," I said with my arms folded.
"Well you're Pikachu, aren't you? Everyone is now calling you that."
"I'm not supposed to care what people say. Pikachu is long gone and the only time I'm wearing that thing again is when I'm going home."
"Really? Why?" G-Dragon seemed to have found what I said amusing.
"My mum wants me to wear it when I go back home," I said. "She said I looked really cute in it."
"You really did look cute," said G-Dragon as he approached me, closing the gap between us. "In fact you look prettier every time I see you."
I gulped. Oh, no! What was he saying? Was he acting drunk again? No, he wasn't this time around. I could feel my face blushing right now and I looked down at my feet.
"We better go," I said. "We've to finish working on the song. Remember?"
G-Dragon slowly took a step back with his eyes still on me. I breathed out a sigh of relief. My face was getting hotter by the minute and I waved my hand at my face. G-Dragon laughed.
"What's wrong? Can't stand me being close to you because I'm too hot?" G-Dragon asked with a smirk on his face.
That was embarrassing and I looked at G-Dragon, startled. My face grew even more hotter that I felt like a red hot chilli pepper. He was back to his old self alright. Mocking me as usual.
"Can we leave now?" I twirled a strand of my hair feeling restless.
"Okay, let's go," said G-Dragon as he winked at me.
This time I felt like melting. G-Dragon went to the car and opened the door for me. I went in and G-Dragon closed the door. I still felt a little awkward and I hoped that no one saw all that. Hopefully not even the paparazzi who like to hide around in the bushes sometimes and take pictures. That wasn't going to be good, not even for me.
G-Dragon went round the car and got into the driver's seat. He turned to look at me before he started the engine of the car with a smile on his face.
"You better buckle up, my little kitty," said G-Dragon as he put on his seat belt.
"You sound as if we are going on a trip or something," I said. "Don't tell me you are taking me somewhere else other than YG."
"I thought we were going to YG," G-Dragon looked at me as he turned the keys in the ignition.
"You tell me. You're the one sounding weird."
G-Dragon had a malicious smile on his face and all I could do was put on my seat belt. I felt like we were in for a rough and but yet joyous ride.
The car drove out of the hotel premises and I swore I just saw people hiding behind the flower bushes near the hotel. Dang it! The paparazzi were everywhere these days.
As the car drove through the streets, I realised we weren't taking the route we usually take whenever we were going to YG. I looked at G-Dragon.
"Where are we going? I know we aren't heading for YG."
"Don't want to grab a smoothie with me?" G-Dragon asked, his eyes on the road.
I was dumbstruck. I didn't know what to say next. Going to grab a smoothie? That didn't sound like a bad idea but he should have suggested it earlier. I felt my face blush and I wanted to slap myself for it.
"Getting a smoothie sounds great," I replied, shyly.
What was wrong with me? G-Dragon continued to smile and I couldn't keep my eyes off him. I don't why I felt so drawn to him all over again like I had the first time. I realised that I hadn't looked at him that way for a long time. We had a rough time together the past week. Maybe things were back to the way they were. But all of this felt like a dream that I didn't want to wake up from. I was scared that I would wake up and face the reality which had always been a nightmare.
"You can stop staring at me now, my little kitty," said G-Dragon as he turned to face me.
"What?" I shook my head for a second, feeling rather confused.
G-Dragon chuckled. The look on my face must have amused him a little. I felt myself blushing like crazy. Again! Something was completely wrong with me today. I cleared my throat and looked out the window. It was then that I realised what a big fool I was.
G-Dragon had parked the car outside a small but decent looking store and I hadn't realised that we had reached our destination because I was busying looking at him the whole time. I felt really confused and embarrassed at the same time. It probably showed all over my face.
"You couldn't stop staring at me the whole way," said G-Dragon. "The look on your face tells me you were completely absent minded."
I gulped. Was it me or the air in the car suddenly gone stale? I couldn't breathe and all I wanted was to get out of the car right away.
"I wasn't staring at you." I managed to clear my throat at least. "You must be imagining things."
"I'll believe that if you stop blushing then," said G-Dragon mockingly. "Come on. Let's go get a smoothie."
I thought he would never say those words. He got out of the car and I gave out a sigh of relief and stepped out. I was so relieved that I could breathe nice, clean and refreshing air. I was feeling really compressed in the car and I was rather happy that I got out.
G-Dragon led the way into the store and I followed behind him. The store didn't look any different from the ones back home and I was greeted by a sense of familiarity when I first stepped in.
I was taking my time looking around while G-Dragon went to the counter to order our smoothies. He already knew my flavour to order so I didn't have to remind him.
I went around looking around the shelves. I don't know why I was walking around as though I was shopping here myself.
When I turned round the corner to enter the aisle, I almost crashed into two women, who were probably in their late twenties. The two seemed to be in a conversation and my sudden appearance distracted them.
"Mianhaeyo, Sorry (미안해요)," I replied.
