[CONTENTID1]Three[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]“Do you need help?”

Seungri was struggling with the coffee machine in the middle of night. He almost gave Youngbae a fright when he first saw him.

“Yes,” Seungri gave a little laugh. “My arm isn’t helping.”

Youngbae poured him some and sat beside him drinking water. “Shouldn’t you be asleep right now? Why coffee?”

“I don’t feel like sleeping,” Seungri sipped his coffee looking ahead as if thinking of world abomination. “Coffee relaxes me.”

“I thought you were into cola instead.”

Seungri smiled. “That too.”

Youngbae didn’t know why he was sitting here at three in the morning talking with Seungri about coffee and freaking cola. He only came to their shared hotel little kitchen for a bottle of water. Not to chitchat with Seungri.

He doesn’t do chitchatting with Seungri.

 But on the other hand he was a little worried about him, he wasn’t the same ever since his little accident. Youngbae couldn’t put a finger on it but something was…strange.

It was like Seungri lost more than a little part of his memory. Youngbae was weary of Seungri’s depressive behaviour as of late. Thankfully he wasn’t as serious in the MC parts of their Japanese dome concerts but he was sometimes inflexible to any type of teasing.

It didn’t help that Seungri seemed to hate the earth Jiyong walked on. Youngbae didn’t know why. Seungri was never openly hostile toward Jiyong –not even when he made him suffer. Seungri always tolerated Jiyong, his tantrums and his needy self.

He loved him.

There. Youngbae said it.

He knew Seungri loved Jiyong for that he wouldn’t put up with him otherwise. Youngbae always thought that the problem laid in his best friend and his stupid games. He was the one who did everything to pin Seungri by his side even if he had to break him in the process.

Youngbae was aware of all of that but he chose to remain in the shadows. He refused to interfere in their relationship because…well, it wasn’t his business. Period.

But now it seemed like Seungri was so not in love with Jiyong anymore.

Or maybe it was another game of theirs.

Youngbae couldn’t keep up with them anymore.

All he cared about at the moment was Seungri’s well-being. He had an intuition that Seungri was stumbling to depression. He didn’t update his Instagram. He didn’t go out with his friends and he didn’t party –which was entirely unbelievable.

Worrisome.

Seungri’s state was worrisome even for Youngbae who swore a long time ago to never interfere with his life.

“Hyung?”

“Yeah?” Youngbae answered as quickly as he could feeling the hesitant tone in Seungri’s voice.

He shook his head. “Nothing.”

“You can talk to me if you want,” Youngbae spoke softly willing Seungri to open up to him or to anyone at that matter. “I know I am not exactly the best option but I will listen to you.”

“Don’t say that,” A certain sadness crossed Seungri’s tired features. “I feel comfortable when I talk to you.”

Youngbae was taken aback.

He feels comfortable when he talked to him?

Seungri was taking him by surprise more and more these days. For once he spends time with him more than with Jiyong and second he was telling him things he never did in the past.

“What’s stopping you from telling me what’s wrong then?”

“It doesn’t depend on me alone,” Seungri patted Youngbae’s shoulder while getting up. “If it was up to me I would’ve told you already.”

Youngbae should not ask the question that twirled his head but he did anyway. “Is it about Jiyong?”

“No,” Seungri stopped and turned toward him, a certain expression of defiance in his eyes. “Do you like it when Jiyong hyung and I are together?”

Youngbae had to take a little pause to absorb what Seungri just asked him. They never talked about that part of their lives even when they both knew what was going on. Thinking hard about an answer, Youngbae opted for the truth.

“It’s none of my business.”

Okay. That was half the truth because Youngbae cared about it even if it was indeed none of his business.

“I am making it your business right now.”

“What do you want me to say, huh?” Youngbae was still shocked about Seungri’s persistence over this exact subject. Was he asking for a confrontation? Right here, right now? “Jiyong is my best friend and I am happy whenever he is.”

Seungri advanced toward him, his coffee laid forgotten on the table. “What about me hyung?”

“What about you?” Youngbae felt like he was trapped –and he didn’t like it when he’s cornered.

“What about my feelings?”

“You’re a grown person who can make his own decisions.”

Youngbae told him the flat out truth. It doesn’t matter what he or Jiyong thought. Everything was up to Seungri. He was the one to make his life decisions. They couldn’t interfere.

Or at least Youngbae wouldn’t. He wasn’t so sure about Jiyong.

“Right,” Seungri gave him a fake smile. “I am sorry for bothering you hyung.”

Youngbae clutched his arm. “Why are you doing this? Is there something I should know about?”

Seungri looked like he wanted to say everything but really couldn’t. As if he was bound by an oath to keep his mouth shut.

A phone beeped interrupting their moment and Seungri looked at him one last time before turning to his phone. After reading what seemed like a message. Seungri’s features turned to a bright smile that almost stopped Youngbae’s heart. He rarely saw that genuine warm smile. It even felt different this time.

Seungri hugged him then. It was short an