“Jiyong. The music genius, Kwon Jiyong. It’s time for you to do it. Get rid of the second last person on my list,” the man stood right in front of Jiyong. He watched Jiyong hugs his mother who was scarred all over because of the whippings. That man was crazy. He looked at Jiyong with the coldest stare on earth that could send shivers down his spine. In his eyes, Jiyong saw no care, no concern, and no love. All he could see was hatred, violence and a demon. It was scary. Jiyong knew that this man had lost his sanity twenty years ago. But he thought that when he left, he would be gone forever. Jiyong once begged for him to stay, and he didn’t. Slowly, the little boy lost his hopes for him to return. Indeed, that man who once looked into his eyes ever lovingly will never come back. Whoever stood right in front of him now is just a soulless creature. He was psychopathic, Jiyong would say.

“No. I’m not going to become your puppet. Just stop it already. Isn’t one enough? The rests are innocent!” Jiyong refused; only to receive a hard slap quick as lightning. This man right in front of him is now nothing but a stranger. But all along, he should have been and was all along a stranger. It’s just that certain words aren’t meant to be said now. Jiyong didn’t understand why. Is human nature this petrifying all along?

The satisfactions of the ego are more pleasurable,

 and addictive than the preservation of human life, much less dignity.

“Ridiculous boy. Don’t talk to me about innocence. It flows in their blood. They have to be gotten rid of to return peace to this world,” that man mocked as he grabbed onto Jiyong’s collar forcefully. Their eyes locked and Jiyong knew, he was slowly walking towards an endless pit and there was simply no other way out.

“What exactly did he do to you? He is already gone and everyone else is innocent!”

“You misunderstood the rules of the game, boy. Just do what I say. No queries. Listen very carefully; I swore to make him pay for everything, ten times of every single thing.”

“You’re insane!” Jiyong spat at that man in front of him. He didn’t know what kind of feelings he was having towards that crazy murderer that was on a rampage. Was it disgust? Hatred? Sympathy?

“Insane? You just have to know that in this cruel world, there are just too much that you’ve yet to seen.”

“It isn’t that bad! Can you please wake up? Seungri is innocent!” Jiyong pleaded, using his last bit of faith in humanity to beg for Seungri’s happiness but no, he was talking to a monster that knew nuts about sanity and humanity.

“Oh just shut up you little brat. Certain genes just flow in the blood. Don’t try to lie about the fact that you had lost your sanity long ago too. The game has begun. Just complete the missions I’m giving you if you want your mother and sister to be fine. Oh wait, and maybe your disgusting little gay partner,” the man ridiculed as he trot his way out of the apartment, hardly slamming the door.

“You will hate the entire world even more if you know the truth,” he laughed it off, eyes seemingly glistering with tears as you wonder if he was the same monster seconds ago.

All cruelty springs from weakness.

She flinched in her son’s arms as she could only shiver in fear, or maybe guilt too. The only words he could barely hear were ‘mianhe Ji’ and ‘don’t do it’. Jiyong felt like he was breaking apart. But that moment, he didn’t understand what the sorry was for. Neither had he interpreted correctly the real truth of why she was stopping him. He thought it was merely her conscious trying to stop him from committing the sin. He thought she was stopping him because she doesn’t want her son to be manipulated blindly by the monster that just left. Jiyong wasn’t aware of how this game was supposed to be played. Jiyong thought he was aware of the complete story, but no, he has yet to discover the entire truth behind this crazy game. There was more to it, and there could be a realer truth than the one he thought he knew. However, if he was to know the truth, he won’t even have the ability to protect his maknae anymore.

“I won’t let anyone hurt the ones I love.” Jiyong swore.

“And I repeat, no one touches my maknae.”

However, outside the door stood one man, trembling in fear, as he realized how he never really knew Jiyong. His fist clenched tightly as a ball of rage engulfed him. Maybe right from that moment he fell in love with Seungri, he was willing to put anything away, even if it meant an end to his years of friendship.

“Yeoboseyo,” the cold, heartless monotonous voice sounded as that man picked up his phone. But if he knew how tragically everything would end up in the end, maybe he would have chosen to ignore everything; right from the first time he decided to pick up the call for Jiyong.

Hi boys, the nightmare had just begun…

“I want to know more than just these. Stop telling me information that I can see for myself. But I supposed only he could give us the answer. I will get someone to pass the necessary orders, just get them done and you will get the money you deserve,” Seunghyun ordered as he threw the coldest glare at Jiyong. It was so cold that you wondered if there was the last bit of love as a friend, or has it been destroyed completely when the phone call ended. He forgot how long has it been, but those memories with all five of them being really happy were gone. All that is left with today are just questions, pain, and a truth that has yet to be revealed. We all want the truth, but the question is how do we achieve it? How is it like? Is it going to be acceptable? And most importantly, is it going to hurt?

“I told you not to hurt him. And if you can’t protect him, I will; at all cost.”

People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up.

----------

It was the same morning whereby Seungri sat by the window as his mind kept wandering like a lifeless soul. The sadness was his albatross. It lay like dirty snow over every other emotion, greying his spirit, tainting all that could bring him joy and relief. His once hearty laugh had become hollow and the smile that had been so quick to light his face was now only a mask to protect him from well meaning questions. He could not look at old photographs of himself and jiyong without being consumed by the desire to wind back time and slow it down so he could savour those precious moments, and chastising himself for squandering them. His mind had always been on the next deal, the big one, and the one that would make them comfortable for life. He wish to see his Jiyong back once again, but as of now, it seems like too far away of a dream that he couldn’t