Peaceful and quiet. Just how Seungwan wanted this night to be. Thank God that Seulgi let her be. She's still around though, Seungwan could see her sitting by the bar, sipping on what looks to be cranberry juice but she's not bothering her anymore. Which is good, right? Right? She's alone again. She's alone again. She smiles bitterly at the empty seat in front of her.

"Happy anniversary, Joohyun unnie." She mutters. She picks up her glass and raises it in the air. She's in the same place, in the exact same spot, like the first time.

"Swirl it gently, like this." Seungwan lets the red wine tumble around her glass in neat circles. She looks up and sees Joohyun having difficulty with hers and she laughs at the look on her face.

"How do you- Mine is spilling everywhere!" Joohyun exclaims, pouts. Seungwan reaches for her hand, effectively stopping her.

"Here, let me." She guides her hand to demonstrate how it's done. She doesn't notice how serious she has become until Joohyun giggles out loud. She looks up. "What?"

Joohyun shakes her head at her, a playful look on her face. Seungwan takes a few moments before she realizes what's up.

"Oh." She laughs again. "You know that you don't need to do this just so you can hold my hand, right?"

"Of course, I do. You're my girlfriend now. I just find it fun." Joohyun gives her that smile.

"And I find it cute." She replies.

"Happy 100th day to us, Seungwan-ah." Joohyun says. "I know I came across as creepy when we first met but I'm not sorry about hiding in that closet." Seungwan could feel the honesty and it makes her heart soar.

"Even if you couldn't stop sneezing for a whole day after that?"

"I'm not sorry. Maybe I should have hid there sooner." Joohyun says, looks directly into eyes.

"Hmm, yeah, and maybe I should've talked to you sooner." Seungwan takes a deep breath. "I still can't believe that you were crushing on me. Bae Joohyun, SOPA's goddess of peace, crushing on Son Seungwan."

"What's so unbelievable? You're talented. You're funny. You're smart. You're kind. You're... beautiful." She pauses because her face is getting redder with every word. "And I love you."

Seungwan just smiles, feels like her heart would jump out of her chest, hearing all these things from her.

"I love you too, Joohyun unnie. Let's never leave each other." She holds her hand tighter. Joohyun nods.

"Yes, but you have to promise me that you're not going to be a drunkard." She jests.

"What? Hey, this is just one glass of wine! It's not like I'm going to drink a whole bottle." Seungwan says in her defense.

"Did you really do this with your parents in Canada?"

"Yeah, it's not unusual."

"I guess I'll just have to get used to it if I want to meet your parents."

"You want to meet my parents?"

"Of course. I have to thank them for creating my soulmate."

Seungwan blushes. Joohyun beams.

What was once a sweet memory has now turned bittersweet. Like wine. Something she used to enjoy now spoiled without that someone to be with. But she can't really blame Joohyun. It's not like she wanted to go. She just wishes that she could have stayed or that she had more time. It sounds greedy but she really would give anything just to be with Joohyun again.

"Seungwan?"

She looks up at her name being called, jumps up a little seeing who it is.

"Taehyun?" The guys smiles brightly, nods.

"I figured you would be here. May I?" He points to Joohyun's would be seat, doesn't wait for her answer and goes ahead to sit on it. Seungwan's expression turns sour at his insensitivity.

"I haven't seen you in a while. You haven't been able to help around the orphanage anymore, have you?"  He starts.

"No, I've been busy." She's suddenly not in the mood to talk at all, silently wishes for him to leave.

"Yerim misses you. She misses Joohyun noona too." His voice drops to a whisper, eyes looking straight at Seungwan, sparkling when he sees the reaction he wants to receive.

"Yerim is still there?" Seungwan sits straighter in her chair, interest clearly piqued.

"Yes, she's 8 years old now. You know how difficult it is for children to get adopted when they're past the age of seven." Taehyun pauses, watches Seungwan's expression carefully. "That's why I have a proposal for you."

"What is it?" She asks.

"I know how much you care about Yerim. You and Joohyun noona were trying to adopt her, weren't you?" He says in a soft voice as if he's being careful not to trip on a cord but it only makes Seungwan restless.

"Where are you going with this, Taehyun?" Seungwan asks, tired of beating around the bush.

"I know that you still care about the child and I may have a way for you to get her." He finally says.

"What? How? It was hard for us to gain custody for Yerim and Joohyun unnie and I... we were together then. How will I get Yerim if I'm a widow now?" Taehyun gives her a small smile and she already dreads hearing the answer 

"It's simple. Marry me."

