KNOT 23 - DESTINY

Seungri narrowed his eyes at Jiyong. He could feel that something changed with his cyborg hyung. Despite the impassive expression on Jiyong's face, he had been impatiently tapping the table with his fingers and looking at his watch and phone. He had also been darting his eyes at the bar's entrance every few seconds. He never did that before.

He looked at Youngbae, but the guy was busy reading text messages while sipping his beer. Daesung, on the other hand, went to the backroom to chat with the other bands as soon as Big Bang finished their set. Seungri then glanced at Jursa Seunghyun who was shaking his head and shoulders stiffly left and right, probably dancing with the music. Probably. He sighed and observed Jiyong once again. He couldn't put his finger into it, but his radar was receiving some odd signals. Something changed...

"Seungri-"

"WHOAH! YOU CALLED BE MY NAME!" Seungri exclaimed in astonishment. Youngbae also stopped what he was doing and stared at them in awe. To some, it might not be that surprising that would merit such reaction. But this is Kwon Jiyong. He never ever called anyone by their name. There was only one reason why his hyung changed drastically. And that reason went by the name Dara. Seungri smirked and glanced at the bar's entrance. "I see. Dara sweetheart really got into you, didn't she? Is she supposed to come tonight?"

"Don't call her sweetheart", Jiyong muttered, not able to hide his irritation.

"You're totally acting like a possessive boyfriend" Youngbae chuckled.

"Jiyong, can I get a beer?" the jursa interjected, but no one paid attention to him.

"No, I'm not. It's just...weird", Jiyong stated boredly.

"Oh come on. My brain and my heart melts whenever I see you and Dara's sweetness", Youngbae patted his shoulder and got off of his seat.

"You're acting like a girl, Youngbae", Jiyong called out but Youngbae just laughed it off, glad that he finally heard his name from his friend's mouth. Daesung should definitely hear this, so he planned to fetch their bandmate from the backroom.

"Can I get a beer", the jursa tried once again.

"Don't call her sweetheart", Jiyong snarled at Seungri.

"Fine. Did something happen in Jeju?"

"Hubby, can I get a beer?" Seunghyun asked, startling the two. Seungri slowly turned his head and looked at him with wide eyes while Jiyong's eyebrows were deeply furrowed. "Please, hubby? Miu miu?" he added with an impassive expression on his face, not realizing how awkward it was to hear that from him.

"Eww", Seungri whispered. "Is he trying to be cute?"

Jiyong sighed and glared at the jursa. "Please. Never do that."

"It works whenever Sandara Park does that."

"I'm telling you, don't do it."

"CLING!", Seunghyun pressed on.

Seungri shivered and hugged himself. "Oh God! I think I just puked inside my mouth. Jewish Hyung, don't do it!" He lightly tapped the jursa's arm, stopping him from his aegyo attacks. They immediately ordered him a beer since the jursa didn't seem to have any mercy on them.

They were leisurely chatting when tiny arms wrapped on Jiyong's torso from behind. When he turned his head, Dara kissed him on the cheek. "Hello hubby!" Dara gleefully said as she occupied the seat next to Jiyong's. "Sorry, I'm late. Did you miss me?"

"I just saw you yesterday, why would I miss you?" Jiyong said flatly.

"Can't you just say yes? You mood-ruiner", Dara pouted.

"Yes", he stated blankly.

"Don't mind him, Dara noona. He was going crazy waiting for you a while ago. He's just acting cool", Seungri butted in, earning him a light punch from Jiyong. He chuckled and decided to engage the jursa in a mindless chat to let the two lovebirds have some time.

"Hub-byyy ~ ~", Dara called out in a sing-song voice while clinging to his arm.

"Mmmhhhmm?" Jiyong drank his beer, his eyes fixed on the stage as he watched the next band.

"Did you already tell them?" she whispered.

"Tell them what?"

"That you and I are...you know."

Jiyong glanced at her quizzically. "You and I are what?"

Dara was about to answer but stopped herself as she stared at Jiyong's blank gaze. She then shifted her eyes on the food at the table and sighed. "Nevermind", she replied and began stuffing her mouth with everything she could grab.

"Eat slowly", Jiyong told her.

"Hmph. No, I'm going to kill myself with food", she said dramatically. With his blank expression and uncaring attitude, Jiyong could be more annoying than all hipster KDrama endings combined.

"Drink", Jiyong instructed, giving her a glass of water. Dara complied while glaring at him, still feeling slightly grumpy. "You're messy", he said, wiping her mouth with the back of his hand. Dara then caught sight of a crowd of girls near their table who were ogling at Jiyong, making her blood boil even more.

"I hate you", she mumbled and pouted.

"What did I do?"

Dara hung her head low and fumbled with her fingers. "You don't seem to have interest on me."

Jiyong cocked his eyebrows but his expression remained impassive. "That's not true." Dara lifted her gaze and looked at him expectantly. Will this be his declaration of love? Omo!

"I worship the ground you walk on", he said in a flat tone, making her cringe.

"That's not funny", she hissed and looked embarrassingly at Seungri, who was trying to stifle his laughter while pretending that he was not hearing anything.

