Today, Seungri was the talker, and Jiyong was the listener. There was no need for a bedtime story as Seungri countlessly recalled his childhood memories in New York. His tastes and likes, dislikes, interests, and everything that made him Seungri were so different than that of Jiyong’s.

When they had reached home, Jiyong had departed into his office for some alone time. Truth be told he needed some time to think. Some time to understand how to break this all to his Husband.

So many possibilities were in his head to the worst of the worst. It made Jiyong want to crawl into a small hole and disappear from reality for a few seconds. But, there was always more to it than disappearing as his Mother had explained one day when he was 13. She had handed him a notebook and a pen and told him to write whatever his heart had desired. But mainly because her son was now a teenager, and sharing feelings was a topic that most liked to avoid. She did not want her son going off the rails.

And so he wrote and wrote, and the outcome became lyrics of love, heartbreak, and happiness. Anything that came to his mind was on the pieces of paper. Most kids wanted the likes of the new technology or sports equipment. Jiyong had merely wanted a new notebook, so he had been ecstatic when his sister Dami gifted him a new one on his 14th birthday.

His Father stole one look at it and had thrown it across the room and claimed that no son of his was to be a product of the music industry.

Instead, he was to learn the likes of architecture and real estate, and buildings and so much more as he grew older, to fit the image that his Father had of him. To own a company that he wanted no part in.

Thankfully, as they all slept soundly that night, his Mother and Dami had sneaked back into his room and presented the notebook to him once again.

Maybe there was hope after all.

His notebook was for his stress; it contained everything that was for his eyes only. And just by luck, Seungri had stumbled upon it in awe at the lyrics that adorned the page. Unfortunately for Jiyong the thoughts of the situation at hand were to remain inside his mind until further notice.

And as said before, Seungri was the talker, and Jiyong was the listener. Minutes had passed as Seungri jumped from the contents of the notebook and revealed aspects of his life about the lyrics.

The boy sure was chatty once he was comfortable. He shut the notebook and handed it back to its rightful owner, that too not without a sneeze.

“Say Hyung, why did you never join an entertainment company? Your lyrics are absolute genius.”

The answer was obvious. “Because my destiny was already written the minute this family company was formed.”

It was a sad thought. It’s not that Dami didn’t want to take over. Of course, she did, but Jiyong’s Father was a man of old-fashioned values and beliefs. He needed a male heir, and Jiyong was the lucky one.

And somewhere along the line, Dami found that the stress of maintaining a company was something that she no longer had an interest in.

“That Hyung,” Seungri meant it with a pout, “Maybe one day we can make your dream come true.”

“What’s your dream, my dear husband?” Jiyong teased.

From their little talks during the drives home or while cooking up a meal Seungri had told him of his aspirations and everything in between. The boy had a plan from start to finish.

“To pay off Mrs Choi so she can leave my parents alone.”

Jiyong felt his face redden at the confession. Darn. But Seungri was always one to make things easier for others.

“I was going to tell you I just didn’t know how.”

Seungri was disappointed, yet he didn’t have the heart to blame Jiyong. He shrugged and sat across from his husband on the floor of the office.

“I guess you made it easier for me,” Jiyong confessed.

“I had a feeling it was her but was doubtful. But I lingered around the door a bit too long and overheard a bit of the conversation.”

He had never been good at ignoring his intuition.

“Why didn’t you walk in?”

“Because I don’t know Hyung.” Seungri had no idea. It was a bit confusing for him. “Maybe I wanted to convince myself that it wasn’t real.”

“That I understand,” Jiyong advised.

Seungri sighed, “And I also didn’t say anything is because I want to do this on my own.”

If there’s anything that Jiyong had observed over the last few days, it was how important independence and freedom was to his husband. He rarely voiced it, but it is evident that Seungri liked to stand on his own two feet.

“Is that why you didn’t say anything for the last few days?”

“Like I said Hyung, I didn’t want to make assumptions based on doubt.”

Jiyong grabbed his hands, “Seungri I understand that but if you want me to pay it off I will.” he meant every single word.

Seungri shook his head. “Hyung, we’re not some charity.”

“That’s not what I meant! You’re my family now. Mrs Choi will only keep pushing for your parent's bakery to be shut down. If we pay it off now, she’ll back off because she doesn’t like to fight those with money.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that to her your parents' bakery is nothing but a substantial middle-class business that she can buy out. If she sees them pay it off quickly, she’ll leave it alone cause in her mind no middle-class family can gather money that quickly.”

It made sense but it also didn’t.

“Jiyong, the lease has a year. Yes, she’s pushing harder, but she can’t fight the law, now can she?”

And likewise, Seungri also had a point. “If I just save up and repurchase it somehow,” he announced.

“Seungri, you’re a full-time student with no job.”

“Then I’ll get one!”

“How?” Jiyong questioned. “Your Korean is broken from living abroad, and on top of that you haven’t even adapted to the way of life here.”

Seungri hadn’t really thought this through. It had been a move made on impulse. In his mind, a scholarship meant no extra debt to be paid off. And he simply did not want to add more money problems alongside what Mrs Choi was trying to create.

“Let me pay it off, yeah?”

“I can do it on my own.”

“Ri, you’re only making it more complicated,” Jiyong shouted. He had not raised his voice at Seungri once, and now that he had he instantly regretted it.

And Seungri had not done the same before, but he learned that through marriage there was always a first time for everything.

Instead of being vocal he left the home office without another word, his curled fists on his sides speaking all that Jiyong needed to know.

And there Jiyong had concluded that they just had their first fight.

He understood Seungri’s need to prove himself. It wasn’t to everyone; they were merely part of the equation. But it was more for his own peace of mind that he could do it. That he wasn’t just the kid, who needed to keep his mouth shut, or talked too loudly while growing up.

With the stories shared earlier his insecurities had also come to the surface. Jiyong had linked it and understood how much it meant to the younger man to do this on his own. But Jiyong also knew how important it was to receive help when achieving a goal.

Perhaps,