Title: I Like You, Kwon!
Written by twilightelusion
CHAPTER 37
OUTSIDE BEG’S DORM
“What was that about? JeA noona must be joking, saying that I couldn’t bear to let go of Narsha noona’s hand. It was a joke, natural reflex…Right… It’s just that.”
Seul Ong was still replaying that scene in his head and trying to find an answer to the quickened heartbeat when he held onto Narsha’s hand and looked into her eyes.
“I’m really getting better and better at acting!”
Pushing that aside, he took out his phone and dialed Kwon’s number. The number was still not in use. He decided that he would try Ga-In’s number one last time. If her phone is not in use too, then they can’t blame him for “interrupting” them.
Just as he was about to dial Ga-In’s number, her call came in. She had called after seeing so many missed calls from him. She had gotten worried because he knew she was with Kwon and to call her meant that it was something urgent.
“Oppa, what’s wrong? Why did you call so many times?”
“Son Ga-In! Finally! You are awake now? Didn’t I tell you and Kwon last night that Jin Young hyung wants to see the 3 of us today? Why did you switch off your phone?”
“Kwon switched them off because he…”
Realising that the reason was really embarrassing, she stopped. But she couldn’t control the heat that was creeping through her body. Thinking about what they did last night and just now still gave her shivers.
“Oh we totally forgot about the meeting!”
She looked at the clock in the living room and was shocked to see that it was already noon. What was she to do? She can’t possibly go and meet her idol in the clothes she wore yesterday!
“Oppa~ What should I do? I need to go back to BEG dorm to change and I don’t have a change of clothes with me. I would definitely be late!”
“Aish~ Luckily I have the foresight to prepare the clothes for you and Kwon. Go wake that sleepyhead up and wait for me. I’m on my way over now. Make sure there’s coffee and food when I arrive!”
“Oppa! You are a saviour! I love you!”
“You’d better not let that childish Kwon hear you, otherwise I’m going to get it from him again later.”
“Don’t worry, I’d protect you. Oppa, thanks for thinking of everything!”
“Alright, coffee and food. Remember.”
“Alright! That’s the least I could do. See you soon.”
Ga-In ended the call and smiled to herself, thinking how lucky she was to have both Kwon and her Seul Ong oppa. But when she looked up, she saw Kwon with a storm cloud over his head.
“Who was that you were talking to? You sneaked out of bed to call another man! How dare you?”
“Aigoo~ You are awake? Go and wash up. I need to go and prepare breakfast.”
Ga-In was about to walk past Kwon and towards the kitchen when Kwon stopped her by pulling her hard against him.
“What’s wrong with you? Let go! I really need to start preparing breakfast or lunch now.”
“Who were you talking to on the phone just now?”
“Oh, seriously~ Is that important? It’s Seul Ong! He’s coming over right now. You’d better go and wash up.”
“Why is he coming over? Why are you making him food?”
Ga-In could not take it anymore. She pushed Kwon away.
“YA! Did I not make it clear? It’s Im Seul Ong, your fellow member, my dearest brother who is coming over right now to bring us a change of clothes so that we can look presentable in front of your boss! You totally forgot that we have to go and meet Jin Young oppa today right? You switched off our phones and Seul Ong couldn’t get through to us. So he’s on his way over right now. So, you can either continue to be a jealous child or go and wash up right now so that you can have food as well. Or maybe the sight of Seul Ong is so nauseating to you that you won’t want to sit at the same table? Then, you can starve for all I care!”
Having delivered her ultimatum, she marched towards the kitchen. She took out the leftovers from last night’s meal and started cooking.
Kwon could not explain the anxiety when he woke up to find that Ga-In was not beside him, nor could he understand the pain in his heart when he heard her say, “Oppa, you are a saviour! I love you!” Even though he could guess that it was probably Seul Ong on the other end of the line, it didn’t make him feel any better. To him, he should be the one to protect her all the time.
He turned to see Ga-In cutting the vegetables near the sink and the only thought that went through his mind was how much he loves this woman, his woman. He knew he would never win when it comes to her because he simply loves her too much.
He walked up behind her and hugged her from the back.
“Yeobo~ Sorry… I shouldn’t have reacted that way… It’s just that…”
“Kwon-ah, you really have to be a little more confident of yourself, and us. You can’t go crazy everytime I’m not near you or if I’m on the phone with someone else. And for Seul Ong, you have to understand the kind of relationship I have with him. If we really do not work out in the end, he’s the only person I have, do you understand? That is his position in my life. He is the only constant I can count on.”
“No, don’t say that. This is the reason why I’m so afraid. You constantly think that we will split up, and you only believe in Seul Ong hyung being the person who would be by your side no matter what. I want to be the one who would be by your side no matter what. Why can’t you see that?”
“Because sometimes it’s necessary to buffer myself. Jo Kwon, do you have any idea how much I love you? If you ever leave me, I won’t know how to carry on living. So, everyday I have to tell myself to prepare for any eventuality. It hurts to even think about not being with you but I have to…”
Kwon held onto Ga-In a little tighter. He could understand what she was saying because he goes through that every single day, every single minute too.
“Me too. Every time I think about not having you by my side, I panic, I get anxious. Every time I can’t be beside you when you need me the most, I feel that I’m useless. So, don’t say we won’t be together please…”
Ga-In put down the knife and turned in Kwon’s arms. She put her hands around his neck, tiptoed and kissed him on the lips.
Words won’t be able to describe how much I do not want to let go of you.
Words won’t be able to describe how much I want to be with you…
Every single day
Every single hour
Every single minute
Every single second
Jo Kwon, can you feel it?
