Chapter 29:

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…”

The person who plagued his dreams, causing him many sleepless nights, the same person whom he felt guilty to, was standing in front of him. 

Seungri did not know what to say,he did not know what to do.

 He could have easily stood there for the rest of his life, hoping that it was not a dream.

Hoping that the person standing in front of him is real.

As though in a trance, his feet began to move forward, not leaving his eyes away from the person standing in front of him.

Seungri's throat worked furiously, a bead of sweat burned its way down the side of his face, falling to the ground without a sound. He was acutely aware of the wind tugging at him gently, swirling around the two of them. Every second seemed to have been stretched across the span of several hours, slowing everything to a near stop. Lips trembling, he finally managed to find his voice again.

“Hyun Seng hyung…” Seungri tried in a wobbling, strangled voice.

“Are you really Hyun Seng hyung?”

From the first time since their eyes had met, Hyun Seng broke contact. He took a few steps, swiftly scratched his head along the hairline at his forehead, tucked his hands in his pockets, and adjusted his stance. He looked back at Seungri eagerly.

“It’s been a while. You look well, Seungri.”

At the sound of his voice, Seungri swallowed hard, fighting the rise of tears. In an attempt to gather his wits, Seungri consciously inhaled and exhaled very slowly a few times. For a few seconds, even his heart seemed to forget to beat. 

The person standing in front of him is indeed Hyun Seng hyung. He had the same build, same hair and the same features as the one in his memory.

But a small voice in his head kept whispering that it was impossible. Fifteen years ago, he had seen Hyun Seng’s coffin being put into the ground. 

Seungri even remembered how Hyun Seng’s mother had been rushed by people standing near her and the bawling sound of Hyun Seng’s mother still echoed in his head. Seungri even remembered Hyun Seng’s father who, with trembling fingers, dropped them to the ground in his grief when he witnessed the coffin being put into the ground as if it was an incident that happened recently.

Then Seungri shook his head, a fleeting glint of frustration flashing across his eyes.  Seungri still don’t understand how Hyun Seng is standing in front of him, alive when painful flashbacks came and went until a sort of haze had fogged up his brains that Seungri didn't know that to say or do at this point.

Should he ask Hyun Seng what had happened and why he is still alive?

But, what would Hyun Seng think if he asked these questions? Seungri thought, vaguely. Would Hyun Seng think that he wanted him to be dead?

Seungri hesitated on this thought when a response did not immediately come to him until a barking laugh brought him out of his thoughts.

"What’s wrong?" Hyun Seng asked, taking a step closer to Seungri. “You are wearing a pretty perplexed expression, Seungri.”

"Do you think I am an imposter or something?" Hyun Seng asked, spreading his arms. 

“Or do you wish for me to be dead?” Hyun Seng said with a much quieter tone than previous words said, taking pleasure of Seungri’s horrified expression.

"...No," said Seungri, and he turned to face Hyun Seng. Without his realizing it, his eyes had become very moist, and his voice was starting to crack.

Seungri shut his eyes, preventing the wetness from flowing down his eyes.

 "N…No," Seungri said, his voice wavering. “Even though we were at each other’s throats fifteen years ago, it doesn’t mean that I wanted you to be dead.”

“Is that so,” Hyun Seng placed a hand upon his chest in mock distress, his smile gone for a brief moment. “But it’s because of you that I lost my career isn’t it?”

Seungri‘s eyes widened slightly at his words. It felt like everything was closing in on him. He felt trapped, within those few words.

And it made Seungri felt responsible for what had happened to Hyun Seng fifteen years ago, and he knew that he should feel responsible. It was his fault, he was the one who caused Hyun Seng to lose his career.

"I admit that I was responsible for what had happened fifteen years ago." Seungri admitted quietly. "I did things, I'm guilty of.”

 Slowly Seungri raised his head to look at Hyun Seng.

"I have never forgotten about it ever since I heard about the news of your death, hoping that one day, you could forgive me when we see each other at the other side of the world.”

“Forgive?” Hyun Seng whispered, viciously and he took a closer step towards Seungri as Seungri instinctly took a step back putting as much space between him and Hyun Seng.

