“Son, can we talk?” Jiyong’s thought were interrupted when he heard his father’s voice. He turned his head around and saw his father walking towards him. He turned his head back and held the goblet of brandy and gobbled it in one go.

“Sure, dad.” Jiyong said as his dad approached him and stood just beside the chair where he is sitting. He offered the chair beside him and reached for another glass for his father.

“Do you have any problem?” Mr. Kwon asked worriedly as he took the set beside his son. He looked closely at Jiyong and worriedly immediately is written on his face.

“No, dad. I don’t have any problem.” Jiyong said as he poured brandy on his father’s glass and another on his empty goblet. “What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?”

“I know that I’ve promised to you that I’ll never force you and Seungri to anything that you don’t like.” Mr. Kwon started as he took hold of his goblet and sipped just a little amount of the brandy and grimaced realizing that the drink his son is drinking is the strongest one they have. “And your mom threatens me that once I manipulated your lives, she will leave me. And you both know that I can’t live without your mom.”

“But can I ask you a favor?” Jiyong looked at his father and saw that hesitation is written all over his face.

“Sure, dad. You can ask me anything.” Jiyong replied as he placed his hands on his father’s shoulders.

“Our company in Japan needed some handling. And I can’t go there because of your mom. If you don’t want, it’s totally okay with me. I’ll just find someone.” Mr. Kwon said.

“I’ll go, dad.” Jiyong replied in a heartbeat.

“Are you sure?” Jiyong nodded his head. Mr. Kwon smiled to himself then he recalled something.

“How about your girlfriend? Dara, right? You can bring her with you if you want. I’ll—“

“I don’t have any girlfriend, dad.” Jiyong said. His dad surely thought of them as ‘girlfriend and boyfriend’ when he brought her to every of their family gatherings. Hell, he even thought that they are one.

“But how about D—“

“She never became my girlfriend, dad.” Jiyong interrupted what his dad is saying.”

“Okay.” Mr. Kwon then stood up from his seat was about to walk away from the bar in their house when Jiyong spoke.

“Dad, can you make me leave later at dawn? I really don’t have anything to do here and Seungri is here to manage the company.” Jiyong said as silent pleading echoed through his eyes. Mr. Kwon saw it and nodded his head. He then tapped his son’s shoulders before walking away. He is sure that Jiyong has a problem but he won’t be meddling into his business. He will just wait for his son to open up to him.

_____________________________________________________________

Jiyong is nursing his fifth glass of brandy when his head started swirling. He supported his head with his hands as he leaned it to the bar. He then took deep breaths and focused his eye in front of him. When his head didn’t stop from swirling, he decided that he should rest now. He still has an early flight to Japan.

He managed going up to his room without falling and breaking things along the way. When he entered his room, he immediately jumped on his bed face first. He stretched his hand to reach the switch of his bed side lamp on the bed side table. When he heard a crash, he muttered a curse and lifted his head to look at it.

There on the floor, with broken glasses, is his and Dara’s picture in his favorite picture frame. He sat at the edge of his bed and bent down to pick up the picture and managed to cut his hand because of the broken pieces of the glass but he didn’t mind.

He traced his hand along Dara’s face. And when he was at her lips, tears continuously dropped from his eyes. He hugged the picture frame tightly to his heart as he cried out his broken heart. He didn’t imagine that this time would come that he will cry over a woman. But what can he do? It hurts so much and it almost felt numb. He lied down on his bed with still the picture near his heart.

“How can this be this painful?” Jiyong whispered to himself when the pain he is feeling intensifies as he held Dara’s picture tighter.

“I thought I could change you. I thought I could make you change your mind.” Jiyong said as tears continuously fell.

“I love you! Dammit, I love you!” Jiyong shouted. He doesn’t care whether Seungri, his brother, could hear him. All he wants to do is scream to release the pain he is feeling.

“I love you, Dara!” Jiyong said again.

“I love you.” Jiyong mumbled weakly as his eyes slowly closed.

_____________________________________________________________

Seungri knocked on his brother’s door but no one answered. He knocked again but still no response. He furrowed his eyebrow and knocked again. He started feeling nervous. He was about to ask for the spare key to his brother’s room when he heard a light footsteps coming towards the door. He sighed in relief and waited for the door to enter.

“What time is it, Ri?” Jiyong welcomed him inside his room as the latter groggily walked back to his bed and lied down.

“It’s time for your departure, hyung.” Seungri said which made Jiyong bolt up from his bed. Jiyong immediately went to his bathroom to take a shower while Seungri waited for his brother to finish. His father talked to him and told him that his hyung is going to Japan to manage their company there. He was surprised hearing that for Jiyong never wanted to leave Korea because of one girl.

“You should’ve woken me up earlier, Ri.” Jiyong said as he went to his closet and picked out the clothes he is going to wear.

“What happened, hyung?” Seungri asked when he noticed the picture resting in his bed and all the broken pieces of glass on the floor.

“What?” Jiyong asked as he turned to look at his brother. Seungri pointed his fingers to the picture then to the floor where the broken pieces of glass is.

“Oh that?” Jiyong turned around again to face the mirror and fixed his hair. “I was reaching for the lamp but I accidentally pushed that so it fell from the table.” Jiyong explained.

Seungri just nods his head, not believing all what his hyung had said.

“Can you do me a favor, Ri?” Jiyong grabbed his luggage and went back to his closet to pack his clothes. “Can you go to Dara’s apartment and get all my things there? I won’t have anytime going there.”

“You and Dara noona broke up?” Seungri asked.

“We were never a couple, Ri.” Jiyong said and Seungri noticed the bitterness in his hyung’s voice.

“Well, I thought you guys are stepping up a little higher.” Seungri said.

“I was the only one who took the step higher. I fell in love with her. Deep. But she doesn’t believe in those craps. So, she decided that we should stop seeing each other.” Jiyong continued his packing while Seungri locked his gaze on his brother.

“Are you okay, hyung?” Seungri worriedly asked.

“I’ll be okay, Ri. Don’t worry about me.” Jiyong stood up and went to his bed. He sat beside his brother and rested his hand on Seungri’s shoulders. “I’ll try to be okay.” Jiyong whispered to himself.

“How long are you going to be there, hyung?”

“I don’t know, Ri. It depends.” Jiyong shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ll be late for my flight now. I’ll get going now.” Jiyong said then stood up and reached for his plane ticket on his bedside table. He then looked at his brother one last time before closing the door behind him.

__________________________________________________

Ding dong!

Dara immediately stood up from her couch and went to the door excitedly. In the back of her mind, she wished that it was Jiyong but she shook the thought away.

“Seungri, what made you come here?” Dara greeted as soon as she opened her door and saw Jiyong’s brother. She opened her door wider and welcomed Seungri inside.

“Hyung just asked me a favor, noona.” Seungri said as he just stood in the middle of the living room. Dara furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what Jiyong wanted Seungri to do in her apartment.

“Can I see where Jiyong hyung’s things are?” Seungri asked. Dara just nodded her head and guided Seungri inside her room and to her closet where Jiyong’s clothes are neatly placed. Seungri then opened the luggage which Dara didn’t notice earlier and started putting Jiyong’s clothes inside. After he is done, he closed the luggage and stood in front of Dara.

“Thank you, noona.” Seungri said as he turned his heels around and started his tracks towards the door.

“No problem.” Dara said and smiled at her as she followed him towards her door.

“I’ll just see you then, noona.” Seungri said when they were standing at the door.

“Sure.” Dara said as she opened her door and Seungri walked away with Jiyong’s things. Her gaze followed his back and sighed. Not clearly sure if it is a sigh of relief, or a sigh of confusion.