It was my fault I almost bumped into them in the first place. Saying that felt appropriate. For a second, the two women were silent and looked at me in a strange way. For a moment, I thought I said "sorry" in Korean wrong. But I was pretty sure I said it right though my accent might have sounded rather awkward. When they suddenly screamed in my face with excitement at the same time, I realised the reason why they looked at me that way.
"Oh my goodness! Am I dreaming!" one of the ladies exclaimed to her friend. "Is this really B.K?"
"It is! I'm so excited!" the other replied.
The two women came to hug me and I hugged them back. They suddenly took out their phones and insisted that I take selfies with them. As usual, I gave in and took some pictures with them.
G-Dragon suddenly appeared behind us and that made the two ladies scream even more. He must have heard the screaming and came to fetch me. Too bad though. I had dragged him to meet some of his crazy fans. He didn't seem to mind when he joined us. I thought he would be mad at me for wandering around without him but he wasn't.
After taking photos with the two ladies, we went back to the counter to collect our smoothies and walked out of the store. Luckily for us, there weren't much people in the store. If they were, we would have really caused a ruckus.
When we got in the car, I took a sip of my strawberry smoothie through the straw. And yum! It was so good.
"This smoothie is so delicious," I muttered still savouring the flavour on my tongue.
"I knew you would like it," said G-Dragon. "I always come here because they make the best smoothies."
"Mmm, they really do." I took the straw in my mouth and with my eyes closed, I enjoyed the smoothie.
When I came to open my eyes, I looked at G-Dragon beside me. He had his eyes on me the whole time. I had nothing to say. I quickly stared ahead and continued to suck in my smoothie.It was silent in the car for a while and I could still feel GD staring at me. All this was feeling kind of awkward and all I wanted was to leave for YG right away.
"Aren't we supposed to be heading somewhere?" I asked slowly, not looking at him.
"Why do you ask? Can't we just chill for a little while longer?" G-Dragon asked, as he sucked in some of his smoothie.
"I don't know. Because we are running out of time just sitting here and enjoying this smoothie."
"Does the song need some working on urgently?" This time he sounded so formal.
I imagined his eyebrow raised at me and I turned to look at him. I guessed right.
"I know I'm about to spoil your whole mood right now," I started. "But our managers are planning to look at the lyrics for the song tomorrow."
GD almost choked on his smoothie and though it was a funny sight, I dared not to laugh out loud though a smile did come across my face. It almost felt like pay back for all the times he teased me and I couldn't help but feel a little triumphant about it.
"You're joking right?" G-Dragon asked, regaining his composure.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" I asked, this time with a smirk on my face. I sipped some of my smoothie.
"I can't tell with that pretty face of yours. And besides, when you smirk, you look really hot."
This time it was G-Dragon's turn to smile and my turn to choke. I was coughing out so loud until I felt G-Dragon pat me on the back. That helped a little but it didn't help hide the embarrassment on my face.
"Don't do that!" I whined as I turned to look at him. My cheeks fuming hot.
"Do what?" G-Dragon asked with a playful smile on his face.
"Aww, you know what I mean! Stop giving me such rubbish compliments!"
"Well, I am being honest." G-Dragon started to laugh.
"Your honesty almost choked me to death."
"Okay, fine. I'm sorry," said G-Dragon, this time, he gave me a genuine smile. "I won't try to flirt with you again."
"Were you really flirting or were you trying to make me look....." I paused.
I went completely blank. What was I trying to say? G-Dragon gave me a look, waiting for me to finish what I wanted to say. But I was completely lost for words.
"I'm trying to make you look like what?" G-Dragon asked.
I folded my arms this time. I was really pissed at him but more pissed at myself for saying something and ending up blank. I wanted to kill myself. This was embarrassing!
"Never mind, we better go," I said grimly.
G-Dragon chuckled and I still didn't look at him. My face was already as hot as it is. The last thing I wanted was to cut my head off.
"Okay, my little kitty, we will go. Looks like I've teased you enough for one day."
"I'm glad you noticed." I looked at GD with an angry stare.
G-Dragon shook his head and smiled. He started the car and in no time we were already driving through the streets. We drove in silence. I was still pissed and at the corner of my eye, I could still see G-Dragon smiling. Looked like he was relieving our little drama we had and he couldn't stop smiling to himself. That made me pissed even more and I wanted to strangle him. But that would only cause an accident since he was driving, so I kept my shaking hands to myself.
I was hoping to get to YG as quick as possible, but we were stuck at the traffic lights. That was weird. Was it already lunch hour and on a Sunday too? The cars were moving so slow. This just got me even more pissed.
"So," G-Dragon broke the silence. I rolled my eyes feeling annoyed. "Who told you that our managers want to look at the lyrics tomorrow?"
"Lee told me this morning," I replied. "I'm really mad that they want to look at it so soon when there was barely enough time to work on it at it at all."
"You didn't look upset when I came to pick you up," said G-Dragon. "Or were you not planning on telling me?"
"I was going to tell you. I just got a little distracted."
"By me?"