"And I sniff your pillow at night."

"Okay, enough", Dara sighed, hiding her face with her palms. It was her fault for expecting too much from a cyborg.

"I sneak in your room at night and watch you while you're sleeping."

"Jiyong!"

"And then..."

"Jiyong, I swear-..."

"I light candles and chant your name repeatedly while lathering my body with holy oil from Mt. Taumatawhakatangi."

Seungri snorted and almost choked on his drink while the jursa continued tapping the table to an unknown beat.

"I give up", Dara sighed and decided to just watch the current band that was playing. Youngbae and Daesung finally arrived and joined the ruckus that Seungri was causing.

"Hey", Jiyong mumbled, wrapping one arm on Dara's waist. She just glanced at him momentarily and focused her gaze back on the band onstage.

"Uh-oh", Seungri teased. "You pissed her off", he added.

Jiyong just looked blankly at him and shifted his eyes once again at Dara, whose eyes were still fixed on the stage. He then leaned down and gave her a soft peck on the cheek. "I was just joking", he whispered, his arm tightly wrapped on her body. "Forgive me, hmm?" he said and kissed her on the shoulder.

Something changed...

Youngbae, Daesung and Seungri exchanged knowing glances. Slowly, a smile formed on their lips. Finally, someone was able to ruin the wall that the poker-faced Jiyong built. They grabbed their bottles and brought it near Jiyong's drink, clicking their bottles. "Cheers!", the three exclaimed. Abruptly, the jursa stopped tapping the table and averted his gaze, his heart clenching with guilt at the merriment he was witnessing for the destined couple.

_____________________________________________________________

Yang Goon opened the Red String Registry, sadness filling his eyes when he stared at the blank spot where Dara and Jiyong's name were once listed.

A swirling sphere of black smoke appeared behind him and Jae Sang stepped out. The lunar matchmaker god looked at Old Man Coyote solemnly before closing the book.

"The end is nearing", Jae Sang remarked.

"Indeed", Yang Goon replied.

"Is there really nothing we can do?"

"Perhaps we can give her a lovely death", the lunar matchmaker god said.

==

The ruler of the underworld stared at the dancing lights of the candles inside the Cave of Woes while sitting on a rock, lost in deep thoughts. He then stood up and headed towards one particular small candle.

"Heloise", he mumbled. "How can you have the same tragic fate as you had nine centuries ago?"

_____________________________________________________________

"Jiyong, Jiyong", Dara called out softly. The guy did not even stir on his sleep, totally unaware that there was an intruder in his bedroom in the middle of the night.

"Hubby", she whispered and giggled giddily while covering her mouth. Dara was on the bed, lying on her stomach while staring at the defenseless cyborg like a vulture. She then cupped her chin with her palm while her other hand traced the contour of Jiyong's jawline.

"Hmmmm", she murmured. "What should I do with you?", she said to herself as her forefinger touched his lips. She yelped in surprise when Jiyong suddenly parted his mouth and bit her finger.

"You are such a creep", he said sluggishly. "What are you doing here?" he asked while lying on his back, still a bit disoriented because of his disrupted sleep.

"Hubby!" Dara excitedly exclaimed and immediately covered her mouth and glanced at the door. "SSshhh", she whispered. "Jursa Seunghyun is already sleeping. We need to be quiet."

"Why? What are we going to do?" he asked, encircling his arm on her body and tugging her close to him.

"Talk?" she smiled.

"Boring", he mumbled and closed his eyes.

"Hubby!"

"Mhhmm?"

"Don't sleep", she whined.

"If you told me that we're going to have a sexy time, my blood would have been pumping by now."

"Perv", she scowled at him.

Jiyong peered at her with one eye and shut it again. "You're the one who sneaked on my bed and went full-blown Edward Cullen on me. How long have you been drooling over my body?"

"Yah!"

"You should be thankful I'm a very patient and understanding boyfriend. If not, you would have been butt-naked by now and moaning in five different languages", he added.

"Ahhhh! ~ ~ Hubby, you're annoying."

"I should really be applying for sainthood."

"Jiyong..."

"I'm kidding, cheeseball", he sighed and finally opened his eyes to stare at her. "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, I watched this drama..."

"Oh, boy. Here we go..."

"Listen!" Dara insisted and snaked her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder while looking at him with glittering eyes. It was evident that a peaceful sleep was something that he was not going to get because of a stupid drama that his girlfriend watched. She was giving him that crazy look again and that only meant he had to prepare himself to the rant fest that was about to happen.

"You see, I'm currently watching this drama and I suddenly miss you", she mumbled and buried her face on the crook of his neck.

"What is it about?" he asked, planting a soft kiss on her forehead while his arm was still tightly wrapped around her, his hand gently massaging her back.

"The drama is about an alien who came to our planet 400 years ago. He was stuck here on earth and then, he fell in love with a woman. But unfortunately, his time to go back to his planet was drawing near so he decided to push her away even though he knew she loved him as well. What he says is opposite of what he does. He says he doesn't care about her but he always protects her. It really pains me to see him doing all those things for the woman without her knowing it."

