The next day Minji walked home with Seungri again, his sister present and livid about recent rumors she had caught mono from a college student.

            “You’re the worst,” she had yelled before pushing him to the ground as she walked home. Minji laughed and followed her as they passed him as he lay on the ground, a glimpse of her face causing Seungri to boil over.

            “Are you coming over? We can play Guitar Hero,” his dongsaeng spoke, linking her arms with Minji’s.

            Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero. She acted like it wasn’t a five year old game. Seungri got up, dusting off his jeans. He deserved the shove so he didn’t retaliate, instead gripping on to his backpack straps tightly.

            “I can’t. I have to go to Youngbae oppa’s.” Minji said Youngbae slowly, as if she was saying a foreign phrase that would attract interest, like escargo or ménage a trois. Seungri found himself frowning like he had tasted something bad. His sister nudged Minji’s shoulder as their arms remained interlocked, “You’re still talking to him? Ugh. He’s a college student now! You’re so lucky.”

            “I’m not that lucky,” Minji shook her head, a small smile across it.

            Seungri bit his lip. The more they whispered, the harder he bit down, even when they walked further ahead out of his earshot. He nervously dug into his pocket, getting out his phone and checking it for missed messages but aside from one from Seunghyun asking him how he was, there hadn’t been anything new. How could Youngbae have not called me?  Even if he had moved on with Minji, it wasn’t being fair to him at all. Youngbae could at least end things, or give a reason for why he was acting the way he was. At the very least, he could at least tell his new girlfriend to stop showing out so damn much, or tell her the truth, that he had an ex-boyfriend who happened to be Seungri.

            The more Seungri thought about it, the angrier he got. It was as if he was a dark secret or some shameful past. They had more than that. They had been catnaps, reluctant kisses, and hours of hand holding, curling up and watching scary movies and nagging at each other while shoe shopping. Seungri hadn’t had anything like that before and he wasn’t sure of it but he’d guess Youngbae hadn’t either. In fact, he’d guess Youngbae didn’t even have that now, with Minji. How could he have fought so hard to be with Seungri, and been so insistent on having his heart and just throw it away so easily?

            Seungri’s anger rolled around in his mind the whole walk home as he watched Minji’s key chain swing from her backpack, his sisters hair swaying at her shoulders as they walked hand in hand, laughing and gossiping. It continued later as he shoved his homework in a drawer, unable to finish it. Even as he lay in bed, trying to sleep it off in a nap, his anger instead festered and grew until he thought it would burst out of his mouth, in the form of a shrill scream but it didn’t. It stayed inside of him, bursting through his limbs, and his chest, amping his heart beat as he darted up off of his bed and down the stairs, and out of his door. His anger grew stronger and harder to contain as he simply opened the door to Youngbae’s house and walked through his kitchen, which luckily was completely unoccupied. When he reached the door to a customized basement, built solely  for Youngbae to have his own living space/studio, he didn’t think before opening the door, rushing down the stairs quickly. It was then the beast of anger inside him erupted at it’s worst.

            He turned to see them sitting at his coffee table, Youngbae’s hand rested on Minji’s face, rubbing her cheek.

            “What- What are you doing here?” Youngbae asked, slowly rising up from the table, Minji following his lead. Seungri panted heavily but it didn’t feel like he could breathe at all. He stomped towards Youngbae.

            “How can you do this to me?”

            “Seungri, just-“ Youngbae started before Seungri turned to Minji, interrupting him.

            “Your beloved oppa, he’s not available. He’s a liar and whatever you thought you had you don’t-“

            “Seungri!” Youngbae said grabbing him by the shoulders.

            “Get off of me!” Seungri struggled to get out of Youngbae’s grasp but unable to, resolved to show Minji instead. To claim his stake in what was his. He grabbed Youngbae’s shirt, pulling him closer before kissing him hard, Youngbae’s teeth pressing against his lip for a second before responding to the softness of Seungri’s lips, and for a split second kissing him back before Minji’s gasp brought the older boy to reality and to the moment, causing Youngbae to shove Seungri away, his brow furrowed and his chest heaving as he panted, staring at Seungri.

            “Youngbae…How could you?” Minji asked, tears in her eyes. Her face was full of disgust, open in shock. “…I trusted you.”

            “I told you…” Youngbae started.

            “You didn’t tell me this,” Minji said, shaking her head, trying to hold back her tears.

