It was a blur and both found it very confusing since they didn’t have a drink, not a single drop. Seulgi found herself pinning the most beautiful girl in the world on the girl’s own apartment wall. She met Irene’s eyes which stared back at her full of emotions; longing, searching for a safe place. Seulgi placed a kiss on the forehead, nose, and eventually on Irene’s lips. When they parted, both sighed in a bliss. Irene’s hand were clutching Seulgi’s collar as if she was forbidding the younger to move away.

“I’m confused,” Seulgi said in a whisper.

“Please don’t... please don’t be confused.”

“How can I not be confused... this—”

“I’ll tell you everything about me and Bogum.”

Seulgi held her breath for a second. After she gave a nod, they moved to the couch with Irene facing the television and Seulgi looking at her knees. They just had their first kiss and both hearts were still beating rapidly. The younger took a glance and the she blushed without any reason. In the end, she looked around without putting any sincere interest. She only wanted to look at Irene but she didn’t know whether she could do it again.

“I... liked Bogum once,” Irene started. The raven looked down. She played with her fingers uneasily. “It was a long time ago. After I knew that he used me to get promoted, I lost my respect on him. Of course I don’t like him anymore. I never thought that he would ever show up again in front of me.” Irene didn’t lean her back to the couch. She sat up straight and Seulgi wondered how she could sit that way. “He was aware that I liked him in the past. He thought I’d still want him now but then he realized that I don’t. So, he used you against me.”

The bear like girl’s eyes widened upon hearing Irene’s words. She didn’t understand. What was in her that could be used against Irene? “What did I do? I mean, what... I don’t get it.” She was truly lost.

“I care for you, Seul. He knows that. That’s a... classic move but I fell for it. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Irene turned her head, looked at Seulgi and threw a weak smile. At that exact moment, Seulgi wanted to move closer and pull Irene into her arms. “I have to protect you, I have to be good to you... after everything I’ve done.” Seulgi could feel her heart break knowing Irene’s reason. She didn’t know about that.

“Rene, you... you didn’t do anything. You didn’t have to do that.” Seulgi reached out for Irene’s hand.

“I broke your heart again and again. I couldn’t keep hurting you. I wanted to do something good for you.

“But not by putting yourself in that situation. I shouldn’t have signed the contract, huh? So it’s my fault then. I just wanted to be close to you. Even if... that means that I have to become a model.”

“No, Seulgi. It’s not your fault. I should’ve done something. I should’ve suggested other models and kept you safe. I just want you to be my model, not his too. You don’t even have to be a model. I just want you... to be with me.”

That sounded like a confession to Seulgi. She didn’t know what to do because she was not sure. Neither of them were sure, actually. Irene sighed and finally leaned her back. She looked up to the ceiling, avoiding Seulgi’s gaze. “Irene,” Seulgi called. The older then looked at her and blinked. She saw a smile plastered on Seulgi’s face and felt her heart skipped a beat. “Don’t do that...” said Irene.

“Irene, I will always stand by you if you want me to.”

“I do. I do, Seulgi. But I’m... I’m still—”

“I know. I told you I’m not gonna push you to like—ah, no—love me back.”

Irene didn’t replied and Seulgi was still smiling.

“You said that you want me to be with you,” she moved closer, “and here I am; with you.”

“Seulgi...” Irene saw Seulgi’s smile up close and she didn’t realize that she was holding her breath. “Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Looking at me with that smile... and eyes dearly.”

“Why not?”

“I... I want to take it slow. You make me want to run faster with those looks.”

Seulgi shook her head.

“Seul...”

“I’m going to look at you the way I always look at you. I don’t want you to think that you’re just a fling for me ever again.” Both remembered what happened at Seulgi’s place last time. And of course, they both blamed themselves again. “I fall in love with you, Bae Joohyun.” Irene swore she never blushed like that when she heard her real name spoken. “You can fall for me slowly. I’m going to wait.” Seulgi finished up with yet another smile and Irene felt even safer. She gave Seulgi a smile as their eyes interlocked. Again, there was silence for some time before Irene broke into a soft laugh. Seulgi’s expression changed into a muddled one.

“You don’t have to wait if you to kiss me now.”

Both shared a good laugh.

[ - - - ]

“What’s gotten you?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“You suddenly show up in my clinic with some marinated chicken. What is it, Seulgi?”

