WARNING: 

Contains Major Character Death, confusing angst, and other content that some do not approve of. If you are an emotional person or you do not like angst, please read ALTERNATE ENDING #2. If you chose to read this ending, then it is of your own free will, not mine. If you have any questions remember to ask. You have been warned.

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During the week, Seungri felt like he was walking on a tightrope, hundreds of feet off the ground. He couldn’t yell, talk, or look around. He had to keep walking or he would fall off the rope. He didn’t know what would be at the end of the rope. He hoped that his dream was standing there, waiting for him.

Daesung had talked to him earlier, asking if he wanted to go to a restaurant with the other group members one last time. Seungri agreed, feeling like maybe he could forget that he was officially leaving the group in less than 48 hours. Seungri sighs and looks around the dorm room. He had already found an apartment in a different town. He would not miss this cramped little dorm when he leaves, he would just miss the people that lived with him. His chest pains start up again, and Seungri passes them off as his just being sad because he’s leaving.

Suddenly, Daesung taps Seungri on the shoulder, making the younger boy jump. Daesung smiles at Seungri, who smiles back and greets him. “So,” Daesung wiggles his eyebrows playfully, “are you gonna tell him tonight?”

He feels lightheaded, probably from the stress of the situation. “I plan on it.”

“Well good luck sir. Let’s hope for the best!”

“Yes, lets.”

Daesung pulls Seungri out of the apartment. They chat on the way to the restaurant. Seungri feels grateful that Daesung was his friend. When they arrive, Seungri can see that Youngbae and Seunghyun are already there, waiting for everyone else to show up. Youngbae smiles brightly when he spots Daesung and Seungri and he walks over to them. Seunghyun walks over too, but he looks more irritated than happy. Youngbae hugs both Daesung and Seungri. “We’ve been waiting, but not too long.” Youngbae says, glad that both of them made it. Glad that they at least get one last supper before their group is changed forever. Seunghyun bows to both of the men and speaks.

“Jiyong will be a little late, let’s go find our table now.” He informs and the other three nod and follow him to the waitress, who shows them the way to their table. They get seated in a booth next to the restaurant’s red walls. Their table is a smooth wood with a dark finish, and the seats were firm but comfortable to sit on. The light over the table was more articulate than modern, illuminating everything just perfectly.

Seungri sits next to the wall, with Daesung to his immediate right and Youngbae right across from him. Seunghyun sat next to Daesung. They sat and they chatted about random things. It was almost like Seungri wasn’t going to leave anymore, that it was just another supper with the group. It made Seungri brave enough to look around on his tightrope. Everything was calm now.

“Ah, there he is!” Seunghyun says, and Seungri snaps his head to the right to see who Seunghyun was talking about. He feels his heart flutter when he sees the person. It was Jiyong and… and a girl holding onto his arm. They… they looked beautiful together. Seungri holds his tongue and forces a smile, he wants nothing more than to shrink back into the corner and scream. But he can’t, so he stays in silence. Daesung glares at Jiyong for a moment, knowing full well what Jiyong was doing. That bastard. He thinks bitterly. He looks over to Youngbae, who has a fake smile plastered on his face as well. They make eye contact for a split second, but a split second is all they need to know what the other is thinking. Jiyong sits down next to Youngbae, bringing his new girlfriend with him. Jiyong ignores the tense air around the table, instead he plays the innocent card.

“Jiyong, is this the reason why you were late?” Seunghyun jokes and Jiyong nods. The moment is interrupted when Seungri lets out a loud sigh. The youngest had his eyes closed, his face was monotone and dry. He was silent before he finally opens his eyes. Seungri looks around to see Daesung and Youngbae looking at him with concern. Seunghyun and Jiyong continue their conversation, but one more set of eyes stay set on Seungri. Seungri ignores the eyes and begins to rub the back of his neck. I need to stop being so tense. It’s probably just Jiyong’s cousin.

The girl who arrived with Jiyong whispers in his ear, the two move out of the booth and switch spots. She seems nervous, but manages to get the attention of three. She looks at Seungri and smiles. “I hope you guys don’t mind me intruding on your dinner. My name is Mai-Lin.” Daesung smiles back and bows slightly.

“It’s okay, we were just a bit thrown off. Hopefully we didn’t make you uncomfortable earlier.” Daesung apologizes. Youngbae shakes his head.

Mai-Lin glances at Seungri, then at the menu. “I notice that you seem stressed Seungri.”

“I am.”

Jiyong butts in at this time. “Leaving a group is a very stressful time, Mai-Lin.” Jiyong regrets saying that because he can feel the glares on him. Daesung crosses his arms over his chest while Youngbae grits his teeth. Seungri felt the push, but he hoped no one would pull just yet. Dinner was going so smoothly until… until, blegh. Seungri couldn’t even will himself to think of it.

Soon a waiter comes by and takes their orders. When he leaves, everyone is silent. Seungri closes his eyes again.