Seungwan stands up so abruptly her chair skids back a few inches. She backs away from Taehyun, shaking her head in disbelief. To suggest something like that is so preposterous that it's almost like he's mocking God.

"Don't you think it's a good idea? Seungwan, I've loved you all these years and I care about Yerim too-"

"Stop it! I don't want to hear from you anymore, Taehyun." She cups her ears with her hands.

"Seungwan, just please listen-" He tries to grab her hand, tries to pull it down but she dodges him, takes a step back.

"No, Taehyun. How dare you even think of something like that? It's an insult to my wife's memory!" Seungwan replies, takes one more step backward as Taehyun takes a step forward.

"Joohyun is gone-" His words send a spike right through her chest and her eyes grow wide in horror, like she's hearing this for the first time. He must've realized that he hit a nerve because he talks in a more gentle voice.

"I mean, it's been three years. Why can't you look my way once? I've waited for so long." He continues, begs.

"I told you no before. My answer still remains the same." She says in a small voice.

"Seungwan-" He makes a grab for her hand again but his hand is swatted away. Seungwan looks up and sees Seulgi standing next to her. Relief floods her entire being. She didn't even notice her approach.

"She said no, didn't she? Or can't you understand Korean?" She hears Seulgi say, tough.

"Excuse me?" Taehyun turns to her, looking appalled. Seulgi looks her way once, as if asking for permission to interrupt even though she's already interrupting.

"She said no." Seulgi says, sounding more sure this time. "Take the hint, pal." She fully steps in between them and Seungwan doesn't want to admit but she feels safe. She feels safe with Seulgi standing in front of her, protecting her, and it's scaring her that she feels this way. She can't take it anymore. She has to go.

"Listen, I don't know who you are-"

"Seungwan?" 

"Seungwan!"

Seungwan runs fast, doesn't bother looking back even when Seulgi and Taehyun call for her.

In reality, she doesn't know where to go. She doesn't know what to do. All she really knows is that she has to hide, hide from Taehyun and his abominable suggestions, hide from Seulgi and the weird warmth she brings, hide from the pain and from Joohyun's absence. So she rushes to the hallway, hides in the first door she finds - a storage room of some sort.

She feels her breathing become ragged, everything's heavy and it weighs her down to the ground. The feeling of being trapped takes over her entire being. Despite all of her efforts to run, she just can't run from the truth. Joohyun is gone. Joohyun will never be able to hold her again. She can keep on missing Joohyun but Joohyun is never coming back. She's never coming back and there's no going back from that fact.

She's suffocating now, running out of air and she hates the feeling because she knows the only way out is to keep on running. Her hand grips the doorknob and she opens it by a crack, stops because she hears hurried footsteps and voices arguing. They're looking for her. She stays silent, remains hidden,  with no intention of being found. 

The sound of footsteps grow louder, closer. She peeks through the gap once more and sees that it's Seulgi. She doesn't know what pushes her to do it but she opens the door, grabs Seulgi by the arm and pulls her inside. 

Seulgi struggles against her hold and would have given away their position to Taehyun if not for Seungwan's hand on . She stops when she realizes that it's just Seungwan.

"Don't say a word." Seungwan eyes are pleading and it catches Seulgi off guard that she almost loses her balance when the girl lets go of her.

Seulgi watches her back away to a corner and sit on the floor in fetal position, arms hugging her legs. She swallows, fear gripping at her. She's never seen Seungwan so vulnerable, so fragile. Could this be the same girl who made her cry and shook her resolve? Could this be the girl who intimidated her with her pessimism?

The silence in the air is heavy and it makes Seulgi wish that Seungwan would just yell at her for following her to this place, for butting in her conversations, for... for anything at all because that's the Seungwan she knows. 

The Seungwan she knows is strong. The thought that that man may have done or said something more to Seungwan than Seulgi knows is scaring her. Seungwan looks so lifeless, so broken. Not that she was ever full of life in the short time Seulgi has known her but she expressed her feelings well. Even though her emotions were mostly anger, at the very least, they were valid. Unlike this empty looking shell curled up on the corner.

Seulgi had always wished she had superpowers (the ability to fly or see through walls, breathe fire, read people's mind, or just make people happy) ever since she was little. She wants it even more now. If only she could figure out what Seungwan was thinking then maybe she would stop feeling so goddamn anxious! It's driving her mad, thinking of what she should do because she really has no idea. She wants to ask Seungwan if she's okay (because people should be asked if they're okay even if they don't look okay), wants to know what really happened, wants to ask her what she could do to help. But knowing what Seungwan would do, or rather not knowing what Seungwan would do,  Seulgi just keeps her silence and settles for watching and waiting.

