Here you go, to all you ungrateful s who yelled at me for that crappy abrupt ending.

“I don’t know…Maybe we should go in…”

Jiyong blinked, immediately returning to the present upon hearing her voice. It was his 28^th birthday, it was getting cold and late, and he’d just spent the past few minutes staring intently at Seulgi whilst he’d waited for her to make up her mind as to whether or not she and Jiyong should go with the others into the crowded club.

Jiyong tried not to sigh. Not whilst he was in front of his closest friends – even though they were actually the ones who knew what he really wanted Seulgi to say.

“Hmm…” Seulgi’s gaze flitted over to Jiyong. He resisted the urge to bug his eyes out at her, and instead, clenched her hand that was barely clasping his even more tightly than before. , he wanted to go home already.

It hadn’t occurred to Jiyong at the time, but why he was getting pushed around and relying the entirety of his happiness on this woman--wife, he’d never understand.

Jiyong tensed his jaw, finally realising it was up to him to push the two of them in the correct direction. “Let’s just get out-“

“Hmm, I think we’re good. We’re heading off now, right?” Seulgi suddenly turned towards Jiyong, who was already nodding. Seulgi frowned, her full lips puffed out in concern. “Are you sure? You don’t want to see your friends? I mean, it’s your birthday…”

Jiyong resisted the urge to scream, whilst Lydia eyed him with barely disguised pity in the background. Teddy blinked, so far gone that he could barely see the current situation at hand, let alone begin processing it. Not only had CL and then Youngbae disappeared a few minutes prior, but Jiyong had literally just spent the whole freaking night with his friends, all the while waiting for Seulgi to rush over from downtown. It was a bit of an understatement to say he was more than ready to leave, even if it was technically still quite early.

Jiyong quickly grabbed Seulgi’s hand, having come loose at some point. He briefly nodded farewell to his friends, all nodding back in understanding (save for Teddy). “See you, guys. Have a good night.”

“Are you sure?” Seulgi asked yet again as they walked along the barely-lit street, the tarmac on the ground wet and invisible in the darkness.

“Yes!” Jiyong tried not to exclaim, but he was finding it extremely taxing to contain himself after almost biting off his own tongue just to remain silent. Was this woman trying to drive him crazy? Was she trying to torment him? Or was she just plain stupid?

She wasn’t, though. Jiyong knew this. And it only made things all the more worse.

Jiyong suddenly came to a start, realising Seulgi had halted amidst their harried strides. He, too, stopped and peered at her, silently questioning her actions.

“You should…You should get home before it gets any later.” She mumbled, looking down. “It’s…It’s dangerous at this hour…around here…”

Jiyong stared at her, burning holes right through her hooded gaze. “What are you on-“

“Please, Jiyong,” Seulgi suddenly spoke. Her hands clenched as she forced out her words, her eyes remaining rooted to the pitch black ground below. “You should just…hurry home.”

Jiyong’s eyes narrowed into infuriated fissures. He attempted to keep himself under control. To not throw himself at Seulgi in public. “You-You promised-!” He spluttered helplessly instead.

Seulgi shook her head, turning away from Jiyong with her eyes clenched shut. “I did no such thing!”

Jiyong immediately walked round to face her, his hands shaking. He desperately wanted to pull her face up towards his, for her to reveal the truth.

But he couldn’t. He didn’t want Seulgi to reveal that she actually was unwilling. He only wanted her if she was willing.

And it was quite apparent she not. But even so-

“Liar!” Jiyong hissed, his disappointment and secret fears getting the far better of him. “Why-Why the hell did you even come tonight, then?!”

“Because I promised!” Seulgi automatically protested, without even realising what she’d just affirmed.

“See!” Jiyong shot back. Preparing to take another step towards her, he shortly stopped upon glancing the time on his wristwatch.

As though he’d just been struck directly through his heart, realisation washed over Jiyong like blood raining down at war.