I turned to look at GD who still had that stupid smile on his face. I made a face at him and quickly looked the other way.
"No," I replied.
"Seriously?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"The truth."
Heck no! Telling him the truth wasn't on my agenda. He was just going to tease me again. He already knew the truth. He was just taunting me until I said it out loud.
"I know you were distracted and don't want to say anything," said G-Dragon when I didn't talk back. "I understand."
"If you already knew, then why ask me in the first place?"
"So, then I distracted you?"
"Ya, you did!"
My hand flew to my mouth. I really let my guard down and I shouldn't have allowed that to happen. What was wrong with me today? How could I let G-Dragon get under my skin like that? He was so getting it this time. G-Dragon smiled and that soon turned into laughter.
"You admitting that with your own mouth is like honey to my ears."
"Honey? Thought it was more like acid."
G-Dragon couldn't stop laughing and I continued to frown. I was praying for the traffic lights to turn green. This was irritating.
"Your sarcasm is so epic, I can't stop laughing," said G-Dragon trying to stop himself from laughing.
"You better enjoy it before it ends up killing you."
"Ya. I know I'll die with laughter, my little kitty."
G-Dragon continued to laugh and all I could do was stare at him. I soon realised that I had never seen G-Dragon laugh so much before, at the point of losing control. Come to think of it, I hadn't realised how happy he was this whole time when I was with him. That just confirmed that he clearly wasn't mad at me anymore. Besides, I wasn't supposed to be thinking about the bad things that had happened to us. I should be laughing along with him.
"Okay, GD, enough," I said, my anger subsiding. "Please stop laughing. The joke is over."
"Not to me. You just made my day, Sam."
And hopefully, it would last.
Luckily, the trafficlights went green and the cars started to move. G-Dragon stepped on the gas and in a few minutes, we found ourselves at YG. We came out of the car and headed inside the YG building. It was Sunday so probably not everyone was around today. The place felt rather quiet. The receptionist was there as usual and only a few of the cleaning staff around. GD and I went to the recording studio as usual.
"We have to finish up this song by tonight if it's necessary," said G-Dragon, as the two went through the door of the studio.
"I thought so too," I said. "I came up with a few lyrics for the song. You should check them out and see what you think."
Before we got to sit on the couch, G-Dragon turned to look at me with a surprised look on his face.
"You wrote down a few lyrics?" G-Dragon asked.
"WelI, ya," I answered. "Friday didn't seem like a good day to work on the song because of what happened."
"Oh," G-Dragon had a certain look on his face. Looked like his thoughts went back to what happened on Friday.
"Forget it," I said as I sat down. "Come take a look at the lyrics."
I waved the notebook in my hand. G-Dragon gave me a corky smile and I felt my cheeks heat up again and my heart starting to beat so fast. I smelt something fishy ready to come out of his mouth and I wasn't going to let him get his way.
"Ah! Don't say a word!" I raised my hand and at the same time, he opened his mouth to speak. Good. At least I beat him to it.
"But why?" G-Dragon asked, shrugging his shoulders.
"I know you were about to make a flirtatious comment. Your eyes and your smile could clearly show on your face."
"Looks like you're slowly getting to know me little by little." G-Dragon still couldn't stop smiling and he lifted his eyebrows.
"Maybe I am. But hopefully I'll be wrong in the future. Please, sit. We don't have much time."
"Okay." G-Dragon sat down beside me and took my notebook.
G-Dragon leaned further back onto the couch as he looked at the lyrics. I looked at him with my eyebrow raised, studying him. I wondered what was running in his head. I hope he wasn't going to say anything dumb or stupid. I had already tolerated his teasing for one day.
"Wow, I like the first verse," said G-Dragon, sounding really impressed.
"Really!" I sounded so excited I could shoot for the roof, but I kept my cool and looked serious. "Really?"
"Ya. I'm just surprised the song generally talks about the day we all ended up at Caribbean Bay."
"Well, I had to think of something. You don't have to give me all the credit. Collins somehow gave me an idea and I did all I could to make it work."
"You're an amazing song writer. Even the chorus sounds great too."
"Oh. Glad you liked it. Are there any changes you might want to suggest?"
"I'm surprised you asked. The lyrics seem perfect to me."
"Hey, I don't want to behave like the selfish one here. It will seem everything was done by me when it's supposed to be the two of us. So, come on. At least suggest something."
"Okay, let's go through it together and see what needs changing."
We started to look at the first verse and made a few changes here and there. We even included a bridge that would lead to the chorus. Things were going well so far until the person I least expected to see, came in the room.
"TOP?" I looked a little surprised when I looked up from my notebook. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh. I didn't know you two were here," said TOP.
"We're just working on the song. And you?"
"Just came here to have the place to myself."
"Really?"
This time it was G-Dragon who asked. I looked at GD and I couldn't help but feel there was something up with him. I could feel he was a little uncomfortable with TOP around. But why? It finally came to me that he still might be jealous of TOP when he took me out for ice cream last Thursday. But that was a long time ago, right? Could Lee have been right that G-Dragon might really like me?
