The other members of Big Bang are seated around the table in the small kitchen, laughing as they eat their dinner without worries.  Jiyong’s eyes begin to water up when he smells the delicious aroma and sees the simple food prepared, thanking the world a million times in his head for everything that’s happened so far.  They don’t notice him, Jiyong’s presence practically invisible, as they continue on with their playful joking, leaving the new leader awkwardly watching until Youngbae sees him out of the corner of his observant eye.

“Hey Jiyong,” he greets softly, a warm twinkling in his eyes as he invites the boy to sit down in the empty seat next to him.  Daesung has no qualms about giving a large wave and an adorable smile, Seungri gives a small nod before returning his attention to snatching the largest piece of meat (making Daesung cry out in anger as the two begin to fight for the food with their chopsticks, though Jiyong isn’t sure how the younger of the two can even see such a small motion with his eyes), and Seunghyun simply eyes him as he slowly takes a sip from a glass of water.  Jiyong shuffles over like a small child and gingerly takes a seat, murmuring a quiet “hello” to the others before looking at all the dishes in wonder.  A bowl of steaming, fluffy rice is already in front of him, and Jiyong internally cries another large “thank you” to everyone in the world.  Shakily, as if unable to believe what’s happening right now, the boy picks up his chopsticks, mouth watering.

He clumsily takes a tiny piece of tofu and a small bite of rice before his eyes widen.  “This is so good!” he exclaims, eyes lighting up with delight, before he realizes how embarrassing his outburst is and blushes.  Hard.  The deep, red colouring on his cheeks only triggers a small round of chuckling around the table.

“Thanks,” Youngbae says bemusedly.  Spinning around to face the older, Jiyong looks at him, face full of admiration.

“You cooked this?” he asks as if the other is a god, making Youngbae feel slightly modest at the boy’s appreciation.  ‘Finally, though,’ the older thinks to himself.  ‘Some recognition.  Of course the other ungrateful, oversized brats at the table would never say anything like this without some evil, hidden intention, not to mention so honestly.’

“Well, the rest of us here rather lack any form of talent in the kitchen,” the other replies dryly, rolling his eyes.  “Honestly,” he continues, shifting his attention to Seungri.  “Who burns rice?  Rice of all things?”  Seungri shoots Youngbae a withering gaze, hurt pride demanding justice.

“You wound me,” he sniffs, putting on a dramatic act.  “You really do, Youngbae, showcasing your skills as a cook so proudly.  You make me feel so-so inadequate!”  At this, Seungri slams down his chopsticks and bowl of rice and begins to sob pitifully into his hands.  

Youngbae sighs.  “Aish,” he grumbles.  “Stop faking that- Jiyong looks seriously worried.  No joke.  He actually seems concerned for an idiot like you”  Seungri only bawls louder at this, and Jiyong fights the urge to try and console the older, feeling sad by just watching the latter cry.  ‘Should I?’ he thinks uncertainly.  ‘Or should I not?  Does he even want me touching him?  But he looks like he needs a big hug!’

As Jiyong holds a mini-debate internally, Seunghyun chooses the moment to finally speak up, shocking the leader with his deep, smoky voice and vibrating timbre.  “Little Seunghyun, you’re embarrassing the Seunghyun name.”  His handsome face is completely serious, and Jiyong is already convinced he’s an amazing rapper from the natural charisma within his voice.  The boy instantly decides that he will always follow Seunghyun, believing every word the other spouted  and will spout because every cell in his body is urging him to.  Sniffling, Seungri peeks up and meets Seunghyun’s intense gaze timidly.

Finally, the teen drops his act, laughing obnoxiously, and Daesung joins in without missing a beat.  Their sudden amusement makes the leader blink, utterly confused.  ‘What’s going on?  Why are they laughing?  But wasn’t Seungri crying just a minute ago?  Am I not getting something?  Is there some joke I missed?’  When, at last, the two are finished, the younger of the duo turns to the spazzing Jiyong curiously.

“So, where were you, Jiyong?” Jiyong looks up, startled at being addressed and losing his train of thought, whatever it was.

“O-oh, um, training,” he replies lamely.  The other nods.

“I see…” A few minutes of awkward silence passes as the group eats quietly, unsure of what to say, until Seungri brings up some recent headlines in the news and promptly starts a small conversation.  Jiyong, however, has no clue whatsoever of what the others are talking about, choosing not to open his mouth and shame himself further by asking for clarification in what appears to be a rather well-known topic.  When he has eaten his fill, he stands up, makes his way to the sink, and sets his bowl down near it, unsure of what to do next.

“You’re done?” Seunghyun’s husky voice sounds surprised, and Jiyong spins around, clutching where his heart is at the sudden noise.

“Y-yeah,” he squeaks, a bit frightened, and flushes at his voice, attempting to clear his throat.  “W-what do I do with the leftover rice?” He fails miserably in his chance at redemption though as his voice cracks as he speaks.  Youngbae eyes him with a look of motherly disapproval.

“You barely ate though,” he says sternly, walking to where Jiyong stood with his bowl.  “See, you still got over half your rice left.”  