Youngbae couldn’t believe it when he saw it. Jiyong, being the dumb bastard he was, decided to being poor Mai-Lin into a delicate situation. He knew the angle Jiyong was trying to pull. He was trying to show Seungri that he was letting him go, but bringing a new girlfriend was very damaging to whatever relationship he had with Seungri. This was a whole new level of . This was not what Jiyong described to him at all. Jiyong was supposed to talk to Seungri, not send the kid another package of stress and heartbreak. Youngbae looks over at Seungri, who has his eyes closed again. He sighs and turns to Mai-Lin.

“How much did he pay you?” He whispers. Mai-Lin looks shocked, but pulls out an envelope from her purse and a pen. She writes down a number that makes Youngbae almost gasp in shock. Jiyong was desperate and she felt bad for taking the money. Mai-Lin looks away in shame. Youngbae doesn’t blame her, he would do that too, but worse if he knew the situation. Jiyong leans over to Mai-Lin at this time and decides to peck her on the cheek. She looks embarrassed by this action, but Youngbae can see her hands balled up into fists.

Seungri feels his mouth start to water and stomach acid start to come up. He retches. “Excuse, I need to use the restroom.” Seungri suddenly says, making Daesung and Seunghyun scoot out of the booth. “Do you need me to come with you?” Daesung asks, but Seungri says no. Daesung watches nervously as Seungri jogs away while holding his mouth, he turns to Youngbae with worry in his expression. “I hope he’s alright.”

“He’ll be fine.” Seunghyun says in a gruff voice. He fiddles with his straw. Daesung glares at Seunghyun, “And what makes you say that?”

Seunghyun turns to Daesung with an unfamiliar look in the elder’s eyes. It almost seemed like adoration and hope. “Seungri has been through a lot, but through his hardships, I feel as if he’s gotten stronger as a person.”

Daesung sighs. “I guess you’re right, hyung.”

“Of course I am.”

Seungri runs into the nearest stall and heaves. All that comes up is stomach acid, which left a nauseating taste in Seungri’s mouth. He walks out of the stall and over to the sinks. Once he was done washing his hands, he dries them and returns to the mirrors. Seungri looks in the mirror, his eyes trail up till he is looking at himself through the mirror. He looks deranged and sad. He puts a hand on either side of the white sink and looks away from his unsettling reflection. He couldn’t bear it, this wasn’t who he wanted to be at all. This wasn’t Lee Seunghyun anymore, nor was this Victory or V.I. This was a broken man who was on the verge of a breakdown. His love, if he should ever call it love, left him cold and pathetic, like some sort of animal. Love… What a cruel joke. If you love something, then why would you hurt it so much? Why wouldn’t you go after the thing you love? Why wouldn’t you pursue happiness? Maybe you don’t need love to be happy. He winces from the burning pain in his chest, right between his shoulder blades. He was so tense, he could feel it in how much his shoulders had pained him recently. He looks in the mirror, but quickly turns away when he feels the room start to spin. He breaks out into a cold sweat. Seungri makes sure to keep a tight grip on the sides of the sink in case he falls from being to dizzy.

Seungri takes one last look before he closes his eyes.

In his mind, he is falling. The tightrope had snapped, making Seungri fall down. He closes his eyes, he hits the ground but the impact wasn’t as profound as he expected it to be.  He opens his eyes and looks around. He notices that he must’ve tripped over a top step and was laying on wooden floors. He notices the empty hallway, and at the end of the hallway is a black door. A tall, black, iron door with bolts around the perimeter of the door. He gets up and slowly walks towards it.

Another person joins him. Seungri turns around. It’s Lee Soohyuk, wearing a fine tailored suit. He walks up to Seungri, wearing a nice smile on his face. “I bet you’re wondering about that door.” Soohyuk motions to the door, Seungri follows his hand and nods. Soohyuk smirks and places his right hand on the small of Seungri’s back. “Then follow me, Seungri-ah.” He leads Seungri down the hallway. It is silent except for the footsteps of the two men.

Seungri opens his eyes, his breathing is heavy and his pupils were dilated. His entire body was shaking. He needs to go now. Seungri runs out of the bathroom and out of the restaurant, not caring if someone saw him or not. He runs, and he runs till he reaches a place that looks like where the dorm is. He looks at his reflection in the glass door, but instead of his face, he sees Soohyuk. Seungri lets go of the door quickly and bolts in an unknown direction, he didn’t know where he was going just as long as he was far away from anyone or anything.

Daesung watches the waiter come by with their food and serves it to the group. He looks over the waiter to see if Seungri coming their direction yet or not. Youngbae taps the table and clears his throat, “Daesung, your order.” Daesung notices the plate being held to him. He takes it and apologizes.

“What’s wrong, Daesung? Usually you’re not this distracted.” Jiyong asks Daesung. Before Daesung could snap, Mai-Lin answers the question for the anxious man.

“Seungri’s been in the bathroom for a long time. He is worried.” She says simply, but there is a hint of worry in her tone. Seunghyun looks in the direction of the bathrooms in curiosity. He puts his utensils down and gets up from the booth. “I’ll go check if he’s alright.”

