…

Bae Irene stared serenely at the scene in front of her, breathing in the brisk air of autumn. With her frame settled onto the wooden bench at the edge of the park, she stared at the colors swirling in the wind. The colors of red, orange, and yellow that blended beautifully together enamored her, solidifying the fact that fall was indeed her favorite season. The girl closed her eyes, a faint smile forming as the leaves carried by the autumn breeze pleasantly rustled and crinkled. The noise reminded her of childhood memories that always brought about feelings of comfort and warmth, despite the chilly weather.

Irene took in another deep breath as she let the crisp air reach the depths of her lungs. She exhaled and slowly opened her eyes, taking in the simple, yet enchanting view of the empty park once more. But when her eyes completely focused, she realized that the park was no longer empty. Across from her was a young lady who didn't look any older than her, leaning against the trunk of a red oak tree. Irene watched as the stranger repeatedly looked up towards her direction and back down at the sketchpad in the girl's hand.

She must be an artist, Irene thought. Though she wasn't sure what the girl was drawing. There was nothing that was worthwhile enough to capture from where the stranger was sitting, for Irene had the best view of the park. Irene had been unknowingly staring too long at the girl and the latter had noticed, waving an unsure hand at Irene. 

Irene blinked and squinted her eyes, trying to zoom in on what the stranger was doing. She watched as the little hand wave grew more confident and now the girl was waving at Irene wholeheartedly with what looked like a smile on her face. Confused, Irene couldn't help looking behind her and confirming that no one else was near her. When she turned her head back around, a puzzled expression flitted over her face. 'Me?' She mouthed as she pointed a finger at herself. The stranger nodded and bounced a little bit, still waving her hand in the air.

Irene took a moment to contemplate her next actions.

One: She could ignore the girl and walk away

Two: She could approach the girl and ask what her deal was

In all honesty, it didn't take long for Irene to make a decision. After all, a girl who literally bounced from what looked like excitement did not seem so life threatening. So after adjusting the scarf that was wrapped around her neck, Irene stood up and made her way towards the stranger. As she got closer, the girl's features became more discernable. She had long, chestnut colored hair, accompanied with a fair complexion that was slightly darker than her own.

And when Irene was finally standing within two yards of the stranger, Irene soon realized that she was a real looker. A pair of monolid eyes that formed crescents, a button nose that crinkled cutely, and a set of lips that looked too soft to touch. She also noticed that the girl was an inch or two taller than her, for she had to lift her head a little bit higher when the stranger spoke up. 

"Hi!"

Silence.

"Um uh...I'm sorry!"

Irene lifted a brow, wondering why the girl was apologizing to her. But she was amused regardless, so she kept her silent facade.

"..."

"..."

"Ah! I'm Kang Seulgi! I always forget to introduce myself to new people, before apologizing to them. Haha!"

"..."

"Oh darn it. Uh I'm very very a million times very sorry that I drew you without your permission."

That was enough for Irene to lift both of her eyebrows. This girl, Seulgi, was drawing her?

"It's just that I have an art project and it kinda might be due tomorrow and so I walked into this park looking for something to draw and then I see you and was like oh—"

Irene listened as the girl rambled on. Cute Irene thought to herself. She also thought that this Seulgi looked like a teddy bear.

"—this girl looks so pretty just sitting on a bench with her eyes closed and the wind rustling through her hair and so I automatically started sketching you and now we're here and it looks like i'm gonna get sued oh my gosh I can barely pay for college and my used car and-"

"Wait." Once Seulgi started talking about suing and college loans, Irene knew she had to put a stop to bumbling mess in front of her. "First off, I am not going to sue you."

A breath left Seulgi as a smile of relief replaced the frown on her face moments ago.

"Second, thank you for calling me pretty." Irene wore a smug look as she was used to this kind of praise. Bae Irene was the definition of beauty. The world's words, not hers. "And third, you're not so bad yourself." Irene now wore a smirk, seeing the pink color that rapidly appeared on Seulgi's face.

"Oh um thank you...uh...can I get your name?"

"Irene. Bae Irene."

"Nice to meet you! You know, you looked very peaceful when you were sitting over there. Your name is really fitting, Irene. You might really be the goddess of peace." A genuine smile sprouted from Seulgi's lips and soon reached her eyes, turning them into crescents. 

Seeing Seulgi smile so brightly, Irene felt her heart beat a little faster. "So can I see your drawing?" Irene decided to change the topic before her cheeks grew rosy.

The brunette nodded, flipping her sketchpad over and handing it to Irene. "It's not much because I just started, so yeah. And I'm no