Jiyong was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed.

He couldn't help but feel grouchy due to lack of sleep.

"Look at you, Ji." Kush said leaning his back against the table. "You look terrible."

"Why thank you." He replied sarcastically.

"Yah, twerp!" Se7en got up from the couch and hit him in the back of the head. "That's your hyung you're speaking to."

Jiyong rubbed the back of his head and frowned.

"Sorry, Byunghoon hyung." He mumbled.

Kush raised an eyebrow and snorted.

"So are you going to tell us or do we have to force you?" Teddy stood up from his chair and went to stand beside Kush.

The three Big Bang members were sitting on the couch, watching as their hyungs drilled their leader in front of them.

The door suddenly swung open.

To their surprise, Hyun Suk and Jinu entered the room.

The guys straightened themselves and greeted their seniors.

"The recording studio seems crowded today." Hyun Suk said looking around.

"Are you working on some new songs?" He asked Teddy.

Teddy looked alarmed but managed to answer.

"Y-ye hyung. Actually, the boys and I are discussing what songs they want to include on their next album."

He glanced at Jiyong. "Right, Ji?"

"Y-ye." He blinked and answered immediately.

Hyun Suk examined the other Big Bang members then he glanced at Se7en.

"What are you doing here, Dongwook-ah? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

Se7en scratched the back of his head.

"Y-ye, hyung." He answered. "I'm just visiting my dongsaengs."

The president turned his head towards Kush. "I'm assuming you're the same."

Kush awkwardly smiled. "Oh...  Ye, h-hyung."

His gaze went back to Jiyong who was rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Jiyong, I'd like to speak with you." He said in a serious tone. "Come with me to my office."

++++++++++

Dara was lying in her bed while scanning her new cellphone.

She was preparing to send her new number to the girls and YG staff.

"Sent." She whispered.

After she was done, she typed in a message and a number.

++++++++++

"I'll join you later tonight." Youngbae told the others as he stood up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Seunghyun asked.

"I just need some fresh air." He replied, not looking at him.

"While you're doing that," Teddy said. "Buy some dried squid for our drinking session."

"Ye."

While walking towards his car, his cellphone vibrated.

"Youngbae-ah, this is my new number. Please don't tell the others yet. - Dara"

His eyes widened and quickly hopped in his car.

"Yoboseyo??"

"Nuna!" He said sounding relieved when she answered.

"Wae?"

"I've been wanting to talk to you but you left right away after lunch."

Dara gave a light chuckle. "I'm sorry. I was tired so I hurried home. What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Uhmm..." Youngbae tried to think of something to say. "Uhm... I just want to know how long you are going to stay there."

"Just a couple of days. Wae?"

"But you'll still attend your practice and recording tomorrow, right?

"Of course. Wae?"

Youngbae took a deep breath and smiled to himself. "Nothing, I just want to see you."

"You'll be seeing me a lot starting tomorrow." She said with a laugh. "If you want to see your fresh vocals nuna, just go to YG building."

He chuckled.

"Nuna, I'll be here for sure." He replied. "I'm preparing for my concert, remember?"

"Oh yeah," She said. "So how's practice?"

Though Youngbae wants to ask her how she's doing. He decided to just drop it for now.

Compared to the broken Dara he saw yesterday, she seems to be a little okay today.

Even if he knows she's just pretending to be fine, having a normal conversation with her is enough to make him calm.

++++++++++

Inside the president's office...

"Take a sit." Hyun Suk gestured to the large sofa.

Jiyong obeyed and sat quietly.

The president sat on the single sofa beside him.

"Your hyungs are giving you a hard time, huh?" He said with a hint of smile on his face.

Jiyong just remained quiet, staring at the coffee table.

"I've talked to Namguk and he told me you haven't slept since yesterday." He continued.

"Why don't you sleep here in my office for the meantime?"

Jiyong's head quickly turned to him.

"Aniyo," He said waving his hands. "I'm okay. They're not giving me a hard time. And besides, I have to finish recording some songs with Seunghyun hyung."

"Jiyong."

"Ye?"

"Shut up."