"Well, ya," said TOP shrugging his shoulders. "I can leave you guys alone to do your work if want."
Before GD could say anything, I quickly said, "wait, TOP. You can stay. We might need your help on something."
"Really?" TOP and G-Dragon asked at the same time.
"Yes, we do." I turned to look at G-Dragon with my eyes wide enough for him to understand. In return, G-Dragon scowled at me like a little kid.
"But why? The two of us were doing fine on our own, weren't we?" G-Dragon asked.
"You're right," I said nodding my head. "But I think we would need TOP's help on the second verse. You see, I was thinking TOP and Mike would rap the second verse and we would need some help with the rhymes too. I sometimes ask Mike for help on such parts when I'm kind of stuck."
"I wouldn't mind helping out," said TOP as he came and sat down right beside me. "I still have time to hang around here for a while."
"Thanks, TOP." I turned to look at TOP and smiled.
He winked at me with a corky smile. I felt G-Dragon fidget uncomfortably on my other side. He must have noticed TOP wink at me.
"Okay, fine," said G-Dragon almost muttering.
"Let's look at the second verse." I managed to give G-Dragon an encouraging smile, assuring him that everything was going to be alright. He ignored me instead and looked at the notebook in my hands. Bummer.
The second verse was a whole lot of trouble than I had anticipated. Coming out with rhymes for the song proved to be a challenge. G-Dragon and I had decided that the song should have both Korean and English lyrics, and the second verse came out just as difficult.
We had been working on the second verse for almost an hour and my tummy started to rumble. It was loud enough for G-Dragon and TOP to hear that they stopped what they discussing and looked at me. I couldn't help but blush. It was so embarrassing and I all I did was hug myself as I pressed my tummy to avoid another rumbling sound from being heard.
"I'm very hungry," I said shyly, my cheeks blushing as always.
"I'll order lunch," said G-Dragon, giving me that teasing smile. "Our little kitty is very hungry."
I wanted to punch him. "You should order pizza," said TOP. "And make sure you get two or three boxes. I'm also hungry too."
"Not as hungry as me though," I said as my tummy rumbled again.
"We might just need four," said TOP, with an eyebrow raised.
"I'll try to keep that in mind," said G-Dragon as he took out his phone to order pizza.
"Order macaroni and cheese if you would," I said as I turned to look at GD.
G-Dragon didn't say anything right there and then. He was looking at his phone with such serious intent. Was he reading a message or had he seen something that caught his eye?
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked. "You seem serious?"
"Just received a message," said G-Dragon still looking at the phone. "I might have to make a phone call. I'll order the pizza first then make my important call."
"Alright, you do that. TOP and I will continue looking at the lyrics. Don't forget, macaroni and cheese."
G-Dragon gave me a nod, stood up and left the room, leaving only TOP and I.
"This is so hard!" I whined as I leaned my back on the couch. "I'm even so hungry!"
"Don't worry, the pizza will be here when it's ordered."
"I sure hope so. I've just realised that I can't work with an empty stomach. If our managers weren't going to look at the lyrics tomorrow, I wouldn't even be here."
"That's how some managers are. You can work on the song the whole night if possible. It sometimes gets worse especially for trainees when they are about to make their debut. You're lucky that you're even good at song writing."
TOP continued to tell me his stories of his time at YG when he was just a trainee. I was captivated by his story and I at least forgot about my hunger for a while, though my tummy rumbled silently a few times. I came to realise that in Korea, being famous was a whole lot harder than I thought. You had to go through a lot of training just to make it to the top.
"Enough about me and my trainee days," said TOP. "How about you?"
"There's nothing much," I said as I looked up at the ceiling. "Your story seems way more interesting than what I have to say."
"We all have a story to tell, don't we?" TOP asked as he also leaned back further on the couch, our shoulders touching.
"Ya, we all do," I said with a smile on my face staring at the ceiling.
"You know you look very beautiful, right?" TOP whispered in my ear. He was so close I hadn't noticed.
I slowly turned to look at him and we were too close we could kiss each other. I held my breath for a second. Scared to breathe.
I continued to look at TOP. I looked straight in his eyes. His soft brown eyes looked back at me. This time I noticed he wasn't wearing contacts like in some of the pictures I've seen him in. I was so drawn to his eyes. I continued to look at TOP's face and I was so drawn to his smile. His bad boy smile was so corky and cute at the same time, I sometimes couldn't tell if he was being genuine or just playing around. My eyes were stuck looking at his lips. I tried to snap out of it and look away, but I couldn't. TOP's smile soon turned to a grin and I blushed like crazy. He noticed that I was staring at his lips. That made me look down to avoid his gaze.
"What's wrong? You're blushing like crazy," TOP said softly and so deep that it moved me. My heart beat so hard, I was afraid TOP might even hear it.
"No-nothing," I replied, my eyes still looking downwards.
"Hey, look at me." TOP held my chin and slowly pushed my chin upwards.
