“Hyung can’t we just go around and use the back door or something? I’m scared.”

“Yeah me too hyung please let’s use the backdoor.”

Jiyong stood there listening to Daesung and Seungri complain. To the truth, he was scared as well, but as the leader—and the oldest one at the moment—he couldn’t just admit that.

“Oh c’mon, stop being babies. They’re just cats. They won’t bite.”

Even though he said all that, he didn’t want to go anywhere near those cats.

The cats that lived outside the building where their dorm was were—for lack of better word—wild. There were five or six in total, and they were always hanging out near the main entrance of the building. They first noticed the cats a month ago when they were coming home late one day from the studio. They were so tired, they wouldn’t have noticed them if Seunghyun hadn’t kicked one out of the way on his way in.

After that day, they noticed them all the time, mornings, afternoons and nights. But usually, Seunghyun would be there to chase them away.

Tonight, however, Seunghyun and Taeyang had finished earlier than the rest of them and decided to come home early and rest. So the three cowards were stuck together this time.

Jiyong took a deep breath. He needed to be strong. He was the leader. These sentences played in his head on a loop.

He grabbed Daesung’s hand with one of his and Seungri’s with the other. Then he marched forward, looking into the eyes of the nearest cat as if daring to attack them. The cat however barely spared them a second glance before settling down to sleep.

Glancing a quick look at the other cats, Jiyong quickly pulled the youngest members behind him and ran into the building, letting out a deep breath once they were inside.

Seungri, noticing this reaction in their leader, asked “Hyung, were you scared too?”

Jiyong jumped a little at the sudden question, but quickly denied it.

“Of course not. Why would I be scared of a few cats?” he retorted haughtily, before turning around and going towards the elevators. “Now let’s go. We need to sleep early. Did you forget about tomorrow’s meeting?”

Daesung and Seungri looked at each other, snickering softly before following Jiyong into the elevator.

“Oh hyung admit it,” Daesung said, “you were totally scared.” The two youngest members shared a laugh as Jiyong stomped his foot and yelled “Was not!” just as the elevator door closed.

*

It was a few days later when Jiyong found himself in front of the building again, alone.

He was craving some ice cream that day, so he went out to the convenience store down the block to get some. It was the first time he went alone. Usually, he would drag whoever was near to go with him, but that day they had all decided to sleep in since they had nothing scheduled that day.

And now he facing this situation. This time he couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t scared. The cats looked even more frightening than they had the other night, now that they were looking at him and the bag he was carrying. He had the urge to sit in the middle of the street and cry, but he couldn’t that. He was 18 years old, not eight!

But still, how was he going to get back inside?

When Seunghyun woke up the day, the apartment was quieter than usual. Everyone was sleeping in. He decided to get up and eat an early breakfast by himself, since he woke feeling hungry, and he couldn’t wake the others from their sleep.

After washing up and brushing his teeth, he made his way to the kitchen, and fixed himself a bowl of cereal. He grabbed his bowl and went over to the window overlooking the street. He loved to see the different types of people that went up and down their street. He even memorized a few people.

Today, however, he saw himself looking at a familiar face. Is that… Jiyong?! Jiyong was standing near the main entrance of their building, looking intently at something near the door.

What was Jiyong doing out there? He usually never goes out alone. Why isn’t he coming in? Seunghyun wondered, and followed the direction of Jiyong’s eyes to see what he was looking at so intently.

Seunghyun almost chocked on his cereal from laughter when he saw it was one of the cats that hung around the main door.

But Jiyong isn’t scared of those cats. So why isn’t he coming up?

After thinking about it for a few minutes, Seunghyun realized that he was always the first one through the door whenever they were together. He knows that Seungri and Daesung were scared of them, but Jiyong never expressed his fear or lack thereof.

Slowly, a smile spread across his handsome features as an idea formed in his head. He put down the bowl he was carrying and sprinted out the door.

