You don't get it, Youngbae.
On Time"Youngbae! Jiyong! You are up on stage in thirty minutes." , Boram shouted from the hallway.
Slightly startled, the comeback star raised his head. Colourful pictures on Instagram had caught the singer's attention for a longer time than he he had expected. "Ah, yes hyung."
"Where is Jiyong?" , the manager asked, entering the dressing room. "Is he re-doing his make-up again?"
Youngbae shook his head. "No, he went to the closet, hyung."
"Closet, I see." Boram frowned. He pulled out his phone and checked the time. It was one of those habits the boys liked to make fun of from time to time, that urge to always be on time, no matter what.
The singer chuckled. "Hyung, you are doing it again."
"What am I doing again?", Boram asked, still staring at his phone display.
"You are checking the time. We won't be late, don't worry."
"Actually, there is something else I am worried about. Or someone else, to be more specific."
Youngbae blinked. "Who are you talking about?"
The manager put his phone away, sighing. "Your best friend."
"Jiyong? But...why? Did anything happen?", Youngbae asked worriedly. He was sure that, if anything bothered his friend, he would be the first one to know about it.
"Haven't you noticed any differences in his attitude these days?"
The singer scratched his blonde head, being in deep thought. No, he hadn't. Not at all. Should he have? "We talked today and he was perfectly fine, as far as I know. Did I miss anything?"
"And you call yourself his best friend? Really!" , Boram scoffed.
"Hyung~", Youngbae whined. "I am getting worried, tell me what you know."
"Well,", the manager exhaled deeply. "The look in his eyes... made me very suspicious. He is so absent lately. Whenever I talk to him, he glances at me for a while as if asking me for help and then he replies. Sometimes, I see him in the cafeteria and I notice that he pokes his food before taking even one bite. And then there was that time when he watched you practising for your debut stage..."
Youngbae arched his brow at the way his manager's voice had changed when he said the last sentence. "What were you able to make out, hyung?"
Boram's eyes shifted. He stared at the ground for a while. "He watched your every move, Youngbae. He didn't even blink."
The singer smiled. "Jiyong always watches us carefully. After all, he is the one who gives me feedback after every performance and his advice is something that I'll always appreciate. He is a good friend."
"Maybe that's the problem."
"Huh?"
Boram glanced back into Youngbae's eyes as if seeing through his skull. "Maybe being your friend is making him tired."
The singer frowned. "He would never think like that. We have always supported each other."
Boram smiled. "You didn't get me, Youngbae-ah."
"Hyung, I really don't understa -"
Knock. There was a knock on the door. The soft sound had managed to interrupt the conversation abruptly, leaving a confused Youngbae and an enlightened manager behind.
As if speaking of the dev - pardon me. As if speaking of the dragon, Jiyong appeared in front of the two men. "Uhm, sorry for being late.", he said apologetically, clasping his hands together as if he was about to pray.
Boram grinned. "You are just on time, Jiyongie." He cheked the time again. "Twenty minutes left. I shall leave you alone so you can collect your thoughts a bit before going on stage. Have fun, boys!" He raised up two thumbs before leaving the dressing room.
The blonde singer hadn't missed the look in his eyes.
"Youngbae?"
"Huh? Ah, yes?"
Jiyong smiled. He reached out for his best friends collar and straightened it with both of his hands. His cold knuckles touched the hot skin of Youngbae's neck, which made the latter flinch.
The leader pulled away. "Sorry for that."
"It's okay.", Youngbae smiled, womdering if it was the coldness that had made him flinch or something else.
"Shall we?", Jiyong asked.
"Yes." He stold up. Boram's words chimed through the singer's head and started to bother him. He analysed Jiyong from top to bottom but he could see nothing but his usual perfection: Perfect outfit, perfect hair, perfect face,perfect figure - he had gained a few pounds but that only made him look better, in Youngbae's eyes. He started to admire his facial features. His manager must be crazy. There was nothing wrong with Jiyong!
Or was he really blind?