Ga-In put her thoughts into the kiss, her fears, her desire, her love for this man. It still amazed her how much love she has for him. But alongside the love, the fear weighed heavily on her heart as well. Their status as artistes puts them in a position where such act of love is considered wilful.
And thinking about that brought her back to reality. They have a meeting at JYPE at 2pm. While JYP had expressed his approval before but this would be the first time she’s meeting him after they got together as a couple.
She stopped the kiss rather abruptly, and shook herself free from Kwon.
“Kwon-ah, you’d better go and wash up and I should finish cooking soon. Seul Ong oppa should be arriving anytime now. Go get ready, we need to face Jin Young oppa today.”
Kwon knew what was bothering Ga-In. He had to admit that realisation just came to him as well. He hadn’t really put much thought about how they would face Jin Young hyung now that he had told him about their relationship. He looked at Ga-In and thought to himself, “Son Ga-In, I’d protect you and us at all cost. I promise.”
He went to the bedroom and switched on his phone. He saw the number of missed calls from his manager and Seul Ong and realised that “time off” is never going to be a reality unless they come out in the open, to their companies at least. To expose their relationship to the scrutiny of the public is a risk they cannot take yet. Already as it is, every single move they make is being watched by a lot of people. If they were to know that the relationship is real, it would be plain chaos.
Just then, Seul Ong arrived at their apartment. He pressed the doorbell and waited for a response.
Ga-In heard the doorbell but she couldn’t get away from the stove.
“Kwon-ah, someone’s at the door! I think it’s Seul Ong oppa, can you open the door for him?”
Hearing Ga-In’s shout from the kitchen, Kwon went to the intercom and opened the gate for Seul Ong. Then he opened the door to wait for his arrival.
When Seul Ong appeared at the corridor, Kwon stepped out of the house. He decided that he wanted to talk to Seul Ong without Ga-In.
“Hyung~Thanks for coming over…”
“Ya~ I know you want to spend time together with Ga-In but this really can’t go on for too long. This time round, Min hyung didn’t come looking for you at the dorm and we could still cover up for you but what’s going to happen from now on? Have you thought about it?”
“Hyung, I’m really beginning to worry. I really don’t know what Jin Young hyung’s reaction would be later when we go and see him…”
“Let’s tackle one issue at a time. Today, let’s focus on solving Raina’s issue first. Then we’ll see what Jin Young hyung has to say about the two of you being together. Don’t worry, we will show our support for the two of you to be together. I’m sure the BEG noonas will do their part when Ga-In has to face her CEO as well. We’d better go in. She’s still very unsettled by the whole scandal. If we stay out here for too long, she would get more worried. Wipe the worry off your face first, go and wash up quickly then we can have some food before going to the office.”
Kwon nodded and was really thankful once again for the support he knew he would always get from Seul Ong and all his members. Even though he’s the leader, they are always there if he ever needed any advice.
“Yeo-bo~ Seul Ong hyung is here~ I’d go wash up and change first.”
“Oppa~ thank you~ The food would be ready soon~ Kwon-ah, wash up fast then come and eat.”
“Alright~”
Kwon made his way to the bathroom with the bag of clothes that Seul Ong had packed for him.
Seul Ong stayed in the kitchen with Ga-In. When the food is finally ready, she brought it over to the dining table and busied herself with getting everything ready. Seul Ong could sense her anxiety even as she was going through the normal routine of setting up the table.
When she adjusted the kimchi dish for the third time, he had enough. He put his hand on her arm to stop her. Ga-In didn’t react immediately. She knew that her anxiety would definitely be exposed by her Ong oppa but she did her best to hide it.
She sighed and then looked up at Seul Ong with a smile on her face.
“Oppa~ This meal is a little shabby. I’d cook you something better the next time. Come, let’s eat.”
“In-ah, don’t try to act like you are fine. Do I not know you enough? Am I a stranger now? Silly girl, I can see right through you all the time. I know you are feeling nervous and anxious about the meeting. It’d be alright. You have Kwon, you have me, so there is no need to worry, alright? Calm yourself down, we will work out everything.”
“Oppa… I’m really scared…”
“I know, which is why I came over before heading to JYPE. It’s not simply just to pass the clothes to the two of you. You do have ample time to rush back to change and go back to JYPE. But the rushing around would cause more anxiety than what you are feeling already.”
“Oppa… What if…”
“Don’t think about the what ifs first. Get over today’s issue with Raina first. Then we will see what happens next. Just remember that you have the support of both 2AM and BEG members. We will take this on together like a family, alright?
Ga-In nodded weakly and wiped away the tears that had gathered in her eyes. Seul Ong patted her head lightly and held her hand in his, squeezing it lightly to show her that he was there for her. She looked up at him and smiled, her first heartfelt smile that day.
Seul Ong could not resist and pinched her nose.
“Aigoo~ Sometimes you can be so cute! Come, sit down and eat. You need the strength to face what is to come later.”
So the two of them sat down and started eating. Unknown to them, Kwon had witnessed everything. But this time, instead of feeling wary towards Seul Ong, he realised that sometimes he needs the strength of others as well. And Seul Ong’s presence in their home this time really made him feel glad.
“Wow~ This smells delicious~ Yeo-bo! I’m so lucky to have such a good cook as my girlfriend!”
“Ya! You should really count your lucky stars that you managed to capture her heart! In-ah~ If this boy ever bullies you, you have to let me know ok? I would give him a good scolding even if he’s the leader of 2AM!”
“OK! I would definitely tell you if he ever does that!”
With that, the three of them enjoyed their meal, putting aside the worry of the afternoon meeting for the time being. Three siblings, who find joy and peace simply by being with each other.
Chapter 38 of ‘I Like You, Kwon! is already up on IAMfor2AM – 2AM International Forum