"You know what they need?" Jiyong mumbled.

"What?"

"Sleep. They need to sleep. We also need to sleep", he said and cuddled her closer.

"Jiyong, stop messing around. This is important to me."

"Fine", he said and shifted his position to face her. "So, what about it?"

"It reminds me of the time when you tried to push me away because of what Jursa Seunghyun told you", she whispered. "It was painful, wasn't it?"

Jiyong stared at her gently, brushing the strands of hair from her face and tucking it on her ear. "Yeah. It was painful", he mumbled.

"You shouldn't have done it", she pouted. Jiyong roamed his eyes on her face before leaning down and kissing her gently. "I had to, cheeseball", he whispered above her lips. "Just like the alien in the drama that you're watching, I thought I was doing the right thing until Hadana Bom interfered."

They were both bathed in silence for a while, both thinking of what could have happened if the hadana didn't interfere. They'd been in a very complicated journey, just like the leads in a drama that Dara was watching. The magical red string was what brought them together. Now that it was gone, it was up to them to make sure that they wouldn't be apart.

"I hope the alien and the woman he loves will have a happy ending just like us", Dara said. "It's easy, isn't it? He only has to choose whether he wants to stay by her side or not", she added and continued ranting about the story. "What's even more painful is that even though he doesn't age, he dreams of growing old with her", she continued, her eyes misting a bit.

Jiyong listened silently as Dara tightened her hug on him.

"Hubby..."

"Mhmm?"

"We'll grow old together, right?" she asked while staring at him thoughtfully. Jiyong met her gaze, his expression remaining unreadable.

"Yeah. We will", he answered.

With that, Dara's features visibly relaxed and she comfortably snuggled to his warmth. "Of course we will! And we'll do a lot of things together. We'll watch a lot of dramas togeth-"

"Let's break up."

"Hubby!"

_____________________________________________________________

Joo Won rolled his eyes once again. He had been rolling his eyes every time Dara uttered the word that he didn't want to hear: 'Jiyong'. It was a fine Saturday morning and he didn't have a frigging clue why he had to be dragged out of his nest to go to the mall and listen to her talk about Jiyong, Jiyong, JIYONG! His brain stops and his eye-rolling is activated whenever his name was mentioned, which was the reason why he was zoning out when Dara explained why they were wasting their time inside the department store.

"There must be something!" she exclaimed while roaming around.

"Something what?" he asked.

"I told you, I want to buy something that I could put on Jiyong's office desk..."

*brain stops* *rolls eyes*

"...something that will surprise him. Something for couples."

"Just put a baby on his desk and tell him he's the father. That will surprise him", he said mockingly.

"Stop being grumpy. We need to find something so I can put it on his desk tomorrow."

"And I, your ex-boyfriend, is here because?"

Dara's steps slowly halted and she glanced hesitantly at Joo Won, realizing how insensitive she was. "I'm sorry", she said sheepisly. "CL is at work and uhm...I can't think of anyone else who'll accompany me. You're right, I shouldn't have dragged you here."

Joo Won's eyes softened as he stared at her. He kept on forgetting that apart from him and CL, Dara didn't have anyone whom she could bug. They were the only ones whom she could count on. Wasn't it the reason why she tried to mold herself into his ideal girl? When they were still together, she tried so hard to please him, thinking that it was the only way to make him stay beside her.

He sighed and draped his arm lazily on her shoulder. "Come on", he said, ushering her towards the department store. "I should be given the Best Ex-BF Award because of this...", he murmured as Dara beamed at him.

A few hours later...

Joo Won sipped his drink while staring at Dara as they ate in a restaurant, his mind filled with a lot of questions. He had been friendzoned by his ex-girlfriend; anyone with a brain should have figured it out by now. He was cool with it, to be honest. What puzzled him was the unlikely duo that was Dara and Jiyong.

Dara cleared her throat and looked at him. "Joo Won. Jiyong and I are already a couple."

"Ewww", Joo Won muttered with an exaggerated disgusted face.

Dara just smiled at him while patting his hand. "You and Jiyong are like kids sometimes", she remarked.

"Please don't bundle me with that poker-faced mutant. I don't even know how you two get along."

"Jiyong's fine."

"Are you kidding? He's a walking personality disorder", he exclaimed.

"Isn't that you?" she joked. Joo Won rolled his eyes and leaned back on his seat lazily.

"I still don't get what you see in him", he said. "He can't be even compared to me! I mean, I'm cool; he's lame."

"You and your bloated ego", Dara shook her head while chuckling.

"No, seriously."

"He plays in a band. You, on the other hand, listen to Jumbo Club. Who knows what you do behind closed doors", she looked at him suspiciously.

"YAH! You promised not to tease me about that anymore!"

Dara threw her hands in the air while laughing. "Alright, alright", she said. "Do you think he'll like my gift?"

"No. He'll toss it out of the window", Joo Won answered while looking at the couple teddy bears with disgust. "Guys don't dig those stuff. That is the kind of gift you give to your girly girlfriends. And to sick people."

"But they're cute!" she said defensively.