I was staring at his face again. There was silence between us as we continued to look at each other. I could see a sparkle in his eyes and I knew what he was planning to do. I was still like a statue. I hated the fact that TOP had such good looks that made me want to look at him forever.
"You're so pretty that I can't stop looking at you," said TOP as he smiled at me. "Especially when you blush. Has anyone ever told you that?"
I didn't say a word as I felt like I was about to explode. My face was red hot and I so much as wanted as to pull myself away but I couldn't. I felt butterflies in my empty stomach because of his fluttery words.
"I-eh-thanks. I guess?" I was lost for words and I didn't know what else to say.
"Cute."
I gulped. His deep husky voice moved me again. I was afraid my heart wasn't going to take this and burst. Can this moment we were having just end already? I wasn't going to like what would happen next.
TOP looked at me and then his eyes went to my lips. A smirk appeared on his lips. Ah, oh. I knew he was planning on planting his lips on mine. As much as that felt so thrilling at the thought of it, I had to be aware that G-Dragon might just come in and he wouldn't like the scene he was about to see at all.
"TOP, I think it's best we-" I was interrupted when the door flew open and I managed to move further away from TOP.
That was a relief. My cheeks were still blazing hot and I looked the other way, hopeful that G-Dragon didn't see how close TOP and I were. But I was surprised when I heard who was at the door.
"Hey, guys! Where is G-Dragon?" I quickly turned to look at the door and there stood Zoey.
Zoey!
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I stood up for my seat, surprised as ever.
"I'm the one whose supposed to be asking you the same question," said Zoey, as she briskly came in the room with her black high heeled shoes. She was wearing a blue top with a black flared skirt.
"You didn't bring the others with you, did you?"
"No, I didn't. They decided to stay back at the hotel and watch some movie. Where is G-Dragon? I know he's supposed to be here with you."
"He went out to make an important phone call and order us lunch. May I now ask why you're here?"
"Nothing. I was bored and came to check up on your guys."
"How sweet." I answered, almost sounding sarcastic. "Hope I didn't interrupt you guys."
Zoey stood a few feet away from me and as for TOP he continued to look up at the both of us, a corky smile on his face.
"No, you didn't. Why?" I folded my arms.
"I don't know. You two seem to have been in a serious moment when I walked in. An intimate one. I'm I right?"
"Ya, you did kind of interrupt us. Sam and I were discussing something serious," said TOP raising his eyebrows at Zoey.
Zoey giggled at TOP's gesture. I quickly stepped on TOP's foot so hard, he yelled. He was lucky I wasn't wearing heels. I would have hurt him more than I had done now.
"Ouch! That hurt!" TOP looked at me with pain written on his face.
"Sorry," I muttered. Not really meaning it.
"You're such a bully sometimes, Sam," said Zoey as she sat next to TOP.
"He was just talking nonsense, someone had to shut him up."
"A kiss from you would have done the trick, don't you think?" TOP asked as he held my hand and smiled at me. That sent shivers down my spine.
"Aww, so adorable!" Zoey squealed. "I knew you two were hitting it off. But be careful, Sam. You know how Collins is and he wouldn't like to hear that this was happening."
"We weren't hitting it off!"
"Then what do you think we were doing just now before Zoey walked in?" TOP asked.
I didn't answer. In fact, I couldn't answer. My mouth went dry. It was completely clear that we almost made out, but I wanted to defend myself and say it wasn't like that. I frowned at TOP for putting me in this stupid mess in the first place.
"Don't worry, Sam, I won't tell anyone. My lips are sealed," said Zoey imitating to zip up her mouth with her fingers.
"You know I don't trust with such secrets, Zoey."
"Oh, please, Sam. I know if I were ever to make out with G-Dragon you wouldn't tell a single soul yourself. There are a million reasons why you're my best friend."
"And keeping secrets is one of them." I tried to sound a little normal after what Zoey said about her making out with G-Dragon. That almost sent me frowning.
"You got that right. Besides, you and TOP make a cute couple, hands down."
"Thanks, Zoey," said TOP still holding my hand.
"Don't take it as a compliment," I almost scolded him. "We aren't a couple. And you, Zoey should have phrased your sentence properly."
"Don't start acting like our teacher of English, Sam. I knew exactly what I said. What's the harm in saying all that?"
"You have no idea."
I looked up and saw G-Dragon standing by the door with three boxes of pizza in his hands and a plastic bag with soda cans. I felt my world had stopped right there when I saw him. Had he heard the entire conversation?
The look on his face said otherwise. He looked a little different from the time he left the room. Was it about the important phone call he had made earlier? Or had he really heard everything?
Zoey noticed that my eyes were fixed at the door and she followed them.
"Hey, G-Dragon," said Zoey. "Oooh! You brought pizza. I'm starved."
"Zoey, what are you doing here?" G-Dragon asked. His tone sounded different. Almost harsh.
"I came here to see how far you guys have gone with the lyrics," said Zoey. If she had noticed the change in G-Dragon's voice, she did a great job hiding it.
