Daesung was a fussy man, very much so, but he liked to keep his secrets so no one ever really knows. Therefore, as he glared at the empty container in front of him, he couldn't help but feel like the start of one hell of a bad week.

It was 5:45 AM in Japan, where he was staying for the production of his 4th studio album under YGEX. He's been having fun so far, but he has also been working non-stop to make his album come into fruition. All the stress was getting to him and he was just too tired for this, first thing in the morning.

Among the members, Daesung had the best looking 'just woke up' face. Seunghyun-hyung looked at least 2 years beyond his age, Bae-hyung couldn't open his eyes and would bump into things, Jiyong-hyung looked like a zombie needing more sleep, and his dongsaeng unconsciously pouts all morning and rubs at his panda eyes.

It's been so long since they've all lived together, but they've had enough all-night recording sessions for Daesung to know that they've kept some of their habits. 

Daesung, though, woke up like he was in one of those perfect movie scenes: not a hair out of place, a smile on his face, and his skin as golden as the morning sun.

And he was damn proud of it.

It was not like he didn't work for it, anyway. Daesung had a routine, one that included a religious application of a special face cream in the morning, after he's taken his bath. It was called 23, because it tightened his pores, moisturized his skin, and kept him looking 23. It was so effective he hadn't changed brands ever since Seungri introduced it to him five years ago.

It was given as a gift at first, for no occassion. It was what Hanna had been using so Seungri bought some for the both of them, because the rest of the members had their own brands and only Daesung was willing to try the cheap ones with him. Daesung had no qualms about the price; to him it was all about the effectivity. He had given it a week, Seungri smiled when he approved of it the week after.

It was only sold in South Korea and he remembers Seungri telling him that the owner was from Gwangju. She was a dermatologist who moved to Seoul to start her business. That's how Hanna came to know of the shop. 

Deasung liked it because it was practical and by buying it, he was helping small local businesses. Those may have been Seungri's words, but they were right.

So the problem was, Daesung didn't know how to get more, not while he was in Japan. He could have had it shipped, but he'd be coming back to Korea in six days, anyway. 

He looked at the time on his phone and realized it was already 6AM. He was needed at the studio at 6:15. He'd have to go without it, he thought. Given, his complexion was still amazing, but Daesung felt like there was something missing. 

"Six days isn't too long," he convinced himself. "I'll be just fine."

Turned out, though, he wasn't exactly right.

His manager had called, calling in sick and unable to pick him up. He got himself a taxi and also almost got himself a heart attack because the driver was so obviously in need of a shut eye, he was literally nodding off. When he arrived at the studio, the air conditioner was being more than a little difficult and refused to cooperate with any one of them. None of his recordings sounded right in his ears, despite the encouragements of his Japanese producer. So when 9AM hit the clock, he was sweaty and frustrated and it didn't seem like he got anything actually done. 

He had an interview at a cafe just near the studio for Goodmorning, Japan! and he was suppossed to be there at 9:30, according to the schedule his manager sent him a while ago. He bowed his thanks to his colleagues, took another cab, this time making sure to chat up the driver to ascertain his lucidity. 

He reached the set and walked up to the director. "Hiwatari-san," he greeted. "Good morning."

"D-Lite-san," she greeted back, "you're looking a little haggard this morning." The once over she gave him told of how much that was an understatement. He didn't mean to look like he'd just ran a marathon in dress shoes, fell over a couple of times, and barely remembered to get back up. There was even a purple stain on his white - white - pants, from which he had no idea, don't ask him. He just wished his hair didn't look as much of a tangled mess as it felt.

He sighed resignedly. He accepted that this was going to be his day, and he had to brace himself for a scolding from the boss if he ended up getting this interview rescheduled when the album was set to be released two months from now.

The director gave him a pitying stare. "See that woman over there?" she said, pointing to a short, chubby woman with shoulder-length auburn hair and whisky eyes. "We call her Riku-chan. She's our resident stylist. Maybe she can help you."

Riku-chan was cute, Daesung thought. But with his luck today, he would probably fall on his face before he can charm a smile out of her. 

He miserably made his way to Riku-chan, and her eyes flew to him in an instant. "D-Lite-san!" she exclaimed as a way of greeting, "What happened? It's only 10AM." 

She gave off a vibe as if they were friends, distantly close and familiar. "I don't look too bad, do I?"

"Oh, no, no," she reassured, "you're adorable. The image just won't do for the interview; what will all the viewers say?"

"You're right," he voiced, stronger now that she found him adorable. "So, can you please help me, maybe?"

