For someone who claims to detest skinship, Seulgi lets Irene get away with a lot of it.

Maybe because the first time it happens, Irene looks so lost and nervous while waiting for their dance instructor’s feedback, Seulgi doesn’t have the heart to pull her hand away.

Or maybe because the second time it happens, it’s the middle of winter, they’re not wearing any gloves and Irene’s hand is warm. That’s the only reason Seulgi lets it happen without any protest. Warmth. Not because Irene’s hand is soft and she looks cute all wrapped up in a scarf Seulgi lets her borrow.

The third time, after they nail Be Natural, Irene actually hugs her and Seulgi’s too elated by how awesome they are that she actually hugs back. The smile Irene gives her after is absolutely blinding and Seulgi’s not so sure the routine is the sole reason behind her shortness of breath.

She gets used to it eventually because Irene is touchy with everybody and when you refuse her, she gets this hurt look on her face, subtle and quick, but there, and Seulgi never wants to be the cause of it. So when they’re walking together, she comes to expect the hand slipping into hers or their arms looped together.

She doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to the way her heart flutters when Irene’s pressed up against her, though.

The thing is, they hold hands and they hug and once, Irene kisses her on the cheek and Seulgi has to sit down for a bit, but Irene’s always the one who initiates. Seulgi just...lets things happen.

“Weak,” is what Wendy calls her with a teasing look on her face.

“Pathetic,” Joy tells her, absolutely deadpan.

Seulgi tells them both to shut up and mind their own business but she later finds herself staring at the hand Irene rests on the table when they’re all sitting down for dinner. It shouldn’t be so hard. It was barely two feet. They’ve held hands before.

Before she can screw up the courage to reach across the table, Irene’s reaching up to wipe something off of Joy’s face and the chance is gone.

She catches Wendy’s eye and the other girl smirks, mouthing ‘weak’ at her, and Seulgi’s food is suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

Seulgi tries. She really does.

Sometimes, she’ll chicken out at the last moment, just before her fingers brush soft skin. And when she finally screws up the courage, something always interferes. Sometimes, Irene will reach up to fix her hair or her clothes and Seulgi’s hand is left hanging for a few seconds.

Most of the time, it’s Joy. Because she’s a mischievous, little brat and enjoys seeing Seulgi suffer. She’ll see Seulgi approaching Irene and will suddenly latch onto their leader like a parasite, monopolizing all her attention.

Seulgi swears she’s going to put a whole tube’s worth of wasabi in Joy’s food one of these days.

Irene is clueless, of course.  Because Somebody Up There really doesn’t want to make things easier for Seulgi.

She finally gets her opportunity when Irene is asked to stay back by their trainer for a bit so they can discuss something. Seulgi lingers outside the room where they’re talking and when it looks like Joy’s going to stay back too, just to be difficult, Wendy drags the younger girl away and tosses a ‘good luck’ over her shoulder.

Good old Wendy.

Seulgi had to bribe her with a month’s worth of ice cream to get her to cooperate, the extortionist.

Irene finally comes out of the room about ten minutes later, and she looks surprised to see Seulgi waiting for her. “I didn’t think you’d still be here,” she says with a smile and a slight frown.

“I wanted to wait for you.” Seulgi’s words sound a lot more confident than she really is. She’s sure that if Irene had taken longer, she would have chewed down her fingernails.

Irene’s answering smile rewards her for the wait and the butterflies in Seulgi’s stomach explode into a frenzy.

“Let’s go home, then.” She moves toward her, presumably to take Seulgi’s hand or to loop their arms together but Seulgi takes a step back.

And oh no, there’s that look Irene’s face and Seulgi nearly panics and she stumbles hastily over her next words. “I - I w-was actually wondering if we could go grab some coffee.”

Irene still looks confused but she doesn’t look as hurt now and Seulgi inwardly breathes a sigh of relief. She takes a step forward and then another, closing the distance between them so her shaking, clammy hand can take Irene’s warm, soft one. And just like that, she’s finally done it. The butterflies in her stomach pause for a moment.

“Just us,” she says softly, even though part of her wants to jump up in victory and run around to find Joy and shove their joined hands in her stupid face. More than that, though, she just wants to keep holding Irene’s hand.

And Irene - Irene, who’s the queen of skinship, and likes hanging off of her members like a very attractive coat - blushes at their joined hands.

The butterflies are back and they’re in Seulgi’s chest now.

“I’d like that,” Irene says, just as soft.

Seulgi grins, big and goofy, and squeezes the hand in hers.

She doesn’t think she’s ever letting go now.