KNOT 26 - TO-DO LIST

From Seungri: Hubby hyung! We're already here at the basement studio. Miu miu miuuuu ~ ~ *kisses*

Jiyong rolled his eyes and pocketed his phone after reading the message. He thought he already achieved emotional maturity when it comes to dealing with the Big Bang band members, especially their maknae. But they kept on proving him wrong every time. They are a bunch of idiots, those guys. *Sigh*

As he exited his office, he came across Min Young in the corridor. "Is Dara going somewhere?" Min Young asked.

"She got off early to meet with her roommate. Why?"

"No. I mean, is she going to take a long vacation and go on a trip somewhere?"

Jiyong looked at her quizzically while frowning. "Not that I know of."

"Did you two break up?"

"What? No. Did she tell you something?"

"I see", Min Young said thoughtfully. "Never mind. Perhaps I'm mistaken. She talked to me yesterday about our photo on your desk."

"What did she say? It's something weird again, isn't it?"

"Well", Min Young glanced at him tentatively before continuing, "She said the reason why you're keeping that photo on your desk, aside from the fact that it's the only photo that your stepmom didn't ruin, is because that's one of the happy memories you have of your childhood. She said I'm one of your closest friends, and she asked me to still be there for you even after I get married."

"That woman, seriously", Jiyong chuckled while shaking his head lightly. "Don't mind her, potato head. Even my father wasn't able to deflect her cheeseball power."

"It's good to see you smiling like that, Jiyong", Min Young remarked, making him glance at her.

"Live happily with your future husband, Min Young", he said as he exited the building, leaving Min Young behind. She stared at his retreating back as a smile curved on her lips.

***

"Hubby hyung!" Seungri draped his arm on Jiyong's shoulder as soon as he entered the basement studio in Hongdae. "Did you already propose to Dara?"

"Huh?" Jiyong shook off his arm and headed towards Youngbae, Daesung, and Jursa Seunghyun who were all huddled on the couch. "No. What made you say that?"

"Oh. Nothing. It's just that she asked me to take care of CL during the picnic, and I thought you two are getting married already that's why she's worrying about CL."

"She probably said that because she's worried that the guy her friend is hanging out with is you."

"What's wrong with me? I'm cute!"

Daesung and Youngbae exchanged glances and both rolled their eyes. "I'm surprised he's still alive with that bloated ego of his", Daesung remarked. They had no doubt that Seungri's mouth would earn him a sniper bullet in the skull someday.

"Poor CL", Youngbae said.

"Chaerin and Seungri complement each other. When the time comes for their destiny to be fulfilled, their story will be beautiful as well", Jursa Seunghyun interjected, rendering everyone silent.

"What did I just hear?" Daesung complained.

"Shut up, you're creeping us out", Youngbae said jokingly and threw his towel at the jursa. "Jiyong, when will we make our move?" He suddenly asked. Daesung and Seungri's expression became serious as they stared at Jiyong.

"Tomorrow. Are you sure all of you want to do this?"

"Hyung, we're friends. And that's what friends do - we kick some asses!" Seungri exclaimed. "And we make money in the process."

"Punk", Jiyong muttered and punched Seungri's arm playfully. "I can't believe you acted as if I'm the only one with a secret."

"You know I don't take money from my old man", Seungri replied and wink at him.

_____________________________________________________________

SANDARA's POV

Two days. It's going to be a full moon a day after tomorrow.

What does one have to do knowing that they're going to die soon? I've watched a lot of dramas dealing with upcoming deaths, but they were portrayed in so many ways. I still have doubts if what Hadana Bom said is going to be true, but after my encounter with the old man - whether it's part of a dream or if it's reality - I feel like I was being given a chance to prepare. So I did. I did the things that I wanted to do. I spent my time making sure that every one would be fine even in my absence. I did not tell them about my situation because I didn't want to spend my days in misery and worry. I wanted to see their smile, even if it was just my selfish wish.

What does one have to feel knowing that they're going to die soon? As for me, I felt like I'm carrying a very heavy bag. Whatever I did, I still felt the burden of its weight. I sleep, I eat, I smile, I laugh and yet, the heaviness of knowing that all of this would end soon followed my every movement.

I sat at the bench facing the river. I found myself going back to the place where I saw the old man, hoping that I'd come across him again. As I roamed my gaze around, I felt my eyes stinging a bit. Damn it. Am I going to cry again? I don't want to cry anymore.

