“Just stay strong, Hyung.” Daesung patted Youngbae’s shoulder. “If you love someone, you need to hang on as long as you have the chance. By then, everything will be sweet, because isn’t it how love is meant to be?”

                “But I’m tired, Dae. I just asked to be understood. Is that too much?”

                That…

                Daesung wasn’t sure what to say. To be completely honest, Daesung knew; in this problem, both parties were at fault. But at the same time, it wasn’t really their faults either. Their times always clashed, and as if it was designed so by the fate; the characters of both parties were just fueling everything to be more complicated.

                It wasn’t like they didn’t match, they did. They really did. Both was considerate of other, both supportive, both cared for each other, and most of all, they worked in the same field. The problem was how one was too thirsty of affection while the other one was just pure clueless romantic.

                Now, everything was left on Daesung. One wrong word and—

                “See, I knew it. Probably, I should have just given it up from the first place. Love is just not meant to be for me...”

                “Hyung, you know it isn’t like that. You’ve been hanging on for so long, don’t you think it’ll be a waste if you just let go? You’re not sailing alone in that stormy sea, Hyung.”

                “But—“

                “Just give it up if you feel like letting go.” Seunghyun who had been walking behind them butted in casually. He never get why people were so worked up when it come to ‘love’. What so amazing about love?

                Just stop when you were tired, simple as that.

.

.

.

                “Guys, you are late.”

                “…”

                “I must have opened the wrong door…” Daesung slowly retreated and closed the door.

                “Yah, Hyung!! How could you?!” Seungri yelled as he swiftly got up from the chair arm. “Don’t you know how much hardship we endured to surprise you?!”

                “Yeah, yeah, we know.” Seunghyun stretched his long arm between Youngbae and Daesung’s head, pushed the door open, and squeezed his way in as he ignorantly threw his bag on to the floor. “You know, maknae-ah, maybe you need to start concerning your boundless mischievousness.” Seunghyun pulled the pouting panda and playfully locked his head which caused the panda’s laughter echoed through the tense recording room.

                “Anyway,” Jiyong walked over and dragged his maknae with a feigned smile on. “Do you guys ready for today’s work?”

                “Scrap that face off, you possessive leader. I’m not snatching him away.” Seunghyun let out a grimace as he pinched the poor leader’s nose heartlessly. The mixture of laughter, yowl, and teases erupted in the room, washing the tense atmosphere off as Daesung turned to his hyung.

                ‘Don’t say anything.’ Youngbae gestured and so Daesung did.

                Daesung stood and watched the trio’s antics from ajar, sneering to himself as he watched how left out Youngbae and he were. How ironic that Jiyong was playing happily in the circle when his lifetime best friend was tumbling here. Youngbae was not the type to worry other, as long as his problem didn’t defy his sanity, he would keep it low.

                Maybe, that was the sole reason why he found bonding with Youngbae easy when they first formed the group; they were quite the same. Now that Youngbae disclosed his problem, he knew it had gone major. Youngbae was powerless and the fact that Jiyong was kept away from the problem got a mixed feeling jumbled in Daesung’s heart.

                In some part, he was happy; it meant Youngbae trusted him, didn’t it? But, in the other way around he was worried for s; why couldn’t Youngbae just open up to Jiyong? They’d been best friend forever, of course Jiyong would understand.

                “Okay,stop it, let’s get back to business. Dae, Bae, you too! Let’s create another big hit!!”

---

                Daesung tried to maintain his grip on his pen. His tea had gone cold as he eyed Youngbae sighing for the nth time. He watched as Youngbae shook his head every time their leader would approach their youngest.

                Jiyong would prop his head with his arm as he gazed at the youngest, eyes screaming nothing but hard-core adoration, he would joked with the maknae and laughed at every silly story the younger blurted. Once in a while, the elder would place his hand all over the maknae. He would whine and cling onto the younger as if there’d be no tomorrow.

                It wasn’t something new to see his leader glued like stamp to their maknae, but he found himself crocked an eyebrow at the sight of them. Somehow, they suddenly seemed so…

                Intimate.

                It was as if they spoke with their eyes. The way the younger discreetly caressed the elder hand as he took another pen or even the way the younger locked his gaze each time the leader shared his idea, everything didn’t escape Daesung’s eyes. It seemed like they were engulfing themselves in a bubble and forced the other to stay outside the bubble.

                Oh, right! Crap! He forgot to ask them what had happened in Changsha! How could he forget such a matter of life question?

                “I need to use the restroom! Do you need something? I may pass by the cafeteria. It’s nearly lunch.”

                Seungri looked up from his lyrics book and think for awhile before deciding an answer. “Can’t think of anything.”

                “Okay, what about you, Seunghyun Hyung?”

                “A cup of coffee will be good for me.”

                “Knew it you will say that. Okay, be back soon.” With that Jiyong straightly headed out of the room.

                Jiyong hummed cheerfully as he grinned like an idiot, slightly hopping his way toward the bathroom while remembering the moment from the night before. It was a good one.

                “Do you have the same thought as I have in your head, Hyung?” Seungri smirked mischievously, hand caressing mine. Oh, I know that expression, baby.

                “You think of something naughty, don’t you?”

                “Have I ever thought of something else other than naughty thing?”

                I laughed at his answer. He was apparently never thought of anything but naughty thing. His amazingly brilliant brain was always working to find ways to annoy us; Hyungs, which made me sometime wonder what a waste of brain he had there. 

