Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been busy with moving back to uni, but here we are, another chapter :) also, who else is hyped about all the comebacks that are going to happen?? BTS and SHINee are coming back next month, and Bigbang is coming back sometime before the end of the year, it's so exciting!!

Seungri was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information there was about parallel universes. There were many anecdotes from different people who had claimed to be to parallel universes - and a wide variety of 'experiences', too.

'One time I went to a parallel universe, and there were monsters and machines fighting. I lived there for two weeks and it was totally crazy. I danced with a cat, and then magically I was back home'

Seungri snorted. That one was clearly just someone making up a bad story for attention. It was completely unbelievable, and unrealistic. Jonghyun chuckled. "Yeah, I know, some of them are pretty bad. Some are better though. Look at this one." He pointed at the screen.

'I think I travelled to a parallel universe - several, perhaps. I should preface this by saying that I'm a very rational person - and I have a very good memory. I wouldn't believe it myself, if it hadn't happened to me.

It began with little things. I would be sure that I'd had a particular conversation with someone, but they would tell me that of course we hadn't spoken about that. I would leave my things somewhere in my house, and be completely unable to find it later on. It got to the point where I began to think that I simply couldn't trust my own memory. I started to leave post it notes around to help me remember where I had put things, but they would often disappear without a trace - some days they would be there, sometimes not. I questioned by brother about it, thinking that it would just be him messing with me, but every time he would claim it wasn't him.

It really began to affect my life, just enough to think that I was going mad, but not enough that anyone else would believe that it was anything other than me being absent minded. That is, until it got even worse.

One day, around two years ago, I woke up on what seemed to be a normal day. The sun was shining, and for once my brother, who was 15 years old, wasn't bothering me. I lay in bed for a good while, and was happy that I wasn't being disturbed. I eventually decided to get up, and I got dressed and went downstairs. In my living room, where I would have expected my brother to be, there was a strange girl sat on the sofa, looking for all the world like she had the right to be there. I was understandably shocked, and I screamed for her to get out. Her only reaction was for her to roll her eyes at me, and make her way to what should have been my brother's bedroom.

I followed the girl after a minute of trying to process what had happened, and upon entering the bedroom, I knew that this was much bigger than me being absent minded, or a random girl in my house. Where the room should have been covered in posters of football players, and carpeted in dirty socks, it was pink, and tidy, and covered in boy group posters.

I spent the rest of that day locked in my room, hoping that if I didn't think about it too deeply, it would go away. The next day, I was woken up by my brother, and I had never been so grateful to see him in my life. Ever since then I have had no problems like I'd experienced before that day. I still don't know exactly what went on, but I hope I never have to go through such an ordeal again.'

As Seungri read this, he felt the hairs at the back of his neck stand up. Although there was no way to be completely sure, it sounded as though this person had had a real experience with parallel universes - just as he had. He turned to Jonghyun, who was grinning. "It's so interesting, isn't it?" Jonghyun said eagerly. Seungri could only nod.

He couldn't believe that there really might be people out there who had had similar experiences as him. Amidst the confusion that had permeated much of the past month or so, it just hadn't occurred to him that he may not be the only one who had been to a parallel universe. Who knows, there may even be many, many different universes.

He handed Jonghyun's phone back to him, trying to seem nonchalant. "I guess it's pretty cool, yeah." He hesitated. "You know, I... I've..." He trailed off. Jonghyun looked expectant. Jonghyun had shown a lot of interest in parallel universes, right? He wouldn't think Seungri was crazy if he tried to tell Jonghyun that he regularly travelled to a parallel universe, would he? But then, liking something in theory was very different from confronting it in real life, and travelling to a different universe completely was something that people just didn't go around to admitting to being to freely.

Seungri chuckled slightly. "Um.. I've really enjoyed visiting you today?" Jonghyun laughed back, oblivious to Seungri's internal conflict. "I've enjoyed it too! You know, Seungri, I'm slightly surprised - I didn't think you would be at all like you are on TV, and I've admired you for a while. But you are, you're nicer than I thought you might be." Seungri couldn't help but take this as a compliment, and so he did.

Seungri smiled widely. "Thank you! You're easier to talk to than I thought you might be too. It's been fun!" Jonghyun smiled back, and Seungri really began to feel fully at ease here. "I'm not always very good at making friends with other idols, you know. Lots of them just want to say that they know me because I'm in Bigbang. It can be difficult sometimes."

As Jonghyun and Seungri talked, Seungri hadn't noticed Kibum walk into the room. Seungri couldn't quite read the expression on his face, but given that he was relatively used to having Kibum yell at him for something or other, Seungri automatically prepared himself for that.