"Oh, okay." He sounded a little sad this time around. I was aching to know what was wrong with him.
"What's up with you two?" G-Dragon asked as he slowly walked in the room, looking at TOP and I.
"Huh?" I asked.
"You two are holding hands," said G-Dragon as he came closer and looked down at my hand in TOP's. I followed G-Dragon's eyes and I gulped.
"Oh, that!" Zoey sounded excited. "There's a story behind that."
"Zoey-" I wanted to stop her, but her words were already pouring out of her mouth like a raging waterfall.
"TOP and our little kitty are in a relationship now."
I stared at Zoey with my eyes all bulged up, it felt they would fall to the floor and burst like tiny grenades. So much for not telling anyone.
"Zoey! What's your problem, huh?"
"What? GD asked didn't he?" Zoey shrugged her shoulders with an innocent look on her face.
I frowned at Zoey and all TOP did was give a light chuckle. I wanted to slap both of them in the face but I controlled myself.
I slowly turned to look at G-Dragon and I could see a certain sadness in his eyes. Was he hurt?
"Is that true?" GD asked.
I knew he was trying his best to sound normal, but I could tell that his voice was breaking. I quickly slipped my hand away from TOP's grip and I hid it behind me.
"It's not true, Zoey is just joking around," I said, feeling rather guilty. I couldn't even look at GD straight in the eyes.
"Don't take it so seriously, GD," said TOP, almost laughing. "We were just joking around."
"Ya, you two almost got so serious like in those drama series," said Zoey. "We don't want you guys fighting again like last time now, do we?"
"No, you wouldn't," said G-Dragon, with a fake smile on his face.
Uh-oh. I didn't like the sudden tone in his voice. Something told me the two of us were already at war. Again.
"Come on, let's eat," said TOP as he stood and took hold of the pizza boxes in G-Dragon's hands and set them on the table.
"I'm so glad I came at the right time," said Zoey, greedily rubbing her hands together. "I am also hungry myself."
I sat down next to TOP and G-Dragon next to Zoey, clearly avoiding each other. A sense of sadness took over me and I played around with my fingers, deep in thought.
"I bet you aren't as hungry as Sam over here," TOP said to Zoey as he opened one box of pizza. "Her tummy was rumbling like crazy."
"That's our hungry kitty," said Zoey as she got the napkins that came along with her pizza boxes. "And as usual she ordered macaroni and cheese. Her favourite."
TOP gave me a slice of pizza on a napkin and I took it without saying anything. I bit out a piece of the slice and though it was as tasty as it usually is, I felt weightless in my stomach. I ate as many slices as I could but I still felt empty. To be honest, I had lost my appetite from the time the pizza came. Not even the soda helped either.
"I'm so stuffed," said Zoey, who was now seated on the floor with her back leaning on the couch. "That was some pizza."
"Ya, I'm stuffed too," I lied. I still felt nothing in my stomach. "Can we continue working on the song then?" I asked.
"Ya, sure, and now that I'm around, we can get this done a lot faster," said Zoey. "What do you think, GD?"
TOP, Zoey and I turned to look at G-Dragon who hadn't said a word. I had a feeling something was wrong and I was responsible for it.
"Ya, sure, no problem," said G-Dragon.
"Are you okay, man?" TOP asked. "You seem a little down since you came back."
Thank goodness I wasn't the only one who noticed. I was too afraid to ask G-Dragon because he might just bite my head off if I did.
"I'm good. I received a message from Paris. That's why I had to make an important phone call."
"From Paris!" Zoey was excited and she looked liked she was bouncing on the floor for a second.
"Ya. I've been invited to a fashion show for Chanel."
"And that's why you've been so down about?" Zoey asked, looking surprised. "You should go. It will be so awesome. And from Chanel? That's even better."
Zoey seemed so happy and excited, I almost felt bad that she completely forgot about the sadness on G-Dragon's face. I wished she could stop talking. It clearly wasn't helping him at all.
"But why do you feel so down about it?" TOP asked. "You usually go to such events and it shouldn't let you down like this, should it?"
I was glad TOP asked the question and I was yearning to hear what GD had to say. It was clear to me his change of mood wasn't about the Chanel event. It had to do with TOP and I holding hands. I couldn't help but let the guilty part inside me get even heavier.
"No, it shouldn't," said G-Dragon shaking his head.
"When are you supposed to leave?" I asked.
I was surprised when he answered, though he sounded a little awkward. "The fashion show is tomorrow. I must leave for Paris tonight."
"Tonight?"
"Oh, now I see why you're so down," said TOP. "You don't want to leave the song left unfinished, right?"
I looked at G-Dragon, who was looking at TOP, completely avoiding my gaze.
"Ya," G-Dragon nodded. "But you can go," I said. "I can finish the song if you don't mind. I'll manage."
"You're sure?" G-Dragon asked looking somewhere else and taking a sip of his soda.
"I'm sure."
I think it was best for the two of us to be apart for a little while. Maybe he will cool down and everything will be alright. Hopefully, he will.
