“Good evening, Mr. Kwon,” Seungri greeted quietly, approaching the man with salt and pepper hair who watching carefully over the grill.

Jiyong’s dad would always be Mr. Kwon, despite Mrs. Kwon vehemently refusing being addressed formally and preferring to be called Auntie by Jiyong’s friends. While Seungri and the rest of the gang had already met Jiyong’s parents several times over the past few years --- Youngbae especially since his parents went to university the same time Jiyong’s did – there was always that invisible line that kept them from being too familiar with Jiyong’s dad. Plus, he was a scary motherer.

Kwon Younghwan looked up and stared blankly at Seungri through his thin, wire-rimmed glasses. “Good evening.” He looked around, noticing the absence of his son. “Where’s Jiyong? Is he too busy to give his father a greeting?”

Seungri turned around nervously, eyes darting around and finally spotting Jiyong being dragged away by Dara, her dark red hair shining brightly under the backyard’s fairy lights. His protests were carried by the wind but Seungri couldn’t make out what his hyung was shouting.

“Yah--- noona --- don’t you dare---”

Younghwan cleared his throat. “Well?”

Seungri roughly turned back around and gave a deep bow. “I wanted to officially introduce myself, Mr. Kwon.”

A click of the tongue. “I know who you are, Seungri. Since you were six, actually.”

Seungri shot back up, the bracelet Jiyong gave him earlier. It gave him a little bit of courage, even if Jiyong wasn’t there beside him. “Yeah--- you’re right, of course --- but not as---”

“As what?” There was no malice in Younghwan’s voice --- he sounded more like he was daring Seungri to say it out in the open.

Seungri cleared his throat and gathered his wits. “As his boyfriend.” The blond stared straight into Younghwan’s eyes, never wavering.

There was a pause. Seungri held his breath fearfully.

Then a smile suddenly cracked across Jiyong’s dad’s face. He reached over and gave Seungri a pat on the back. “Now that wasn’t so hard was it?”

The maknae was surprised at the sudden change in atmosphere. “What—”

“What my son needs,” Younghwan interrupted calmly, “is someone who won’t deny him.”

Oh. Seungri blinked, clarity easing his worries. So that’s what this is about. “You don’t have to worry about what, Mr. Kwon. I’m proud to be in a relationship with your son; I don’t care what anybody else thinks or says.”

“That’s good to hear.” Younghwan tossed Seungri a pa