“I-I’m full,” the boy hastily stammers.  Scanning him from head to toe, Youngbae notices the honest glint in his eyes along with his worryingly bony frame.

“Alright, fine, I’ll let it slide just this one time, but, seriously, you really got to eat more.  No wonder you’re so skinny,” Youngbae lectures as Jiyong freezes up, not daring to move as not to disappoint the other further.  “Here, I’ll take your rice.” He transfers the food from Jiyong’s bowl to his own before sitting back down.  “Don’t worry about your dishes- it’s Daesung’s turn tonight.”  The addressed teen groans, eyes crinkling.

“Why’d you have to remind me?” he whines.  “I was hoping you’d forget, but noooooooo, you just have to remember.”

“I-I can wash the dishes, i-if you want,” Jiyong offers timidly.  Grinning a bit, Daesung shakes his head, silky hair falling in front of his forehead in soft waves.  ‘Just like a model’, Jiyong thinks in amazement.  He suddenly begins to conjure images of Daesung strutting around in sunglasses and expensive, stylish clothes, a handsome smile on his face as fans fawn over him at every step.  ‘He’s just as cool as Dongwook-ssi.  They’re both gods in disguise.’  He grins secretly to himself, image of Daesung forever altered to that of the aforementioned scene.  Suddenly, everything Daesung does seems to hold a touch of elegance and grace, even the way the other shovels food into his mouth.  ‘The way he uses his chopsticks is just-just magnificent!’  When the teen gives another of his charming smiles, it dazzles Jiyong with its overwhelming radiance.  ‘His teeth are so white and shiny!  I can see my reflection in them!’

“It’s fine.  By the way, who’s going to be rooming with you?”

“Well, we have 3 rooms.  I’m thinking that Seungri gives up his room and shares with me, since Jiyong probably wants his own space,” Youngbae reasons.  “If you’re alright with it, Seungri?”

The panda smirks, arrogance coming off of him in waves.  “I’m all up for it.  I missed our nightly wrestles.  I’ve gotten much stronger, so I’ll beat you for sure,” he boasts.  His childhood friend scoffs.

“In your dreams, Seungri.” Returning his attention to the leader nervously fidgeting, he softens, feeling bad for him.  “Jiyong, your room is at the far end of the hallway.  We’ll move Seungri’s stuff out after we’re done eating, okay?” The younger nods vigorously, bows a perfect 90 degrees, stammers a “thank you”, and leaves to explore his new room.

“Well,” Seunghyun says.  “He’s quiet.”  Daesung turns to face him, appalled., tiny eyes open for all that they’re worth as he points his finger at the former’s chest

“He’s quiet?  Well, yes he is…But hyung, you barely spoke a word today!  Pot calling the kettle black, eh?”

“I’m shy,” the taller mutters.

“Ugh, we know hyung.  It took you like 2 weeks to even start talking to us normally, and we’re, like, the friendliest, coolest kids on the block.  Man, your shyness is out of control,” Seungri interjects.

“What can I say?  I’m from outer space.”  Seunghyun sounds utterly serious as he explains.  “Talking with humans right off the bat is just not my forte.  Always harder to communicate properly with them at first since I’m always worried they’ll realize I’m an alien and ship me off back to my planet.  I like it better here, so I’d prefer to stay.”  The other 3 Big Bang members, as a collective being, roll their eyes and let out a deep breath.  

The room at the end of the hallway is not exactly big, but not exactly cramped either.  To Jiyong, though, it’s heaven as his eyes flit to every nook and cranny in the room in excitement until he notices a picture hanging delicately on the wall.  In it, Seungri is smiling brightly, surrounded by what seems to be his family- a mother, a father, and a younger sister.  The pictures radiates in the room, and suddenly, Jiyong feels as if he has invaded this private sanctuary.  He’s only an outsider, and he has no right to be intruding into Seungri’s personal room.  At this thought, the boy backs up to the door until he collides with a solid, warm body.

“Where are you going?” Jiyong peers up from his bangs to find Seungri looking at him with a questioning gaze.  ‘Panda,’ the former automatically thinks.  ‘A strong, cute panda.’  When he finally returns to the real world, he finds the panda staring at him, awaiting a response.  Jiyong wants to cry and hide in a corner from embarrassment.

“I-I, um, w-was just, just w-waiting!” he nearly shouts, mentally flailing about as his whole body quakes.  Seungri only chuckles at the stutter in the younger’s voice, though he wonders how the boy even became the leader with his obvious lack in confidence.  ‘Probably is the son of YG’s good friend or something like that.’  Seungri waves off the thought.  

“Well, give me a few minutes to get my stuff.”  When Jiyong doesn’t move to let him enter, the older raises an eyebrow.  “If you let me get in the room,” he adds.  

Realizing that he’s blocking the doorway, Jiyong stammers out a high-pitched “Sorry!” and almost trips trying to get out of the way.  ‘Yup, definitely has connections.’  Seungri strides into the room, gathering his things as the younger stands outside awkwardly, occasionally peeking inside only to shift his gaze to a wall, feeling as if he is invading the other’s privacy.  When Seungri finally comes out, he sees Jiyong staring at the empty space next to him, lost in thought.  Rolling his eyes, he clears his throat and smirks when the boy jumps and faces him, eyes wide.