"Exactly. Manly men don't dig cute."

"Oh, you're a manly man now?" Dara teased.

"Don't you dare start. I'll unfollow you in FB", he threatened.

"Fine. But I asked for your opinion while we were shopping but you can't think of any!"

"Are you kidding me? I gave you a hundred suggestions and you mercilessly shoot them down." Joo Won scowled at her and took a big bite from his burger. "I still don't understand it", he remarked between chewing. "Kwon Jiyong strikes me as someone who kills puppies as a hobby. I mean, have you seen his blank stare? It wouldn't surprise me if he breeds mini-bots in a habitat somewhere to take over the world. You, on the other hand, are someone who thrives in KDramaverse and believes that all the cheesiness shown on TV is the golden rule for romance."

"We'll be fine despite our differences. Things will work out."

"Be careful, he might be one of those closet psychos. If he tells you that handcuffs are cute, scream bloody murder and run as fast as you can."

"You're the one who sounds like a psycho" Dara chuckled.

"I see, you're not taking this seriously", Joo Won clasped his hands on top of the table and stared at her. "From now on, I'm your mom. So listen to me. Got it? Me", he pointed at himself while holding Dara's gaze, "Joo Won Omma."

"Joo Won Omma", she repeated, biting her lips afterwards because it sounds so ridiculous.

"Good", Joo Won said with a serious expression on his face, making it more absurd. "Where were we? Ah, Kwon Jiyong. I don't approve of that guy. Seriously, he absorbs negative energy and unleashes it to the world. Flowers wilt and birds die when he walks on the street."

"You're making Jiyong sound like a monster." Dara grimaced.

"He is! I dare you to ask him who Santa Claus is."

"What should I say to make you change your opinion about him?"

"It's just that I'm worried about you", Joo Won sighed heavily. "You're too...vulnerable. And gullible."

"Yah!"

"Whenever you fall for someone, you give all your heart to him and neglects yourself. What if Jiyong is not taking your relationship seriously? I can't read that bastard's mind and that's what worries me the most. I don't want to see you hurt again, Dara. Let me be the last bad guy in your life."

Dara smiled while staring at her pouting ex-boyfriend. It was really funny how things turned out. What lies ahead is something that is impossible to foretell, and that's what makes life more interesting.

"Stop worrying, Joo Won Omma", Dara said softly. "I'm fine. Jiyong is treating me well."

Joo Won twitched his lips and grabbed his drink. "Whatever! He's still a robotic weirdo to me. I have this nagging feeling that you'll leave him eventually", he warned her while nodding his head with conviction.

"I won't leave him", Dara mumbled, affection laced in her voice. "He'll cry and make a fuss if I do."

_____________________________________________________________

SANDARA's POV

Why do I have this itching feeling of wanting to knock Jessica unconscious with any object within my grasp? I've been seeing her a lot recently and I still want to hit her face every single time. Or possibly set her hair on fire?

Ugh! Bad thoughts, please go away.

Being the bid winner, we have been constantly holding meetings with Choi Jin Hyuk and his (evil) executive assistant, Jessica, about the amusement park construction. It has long been established that Choi Jin hyuk was a bit of cocky bastard. It turned out his father is the main investor that is why he was the one who represented him during the bid and even during our meetings.

I sighed as I began tidgying up the conference room. Choi Jin Hyuk and his crew had a lot of requests, which made my blood boil. We have been tolerating their demands since they are the investor but I knew Jiyong has a strong urge to destroy Choi Jin Hyuk's face if given a chance. He has been very cautious whenever Jin Hyuk is here and he has been constantly reminding me to stay away from that man. I think it has something to do with what happened in Jeju island.

Min Young entered the conference room and exhaled furiously. "God, I hate her", she said. I have a pretty good idea who she's referring to.

"Jessica", I stated.

She looked at me with a blank stare. "Jessica is in your office", she said.

My ears perched up upon hearing that piece of unwanted information. What the hell is Jessica doing in Jiyong's office? Haven't we wrapped up everything during the conference meeting? Why does she always feel the need of invading Jiyong's space whenever she sees him? What are they doing now? WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN DOING WHILE I WAS GONE?!

"And Jiyong told me that they have something important to discuss so no one should enter his office. He said you can take an early lunch after you're done here", Min Young added and left.

WHATTT?! I felt like a bomb exploded in my ears. He said that? My hubby didn't want me inside his office because he has SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO DISCUSS WITH THAT WOMAN?!!

I was breathing heavily as I willed myself to sit on the chair. You know what I did afterwards? I sent him ANGRY TODDLER TEXT MESSAGES. Yes, that's right.

'WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH JESSICA?!'

'SHE'S OUT TO GET YOU, HUBBY! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S FLIRTING WITH YOU?! GET OUT OF THE OFFICE AND MEET ME HERE AT THE CONFERENCE ROOM.'

'IF YOU LET HIM RUB HIS MELONS ON YOU, I SWEAR!'

'HUBBY, I'M GETTING ANGRY NOW.'

'MR. KWON!'

Caps lock is invented for this kind of meltdown.