He was going to have some fun.

Jiyong has never felt more relieved to see Seunghyun.

“Oh, hyung thank god you’re here,” he breathed, knees going weak as all the energy left his body.

“Hey Jiyong,” Seunghyun said, leaning against the doorway, crossing one leg over the other with his hands in his pockets. “What are you doing there?”

“I just went to the convenience store down the street to get some ice cream,” Jiyong said.

“Oh, really? Then why are you still standing there? C’mon let’s go or the ice cream is going to melt,” Seunghyun said coolly.

“Um… hyung… can you come here for a second,” Jiyong stammered. He didn’t want to admit to Seunghyun that he was scared of the cats. He needed to be next to him so he can go back inside.

“Why? Are you hurt or something?”

“No… but—”

“Then no. The sun… will ruin my skin. And we have a photo shoot in a few days, so…”

Jiyong let out a frustrated sigh. Did Seunghyun want to make him say it? Judging by the smile on his face, he probably did, thought Jiyong.

“Okay fine. I’ll say it. Hyung, I’m scared of the cats. So can you please move them from the door?” Jiyong pleaded.

“You’re scared of this?” Seunghyun asked as he bent down to pick up the nearest cat.

Jiyong was looking at his hyung with wide eyes and an expression that clearly said ‘hyung, are you crazy?’

With the cat in his hand, Seunghyun stepped forward. Jiyong took a step back, not wanting to be anywhere near the cat.

Seunghyun kept moving toward Jiyong, with Jiyong moving away, until they were eventually running up and down the street, with Jiyong screaming the entire time and Seunghyun laughing so hard he thought he might pass out.

Finally, Jiyong ran inside their apartment building. Seunghyun paused for a second to put the cat back where it was and followed Jiyong inside.

When he reached their apartment, Jiyong was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t in his room, nor was he in the bathroom, kitchen or living room.

Sighing, Seunghyun made his way back out of the apartment, but this time making his way to the roof.

The roof was the place Jiyong would go to whenever he was too upset, too stressed out, or when he just wanted some quiet time.

Sure enough, when Seunghyun opened the door that led to the open space of the roof, he saw Jiyong sitting down against a wall, hugging his knees with his face buried in between them. He could hear the boy sobbing.

Seunghyun felt his heart ache at the sight in front of him. He never meant to upset Jiyong, but his juvenile side kicked in and he couldn’t stop.

“Jiyong…” Seunghyun started to say, moving slowly to where Jiyong was sitting.

At the sound of his name, Jiyong lifted his head slowly to see Seunghyun standing in front of him.

“What do you want?” Jiyong snapped. “Do you want to scare me some more?”

“Ji, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” Seunghyun said, the remorse he felt showing in his voice.

“I know you didn’t,” Jiyong said sniffling. “And I wasn’t crying because of that. I just wanted to make you say you’re sorry.”

Seunghyun was confused. “Then why…?”

“My ice cream melted!” Jiyong wailed, breaking into another fit of sobs.

Seunghyun couldn’t help it. He laughed so hard that he fell to the ground on his knees, with his hands holding his stomach from laughing so hard.

“Why are you laughing at me?” Jiyong cried.

“Because you are so damn adorable, did you know that?” Seunghyun said, getting up and moving next to Jiyong. He tugged on the leaders hand and helped him, hugging him tight.

“How can you be this adorable, hmm?” Seunghyun mused, moving his hand up and down Jiyong’s back, trying to soothe him.

Jiyong hiccupped. He has never been this close to Seunghyun. For some reason his heart started beating wildly. What is happening to me? Why is my heart beating like this?

When he sensed that the younger was no longer crying, Seunghyun pulled away gently and looked down at his leader. Slowly, he brought his hands to cup Jiyong’s face, using his thumbs to wipe away the tear stains that were on his face.

“Now, let’s go get you another ice cream okay?”

The End.

A/N:

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it ^^