"I'll make sure she finishes the song," said TOP.
"I was wondering if you, TOP, can come with me," said G-Dragon.
I looked at G-Dragon, surprised. What was he thinking now taking TOP with him? Was he trying to get TOP away from me? I was really confused. Not that I was acting possessive. But why?
"Are you sure?" TOP asked.
"I really want you to come. And besides, Sam can finish the song like she said she would. Right, Sam?"
I paused as I looked at G-Dragon. I slowly nodded my head as Zoey and TOP looked at me.
"Alright," said TOP. "We'll go. When shall we leave?"
"Tonight," G-Dragon said. "And we will be back tomorrow."
"Have you told our manager yet?"
"Ya. He knows. I also asked Collins too."
"For what?" Zoey and I asked at the same time.
G-Dragon looked down on Zoey who still sat on the floor.
"I would like you, Zoey, to also come with me to Paris."
Zoey's face was filled with delight, my face had drained of colour.
"Yes, of course I'll!" Zoey stood up from the floor with joy. She was acting as if G-Dragon had asked her to marry him.
"This is going to be awesome," said TOP. "Too bad Sam won't come with us." I cleared my throat.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. The song is supposed to be done by tomorrow."
"I'll miss you," said Zoey, pouting her lips. "It's always fun when you're around."
"I'm good. You just have fun and stay out of trouble. Please."
"Aye, aye," said Zoey giving me the hand salute. I really hope she was going to stay out of trouble. She was full of surprises sometimes.
"Then let's finish the second verse then," said TOP.
"Okay," I muttered. Zoey and G-Dragon nodded their heads.
At least working on the song would keep me preoccupied and not feel bad about myself.
It was close to four in the afternoon when we finished on the second verse. We had a few debates here and there, but we were done anyway. The last verse wasn't going to be a problem since I already had it all planned out. I didn't tell the others that. It was best I kept it to myself.
"So, now that we are done, looks like we have to get ready and leave for Paris," said Zoey.
"I'm glad you helped me out with the song though," I said as I stretched after standing up from the couch. "I wouldn't have managed to do it on my own."
"You would have managed pretty much on your own if you ask me," said G-Dragon. He eyes looked cold as he stared at me. That gave me shivers.
"We better get going then," said TOP, as he stood up.
"Ya, I've to look good for the fashion show tomorrow," said Zoey with glee. "This is going to be so exciting."
"You guys go ahead," I said as I sat back down onto the couch and got my notebook. "I'll stay here."
"Wait, don't you want us to drop you off at the hotel?" TOP asked. "You can finish the song from there."
"I would rather stay here. I'm not going to be able to finish the song with the others running around."
"Okay. Take care then," said Zoey as she came to hug me. "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
"See you," said TOP as he bended over and gave me a peck on the cheek. I could see G Dragon look away from the corner of my eye.
"Bye," said G-Dragon. His voice blunt. I also said bye and they all left the room.
I sighed when the door closed behind them. And I couldn't help but feel bad. Just when I thought everything between G-Dragon and I was cleared up, another issue rises to the surface. What a huge turn around that has been for me.
He was his old self again in the morning, but then TOP and Zoey arrived and everything went down the drain. I wouldn't blame them though. More especially with TOP. I could blame Zoey for having such a big mouth, but what's done is done.
I was so unfortunate sometimes. Just when you think things were all bright and sunny, it becomes all rainy and gloomy so fast. So much for trying.
There was a guitar at the corner of the room and I went over to get it. I went back to sit down with the guitar on my lap. I played a few strings before stopping myself and figuring out what I wanted to play. I looked at the lyrics. I at least had to come up with some melody. It needed to be fast and funky.
I played the strings for what seemed like a few seconds. But I realised I wasn't in the mood for a fast song. I clearly wasn't thinking straight. I tried the second time, but I found myself stopping and lost in thought. What was wrong with me today? How did everything today change all of the sudden?
I had to sing out what was in my chest to make a suitable melody for the song afterwards. I closed my eyes and pulled at the strings, playing a tune that first came to mind.
"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right, I hope you had the time of your life.
So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right, I hope you had the time of your life.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right, I hope you had the time of your life.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right, I hope you had the time of your life."
I hadn't sung this song in a while now. "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day. As much as I liked pop, I am a huge fan of rock music. During my high school days, I loved to sing this song whenever I felt sad and low or when some days weren't pretty much going my way. Like it is now.
I smiled to myself and I felt a little lighter in my chest. I opened my eyes and at the same time, my phone beeped. I had a message. But from who?
I got my phone and checked it out. It was a message from Daesung. I tapped on the message icon and it read: "Sorry, I couldn't make it to see you today while you were at YG. But Collins informed me to come and get you when you're done. So give me a call and I'll be there."
Zoey must have told Collins that I would be staying here for a while to finish the song. I was glad he told Daesung to come pick me up. At least I would have someone to talk to on the way back to the hotel.