She tutted and looked him up and down. She pulled a regretful look on her face. "With hair and make-up, definitely. But I'm afraid we don't have clothes for you on hand, D-Lite-san. All we have in our wardrobe is for women, it'll all be a tight fit - unless you're into tight fit's and a lot of frills."

Daesung laughed. "I don't... I don't think so."

"I might be able to offer some assisstance," a voice sounded in accented Japanese.

Daesung was eternally surprised to see Seungri's manager behind him. Seungri had insisted that his manager also learn the languages with Seungri so that he wouldn't have to need to translate for him everytime. Daesung knew Seungri wouldn't mind translating everything, maybe tell him off once in a while because Seungri was a busy man, but it just wasn't practical in his line of work not to learn. Kim Jung Gun wasn't as fluent as his ward, but he was okay.

"Annyeong, Daesung-ah," the manager continued in Korean. "You're having a rough morning without Hyun Goon?"

Daesung gave him a brotherly hug. "You have no idea, hyung. What are you doing here?"

Jung Gun smiled widely. "Seungri sent me. He called your manager and found out he was sick. Then he called me yelling to take care of you. He sounded stressed, it was funny. He even told me to feed you well and to take you to the restaurant you liked just by the studio."

"Really?" Daesung's heart melted at the gesture. They had a sweet maknae. "I'll make sure to thank him later."

"Anyway," continued Jung Gun in Japanese so that the stylist could understand. "I have some of V.I-san's clothes at the back of the van. Maybe you can use them in the meantime, he wouldn't mind."

Daesung agreed. Seungri wasn't a particulary selfish person. Over the years, Daesung found out that Seungri was the type to give for as long as he had something to give. The only things Seungri was selfish about were those which he had for sentimental value. He remembered Seungri throwing a tantrum over a piece of cake he found in the fridge back when they lived together. It was apparently given to him by his sister, who at that time he hadn't seen in a long while. Seungri forgave him two hours after.

When Jung Gun opened the back of the truck, there were three large suitcases filled with clothes. "Seungri was scheduled for shooting in China for a week, and before that, we were in London for business meetings with some of his DJ friends," he said as a way of explanation. "We didn't have time to go back to Korea in between trips."

Riku-chan started opening the bags and inspecting every piece of clothing, sorting out what she deemed Daesung could use for the interview and what he couldn't. She remained silent.

"Where is he now, by the way," Daesung questioned, watching the woman work. He wondered if he could ask her out sometime this week. He voted against it.

"Still in China. We were supposed to go here together; spend a little free time in Japan before the Fanmeet on Friday. Gave me a slip in the airport. I called him when I landed, he said he just wanted some alone time, told him we could do that while in the same country, he said it wouldn't be the same. I swear I'll die of stress because of that kid."

Daesung laughed. "Yeah, that's our Seungri."

Riku-chan put a shirt to her face and inhaled. Daesung and Jung Gun gave each other a look.

"Don't worry, miss," the manager laughed. "They're all clean."

Riku-chan laughed back. "It's not that. I'm actually a big fan of BigBang." She beamed at Daesung. "D-Lite-san is my bias, but V.I-san is a mean bias-wrecker."

Daesung grinned in thanks, "V.I-san would love to hear that."

"I'm sure."

Soon, she has him scurrying off to a dressing room with Seungri's clothes in hand. They fit him, but Daesung had to admit it was weird being dressed in nothing but your friend's clothes. 

Daesung is pretty sure Seungri has worn all of these before, it'll make rumors spread. 

"They're still a tight fit," he said as Riku-chan led him to hair and make-up. The black ripped pants was suffocating his hips, but the plain and loose wife beater compensated for comfort. The black leather jacket pulled it all together in a motorcycle-chic look.

"Seungri has been dieting again," Yung Gun answered, frustration in his voice. "The boy likes to eat but when he reads a single comment saying he looked fat and should diet, he works out too much. His eating habits have also been bothering me lately."

"He's never has had that problem before." The worry on Daesung's voice was evident. "How long has he had this problem?"

The manager hummed. "The weight thing, just the past year or so, but he always worried about something: his dark circles, he didn't have abs, his shoulders were narrow, he looked way too skinny, things like that. This time, though, his habits are unhealthiest."

Daesung pouted to himself in the mirror. It wasn't like he hasn't heard all of Seungri's insecurities before - the maknae was barely shy to share his thoughts - but this was the first time he heard of them being a worry. Maknae usually did something about them and made it work. 

"Does Jiyong-hyung know?"

