Request by: Syameen04

Irene was simply sunshine in Seungcheol's life. She was the guiding light when all things go dark. She was the voice telling him it was alright to fall down. She was his safe haven though she didn't know that. She was his guardian angel, his saviour, everything positive in the world. He hadn't fallen in love with her just yet. He was still scared of everything. He was overwhelmed by all the changes happening in his life. A new school, a new life, university life. 

And Seungcheol was Irene's personal outlet. He was the haunting darkness she needed to never go to far. He was the silence that she needed in her world full of chaos. He was her own safe haven, her own teddy bear, but she preferred that he'll never know. And she loved saving him from himself. She wanted to be a part of him somehow. He was the thrill she needed. But she stopped herself from falling. Or else, she'll get hurt in the end again.

Irene ran past the classrooms and canteen to arrive at the open field her university had. She cheekily smiled when she saw a familiar silhouette, along with her other friends. She crept up behind the silhouette and attempted covering his eyes but she stopped by his hands. His hands weren't rough. They were kind of soft since he lived in luxury. And he didn't do sports that much. He actually didn't do anything that much. He lost the motivation back when he was in high school.

"You failed, Ms Bae," Seungcheol smirked. Irene rolled her eyes before going beside Seulgi. She hugged Seulgi's arm and pretended like she was crying.

"Seungcheol never tries to play along, Seulgi!" Irene sobbed. Seulgi sighed before patting Irene's head. 

"You two are like children," Seulgi told them. "Always teasing each other and fighting but you get along the most at the end of the day."

"Well, she's the childish one," Seungcheol muttered. Irene shot him a glare before kicking his arm. 

Most of the time, they're like that. They bicker like children but make up at the end of the day. They insult their physical appearances and their emotional weaknesses so many times that their other friends don't know how to stop them. It sometimes ends with Irene crying and Seungcheol awkward on how to deal with the situation. One example was the time Seungcheol had no clue Irene was going through bullying in their school and she was so sensitive that day.

"I'm annoying?" Irene's eyes started to water up. "I'm really that annoying, Seungcheol?"

Seungcheol didn't understand what was happening. Usually, Irene didn't react like that when he . But that day was different. 

"N-No," Seungcheol shook his head. "Not that annoying. Irene, what happened?"

"What happened is that I'm annoying," Irene looked down. Seungcheol held her shoulders and shook her a couple of times.

"Bae Irene, what the heck happened?" Seungcheol's voice grew a little louder. "Did someone hurt you again? Were my friends hurting you again?"

"N..No," Irene's voice turned into a whisper. "No, they weren't." 

"Irene, look at me," Seungcheol's voice sounded firmer than before. His eyes had this anger Irene never saw before. She looked up and shrank in front of Seungcheol. She felt like a mouse in front of a lion. 

"Did my friends hurt you again?" His grip tightened on her shoulders. "What did they say? I swear, Irene, if you lie to me. You promised you'll always open up to me. I was your teddy bear right?"

You were the peace in this chaotic world.

"Irene?" Seungcheol called for her but she only stared at him. 

"They... They said awful things," Irene confessed. "Things that shouldn't make me cry though. Because I'm a strong girl. I should be able to you know, get through this alone."

"Irene, you were never alone," Seungcheol pulled her into a hug and tried hushing her. Irene ended up crying more in his arms. "I, Seulgi... A lot of us are here for you. Irene, I'm not sure why they don't like you."

"You're not even sure which side you'll choose," Irene chuckled for a bit. She inhaled his scent. He smelled like the sweet summer breeze. Sweet... Something he always said he was not. But Irene would always choose to believe in something he never believed in. 

"I know I'll always choose yours," Seungcheol whispered. "Because you always chose mine."

Irene was always someone bright. Her smile was brighter than anything in Seungcheol's world. But at that moment, she dimmed. Seungcheol didn't know what to do since she was his light. He chose to hold her tightly and not let go until she said so. And it was the right decision because at that moment, Seungcheol saw a star break down and it created the most beautiful galaxy he ever saw.

A galaxy, he just realized, that he wanted to be his.