“We’re in the airport” Seungri stopped the car before the building; from his place he could see the airplanes in the sky.

“Thanks” Jiyong tried opening the door, but maknae grasped his hand tightly.

“I won’t let you go until you tell me what you’re planning”

“Uh…” Jiyong watched the fishbowl with two seahorses on his lap, then he looked into Seungri’s eyes “I don’t know how to explain it, but abruptly I have a lot of ideas for my new collection. I need a place to be alone and work on the ideas”

“Now I get it” Seungri smiled “I thought you were running away from me, because you didn’t like my company”

Jiyong shook his head and laughed as Seungri did the same.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know, some place quiet where nobody knows me and I can be alone and work”

“How about London?”

“It’s nice; I think I could work there”

“I’ll go with you to buy the ticket” Seungri got out of the car and opened the door for Jiyong like a gentleman would do.

They walked towards the reception where there were women taking care of the clients.

“Goodnight, I want one ticket to London” Jiyong said to the noona that was attending.

“Two tickets” Seungri said as Jiyong turned his head to him in confusion “I’ll go with you”

“You can’t”

“Yes, I can” Seungri said “I have a nice loft in London; you can stay there to work. I promise, I’ll be quiet like a furniture, you won’t notice my presence”

“How many tickets?” the woman asked.

“Two…” Jiyong replied.

Chapter 18: Lies.

Time went by quickly, Jiyong left Seoul four months ago and now he was enthusiastic to return. He worked on dresses and suits day and night nonstop; he packed everything in boxes carefully and shipped them to Seoul.

It was his last day in London, he was going to miss it, he thought as he watched the landscape from the window.

Someone knocked on the door and he went to open.

“Are you busy?” Seungri asked with his playful smile.

“No, I’ve already finished packing” Jiyong smiled back.

“So you’re really going to Seoul tonight”

“Yes”

“I want to drop the business here and return with you” Seungri said “My father will kill me though”

“Don’t overreacted, you’ll be fine without me”

“I’ll miss talking to you at night, I’ll miss taking dinner with you… I’m already missing you”

“Do you mean it for real?” Jiyong asked suspiciously.

“Yes, won’t you miss me?”

“I will”

“There’s five hours left for the flight” Seungri checked his wristwatch “How about going out one more time?”

“Mmm, it’s snowing” Jiyong replied.

Seungri grabbed his hand and drew him to the corridor where there was a coat rack. Seungri took the black knit cap and placed it on Jiyong’s head, then he took a pink scarf and covered Jiyong’s neck.

“If you’re still cold, I’ll hug you” Seungri said.

“Don’t say these things” Jiyong replied blushing and annoyed.

The designer was used to work in loneliness, but Seungri’s company was good, when Jiyong felt alone and giving up, Seungri was there to support him and make stupid things to make him laugh and they spent hours talking about everything and cooking for each other, deep down, Jiyong was upset for having to return to Seoul.

They walked the streets, it snowed lightly, the snowflakes covered Jiyong’s face and Seungri wiped them away carefully, his touch made Jiyong shiver and blush, he felt Seungri treated him like a girlfriend with so much care and kindness.

They didn’t do anything special; they bought coffee at their favorite coffee shop and sat down and watched sunset between the clouds upon Thames.

“I’ll really, really miss this” Jiyong replied in a low tone and took a sip from his cup.

“I’ll be here, but the view won’t be so beautiful without you” Seungri said.

“Please, stop saying these things” Jiyong replied biting his lower lip.

“I can’t, I like you” Seungri held him by the chin, before Jiyong could react, he pressed his lips on his and kissed him. 

“What… what are you doing, Seungri?!” Jiyong covered his mouth “You… you… have… girlfriend… Bom noona…”

“Please, everybody knows my engagement to her is business” Seungri held Jiyong’s face tightly, getting ready to kiss him again.

“I… I have boyfriend?!” Jiyong replied moving away.

“Do you mean Seunghyun?” Seungri said mischievously “I know your relationship is fake”

“How do you… I mean…” Jiyong startled in shock.

“At first I thought you were real couple and I became jealous, but I went to a runway with Bom and I met a girl called Kimmie and she told me about a conversation between you and Seunghyun…”

“Stop” Jiyong blushed hard in shame “I remember… So you know everything…”

“It took me to understand, I couldn’t believe her words, I mean, getting a fake boyfriend to make me jealous is the stupidest thing ever”

“I’m stupid” Jiyong bit his lower lip “You’ve known everything, uh? You’ve been fooling with me” he got up from the bench he was sitting and walked away.

