(Author's POV)

 

 

"Irene, here." Seulgi was holding two mugs of hot choco and offered Irene the other mug.

 

Irene turned around to look at the owner of the voice. She smiled at the gesture and accepted Seulgi's offer.

 

"Thanks."

 

Seulgi took a seat beside Irene who was sitting on the stair steps at the back door of Seulgi's wooden house. It's late at night and the chirping sound of crickets was their only company. Seulgi noticed how Irene started staring again at the distant nothingness of the field engulfed by the darkness of the night.

 

"Aren't you feeling drowsy yet?"

 

Irene shakes her head.                                                                                                                 

 

Seulgi took a sip from her mug.

 

"What's on your mind? You know, you should be taking a rest now to recover fast."

 

Irene diverted her eyes from the mug on her lap and caressed its side using her thumb.

 

"I know but it's just.. I'm thinking that living in this big house alone is sad.." Irene snapped her head to see Seulgi's face.

 

"Aren't you sad?"

 

Seulgi took another sip from her mug again.

 

"I'm not always alone.. not all the time." Seulgi force a smile on her face. She then heaves a deep sigh and bolted up from her seat.

 

"I'll be heading first now. If you're ready to sleep, please make sure to lock the door." With that, Seulgi walked inside the house leaving Irene alone.

 

"I'm sorry Seulgi.. I shouldn't ask you that."

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

Irene pulls fully open the curtains of the window. Inhaling the dust, she then coughed vigorously.

 

"When did Seulgi *cough* last clean *cough* this house?" Irene said annoyingly as she took off the curtains to replace it a new one.

 

As a gratitude for helping her and also an apology for what happened last night, Irene decided to do a general cleaning in Seulgi's house the next day. Seulgi left Irene alone again and there's nothing to do for Irene so she decided to do cleaning instead. Irene doesn't have covered bandages in her body anymore. And Irene also thought that maybe Seulgi would be happy if she cleans her house, making her forget even in a short period of time the sadness she's enduring.

 

Irene rummages to Seulgi's table drawer and found a surgical gloves, a face mask and a blue bouffant cap.

 

"Perfect. I can use this." She smiled to herself and wore the surgical stuffs.

 

As Irene wiping the bookshelves, one book that has a title of "Surgery" caught her attention. She took the book out of the shelves and flip few pages to read. Half an hour passed, Irene remembered she's cleaning and hid the book in the shelve again.

 

"I'll read you again later." Irene said as she continued wiping the shelves and the picture frames around the living room. After that, Irene took out the trash, mop the floor, change sofa's and table's sheet, pluck flowers in the garden and place it in the vases. Irene finished cleaning the living room when she heard a jingling keys and turning of the doorknob.

 

"Surprise!" Irene giddily said as she stretched her arms wide, proud of herself from what she accomplished.

 

Seulgi roam her eyes around her house as she locked the door from behind using her left hand while she was holding a grocery on her right hand.

 

"What did you do?"

 

"I thought that if I'm going to stay here a little bit longer, I should do some help for you. I don't want to be a burden."

 

Seulgi placed her groceries down and hang her coat in the rack.

 

"You don't have to. Didn't I told you to just take a rest?"

 

Irene felt a bit down. After all of her efforts, Seulgi didn't even appreciate it.

 

"I-I feel better now. A-And look! You're living room looks good again. It only needs someone who can take care of it. As what I see, it's probably not you. I bet your late wife do the cleaning all the time." Irene giggles. After some seconds, Irene realize what she had said and smack her forehead.

 

"I-I'm sorry Seulgi.."

 

"It's okay. I'll just bring the groceries in the kitchen." Seulgi said in a flat voice. Not even giving a spare glance at Irene.

 

When Seulgi was out of sight, Irene smack her forehead again and click her tongue in annoyance.

 

"Irene, you're stupid."

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

"Come to my clinic later, I'll clean your wound." Seulgi plainly said and jolted up from her seat and put her plate in the sink.

 

Irene can only stare at the retreating figure of Seulgi away from her.

 

"I guess she's still mad at me.."

 

From the whole lunch they had, Seulgi didn't emit any single word or glance at her. She's just simply ate her food and nothing else. And now, Irene kind of worried if Seulgi hates her.

