(#1)

Demmy D

Born: 23rd June 1987 

Height: 1.65 m

Mariana Demiana ‘Demmy D’ Joseph is an French/American poet, rapper, songwriter and producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she embarked on her musical career as a teenager under the stage name M-A-D, releasing a mixtape ...

Dong YoungBae had woken up to his phone rattling against the wood of this bedside table. He had been quick to silence it and had been quick to climb out of bed, knowing he’d fall back asleep if he didn’t get up. He had learnt that the hard way, pissing off everyone as a sleep would probably mess up the schedule and YoungBae would have to face the wrath of an angered Kwon JiYong. So, YoungBae got out of bed. It wasn’t that they had rehearsals or training or anything. The bed he woke up in wasn’t the same bed of his dorm in YG studios where he’d spent countless nights crashing in. They weren’t even in Korea for him to begin his day the usual way - no, they were in France. 

Still, JiYong wanted to go out and explore.

YoungBae stood up and walked over to the balcony of his hotel room. He opened the blinds and sliding door and walked out greeting the already warm sun and fresh air that washed over his fatigued state. He put his arms behind his back and stretched, feeling the pops in his back. Then, remembering the position he’d been in last night, he moved his neck around, trying to stretch that also. It wasn’t that he’d been in any compromising position with anyone. Not really. All that is was that he’d done last night was spent the night on his laptop… Googling her. 

The weird feeling he’d when he first typed her name into the Google search bar came back to him. The boys wanted to spend the night at a club, exploring the beautiful land that is Los Angeles when Bae said declined, claiming fatigue and went to his room to pull out his laptop. He was in the city and it just stirred his… feelings even more. So he Googled her, read about her, watched her music videos and did everything a crazy fan would have done. 

YoungBae looked down, feeling like an idiot. YoungBae looked down, just like he’d done every single time someone poked fun at him. They had arrived in Paris yesterday and YoungBae had been teased incessantly since before they even climbed on board the plane. His bandmates knew about his… like for Mariana and her music. Hell, the entire VIP fanbase knew about it. It was just one of those things that had become part of his ‘image’ just like T.O.P liked wearing suits and that Seungri was crazy and hyper - Taeyang was quiet and in love with the infamous French American rapper. 

The only person who didn’t was JiYong. YoungBae had first thought it was because Nina had been the one to recommend Demmy D to YoungBae when he’d come and asked her for ways to improve his listening skills in English. Except, on the plane ride here, when maknae was causing a fuss that we’d be going to the place Demmy D lived, JiYong called him out and silent communication occurred between the two best friends. To a degree, it felt like JiYong understood. 

But he probably wouldn’t if Bae had told him he’d spent how many hours basically… stalking her. He’d watched interviews, he even read some comments on some of her music videos. He felt like he could give a detailed story about who she was: French parents that moved to the states to give Mariana more opportunities. At age five she began writing stories which turned into short stories which then turned into poems which evolved to songs - “You’re pathetic.” YoungBae mumbled to himself. 

So this is how all the fans about him and the boys. 

“Hey! Uh, YoungBae! Hey, man. What’s, uh, you going good?” 

YoungBae blinked and looked to his right to see DaeSung standing on the next balcony over. He looked… nervous? YoungBae blinked once again, not sure what would cause the anxiety. He looked around and didn’t see what would cause the stammer in the singer’s voice. 

“I’m… fine.” The way YoungBae said it made it come out as a question; high at the end. Then again, he really was confused as to what was causing him to act like that. 

“Good! Good. That’s, uh, that’s great.” Daesung. He ran a finger through his hair. “I’m, uh, see you at breakfast. Yeah?” Then he went back into his room. YoungBae stood there for a few moments, processing what had just happened. Maybe something had come up yesterday when he was MIA and stalking a female artist. Deciding to investigate what had just caused… whatever that was, YoungBae went back inside to his room and made his way out to the kitchen. 

The boys had been given a villa to share. Large, spacious enough that if you wanted, you could avoid the four other people inhabiting the place. Everyone had their own room and bathroom and there was more than one living room. There was only one kitchen. So YoungBae went there, hoping to catch whoever was looking for food and ask know what had caused Daesung to act like Seungri did when he’d get caught out for eating another box of cookies. 

Surprisingly, the first person he saw was SeungHyun. Surprisingly because YoungBae had honestly expected him to hibernate in his room whenever he’d been given the chance. YoungBae greeted him with a good morning and SeungHyun nodded. Okay, so that’s normal. It’s in the morning and he’s usually like that. But still… 

Bae must’ve been staring too long at SeungHyun in analysing the nod that SeungHyun called him out: “Am I not the one with the so-called piercing gaze?”

“What’s the matter with Daesung?” YoungBae decided to come out with it. Maybe it was the sleep lost from staring at his laptop screen for too long which made him edgy but YoungBae was not going to beat around the bush. He needed to know… whatever there was to know. 