“Nothing? I just... want to see how doctor Sooyoung is doing.”

“Not yet a doctor, duh.”

“Don’t forget to eat it. I’m going now!”

“Yah! What is it? You must have something to tell me!”

“I’ll tell you later! Fighting, Sooyoung!”

“What the heck?”

“Oh, there’s something in side the plastic bag besides the chicken. Bye!”

“Huh?? Wait, what’s thi—YAH, KANG SEULGI!”

[ - - - ]

“Yerim, are you in your shop?”

“Yeah, why? Are you gonna order some flower?”

“Uh, no. I want to take you out to dinner tonight.”

“Ohh? OKAY!”

“Ouh! Can you please not shout?!”

“Sorry, sorry. I am always up for free meal! I mean... you’re paying for it, right?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. It’s on me.”

“But why dinner? I mean, why so sudden?”

“I’m trying to be a good cousin and make up for the busy days. We haven’t hang out for a while.”

“Ah... is that so? Call! Should I go to your place later? At what time?”

“No need to. Jisoo will pick me up first then we’ll pick you up at your place.”

“Oh? Jisoo is coming too?”

“Yeah, do you mind a little family reunion?”

“Not at all! Alright, just tell me when you’re on your way! I’ll get ready after I close my shop!”

“You can take your time, Yerim. Oh, and there’s something I want to tell you.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

[ - - - ]

Irene walked out from the meeting room with a deep sigh. She never thought that it would be... more difficult than she thought. She was greet with a bright smile from Jisoo who waited outside the whole time. “You did great. What did they say?” asked Jisoo. Both walked away to the corridor and the elevator. Irene pushed the button to her floor then leaned her right shoulder to the elevator wall. “Since I pulled myself and my model from the project, I should make another one and better succeed in it.” Irene explained with a smile. She didn’t mind to have another project. What mattered was that she and Seulgi are not a part of Bogum’s project anymore.

“Then who will collaborate with that jerk?”

“Unfortunately, Wendy will. Don’t worry. I bet she knew what Bogum did because... well, Seulgi might tell her about it.”

“Ah, your junior is a friend of Seulgi too?”

“Seulgi’s best-friend’s girlfriend apparently,” she answered with a chuckle.

“What a small world, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, I know. But that’s nice.”

“And you? Are you Seulgi’s girlfriend yet?”

“Eh? N-no...”

“We should really do it soon, Joohyun!”

The elevator stopped and its door opened. They headed to Irene’s office and stopped when she saw Nayeon talking and laughing with Jennie. “Jen? When did you get here?” Irene walked closer towards her best-friend. “Oh, I just arrived and I talked to your secretary since she said you were having a meeting. Right, sweetie?” Jennie winked at Nayeon and the other girl answered with a laugh.

From Irene’s back, Jisoo cleared and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I see that you’re flirting.” She raised her right eyebrow. Jennie laughed and move closer. “Oh, come on. I was just waiting here and Nayeon gave me a good company.” Jennie walked closer to the cousins. “Uhuh? You flirted.”

“Well, you kissed Seulgi.”

“That was different! You told me to act sweet with her!”

“Well, I thought you’d just like... hug her or link arms.”

“Oh my god, babe. We’ve talked about this, okay? It was for—”

“Wait, what?!” That was Irene. She was taken aback when Jisoo said the word ‘babe’ to Jennie. She gave both of them a shocked look. “What?!” The raven was seriously mad. Her cousin pretended to look away while her best-friend scratched her head. “We... can explain. When Jisoo texted me that she was with Seulgi, I thought it could be an opportunity to make you jealous. So I encouraged her to act sweet towards Seulgi but I didn’t know that she would kiss her on the cheek! We didn’t even know that it could get on the news. The plan was that Jisoo calls you and tells about the date so spice things up.” Jennie explained as if she was rapping.

“No—wait, what?! I mean, you planned it?! Jen, seriously?!”

“I’m sorry. I really am sorry! I never thought that it would be on the news!”

“Well, okay, screw that, but you two are dating?!”

Jisoo and Jennie exchanged glances. Irene was looking furious with her frown, pose, and all. However, that didn’t stop the two to laugh and hugged each other, making the other girl—plus the secretary—seriously mind-blown. “That was what you were confused of? Oh my god, Irene!” Jisoo proceed to laugh again after she managed to ask her cousin the question. “Nayeon, I’m locking my office. Don’t ever let this two fools get in.” Irene gave her order and Nayeon nodded. She walked pass the couple into her office. When she was about to close the door, Jennie and Jisoo held her from closing it.