 

With doubt in her heart, Irene obliged what Seulgi told her and go to the clinic after she finished her lunch. Irene sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for Seulgi. Not long enough, Seulgi entered the room. Irene then took off her shirt and used it to cover her chest. Seulgi sat beside her. She then clamped a cotton ball in the forceps and put a betadine in the cotton. Irene remove her bra strap on her left shoulder where it was a hindrance from the wound at her back. A tap of cotton on Irene's back makes her whimper in pain. She hisses and unconsciously grip her hand at the edge of the bed. Seulgi saw this and hold Irene's hand to hers as she finished treating Irene.

 

With Seulgi's hand to hers, Irene felt the pain lessen.

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

Irene woke up in the middle of the night. She stared at the ceiling as her mind filled with what happened earlier at the clinic. Seulgi held her hand while treating her and Irene swear she felt a tingling sensation in her stomach. Setting aside this growing feelings towards the doctor, Irene tried to sleep again. She tosses around, shut her eyes tight, counted hundreds of sheeps but she can't make herself fall asleep. Annoyed, Irene bring herself up from her bed and made her way to the kitchen. Maybe consuming water would help her doze off again.

 

Irene serve herself a glass of water. She was drinking and suddenly choked when she saw Seulgi with a tray in her hand.

 

"I'm sorry. I didn't saw you." Irene said and coughed again.

 

"Why are you still awake? It's 2am." Seulgi stated and placed the tray in the sink.

 

"I can't sleep." I can't sleep thinking about you.

 

"Is it a bad dream again?" Seulgi asked as she washed the dishes from the tray.

 

"What did you dream?"

 

Irene heave a deep sigh.

 

"Is thinking about you considered a bad dream?" Irene said in a faint murmur.

 

"What did you say?"

 

"N-Nothing." Irene chuckles. , I almost got caught.

 

Seulgi finishes washing the dishes and put it in the cabinet.

 

"Are you going to sleep?" Irene asked.

 

"Yes. Goodnight." Seulgi said and leave Irene in the kitchen.

 

Irene bit her lower lip as she stared at the back figure of Seulgi walking away from her to her right hand where Seulgi held her.

 

"Goodnight."

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

Irene woke up first early in the morning. She then cooked a breakfast for her and Seulgi. While waiting for Seulgi to wake up, Irene fetch the Surgery book she found yesterday and continued reading the page where she had stop.

 

"Morning." Seulgi said. She's wearing her usual glasses, a long sleeves and black pants.

 

"Morning. I cook breakfast for us. Let's eat?"

 

"Sorry, I have an errand today." Seulgi uttered and make herself a cup of coffee.

 

"Oh I see.." Irene gloomily said and serve herself a food in her plate.

 

Seulgi turned around to look at Irene.

 

"Where did you get that?" Seulgi asked pertaining to the book Irene was reading.

 

"I-I get it on your bookshelves. Is it okay?"

 

"Yeah, it is." Seulgi confirm and took a sip in her coffee.

 

"It's just that there's pictures in the book that you don't want to see while eating."

 

Irene smirk and playfully flip the pages to see what Seulgi mean.

 

"It's just okay." Irene said boastfully until she flipped on the page where human bodies were cut open. Irene immediately wore a disgust look on her face.

 

"Yuck!" Irene said and close the book forcefully.

 

Seulgi chuckles.

 

"See? I told you."

 

"Yeah, right."

 

Irene started eating the food in her plate.

 

"What time will you get home?"

 

"I don't know. Maybe dinner time? Is there something you wanted me to buy?" Seulgi took a sip in her coffee again.

 

Irene shakes her head.

 

"No. Not really. Let's have a dinner together. I'll cook."

 

"That sounds nice. Okay, let's have dinner together."

 

Irene grins widely.

 

"Okay."

 

Seulgi gulped down the remaining coffee in her mug.

 

"I have to go now. See you later."

 

"See you."

 

Seulgi smiled as she glanced at Irene one more time before leaving the kitchen.

 

When she heard Seulgi's car drove away, Irene open the book again and flip to the page where she said "yuck" and started eating her food. She's gazing intently at the images of the cut open human bodies.

 

"As if I'm afraid of these." Irene stated while chewing the food in .

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

Later that night, Seulgi arrive home and stunned to see Irene in a purple backless dress. Despite her back covered with wounds and bruises, Irene looks stunning. Addends to it the subtle curls at the end of Irene's straight hair. Making it more lovely to her.

 

"Welcome home." Irene greeted cheerfully as she placed another food in the dining table with lit candles at the center.

 

"Let's eat?"

 

Hearing Irene's voice made Seulgi come back from her reverie. Seulgi then took a seat beside Irene. Seulgi's eyes falls on Irene's face again. Irene was not wearing make up and the simplicity of it made Seulgi thought that Irene looks more attractive.

