The poison seeped slowly but surely. Seulgi spent the rest of the week tiptoeing around Irene, her stomach in every time Irene so much as looked at her. None of it felt right. Even so, Seulgi couldn't bring herself to talk to Irene. She didn't see a point. Irene seemed happy enough, so Seulgi didn't need to go pick her brain for her own sake. Irene was doing okay, and that was what mattered.

"Unnie," Yeri said one day, walking alongside Irene to class. "Why is Seulgi avoiding you?"

"What?" Irene was taken aback by the question. To be truthful, she noticed Seulgi's lack of presence, the excuses to leave, and the flitting eye contact. Every time Irene so much as looked her way, Seulgi's eyes would immediately focus on whatever was closest. Irene noticed, but she really noticed once Seulgi's eyes landed on that annoying YooA. Irene was sure Seulgi was not interested at all in YooA, so when Seulgi decided to stare at her, Irene knew something was up. She just didn't know what.

"She's avoiding you," repeated Yeri. "How come?"

"I... I don't know what you're talking about."

"Okay," Yeri said doubtfully. "If you say so."

"And I do say so." That was how Irene left it before disappearing into the classroom, leaving Yeri more suspicious than before.

It was time for some of Yeri's signature scheming, complete with a touch of Joy.

"Hey, babe?"

"Yeah?"

"You seem a little distracted," Bo Gum said worriedly. He felt Irene's forehead. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Sorry," said Irene, snuggling up against Bo Gum's chest.

The two lay together on Irene's bed watching an episode of Marvel's Runaways. It was a quiet Friday evening, and Bo Gum's soccer game had been canceled. After practice, Bo Gum had run home, showered, and shown up on Irene's front steps with a pizza and his laptop. 

"What do you think about the staff?" Bo Gum asked, rubbing Irene's back. "Doesn't it look cool?"

"Very," agreed Irene. She waited before saying, "I think Seulgi's mad at me."

Bo Gum paused the episode and sat up, taking Irene's hands into his. "Talk to me."

Irene didn't know where she'd ever managed to find such a guy. "Well, she keeps coming up with convenient excuses whenever I show up..."

"Are you sure she's not just busy?"

"She won't even look me in the eyes."

"That's strange." Bo Gum's brow furrowed. "Maybe you should just talk to her, Hyun."

Irene loved when Bo Gum called her by cute nicknames. It made her feel like they were really a couple.

"I know I should, but..." Irene trailed off. She wasn't sure what she meant to say.

"But what?" prompted Bo Gum.

"Bo Gum, I think I might be homophobic."

"What?"

"Homophobic. I think I might be homophobic."

"I heard you the first time, Hyun, but... Really?"

"I don't know." Irene's worried look made Bo Gum wrap his arms around her.

"It's okay. I'm sure that you're not homophobic. People are people, and friends are friends. Seulgi is your friend, right?"

"Yes, but ever since she came out, I just feel so distant from her. What if it's because I'm homophobic? I know she's still a person, but what kind of friend am I? I can't even bring myself to ask what's wrong. I don't know what's wrong with us." A tear threatened to spill out of Irene's eye.

"You're just worrying over nothing, Hyun. You're one of the kindest people I know, and I know you love Seulgi. You're a good friend to her and everyone else you know. Once they break through that ice queen shell, that is."

"Yah!"

"I'm kidding," Bo Gum said, hugging Irene closer. "But see? There's the smile I love so much." Bo Gum tapped Irene on the chin before pulling her into a kiss. "Never lose that smile."

"I won't," said Irene back, her heart feeling a little more hopeful. Maybe Bo Gum was right. Maybe she was just having an off week. She still liked Seulgi, and she was sure Seulgi still liked her. "How could I with you around?"

"Seulgi unnie!" 

Seulgi let out a hefty "oof" as something collided with her back.

"Yeri-ah?"

"How did you know?" Yeri pulled back and crossed her arms.

"How could I not?"

"Anyway, unnie," Yeri said, stepping closer, "we need to talk."

"What? Why?" Seulgi shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. What could they possibly have to talk about? Not-

"YooA-"

Whew. 

"-and Irene."

.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, Seulgi. I know you've been avoiding her."

Seulgi tried again. "YooA?"

"No, stupid. YooA has been attached to your hip. Irene," Yeri said impatiently, adamantly stressing Irene's name. She pronounced it as if teaching a small child.

Actually, Yeri didn't know whether Seulgi was avoiding Irene. She wasn't sure. All the evidence pointed towards Seulgi avoiding Irene. Yeri felt like she hadn't seen them together in a long time. Whenever one entered the room, the other found the exit. It was All she knew was that Seulgi and Irene were both being weird, and it needed to stop. Whether all those excuses and strange disappearances and...

Nope. Seulgi was definitely avoiding her. 

Or maybe Irene was avoiding Seulgi? Maybe they were both avoiding the other. There was no reason to, but Yeri guessed there had to be something. The unnies would never be unreasonable and stupid for no reason. Well, most of the time. Yeri was giving her seniors too much credit.

The two stood in silence. Yeri's arms remained crossed, and tight-lipped Seulgi refused to speak. Yeri was the first to break the silence.

"You can't tell me I'm wrong."

Seulgi's mouth twitched, and she let the words flow free. "Fine! You're right," Seulgi exasperatedly admitted. "You're absolutely right."

"Ha!" Yeri said triumphantly.