Chapter Twenty Four

Jiyong POV

July 30, 2015

The lift had brought them down after their If You and Lies stage. Seungri runs to head to the dressing room to change for his solo performance but before that he tapped Jiyong’s arm, “Nice fan service hyung, now it’s Nyongtori’s turn.”

Jiyong sighs in frustration. Of course they would notice his slip up. It’s not like he meant to sing Daragon he still sang it correctly-ish but instead of geol he accidentally added the n. It also didn’t help that Daesung beside him is grinning like a fool. “Shut it, Daesungie…” He warned his dongsaeng before he’d say something. He already is starting to have a headache and it’s still half way into the concert.

“I wasn’t trying to.” Daesung just replied with a knowing smile. And stepped off his lift when Seunghyun just walks by him.

“Ppalli…” The stage crew hissed at Jiyong since he does only have six minutes to get ready.

Youngbae and Jiyong was walking side by side and he was thankful his best friend didn’t say a word. All he could hear was humming from Youngbae which he couldn’t really hear very much because of the chaos happening backstage. It took him a second to realize that Youngbae was humming his part for If You.

“Youngbae…” Jiyong warned.

His best friend walks ahead of him then turns around, Youngbae’s eyebrow was raised and he had a boyish grin “Isseul ttae DARAGON geuraesseo.” He sang far too enthusiastically than Jiyong would enjoy.

Jiyong’s eyes turned deadly and he can literary see red. He wasn’t sure what he’s going to do when he catches Youngbae because his best friend ran to the waiting room knowing that some sort of harm is going to get to him if he stayed within near reach of the mighty dragon.

In all honesty, he couldn’t really answer why he slipped. Maybe it’s all the posters that had gotten to him… or maybe subconsciously he knows that she’s listening and he had wanted her to hear what is in his thoughts. When they had dated daragon was never mentioned to either of them but it was always hinted out about a fandom but never really by name.

But a question comes to mind, what is she thinking right now?

He just stands in the hallway alone as he pinches the bridge of his nose. From now on, he knows Youngbae will not let it go that easily, and he has yet to hear from Seunghyun-hyung who will probably have a few words to say and they wouldn’t be nice. Even if Seunghyun-hyung has got Jiyong’s back he is still very overprotective of Dara’s feelings, out of all the boys he is still the one that needs to be convinced about his true feelings for Dara.

"Where's Jiyongie?!" Out of all the chaos happening he was always attuned to his stylist voice who has the tendency to panic when time doesn't go her way.

"I'm here, noona." He calls loudly as he walks in the changing room, he immediately takes his soaked green pirate shirt and reaches over a big towel to dry himself off his sweat.

"Ppalli, ppali...." She chanted and she patted the chair for him to sit on so he can get his hair dried and fix before his next stage which would be in the next three minutes.

"Aiiishhh...." Seungri then stands up from beside him who fixes his tie and rushes out the room to head backstage for his solo.

Everyone can tell the gloomy mood of the dragon his stylist-noona didn't even say a word when she usually compliments his performances. She was straightening out his next clothes laying it on the table in front of him as she kept instructing the hairstylist to make sure to add moisturizer in his hair while she's blow-drying it.

He could feel the awkward tension between him and his stylist, so he finally spoke up. "Just say it and get it over with...." Since this tension won’t go away till someone addresses the elephant in the room.

The hair stylist made a tiny mouse sound of a squeak and she dropped her brush.

"Yah! Don't stop we don't have a lot of time." The stylist noona said but she was more relieved that the young girl had dropped the brush so she doesn't have to mention about Jiyong's slip up.

The young stylist bowed and said, "Mianemida." As she immediately picked up the brush and continued fluffing up Jiyong's hair.

"Noona," Jiyong grumbled just wanting to not be weird around her. Only way she'd not act all weird is if she words out her opinion.

She sighed heavily and turns to him with a smile. "You messed up with one letter. It's not a big deal."

Seunghyun scoffed, "More like a word." Clearly finding the whole situation irritating. He had always thought that Jiyong’s way to get Dara’s attention wasn’t always the best way. Jiyong hasn’t really thought about it clearly, obviously the fact that it isn’t only Dara who can read into the song but also her boyfriend. Jay Park responded with throwing a single My Last a few days ago. So it is sort of a slap on the face for Jiyong. Jiyong singing If You about how he regrets losing the girl and struggling from then on, while Jay Park’s My Last is about the same girl Jiyong has lost who Jay is now sort of declaring to the world that she is his last.

Jiyong slightly turned towards his hyung and tried his best not to glare at him. He knows what Seunghyun is thinking about. Jiyong was certainly in a bad mood when he had heard Jay Park’s song, since his interpretation of the song meant that Jay would probably propose to Dara anytime soon or maybe he already has.

“Okay you two… stop. We don’t have time for this game… since—“ then on the Strong Baby started to play and Seungri’s voice can be heard. The stylist moaned in frustration as she walks over towards Seunghyun, “You better start getting ready as well. You always take longer than normal and you’re next!” She squeals at Seunghyun who is next to perform after Seungri, Jiyong and Taeyang’s Let’s talk about love. Then she turns to Jiyong, “Please get dressed now… you have less than three minutes till you go on stage.” She walks towards Seunghyung and slaps his knee so she’d follow him.

After gets changed, Youngbae stands beside him and nods. “Ready, lover boy?” Youngbae asked.

“Yep, Let’s Talk about Love…” Was his only response.