He pouted and lowered his gaze.

"I'm talking to you as your hyung and not as your sajangnim." Hyun Suk stated.

"You know how I hate it when you guys don't get much sleep." He reminded him. "You can continue recording later or if not, you can do it tomorrow. Understood?"

"Ye, hyung."

"Now don't you even plan on sneaking out of my office." He warned. "I have cameras here."

++++++++++

The guys already started their drinking session inside the recording studio.

"Sajangnim will scold us once he sees us." Seungri said worriedly. "Are you sure we can do this here?"

"Relax maknae-ah," Kush said handing him a can of beer. "I saw him leave about an hour ago."

"But-"

"You're such a wimp!" Seunghyun rolled his eyes while sipping on his beer.

"Better to be cautious than get into trouble." He reasoned.

Seunghyun glared at him. "You were saying something?"

"Nothing." Seungri faced the other side and made a face while taking a sip of his beer.

"It seems like Jiyong won't be coming back." Kush said.

"I saw his car still parked outside." Youngbae said picking up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks.

"Where could he be?" Teddy wondered out loud.

"I'm not sure," Youngbae said while chewing. "That was like three hours ago."

Teddy took a sip of his beer and slouched on the couch.

"I feel kinda bad forcing him to talk about what happened." He said.

Kush furrowed his eyebrows. "Waeyo? It's his fault for not telling us."

"But it's not our business in the first place." Teddy sat up.

"He's a grown up and I think he has a right to privacy." He said. "If he needs our help he'll tell us."

"Actually," Youngbae said putting down his chopsticks on the plate. "I agree with you."

"Me too." Seungri said holding up his can of beer.

"Me three." Seunghyun said.

Se7en and Kush frowned at the boys.

"Hello??!!" Se7en sneered. "We're not called YG family for no reason."

"But still, it's hyung’s decision if he wants to open the issue to us." Seungri carefully said, checking everyone's reaction.

"The maknae's right." Teddy agreed. "Let's just wait for the two to approach us rather than us pressing them."

Kush gave out a heavy sigh.

"I can't believe that Jiyong is two timing our Dara." Se7en said shaking his head.

"Hyung," Youngbae looked up at him. "It's just a rumor. I don't think it's fair to judge him without getting the real score."

"Oh yeah?" Kush turned to him. "You sound like you know more about this."

"Of course he knows more," Se7en smirked. "He's Jiyong's best friend."

Kush went to sit on the empty chair beside Youngbae. "Maybe you could share to us what you know."

Youngbae gulped and glanced at the other members who were avoiding his gaze.

"All I know is that..." He paused and took a deep breath. "They're just friends. Nothing more, nothing less."

'That's what he said.' He thought.

++++++++++

Jiyong opened his eyes and was greeted by quiet dim room.

He checked his watched and saw that it was already past midnight.

Lazily, he sat up and stretched his arms.

He picked up his cellphone that was sitting on top of the coffee table.

No messages.

He tried calling Dara but he couldn't reach her.

He stood up and left the president's office.

++++++++++

Seungri's manager was about to park the car when they saw Jiyong entering the dorm's main lobby.

"I think he just arrived." Jung Geum said to Seungri.

"I'll go first." He opened the car door and stepped out.

He tried to catch up with Jiyong but the elevator door already closed.

Seungri could hear Jiyong's voice in the kitchen.

He went to check on him.

"I told you, I'm okay."

"Yeah, Sajangnim already took care of it."

"I don't know, Kiko-ah." Jiyong said while poured hot water into his cup of ramen.

"Maybe next week."

"Ne,"

"See you soon." He slipped his cellphone inside his back pants pocket.

When he turned around his eyes widened in surprise.

"F^ck!!" He held his breath and frowned.

Seungri was leaning at the counter with his arms crossed.

"You moron! I almost had a heart attack."

The maknae stared at him, eyes slit into a cold glare.

"What?" He asked puzzled with how he looked at him.

Seungri clicked his tongue. "You still haven't learned have you, hyung?"

He gave him a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

Shaking his head, Seungri walked away leaving him wondering.