Chapter 7

Seulgi

Seulgi stifled a groan and rolled onto her stomach. The faint, golden morning light that seeped in through her bedroom window was proving to be especially irritating. Didn't the damn sun know that she needed her beauty sleep? Just because the earth orbited around the damn ball of fiery rock didn't mean that it could just go around and do whatever it pleased. It was just rude. Besides, it wasn't every morning that she got to sleep in until... actually, Seulgi didn't know what time it was.

Stretching out her limbs to their full extent, Seulgi rolled onto her side and peered down at the clock poised precisely on the center of Sehun's bedside table. 9:00am. Whereas waking up so late any other day would have arisen within her a mixture of overwhelming terror and immeasurable despair (because it would have meant she was late for work), today it filled her with a sense a pure, undiluted satisfaction. It was her first day off in weeks, granted to Sehun and she in response to their perfect execution of the Course yesterday.

"IF I WERE A BOY, I'D GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING, PUT ON WHAT I WANTED AND GO." Sehun's rapsy baritone, as every morning, wove its way from the kitchen into their tiny bedroom. And, for once, Seulgi was too well rested to let her irritation at being woken up overshadow her appreciation for her partner's singing. Even though she and Sehun had agreed to ixnay the whole exsay thing, she had to admit that hearing that boy sing was sometimes more pleasurable.

"REALLY? BEYONCE, SEHUNNIE?" Seulgi's tone was ridden with her usual bedside sass.

"DAMN RIGHT, KANG. SHE'S THE QUEEN." Sehun's cooed back.

Seulgi hopped out of bed, clad only in her peter pan pajama pants, and padded her way into thekitchen.

"You know, I was going to respond with some of my class A snark, but I happen to agree with you, Hunnie. Beyonce is possibly the only person on this earth who is more of a queen than I. Damn her." She put her hands on her hips, donning her best impression of a four year old about to succumb to a temper tantrum.

"I don't know, Seul. From the back I'm not sure people could tell you apart..." Sehun's sudden chuckling told Seulgi that yes, her face was turning that shade of bright crimson that it only reserved for moments of severe mortification. Great start to a morning.

"So, what did you want to do on our day off?" She choked out through gritted teeth. Though she had planned on seeking retribution for her recent embarrassment, the smell of freshly cook bacon was beginning to eat away at her resolve.

"I was actually thinking we could spend the day in the small park down the street. Eat, read, relax. You know, normal people stuff." Sehun's eyes looked down at her through long, curled lashes. Though they would never be normal, and she desperately wanted to remind her partner of that fact, the soft vulnerability written all over Sehun's face left her nodding.

"That's a great idea, Hun."

***

The little park down the street was relatively on the same caliber as their apartment. It stretched out in either direction for about 300 feet, a wide expanse of more yellow than green grass spotted here and there with wooden benches already black with rot. On the opposite side of the space, Seulgi could make out the remains of a playground; a convoluted tangle of rusted iron, crooked slides, and a swing set missing all of its swings.

"Well, this is umm... lovely." Seulgi was unable to keep the cynical amusement out of her voice.

"I know, I know. It isn't the most beautiful locale, your majesty. But I remembered you saying that you had never had a picnic before... so here we are." Sehun's crooked grin had Seulgi striding into the park as if she didn't even notice that most of the grass was coated in a fine layer of filth. He may or may not have been touched that Sehun had thou