"Sandara Park."

I was startled when I heard Jursa Seunghyun's voice. I looked behind me and saw Seunghyun and Bom standing in a near distance behind the bench.

"Finally. We found you", Bom said as she sat on my left while the jursa sat at my right side. "You forgot your strawberry bag", she added. I grabbed my backpack and placed it on my lap, playing with its strap.

"I'm too exhausted to talk", I mumbled.

"We will not utter a single word", Seunghyun said, directing his eyes forward. Hadana Bom did the same. I slumped on my seat and stared at my fingers as I fiddled with the hem of my dress, my mind wandering yet again.

Have I lived wisely like what the old man told me? Do I have the right to say that I don't fear death? My mind became filled with my past memories, but most of them were the times I spent with Jiyong. I could vividly remember the first time he said my name. I could still picture the time when he first said the word "Meep", the look of disgust on his face when he was saying those cheesy lines, his laugh, his smile...

I don't want to die...

I won't be able to see those expressions anymore. I won't be able to bug him. I won't be able to wake up in the morning and see his peaceful face while sleeping.

I don't want to die...

"I don't want to die", I sobbed as tears started streaming down my eyes. Hadana Bom and Jursa Seunghyun both placed their hands on top of my hands silently, their eyes still focused forward.

"I don't want to die..." I repeated, hoping that my plea would somehow be granted.

_____________________________________________________________

Choi Jin-hyuk was smiling from ear to ear as he was about to enter the function hall where the press conference was going to be held. The new developer as well as the plans for the amusement park would soon be announced and it would surely create a huge buzz in the business community since it was the biggest construction project in Asia. The news that they opted to choose a new developer instead of the bid winner would definitely pose a negative impact on Lee Group of Companies, which suited his plan. That bastard, Jiyong, should be taught a lesson on who he was messing with.

His smile, however, began to falter upon seeing that more than half of the seats were empty. A lot of the reporters, especially the international press, were not present.

"What's going on?" Jin-hyuk demanded and faced Jessica, his executive assistant. "What the hell is going on?"

"We were informed of the cancellation of attendees because there is another press conference that they urgently need to cover", she replied.

"More important than this?"

"I believe so, sir", Jessica said while stifling her smile. "It is being held on the other function hall in this same hotel. Perhaps, you want to take a look?" She motioned the way and Jin-hyuk followed her with a grim expression. "It is apparently the biggest news. I heard people talking about it and they are tagging it as the Rise of the Young Masters", she added.

"Young Masters? Who are they?" He asked while following her from behind, totally confused as to what was going on.

Jessica's steps halted, and she pointed at the stage. "Them", she said. "The sons of the business tycoons in this country decided to do a big project together. Jiyong, the son of Lee Soo Man, known for his real estates and chain of hotels; Daesung, whose family is known for their beach resorts and other theme parks which promotes nature conservation; Youngbae, who came from generations of architects and engineers and were famous for reconstructing lands and old buildings; and Seungri, the only son who will inherit the chain of restaurants from the Lee family."

Jin-hyuk's mouth gaped in shock, darting his eyes toward the four guys with imposing presence while facing the press.

"From what I've gathered, they plan to reconstruct the resorts hotel owned by Lee Group of Companies. The same hotel that Lee Minho endorsed before. They will create a family adventure land surrounding the hotel and will promote outdoor activities like ziplining and rappelling. They will also ensure that the nature will not be affected by the reconstruction. Each family will be participating with their particular expertise."

Those bastards.

Jessica's phone rang and she immediately answered it upon seeing who the caller was. After a few seconds, she turned to Jin-hyuk. "Your father wanted to talk to you, Mr. Choi. We received some complaints from the nature advocates regarding the amusement park development. I think the news that Lee Group of Companies promotes environment preservation with their new project has negative impact on us. The stocks are rapidly dropping as well."

They got him. They waited for him to back out of the contract with the Lee Group of Companies before they finally strike. Jin-hyuk clenched his fists while staring at Jiyong and Dara who were now talking at the side of the stage.

Kwon Jiyong, you bastard...

_____________________________________________________________

On the day of the full moon...

"Mhmmm..."

Jiyong stirred from his sleep when he felt someone cuddling him and mumbling something. His eyes fluttered open and he blinked a couple of times before settling his gaze on the woman who was peacefully sleeping beside him, the rays of sunlight shining on her face. What the...

"Dara?" Jiyong said, completely dumbfounded.