 

Suddenly, Irene smiled widely at her and the memory of Seulgi's late wife with the same exact smile as Irene flash between her eyes. Seulgi halted her eyes from Irene and divert her attention to the food in her plate.

 

"Are you alright? You're so quiet." Irene said.

 

Seulgi snapped her head to look at Irene. Their atmosphere filled with holding eye contacts from each other. No words. No movements. Just staring at each other's eyes.

 

A minute passed, Seulgi break the silence.

 

"I wanted to tell you something." Seulgi said and took off her glasses.

 

"I need to thank you because not even once you ask me about my late wife." Seulgi lean herself forward to Irene.

 

"I wanted you to trust me. I wanted you to know what happened." Seulgi uttered as the painful memories begins to haunt her again.

 

"It happened two years ago. I had a fight with Wendy. Wendy was the name of my late wife." Seulgi paused.

 

"Our fight grow bigger and bigger to the point she can't take it anymore and wanted to leave me. Then one morning, I woke up with her not by my side anymore. I checked her clothes in our drawer and it's all gone." Seulgi said as she felt heavy in her chest.

 

"The only thing you can leave this town is by waiting at where the bus stop is. I drove straight there, hoping she didn't leave yet. I was relief when I saw a glimpse of her from afar when suddenly I witnessed a bus lost control and hit her." Seulgi paused again and shut her eyes tight. After couple of seconds, Seulgi open her eyes again.

 

"The owner of the bus company is a Mayor and the driver in the terminal suddenly disappear." Seulgi stated.

 

"We're the same Irene. That's why I don't trust the authorities."

 

Irene noticed how Seulgi's hands tremble in the table. Irene reach to hold Seulgi's trembling hands. Irene then jolted up from her seat and engulfed Seulgi to her embrace. When abruptly, Seulgi held her head up and capture Irene's lips to her own. Taken aback from what just happened, Irene gently push Seulgi away, breaking the kiss. Seulgi didn't get stop by this and pushed Irene to wall. Seulgi then roughly captured Irene's lips to her own again. Irene got drown from the way Seulgi kiss her as she returned the kiss with equal passion Seulgi was giving her. Irene's whole body was heating up and she knows to herself she likes it.

 

Seulgi's lips traced down on Irene's neck and a soft moan left on Irene's lips. Irene grab a handful of Seulgi's hair as Seulgi the white skin on Irene's neck. Irene release a loud moan from her lips and hug Seulgi's body closer to her. Irene felt a little wet down there.

 

Seulgi's lips traced up to Irene's ear.

 

"Let's continue this in my room." Seulgi murmured breathlessly.

 

While heavy breathing, Irene nodded her head.

 

Seulgi lift Irene up as Irene wrapped her legs around Seulgi's waist. They continued their kissing up to Seulgi's room.

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

"You know when I was a child, I wanted to be a doctor." Irene said as she was lying on top of Seulgi's chest. They were both and covered with a white blanket.

 

Seulgi caressed Irene's hair. Seulgi likes how Irene's hair smells pleasantly sweet like a flower.

 

"Really? So that's why you're so in love with my text books." Seulgi chuckles.

 

"Maybe because you don't have TV." Irene tease.

 

They burst out laughing.

 

"But truly, I often wear white clothes and acts like it's a lab gown." Irene giggles.

 

"Why didn't you take a Med course?" Seulgi asked.

 

"Because it's expensive. And I'm an orphan that's why I can't do anything about it."

 

"You wanted me to teach you?"

 

Irene snorts.

 

"Teach what? Be a doctor?" Irene said between laugh.

 

"Yes." Seulgi said firmly.

 

"How?" Irene asked.

 

"You're going to give me exam from the text books?"

 

Seulgi chuckles.

 

"No, I mean you should get enrolled."

 

"Where?" Irene asked and clasped her left hand to Seulgi's.

 

"I don't know yet. I was thinking that I wanted to teach in Seoul."

 

Irene raised her head to see Seulgi's face.

 

"Really?!"

 

Seulgi look down at Irene.

 

"I don't know. I just had a thought about it."

 

"…"

 

"…"

 

"…"

 

"…"

 

"…"

 

"…"

 

"Ouch! My face hurts!" Irene cover her face in pain.

 

Seulgi panicked and switch their places gently, making Irene lie comfortably in bed.