“No” Seungri ran after him, grabbed Jiyong’s hand with strength and made him to turn around and face him “I admit, I wanted to play with you, but spending time with you, I’ve really fallen in love with you… The truth is, I came here to talk to my father, to tell him I won’t marry Bom”

“What are you saying?!”

“I already lost you once; I won’t let you go this time. No, Jiyong-ah, I’ll fight for you. My parents, the money and Bom can go to hell”

Jiyong was speechless, but Seungri’s hand holding his made him to be aware he wasn’t dreaming, everything was real. The snow, the river, the sunset, the kiss… Everything was real.

“Jiyong-ah, tell me you feel the same”

“I feel the same, Seungri… I like you for years… This is the happiest moment to me”

Seungri lifted one eyebrow and stared at Jiyong hesitantly. Jiyong’s words sounded good, but he acted as if he wasn’t there. Seungri shook his head and leant to kiss him, but he backed off.

“Let me talk to Seunghyun first”

“What? You aren’t even real, you don’t need his permission” Seungri said, exasperated.

“I know” Jiyong replied “But I feel I’m cheating on him”

“Fine, go to Seoul and break up with him” Seungri said almost in order.

“I will” Jiyong nodded and they kept walking until they reached the building where Seungri’s loft was.

Jiyong packed his suitcase and Seungri drove him to the airport.

 

The flight took ten hours, Jiyong arrived to Incheon airport at the morning, he looked for the payphone and called Seunghyun to go for him, but just hearing his voice, he hung up quickly.

“I thought I was done with Seunghyun, but these days with Seungri I’ve been thinking about him…” Jiyong sighed heavily.

It was a nightmare, he prayed during years for Seungri to notice him and now Seungri was going to leave his fiancé for him, but he was thinking about Seunghyun.    

He carried his suitcase and went out the airport, he looked for a cab. The streets were lonely and it was raining. Jiyong shrugged his shoulders; he still wore the scar and the knit cap Seungri provided to him.

A cab stopped before him and when he was going to enter, someone hit him with an umbrella, Jiyong cried out in pain and looked at the one who hit him, it was a very old lady.

“Wait, it’s my cab” Jiyong said.

“It’s mine! These days, young people are irreverent” the woman yelled.

“I called it first!” Jiyong fought for the cab and the old lady hit him again with the umbrella and entered to the car quickly.

Jiyong stood under the rain as he watched the cab driving away with the crazy lady. He touched his forehead and met one bump that hurt. He decided searching a new cab and dragged his suitcase, irritated, then he bumped into a rock and fell against the ground of puddles.

“This is supposed to be the happiest day of my life!!!” Jiyong screamed in anger and got up, his clothes were soaked and stained with mud; he was yelling desperately and bit his lower lip so hard he made it to bleed.

No cab stopped for him because he looked like Yeti in the rain, he waited for several minutes for a cab that took him. Jiyong returned home by the night and stepped into the mansion, he made so many noises, Seunghyun showed up and just seeing him, the black haired man screamed in panic.

“It’s me!!!” Jiyong replied as Seunghyun moved back in terror.

“Ji… Jiyong?!” Seunghyun replied as he stared at him incredulously.

The designer had a bump in the forehead, a cut in the lower lip and his clothes were dirty.

“What happened?”

“An old lady hit me and stole my cab” Jiyong said “and… I fell…”

“Ah… You were at the airport, right? Why didn’t you call me? I’d have gone for you”

I called you, but I hung up when I heard your voice… I didn’t think I’d get nervous just for hearing your damn voice.

“I’m fine” Jiyong dragged his suitcase to his bedroom.

Seunghyun went to the kitchen and grabbed a bag and placed ice inside and brought it to Jiyong.

“This will reduce swelling” Seunghyun said “You have to wash your face first”

“I’m fine” Jiyong said.

“Stop being so stubborn” Seunghyun held his hand and drew him to the bathroom and washed Jiyong’s face without his consent.

Jiyong whined like a baby and Seunghyun washed his face clumsily. Seungri was kind and tender and Seunghyun was like a caveman, in the end he threw the bag with ice against the younger.

“You’re a beast!” Jiyong said.

