And the things that you like I came to like And they were totally worth doing

-T.O.P’s Oh Mom

It was just a quarter after noon. Ji Yong was sitting inside the restaurant, his table close to the window where many passed by but not one looked the least bit familiar to him. He had been waiting only a few minutes, the first to arrive of the two as he didn’t want to be late. Now he sat there, fingertips drumming along the table and eyes glancing at his cellphone every few seconds. He picked the cellular device up, flipping the phone open only to sigh and close it once again before setting it back on the table. From other perspectives Ji Yong seemed to be like an anxious teenager waiting for his date to arrive. Yet the reality of this meeting was to catch up with an old friend and also to make an offer. Ji Yong then checked the time again.

12:20 pm

Where was Seunghyun?

Almost on cue, a ringtone went off and it happened to be from his cell. He quickly flipped open to view the screen. A text message had been received from Seunghyun.

I’m here. Where are you?

 With quick fingers, Ji Yong wrote back his reply, describing his exact location to the best of his abilities. After he took a glance around the restaurant, turning his body half way as he looked behind.

“Ji Yong-ssi?” Snapping his head back after hearing that deep voice, Ji Yong found Seunghyun standing a few steps away from him at the table. There he was in the flesh. Even then Ji Yong wasn’t 100% sure that the person before him was in fact Seunghyun. A lot had changed about his hyung since they’d last seen each other. Like Seunghyun’s sense of style, it took on a more modern hip-hop kind of fashion that Ji Yong felt he himself had as well. Seunghyun was still a bit on the chubby side but physically he appeared to have out grown it, in Ji Yong’ perspective that is.

“Y-Ye,” Ji Yong finally answered after a long pause. Just to make sure, he asked, “Seunghyun hyung?”

With a small laugh, Seunghyun nodded his head. Ji Yong stood from his chair then holding a hand out in greeting. It would have been formal but the second Seunghyun took his hand they leaned in, letting their shoulders tap against each other and patting each other on the back with their free hand before pulling away. It was as if nothing had ever changed between the two friends. It was like the good times from the past were resurfacing.

“Wow,” Ji Yong exclaimed. “You look totally different hyung. And you’re so tall! I almost envy you.”

“Ah, I have changed a lot haven’t I? You still look the same, just a little bit taller,” Seunghyun said.

“What? A little?” Ji Yong said looking his hyung up and down with a hard stare. “Ah, I see hyung has gotten a little too cocky over the past few years. Maybe I won’t get you anything to eat now.”

“Aw! Ji Yong-ssi knows I’m only teasing,” Seunghyun whined lowly as the duo then broke out into laughter, a friendly atmosphere surrounding them. They then took their seats and continued to make small talk, catching up with each other on life with school and dating while making a few jokes here and there. Time seemed to fly by as they continued to chat through their meals yet it wasn’t too long before they dipped into Ji Yong’s occupation. “So you’ve been training for almost five years now under YG Entertainment? You even get to speak with him, the Yang Hyun Suk?! Wow, I’m sitting with a celebrity today. How can I be so lucky?”

Ji Yong smiled as he took in a spoonful of rice. He knew Seunghyun was joking and yet Ji Yong couldn’t help what he thought. If he truly were a star girls would be swarming around him. He wasn’t quite a star yet but he had the potential and determination to be. Yet sometimes he didn’t think so of himself. Placing his bowl and spoon back on the table properly he swallowed the last of rice in his mouth and cleared his throat. “So hyung . . . I wanted to meet with you today because I got some news from YG.”

“Ah,” Seunghyun hummed as he picked up a piece of pig skin with chopsticks, popping the piece into his mouth.

“He told me about a boy band project they’ve started working on. He’s already considering three of candidates, including myself and a good friend of mine,” Ji Yong revealed as laugh of modesty towards himself slipped out as he ruffled his hair a bit.

“Really?! Congratulations,” Seunghyun exclaimed, clearly amazed. “That’s good news to hear. You must be thrilled. But how does this apply to me though?”

“Well they’ve started scouting for other candidates so when I heard about this I just . . . thought of you. If you really want to, I think I can get you an audition.”

Halfway through chewing on some rice, Seunghyun’s facial expression changed drastically at Ji Yong’s words. Shock settled in his widened eyes  and with a mouth full of food he gasped, “Audition?!”

“Ye,” Ji Yong answered, leaning back in his chair nonchalantly. “But you got to have talent.”

“Oh I’ve got talent, talent to spare that is.”

“Being cocky will get you nowhere hyung.”

Seunghyun faked a yawn dramatically with a small roll of his eyes. He muttered, “Ye, ye enough talk. Drop me a beat and I’ll show you.”