"Mhhmm.." Dara mumbled sleepily as she pressed herself closer to him, nestling herself on his side. Jiyong tilted his head to look at her, a smile creeping up his face. He never knew finding an intruder on his bed would be a pleasant surprise.

He then leaned forward and started planting soft kisses all over her face. "Wake up. Wake up", he murmured in between kisses. When his lips settled on her lips, Dara suddenly wrapped her arms on his neck and began responding. Her upper body arched up and her hands roamed on his bare back, making him moan. Jiyong's embrace tightened and he began trailing kisses on her neck, tasting her skin. At that point, Dara became fully awake.

"Hubby?" She said hoarsely and lightly pushed him. "What are you doing?"

Jiyong collapsed beside her and groaned, burying his face on the pillow. Dara sat up and rubbed her eyes before looking at Jiyong's defeated form. "Hubby! Good morning!" She exclaimed gleefully.

"Cheeseball, you're killing me", Jiyong complained as he slowly sat up, pushing his hand on the bed. "What time did you arrive and what are you doing here? Clearly, you're not here to do what I wanted us to do."

"Why? What do you want us to do?"

"Sexy time."

"Jiyong!"

"I thought so. Are you here to do some drama rants again?"

"No", Dara said, a tiny pout gracing her lips. "I just want to be with you."

There was a momentary pause between them as Jiyong stared at her. He then scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her. "All right, let's spend the day together since it's Saturday", he said and kissed her temple.

"I actually have a better idea", Dara beamed at him. She then crawled towards the bedside table to get her strawberry backpack and pulled something out. "Ta-da!" She exclaimed while showing him a red string which was more than a meter long.

Jiyong feigned surprise and gasped, ""Are you going to tie my wrists with that so you can do your dirty way with me?" He then crossed his arms across his chest protectively. "Please be gentle", he said.

"Yuck! Hubby!" She lightly kicked his foot while chuckling. "I just thought it would be fun to spend this day tied together like we used to."

"And let other people think that we're a couple of weirdos?"

"Come on, hubbyyy ~ ~"

Jiyong groaned once again and kicked the blanket out of his way as he climbed out of bed. "How long are we going to do this wholesome dating? I might go crazy and throw bricks at everyone soon."

_____________________________________________________________

"They're following us, aren't they?" Jiyong asked while adjusting the strawberry backpack on his shoulders.

"Nope", Dara said, waving at the KwonDara minions who were trailing behind them and were squealing giddily every few seconds. Jiyong sighed as he stole a glance at his girlfriend who was obviously enjoying their little excursion in her former university.

"They even have banners with our names on it", he noted.

"Isn't it cute?"

"It's stupid."

"It's cute! They're supporting our couple name."

"It's ridiculous. And this...", he said and raised his arm, showing the red string tied on his right wrist, "..this is even more ridiculous."

"Doesn't it remind you of the time when we were tied together?" She asked, holding his hand and interlacing their fingers, earning loud shrieks from the minions behind them.

"At least the red cord before was invisible to others", he complained as they continued walking on the hallway, a parade of KwonDara supporters still following them.

"KISS!! OMG! KISS! JEBAL!" The fans screamed, making Jiyong shut his eyes in frustration.

"You heard them, hubby", Dara puckered her lips.

"Cheeseball..."

"Come on, let me kiss you. Chuuu~ chuuu", Dara insisted.

Jiyong sighed heavily and leaned down to level his cheeks with her lips. When Dara gave him a quick peck on the cheek, another pandemonium erupted among the KwonDara minions. This certainly reminded him of Dara's university days, only that it made him feel a lot more stupid now, what with the red string tied to their wrists that everyone could see.

"Had enough?" He asked with a small smile, tucking the strands of hair behind Dara's ear while she stared at him with a serious expression on her face.

"You used to be very cold to me", she reminded him.

"I was cold to everyone."

"You never smiled before."

"I had no reason to smile then."

"I love you", Dara suddenly said.

Jiyong's smile widened. "Your cheeseball power is getting stronger, huh?"

"Just making sure you'll remember that."

Before Jiyong could respond, the minions unleashed another round of spazzing. He glanced at them lazily before settling his eyes on Dara. He then held the red string tied to them and tugged Dara towards him, making everyone lose their sanity.

He smirked at the visibly shaken Dara. "Let's show them something to squeal about", he whispered and claimed her lips.