“I…I’m sorry…” Seulgi weakly offered, now that Jiyong had quickly turned quiet. However, he barely heard her.

11:53pm. There were exactly 7 minutes remaining of his birthday. One last 7 minute window for Seungri to contact him with the excuse of a birthday wish to his beloved Jiyongie for the first and last time this year.

7 minutes passed.

Jiyong’s phone never went off.

And as of 2 years later, there was still not a single sound from the one known as Lee Seunghyun.

Not this year. Not last year. And most certainly not next year.

Jiyong let his head fall, feeling the bitter tears of regret welling up in his eyes. Seulgi, who had remained silent as Jiyong the entire time (although unknowing as to why), looked around anxiously.  

“People are coming…We really should get out of here, or they may recognise us…” Seulgi trailed off meaningfully, waiting for Jiyong to get the hint and his hopefully joyous reaction. Nevertheless, Jiyong continued to stare at the ground, only one thought running through his head.

Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme Seungrididn’tcontactme

S e u n g r i d i d n ’ t c o n t a c t m e

“Come on,” Seulgi, finally sick of waiting and of the guilt that came from merely seeing Jiyong’s devastated face, crossed the pavement and attempted to hail a taxi. “Let’s go to my place.”

Jiyong finally snapped to attention, scarcely saving his tears from falling. “What?”

Seulgi gestured towards the cab. “We’re going to my place.”

Jiyong nodded slowly, as though in a daze. It was like he barely recognised Seulgi, or any relevance she bore in his life, now that Seungri was back in his mind, and fresher than a corpse murdered just seconds ago.

Jiyong had spent the past 2 years pretending, wishing, imagining, at least attempting to believe that Seungri was dead. It was the only thing that kept Jiyong from trying to find or contact Seungri again. Not after Jiyong had realised his love for Seungri. His illicit, forbidden, absolutely wrong love. It was a love unlike any other – such an emotion that is supposed to inspire joy and hope in life, instead spurred despair and darkness in Jiyong’s heart at the realisation that he could never trap Seungri in such a torturous, sadistic relationship. It wasn’t enough for Seungri to love Jiyong and Jiyong to love Seungri – Jiyong did not trust Seungri’s love in the slightest. It would lead to nothing but empty promises, such flighty decisions that they may as well have been lies. And Jiyong knew neither one of them could survive such a jealous, lonely life. That neither one of them deserved to suffer from one another.

Love was simply not enough.

Yet it still killed Jiyong.

Like a coward, he’d ran through girlfriend after girlfriend as he attempted to bury his secret further and further in the ground. But when his friends found out – when Seungri found out – the game was up. Jiyong had to jump ship, and just like that, he bound himself to Seulgi. She wasn’t going to say no – becoming Mrs. G-Dragon was practically the dream of the nation. But it had been rash, rushed and recognised for all the wrong reasons.

So was it really any surprise they were headed for divorce?

“Do you know,” Jiyong suddenly spoke later that night as the two stared up at the ceiling; when they were lying between the sheets and both of their ual appetites were satisfied with their fill for the night. “Do you know the real reason why I was crying earlier?”

Seulgi shook her head, never removing her gaze from the white plaster up above. “No…” She shifted her head to the side to study Jiyong. “Are you okay-“

“The one I love, my ex-best friend, didn’t say a single word to me today. That person had a whole 24 hours to contact me, to find me, to wish me happy birthday. And they didn’t do it. I could say they didn’t even try, but knowing that person, perhaps they didn’t even remember in the first place.”

“Oh…”

“Yeah,” Jiyong craned his neck so he, too, could stare back at Seulgi. “Your name really reminds me of him. It’s so similar. Funny, huh?”

Seulgi grinned, laughing ruefully as she rolled over. Her back facing Jiyong, her response came out slightly muffled. “I’m his replacement, am I? I see how it is!”

Jiyong smiled weakly. He turned his head back towards the ceiling, staring straight ahead into the blank white nothingness once again.

“Not even if you ing tried.”