Then, Hyun Seng bent down a little, so they were eye level and he stared at Seungri. He didn't look angry, actually, no emotions could be seen on his face at all.

“If you are really are thinking of seeking forgiveness, there’s something I would like you to do for me, Seungri.”

Instantly, Seungri held his breath and stared at Hyun Seng, slightly stunned.

 “What do you want me to do?” Seungri replied, suppressing the urge to shudder involuntarily.

At that, Hyun Seng laughed.

“It’s very simple, actually.” Hyun Seng leaned closer to Seungri. "Bring me the heads of the rest of the Big Bang members." he whispered, and then pulled back, smiling again. "If you do that, we will wipe the slate completely clean of what happened between us fifteen years ago.”

“It’s a great bargain isn’t it, Seungri?”

***

Tae Yang and CL sat silent for a little while as CL absorbed every single information that Tae Yang told her about what had happened between Seungri and him fifteen years ago.

"I can’t believe that such a thing would happen," CL said, her voice nearly a whisper. “It’s hard to know what had happened in detail when I was in America all along. Even Teddy oppa and the rest of the 2NE1 members seem to be hiding some information from me.”

Tae Yang’s only response was a sad and guilty smile as he put down his empty cup on the table.

“I believe they did that so that you could concentrate on your rap training to advance into the America music market successfully. It’s an open secret that Wonder Girls from JYP Entertainment had failed in the America music market and all of them, including me, do not wish something like that would happen to you.”

When a silence installed itself between them, CL sighed, her dark eyes finally meeting Tae Yang with a silent intensity.

"Do you think that Seungri would forgive you one day?" CL finally inquired.

Tae Yang shrugged his shoulders before he got up of his chair to place the empty cup in the sink.

"I have no idea."

For a minute there was silence. Tae Yang did not dare to turn his head to look at CL, for fear that he might see disappointment in CL's eyes. Finally a calm and matter-of-fact voice rose up over the faint hissing of the warming kettle.

“Very well,” CL said.

Tae Yang stole a glance at her. She don’t looked disappointed, but merely determined.

“Very well?”  Tae Yang parroted.

“Very well,” said CL. “You shall just have to work on it so that Seungri would forgive you. There’s a reason why you are in America with Seungri isn’t it?”

Suddenly what G Dragon had said to him came back to him. Perhaps there was still hope for Seungri to forgive him.

Tae Yang stared at the ground thinking of what he should do to obtain forgiveness from Seungri, not noticing CL picking up her jacket and car keys.

"Tae Yang!" CL’s voice cut through his thoughts. "Let’s go and find Seungri.”

"Yeah, wait up." Tae Yang a small smile appeared on his face as he ran toward CL, to go and find Seungri.

***

“It’s very simple, actually.” Hyun Seng leaned closer to Seungri. "Bring me the heads of the rest of the Big Bang members." he whispered, and then pulled back, smiling again. "If you do that, we will wipe the slate completely clean of what happened between us fifteen years ago.”

“It’s a great bargain isn’t it, Seungri?”

Seungri looked at Hyun Seng and felt his insides twist with apprehension. He was so confused. On one hand he had no doubt that the person was Hyun Seng. He could feel it, like some sort of unknown detector was giving him all the right signs and he couldn't help but feel foolish for even thinking that the person wasn't Hyun Seng.

On the other hand, other signs were making imaginary alarm bells ring in his head. Even in the earliest memories of Seungri's life, so faraway that they were only made up of hatred and revenge. But if Seungri searched his mind long enough, he could remember a different Hyun Seng. The hyung who had told him that having no sufficient ability is an excuse and that can be filled in with hard work. It was blurrier than the rest of his memories, but Seungri knew that Hyun Seng would never give such an evil request.

Without hesitating any longer, Seungri reacted. Seungri’s eyes instantly shot to Hyun Seng’s.

"Stop the act. You are not Hyun Seng Hyung.” Seungri spoke, his black eyes had rage swimming in them, as well as intense worry.

 "Who are you?!"