Chapter 27:

Blood.

Red, fresh blood always clouded his dreams.

Seungri tried to make sense of what was happening when the smell of blood became thicker and thicker in the air. However, Seungri never got a chance to find out what happened when he saw Hyun Seng’s body smashed on to the ground and he felt the unsteady concrete trembled under him.

The building seems to had been through a lot as the bullets and impact forces had hit the old and weak infrastructure numerous times. Seungri saw the cracks appear where Hyun Seng was lying and he only had a moment to react. Without thinking, Seungri forced himself to stand and held on to Hyun Seng’s hand with the intention of dragging Hyun Seng away from the cracking concrete. However, the concrete where Seungri was standing suddenly gave way as well, making Hyun Seng and Seungri went crashing to the ground together.

Seungri’s eyes flew opened, adjusting to the darkness, and panting while strings of sweat dripped from his eyebrows, trailing down into his cheeks. His heart hammering within his chest, grabbing his throat desperately trying to slow down his breathing, his psychological wounds freshly opened. He buried his head on top of knees and groaned.

How long! How long will these dreams continue to haunt him?

Seungri turned his head and it took him a moment to register the time. The flashing, eerie green numbers glared back at him, 6:30 a.m.

Sighing as he swung his legs over the bed, Seungri rubbed his eyes. They were burning.

Seungri stumbled as he headed out the door, banging into a couple of walls as he did so, accumulating a nice inventory of bruises on his arms and legs. Seungri dragged himself to the washroom and flicked on the light.

 It was gloomy and dark outside.

Seungri squinted to peer out the window to see CL grabbing a grey stained rag and tossed it over her shoulder as she examined the battered car in front of her.

Feeling that today would be an extreme long day, Seungri hastened to brush his teeth and wash his face thoroughly, then stripped off his T-Shirt and stepped into the steaming hot shower before he turned off the tap and stepped out, quickly drying himself and rushing to his room to get dressed.

***

Minutes later, the strong scent of oil filled his nostrils when Seungri pushed the door to where CL was.

CL looked up as she heard the sound of footsteps coming her way. CL picked herself up from the cold stone ground and her face broke out into a smile when she saw Seungri walking towards her.

"Morning," CL greeted as Seungri came to rest before her and sat on the cold stone steps.

"Morning," Seungri answered. “How’s the car?”

“It’s bad. But, it at least it could last for a few more days before I could send it to a mechanic, whom I had an appointment with.” CL said before biting on her bottom lip.

Seungri gave a mental sigh of relief. He had been awfully sorry about the amount of trouble his arrival had caused.

"Seungri, what happened between you and Tae Yang oppa?" CL asked curiously.

 Seungri only frowned as he buried his face in his knees again. If there was one thing he didn't want right now, it was to talk about Tae Yang right after he had woken up from the dream he had. He just put his face down and ignored her peering at him, until . . .

"You know . . . it's not nice to ignore a lady!" CL yelled at him as she kicked him. Seungri fell to his side holding his ankle furiously, glaring at what CL just did.

She kicked him.

Him!

"What was that for!?" Seungri said as he yelled in pain. But CL just looked at him feeling irritated.

"When a lady asked you a question, you should reply! Where are your manners?" CL said spitefully.

With the pain in his leg, and feeling very angry at CL, Seungri turned away and buried his head between his legs again.

"Shut up. . ." Seungri said quietly with a scowl.

"How dare you order me to shut up!?" CL replied spitefully. "I have half a mind to kick you again you big jerk!"

"That's none of your business . . ." Seungri said quietly.

CL shook her head at Seungri. CL didn't want to press the issue anymore as there’s a much more important issue she wanted to talk to Seungri.

“Seungri, I have heard from G Dragon oppa about your task and the purpose on why you came to America.” CL spoke as that important detail came to mind.

“I think that you should reconsider…”

Seungri raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

With a sigh, CL swung a dirty towel around her neck and a small patch of black was on her cheek as she moved to sit beside Seungri on the cold stone steps.

“Did you do a background research about President Lee Soo Man and how he ran his company before you make your move?” CL said with a worried expression.

“Unlike the other entertainment companies in Korea, SM Entertainment had a major cult mentality culture. Under President Lee Soo Man’s leadership and with President Lee Soo Man’s charisma, many of the artists in SM Entertainment love him so much even though they are maintaining unhealthy workloads.  They love him that they are not even aware or do not care that they are losing money and health unless their family members tell them or other outsiders do. Even at this point they make excuses for themselves, or lie that their condition is better than it actually is.
 

In addition, the artists in SM Entertainment entered the company at a very young age. Being isolated from the rest of the world with no access to internet, phones and families, they were being manipulated and brain washed into believing that President Lee Soo Man is always right at a very young age.

Besides that, their artists would gang up to destroy or hate the person who has caused trouble to the company because in their mind,  they will see that their leader, Lee Soo Man is having a hard time and feel that he has been done a great injustice.”
 

Seungri didn't respond and for long minutes he simply stared at the cold stone ground before he spoke.

"CL, I know…" Seungri laid a hand on her shoulder as he stood to leave.

"But, I have decided to do this to repay what that person had done for me.” Seungri answered and CL watched his back as he slowly disappeared from her line of sight.

As soon as Seungri disappeared from her line of sight, CL fixed her eyes on the sky above.

 “Tae Yang oppa, I know that you are behind that door.” CL spoke, her eyes still fixed on the sky above. “Mind telling me what happened between you and Seungri?”

The door opened and Tae Yang appeared with a cup of coffee in his hand.

“Fine,” Tae Yang said without a second thought. “But, you have to tell me all you have known about sasaeng fans.”

“About that,” CL said without turning around to face Tae Yang. “Do you want to talk about it now or when you have finished your coffee?”

***

Seungri sighed wearily and ran a hand through his hair as he stood outside the building where Boa was and he had waited for the last couple of hours.

Seungri exhaled and glanced at the security guard in the building.

The security guard had promised that someone will receive him in ten minutes, but those minutes have past and gone yet no sign that he would be relieved of this infuriating punishment yet.

Suddenly, Seungri felt someone boring into his back. He turned around quickly and saw nothing around the streets. Only a car driving quickly down one lane, the streets were almost completely empty, it was almost noon and the bright scorching sun started to fill the air and embraced every building, tree and street in the town.

"I'm becoming paranoid..." Seungri muttered as he shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun and continued waiting while he let his eyes fall to the passing sidewalk cracks, his eyes gazing aimlessly about.

“Seungri,” Seungri heard someone say, and he jerked out of his own daze.

Seungri turned around and he stopped breathing, his heart beating hard in his chest, pounding in his ears. 

"No..." Seungri shook his head, it couldn't be. It must be a mistake.

It's not possible...

The very essence of time slowed down, deliberately etching every single features of the person standing in front of him into his brain. 

And that's when his whole world irrevocably collapsed.

“Hyun Seng hyung…”