==

I didnt' even glance at him as I stomp my way towards my desk. The keyboard of my laptop was practically crying as I typed furiously, channeling my frustration on the inanimate object instead of hurling something towards my boyfriend's face.

I can't believe him! What is it that he needs to discuss with Jessica Jung without me around? To think I even gave him couple teddy bears this morning. I even tied a red string to the teddy bears' arms to represent us! How can he be with another woman while our couple teddy bears is sitting on his desk?

While I was in the middle of my mini-monologue in my mind, an instant message popped up on my screen.

Kwon Jiyong: Hello

I frowned at the message and glanced at him. He had a deadpan expression on his face as if he was busy with something. I pursed my lips in annoyance and closed the instant message window without replying. A few seconds later...

Kwon Jiyong: Let's flirt

Sandara Park: Shut up

Sad Jiyong: Please

Angry Dara: I have loads of task to finish, Mr. Kwon.

Saint Jiyong: You owe me big time. I did not touch you in Jeju.

Angrier Dara: I'm warning you...

Boss Jiyong: I'm your boss. And I say, let's flirt.

YOU-DID-NOT-REPLY-TO-MY-TEXT-MESSAGE-DON'T-BOTHER-ME DARA: FLIRT WITH JESSICA INSTEAD!

I heard him chuckle on his desk but chose to ignore him. Even when I heard his movements as he approached me, I didn't lift my gaze and concentrated on what I was doing. Suddenly, my swivel chair was spun around and I was now facing Jiyong. He placed his hands on the arm rest of my chair, trapping me. He then leaned down, his eyes never leaving mine. I held my breath as his necktie dangled in front of me and as he slowly closed the gap between us. His face was inches away from mine when he stopped moving forward and held my gaze, a tiny smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Look at him trying to seduce me. Hmph!

"Why is my cheeseball angry?" he asked in a husky voice, making me melt. I HATE HIM!

"BECAUSE! You locked yourself up with another woman and you're not replying to my messages and I didn't know what you two talk about!" I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest. Then I whipped my head sharply to the right, averting my gaze. My inner toddler had been activated.

He remained silent while staring at me, and I was getting slightly conscious because I looked slightly stupid with my slight dramatic meltdown. I slowly looked at him and pursed my lips. "Aren't you going to kiss me?" I asked in a small voice. What? His face is near mine, it's obvious that he should!

"No."

My breathing was caught in my throat. D-Did he say he didn't want to kiss me?

"No?" I asked to confirm it.

"No."

My shoulders slumped in defeat and I glued my gaze on the floor. He was probably angry at me. "Okay", I said. Suddenly, I felt his lips pressed on my mine. I smiled as I shut my eyes and circled my arms around his neck. He drew back and stared at me once again.

"Still angry?" he asked.

"Nope!" I beamed at him.

"You cheeseball. What should I do with you?" he mumbled and pinched my cheeks.

"Do you love my gift?" I asked after a while and glanced at the couple teddy bears tied with a red string on his desk.

"No, I hate it. Can I throw it away?" he smirked. Why do I love this cyborg?

_____________________________________________________________

'It's a surprise', that's what CL said. After a long day of work, all Dara wanted was to collapse on her bed and cuddle her fluffy pillow. But instead of sleeping, she was coerced into coming with CL and Bom without so much of a clue where the hell they were heading. She thought they were just going out to eat dinner, but she had long abandoned that idea. The two were acting strange and that was what scared her.

"Where exactly are we going?" Dara asked.

"It was Bom's idea!" CL said defensively, averting her gaze while smoothing her hair nervously as they stood in front of the garden venue which was ornamented with flowers. There were tables and chairs everywhere and it looked like a garden party, but there was an uneasy feeling creeping on Dara's sytem that told her there was more to it. "She suggested this and I thought, why not? We should at least experience this while we're young and besides, we're single. I mean, yeah, you're with Jiyong but it's not like you're going to cheat on him by doing this..."

What?

"This is a place where people seek love, Dara", Bom whispered creepily on her ear before entering the gate towards the garden where the tables were set. CL hastily followed her and Dara was left with no choice but to just go with them. She roamed her eyes around the place and noticed that everyone were looking a bit anxious and excited. The guys were at the other corner throwing glances at their direction, where all the girls were huddled. She looked behind her and saw the girls wearing pretty dresses and trying to look nonchalant. Everyone were wearing name tags, making her think they were in some kind of religious congregation. Or perhaps a kiddie party?

"Here. Wear this", CL approached them after going to the registration booth and fetching their name tags. Bom accepted it excitedly while Dara groaned in frustration.

"Do we really have to wear this stupid name tag and look like a moron just to have dinner?" she asked and was about to pin it on her dress but stopped midway when she saw what was written on it.

"CL, you got the wrong-", Dara's words froze in her mouth as she darted her eyes between Bom and CL. She then glanced back at her name tag and her eyes widened in bafflement. Apparently, her name was 'Tatiana', Bom was 'Ursula' and CL was supposed to be 'Francesca'.

"What is this?" Dara asked while frowning. "We're not doing something illegal, are we?"

