Jiyong ran his hands under the running water, feeling the temperature of it on his skin before turning the tap off and walked out of the bathroom. 

“Oh, jesus-“ Jiyong flinched backwards, startled by Seungri’s presence in the narrow hallway just outside the door. 

Seungri looked like he’s about to smile with Jiyong’s reaction but coughed it away. “Well?”

“It certainly is fixed.” Jiyong shrugged, walking past Seungri to go to a wider area to continue their conversation. That damn hallway leading to the guest bedroom and the second toilet in this apartment unit was so narrow, Jiyong could feel Seungri’s oxygen intake on his face when they talked. Not that Seungri got a bad breath or something, even Seungri didn’t seem to mind it, but they didn’t know each other that well to be in a such close proximity. 

“That’s what I said! My contractor’s good— Mrs. Kwon doesn’t need to worry about anything.” Seungri didn’t follow, only turning his body to Jiyong’s direction.

Seungri’s probably right. His mother got nothing to worried about, but as the actual owner of this unit that Seungri started to rent almost a month ago, he figured that his mother must’ve felt bad for not fixing all issues before leasing it to anyone, and Jiyong, who just happened to live in the penthouse at the same building was put in charge to check on its condition.

During their phone call earlier, Seungri already assured him that Jiyong didn’t need to come, all was well and done, all was fixed, but knowing his mother that for sure would torment him if he didn’t, he came anyway. 

“She fixed it up a year ago, that’s why she didn’t think the hot water problem would happen again. She’s sorry.”

Seungri took turn to shrug. “Like I said, it’s all good—“

The guest bedroom door flung opened and from inside, a man came holding a ringing phone to Seungri. “Yours.”

“Excuse me for a second,” Seungri said while walking away, leaving the other man and Jiyong to smile awkwardly at each other.

“I didn’t know Mr. Seungri has a roommate,” Jiyong broke the silence between them. 

“Who? Me? Oh, no, no— I’m just his editor slash cameraman slash producer—“

Jiyong usually isn’t the type to pry but that man’s answer drew his attention, prompting him to ask follow-up questions. “Editor? Cameraman?”

“Oh? Seungri didn’t tell you? He’s a Youtuber!”

Oh? Well, Jiyong couldn’t say that he didn’t see the appeal. Even though today was their first time meeting each other, he could see that his mother’s new tenant is an easy-going guy. Seungri talks a lot, jokes around a lot, polite, charming, kinda cute (especially with those dark eye bags that somehow makes him looks even sweeter)— he really shouldn’t be surprised Seungri’s in this line of a career.

“Is he big?”

“Certainly not, since you don’t know him—“

“Oh, please don’t use me as a reference. I don’t watch a lot of YouTube— and when I do, it’s rarely a channel of a particular person, so...”

“Well—“ that man raised his eyebrows, “wanna see?”

Curiosity overcame his shyness around strangers. It’s not everyday Jiyong got to see behind-the-scene of online entertainment businesses, so he followed that man into the guest bedroom now already transformed into a studio of some sort.
 

Jiyong whistled upon seeing the full setting of the room. One side of the room was equipped with some sort of backgrounds for recording, complete with decent lighting, a boom mike, tripod stand with a DSLR attached on it. The other side placed a full pc set with multiple monitors, probably for editing and stuffs, and he realised by then that whatever contents they’re making, it’s professionally made. 

“Sweet.” Jiyong cooed.

That other man rambled on about the full specs of the pc, sounded alien in Jiyong’s ears because he sure knew nothing about these kinds of things, then proceeded to explain a few basic things about editing without him asking. 

“Oh—sorry, you must be bored—I got way too excited—“

“Oh, no, no, I was the one who asked.” Jiyong smiled assuringly. “It’s very interesting. What kind of videos are you guys making?” He glanced at the multiple monitors, two of them have Seungri’s face on it.

“Mostly just funny skits and sketches, but we’re launching a new series—“ that man pointed at the monitor where Seungri was in a random dark hallway, “—since it’s almost Halloween—“

“Oh, wait, lemme guess.” Jiyong smirked, staring at Seungri in that hallway on one of the screens, looking like he’s about to his pant. “It’s ghost.”

“Well—“

“It’s not just ghost, Mr. Jiyong.” Seungri came in suddenly, interrupting their conversation, and went on about the show was actually about proving the existence of the supernaturals. A show where basically Seungri spends some times in spooky places, allegedly haunted or had any histories of unexplainable occurrences, to record some footage as evidence.

Jiyong nodded, rubbing his nose bridge to hide his amusement at the concept of it. “So, like, ghost hunters, right? You guys hunt ghosts, spirits, ghouls—“

“And, demon.”

