Seungri was raised in a conventional surroundings and in an even more conventional family, believing that someday, when the time comes, he’ll find a woman he loves and he’ll marry her. Someday, they’ll grow a family together. He’ll take care of his wife and his children, and when they grow up, he’ll send them off to college. He’ll marry them off when they wanted to and they, in turn, will start a new family of their own and so on and so forth, amen. 
 

That’s just the way he’s brought up to be. That’s how it always been anyway, since his father and his father before him and the father before that and so on and so-- you know where this was going.

Seungri’s not the type of person who will question tradition, but he’s also didn’t really care that much about it. He wasn’t really paying attention to these kinds of things— you know, romantic attractions, relationships, datings and stuffs. He isn’t even desperate for marriage or any serious relationship leading to that, sorta letting it to come naturally. It’s very common for men like him to get married at the age of 40 and above here, so, hey, what’s the rush?

As of now, Seungri’s more interested in networking. He loves meeting people, connecting with them, socialising, making friends, making connections which is essential in building back-ups for his ever so unstable career.

Sure, Seungri found a few interesting persons in between that. Sure, Seungri dated a few of them. Sure, Seungri slept with some of them but it was just never meant to be a special thing. It was never meant to be more than a fleeting crush. It was never, ever more than a fling. It was never more than him being an adult man with desire and needs that demanded to be satisfied.

Seungri ended most of his relationships (if 3 months long of him messing around could be considered as one) rather quickly. Some others were smart enough to dump his , claiming he’s the worst because he’s never serious during their period of dating, which was true so he got nothing to complain about.

When he broke up with his last ex, Taehee looked at him disbelief.

“I wonder what type of persons you’re actually into if you’re dumping her. She’s like the prettiest, kindest—“

That’s just the thing, though. Seungri didn’t know. Or maybe, again, Seungri didn’t care.

He didn’t care what kind of person he’s into. He didn’t care what kind of characters must they posses to win his heart. Seungri didn’t care whether they have similarities with him or not. Seungri didn’t care if they’re totally different. If he's into them, then he's into them. That's it.

When it’s about Jiyong, however, Seungri felt like he should. 

Oh, he should care so much, because if it really is Jiyong he’s talking about here, it’s not gonna be anything regular for him. It’s not gonna be anything conventional. 

It’s gonna change everything. 

“First time here?” The bartender greeted him as Seungri guzzled down his second glass of whiskey.

“What gave it away? Is it my ting-brick face?” Seungri replied humourlessly but the bartender laughed. 

“Well... no. It’s the way you hold your drink that got me.”

Seungri looked at his right hand, gripping on his glass as if his life’s depending on it, while his other hand balled up on the counter, tighter than how his chest felt now.

“I’ve seen your kinds few times before.” The bartender smirked. Her sentence was condescending but Seungri saw no ill-intention in her eyes, only glints of humor.

“Yeah?” Seungri exhaled. “Got any tips?”

The bartender hummed. “Well—“ the bartender took a glass from the cabinet behind her, “—for starter, I could tell you that it’ll never work if you look like you’re seconds away from throwing away punches if someone approach you.”

“Dammit. I was hoping it would.”

Although busy rinsing a glass with some type of green liquid, the bartender heard Seungri’s sarcastic reply and bursted out laughing. 

“You could just leave anytime, you know?” The bartender added softly as she poured whiskey into the mixing cup. “This kind of thing— it takes time.”

“I know, but somehow I felt like I gotta hang my head in shame if I back out now.”

“There’s nothing shameful about figuring yourself out.” The bartender’s eyes were full of empathy when she said that. “As a bartender, I’m glad you came here. As a normal person, though, it’s a pity you chose this place to start.”

Seungri scoffed in defeat. “What can I say... I’m dumb as a rock.”

The bartender laughed again and shook her head. “At least you got that all figured out.”

Seungri didn’t have to figure that out. People told him that all the time, particularly that one person who’s actually the main reason he’s here. Honestly, even without that said person, Seungri knew he’s dumb. He’s dumb but not that dumb.

“Leave and come back again with a friend next time. Maybe it’ll make things easier.” The bartender spoke again, bringing Seungri out from losing himself in his own head.

Seungri considered doing just that for how softly that advice was spoken to him, but his curiosity was still as strong as ever so he just smiled.

“Are you secretly a therapist? Is being a bartender your part time job?” Seungri squinted his eyes at the bartender, half joking half wanting to change the topic. “How are you so good at talking to people?”

The bartender shrugged with a smug smile. “Like I said, I’ve seen your kinds before.” 

Seungri crossed his arms on the countertops. “Appreciate it, but because I’m dumb—“

“—you’re gonna stay?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” The bartender then placed a drink in front of Seungri that he definitely didn’t order. “Here’s a little something to soothe the tension away.”