CL glanced momentarily at Bom before looking back at her while biting her lips. "We're doing speed dating", she answered sheepishly.

Dara's mouth gaped while staring at CL as if she had just performed a miracle. "What?!" It came out like a battle cry rather than a question, making CL flinch.

"It was Bom's idea! I said I just wanted to go out and meet some guys because Seungri is annoying the crap out of me. That vagina said that boys are probably intimidated of me that's why nobody at work dared to ask me out", she reasoned. "And then, Banana Bom suggested we try to do this."

"Why did you drag me with you?"

"Of course, you have to come with me. How can you leave me with Bom? She's the most incompetent person on earth especially when it comes to this. Look at her, she's going totally crazy right now", CL said while staring at Bom who already abandoned them and was fluttering like a butterfly at the registration booth, talking animatedly with the girls who were about to register.

"Oh God. Jiyong is going to kill me", Dara grumbled.

"It's okay if you want to back out", CL muttered.

Dara sighed and looked at her friend who was fumbling with her dress and looking anywhere else but her, trying to hide her anxiety. CL was not the type to charge into something without giving it much thought and this little stint probably took a lot of internal battle before she finally convinced herself to go on with it. And CL needed her right now.

"Fine, I'll accompany you", Dara said, making CL look at her expectantly. "But don't tell Jiyong about this."

"My lips are sealed, Tatiana", CL teased.

"Ugh, what's with the names you chose!"

"What? They're posh!"

==

Dara's fake smile was slowly wavering while CL had given up smiling after a few minutes. The speed dating organizer rang the bell once again, signaling the guys in front of them to say goodbye and proceed to the next girl on the next table. The boys were the ones who were going around from table to table while the girls remained on their seat. They were given 10 minutes to know each other before the organizer rings the bell once again.

"Hello", Dara said as soon as the next guy sat on the chair in front of her. "I'm Tatiana", she said, her mouth moving in auto-pilot mode as she divulged the fake information that she memorized with CL. She stole a glance at her far right and saw Bom curtsying on the next guy that approached her table. She then gazed at her left and saw CL with her arms crossed and her eyes in slits while the guy in front of her looked like he was about to cry. She had intimidated the crap out of the poor guy within minutes. Going on speed dating was definitely a bad idea.

Dara was trying her best to pretend that she was interested on whatever the man in front of her was saying when her phone suddenly rang. She excused herself and immediately answered it, only to find out it was CL.

"Next time I listen to Ursula's crazy idea, please just kill me", CL said.

"Uh, let's just talk later. You need to focus right now. And stop intimidating your date", Dara replied.

"What date? I already killed him with boredom. He's just pretending to be alive right now."

"Be nice, Francesca", Dara warned her while giving an apologetic smile to the guy in front of her.

"Oh my gosh..." CL gasped on the other line. "OH MY GOSH!"

"What?"

"What are they doing here?!" CL shrieked.

"What do you mean?" Dara asked in alarm, shifting on her seat to look at CL when suddenly....

"Hello Tatiana", a familiar voice said. Dara lifted her gaze and saw Jiyong standing behind the guy sitting on the chair in front of her. Her eyes widened in shock just as the organizer rang the bell once again, giving the guy the chance to escape and leaving the two behind.

"W-What are you doing here?" Dara asked as she looked around and saw Jursa Seunghyun bowing like a knight to the girl near Bom's table while Bom curtsied on the next guy. Seungri was also there and was currently pissing off CL.

Instead of answering, Jiyong occupied the seat in front of her while the guy who was supposed to sit there looked at them in confusion. "Hi, I'm Jiyong", he said in a noncommittal tone while looking at her coldly. "I'm a financial adviser currently working in Lee Group of Companies."

Dara groaned and buried her face on her palms.

Meanwhile, CL emptied her glass of wine to calm herself down because all she wanted to do at that moment was fire a cannon at Seungri's face to wipe that stupid smirk off his lips.

"So..." Seungri said while snickering.

"Don't you dare start. Only those who registered are allowed to sit in that chair", she hissed.

"We registered", he said while leaning back lazily, draping his arm on the armrest. "Are you doubting our charms? We talked to the organizer and she squeezed us in."

"Get out."

"Oh come on, Francesca sweetheart. Let's get to know each other first."

CL balled her fists on her lap, her eyes turning into tiny slits. Seungri was undoubtedly going to make fun of her for signing up on that stupid speed dating and she didn't want to hear any of it. Especially from the vagina.

"Get out", she repeated between gritted teeth.

"My name is Seungri..."

CL firmly closed her eyes while taking a deep breath. There was something that Seungri needed at that moment. He needed immortality because CL was going to cut him into a million mothereffing pieces very soon.

==

"Greetings", Seunghyun bowed at the surprised woman whose table was near Bom's table. "Apologies for appearing before you with an empty hand. I was unaware that I would be at your presence due to an unperceived predicament brought about by an act of foolishness of someone I know", he explained and glared at Bom who was eavesdropping on them.