 

"Where does it hurt? Let me see." Seulgi asked as she tried to remove Irene's hand to her face to have a better look.

 

"Here." Irene pointed her lips.

 

Seulgi chuckles and gave Irene a peck on her lips.

 

"Does it still hurt?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Don't worry I'll make the pain go away." Seulgi uttered as she kissed Irene down passionately.

 

 

 

--

 

 

 

It's the next afternoon and Irene watching Seulgi feeding his animals in her small farm. Seulgi had quite few numbers of it.

 

"What will happen if you leave this place for a long period of time? Who will be going to feed them?" Irene asked.

 

"That's why I don't leave that long." Seulgi said as she was giving feeds for the rooster.

 

"Oh you heard it all of you?" Irene said pertaining to the all the animals.

 

"Y'all are a burden to her! For Pete's sake! Why y'all making it hard for Seulgi?!"

 

Seulgi chuckles.

 

"I already accepted my responsibility that I need to stay here--" Seulgi paused as she adjusted her glasses.

 

"--because they are lives depending on me."

 

"Wow~" Irene uttered in amazement.

 

Suddenly, they heard the telephone ringing inside the house. Seulgi gave the feeds for Irene to continue feeding the animals as she run inside the house.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Hello Seulgi?"

 

"Yeri?"

 

Yeri is the personnel who's taking in charge about the documents regarding to Seulgi's remaining debt in her house. She's also Seulgi's close friend besides Joy.

 

"Yeah it's me. Let's see each other tomorrow. You have a paper you need to sign on."

 

"What paper?"

 

"It's nothing just a bid of sale for goodness sake."

 

"Seriously?!" Seulgi asked in disbelief.

 

"Of course it's a joke." Then a playful laugh can be heard in the other line.

 

"Damn you! It's true idiot! Let's see each other after my work tomorrow around 6pm at the usual bar we always hang out with. Treat me some beer okay?"

 

"Okay sure. See you tomorrow."

 

"See you."

 

Seulgi ended the phone call.

 

"Irene you want some coffee?" Seulgi asked as she started to brew coffee in her coffee maker.

 

"Irene?"

 

Irene didn't hear Seulgi calling her as her attention were in the upcoming vehicle driving through their way. When Irene caught a glimpse of a police car, Irene started to panic.

 

"Seulgi!" Irene run fast inside the house.

 

"Seulgi they're here now! They're going to get me! What am I going to do?!" Irene said in panic as tried to embrace Seulgi tight.

 

Then they heard the police car's engine died in front of Seulgi's house.

 

"Seulgi help me! What am I going to do?! I don't want to die!" Irene cries as she tried to hold Seulgi but Seulgi was hastily removing Irene's arms from her.

 

"Irene!"

 

"Please don't give me to them! Please Seulgi! I'm begging you! I don't want to die!"

 

"Irene!"

 

Irene begins to cry in loud sobs. Seulgi covered Irene's mouth using her hand.

 

"Don't be afraid. Nobody knows you're here." Seulgi said sternly in a murmur.

 

Then they heard knocks from the door.

 

"Hide yourself!"

 

Another knocks.

 

Irene, being extremely afraid, her mind was not functioning straight and use her instincts to hide where she was close to. Under the dining table.

 

"Don't hide in there!"

 

Another knocks.

 

"!" Seulgi cursed to herself.

 

Another knocks.

 

Seulgi was also panicking.

 

Another continued knocks from the door.

 

Seulgi tried to compose herself and opened the door.

 

"Good afternoon Doctor Kang." Greeted by a police officer together with another police officer beside him.

 

Seulgi distinguished the police officer who's in front of her.

 

"Good afternoon Lieutenant Kim." Seulgi greeted back.

 

"Are you busy Doc?" Lieutenant Kim asked.

 

"Actually I--"

 

"We're not going to be that long." Lieutenant Kim cut off Seulgi and entered the house.

 

Seulgi can't do anything about it and let the other police officer to come inside her house.

 

"Please come in." Seulgi said politely to the other police officer. The other police officer obliged and Seulgi close the door.

 

"Oh, I have a souvenir for you Doc. My wife wanted me to give this to you." Lieutenant Kim said as he motioned the other police officer to give the basket full of fruits to Seulgi.

 

"T-Thank you Sir." Seulgi shows her gratitude as she accepted the basket from the police officer.

 

"Lieutenant, how are you doing?" Seulgi tried to asked calmly as she placed the basket on top of the dining table where Irene was hiding under.

 

"I'm good." Lieutenant Kim wore a