“What is it?” Seungri gazed in nervousness at the red drink. It screamed dangerous. 

“It’s Sazerac. 2 ounce of rye whiskey, 0.5 ounce of simple syrup, a few dashes of Peychard’s bitters and this glass—“ the bartender tapped lightly on the chilled glass, “—is rinsed with absinthe. It’s a drink with some bite, perfect for a man who clearly scared of being bitten.”

“Uh...” Seungri was still unsure, while the bartender’s eyes now reflecting glee. 

“It’s on the house.”

“Oh?” Amazing. “Well, then, don’t mind me.”

Seungri raised the glass to the bartender, who responded with a nod and a chuckle before moving away to another customer, and sipped on it. And, boy oh boy, the drink did wonder to him, because it wasn’t long before Seungri forgot where he was. It wasn’t long before Seungri forgot why he’s here in the first place.

And when a stranger with a body built like a god approached him while smiling suggestively, saying, “hey, never seen you around here before”, Seungri responded with an even bigger smile.

“Hey, beef man.” Seungri muttered, losing his mind.

*****

“What’s going on here?” Jiyong asked Seungri as they ventured in the dark hallway of the second floor of the asylum.

Seungri didn’t answer immediately, too busy pointing his flashlight around the empty rooms which all looked the same to Jiyong, filled with hair-rising scribbles on the walls as well as decaying medical equipments and furnitures inside. 

“Ri!”

Seungri snapped his head towards Jiyong. “—what-“ Seungri blinked, and the unreasonable fear that filled his eyes earlier was replaced by realisation, giving Jiyong who was ready to repeat his question no chance to do just that because Seungri quickly responded.

“Oh, nothing. Just regular stuffs.” Seungri ended his sentence with a chuckle but his honest eyes betrayed him. 

“You look swell.” Jiyong’s eyes narrowed teasingly.

“You look like you’re ready for the -storm that’s gonna come in our way.” Seungri replied with the same tone, only with a little less bravery.

Jiyong scoffed. “I am ready. I have been ready this whole trip.” He gazed to the dark hallway in front of him. “Hey there demon ! You hear that? I’m ready! So do something to me! Ruffle my hair! Scratch me! Gauge my eyes out—“

“God—“ Seungri whispered, starting to snicker nervously under his breath as Jiyong was being his regular self, rambling on maniacal challenges fearlessly.

“—what? Are you scared or something?! Of course you would, you !”

“Well, aren’t you hostile tonight.” Seungri commented as Jiyong turned to the camera behind him. 

“I’m just mad that this place, this so called haunted place, featured in top 10 scariest place in the world— people even made movie about this place, gave us nothing yet. We’ve been here for hours!”

“Maybe you should try to be more respectful.” 

Jiyong exhaled loudly out of annoyance. “Maybe you should try to admit that the reason why I got no response is because there’s nothing here! I got no response because I was talking to air!”

Seungri laughed again before turning serious as he shone his flashlight to the end of the hallway, probably feeling the ominous vibe this floor gave out. “There’s a little boy here, they said.”

“A boy?”

“Yep.”

“That doesn’t sound like much.”

“Maybe.” Seungri his lips. “Except that boy is actually a demon. Well, allegedly.”

Jiyong’s wandering gaze now fixed on Seungri who looked like he’d rather be somewhere else right now. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish I am.”

“Who said that? Why?”

“The last team that came here— they entered with a medium who said that the little boy people kept seeing isn’t exactly a little boy.”

Seungri stopped in the middle of a room and placed his device on the floor, ready for another EVP session. 

Jiyong, who hadn’t move on from Seungri’s earlier statement, shook his head. “Medium is bull.”

“I just think that’s plausible.” Seungri raised his shoulders. “Demon always, if not almost all the time manifest themselves as children.”

“That’s not true. Demon doesn’t just manifest as children, they don’t even manifest—“

Seungri took turn to scoff, not letting Jiyong finished. “As if you knew anything about demon.”

Jiyong raised his eyebrows. In a mocking tone, he asked, "oh, and you do?” 

“I’ve done plenty of research on them, Sir. Unlike you, I'm interested in this kind of thing."

Jiyong wanted to say more, but seeing how serious Seungri was, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course you did. All that wasted academic potential— you could be researching for the cure of cancer or some , but no, you have to research about demons.”

“I promise you, Ji, it will not go down to waste.” 

“Well, Dr. Demon, enlighten me then, why would they always choose to be children?”

Seungri smacked his lips, acting as though the answers were obvious already. “Because children appear weaker and in need of protection, because it would lure more people in, because children are more likeable—“

“Pfft. No! Hav