Let's [not] Love

I: SOBER

"One more round! One more rouuuunnnndd!!!" Seungri giddily pushes Top on his side to give him another glass of hard liquor.

They're having fun at Top's house the night before their anniversary.

"Ah this is the best!!" Taeyang took a big gulp directly from his bottle. GD on the other hand was lying on the sofa staring at the ceiling. Daesung just watches them but he keeps sipping from his glass.

Seungri accidentally poured his drink all over on his sweatshirt. Everyone laughed out loud.

"Yah!" Top showered him with white wine and they laughed more. Seungri jokingly drinks the wine that drips on his face.

Top dances again and again, then he sat down beside daesung and filled his glass once more.

"Yesss! One more!"

"Daebaaaak!!!!"

"Congrats to us! 10th year anniversary?! Are you kidding??! We are kings!!!"

"Woohoo!!!"

They all raise their glass/bottles for a toast.

They laughed, and laughed, and laughed.. Until one by one their loud joys started to gradually diminish as it was replaced by heavy sighs and silence.

One moment after, they found themselves tearing up. No one knows why.

GD was still staring at the ceiling, he has tears in his eyes. He reached out his right hand after fixing his turtle-neck. He keeps on reaching out his hand as if he was getting something from the ceiling that was really far and high from his point, he teared up again, "i'm so tired."

Top sighed very heavily as he closed his eyes. "Yea."

Seungri cannot read between the lines. "Hyung, you're tired? Do you want me to make some-"

Taeyang held Seungri's shoulders. "It's not that...."

They're all tired, they're all exhausted.

Not from their concert, not from the travels. They're tired of their life. Their work. Everything. They want to stop.

"You know.. Guys, I'm really happy we've achieved so much. So much. We started as nothing and now, look at us." Daesung said.

"...but a decade in the limelight... It's not all glitz and glamour per se, I think in those 10 years I lost most of my friends... Being forgotten. Missed our childhood from training..... We missed all the laughs and rests with our parents we could've experience bc we're too busy to work."

"Do we really want this? Is this really our passion? Or we did successfully all of those because we were shaped and told to do so?" Top asked them.

"I mean, we're really grateful we reached here. But the consequences and the sacrifices we had... Those are just... What happens now? After military service too? When will our 'real' life begin?.."

They all looked at each other.

Seungri was a bit worried with the atmosphere. "Hyungs! What are you all saying? Aren't you happy we have fans who loved and will love us? Aren't you guys contented with the fame, the fortune, the talent and everything we did are not just for ourselves right? We supported our parents... Our charities... Our relatives, our siblings by being on stage performing..."

"I've always wanted this. But I never realized how difficult it is to give up everything for ... 'Just' this. As I look back, it made me think that all my money and material things are really nothing." GD Stood up and sat beside Taeyang.

"10 years. Do you think it's already enough? We've done our part... Is it time to do what we really want once and for all?" Top asked them again.

"Hyung! Don't say it like you're planning another escape again!" Seungri is getting scared.

"This is because of the alcohol. Let's cool our heads up." Seungri tried to take away their drinks and put it on the table.

For five minutes, they all remained silent. Everyone's thinking deeply.

They might think twice about it, but everyone really thought the same. And this time, no one can stop them.

After reflecting, GD finally spoke.

"I might be greedy, or selfish. You guys might think that just because we've achieved this far I can let go."

Dae, Top and Taeyang whispered to each other and Taeyang replied,

"Jiyong, we actually think the same thing. We need to come back home.

Seungri was dumbfounded, he wanted to stop them, because it's what his manager and their boss will do, but deep down, he also wants to have some rest for a bit.

"Seungri, we won't force you like the last time, if you say no again today, you will leave Top's house immediately and not say a word. Do this little secret for your hyungs. Respect our decision." GD alarmed Seungri in advance.

"Wait, hyung."

They all looked at Seungri.

"I did what was right. But this time, I will do what I think is right. For me."

And with that, they all agreed with a plan.

They all left their phones on Top's room.

Sneakily, they decided what car to use, which is a car that's not from associated in any of them that Too had few years due to an event.. they turned off all CCTV on Top's house and packed things up lightly.

They were all so serious of doing this right.

Taeyang left a note, indicating they ran away and not because they were murdered or something.

12:15 am: They were all inside the car. GD was in the driver's seat. They were all wearing heavy clothing with masks on.

"Where do we go?" Seungri asked from the backseat.

"Wherever these wheels may take us." GD replied.

"Guys... I have a contact overseas. We can cross borders without being recorded o-"

Taeyang cut Daesung off.

"No we're not fugitives! We don't need to go overseas... It will make a bigger issue if we are to be tracked down by agents."

"Then what if we go to a province? A remote area... Somewhere no one can notice us if that's possible." Top said.

"What about Sshil? It has been abandoned many years ago. It's a completely remote area. We were not be easily detected by police enforcers. We can hide there..."

"Do we have a place to stay?"

"Wait, in Sshil Province, we don't need money." Seungri informed them.

"Explain everything when we get there." Taeyang told Seungri to stop because it tenses him up more.

"So... Where to?" GD asked again.

"To paradise."