"Okay, so now that Seunghyun's safe in the car, why don't you tell us how did it go..?"

"Wait, what did what go..?"

Unsurprisingly, the next moment found Daesung animatedly narrating to his fiancé -- who's cramped with his belongings at the back seat -- about his plans that had just been conducted. Seunghyun was asking for the juicy details, and Daesung was more than generous to tell him how ridiculous I acted when he asked the favor from Seungri.. They both were talking about me as if I wasn't here, driving the car, sitting at the driver seat. 

I guess it's okay though.. I had gotten fully accustomed to the role of a third wheel everytime we hangout together.. It doesn't bug me in the least, rather I found it amusing that they could get lost in their own bubble even though the main character of their current topic is just right there with them. 

"Okay, so now that Seunghyun's been given the gist of what had happened, why don't you--"

"Wait, did you perhaps copied your sentence just now and improvised it..?"

"Hyun, I'm trying to make Jiyong speak here..!"

"Oh, right.. Okay, Ji.. Spill it out!"

I only sighed, not irritated or whatever, it's just that.. It's been a long day and I prefer not to entertain these two gossipers I call 'friends' with my poor lovelife, at least not for tonight.. Maybe tomorrow, when I'll be more energized to tell them how the whole thing went, but I just don't feel like now is the right time.

So with my eyes focused on the road, I only shook my head, but before I could open my mouth and say "I ain't telling you guys tonight", my head was being smacked from the side, courtesy of Daesung. Luckily I didn't lose control of the car or anything. I was going to scold him for being stupid -- because does he want to get us killed -- but he beat me to it.

"What do you mean by that head shaking, huh..? If I must remind you, you wouldn't even get to be in the same car with him if not for me,"

I sighed. When did I ever win with anyone in any fight anyway..? I decided to just give the minor details, even though there are no such thing as 'minor' about what had happened tonight.. To me, every second with Seungri is as precious as a stream of pearls. But still, I won't let these two monkeys tease me for acting like a lovestruck idiot.

"I don't know how to describe it--"

"How would you rate it in the scale of 1 to 10..?" Seunghyun quickly interjected, probably knowing that I was planning on giving vague answers. And even though I couldn't see his face because he's sitting behind me, I could imagine the mirth swimming in his mischieveous eyes. Same goes with Daesung who seemed to be kind of impatient to hear my answer.

I couldn't blame them for being excited, though.. As friends who are so incredibly in love with each other, you must have this tiny-but-large hope for this one friend of yours who had always played the role of a third wheel to finally settle down with the rightful person for them. Part of it was concern towards that friend, but there is also pity. So when that one pitiful friend is finally interacting with a person who was also his longtime crush, of course these two hopeful friends would be thrilled. Because finally they won't feel guilty anymore when they act all lovey dovey in front of me.

"Why would I even rate it..? It's not even a date," I took the left junction and mentally grumbled because there's still a long way to go before we finally arrived at Daesung's house. That means there were still more time for them to bombard me with questions which I had no intention to answer at all. Why did he have to live so faraway..? 

"But still, after years of pining over his love, you finally had real interaction, and even get to sit in the same car, breathe the same air--"

"Now you're being ridiculous, Seunghyun. We are also breathing the same air right now you--"

"Boys, there's no reason to bicker like immature kids," Luckily Daesung always got everything under control whenever Seunghyun and I started being petty towards each other. Sometimes I think he was more to a mother to me than just a friend.

"Ji, you know he's just trying to make it clear that it wasn't everyday you get to meet Seungri.. I guess it's kind of special, in sort of a 'the-first-time-we-had-proper-interaction' kind of way,"

"And definitely one you should mark on your calendar,"

I sighed again. These two were ganging up on me, and judging by the still-faraway journey, there is definitely no chance for me to bail out on this.

"Fine. I'll tell you, but I swear if you use this to tease the out of me, I'll--"

Seunghyun hit my seat from behind, demanding for me to "Just tell us already, Ji!". 

If only I could tell him to get out of the car and leave him by the roadside..