“Shut up, I’ll go to the drugstore for unguent for the cut of your lip”

“It’s raining and the drugstore isn’t near”

“I know, it’s not the first time” Seunghyun turned his eyes and left.

Jiyong remembered the last time he got sick and Seunghyun took care of him, he watched him go away with an umbrella under the starless raining night.

I haven’t seen Seunghyun for months and nothing has changed, he’s the same… I can’t believe he saw me like this, my look is horrible and I have a bump in my head… Jiyong thought and waited for the writer who came back few minutes later.

Jiyong was sitting in the living room; Seunghyun threw the bag with medicine to him.

“Apply the unguent on lips every eight hours”

“Thank you” Jiyong said “Now, where are my dogs?”

“I made soup with them”

“You’re kidding”

“Of course, Youngbae took them to the park, I guess it’s raining, that’s why they haven’t come back” Seunghyun said “How was the flight? Are you hungry?”

“…Yes, I haven’t eaten”

“I think there’s beef” Seunghyun went to the kitchen while Jiyong stayed in the living room.

The black haired man was surprised, but happy to see Jiyong again, four months were long and he had to admit he missed the unpredictable and impulsive designer.

He took meat from the fridge and washed it before putting it on the pan.

His phone rang and he answered.

“Hi, Suzy” he smiled after hearing her voice “Sorry… Can we go tomorrow? It’s raining and Jiyong came back, I don’t want to leave him alone, I mean, he fell and hit hard himself… I want to see you too, fine, tomorrow, I love you” he said and hung up.

He finished making dinner for Jiyong and brought it to the living room, however, Jiyong was already sleeping.

He bent and reached the hand towards Jiyong’s head and his blond locks carefully.

“I’ve missed you…” he said and retracted his hand quickly.

 

Tomorrow, Jiyong woke up on the couch, he didn’t remember when he fell asleep in the living room, he checked the hour and freaked out when he realized it was 1:00 p.m.

“I have to be in the office!!!” he got up quickly and took a bath and drove to GD’s Fashion.

To his surprise, his lip was healed and there wasn’t sign of bump in his forehead. He arrived to his office and met Youngbae and Gaho and Jolie.

“My babies” Jiyong hugged his dogs tightly.

“No hug for me?” Youngbae replied.

Jiyong released the dogs for them to wander around the place and squeezed Youngbae strongly.

“I’ve missed you!” Jiyong said.

“Me too” Youngbae hugged him back “How was everything in London?”

“I made fours dresses and four suits, I shipped them in priority overnight, so I think they’ll arrive to the office in few hours”

“They already arrived; I asked the noona to take care of them in the atelier for the last touches”

“Cool” Jiyong said “And the ring?”

“I received your design in the past month, people are working on it right now. There will be one hundred rings on San Valentine”

“Everything is going smoothly” Jiyong replied half smile.

“So why aren’t you happy?”

“I can never trick you” Jiyong replied in defeat “I made the wedding dress for Bom…”

“You’re sad, because Seungri will marry on San Valentine” Youngbae dared guessing.

“He won’t…” Jiyong replied “He told me he’s going to talk to his father and break up the engagement”

“Did he tell you that?” Youngbae said in surprised “What happened in London?”

“Just a kiss… I know, it’s crazy, it’s three days for San Valentine” Jiyong said “Seungri said he’s in love with me”

“What?!” Youngbae shouted out in shock.

“I was like what?! Too, but he said he’s talking seriously and he isn’t going to lose me again”

“What did you say to him?”

“I said I had to talk to Seunghyun first” Jiyong replied “Seungri knows our relationship is a lie, but I want to talk to Seunghyun anyway”

“This is like a dorama”

“Yes… I… ” Jiyong said hesitantly “I’ll apologize to Seungri, I can’t be with him”

“What?” Youngbae exclaimed, puzzled “You‘ve wanted to be with him for years!!! I’ve been listening to you whining for Seungri every day since high school!!!”

“I know, the days with him have been wonderful, but I just could think about Seunghyun… You were right, I like Seunghyun… I’m a disaster… During the flight, I thought it was going to be awkward to see Seunghyun again, but when I saw him, when I met him after so many months, I felt I never separated from him… I… like him…”

“Can I come in?” Daesung asked behind the door.

“Yes” Youngbae said and the young man stepped inside with a thousand folders.

“I thought I’d stop reading papers, but there are more papers than ever” Daesung said grumpily, he put the folders on the desk and noticed the blond’s presence “Jiyong hyung! You’re back!”

