"Hey guys! Sorry I am late, LA's rush hour is really bad!" 

Jiyong's voice rang as he dragged his luggage in, coming face to face with the crowd at the dining table. Yoona was sitting with her back facing the door but threw a 'I-told-you-so' look to everyone else at the table. The others simply smiled and shook their heads, while some threw sympathetic glances at Jiyong.

"Did I miss something? Why are all of you looking at me like that?" Jiyong stood still and raised his brows at them.

"L-Let me show you to your room to put your luggage first, hyung! We're going to be neighbours!" Seungri, the witty maknae, composed himself immediately and jumped out of his seat, dragging Jiyong's luggage with him. 

"What?! What kind of sleeping arrangement is this, Fany?!" Jiyong grumbled. "He'll bring girls back and I wouldn't be able to sleep!" 

"I won't allow outsiders into my house! Don't worry!" Tiffany laughed and left the table as well, following Seungri and Jiyong up the stairs. 

While the duo helped Jiyong to settle down, the others waited at the dining table. As though feeling that eyes were on her and a sense of awkwardness, Yoona couldn't help but speak up. 

"See? I told you guys so~" 

"Assa! Pay up! / Mwuhyaaaa Yoong!" The others had mixed reaction to her comment. 

"Mwuh?" She was puzzled.

"We were divided into two groups - one saying that you won't comment on this topic again, the other saying that you'll definitely dig on Ji again," Youngbae explained with a chuckle. Loser will give the winner ten dollars each. Thanks for the free Shake Shack meal, Yoong~" 

"W-What?! When did you guys bet on this?! I was on this table with you guys for the entire time!" Yoona shrieked in disbelief. 

"We made hand signals behind our back while you're in your own world~" Daesung shrugged. "You know, our usual betting system. It's just you're the subject matter this time." 

Yes, as unbelievable as it might sound, these idols are still humans and enjoy what people of their age do. Since they are a big group, such bets are common. They can bet on anything, ranging from trivial things like whether Youngbae was going to bump into IU on Music stations, to major things like whether Taeyeon or Jiyong was going to make a comeback first. The stakes come in a huge spectrum as well; there was once Yoona emerged as the only winner, but the wage was only a sweet from each of them, while there was a time when Hyoyeon and Yuri each got a limited edition Rolex watches from the guys because they won the bet against them.

Basically, they can afford anything, so it isn't really the reward that matters, but more rather, the fun they get out of teasing and mocking each other. 

"You guys are horrible," Yoona pouted begrudgingly. "I wasn't in my own world! It's just that you guys are too sneaky!" 

"Nahs, actually Yoong, we secretly created a group chat without you in it, so that we can gossip about you. We made the bet in that group chat," TOP leaned towards her and spoke in a volume that everyone could hear.

"Oppaaaaaaaaa!" 

Yoona whined while everyone else broke into peals of laughters. 

"OMO! YOONG! STOP THAT AEGYO WHINING! I'M HAVING GOOSEBUMPS ALL THE WAY FROM HERE!" 

The trio was walking down the stairs, with Tiffany grumbling and covering her ears while Seungri and Jiyong simply smirked. Before they got to the table, Yoona quickly stood up for herself.

"Whatever it is, I was right," Yoona hissed quickly. "I told you guys he'd make up excuses about traffic."

"Technically, he said it was rush hour. He didn't say about traffic," Hyoyeon rebutted.

"Rush hour IS about traffic alright! Unnie, you're a hopeless GD-shipper," Yoona rolled her eyes in response but shut immediately when the trio reached the table. 

Others suppressed their laughters and all attention was on Jiyong again.

"Ji, aren't you taking a seat? We're starving already," Youngbae raised his brows as he caught sight of his best friend standing beside the only empty seat. 

"E-Eh...?" 

The only empty seat happened to be the seat opposite the person that he is the most awkward with. There wasn't any seating arrangement to begin with, everyone just took their seat naturally and Yoona followed the suit as well, ending up sitting beside TOP, at the end of the table. Since Jiyong was the last to arrive and did not have the luxury to choose, he had to make do with whatever was left. It wasn't that he hated to sit with her but... let's just say it's uncomfortable for both of them? He isn't talkative like his maknaes are, only more chatty when he's around his close friends. Well, these are his close friends, except for this particular girl. 

However, by now, all eyes were on him, having looks of curiosity.

"A-Ahhh! Just feeling a little jet lagged..." Jiyong ruffled his hair embarrassingly, taking a seat quickly, with his head bowed low. 

Youngbae seemed to know what his good pal was thinking as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders, giving a comforting squeeze.

"Miss you bro," Youngbae flashed his warm smile.

"Miss you too," Jiyong looked up at him in gratitude.

"You two over there, stop the bromance!" Tiffany, who was sitting at the head of the table, shouted. "Let's make a toast!" 

Everyone laughed at her fiesty personality but complied nonetheless, raising their glasses. 

"To celebrate the discharge of superstar G-Dragon!" Tiffany cheered. 

"Yeahs, like me and Youngbae hyung never got enlisted and discharged too," Daesung replied sourly, with Youngbae nodding repeatedly. "We discharged even later than hyung!"

"Can I help that I'm not Tiffany Hwang's No.1 oppa?" Youngbae chipped in. "Guess there's only GD oppa in her eyes~" 

"Bae, please. I got discharged MONTHS ago but no one held any parties for me, only a mere text, not even a phone call," TOP sighed exaggeratingly. "Oh, and guess who's the one who brought such nice wine here? Me!" 

The girls were in defeat as the guys fought ov