"Footfalls echo in the memory.

Down the passage which we did not take

Towards the door we never opened”

-T.S. Eliot

Jiyong’s thirty minute break turned into three hours.

He sat in that corner of the building’s dimly lit rooftop, puffing white smoke from his favourite brand of cigarettes. He’d used up almost two cartons of the three he bought earlier and butts of cigarettes were scattered around his shiny louboutins. He came here to escape everything and everyone. But, he supposed it was time to go back. 
 

He was just about to get off the ledge where he sat on when Young Bae opened the door and stepped out. Young Bae walked across the rooftop towards him.
 

The first thing Jiyong noticed about Young Bae was that he limped slightly. As Young Bae ambled over to his side, Jiyong saw the red scratches on his face. The corner of his mouth also had some dried blood on it and his arms had what looked like the beginning of bruises. Jiyong couldn't see his knuckles but he was sure that its skin was torn.


Seungri definitely put up a fight.


For some reason, that made Jiyong proud. Although the latter was quite sure that Seungri must look the worse out of the two.
 


“So.” Jiyong spoke first.
 


“It's over.” Young Bae answered.
 

“Hm.”
 

“Aren’t you going to say I should have been more understanding?” Young Bae asked.
 

“No, not really. I would have done the same.” Jiyong said nonchalantly.

 
Young Bae’s laugh was brittle. “No, you wouldn’t have. You’ve got better control than me.”
 

“Some would disagree with that. I’m G-dragon, too fast to live too young to die.” Jiyong said quietly. ”As for what I would have done, well, probably not exactly what you did. But the sentiments would have been the same.”
 

“Bull. You’re also Kwon Jiyong, moderato and vita dolce. People don't know just how ing controlled you can be.”
 

“Two curse words. A record! Teddy hyung's good influence on you. Me and Seunghyun could never get you to swear,” Jiyong teased. 
 

Young Bae ignored the misdirection. “Aren’t you going to ask me why?”
 

Jiyong stayed silent and just focused on the calm, zen-like feeling the cigarette smoke brought to him. It was a while before he said, “Should I?”
 

“Don’t you want to know the reason?”
 

“Of course I do. But I can wait.”
 

“Seungri was being stupid.” Young Bae said a few minutes later.
 

Jiyong didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to defend the maknae. “Seungri is young. We’re all stupid when we’re young. We can also be stupid when we’re old.”
 

“Yeah. I know. But still. What Seungri did was, he was… He made me look like a fool!”
 

Interest piqued, Jiyong finally threw his cigarette and crushed its under his feet. He asked “How?”
 

It was all Young Bae needed to hear to tell Jiyong the entire story.
 

It wasn’t supposed to be funny.  But Jiyong laughed so hard and suddenly everything didn’t seem so bad.
 

Young Bae hadn’t seen Jiyong laugh like this in a while. Jiyong was laughing without his hands covering his mouth – not caring if he doesn’t look cute or graceful or if he drools like an idiot from laughing too much. For a brief moment, Young Bae felt like he was transported back in time. His memory brought him back to that day when they were thirteen and were promising each other that one day the two of them will rule the world with their music.Youngbae said he wanted to be the sun; Jiyong claimed he was going to be a star. He remembered how they stood on this rooftop arguing whether the sun or the stars were prettier only to be told by Dongwook later that they’re equally gorgeous because the sun is also a star.
 

Jiyong’s laughter ended too soon. It was such a short lived laugh and he wondered when he’ll hear it again.
 

Jiyong spoke in that sedate leader tone of his again.  “Wait until Daesung and Seunghyun hears about this. You should tell them about it.”


That brought Young Bae back to reality. He knew somehow he needed to explain the fight. They were in a group after all.


“Maybe later.”


Sometimes, he missed the days when it was just the two of them talking about their ambitions of conquering the universe. He didn’t need to explain to Jiyong because the latter could read him like a book. Not even Seungri, whom he left half dead in their apartment, understood his personality and quirks.

“It’s best that we go back and get Seungri fixed. He needs to be intact for our comeback.” Jiyong said flippantly. But Young Bae knew he was concerned.
 

“Sadly, yeah.” Young Bae said without any anger this time. He followed Jiyong, just like he used to before he moved out of their shared apartment. He walked with him silently towards the rooftop's door.


With a final click of the door's latch, they left the stars shining overhead and the cigarette ashes scattering upon the place where they both began to dream.