Ride or Die

Connecting

Five years ago, YG was able to convince Dara to move away and to live far away from Jiyong for their wellbeing. He asked her to never contact Jiyong while she's away. He will provide whatever she needs without meddling with however she uses it. She can decide where to live, or what to do with her life.

She changed her name, YG was able to reach deep and wide enough to be able to delete everything about her. It was as if she never existed.

Five years ago, Dara flew to the US as Samantha Kwon, a Korean-American exchange student. She lived in a nice apartment provided by YG. She decided to continue her studies. Upon arrival on the US, she took the entrance exam on an Ivy League university and passed it. She was again, aloof, and she had a hard time adjusting to the new environment and again, she's that-quiet-girl in class. Although her classmates treated her well, she barely mingled.

Her apartment is just a few blocks away from the university. She made sure she made good use of the money YG provided. Her apartment was nice and huge. She got herself a grand piano, a mini library, and few cameras.

She spent her free days roaming around the parks, the streets, the tourist spots. Making sure to capture all the new memories she's making.

She made few good friends, mostly her classmates. She hoped these new hobbies and her new friends would help her forget Bom, Youngbae, Daesung, Seungri, TOP, and specially Jiyong. But being with her new friends, she can't help but think about the ones she left back home.

Being a beauty that she is, she can't help but attract a number of admirers. Try as she might, she just can't get herself to open up to them. No matter how much she tried, she always end up politely declining dates and gifts.

The nice but empty apartment felt cold no matter the weather. She has no troubles, she has resources, she's studying, but everything just felt pointless. It was all empty and meaningless without family and friends.

About two months later after moving to the US, she received news that she wasn't expecting at all. This news shook her. She didn't know what to do, or who to run to. She wanted to hide. She wanted to go back home. She wanted to run away.

She was pregnant.

She didn't know what to do.

She called home to ask Sanghyun to accompany her in the US. He just finished high school. Their family decided to allow Sanghyun to live with her older sister where he'll be studying as well.

Dara endured all the hardships alone. Not wanting to bother Sanghyun. She cried every night, until she felt like she has no more tears to cry. This made her stronger. Being pregnant was difficult for her as well. But it changed her. She wanted to be smarter, to be stronger, and to be better for her child. She endured for her baby. All of this put together, it became her motivation to strive harder. Living away from home is not so bad after all, especially when Sanghyun came, and now that she's expecting.

She attended the university while pregnant, Sanghyun attended the same university, too. Her new friends were all very supportive of her. They were all excited for her. They knew she's not their usual exchange students. From her strange requests like not taking any photo of her or her brother, not posting about her on social media, and not talking to people asking about her, they knew they had to protect her somehow, and that, they did. She was very thankful.

Those few months flew by swiftly, she gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl, and her baby looked so much like her, except for her eyes. The baby has her mother's round eyes, but the color of her father's eyes is very evident, light brown, nature's eyes, the color of the soil, wood, and trees, those deep swirls of brown that colored Jiyong's eyes, their baby has it perfectly replicated in her eyes. She named her Faith. The faith Dara has for her undying love for Jiyong, and for Jiyong's love for her. Faith Kwon. Faith changed Dara's life.