He was lucky I love him too much to even think of pulling even a strand of that suavely styled hair of his. Of course, that was meant in a brotherly-friendly way. I could no longer handle the thought of me liking Seunghyun, like.. Very much disgusting..

"The journey to your house was plain awkward, he wouldn't even answer my questions with words, instead he only nods and shakes his head whenever I say something..." I still remember the unreadable look in his irises whenever I tried starting a decent conversation..   "...I felt a bit guilty for putting him in such an uncomfortable situation, but then I remembered it was Daesung's fault because Seungri couldn't say no to his devilish Boss-- Agh!"

Daesung looked unfazed even though he had just pinched my left arm. "Please continue,"

Huffing, because I could neither reply his hit nor glare at him without putting our invaluable lives at risk -- wait should I count Seunghyun's life as well..? -- I decided to just continue with my storytelling session, "When we arrived, I had went to the bathroom and when I was finished I found him staring down at the floor, as if he was pondering on a huge world crisis. I asked him if he was okay, and finally he was responding with actual words. I couldn't help myself not to laugh, and the mood turned better after that. I even gave him a cute nickname which had him blushing to his roots and he looked so adorable denying everything and--" 

I stopped abruptly, realising that I must have this some sort of a dreamy smile plastered on my face as I speak. "I look like a fool right now, don't I..?"

"It's okay, you look like a happy fool,"

"Besides, you've always been a fool so I don't see the difference.. Can you just continue, please..?"

 The only reason Seunghyun hadn't been strangled to death by me was because he was sitting at the back.. That piece of .. I sassily rolled my eyes in irritation even though I know Seunghyun couldn't see my face.

"HOWEVER, he turned quiet again on the journey home, but it was only for awhile, because I about something, which I won't be telling you two.."

A chorus of frustrated 'Awwhhh' was heard and expectedly Seunghyun hit my seat from behind again. Really, he's the real child between us. 

"No, I won't. You're lucky that I was kind enough to even narrate the story even though I'm tired as Hell. SO, it was going so fine until the moment he suddenly asked me in genuine curiosity, with his big brown eyes staring at me with innocence portrayed in his gaze, why are you being so nice to me..? I couldn't understand what was wrong with that, until he said that I treat him better than I treat.. Youngbae.."

Daesung's shoulders visibly fell as he shrunk back on his seat, fumbling the strap of the seatbelt with his fingers. Seunghyun probably had the same reaction, I could somehow feel his smoldering eyes fixed on the back of my head. They both know how insecure and weak I am when it comes to my brother.

The brother whom I need to stay away from.

The brother whom I'd missed for a long time now.

The brother who'd probably lost any bit of hope in reestablishing our sibling bond back to how it was a decade ago.

But despite the sudden change in mood, my face showed no indication of being uneasy or whatever with the current topic that I myself had brought up, because truthfully, it didn't really affect me much tonight. No, of course it wouldn't.. Because every moment spent with Seungri is just so significant.. Seungri's just so.. Seungri, that all I was most affected by was the way he shily smiled at me when we parted ways. Not that I'm no longer sensitive when it comes to Youngbae, but Seungri's presence was more than able to keep my worries at the back of my mind for awhile.

Seunghyun, always being a bit more straightforward and should I say, braver than Daesung, decided to break the silence. "So, did you perhaps tell him that it was because your father ordered you to stay away from Youngbae and not to let your brother know that you're gay..?"

"Well, no.. But--"    Again, a chorus of frustrated 'Awwhhh' was heard.

"What..?"

Really, I couldn't understand why would they seem to be disappointed..?

"Always the dumb Jiyong.. Aisy.. That was your chance to tell him that you've been secretly liking him for years!!!"

What the heck..? Was that the top of their motive today..?

"And then what..? You're going to say that I should've proposed to him or something, huh..?" I couldn't help the disbelief look painted on my face, "That was our first decent interaction, for God's sake!! It even takes a lot of effort to make him less shy being in my presence, it was great enough that we had managed to become more comfortable with each other despite only being in each other's presence for the second time only. Did you perhaps expect me to open up in front of him..?"