            “Minji,” Youngbae pleaded as she gathered her books from the table, barely able to contain them in her arms and ran up the stairs quickly, slamming the door behind her, imagining she could possibly leave her broken heart behind her.

***************

            “I don’t think he should wear a tie.” Jiyong looked at the outfit he’d spread over the coffee table. A plaid shirt and, black tie had been set out, complete with a tie bar and skinny jeans to match.

            “I don’t think you should be doing this at all.” Seunghyun laid on his bed, bespectacled, reading War & Peace, a regular hipster stereotype.

            “And let him mess this date up? I can’t do that. I’m trying to be a new me. A good friend.”

            “If you think about it, you’re assuming he will mess this up which means you have no faith in him. That actually makes you a bad friend.” Seunghyun turned the page of his book before sliding his reading glasses up his nose.

            Jiyong stared at the outfit, thinking about it for a moment before dismissing the topic all together. “Oh, whatever. What shoes should he wear?”

            Seunghyun shook his head before resolving to ignore Jiyong completely.

            “Chucks! Definitely,” he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “Seunghyun?”

            “Yeah, that’d be nice,” Seunghyun said, giving more of his attention to the book he was reading than his boyfriend who stood with his hands on his hips.

            “I’m not asking you about the shoes…Well, I am but-” Jiyong trailed off, looking to the side. Seunghyun sighed loudly before placing his finger in the book, keeping his spot and closing it so that he held it in one hand.

            “What do you want, Jiyong?” he asked, taking off his reading glasses.

            “50,000 won.”

            “No.”

            “But-“

            “No. Why are you doing this anyway?” Seunghyun was still semi amused but he feigned irritation so that Jiyong might actually heed his advice.

            “I want to be a good person, I told you!”

            “You could adopt a highway, or volunteer for a charity or help the homeless.”

            “I don’t want to do any of those things,” Jiyong said without thought, picking up the clothes then putting them down again, smoothing out the fabric. “I’ll have to iron these.”

            “Jiyong.”

            “And I’ll definitely- Maybe this should be a bow tie. No. That’d be terrible.”

            “Jiyong,” Seunghyun called again.

            “Can you imagine Daesung in a bow tie? That probably actually happens. Ha!”

            “Jiyong!” Seunghyun exclaimed, finding it a bit easier to fake agitation.

            “What?” Jiyong said, looking at Seunghyun.

            “Come here,” he replied, stretching his legs out before bending one, leaning against the wall that his bed rested against. He threw his book to the side before outstretching his arm, beckoning him with his hand, “Come here,” he reiterated, his voice a low growl he knew Jiyong would respond to. The slight man obeyed, settling between his legs and curling up against his chest, resting his forehead against Seunghyun’s cheek.

            “Maybe you should just set things right with Seungri,” Seunghyun said, rubbing Jiyong’s arm.

            “I don’t care about Seungri.”

            “Yeah, okay.” Seunghyun muttered, tilting his head slightly to kiss Jiyong on the forehead. It felt good to slow Jiyong down, to settle in the silence and he loved how the slight man would snuggle next to him, almost like a cat. Sometimes, he was so much like one, Seunghyun half expected him to purr, times like now. He closed his eyes and focused on the heat building between them, the warmth of the body curled against his, feeling Jiyong’s shoulders rise and fall with a heavy sigh.

            “Seunghyun?”

            “Mmm?” he replied, without opening his eyes.

            “This isn’t about Seungri and Youngbae. Especially, Seungri.” Jiyong said, his voice quiet, slightly above a whisper, “I don’t feel bad for him. You know that right?”

            “Not really but I’ll take your word for it.” Seunghyun said, making sure to lace disbelief in his voice. He grabbed Jiyong’s wrist, it with his thumb.

            “Shut up.”

            “Okay.” Seunghyun said, content to remain silent, enjoying the soft rhythm of Jiyong’s pulse beating in synch with his own.

************

            “What the hell, Seungri?” Youngbae said, out of breath. Seungri had fallen on the floor when Youngbae shoved him away and he stayed there, staring at Youngbae who stared right back.

            “I could say the same thing.”

            “You really can’t.”

            “You’re not going to talk about this. You’re not going to apologize about anything?”

            “You should go,” Youngbae said, turning away and straightening a couple of books Minji didn’t grab and take with her.

            “Why!? I don’t want to!” Seungri stood up quickly.
            “Do you understand what you did?”           

            “Of course, I do.”

            Youngbae shook his head, literally biting his tongue before he said something he’d regret. “You let your jealousy cloud your judgment.”