“What is the matter with Daesung?” SeungHyun repeated. YoungBae let out a huff. 

“He saw me out on the balcony and acted… weird.” YoungBae told him, feeling weird as he complained about his bandmate. So, to try and smooth things over, he added, “Made me kind of worried.”

“Was he on the phone to someone?” SeungHyun asked. They both knew what the underlining meaning of SeungHyun’s words were. Pretty much everyone in the group had walked in on Daesung on the phone to his girlfriend, usually catching him saying something that would make everyone’s face go red. 

“I… don’t think so.” YoungBae said slowly. “I was there, on my side first and then he came out and-“ he trailed off, realising that no matter what he said, it would sound stupid. He didn’t say anything else and just shrugged. SeungHyun turned around, seeing YoungBae’s slumped shoulders. 

“Don’t worry about it.” SeungHyun said in a firm voice. 

“Worry about what?” YoungBae watched as JiYong walked into the kitchen, not looking at either of them as he went to the fridge. His head was blocked by the door as he poked around so he couldn’t see the meaningful glare that SeungHyun threw his way. But YoungBae did. And he watched as JiYong’s fingers on the door tapped a random rhythm. 

“Daesung was acting weird.” YoungBae said, hoping that maybe his best friend might get it. Or that his words might give some indication of something. SeungHyun’s look just confirmed that there was something up. And when JiYong’s tapping abruptly stopped, YoungBae slid off the counter top. 

“Okay, what’s going on?” YoungBae had known these guys for how long. Nobody else could’ve picked up on it, with SeungHyun’s smooth and firm dismissal of it and the way that JiYong continued the laid-back, casual façade. 

“What are you talking about?” JiYong asked, frowning once before pulling out his phone. YoungBae rolled his eyes, knowing that JiYong only did that when he was uncomfortable and needed to look away before his eyes would’ve given it away. Out of everyone in the group, JiYong and YoungBae had been the closest, able to speak entire conversations with their eyes. And JiYong was trying to block that right now by looking at his phone. 

“YoungBae, you look tired.” SeungHyun spoke carefully and in that firm tone. YoungBae was certain he was pulling out his acting skills right now. “It’s been a long trip for all of us and I think - “

“DID YOU SEE IT?!” 

Everyone turned around to see the every so hyper maknae running from the direction of where his room was, laptop in his hands. YoungBae frowned and saw the bright eyes of SeungRi who started jumping up and down. “She likes me! She likes me!” 

“What are you talking?” YoungBae asked, feeling tension rising - and not just because SeungRi was dancing around with a Mac in his hands. 

“Maknae don’t.” JiYong spoke. SeungRi paused at the words and realising the high tension he’d practically ran into. 

“But… wouldn’t we want - “ 

“Want what?!” YoungBae asked furiously. He was mad. Mad because he’d been made to feel like an idiot, thinking that there was something was up. Mad because there was something up and he was left in the dark. Mad because no one wanted to explain something that seemed so important. “Who is she?” YoungBae asked, referring back to the girl that Seungri likes. 

“There’s a girl that maknae’s been talking to.” SeungHyun finally chimed in. “She lives here and he’s excited because he finally gets to meet her.” 

Oh.

“Oh.” YoungBae felt his shoulders slump. That… that made a lot more sense. “Is that why everyone’s acting weird?” YoungBae asked. “Because you thought…” 

“I’m sorry Bae… I just can’t. You’re too far away all the time I… I don’t love you anymore.”

“… you thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it?” YoungBae said. His heart clenched, remembering that night. The pain he’d felt, walking down the stairs from her place. He remembered JiYong calling everyone over so they could drink and hug it out and YoungBae cried and cried, feeling the pain of proper heartbreak for the very first time. 

In present moment, YoungBae turned to Seungri and tried to give him the brightest smile he possible could give. “I’m happy for you man.”

Seungri looked at the two men stood behind YoungBae and sighed. Seungri knew that what he was about to could go either ways - but either way would result in him getting physically abuse by the hyungs. Still, it wasn’t fair that this was happening and YoungBae would be left out of it. This was basically his fanboy dream come true. 

Seungri faced the laptop to YoungBae and opened it. 

“NO DON’T!”

“MAKNAE!”

Both JiYong and SeungHyun lunged forward, hands out so as to try and stop what YoungBae was about to be shown. YoungBae felt himself flinch at the reaction and his heart speed up at what was revealed to him - 

The screen was blank, waiting for a password. 

SeungHyun swore and YoungBae looked back to see the million messages of worry shining through his best friend’s eyes. JiYong stood there, doing nothing but looking at his friend the same way he looked at him when YoungBae had told him the news… that she had left him. JiYong stood there and did nothing, which made the other man stood next to him realise that JiYong was letting this happen. If JiYong was going to let it happen, no one would do anything to defy that. 

YoungBae turned back to the laptop to see a YouTube video open.