Seungri looked at his hyung; looked deep into his serious eyes – which were so often guarded and unreadable. But now his normally inscrutable hyung had let down his defences and was baring his soul.

His hyung didn't need any words. Everything he was feeling was written clearly on his features and in those eyes – the windows to his soul.

And Seungri had read them with infinite ease; somehow drowning out the noise and the visions and the memories, both false and true.

His hyung was pleading to him, begging for him to listen; to hear what was being said to him and accept the facts for what they were; to do what he always did and listen to his own gut instinct.

But Seungri had push away, because his gut instinct was the one thing he couldn't trust anymore – it’s the truth, those feelings were threatening to tear him apart:

His conscience want to trust his hyung – in fact that one was a given. It wasn't even an instinct. It was like a fundamental truth to him.

But now that simple fact was tarnished by a conflicting shadow:

Justice.

And he needs to be punished.

That was also beyond doubt – and it wasn't simply because of everything he had been put through. His belief in – and need for – justice was an inherent part of who he was. It was why he was so keen to follow in his father's footsteps and become Private Investigator; and why he, along with his hyung, was becoming so good at it.

If he couldn't get justice for his eomma, who deserved it more than anyone in the world, then everything he believed in was for nothing.

It had all seemed so easy: a confession, jail and then the death sentence.

But now his absolute belief in his own guilt had wavered and it left him feeling somehow hollow. This wasn't the way things were supposed to go; his eomma had to have justice.

As if sensing his dongsaeng’s turmoil – Seunghyun grasped Seungri’s shoulder and gripped it tight. The intense eyes gaze once again sought out the depths of his soul.

Doing the only thing he could, Seungri put his trust in him and laid it bare for him.

"Eomma…" Seungri tried to speak from his heart, but his voice was small and lost: not the voice of a teenager on the verge of becoming a man; but the voice of a frightened and vulnerable child.

Unable to voice his feelings, he just looked at his hyung and he hid nothing from him – his reputation can be damned. This was the one thing holding him back; the one thing he couldn't get past.

His eomma’s death had devastated him; his possible guilt was still on the verge of destroying him.

Unbidden, the insidious voices crept back into his mind:

'Mother-killer!''Mother-killer!"

His hyung’s words were fading and Arashi's voice beginning to re-emerge. Deep inside, he knew that he should fighting it – but he didn't know how to do it.

Seungri bury his head in his hands, but he wasn't going to be allowed to retreat so easily. A strong hand grabbed his wrist and he raised his head; his eyes now filled with tears.

Seunghyun was looking at his dongsaeng with deep sympathy and utter understanding.

Then he smiled sadly:

"He will pay, Seungri," he promised. He knew his dongsaeng – and the issue that would be eating him up inside. "Arashi will pay for what he did to our eomma."

Hyunsuk watched the scene in front of him – unsure of the part he was supposed to play. He had easily read his first son 'follow my lead' message and had passively allowed himself to be led.

But, when Seungri’s face turn pale, he swiftly stepped into his father’s role.

"Seunghyun, Seungri, I think it's time to go."

The youngest son finally tore his gaze away from his hyung and squinted over at him – and Hyunsuk knew he'd done the right thing in interrupting them. He'd already noticed how pale Seungri was, but now he could also see the fine sheen of sweat on his face – and the way his eyes took a moment too long to fully focus on him.

In the heat of the moment; the stress of the situation; the intensity of the emotions – they had all forgotten the fact that his youngest son had been released from hospital mere hours ago and was still clearly suffering the effects of a concussion.

Seunghyun chose that moment to glance back at him father – and he looked beyond irritated at the interruption. Hyunsuk could understand – the progress his eldest son had made was beyond his wildest expectations. But Seungri wasn't holding up so well any more.

Seunghyun would see that, too, if he could just take a half step back. But he had worked so hard to move forwards, Hyunsuk could understand why he didn't want to succumb to even a slight hint of retreat.

"Seungri, do you need a painkiller?" The words were meant to interrupt them – but Hyunsuk can see that they didn't have the effect he been hoping for.

He been aiming for concern and supports from his eldest son, but instead his words only prompted guilt and, as Seunghyun's features dropped, Hyunsuk can easily read his expression. In spite of everything he's done, he was feeling as though he had somehow failed to reach his dongsaeng.

Hyunsuk look at Seunghyunk's eyes and shook his head. He can let his eldest son to descend into self-doubt and recrimination. What he had done with Seungri was beyond miraculous. He was, literally Seungri's life – and it would only be better if he was wrestling with totally misplaced emotions.

Silence had descended, following his intervention – and it hung thick and heavy in the air.

The loss of eye contact with his hyung seemed to made Seungri shrink back to his previous self; though his obvious pain might have also been a contributing factor.

Seunghyun, for his part, had become subdued. Ever tuned to his dongsaeng's best interests, he sought to hide his festering guilt – but Hyunsuk could see right through it. And he could also see that it would take a few minutes for his eldest son to sort through his feelings and compose himself, before court his dongsaeng again.

So that left him.

He had to be confident, but without coming across as being at all threatening. He had to find some way to take control and find direction for both of his boys.

It wouldn't be easy – but they were both now looking at him for a pillar support; looking young and lost and both of them needing him to just be their dad.

He could do that.

In spite of everything, somewhere along the line he had found a resolve. He'd been given a chance and be damned if he wasn't going to take it.

