It was cute at first, the way adoring fans took his biggest insecurity and turned it into something to be proud of. The heavy dark circles that never let him forget his hardships, the overwhelming feeling of being unable to hide the evidence of his past--the evidence of his hard work and dedication. Being a celebrity meant working hard while making it look effortless, flawless. But all Seungri could see when he looked in the mirror were flaws.

So when the first panda plush flew forward into an arc and landed light and fluffy on stage, the hyungs could only drop their shoulders and sigh in relief. They were glad there was someone out there who saw their maknae for who he was. And the way Seungri lit up, eyes wet and glittering from the reflections of dancing stage lights they knew everything was perfect and as it should be.

But now it was getting a little out of control…

It started out as a shelf, then a wall, his bedroom, a storage unit. In 2010, Seungri’s first large purchase as a wealthy man was not towards a fancy car, a boat, or a summer home, but for a small warehouse--a secret kept between the maknae and his hyungs. He thought about donating them to charity, as Seungri was everything but a selfish man, but as he held the first plush and looked into its innocent, glistening plastic orbs he thought maybe he could be selfish just this once.

So, he kept it, and the others, and then the ones after that, and the ones after that.

It began soon after that. The first incident began in late 2012, Daesung woke one morning to find a small panda plush hidden in the corner of the medicine cabinet as he reached for his toothpaste. It was the first time the second youngest member had smiled in a long time, knowing that Seungri was looking out for him.

The next few incidents were few and far between. The members would find small tokens from their maknae in the strangest places: in the cabinet, between couch cushions, under pillows and beds. The hyungs paid them no mind, finding them to be more endearing than anything. Supportive pandas in their times of need, it was like Seungri was always present in spirit even when he was unavailable to them.

As time wore on, it was like Seungri’s presents took on a life of their own. G-Dragon would get in his sleek matte black Lambo and adjust the rearview mirror to be startled by the large stuffed panda staring soullessly back at him.

It started to become a concern when Taeyang would go to work out in his private gym only to find that a weight he was looking for had been replaced by a panda, then two, then three, gathering in various shapes colors and sizes. Intimidated, he soon moved his workout routine back to the public gym in YG.  

The final straw happened after Top, invited to a friend’s gallery opening in Japan, entered the minimalist white room to find hundreds of Pandas artfully displayed on walls and in tasteful, sculptural form. Top wondered how the maknae even managed to build up to something like this. Something had to be done.