"Wait, Ji." Youngbae caught his friend's wrist just in time.
Jiyong closed the door again and turned his body and attention to the comeback star. "What's wrong, Bae?"
"Actually... I wanted to ask you the same."
"Me? Why?"
"Well you... Lately you look like something is bothering you. Is everything alright?" Youngbae chewed his bottom lip.
Jiyong smiled slightly. "Yeah. Of course. What made you think that I had a problem?"
"Hyung told me. He said you weren't focused these days. Are you sick?" Upon asking his question, the singer put his palm on his best friend's forehead, checking his temperature. Gently, not to ruin his make-up. "Hmm, you don't have a fever."
Jiyong looked into his fellow member's eyes, not moving an inch. "There are illnesses that don't necessarily cause fever, Youngbae. Illnesses like cancer for example. It lives in your body for months and years, destroying your organs and your will to live on. Nobody can see it. Nobody can feel it, but you."
Youngbae felt how his hand was gently removed from Jiyong's forehead. His best friend's stare irritated him. He started to worry. He started to panic. "Jiyong don't tell me you are... Don't tell me you have..." He couldn't have cancer, could he? No, no that was impossible.
Jiyong smiled reassuringly and put his palms on Youngbae's cheeks. "Don't worry. I don't have that type of illness." He leaned in closer to the singer's ear, whispering. "But I am lovesick, Youngbae-ah."
The singer's eyes widened and he stayed in this position with his best friend. Why was it that Jiyong whipsering into his ear gave him goosebumps? "Who... makes you suffer, my friend?" , he asked as casually as possible.
Jiyong pulled back a bit, face only inches away from Youngbae's. "Do you really want to know?"
Youngbae gulped. He had never realized how sad and yet beautiful the rappers light brown eyes were. "Tell me."
With one loud thud, the singer felt himself being pushed against the wall. Before he could even realize it, Jiyong had wrapped his arms around his neck. They stood there.
Lips on lips.
Jiyong caressed Youngbae's mouth with his own, pecking and kissing those full lips. He didn't use tongue, but that didn't stop the singer from feeling a rush of hotness trailing over his body. He didn't know why he was not able to push the passionate Dragon from his body. He didn't know why he lifted him up on the nearest table, responding to this unexpected kiss. All he felt was hotness.
"It's you.", Jiyong spoke against his lips. "You make me suffer so much."
"Jiyong, don't - " His lips were claimed before he could even respond.
"No, let me cry, Youngbae. Let me ing cry. I have held back my tears for such a long time." Jiyong gasped when the singer started to carress his sides. "Let me cry."
"Ji, I -"
Boram's voice again. From the hallyway.
"Be on stage in five minutes, boys!"
A knock on the door.
Youngbae pulled away almost breathlessly, cheeks red and hot - just like his lips. His heart pounded furiously against his muscular chest.
He didn't dare to look at Jiyong.
The singer bit his lips, still tasting the leader's taste on them.
He wasn't even able to say anything when he heard the door being opened. "I'll wait for you, Youngbae."
That was Jiyong's voice.
__
Seconds later, they stood on stage.
Professional as they were, nobody could even have a clue about what had happened earlier in the dressing room (Well, except those crazy fangirls who liked to imagine things).
Only Boram had noticed those unusual red set's of lips. He smiled to himself. Finally, Youngbae had understood.
"GD, do the dougie!"
Jiyong danced. He wasn't himself now. He was G-Dragon.
And Youngbae was Taeyang.
Eventually, Bad Boy came to an end. GD waited. Taeyang waited. Nothing happened.
For a split of seconds, they stood there awkwardly, before Jiyong made the first move. He always had to make the first step for that babo friend of his.
Youngbae heard the fans cheer and that was when the leader's arms were around his neck again, just like in the dressing room earlier.
"I love you."
The singer closed his eyes. This felt so right. This felt absolutely right. He wrapped his arms around Jiyong's waist, feeling the hug with his body and soul.
"I love you, too."
Comments