Daesung doesn’t calm down though. Seunghyun walks away. Daesung watches as Seunghyun disappears behind the door. Moments later, a frazzled looking Seunghyun emerges. Daesung’s eyes widen, already anticipating the worst.

“He wasn’t in there.”

Seungri wanders alone down the dark alleyway. It wasn’t a safe plan, but he didn’t want to see his reflection. His mind flickers randomly between his dream and real life. One moment he’s walking down the alley, the next he’s with Soohyuk in a hallway. Oh Seungri-ah, just close your eyes.

His eyes begin to droop, his pace slows down till he’s stumbling and holding onto the brick wall to his right. He feels his heart flutter in his chest. Seungri stops for a moment. His visions blurs, making him feel woozy.

That’s when it hit him. He’s going die alone in an alleyway, probably killed by some hobo or delinquent. His chest begins to feel tight and the air gets out of him. He kneels over and hits the ground while holding his chest. Seungri groans out in pain.

His eyes close again.

He is in the hallway again, with Soohyuk guiding him down the hallway. But Seungri doesn’t want to visit the door anymore. He hits Soohyuk’s hand away and sneers. “I don’t wanna be here! Why do you keep bringing me back?” Soohyuk sighs and faces Seungri.

“I want to show you the door.”

“But I don’t want to be shown the door. I can see it from here.”

“Don’t you want to see what is on the other side?”

“Not really, no.”

Soohyuk looks at the door, then back at Seungri. He runs a hand through his hair. “Seungri, you are really difficult, you know that.” Seungri doesn’t get a chance to answer before he’s being drug down the hallway again. “Hey let me go!” He struggles in Soohyuk’s grip, but the other man is just too strong.

“You just have to see what’s on the other side.”

Daesung shoots out of his seat and bolts past Seunghyun, Youngbae decides to climb over the table and follows Daesung. Mai-Lin dials for her friend who has tracking dogs. Seunghyun doesn’t know what to do, so he stands in his spot with his eyes open in fear. Mai-Lin pushes Jiyong out of the booth and her way.

“My friend said that he’d be at the dorms in ten minutes, we’ve got to hurry.” She says frantically. They both run out of the restaurant, Jiyong is left behind but he decides to pay the bill and explains what happened to everyone.

When Mai-Lin and Seunghyun reach the dorm building, a short man is standing outside with a German Shepard on a leash. “Suga, we need to find Seungri, he’s gone missing.”

“Do you guys have a scent?” Suga asks. Seunghyun shakes his head. “We’d have to go up to the dorm to find something.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Go.”

Seunghyun runs inside. Suga looks at Mai-Lin with a distant look on his face. “Seungri wasn’t the young man who was saved recently?”

Mai-Lin shrugs. “I don’t know. All I know is that he’s missing and Daesung is really upset. So obviously something serious is going on.” Suga throws his head back and curses loudly.

“I hope to god it isn’t Lee Seungri. That man has been through too much.”

Seunghyun comes out the door at that moment, holding a t-shirt that belongs to Seungri. Suga gladly takes it and puts it in front of his dog’s nose. She sniffs it carefully, then begins the follow a scent on the ground. She pulls Suga along, who has to break out into a fast jog. Mai-Lin and Seunghyun follow behind, calling for Seungri.

Seungri tries to slip away from Soohyuk, but Soohyuk holds onto Seungri even tighter. “Trust me, you’ll enjoy this.” They get closer and closer to the door, and as they get closer Seungri feels his chest tighten even more with each step. “Soohyuk, at least slow down please.” Soohyuk doesn’t listen.

He only stops when they reach the door, Seungri almost kneels over trying to catch his breath. Soohyuk doesn’t even spare him a glance. “Get up.” He demands.

“W-what?” Seungri looks up to see a cold gaze set on him. He almost shivers underneath its power.

“I said get up.” Soohyuk repeats in a warning tone.

Seungri quickly gets up. He watches as Soohyuk reaches for the door handle. His heart races as the pale hand tries to jiggle it open. Soon Seungri hears a screeching sound, like when hinges need to be oiled. The door slowly swings open, and at first it is pitch black inside. Soohyuk motions for Seungri to go inside, but when Seungri doesn’t go, he pushes the younger man in. Soohyuk follows, shutting the door behind him. Then it was silent in the hallway again.

Daesung runs out into the street screaming for Seungri. Mai-Lin is just behind him, yelling for him to stop and wait. But Daesung is too frantic for that. “Daesung! Youngbae! Wait!” Seunghyun yells, running after the two frantic men. Youngbae turns around, showing the others his deeply pained expression. He sees the dog, then Suga, and he knows that they will find Seungri… But will they find him in time?

The group follows Suga and his dog to an alleyway, and then Daesung bolts. He runs to the end when a limp and lifeless body lays. He screams out in horror, falling to his knees, then cradling Seungri’s head in his lap. Youngbae, Mai-Lin, Seunghyun, and Suga join Daesung in his crying. Their tears were relentless.

But their tears couldn’t bring Seungri back, nothing could.