Chapter Text
The sweat pouring in buckets down Ji-Yong’s face and chest was comparable to that of a desert. He had grown up in the industry, creating music since he was as small as 6 years old, but he never quite got used to the feeling mid-concert where his shirt, sticking to his skin, is practically transparent.
This was his last show of his Ubermensch tour, his last concert until his next album….or so the fans thought. He was almost giggling to himself backstage with the thought that this time next year, for BIGBANG’s 20th anniversary, they were going to do a reunion tour (minus Seungri obviously).
His manager told him that they had told Seung-hyun, that they had reached out about the tour to invited him, but that they hadn’t received a reply…at least not yet anyway! As if the Instagram posts Ji-Yong seems to constantly like about GTOP, he’s also taken up habits on stage that remind the crowd of his very familiar partner. If only he knew whether Tabi had actually been watching.
So when he came to the final song, when he screamed ‘Crayon’ down the microphone and landed with a big flop on the floor at the end, compared to his previous backflip that would have his 37 year old spine split in seconds, he couldn’t help but thing if his Hyung. He would never admit it, but perhaps he missed TOP not just because of their shenanigans on stage, and their play fights on stage and in the studio, but because he was the only person who truly knew him. Perhaps more than he knew himself.
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Ji-Yong could barely even look Daesung and Young-bae in the eyes. These men were his brothers, his family, and he loved them more than anything else in the world, so to perform there first concert together in 8 years in a massive stadium in Seoul? He should be elated.
So why isn’t he?
Because his hyung isn’t there. Because the one man that was his sole reason for carrying on, for getting up every morning, for not pushing himself too hard, wasn’t where he wanted him to be. If he were, he would be in front of him in a matching outfit right now. All three men wore head to toe black with personalised accessories.
Ji-Yong had seen to it that each outfit was tailored slightly different to each other. Young-bae wore a vest top that wasn’t too fitted but definitely showed off the biceps he worked hard for and loved to show off to the crowd. His star item was a black cap with ‘20 years’ studded onto it in bright red and gold sequins, which he would most likely wear backwards.
Daesung wore what was practically an all-in-one with flared bottoms that draped across the floor slightly as he walked, thought not enough to trip over. He had always had an obsession with jewellery, so his accessory was two massive rings, one on each middle finger, that spelled out ‘BIG BANG’ when he held them up to his face to show the camera with his vibrant smile not exactly hiding behind it.
G-dragon didn’t want anything to do with 20 years or BIGBANG, because how could it be a 20 year reunion of the band without all of the members. Screw Seungri, screw “ot5”; he wants his hyung back. So if TOP won’t come to the concert, he’ll have to bring some TOP to the concert himself.
Ji matches his bandmates with being in all sleek black clothing, however he sports new hair; his natural hair (brown and short), which his hyung had always loved the most on him. Seung-hyun had always appreciated authenticity, so he was giving him that….that is, if he was even bothering to watch the show.
However, this was not his main accessory. No, Ji-Yong’s star item of clothing was a zebra print fur coat that he hung loosely over his shoulders. The same one that Choi Seung-hyun could be seen wearing in a photoshoot they had done several years prior. Of course it’s not the exact same coat, that would be long gone, but the tribute he paid was still there. He even sported coloured nails to match Seung-hyun’s character from Squid Games, Thanos.
Ji got called to the stage, a 5 minute warning, yet he ignored it. He checked his phone, desperately searching for any signs of hyung. He sighed and dropped it back onto the charger, locking eyes with himself in the lit-up mirror.
“Do it for him, finish what we both started,” he whispered. And then he turned towards the stage to get ready….