Bom stole a glance at the jursa and scoffed. As soon as a guy approached her table, she immediately stood up and curtsied. The guy chuckled softly, finding Bom odd but adorable, and bowed at her. They then took their seats and engaged in a friendly chat while the jursa furrowed his eyebrows at them, totally forgetting about the woman seated in front of him.

"My name is Ursula", Bom said, showing her name tag.

"Hah!" Seunghyun exclaimed. "I am quite certain fraud is frowned upon in this society", he said, loud enough for Bom to hear him, but the girl chose to continue and pretend that the jursa didn't exist.

"And I'm 26 years old."

"Are my ears playing tricks on me?"

"My hobbies are singing-"

"...badly..."

"Cooking-"

"..a potion..."

"And-"

"...eating puppies for breakfast."

"JURSA SEUNGHYUN!"

The organizer rang the bell and the commotion ensued.

==

"Hi, I'm Jiyong", he said as soon as he heard the bell, like a robot being restarted. He didn't even budge on his seat and continued staring coldly at Dara.

"Hubby ~ ~", Dara whimpered but Jiyong's impassive expression didn't change.

"I'm a financial adviser-"

"Jiyong, please stop this. Listen to me..."

"What is it, Tatiana?", he asked icily.

"I'm merely accompanying CL."

"That's very nice of you, Tatiana."

"Hubby ~ ~"

==

"Seungri, I swear..." CL hissed furiously.

"What?" Seungri chuckled as CL downed another glass of wine. "Don't tell me you're enjoying talking to those guys?"

"How the hell did you know we're here in the first place?"

"I was eating in a restaurant across the street and I saw you three entering here. I called Jiyong hyung and he brought Jewish Seunghyun with him. When we learned this is a speed dating venue, things got a lot more interesting", he answered, cocking his eyebrows at her. She just knew there were a thousand punch lines running through his thick skull right now.

"I can't believe you signed up for this", Seungri said and roamed his eyes around. "My butt is more good-looking than all these guys' faces combined. Nobody is good enough among these bunch of weirdos."

"Oh God. The more you open your mouth, the more I want to freaking punch you", CL said exasperatedly.

"No, seriously. See that guy? He looks like someone who will continue talking about himself until your sanity slips away. That guy at the far right will destroy everything you love. And that guy...whoah! Is he wearing a green suit? I didn't know leprechauns are allowed to roam on earth."

CL poured herself another glass of wine and drank it. That way, maybe she'd be tipsy enough to believe that the annoying Seungri was merely an optical illusion.

"Just get out of my sight. And don't you dare make fun of me because of this", she warned him.

"I'm not going to make fun of you, sweetheart. And do you really want me to get off this seat? Look at who the next guy is."

CL glanced to her left and saw a bulky man who looked like he could crush a stone with his bare hands.

"Optimus Prime is here", Seungri chuckled while CL groaned.

==

"How is it my fault?" the jursa argued. The woman who was seated in front of him and they guy in front of Bom were both looking at them like they had completely lost their minds. "It was you who threw the orb at me and got us into this insanity in the first place."

"You kept on talking about events that have long passed! Since we are now in the human world, is it wrong to experience the mortal's way of living?"

"And meeting mortal guys is your way of educating yourself in the human's way of living?"

"That is not what I meant!" the hadana exclaimed, stomping her feet on the ground.

==

"Hello, my name is Jiyong..."

"I'm sorry", Dara apologized to the confused guy who was supposed to sit on her table. Jiyong had been repeating his line and refusing to get off the seat. "Please just go to the next girl", she added.

"I'm a financial adviser-"

"Hubby, please! Get up and let's go home. I'm sure CL and Bom wanted to leave as well", Dara pleaded.

"...and I'm currently working at-"

"Jiyong!"

==

"You see that guy right there? He has been scratching the front of his pants since I got here. Gross, right? I don't even want to imagine the science experiment that is growing inside his pants. And look at that guy. Wow. How old is he exactly and what is he doing here?"

CL poured herself another drink and emptied her glass.

"Aren't you glad that I'm here, sweetheart?" Seungri said.

==

"You are being unreasonable, Jursa Seunghyun."

"Am I? AM I?"

"Yes, you are!"

"We are stuck here in the human world because of you and here you are being 26 years old Ursula meeting mortal guys!"

"This is not for me. We came here because of CL!"

==

"I don't feel good", CL said.

"What? Why? What happened?" Seungri asked in alarm. CL was about to answer but instead of her voice, a flood of vomit came out of her mouth onto the table, making Seungri jump back in surprise.

"CL!" he exclaimed.

The entire venue was enveloped in silence as they stared at them. Time froze and nobody dared to move. The organizer who was sitting at the registration booth being completely unaware of the commotion rang the bell once again.

"Hello, I'm Jiyong..." Jiyong said to the flabbergasted Dara.

_____________________________________________________________

JIYONG's POV

Hubby, come and find me!

I frowned at the post-it note stuck on my apartment door. Here she goes again. I cringe a little every time the woman I call my girlfriend copies something that she watched from a KDrama. Why she finds it romantic is beyond me. I'd rather play useless crap like angry birds than watch those stupid dramas, seriously. Birds and bombs are a hundred times more exciting than watching an actress cry her heart out from episode 1 until someone actually dies.