Jiyong was stunned, but only for a second, before bursted out laughing, tickled by the sheer ridiculousness of that claim and Seungri’s even more ridiculous expression saying it, only stopping when he realised he’s the one laughing. 

. “Wait—you’re actually serious about this.”

Innocently, Seungri answered, “yeah.”

. Jiyong shifted on his seat. “Wait-I didn’t mean— I’m not laughing at what you do for a living at all, I’m just—it’s just that I’m don’t believe— you know what, I’m sorry for being a jackass.”

To Jiyong’s surprise, Seungri responded with a light snicker. “Apology accepted.” He waved his right hand dismissively. “But... what about some evidence?”

“...what?”

Seungri took a seat across Jiyong. It’s rather obvious a bright idea just washed upon him. With eyes glowing with optimism, Seungri continued, “you said you didn’t believe it, so... what if I show you some evidence? Maybe that’ll change your mind.”

“Uh—“

“See, the way we do it here is we analyse the footage thoroughly for any, you know, sightings or, um, sounds, and we take that out and we discuss it with a guest.” Seungri muttered the next sentence slowly for some reasons. “And, since this week’s guest already bailed, how about you become the new one?”

Jiyong blinked at Seungri who in return only smiled at him. “Are you serious?”

Seungri turned to the other man who has been staying in silent this whole time and smiled even brighter when receiving a nod of approval.

“It’ll be fun to have a non-believer on the show for once,” that man said.

Huh. Really, there’s no reason for Jiyong to do it, but at the same time, there’s also no particular reason for him not to not do it. Honestly, this sounded like a terrible idea, but he couldn’t say for certain he wasn’t tempted by it. 

Why not?

Jiyong had been lazying around these few couple of months, and life certainly had been mundane lately, so if this was what he needed to do to have a little fun, to have something to look back to in the future for how stupid and random it was, so be it.

Why the hell not? It’s a one-time thing, just for s and giggles. 

Jiyong bit his lower lips. “What’s in it for me?”

“We’ll pay you, of course!” Seungri beamed, realising the idea was at least being considered and he just needed to be more convincing. “We’ll blur your face if you’re not comfortable—“

“No, I’m not exactly camera shy.”

“Good! Better, even!” Seungri reply with a tone lacing with clear excitement. “Then, maybe also exposure! Something you wanna promote on the show, we’ll let you do it! Or—or, anything now! A cup of coffee and desserts? A lunch? A dinner— it’s on us!”

Jiyong scoffed. “Can I say whatever I want? Can I curse? ‘Cause if not—“

Seungri jumped onto his feet, extending his arms open way too dramatically. “Of course, Mr. Jiyong. Of ing course!” 

Seungri’s grin was wide and gummy when he said that— it’s adorable, like a smile of a little boy, and contagious because Jiyong caught himself smiling too.

*****

When Seungri walked in the studio again after changing his outfit, Jiyong was exchanging jokes with Taehee. When asked about it, they told him they just exchanged introductions, both of them a little embarrassed not knowing each other’s name after talking for quite some time.

Taehee’s eyes lightened up when he saw what Seungri was wearing, but Jiyong was the one who talked first. “That’s a nice shirt.” 

“Oh, this? This is, like, the fanciest shirt I own. I gotta look presentable for the shooting, right?” Seungri replied as he gestured for Taehee to put on his mic. 

“It’s a KJY, right?” Taehee asked, glancing at Jiyong who turned away almost immediately. 

“Yeah, the latest one— isn’t your hat the same brand too? Why?”

Taehee coughed. “Mr. Jiyong is curious.”

“Oh? You like it?”

“Me?” Jiyong look baffled when Seungri turned to him. “Yeah! I love the design of it!”

“I don’t think it matches your style, but, you know, it’s comfortable. A little pricey, but worth it.”

“Oh my god.” Taehee suddenly exclaimed out loud. 

Seungri raised his eyebrows at him, confused with that reaction. He turned to Jiyong who pretended he heard nothing and quickly sat by the table provided for recording without being instructed to.

Taehee gave up. “Nothing. Just— just start, man.”

And with that, they started. The dialogue for the opening came out of Seungri naturally, no longer needing scripts, as he introduced Jiyong to the viewers and briefly explained to his guest about the place he went to, a school allegedly built-on a burial ground, now abandoned because it’s too scary. 

Jiyong, already putting on his headphone, took it off again. “That’s the actual reason it got abandoned? It became too spooky?”

“That’s what they said—“

“Did the actual report actually said that’s