“The room’s all yours now.” Hastily, Jiyong bows and hurries to say a thank you when the older turns his back and walks away, holding a few large bags.  ‘His back looks so strong,’ the boy thinks in awe.  ‘How are his legs so long?  His steps are twice the size as mine!’  Jiyong watches Seungri disappear down the hallway, looks at his own skinny, twig-like legs, and hesitantly takes a single step forward.  ‘Mine are so tiny,’ he realizes miserably.  Depressed, he decides to take his mind off his undeveloped, scrawny body by walking through the doorway.

“It’s my room now,” Jiyong whispers quietly to himself.  “It’s mine.” He repeats the words again and again as an excited smile begins to bloom across his face until he practically leaps onto the bed, snuggling his face into the covers.  He suddenly stops when he feels a wave of guilt crash over him for kicking Seungri out of his own room without so much as a warning, even though the latter seems happy with the way things turned out.  Debating whether he should go apologize or not, Jiyong buries himself further into the blanket, deciding against it.  ‘Seungri already hates me.’  His fists clench into the sheets and he begins to tremble delicately, tears welling up in his eyes.  ‘He probably doesn’t want to see me more than he has to.’  With this, he begins to sob into the pillow.

“Get prepared to scream for mercy!”  Seungri lunges at Youngbae, who meets him with the same amount of aggression, a fierce fire in both their eyes as neither wishes to lose and admit defeat (to them, it is akin to inferiority).  They roll around and grapple for victory for a few, long minutes until Seungri lets out a battle cry and pins the other to the bed.  “Got you now!” he bellows, sweating from the activity.

Youngbae only smirks though and jabs the other in the stomach.  Quickly, the older takes advantage of Seungri’s momentary surprise and flips them over.  “I win, Seungri,” he says quietly, eyes twinkling from the wrestling.  The other only groans.

“You cheated!  I totally had you there before you decided to pull that-that move on me!  You know I’m sensitive there!” Seungri pouts.

Youngbae gets off the bed, brushes himself off, and directs a wicked smile towards the other.  “You didn’t set any rules, so no whining.  I win and that’s all there is to it.”  

Pushing himself up, the panda rolls his eyes.  “You’re just a sore loser.”  

“Perhaps I am.”

“You’re impossible!”  Seungri throws his hands up for a brief moment before suddenly growing quiet, causing Youngbae to look at him questioningly.  “Youngbae,” he starts seriously, and the addressed person knows he’s not joking anymore.  “There’s something that’s been bothering me, and I just can’t help but think like this, you know?”  The air grows much more tense.

“What is it, Seungri?  We’ve been best friends for years.  I won’t judge you or anything,” Youngbae replies gently, though he has a feeling what the younger is talking about.

“It’s just that…” Seungri pauses, clearly struggling with his words.  “Why was Jiyong made leader?  I mean, I know it’s kind of mean, but he’s, you know…”

“Doesn’t give off the impression?  He’s the maknae?  Too shy?  I get what you’re saying, and I agree, no matter how horrible it makes me feel to judge a nice kid like Jiyong like that.  Still, YG must have a good reason.  He knows what he’s doing, so I guess we’ll have to trust his decision and accept that Jiyong’s our new leader.”  

“I know that, Youngbae,” Seungri snaps, frustrated.  Immediately regretting the action when the other frowns disapprovingly, he takes a deep breath to calm himself and speaks in a softer tone.  “I was going to be made leader, you know.  And suddenly, it’s taken away from me and I don’t know why.  Next thing I know, my position’s been given to someone we’ve never seen before, a new kid, and it’s been weeks since YG rejected all the other candidates and told us we’re the final group.  But he’s gone back on his word, since Jiyong is here, most likely to stay.  And Jiyong’s the maknae of all things, and he can’t even speak a single sentence without stuttering!” He ends his mini-rant and buries his face in his hands as Youngbae rubs his back comfortingly.  “He doesn’t belong, Youngbae.  His appearance is enough to tell you that, not to mention his aura, his personality- it just doesn’t fit.  I don’t think he’s cut out to be an idol at all, quite frankly.”

“I think,” Youngbae murmurs thoughtfully.  “What you’re saying makes sense, but we should, no, we have to give Jiyong a chance to prove himself.  Everything we’re saying is just based on first impressions.  We don’t really know anything about him yet; the only thing we know is that YG saw something in him that we’re too blinded by bitterness to notice.  Jiyong’s sweet and he’s never done anything to antagonize us, so we should treat him the same, right?”  Seungri picks up on what Youngbae is trying to convey, sighing.

“Alright…Let’s get some sleep, or we’ll be tired before practice even begins tomorrow, which means that we’ll be zombies afterwards.”  He stands up and walks to the bed on the other side of the room, settling himself in..  Youngbae throws him a pillow before lying down himself.

They exchange their good night’s and in no time, both are curled up and fast asleep under their warm blankets.

So, Jiyong meets Big Bang!  Hopefully, it was alright.   x_x

Anyways, thanks for reading!  An extra big thanks to everyone whose suscribed and left comments!  :)