I put the phone away and stared at the lyrics on my notebook. My brain was working now and I finally came up with a tune. I tried what I had just made up in my head and it sounded really good as I played the strings of the guitar. As I continued to play the tune, I sang the first verse. It came out really well though I had to make the words flow with song. I made a few corrections with the tune and changed a few things with the lyrics too. But all in all, the song was just perfect. Hopefully if I had to play this song tomorrow in front of the managers, they would like it too. I would have to meet with the music producer to work on the beats and the tunes. I didn't want to forget the beautiful melody in my head and I continued to play the guitar as I sang the song.
It was six in the evening when I was writing down the last lines of the song. I took the guitar again and started to sing the last verse. I was suddenly out of tune and stopped singing.
That was odd. I had a weird feeling that someone was watching me and that made me lose concentration.
I looked up at the door and for a moment I thought it was still closed shut. But it wasn't. It was slightly open and I hadn't even noticed. I realised there was someone standing by the door. I slowly stood up and gently placed the guitar down on the couch without making a sound. Luckily, I already had my slippers off so I tiptoed across the room to the door, barefoot.
I was a foot away from the door when I heard a slight movement behind the door. I could hear someone slightly breathing too. I was right. There was someone here and the person hadn't moved away from the door at all. If the person took another peek and see that I'm not on the couch, he or she would start to wonder where I am and run off. This was my only chance to see who had been spying on me this whole time.
I slowly took hold of the door knob and I suddenly pulled the door open. Everything happened so quickly. When the door stood wide open, a quick flash of black appeared before my eyes. The person who stood there was wearing a black hood and had quickly turned away and ran down the hall.
I quickly ran after the stranger and the person had already reached the elevator. The person was as quick as I could have ever imagined. I continued to run but the elevator doors opened and the person went in.
Dang it!
I was almost there when the elevator door started to close and the person in the elevator, slowly turned to look at me. I couldn't see the person's face or eyes under the hood but I saw the person's lips curve into a smile and the elevator doors finally closed.
"Dang it!" I muttered to myself.
I was almost there. How I wished I could have run a little faster. I looked up at the elevator level monitor. He was heading for the ground floor. I don't why I referred to the stranger as a 'he' but by the posture and frame of the body and how tall the person was, it was definitely a guy. But who?
I knew I wasn't going to catch him now but I had to try. I quickly used the other elevator and pressed the button to the ground floor. When I got to the ground floor, it was quiet and completely empty. I went over to the receptionist who must have been here the entire time.
"Hello, Sam, can I help you?" the sweet, kind receptionist asked.
"You've been here the whole time, right?" I asked.
"Yes, I have. Is anything the matter?"
"Did you see anyone come out of the elevator just now?"
The receptionist shook her head. "No, no one came out of the elevator. Just you."
I raised an eyebrow. This is strange. How could it be? I was pretty sure the stranger was coming down here. Could it be that he might have gone to the first floor instead?
"Okay. Thank you."
The receptionist smiled at me and I turned round to head for the elevator. I knew if I had to go on the first floor, I wouldn't find him. He would have used the stairs and gone out through the back door. He was very clever to have thought of that. Hats off to him.
Just before I could reach the elevator, someone called me from behind.
"Sam?" I turned around and there stood Daesung.
I don't why I had panicked for a moment, but I was so glad to see him. I wondered why he was here. I hadn't called him yet to come and pick me up.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as he approached me. "I didn't call you."
"Well, that's a little harsh," said Daesung, with a sad childish tone in his voice.
"Aren't you going to say hi to me first?" I closed my eyes and slapped my forehead.
I didn't mean to act like a jerk towards him, but so much had happened today that my mood was messed up a little.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude," I said as I looked at him. "I'm not really myself at the moment."
"That's the more reason Collins told me to come and you pick up. He did say that sometimes you get all worked up and tired that you have to have someone around to force you to stop working. He says you don't really realise how tired you're and you end up sleeping."
That was true. I never really felt tired until I ended up sleeping and waking up not on my bed the next morning. It also happened today since I stayed up writing the lyrics. I was glad Collins told Daesung to fetch me. I could now feel my body all weighed down and tired.
"You're right. Now that I had the chance to walk out of the studio, I do feel pretty tired," I said as I yawned.
"And you came out barefooted too," said Daesung he looked down at my feet. "Mind telling me what happened?"
I paused. I couldn't tell Daesung that I was running after someone who I found spying on me in the studio. It was going to sound weird, if not creepy. I stared at the receptionist, who was probably listening to our conversation, but made herself look busy.
"Its nothing," I said. "Let me go get my stuff and I'll meet you outside."
"No, I'll come with you. You look really tired. The last thing I want is for you to drop dead in your sleep."
I smiled at Daesung and we went to collect my things. I also carried the guitar and we were soon on the road heading for the hotel.
When I went to our floor with Daesung, I found Collins and Lee waiting for me. Surprisingly, the other Toxins weren't around and when I asked where they were Collins told me that they had also left for Paris.
Bummer.