Four girls were busy singing along a Bruno Mars hit song on the radio as they drove the night away. They sang their hearts out, Hyoyeon even tried to change the tune which made the girls laughed after the song ended. A radio commercial came after as the girls tried to catch their breaths. However, not all of them were enjoying the drive, she didn’t even sing along.

“What’s wrong with you? Why are you so quiet?” Sooyoung asked, nudging the silent girl next to her.

“She’s nervous.” Yoona shifted in the front seat and turned around.

“Why are you nervous?” Hyoyeon asked, carefully checking the girl in the middle of the backseat from her rearview mirror before focusing on the road again.

“We always go to Yuri’s parties. Why are you suddenly looking like a lost puppy?” Sooyoung asked.

“Because her ex-girlfriend got invited to Yuri unnie’s party.” The youngest of the group, Seohyun, chimed in.

“What? What do you mean ex-girlfrend? I didn’t know you swing that way!”

The girl in question had to cover her ears from the onslaught of Sooyoung’s loud voice.

“Have mercy on my ears Choi Sooyoung.” Irene finally said her first words of the night.

“Start talking Joohyun.” Sooyoung demanded.

“Well, Irene unnie’s high school sweetheart enrolled in our university this semester, a dance major.” Seohyun started to explain. “And since she’s really good in dancing, she and Yuri unnie clicked like a magnet. They’re like BFFs in campus already. Like Siamese twins joint together hip by hip. She was there when Yuri unnie hung out with us in the library and told us about the party. Which is why she’s probably at her place already. Hence, a nervous Irene unnie.”

“Thanks for that input Joohyun 1. Now let’s hear it from Joohyun 2.”

“Unnie, just use our nicknames. Less hassle.” The youngest whined.

Irene rubbed her forehead in frustration. She knew Sooyoung was not the one to let go a freshly baked information. “I’m not nervous. I’m just tired.”

Four pairs of eyes looked at her incredulously. It was like hearing the world wasn’t round or Michael Jordan was a great football player. Irene had to do a little better in lying.

“Yeah, right.” Hyoyeon snickered on the driver’s seat.

“Look guys, she’s just an old fling – “

“Old fling? You and Seulgi could write fairy tales and forever on the clouds.” Yoona cut her off. “You were so in love with each other. It wasn’t just a fling!” She was one of the lucky ones to have witnessed Seulgi and Irene’s high school puppy love since she also graduated from the same school with them.

“Wait! Hold up!” Sooyoung raised her two arms, invisibly stopping any other remarks from any of her friends. “Seulgi? Kang Seulgi?”

Yoona nodded.

“You dated THE Kang Seulgi?” Sooyoung’s voice couldn’t any louder and Irene had to groan and pull up her hoodie to cover her face.

“What’s with the “THE”?” Irene had to make an air quote. “You’re making her like she’s a celebrity or something. She’s just a freshman.”

“Well, duh?! A famous freshman to be exact. Everyone’s been talking about her at school, you know. Especially when she got invited to Yuri’s. You know that Kwon doesn’t invite fresh meat.” 

“That’s how Irene unnie knew about her enrolling in the university. Words spread faster than a bullet.” Seohyun patted Irene’s hooded head.

“You guys are making a big deal out of this. I’m not affected or anything. She can go to any school of her choice and I will not even give an ounce of care about it.”

“Hmmmm.” Yoona was rubbing an imaginary mustache from her chin. “Wasn’t she so bent in getting to Yonsei?”

“Who knows, she probably changed her mind.” Irene shrugged.

“I wonder what changed her mind though.” Yoona gave her a teasing smirk.

Irene caught on. “Look, we haven’t talked in two years and the last time we saw each other was my graduation day. I wouldn’t know what changed her mind and I don’t have any plans of wanting to know the reason. She’s my past and what we had was a mere infatuation of two curious high school girls.” She heaved a deep breath before continuing. “Besides, it seems like all of you forgot I’m already taken.” Irene didn’t like to flaunt but she had to show her friends the ring on her finger. It felt heavy and uncomfortable unlike the ring Seulgi gave her before which was hidden under her sweater, hanging around her neck.

Everyone became silent, even Yoona shifted back to her seat. Just in time, Hyoyeon slowed down the car as she found an empty space behind a familiar 1969 yellow Mustang. Irene tried to wince away the incoming memories when she saw it.

It didn’t left unnoticed by Sooyoung who had eyes like an eagle. “That’s a cool ride. It’s probably hers, isn’t it?”

Irene could only nod. What reason was there to lie?

The sound of the hand brake was heard and the engine was turned off as the girls went out from the car. Yoona walked by the Mustang and carefully glided her fingers along the shiny hood. “Same old Kang Seulgi, always polishing Ddeulrene when taking her out.”

“Ddeulrene?” Hyoyeon eyed the car parked before her before looking at an embarrassed-looking Irene. “That’s the name of her car?”

“Oh, please. She was still in high school when she got the car! Come on.” Irene would melt down in memory lane if she spent another minute standing near that beautifully polished yellow Mustang. She grabbed the nearest friend, which was Seohyun, and pulled her towards Yuri’s house.

“Defensive Bae Joohyun is feisty.” Hyoyeon faked a shiver. “I like this.”

“You don’t even know the half of it.” The sound of Yoona’s laugh was drowned by the party music when they approached their destination of the night.

Catching up to Irene with her long legs, Sooyoung placed her arm around the girl and felt her get startled. “Girl, you better think of ways to cover your act or that Kang Seulgi will crumble you in a second.”

Oh yes, Seulgi would really see through her act if she let her. Irene had to touch the ring on her finger as she reminded herself she was not in high school anymore. The ring, however, didn’t serve its purpose since the