The show had went by too fast that it was already their encore stage. He didn’t realize it until he had started to notice he was singing, Hands Up that he realized he was only till the last fifteen minutes of the show. With all the lights on, his eyes would always find Dara, and he isn’t doing it on purpose too. it’s just for some reason seeing her bright smile enjoying their performance was what he loves watching and it reminded him of the good times when they were dating or even when they were good friends still.

“Thank you! And we are Bigbang!”

Bigbang MADE tour Manila has ended with a bang he would add. Jiyong was still hyped up from the concert activities that he probably need to take a breather just to calm his nerves down due to the adrenaline of being on stage. He loves that rush but at the same time when the concert is over he just kind of want to get rid of that energy so he can rest or he’d just end up staring at the ceiling of his hotel room wishing sleep would come.

“Good job everyone…” Jiyong bows to everyone that was congratulating him. He knows that a concert isn’t just about Bigbang’s work but everyone. Without them, the concert wouldn’t go smoothly.

He was about to look for his parents but he was informed that the eommas of Bigbang was outside handing out snacks and drinks to VIPs who are probably starved and parched form the two hour concert.

He smiles to himself, he is sure that his mother suggested it. She always loved caring for the boys’ fans.

Instead of following the crowd he decides to take a quick turn to the nearest fire exit that he had found earlier today when he found Dara trying to run away.

“The concert was good. Amazing actually.” He heard a hushed voice in the corner and obviously he can recognize her voice.

Dara.

He was about to come out of the corner thinking that she was probably talking to one of the 2ne1 girls but froze when he heard her say, “Babe…” her voice sounded strained and tired. It was obviously not from the concert.

She was talking to none other than her boyfriend Jay Park…

He had known that at some point those two would end up getting together, sort of like how people knew that Kiko and him were going to end up dating as well. Though, he shamefully admits that he just dated Kiko because he was lonely and didn’t want to be alone. People knew that the two had started dating already before he did, everyone always avoided mentioning Dara around Jiyong because it is a sensitive topic (sort of like how Jiyong wouldn’t be mentioned around Dara as well.). So he was slightly clueless that Dara had already started dating. He actually had to witness it for himself which turned him the dark prince of hell for that day. They were on the final preparations for their comeback…

March 28, 2015

Jiyong was in his moods. He had yet another fight with Kiko. It’s not new it’s a frequent thing that they fight but lately his girlfriend always found reasons to fight with him every little thing turns into a big fight and it was starting to get ridiculous. There wasn’t even anything to fight about and to be quite honest he had stopped caring, he just tunes her out most of the time. He wanted to care and pay attention but for some reason he had stopped a while back ago…

If she could just break up with me… he thought miserably. He was a coward and he admitted it. He was lonely most of the time and could feel it more if he isn’t with Kiko… so yes he needed her more than she needs him.

He blinked and realized his maknae had been mumbling the past twenty minutes about some café that just opened who he has heard has amazing desserts, milk tea and coffee slushies.

“Seungri, what makes it different to any other cafés in Seoul?” he said hoarsely. He pinched the bride of his nose, feeling a migraine coming on. He wasn’t sure it it’s his girlfriend or Seungri’s irritating voice, which he is positive is the latter. It’s easy to tune out Seungri sometimes but if you start paying attention it’s like everything he had just said the whole entire time you ignore him just suddenly rushes to your head and would give them a headache.

Seungri groaned, it was obvious that he had explained it already and he didn’t realize that his hyung was ignoring him. “Hyung…” he whined like a child.

Jiyong sighed, knowing he doesn’t have a choice. He had to either give in to his maknae’s childish cries or he is going to be more irritating on their recording today. “If we go, can you be less annoying today?” it’s not like he hates his maknae. He honestly wouldn’t know what to do without Seungri but there are times when Seungri gets to be too much to handle that he wants to dose his maknae with a chill pill just to settle his down.

“Daebak!” Seungri said excitedly. “Cause we are here!” He added all of sudden as their manager parked the car at close to the café that Seungri was talking about.

Jiyong glances over at their manager, who just shrugged also looking confused as how he got talked into driving there without Jiyong’s knowledge. Jiyong glares at his maknae who had that stupid smile on his face. “Let’s get this over with…” He said exasperatedly, fixing his sock hat and mask just so bystanders wouldn’t recognize him.

“Hyung!” Seungri called after him since he was already walking far ahead. Seungri finally catches up to Jiyong and stops him at the front door. “There is a back door exclusive for VIPs hyung.” He added, basically mentioning about the fact that café’s owned by celebrities always has a VIP section for actors, idols to enjoy peace and quiet while going out.

Jiyong raises an eyebrow, “You had already called them we are coming, didn’t you?”

Seungri grinned and gave his hyung a dubious look, “Soo-hyun-shii was the one that even suggested it.” He named dropped Kim Soo-hyun who owns the café.

Jiyong rolls his eyes but followed Seungri anyways. He thought it was a good idea, and had to admit it was the best ideas that Seungri had for a while.

He was a step behind Seungri, when all a sudden he disappeared in the corner and then at the same second which almost stumbled Jiyong back, Seungri ran into Jiyong stopping him from getting to the corner.

“Mwyoa…” Jiyong was about to curse since Seungri is way too close for comfort.

Seungri couldn’t hide is panic and it showed in his face. He held on to Jiyong’s arm tightly, “On second thought, we could just always comeback with the others. I’m sure Seunghyun-hyung wants to visit.”

Even though, Seungri is three times stronger than Jiyong, the maknae always falters when he would give him that look. He suspects something is in that corner that he shouldn’t see and he hates it when someone treats him like a child. Today is definitely one of those days. “Lee Seunghyun, you better get out of my way. You did not just pester me for twenty minutes to come here only to back off seconds later.”

Seungri