Youngbae raised his glass, the silver-head, pouring in something different, something stronger, grinning as the older guy nodded his head, humming. The music was loud, loud enough for them to feel their heart beating along the rhythm, but not enough for them not to hear what the other has to say. 

Youngbae was smiling to his ear, staring at Seungri as both their mouths uttered the same words; "Got a tattoo said together through life," they sang, both smiling foolishly to one another.

Seungri turns the volume higher, and Youngbae sips on his drink. He could feel his face burning, haziness slowly creeping in to his vision. He might be a little tipsy, a little bit too drunk, but his mind says the otherwise, so he isn't---he's perfectly fine.

At least that's what he claims to be.

"All I know," Seungri sang loudly, walking towards him with a goofy smile. "All I know.. is that I'm lost.. in your fire below," he sings, and then chuckles; "All I know.. is that I love you so, so much it hurts."

Youngbae then giggles, then applauses. And as the song neared to its end, he stands up, presses on to the black, glossy speakers, and then plays the same song once again.

"Hmm?" Seungri hummed.

"One more time," he said, cheekily.

Seungri snorts. "When will you ever get tired of this song?" he asked, to which Youngbae grins from. 

"Prolly never."

Seungri replies back a grin.

"So," Youngbae began. "What's up with you?" he asked, warily, and the younger raises an eyebrow.

"What's up with me?" he asked, seemingly utterly-confused.

"You know what I'm talking about," he uttered in a knowing manner.

This might be a good stopping point, Youngbae thought. Meddling in other's businesses was never his habit---he didn't like forcing people to spill out something they don't want others to know. But then again, the alcohol was kicking in, causing him to blurt out everything that was on his mind. It won't be his fault if he gets a little too nosy.

The alcohol would be to blame, right?

"Come on," he complained, flicking his hands. "You can tell me."

Seungri was in denial---at least that's what he thought. 

"Tell you what?" the boy asked, eyes squinting.

"I've noticed it since I got here," he uttered, leaning towards him. "That you look kinda gloomy." 

Seungri then breathed out a hefty laugh. "I do?"

Youngbae nods calmly. "Is..." he started. "..something bothering my precious friend here?" he asked with a foolish smile.

Seungri snorts at the goading look on his friend's face. "Nothing," he insisted with a slight bit of force unto it. "I really have no idea what you're talking about."

A frown then molded on the bridges of his nose. "Ehh?" Youngbae pouted like a child. "You really won't tell?"

"I told you, I have nothing to tell, okay?" Seungri dictated, sneering at him.

Youngbae seemed to condemn of the boy's words. He sat there with a steady, intent look, vision starting to get a tad bit hazy and blurry, but could still see how Seungri's pupils moved unsteadily. As the warmth of the alcohol flamed throughout his body, he moves in forward to his chair's arm and leans onto it. With his chin over his folded arms, he stares at Seungri with a malicious look to it.

"I'm not buying it," he uttered, smirking. 

Seungri snorts then again. "Not buying what? You're being ridiculous."

"I won't budge, you know."

"Okay?" he uttered, arching an eyebrow in disbelief. "Don't budge then."

"Ah--" Youngbae breathed out, sitting up from his position as Seungri got up from the sofa, heading somewhere. "Where you goin? You gonna leave me here?" he asked, seemingly sincerely-worried.

"You're really childish when you're drunk, Hyung," Seungri chuckles. As he drops exactly three cubes of ice on his glass, he then reaches for the glassed compartment above his collection of luxurious-looking liquors, aiming for the bottle on the center. "Let's drink this one, Hyung," he uttered, grinning.

Youngbae pushes out both his lips, pouting from awe as Seungri walked towards him, carrying the elegant box with the utmost gentleness. 

"Haven't tasted this one yet, but the man who sold me this on Paris said that this tastes like no other," he said, proudly. "This cost me a lot, too." 

"Really?" asked Youngbae as he reached for it, examining it wholly. Though his vision was dim, he could still see its extravagant details from its box to the bottle itself. With a slight doubt, he asks; "We're drinking this now?"

Seungri nods without hesitation. "Yep," he uttered, taking it from Youngbae's hands. 

As he watched the boy unravel it carefully, he asks once more; "Why?"

Seungri chuckles. "What do you mean 'why'?" he asked in a mocking manner. "Coz I want to drink it," he said, lips curving to a smirk.

Youngbae was astounded, almost. "What?" He laughs. "Unbelievable. I mean, why open it? That must've cost you a fortune, right? It's only the two of us, you know."

"So?" he responded immediately. "I can't drink this if there aren't any special occasions?"

Then, a frown. Youngbae could only frown like a child from his remark. 

"'kay, then."

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

"Again."

Daesung nods and smiles remotely. He then shifts the headphones covering up his ears, holding onto it as he proceeded to sing the exact same lines his already-aching throat had been spouting out for hours. 

As the music cues, he opens his mouth, forcing out whatever energy left inside his system; "Baby, baby, can you stay beautiful-"

"Again," uttered Jiyong as he stops the music, looking at him through the glass, eyes stale and frigid. 

Daesung swallows down the thick stitch in his throat and obediently nods. He sings once again but only to be halted by the glacial man with a hostile stare. 