“Where is Seunghyun now?” Jiyong replied.

“Ah? Seunghyun hyung is in the cafeteria, I asked him to help me with the papers, but he’s lazy” Daesung said and Jiyong ran to the lift and went to the cafeteria.

 

Jiyong reached the cafeteria and found Seunghyun at the table like always, he was writing something on his laptop.

“Seunghyun” Jiyong approached to the table breathlessly.

“Jiyong, feeling better?” he asked smiling.

“Yes, better, thanks… again” Jiyong replied “I have to talk to you”

“About what? You look serious”

“These months I’ve been in London with Seungri”

“Seunghyun-ah!” a female voice called the black haired man and he got up from the chair and headed towards her.

Jiyong followed him and found him embracing and kissing her.

“Uh…” Seunghyun felt uncomfortable “She’s Suzy, my girlfriend”

“Your girlfriend?” Jiyong said in trance.

“Yeah, a lot of things have occurred when you left”

Jiyong bit his lower lip making it to bleed again, he felt a complete idiot for wanting to confess his feelings for Seunghyun.

“I think I’ve seen you before” Jiyong said to Suzy.

“I work in marketing… I’m glad meeting you, Jiyong-ssi”

“Just call me Jiyong” he replied “I’ll take a coffee” he said and went for the coffee and left without saying anything.

Jiyong hid in his office and worked with Youngbae and Daesung. They told him the preparations for the runway at Namsan were ready, the platform was already built and the models were already signed.

From nowhere, Seunghyun came to the office and everybody felt tension between him and Jiyong. Youngbae and Daesung didn’t want to be there and thanks God Jiyong requested them to get out.

“You wanted to talk to me, but you left” Seunghyun said, curious and confused.

“You were busy with your girlfriend, I didn’t want to… You know, three’s a crowd”

“I had to tell you”

“No, it’s ok, it’s your life” Jiyong said “Actually, I don’t need you anymore”

“Uh?”

“I was with Seungri in London, he is in love with me and he’ll terminate his engagement…”

“It’s fantastic” Seunghyun replied “Not for Bom, but for you”

“Yes, it’s fantastic; amazing” Jiyong took a small paper from the drawer “This is the check”  

Seunghyun took the check and opened eyes wide as he saw 200.000 dollars.

“Our deal was 100.000” he said, perplexed.

“Extra 100.000 is for the inconvenience” Jiyong said “I know I’m difficult to deal with”

“Yes, you are” Seunghyun smiled “The most of time was funny though”

“Yes, those days were funny” Jiyong forced a smile.

“So this is the end”

“Yes, we break up” Jiyong said “You’re free”

“So I say goodbye or something?”

“I guess, goodbye”

“Goodbye” Seunghyun said and kept the check in the pocket “I wish you the best with Seungri”

“We’ll be happy”

“You will” Seunghyun said “And good luck with your new collection”

“Ah, ok, thanks” Jiyong said “I think you better go now, it’s going to rain soon”

Seunghyun nodded and left. Jiyong plopped himself in the chair and watched the giant window that showed Seoul view all-powerfully. The raindrops covered the crystal and Jiyong felt his eyes blurred, there were teardrops in his eyes, but he fought for not crying.

“What happened?” Youngbae rushed into the room.

“I broke up with Seunghyun and paid him”

“You broke… I thought you were going to say how much you like him”

“I was going to say it… But I met his girlfriend and I felt idiot, he’s straight, I don’t think he likes me at all… You know the mess the last time I dated a straight man” he recalled Dongwook instinctively.

“So will you choose Seungri?”

“I was already in love with him; I only have to fall for him again. He’s charming and great, it won’t be hard to love him again, more than I like Seunghyun…”

“Jiyong…” Youngbae replied feeling his friend’s hurt.

“This is for the best”

Youngbae shook his head.

“I’m sad for the break up… It’s a fake break up, because we never dated for real, we were never a real couple, but it’s lame anyway… I thought Seunghyun would be more upset, but he just smiled and left… Everything we had is a lie... I shouldn’t be sad, I made up everything, I approached to him and asked him to be my fake boyfriend. I should be happy, I don't have to lie, I can be with Seungri... But I don't want that anymore...”

Youngbae advanced to the blond haired man and held him in his arms tenderly. Shortly, Jiyong started crying against the older’s chest.