Surprisingly, Kibum barely noticed Seungri, and went to stand behind the sofa behind Jonghyun. Kibum put his hand on Jonghyun's shoulder, looking concerned (an expression Seungri hadn't seen much of during his time in the other world). "I heard Taemin fussing over you earlier," Kibum said. "How are you? Are you okay?" Jonghyun rolled his eyes - presumably this was something he got a lot from Kibum?

"I'm fine, and you know it," was Jonghyun's reply. "You really don't need to worry about me so much all the time. I'm just tired." It was Kibum's turn to roll his eyes. Seungri began to feel like he was in the middle of something bigger between the two of him, and he occupied himself with checking his sns. Oh, look at that, Seunghyun hyung posted more pictures of weird art on his instagram.

"You know that I..... I have to make sure you're alright. You know, for our performances. And stuff." Kibum side-eyed Seungri as he said this, adding to Seungri feeling more than a little unwelcome. Kibum squeezed Jonghyun's shoulder, and moved over to the kitchen to make himself some food. Seungri didn't quite know what to say about that interaction, and Jonghyun didn't say anything else wither, so he just kept looking at other things.

As the silence continued, Seungri found his eyes wandering. On the walls were various posters of SHINee, in several eras. At this point, Seungri was used to seeing himself included in group promotional posters, and it felt odd to see the other five members without him. On the other hand, during his time in the other world, it had always felt just as odd to see posters of SHINee including him. It seemed as though he was just stuck in a limbo of not quite being used to it, ever.

As the door opened, Seungri instinctively turned towards it. Taemin walked in the door, with shopping bags in his hands. "You're back!" Seungri exclaimed. Taemin looked slightly confused, and went to put whatever it was that he bought in his room. Seungri sat in silence with Jonghyun for a few more minutes, until Taemin returned from his room.

"So what did you buy, Taemin?" Seungri asked. Taemin gave him an odd look. "Why do you care?" Seungri was taken aback. He was completely used to Taemin telling him anything and everything he wanted to know, and having Taemin holding secrets from him was something completely new.

"Um... I was just curious?" Taemin nodded, seemingly content with that answer, and he went to sit back down next to Seungri and Jonghyun. Kibum seemed to have finished rattling around in the kitchen, and he left for his room after giving Jonghyun's shoulder a final squeeze.

"What have you two been up to then?" Taemin asked. "Not very much." Jonghyun replied first. Well, that wasn't technically very true, they had done things.

"Well, we did have a very interesting conversation," Seungri clarified. Taemin raised an eyebrow, and so Seungri continued. "Jonghyun showed me this really cool website about parallel universes, and we had a really good conversation about it. It was pretty fun." At this, Taemin turned to look at Jonghyun with an amused expression.

"I swear I didn't force him into it! He was interested all on his own!" Jonghyun defended himself. "I'm not the only one who's interested in that stuff, you know. Just because you aren't doesn't mean other people can't be." Seungri laughed at this very familiar interaction. "I have this problem with the members of Bigbang too. They just don't understand it!"

Jonghyun laughed too, and they felt united as Taemin pouted at being ganged up on. For once, Seungri really wasn't the only one who was interested in other worlds, and it felt great.

**

That evening, Jiyong hyung called him up out of nowhere. "You were meant to come see us today, Seungri." Jiyong said. Seungri could almost see the pout that was probably on the leader's face. "Sorry hyung, I went to see Taemin today, and I just forgot about it." He felt a slight pang of guilt about it, he did like spending time with his Bigbang members too. He couldn't help himself from telling Jiyong about what he'd done instead though. "I had a really interesting conversation with Jonghyun as well. Did you know that he's really into parallel universes? He showed me -"

"That again, Seungri? Really?" Jiyong cut him off. "What's with your obsession with parallel universes these days?" Seungri frowned. Oh, right, most other people weren't interested in parallel universes like he and Jonghyun. Although for him it wasn't simply an obsession, it was a very real concern, and he wanted to know as much about it as possible. He sighed. "It's not an obsession, I'm just... very interested in them, that's all." Jiyong snorted. "That's what an obsession is, Seungri." Oh. Right.

Seungri chewed his lip as he thought about what to say next. "Hyung, what if I told you..." No, he couldn't do that. He couldn't try to tell Jiyong what was really going on. He'd just been tempted a lot today by spending time with Jonghyun, and talking about the topic a lot. "Seungri? What if you told me what?"

"Uuh...." For once, Seungri's mind was blank. "Whatever, Seungri. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Don't forget this time." Jiyong hung up on him. At least he didn't accidentally make Jiyong think that he was insane... that was the bright side to this, right? It just wasn't helpful that whatever Seungri thought tended to come right out of his mouth.