"Again," Jiyong demanded, still with the same mundane tone.

He smiles, again, and then proceeds to sing; "Baby, baby, can you stay beautiful-"

"What's wrong with you?" Jiyong halts the music as a deep wrinkle creeps in to his eyebrows. He stood there, hands leaning on to the desk, head inclined towards the anxious-looking man. "Why can't you get it right? Is it that difficult?" he asked, an obvious sign of irk present in his voice.

Seunghyun, who had been sitting just beside him, watching as they repeat the same process over and over again, sits up and slightly leans towards him. "Jiyong," he said, softly.

Jiyong glances over at him. With that dreary gaze, he raises his eyebrows and shrugs his shoulder.

"Can't you let him take a break?" Seunghyun asked. "He's been singing for hours. He's tired."

Jiyong didn't respond immediately. But as Seunghyun stared fixedly at him, the stern man's expression softens little by little, and finally, he yields. He lets out a deep breath as he massaged the bridge of his nose. 

"Right. Sorry about that."

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

A few quiet bites, and they glanced at one another. Seunghyun frowns a little as if to ask why, but then Daesung just shrugs. The two continued to eat away as the reserved man sits across them, seemingly tongue-tied. The lean meat were slowly disappearing from the grill, and Seunghyun nudges at Daesung's arm; but the man just simply chuckled and continued to stuff his mouth. Seunghyun rolled his eyes. Then, he glances over at Jiyong once again---and as expected, he still had the same aura around him.

Jiyong's arm leaned stiffly on the wooden table; his other, directed towards the grill on the center, hand flipping the raw meat with his chopsticks. He did so with such monotonous face, Seunghyun could only furrow an eyebrow. 

"Mind telling us what's up?" he asked, to which he gains a cautious look from Daesung.

Jiyong would've seem to suddenly lost his appetite, Seunghyun thought.

Jiyong slows down his hand movements and gradually stops. He sits back on his chair, limbs lazily placed on his sides. Then, after a few awkward seconds of silence, he speaks;

"..I can't," he uttered tiredly, no energy present to it. 

Seunghyun could see on the corner of his eyes how flummoxed Daesung had become upon seeing Jiyong's disquieting expression. Such view was so rare to see, Seunghyun was also left unsettled. 

After observing him first for a few quick seconds, Seunghyun speaks again---carefully; "You can't? Why not?"

Jiyong shakes his head slowly, head facing downwards. "..Sorry, but I can't."

Seunghyun then glances over at Daesung, and Daesung gives back a prudent look. 

"I see," Seunghyun uttered. "I understand."

"Youngbae?" Jiyong blurts out.

Seunghyun halts chewing his food---caught off-guard from the sudden question. "Huh?"

Proceeding on grilling the meat, Jiyong asks with a deadpan face; "Earlier, you guys said he might be just late. But where's he now?"

"Ah, about that, Hyung," Daesung speaks up. "I talked to him on the phone earlier, he said that he'll be meeting with his family. I think there's a celebration going on?" he said, to which earns no response from Jiyong. He furrows his eyebrow at the idle guy then.

"You talked to him on the phone?" he asked, and Daesung nods hesitantly. "I've been calling him all day, but he wasn't answering."

The two glanced at one another once again. For some reason, Daesung felt strangely tense. They could see a slight bit of conjecture showing through the man's eyes as if sensing something's off.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Jiyong drove slowly on the steep road, and near to the small alley. Each of the cafe he passed by glinted through his tinted glass. The residence seemed lively even after such late hour, he thought.

Though he tries to fix his eyes on the road, he couldn't help but look back at the passenger's seat. He couldn't help but look back at the broken window of his car. There were still stains of blood smeared all over fragmented glass; Jiyong couldn't help but feel regret.

As he reaches close to an alley, where a tall building stands beside, he parks his car on the free space. 

Just as he was about to get off, he sees a familiar man walk by---he was holding a paperbag on his hand, the other, holding a phone. The man seemed to not care of his surroundings---he didn't even notice Jiyong's presence as his eyes just focused solely on the screen, smiling like a fool.

"Youngbae?" Jiyong uttered to himself.

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

Seungri stirs and stirs and stirs. Then, he smiles.

He had been forbidden not to move around much, but still, he cooks. It's just a simple meal anyway, he says. With just a hand to move---and injured to add---he carefully stirred the convenience-store seasoned radish, wary over the pan falling from the stove. As the thin smoke veiled his skin, he feels his phone vibrates, and with that---no second thoughts---he leaves what's he's tending to and checks on his phone almost immediately. 

" From: Youngbae-hyung

Bought the DVD you wanted. Be there in a minute! "

Seungri then stirs again.

Then, he smiles---he smiles almost stretching up to his ears. 

 

 

 

 

 

---

---

Hey, everyone! This is the promised updated(longer) chapter.

Finals ended just a week ago! Yaayy~~ Sorry for the delay, but while I'm on vacation, I'll try to update as much as possible! Thank you for staying by my side 'til now. Didn't expect to drag this story much out. Lol

P.S.; I won't get tired of telling you guys this: your feedbacks makes me sooo happy. ^  ^