***

Jiyong had absolutely no idea what the two mushrooms were doing. They looked like they were in a power ranger combat position to protect their Dara nwoona, but he wasn't sure about that either.

The cheeseball, who was behind them, was giggling uncontrollably while watching the scene. He, on the other hand, was sitting on the pew without a frigging clue how to deal with the two little munchkins who deemed him their ultimate enemy. He was never good with kids. That's why he protested with all his might when Dara suggested that they should visit the children welfare institution where she grew up. Children welfare institution had an abundant of..*shiver*...kids. Just like these two combat heroes in front of him.

"Why did you tie Dara nwoona?!" Sehun demanded. Jongin remained silent, giving the impression that he meant super serious business.

"Sehun, Jongin, stop it. This is Jiyong. He's my boyfriend", Dara said and sat beside him.

The two lowered their tiny arms and stared at Dara with wide eyes. Then they looked at each other while frowning. "What's a boyfriend?" Jongin asked Sehun, but the latter just shrugged his shoulders in response. And then, their blinking innocent eyes zeroed in on both of them.

"Hubby?"

"Don't look at me; this was your idea. You answer that", Jiyong said while smirking at her.

"Uhmm..." Dara bit her bottom lip while trying to think of a better way to phrase her answer. "A boyfriend is someone who loves you and you love as well."

"Ahh. Sehun is my boyfriend", Jongin announced, making Jiyong choke in laughter.

"No, no, no", Dara said. "It's between adul-... Jiyong, help me out here!"

"Cookies?" Jiyong handed them cookies and the question was magically forgotten. Dara heaved a sigh of relief and watched as Sehun and Jongin crowded Jiyong, who was patting their heads with a small smile on his face.

"I want to pee pee", Sehun suddenly said. "Me too!" Jongin seconded.

"Hubby, you heard them. They want to pee pee", Dara giggled.

"All right", Jiyong gathered the two on his arms and lifted them up, making the kids squeal in excitement. "Let's go", he said, tugging the string. They went to the male restroom while Dara followed them from behind. She remained a few steps behind Jiyong, anticipating on how the cyborg would handle the two. Jiyong put the kids down and pointed at the kids' urinal.

"You know how to use that?" He asked.

"Nuh-uh", Jongin replied. Uh-oh. Dara covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. It looked like the two had not been potty-trained yet.

"Who knows how to play water gun?" Jiyong asked again. The two kids raised their hands up in the air. "Good. Who's better in playing water gun?"

"Me!" Sehun exclaimed.

"No. Me!" Jongin insisted.

"Okay, let's see who's better. Aim your pee pee on the center, just like playing a water gun. I will tell who's the winner", Jiyong announced. Dara was already choking from laughing as the two kids assumed their martial arts face once again.

"Ready. Aim. Fire", Jiyong said, and the two exerted all their effort to hit the target. As soon as they were finished, they both looked proudly at Jiyong, waiting for his approval.

"Very good. You two hit the target", he said. "It's a tie."

"Yey!" Sehun and Jongin squealed in delight for their success.

"Hyung, you pee pee too." Jongin suddenly said.

"Okay. But Dara nwoona should hold my bird for me", he playfully said, earning him a pinch on the arm from Dara.

"Jiyong, stop it."

"Nwoona, help hyung", Sehun urged her. "The bird is not heavy."

Jiyong was already laughing his head off while Dara was rapidly becoming a giant tomato.

"You heard him, nwoona. The bird is not heavy", he teased.

"Oh, shut up", Dara hissed.

_____________________________________________________________

It was how she remembered it to be. The day spent tied with Jiyong was how she remembered it when they were still bound by the magical red string. Despite the odd looks they received from the people around them, it had been very enjoyable for them. They were still able to move in tandem and with much efficiency. When they were eating, they still knew how to adjust each other's arms to accommodate the other one. They still knew the signals - tug the cord once meant they should leave, tug it twice meant they needed to go the restroom.

As they were walking leisurely on the street, Dara was silent while trailing behind Jiyong, watching his back. It was a very familiar scene. His broad back, his strawberry backpack strapped on his right shoulder, his hands shoved inside his pockets...and the red string dangling between them. Her heart raced by just staring at that familiar sight.

She then shifted her eyes on the orange sky, noticing that the sun was about to set. Her chest constricted in pain realizing that the day was now coming to an end. She had little time left. She planned to go back to the apartment and wait for the full moon, praying that what Hadana Bom told her would not be fulfilled.

