Teddy and Jiyong were sitting in the studio playing around with different beats. It had been a week since Jiyong had witnessed his best friends fight for basically no reason, and it had only gotten worse. The next day, both of them said they were sorry and were acting like normal until they started fighting again when Tori had to leave for a schedule. It didn't help that YoungBae was performing in 2NE1's Nolza concerts, because that meant he was more stressed and tired afterwards. 

After each fight, the next day was say sorry and move on or just act like the fight never happened. The people who knew them well could tell that they were taking it all to heart. Tori would come in with red eyes at times and bags under eyes, making her have Seungri's panda eyes. YoungBae would come in looking like he hadn't slept and not as active as normal. To most people who worked with them couldn't tell a difference in their attitudes or behaviors, but then again, both were good actors. 

Both of them were able to put up the acts like everything was fine in front of the cameras and on stage, but there was one time when they were filming for an episode of We Got Married that they both snapped for a few minutes. Of course, it was supposed to be an episode were G-Dragon and TOP were featured, so they had to witness the fight, the two of them "making up" in front of the cameras, and then the aftermath of the fight when the cameras left. 

It was effecting the members of both Big Bang and Morning Star since they would hear bits and pieces of the fights or witnesses them full out. Thing was, no one knew why the two were fighting all of a sudden. There hadn't been a spark or anything that should have set them off, but little things that don't matter will start a fight. 

"Maybe they are just finally getting out of the honeymoon stage in their relationship? That happens to a lot of couples like them after a few months" said Teddy, continuing to work on the song they were putting together. 

"Maybe" sighed Jiyong, listening as he heard the two start fighting in the lounge area outside the studio. 

He and Teddy rushed out of the studio to see the two standing in the middle of the lounge, yelling at each other. Tori had probably just arrived from the music video set, and looked like she was ready to pass out any minute. They had been filming their new music video for "Echo" all night, and it didn't help that before she left last night, they got in a fight over the part of the male lead. Now, they were fighting again after she just came back. It was getting out of control. 

"You can wear the most revealing shirt, sometimes you don't even wear a shirt, but I can't wear a crop top and jeans. Its a music video for crying out loud! I don't really have a say in the way they style my outfits" shouted Tori. 

"Of course you don't. Well if you don't have a say, who does? Samantha Noona? Because as far as I can tell, you all have a pretty good say in what you wear. Also, I can wear that stuff because when I do, I'm dancing or exercising. What's your excuse?" shouted back YoungBae.

"You know what... you are really getting on my last nerve with this don't do this, don't do that. You don't own me. You don't control my every move because guess what? I'm not your little Barbie doll that you can have complete control of. I'm a person and if I want to look pretty every once and a while then yeah, I will. No matter what you say."

"If you think you look pretty, then why did you write the lyrics to 'Ugly'?"

Tori stared at him wide-eyed as the question left his mouth. Jiyong and Teddy couldn't believe that something like that had come from the YoungBae they knew, and neither could YoungBae. In an instant, he was apologizing, saying he was out of line, and that he didn't mean to say it.

"No, you're right. I'm not pretty. I only think I am" said Tori, backing away from YoungBae.

"That's not what I meant..."

"But it's what you said. You know what? I think this week apart will be good for us. Maybe we will finally stop fighting. No.... I have an even better idea. While I'm in New York with Ji Oppa... you go have fun with all the pretty girls you want. Because as far as I can tell, that's all you want. You want a pretty face and girl who will be a puppy dog to your every whim. Wanna know how I came to this conclusion? As soon as I started having a life outside of our relationship, you freaked out" said Tori, fight off tears while looking YoungBae in the eye. 

"I did not freak out!" shouted YoungBae.

"Yes, you did. Oh and guess what? Forget about having a girlfriend for the next week, because you are free. Free to go where ever you want and be with any girl you want."

"I don't want to be with another girl! I want to be with you! I don't know why we are fight all the time, but if we work together, we can fix it."

"Just stop.... please, just stop. I'm tired. Tired of everything. The stress of being in the spotlight all of a sudden, having my entire life change, and now all the fighting. I'm just tired. I need a break YoungBae. If I don't get a break from the stress and the spotlight, I don't know what will happen to my sanity. If I don't get a break from the fighting...... I don't know if I will still love you anymore when we finally stop. Please?" sobbed Tori, collapsing onto the couch. 

All three guys watched as she sobbed into her hands. They had just watched all her defenses come crumbling down. She stopped being the strong, invincible leader. She stopped being the perfect girlfriend. She stopped the act she's had to put up since they started getting ready to debut. They saw a girl who was scared, tired, and frightened of the future. They saw her finally give up on fighting it and let the girl she was come out. 

YoungBae knelt down in front of her and put his hands on her knees. He was expecting her to flinch away from his touch, but instead, she moved so she was crying into his hands instead. It was then that he realized why they were going at each others throats now. She was trying to be strong and be perfect... trying to be something she's not, and YoungBae was trying to find out why. Subconsciously, he knew that the only way to get her to finally stop the act was to pull down all the walls around her, but hadn't realized that he had done it in the harshest way possible. It would be a blessing if Tori ever forgave him, but it would be a miracle if he ever forgave himself and stopped beating himself up for doing it. 

"If you want a break, then...... I guess we'll take a break. If that is what you really want?" said YoungBae.

He saw Tori nod her head while continuing to cry. It broke his heart into a million pieces to know that he was going back to the days when Tori wasn't his other half, but if that was what she wanted or needed, then that was what was going to happen. 

"Okay, we'll take a break. While we are apart, we are both free of each other. No more boyfriend or girlfriend for that time period. It may break my heart to let you go, but it's what's best for you. Well, you and Jiyongie better go catch your flight before it gets too much later. I will see you later" said YoungBae, patting Tori's knees and walking away. 

Teddy and Jiyong watched him walk past them. He didn't even notice they had been standing their the entire time, but of course, he was trying to keep his heart intact until he got to a private room to finally let go. The two guys were more than concerned now, because for some reason, this break-up scared them worse than the ones before. 

Tori looked at her hands and noticed that she still had YoungBae's ring on her hand. She thought he took it with him when he left. They were taking a break, he should have taken his ring back. Tori slipped the ring off her finger, and stood up to go return the ring to its owner. Her hand felt weird without the ring on, but she couldn't think about that now. 

"YoungBae Oppa, you forgot your ring" said Tori, as she came up behind him. 

YoungBae turned around and saw that she had taken the "engagement" ring off and was trying to return it to him. This broke his heart even more, maybe she has finally stopped loving him since its no big deal for her to return his ring. 

"You know what? Keep it. We are taking a break, not breaking up, so wear it or not but just keep it until we see each other again."

"Okay, I guess I'll keep it."

"Promise?" asked YoungBae.

"Promise" replied Tori, looking back down at the ring. 

"Good."

YoungBae moved forward and before Tori could move back, he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her on the forehead. It was as innocent as it was when he did it to pick her up from the airport when she moved to Korea, but now it held a different meaning. It said 'I'll miss you and I will always love you.'

He continued walking towards the elevators while Tori was silently crying again. It was few hours later that he got the news that she and Jiyong had left Korea and were on route to New York. 

"She left. How am I going to survive without her?" asked YoungBae, crying again at the pain of his broken heart.