            “Of course I did, Youngbae! What the hell! Who wouldn’t be jealous?... Shouldn’t I be?”

            Youngbae didn’t answer and Seungri couldn’t tell if he was hesitant to confirm all his suspicions or not.

            “You still shouldn’t have done that. You knew she didn’t know about us. What happens if this spreads around?”

            “Then you won’t be able to see her very comfortably, will you?” Seungri said, folding his arms with a slight shrug.

            “This isn’t about her. This is about us.”

            “There is no us,” Seungri said before he thought about it. He wanted the words to come back into his mouth, to be honest but it was too late. It had to happen eventually, though. He felt like he was going to cry. Youngbae just stared at him for a moment before sighing.

            “Whatever, Seungri.”

            “That’s all you have to say?”

            “I’m extremely agitated, I don’t want to have this conversation right now.”            

        “Fine. So we’re over,” Seungri said. He looked at Youngbae for some reaction but he didn’t get one that would suffice. Youngbae stood there staring at him, his brow furrowed, as if he hadn’t even really heard him.

        “Youngbae.”

        “I heard you.” Youngbae said, his breathing deep and slow. Seungri wondered if he felt the same sharp pain in his chest, the same tightness. He was waiting for Youngbae to say something, anything to stop him from going but he didn’t. He didn’t say anything as Seungri turned around nor did he grab a hold of him to stop him from walking away and as he heard the door to his room close he didn’t run after Seungri either, letting him walk out of his life without putting up a fight.

***********

            Jiyong had trouble pulling himself out from under Seunghyun’s long limbs, which were tangled with his own.

            “Where’s your phone?” he asked Seunghyun groggily, feeling around on the coffee table in the dark. It was a relief it wasn’t his own phone that was ringing, which would mean it’d be an unwelcome call from his mother, asking why he hadn’t been home in four days. Instead, Seunghyun had merely shifted in his sleep when his loud alternative rock ringtone rung out in the middle of the night, a counter intuitive choice from his usual tastes of old school hip-hop and freestyle rap battles. Jiyong continued to feel around, finding the phone on the ground, vibrating into the carpet.

            “Yobeseyo,” he said, his voice creaking.

            “Jiyong hyung?” The voice was rightfully surprised even at a whisper through its sniffles and sobs.

            “Seungri...”

            “Is Seunghyun hyung there?”

            “He’s asleep,” Jiyong said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with the back of his free hand.

            “Oh.”

            A silence hung between them and Jiyong listened to Seungri’s heavy breathing, biting his lip, anxious to find something to say.

            “I’ll call back,” Seungri sniffled, his voice the epitome of pathetic.

            “Seungri…I can talk. You can like, talk to me if you just want to talk. I mean I know Youngbae. I could help, maybe.”

            “It’s okay,” Seungri said. Jiyong felt like an idiot, restraining the urge to face palm himself. Why would Seungri want to talk to him about anything serious after he basically admitted never really being his friend?

            “Seungri, Youngbae loves you.”

            Seungri scoffed a half laugh, “Sure.”

            “I don’t know if he cheated or where he goes when he lies about where he’s at. I don’t know why he would lie to you, either. But I know that kid, better than anybody. He doesn’t waste his time on anyone. You’re the only person he’s ever put any effort into being with.”

            “Before Minji,” Seungri answered quickly.

            Jiyong sighed, “Before Minji,” he reiterated, unable to debunk the possibility Youngbae was cheating. Another slow silence settled between them before Seungri feigned a yawn.

            “Well, I’m going to go.”

            “Seungri, I’m sorry. For being jealous, and stupid, and just myself in general.”

            “Yeah, I know.”

            The third silence was more comfortable than the past two. Jiyong laid back down, Seunghyun immediately spooning his body, wrapping his arm around him.

            “Could you-“

            “Listen?” Jiyong finished his question. “Yeah, I can.”

            Jiyong laid the phone down under his ear, listening to Seungri tell him everything about the past year, his broken heart and his fear and longing to see Youngbae again. In fact it wasn’t until Seungri’s sentences started to fall off and he slowly dragged on his words that Jiyong started to get tired again himself, staying on the line until he was sure Seungri had fallen to sleep.

_____________________

I'm debating on whether to post one chapter and then the last or both at the same time later. Just so their break up doesn't get dragged out you know?....What do you guys think? Anyway, I work this weekend so I probably won't update until Monday :(