He knew that he didn't deserve it, but he wasn't going to duel with that; now, he had an important matter that need him to tread very carefully.

He didn't try to over compensate for his previous mistakes; nor did he attempt to exert any sort of authority.

Instead, striving for some semblance of normality, he merely said: "Let’s go," and jerked his head towards the door.

Hyunsuk could only dare to pray that both of his sons would follow him – because, if they didn't, he had no backup plan of what to do next – as he push the door of the Interrogation Room open and step out.

Seungri was not sure what was happening around him anymore. Though his crippling guilt had started to fade, the blame still lingered.

He was not sure to be allowed to walk out from the room; but the door was open and there was no police. And then he felt a familiar arm wrap around his shoulders and guide him to his feet.

He was prepared to go with his hyung because he trusted him – but that was about all he was prepared to deal with at that moment.

Numb, and having no memory of actually getting there, he somehow found himself in the back of his father's car – and he had a vague flashback of having tried to leap from that very same vehicle.

He sagged in his seat – hating the strange and random flashbacks that continued to attack him; especially as the nagging feeling keep reminding him that he couldn't really trust his memories anymore.

Seungri close his eyes against the headache that was pounding hard in his head. He want to stop thinking. He should just take the painkillers – but he was beyond confused as it was; he didn't need drugs to further degenerate his already fuzzy mind.

But without medication, the pain wouldn't let him rest; wouldn't give him moments to break from his conflicting emotions. And with his eyes closed, his mind constantly threw up images – the images of memories, or might have been lies. He can’t recognise between the two anymore and his aching head felt ready to explode.

With a heartfelt sigh, he cracked his eyes open – and then found himself staring at the back of his father's head.

Suddenly, he feels his stomach churn and his mouth went dry. Recognising the purely physical reaction for what it was – fear – Seungri sought a reason for it. But it was impossible when he couldn't even be sure what, in his memory, was actually real. Maybe it was an effect of his interrogation. It had been pretty intense.

But when his hyung had taken over, it had turn even more intense – but he had no fear of his hyung.

His breathing quickened. This was just wrong. His dad had been trying to help him; had trying to make him to remember; had tried to…

Seungri gasped out loud as the conflicting memory suddenly bombarded his mind. He also remembered a voice set in stone, features hard and eyes colder than ice.

He can’t tear his gaze away from his dad. His interrogation in the police station might not have been the first one he was subjected to and he felt fresh tears prickle in the corners of his eyes.

He also remembered a tone that was accusatory – and eyes that mean to condemn.

Unconsciously, he buried himself into the seat leather. Confusion ravaged him, as his memories did – but he had no way of knowing which of them was false memory or a reality.

Seunghyun was battling his own crisis: he couldn't believe that his personal crusade to save Seungri, had verged on being detrimental to his dongsaeng's health.

He had been so focussed on trying to make Seungri believe the truth that he had ignore any of the symptoms. It was his dad pretty much spelling it out for him before he noticed Seungri’s discomfort – and the guilt had threatened to crash down on him.

But his dad had sent him a silent message and so he focus his attention on his dongsaeng – the only person in the world who mattered at that moment. For Seungri, even his own feelings had been put on hold.

Then they got into the car and Seungri close his eyes. Seunghyun was finally allowed a moment to sort through his own feelings – and he slowly tried to reconcile to the fact that he had done nothing wrong.

Maybe he had not notice when Seungri begin to feel unwell, but what he had achieved was worth far more than that – to all of them. And it had been demonstrated when Seungri didn't put up even a hint of a protest when they left the police station.

He just wished that Seungri just take the painkiller.

Successfully putting his guilt to one side, Seunghyun allowed himself the luxury of relaxing for a moment.

But a moment was all that he got to spare.

He didn't know how he could possibly sense it – not when everything was so shot to hell that he didn't even have an idea of what should be normal anymore – but he suddenly knew something else, something was wrong with Seungri.

Seunghyun look at Seungri and instantly took the tension – demonstrated by the way he try to bury his entire body behind the seat; and by his scary intense gaze, which drilled through the back of their oblivious father's head.

Seunghyun couldn't understand it. What had gone wrong?

"Seungri?" He kept his voice deliberately low. His dongsaeng looked incredibly tense – almost scared – and the last thing he wanted to do was startle him. When there was no response, he tried again.

"Seungri, what's wrong?"

Then Seungri turn and look at him and Seunghyun was beyond devastated to see his dongsaeng’s face – it was a desperate, helpless kind of scared. He never seen such a look before and he prayed that he never would see it again.

Seungri looked as though he had absolutely no hope left in the world.

"Seungri.…" Seunghyun’s mind sought the right words to take that look away. More than anything, he needs to remove the utter despair from those expressive eyes.

"I'm here for you, bro." He offered the only thing he had: himself, his strength, his belief, his support and his love – and he offered it all unconditionally.

"I'll be with you, no matter what. We're doing this together."

Seungri close his eyes and a single tear drop on his face. Seunghyun want to go to his dongsaeng and give comfort but it's difficult since he was at the front.

In a glimpse second Seungri open his eyes again and Seunghyun couldn't help but notice the way his dongsaeng's eyes flickered towards their dad.

"Hyung...please…I..” His voice was broken.

“I need to know, hyung," he pleaded with teary eyes. "I need to know what's real."