                “So what do you have in mind now? Hm?” I pulled some dirt snarled on his hair.

                “Surprise them. Just as simple as that, they’ve surprised me by leaving us alone today, haven’t they? I want my revenge!” Seriously how far cuter could he be?

                “Let’s see; you want to take the earliest flight tomorrow and wait for them in the recording room to surprise the sh*t out of them. Am I correct?”

                “Bingo! As expected from you.”

                I laughed at his compliment. “Who do you think I am? I can read you like the back of my palm.” I stabbed the broccoli on my plate, happily munched it as I watched him eating his part like a hungry child. “Slow down, Ri. We can still book the plane after we finish our meal. It’s a 24 hours service.”

                He didn’t slow down though.

                He dragged me enthusiastically back to our room and plopped down almost as immediately as we arrived in our room, zeroed in the laptop screen for the earliest flight. I on the other hand was somehow turned into a laughing machine whenever this boy was around.

                I changed and crawled next to him, zeroing the screen as I eyed him booking the ticket. He yelled in excitement once the word ‘booked’ surfaced on to the screen and I couldn’t help but high-fived him with the same intensity of joy.

                “Okay, preparation done!” he slumped down onto his side of the bed, smilling proudly with his evident eye bag and patted the empty space beside him; arm stretched.

                “Last cuddle?”

                He nodded tiredly with a yawn following suit.

                “Don’t blame me if we’re late tomorrow,” I said as I laid my head on his arm, trapping his waist with my arms. “You know, this; feels so good.”

                As expected, the morning was HECTIC.

                I got my lesson first thing in the morning; cuddling and snuggling is a really bad idea if you had a super important thing coming up for you the next morning. I slept through like a log and so did he. He just woke up after I unconsciously kicked the alarm and it amusingly landed on his cheek.

                He woke me up frantically and both of us dashed our way to the airport, boarded our plane, and rushed to the YG’s building.

                “Hyung! Hyung! They’re coming!! Fast!” he ran to my side as I fixed my position.

                Okay, took a breath and hold on, I gotta do my task…

                3…

                2…

                1…

                “Guys, you are late.”

                And I soared as soon as I saw sparkles twinkling in his eyes as he watched the blank expression of our members.

                Jiyong silently chuckled after his own memory, hands ready to p his pants when a voice stopped him.

                “I’ll make it up to you, Jagi!! Jagi! !”

                “Bae?” Jiyong cancelled his intention, eyes widened as he watch Youngbae kicked the dust bin beside him in frustration. The singer let out several more curses before finally stomped off angrily.

                “Wait, Bae! What’s wrong?” He held Youngbae’s wrist, concern clearly written all over his face. For as long as Jiyong knew, Youngbae wasn’t the type to curse. If he cursed, it meant something real bad must have happened.

                “ off! I need to go to her place!”

                Jiyong instinctively tightened his grip as he heard the word ‘her’. Youngbae had a big chance to screw up when it came to relationship and of course it was the last thing he wanted for his best friend. The singer kept on wiggling and yelled, causing Jiyong a hard time as he tried to still.

                “Calm dow, Young ing Bae and tell me what’s your problem!! You, coming all the way to her place with such an emotion will only make whatever situation you’re in even worse!” Jiyong yelled at his best friend’s face, grabbing his shoulder as he tried to knock some sense on his friend’s head. To his surprise, Youngbae dodged his hands.

                “Shut your mouth! You, who throw affection so easily, will never understand my problem!”

                “Yah! Don’t shout back at me! I only want to help you! If you don’t want to, then FINE!” Jiyong stomped out of the rest room, leaving Youngbae who was curling his fists beside his waist, face red as his breath went unsteady.

                “JUST GO BACK TO YOUR SEUNGRI AND CLING ONTO HIM ALL YOU WANT!!”

                Jiyong’s step got halted as soon as he heard his friend’s shout. Why did he suddenly bring out Seungri? An unidentified feeling tickled his heart as he slowly turned to his friend with a horror-stricken face,

                 “A-are you jealous of Seungri and I? Yo-you don’t seriously want to snatch maknae away from me, do you?”

                Upon this, Youngbae only sighed in disbelief as his knees finally gave up. He messed his own hair before looking up to Jiyong who had crouched down in front of him.

                “I hate to admit this, but I envy you, Ji. How can you pamper someone so naturally? Hyorin always demand such affection, bu-but I just don’t know how to show it. It’s awkward, you know? I don’t know how to tell her how much I love her!”

                Jiyong only blinked at his best friend confession. So, that his problem?

                Jiyong couldn’t help but shook his head; affection was actually just a matter of act. It was something that came naturally and could not be forced. With this in mind, he could easily sense the core of his problem. Youngbae had always been afraid and measured all his acts meticulously, of course it would just make him get overwhelmed with his so-called ‘love’.

                The only way to fix this problem was Youngbae had to loosen himself and he, who wanted to help, had to show his friend how to do so.

                He’d show Youngbae how love was about giving in to his own instinct.

                “Hey, Bae, Let’s go on a double date this Saturday, I’ll show you how things work.”

---

                “Achoo!!”

                “What’s wrong, Ri?”

                “I don’t know, someone’s talking about how handsome I am?” He laughed.

Comments please, Guys T.T I want to know what you're thinking about this story ( ; _ ; )

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