“Come on! We were going to tell you, Irene!” Jisoo pleaded.

“Move! I don’t know you!”

“That’s so childish, Bae Joohyun. How old are you?” And that was Jennie.

“That’s it! I’m disowning you two!”

“Waiiiiiiit!”

Long-short story, both Jennie and Jisoo managed to get in and go on explaining—confessing—about their relationship. They have been keeping it a secret from others because they didn’t want to get into the news. They never went out to an open places like how Jisoo and Seulgi did. They managed to hide it for a half a year. Irene, still pissed, gave herself a massage on her forehead. She couldn’t process the information. But looking at the situation again, Jennie was a photographer and her cousin was a model. She remembered that the two had a work together before.

“So, how’s it with you and Seulgi?”

“Don’t change the topic, Jisoo. We’re still talking about the two of you,” Irene said.

“What else? We explained everything already.”

“Yeah, are you two a thing or what now?” Jennie asked about the relationship too.

“No, we’re... I don’t know. I guess not.”

Both Irene and Seulgi didn’t put any title to themselves. They were just them, as they were. “We’re taking things slowly.” That got Jisoo rolling her eyes. “Please. Take her on a date already!” Jennie stood up and took Irene’s phone that was on the working desk. Irene bolted up from her seat and tried to stop Jennie. “Ssh! I’m calling Seulgi.”

“What?! Jennie, give that back to me!” Irene reached for her phone.

“Sure!” Jennie gave it back and at the same time, Seulgi picked up the phone.

Irene shot Jennie a death glare but the best-friend has been immune from it. She sat beside Jisoo and watched Irene struggling with herself, coming up with a reason of calling Seulgi out of the blue.

“Hello? Irene?”

“U-uh, hi! Seulgi!” Irene sounded awkward and she wanted to curse at Jennie.

“Hey! What are you up to?”

“I... I,” she looked at the couple who were laughing at her. I will kill you two, she mouthed. “I just... want to know what you are doing. I have something to tell you.”

“I’m taking a break for ten minutes. I have a client today! We’re shooting near Namsan Tower!”

“Oh, that’s good! I’m glad to hear that. You must be having fun.”

“Yeah. It’s really fun out here. We should come here too sometime.”

That gave Irene some kind of a cue. “Speaking of going out... do you, do you want to like, hang out with me?”

“Of course. That’s... wow, what a question, Rene!”

“Hey! That’s—ugh, anyway... what about,” she turned to look at Jisoo who mouthed ‘tonight’, “tonight?” And she just copied that. Regret came at the end, not in the beginning.

“Oh, tonight? Like a night out or something?”

“That’s right. So... what do you say?”

“I’d love to.”

“.......w-what?”

“I said I would love to, Irene.”

“O-oh,” Irene blushed, “okay, t-then. I’ll see you tonight?”

“Sure. I’ll text you, okay?”

“Of course.”

Seulgi hung up the phone at the other end and finally Irene could let out a deep sigh. She went back to her chair and put her phone just like that. “Why are you all red? Didn’t she say yes?” asked Jisoo. “Y-yeah... nothing. I’m okay.” Irene looked at her desktop computer. Nothing was there, but she pretended to read something. “I guess we could go now. I wanted to ask about that project with Bogum, but I guess Jisoo could explain it to me. You go prepare yourself for your date.”

When the couple finally left, Irene let out a longer sigh and wanted to hit her head against her desk. “The first dates were not as... hard as this one,” she mumbled as she buried her face on her palms. “And of course she said ‘I’d love to’, Bae Joohyun! Why in the world would she say ‘I love you’ so suddenly? Aah, Bae Joohyun!” She didn’t want to look at the mirror. She guaranteed that she was on fire.

“Stupid.”

Hi, everyone!! I am back with an update! Finally..... some fluff! I am so sorry for not updating in such a long time. I am having my finals now. I hope that I'll do well! I'll update again as soon as possible. Please do wish that I don't get any writer's block! Thank youf or waiting! If you have anything to ask me, tell me, or whatever, you can reach me out on twitter @yrene2219 or if you want to go anon, you can ask me at https://curiouscat.me/yeourene