If possible, Yung Gun sounded more frustrated at that. "Seungri tells me off him the most! He'd run his mouth dry if it means it'd get me to shut up about it. Seriously, that kid. He worries about his hyungs more than he worries about himself."

"But you told me, hyung."

"Yes, 'cause you're more rational with Seungri than all the older hyungs. And you can keep a secret."

Riku-chan tapped his shoulder and told him he was ready. They were running late enough as it was.

"Seriously, Dae," Yung Gun said before letting him go. "Please don't tell the others. It's not Seungri's insecurity for nothing."

"I understand, hyung," affirmed Daesung.

The manager nodded in gratitude. "Well, go on then. Break a leg. I'll be waiting."

The next morning, things turned out a little bit better, before it got worse. His manager was feeling well, the aircon was properly working, and Jiyong was already in the studio when he got there.

It was still incomplete without his face cream.

He had asked Jiyong to write a song for him for his album. He had actually asked if he wanted to do a featuring, and Jiyong politely declined, said that he can't imagine his voice in the song. Daesung just acknowledged the want of artistry.

Although, because the song was ultimately Jiyong's, the man couldn't help but bring about his perfectionism. It was good intuition on Daesung's part to schedule them in for the whole day, knowing how Jiyong got in recording. 

The clock read 5:18PM, more than 8 hours since he got in, and Jiyong was still scolding him through the glass partition. Given, they spent the better part of the morning tweaking the song, weeding out Jiyong's awkward Japanese phrases and replacing them with more fitting ones, but Daesung still felt like his ears were going to fall off. 

"You're voice is too strong again, you've got to come in like you're breathless - tired. It's a sad song about heartbreak, Daesung-ah. Not anger, not even intense sadness. Tired, hopeless."

Daesung almost rolled his eyes in contempt. He knew, okay, he knew, but Jiyong was looking for something specific that Daesung couldn't provide. His throat was dry; all he could do was croak out a weary, "Yes, hyung."

As he was getting out of the booth, Seungri suddenly burst in the studio, his hair long enough to curl at his forehead, with glasses sitting atop his nose, holding two plastic bags filled with food and bottled drinks in hand. "Daesungiiiieeee," he whined. "I brought you - oh, Jiyong-hyung!"

"Seungri!" Daesung said, not hiding his surprise because, "Shouldn't you be in China?"

The maknae placed tha bags on the table and proceeded to prepare the food. He handed a bottle of flavored water to Daesung. It was lychee, Daesung's secretly preferred taste. "I wanted to see you, hyung," he explained, handing a bottle of water to Jiyong. "It felt lonely in China."

"Yah," Jiyong interjected, "why does Daesung get flavored water? I want it too."

"No, hyung. I got that for Daesung-hyung. I didn't even know you were here. I thought you were flying in tomorrow."

Daesung raised a brow at that. When has Seungri ever not known Jiyong's schedule to the tee?

Daesung cleared his throat. "I don't mind, Ri."

Seungri nodded and handed a bottle of flavored water to Jiyong. It looked like Jiyong wanted to complain more so Daesung started to talk.

"Your manager ranted to me about you, you know?"

Seungri visibly stiffened. "About what, hyung?"

"You're causing him a lot of trouble," Daesung sang, weaving his voice into a playful and happy tone. "You shouldn't let him go to a country on his own when he's supposed to accompany you, you little rascal."

Seungri relaxed and laughed before patting the seat next to him for Daesung. He placed a bento box in front of him and gave him a pair of wooden chipsticks. "Here, hyung," Seungri said, handing the other pair to Jiyong. "You can have mine. I'm not hungry, anyway."

"Aren't you eating, maknae?" Jiyong asked, grabbing a piece of overpriced sushi and putting it in his mouth. 

"I'm fine, hyung."

Daesung watched as Seungri sat beside him and drank from his own bottle. Something was definitely off. Seungri rarely called Jiyong hyung anymore, usually on stage, in front of the cameras, or around other people. But when it was only the members or other close friends, Seungri called him Ji or oppa, sometimes jagi and aegi, very rarely hyung.

Daesung decided that the tempura was good.

"Then why did you buy this?" Jiyong scolded. There was food in his mouth, but Jiyong had learned to eat and talk over the moments when they had so little time and too much to do. "You weren't eating it after all. Such a waste, Seungri."

"I was pretty sure someone else was in the recording booth with Daesung-hyung. It wouldn't have gone to waste at all," the other defended, insult evident in his voice.

"So you did know I was here?"

"Ho