I entered my apartment and threw my jacket on the couch. The intruder in my house was nowhere to be found. I'm pretty sure she's in one of my closet giggling giddily to herself. I trudged towards the kitchen to grab some water when another post-it note stuck on the refrigerator caught my attention.

Please don't be mad anymore =(

Sighing heavily, I headed towards my bedroom to free her from self-captivation. That tiny woman might be sweating buckets right now while hiding in the darkness to 'surprise' me. She had been doing all the cheesy things in her artillery ever since I caught her in that speed dating extravaganza.

I opened my closet and true enough, Dara was there. "SURPRISE!" she exclaimed and jumped at me.

"Hello hubby", she said and kissed me.

"Hi."

"Are you not happy to see me? You're still mad, aren't you?" she asked worriedly.

"No, I'm not mad", I replied and proceeded to the living room while Dara followed me. I sat on the couch and patted the space beside me. She immediately complied and clung to me as I draped my arm around her. "Did you enjoy your time cheating on me?" I asked.

"I told you I didn't cheat. I just accompanied CL to that speed dating", she pouted and rested her cheek on my chest. Cute.

"Alright", I said and rubbed her upper arm gently as I stared at her while she played with the creases on my shirt. I just love watching every little thing she does, even though she drives me crazy most of the time. Any normal guy would've felt the urge to explode something whenever his girlfriend insists on making him do those greasy things that the male lead does in the Kdrama. If Dara makes me do those stupid missions like making a big heart with my arms, I think I'll need my personal weeping time.

I can only sigh in exasperation with the mess I got myself into. I looked at Dara and saw her frowning while playing with my hand, inspecting the lines on my palm as if it was the most interesting thing she saw in her entire life. A smile tugged on my lips and I knew I'm ruined. This tiny woman could even make me smile without uttering a word.

Dara lifted her gaze and saw me staring at her. She then rested her chin on my shoulder and beamed at me.

"Hubby ~ ~ I just brushed my teeth. Miu miu miu miu ~ ~", she said in a sing-song voice. I can't handle this anymore. How can she be adorable while doing these silly things?

"Is that the cheeseball language for 'kiss me'?"

She puckered her lips, making me chuckle. I leaned down and gave her what she wanted.

"Jursa Seunghyun went to our apartment to fetch Hadana Bom", she informed me after a while.

"Seeing them act like humans, it's hard to believe that those two are actually deities", I remarked.

"Yeah", she chuckled. "The time when we were tied together felt like ages ago. You must have been very frustrated at me before."

"Are you kidding? I wanted to throw you out of the window."

Her lips twitched upside down. "So, you wanted to be tied to somebody else?" she asked.

"Yeah", I said and grinned at her, making her scowl.

No. I can't imagine being tied to someone else.

"How can you say that? We were a great team. Do you still remember the things that we did together?"

I looked at the ceiling, pretending to recall the past. "Nope. I can't remember", I replied, and her eyes widened a bit.

How can I forget? I may not be much of a talker but I take everything in, and freeze it. Just like memories frozen in a photo. I could still vividly recall her bored look as she pretended to listen to her professor during class; her soft voice as she hummed random songs while walking behind me; her steady breathing as she slept peacefully beside me; and her smile whenever she watched her favorite Lee Minho drama. The things that she did - I see them like pictures in my head. How can I forget? Those are one of the best memories of my life.

"You can't remember?" she exclaimed as she stared at me. "We've been through a lot. We go to your client meetings and I sit at the next table..."

I was always stealing a glance to see if she was okay. I was worried that some douche might approach her because she was sitting alone.

"..and at night, we sometimes go to the club to meet the Big Bang band. Didn't you enjoy it?"

I hate it. Didn't she know how tiny and vulnerable she looked amongst the party people inside the club?

"You cyborg. How can you forget those things?" she mumbled. "When I was tied to you, I read a book about destined couples being tied by an invisible red string. I even thought that perhaps, the red string binding us was the one for destined couples. I bet you don't believe on such things, do you?"

I chuckled and kissed her on the forehead, ignoring her question.

The truth is, I secretly believe in destiny. When she came along, she proved me right.

_____________________________________________________________

Dara crouched behind the bushes while stealing a glance at the two former deities who were in deep conversation as they stood in front of their apartment building. She smiled and silently went to a tree near them, planning to surprise the two.

"There is nothing we can do. Sandara Park is going to die on the coming full moon."

Dara covered her mouth in shock, unable to believe her ears. She took a step backwards and leaned on the tree, her knees becoming weak.

Writer's Note:

I know T_T It's been a while T_T

Sorry cheeseborgs, I'm so busy with work! Anyway, this fanfic is just a couple of chaps away to the end ^_^ Thank you so much for your unwavering support ^_^

Follow me on twitter!! We spazz!! @huntress2021

Thank you Baktinski for the lovely KTG fanfic trailer!! ->

This chap is dedicated to @lemonfreshreal , Icicle, withering, great2happy, dorememe and to all our Korean chingus! HELLO CHINGUS!

Cheers!

huntress ^_^