Her gaze settled on Jiyong once again, her tears threatening to fall. She breathed deeply to stop it and forced herself to smile.

"CLING!" She exclaimed and hopped towards Jiyong, clinging to his arm. Unlike before, instead of eyeing her sharply, she was welcomed by Jiyong's warm smile. They walked in silence, with Jiyong letting her cling to him.

"Jiyong, Jiyong."

"Mhhhmm?"

Dara swallowed hard. It was becoming more and more impossible to suppress the pain that was tearing her heart apart.

"Do you still hum when you're shaving?" She asked.

"What?"

"Just answer it."

"Yes, I do. You weirdo", Jiyong stated lazily.

"Do you still prefer one teaspoon of sugar and two teaspoons of cream in your coffee?"

"Yes. Where is this going?"

"Do you still snore?"

"I don't snore!"

A bitter smile crossed Dara's lips as she leaned on Jiyong's shoulder while they continued walking. "Life goes on even after we were untied", she mumbled. "If I'm not beside you anymore, you'll still be fine, right?"

Jiyong frowned at her. "Why? Are you going to leave me?"

"Yes, I can't stand you", Dara teased.

"Boo. I won't let you leave me."

Dara sighed dramatically while gently rubbing his arm. "You are so lame. You can't even let me go."

"I stopped believing in letting go", Jiyong muttered in a serious tone. They were bathed in silence until they reached the hotel where they were tied, which was apparently owned by Jiyong's father.

"It feels like yesterday", Dara said. Suddenly, Jiyong's phone beeped. After reading the message, there was a deep scowl on his face.

"My father is upstairs - in the hotel's office. He wanted to talk to me about the bid contract that Jin-hyuk forfeited. Do you want to come with me?"

Dara darted her eyes on the sky and noticed that darkness was beginning to spread. She then shifted her gaze back to Jiyong, roaming her gaze on his face with a worried look.

"What's wrong?" Jiyong asked.

"Nothing", she replied and began untying the knot on Jiyong's wrist, letting the red string slide to the ground. "Go ahead and meet your dad. I'll head home."

"No. Just wait for me at the hotel lobby. I'll be quick."

"I'll just wait for you at the bench on the park."

"Okay. I'll come back quickly", he said and hurriedly headed to the entrance. He was about to step inside the hotel when Dara called him once again.

"Jiyong, Jiyong", she said. He glanced back and saw her forming a heart with her fingers. "My hubby is the best! I love love love you!! Sarang Sarang Saranghaeyo!! Wo ai ni ai ni ai ni!" She yelled.

"So cheesy", Jiyong muttered to himself while shaking his head lightly, a smile inevitably forming on his lips.

He entered the elevator, and since the outside was still visible inside the elevator, he saw Dara seemingly waiting for him. Upon seeing him, she waved merrily and formed a big heart using her arms, making him chuckle. She waved one last time, holding the end of the red string with her hand. At that point, Jiyong remembered that the strawberry backpack was still with him. He was about to call her but realized that her phone was inside.

Then, he received an email on his phone. He was interchangeably looking at Dara below and checking his phone when the subject and sender caught his attention.

To: Kwon Jiyong

From: Sandara Park

Subject: To my cyborg hubby

Jiyong smiled, thinking that this was another one of her cheeseball attacks. Upon opening the email and reading the first sentence, his eyes widened and his heart doubled its pace.

I sincerely pray that I'm still alive while you're reading this.

Jiyong pressed his hands on the elevator, frantically looking for Dara. He felt like he was being robbed of his breath as his heart pounded painfully inside his chest. He saw her crossing the street, her wrist still tied with the red string while holding the other end with her hand.

Dara. What the fuck is this?

It was as if time stopped and fast forwarded when he witnessed what happened next. A car parked on a curb suddenly started speeding and hit Dara, her body rolling on the street. Jiyong felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. He could see the seemingly lifeless body of Dara lying on the street, a pool of blood rapidly staining her dress, but he refused to believe it.

"D-Dara", he mumbled in a hoarse voice. This is not happening. They were just tied by the red string a while ago. She was just waving at him on that spot. She was just making a heart sign...She was just there a while ago. She was there...

"Cheeseball, don't do this to me", he pleaded helplessly, unable to stop his tears from falling.

To-Do List

5. Spend my last breath with Jiyong - with a red string tied on our wrists.

Writer's Note:

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2 Chapters to go + Epilogue!

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