It's taking too long. Longer than a usual person would do. Jiyong stood with his head down, bold leather shoes on the hard, tainted doormatt. The hallway was dimmed, silent, or maybe too silent that even a strand of hair falling on the ground wouldn’t be too impossible to hear. He stared at the door, breathing out a sigh as he presses on to the machine. He patiently waits, but it seemed like no one will come out anytime soon. He hears the doorknob turn, and his head lifts up to the sound. When it finally opened, a subtle frown paints on his face.

"Youngbae."

"Jiyong," a wrinkle on Youngbae's brows as he spoke. He stood behind the hard wood, with a look that could be easily misunderstood by the weakest of the hearts. "What're you doing here?" he asks with a tinge of a stern tone. Or maybe it was only Jiyong's imagination.

"What.. am I doing here..?" he asks, blankly, and the frown only deepens on his skin. It may have seemed like the question hadn't sunk in to him yet.

"..what are you doing here?" Jiyong blurts.

Now Youngbae looks fazed.

"Daesung said you're with your family," he stares through him, dourly.

It's taking a while, and Youngbae's mouth was shut. Why is it so? I'm sorry; Youngbae mutters after a long silence. His eyes weren't so apologetic at all, though.

"Can you please leave?"

Jiyong kept still on his feet. Was he appalled by what he have heard? Even the closest of his friends couldn't even read his now obscured look. It was silence all over again, and Youngbae stood infront of him looking as uncertain as he could be.

"Seungri doesn't want to see you," he says. "I'm sorry."

And there he goes again---just a blank look on his face, staring quietly at Youngbae.

"Say," Jiyong utters calmly. "Do you know?"

A vague question, yet it seemed Youngbae knew exactly what he was talking about. There wasn't even a single word needed. His eyes says it all.

"So you know," Jiyong breathes out, and Youngbae discreetly nods.

It wasn't difficult to see how distant Youngbae was. Distant than how he usually is, and Jiyong gets it.

"Seungri doesn't want to see you."

It almost sounded too hostile.

"I'm sorry, but please leave."

A soft chuckle then slips out of Jiyong's mouth.

"I see. Sorry about that."

Then he leaves, his eyes so bleak.



 

She ran her slim fingers through her jet-black hair, yawning as the drowsy music hummed in her ears. She sat in the corner of the somber cafe, dimly lit enough for her to be somewhat unnoticeable. It was of a friend's cafe. Pretty far away from the city; few customers visit.

The employees knew her very well---checking up on her every now and then, asking if she would love to have another drink each time she empties her cup. And each time they ask, she would always politely say no.

She likes to gaze outside the window, guessing which color the next vehicle would be. A red one passes by---she guessed correctly. Now a black one passes by---she also guessed correctly . And now a bold, yellow sportscar passes by---guess she was wrong this time. Now she stops guessing which color the next one would be, and sits up straight at the sound of the cafe's door chiming.

"Are you okay?" she asks as the oddly-glum man sits on the other chair.

He then nods dryly.

Kiko quietly breathes out a sigh.

"I won't beat around the bush," she began. "I asked you to come here coz I want to break up."

"Break up?" Jiyong utters, still a stale look in his eyes.

Maybe Kiko was disappointed by how he reacted.

"You know, I've talked to Seunghyun," she warily glances at him, playing with her cup's straw. "You were so out of it these days.. It's like you're not even here."

Jiyong's eyes fixed at the corner of the table, and Kiko wasn't so sure what's going on inside his head.

"Seunghyun said that you were so stressed out preparing for your album," she utters, almost sad. "I didn't want to do this while you're in such a difficult situation. But I guess it won't even affect you in any way, right?"

Kiko wishes her guess weren't so, but her eyes glistens from it.

"Am I right?" her voice thickens.



 

"Cheer up!"

A cheeky smile from Youngbae as he stood at the door. His hand held plastic full of raw meat and vegetables, swinging it as he beams out his teeth at the weary boy.

"I'll cook something special for you today," he says, a sly wink leaving the other rolling his eyes.

Seungri chuckles tiredly. "Shouldn't you go to the studio, Hyung? Why you always here bothering me?"

Youngbae then pouts like a child. "You don't want me here?"

Seungri busts out air through his nose, defeated, and couldn't help but giggle by how childish Youngbae is. "Come on in."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You okay?" Youngbae steals a glance. 

Seungri was neither eating his food, nor playing with his food. He was just sitting right there, like an absent body whose mind and soul is in another dimension. His dark circles have gotten worse, pale complexion looks even more pale. Youngbae's worried, but Youngbae's also too wary.

"Uh, you're not gonna eat?"

And he just smiles his smallest smile.

"Sorry, Hyung," he finally speaks.

"For.. what..?" Youngbae truly didn't know.

"For everything," Seungri's voice was doleful. "I dragged you into this.. I'm sorry."

Seungri was now static, and so was Youngbae. He looks at the boy with such concerned eyes, almost too sympathetic. 

"You don't have to say that," Youngbae utters, caressing the boy's back. "You know I'm always here for you, right? Whatever happens."

Now Youngbae's in shock; tears cascades out of Seungri's eyes, and his heart breaks at the sight. Youngbae didn't even think twice on embracing the fragile body. He held him into his arms, prepared to take in all of his grief. 

"Hyung.." Seungri mutters.

Youngbae holds him tighter.

"I.. I'll move on.." His sobs interferes with his words. "I'll stop loving him.. and move on.."

It was the saddest sight he saw from the boy; he could only comfort him whole-heartedly.

The damp, coarse earth was embracing his whole. He could feel the humid element sink into his skin, slowly seeping inside his pores. Jiyong tries to move, but it only triggers it to swallow him deep. The fear was paralyzing. It's taking his life force, as well as his energy to make even a single sound. He could feel the mud tighten on him, gradually hardening as if it were steel. He couldn't breathe, and now a tear on his eye escapes as he sees a silhouette of a familiar person. As it nears towards, the shape of a woman appears. Kiko; he wanted to shout so badly, but it was just impossible. As she walked pass by him, she turns around and meets his eyes. It was cold---cold as the icy mist surrounding them. It's as if every bit of sympathy had left her being. Like a soulless body looking back at him.

I'm sorry..

He stares at the grey, lifeless sky, preparing himself to accept his fate. Maybe it's the only way. But then, a rustle on the ground. Before he knew it, Seungri was standing beside him, staring down at him the most impenitent, remorseless look. It was murky, but he could still see how uncanny his eyes were. Like he wasn't even the same Seungri he once knew---the sweet, jolly boy who always followed him around. There was nothing left of that. Just this hollow person with the most pale complexion.

The dirt was reaching in to his ears, in to his mouth, in to his nose, and now in to his mouth. It was painful. Beyond painful. But Jiyong thinks Seungri's dull, emotionless stare was more painful.

Thank you for staying with me.. :) Your feedbacks inspires me so much.. :")