She doesn't know how long they stayed like that and she's starting to wonder if they would have to sleep in that dusty room when Seungwan finally gets up. She hasn't moved for over an hour and her sudden movement throws Seulgi off balance again. She looks up at her as she walks past her and out the door. 

Seulgi jumps to her feet and follows, walking a few feet behind. Seungwan doesn't forget to settle her bill and Seulgi takes the time to pay for her drink as well. 

Seungwan's already outside when Seulgi catches up to her. Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles as a breeze violently makes the trees sway and tosses their hair in a chaotic mess.

Seulgi feels water droplets hit her face and she has to use her hand to see better through the sudden downpour. She looks at Seungwan, wants to ask her if she's ready to go back to Bomi's place but only finds her looking so helpless and... out of her mind terrified.

Seulgi is dumbfounded seeing Seungwan shake from head to toe. She doesn't know what to do again that she now feels horrible for being so helpless. How is she ever going to become friends with Seungwan at this rate? She thinks she should reach out to her, maybe ask her what's wrong or hold her but Seungwan beats her to it. 

Seulgi feels herself being pulled for the second time today and her mind goes completely blank because the next thing she knows, Seungwan's arms are around her and her face is buried in the crook of her neck. 

She could feel Seungwan's body tremble against hers, feel her tears wetting her sweater as the rain pours heavily on them. She could feel her hands the back of her clothes, desperate for something to hold onto. She could feel her clinging on for life. She could feel her weakness, her humanity, and everything she has tried to hide. Seungwan isn't as strong as she thinks but it's okay because she isn't either.

Seulgi doesn't know why but pretty soon, she's crying with her too. Warm tears falling down her cheeks in contrast with the cold rain pouring on both of them relentlessly. She returns the hug, hopes that it would offer Seungwan some comfort, hopes that it would do even though she knows it will never.

They must have stood there for a good ten minutes before the older ones miraculously found them. Seulgi isn't really sure. She just finds Chorong standing next to them with an umbrella. 

She thinks she hears Taeyeon yelling as she and Tiffany try to pull her and Seungwan apart but Seungwan clings onto her like a toddler to her mother. It's all a blur but she remembers being led to the car and being driven home with Seungwan, all the while, still holding onto her.

--

The sound of plastic packaging being ripped open is loud against Seulgi's ears. She looks to her right and watches Seungwan take a bite out of her ice cream bar. Her thoughts blur in and out for a moment. Is she really awake? Is this really the reality? She takes a deep breath, feels the breeze against her skin, feels the cold treat forming condensates on her finger tips. She decides that this all real and opens her own ice cream bar.

Silence.

Funny how a week ago, stuck inside the storage room with Seungwan, this so-called silence had haunted her nearly to the point of madness when Seungwan wouldn't say anything but now, this very same thing is giving her life. There's a light feeling in her chest that feels so much like comfort but more intense, like bone-deep intense. 

Something happened that night. Seulgi couldn't explain what it was because she doesn't understand any of it either. Maybe she would if she just asked Seungwan but she was afraid that if she did, she might ruin it. Whatever it is. So she settles for this silence, basks in the moment of it.

Seungwan finishes her ice cream first, tosses the popsicle stick to a nearby trash can. Seulgi hurries to finish hers. As soon as she's done, Seungwan gets up from the bench, stands in front of her. Seulgi looks up to her expectant gaze. She doesn't know how but she just gets the feeling that Seungwan is telling her to get up and follow her and she does - walking a few feet behind her - with no idea where they're going.

Seungwan stops walking and turns around to face her when they reach the nearest bus stop. Seungwan looks at her again, raises her hand and gives a little wave. Seulgi waves back, shoves her hands in her pockets because they're shaking uncontrollably in excitement. The bus arrives and Seungwan gets on. Seulgi waits for it to get going before she leaves.

She tries to hide her smile as she walks away. She's feeling very good right now. She's pondering on getting some more ice cream to celebrate when she hears footsteps behind her. She turns around and Seungwan is there.

Seulgi wants to ask what she's doing there or if she forgot something but Seungwan pulls her in, throws her arms around her neck, lips dangerously close to her ear.

"Thank you, Seulgi." She whispers.

"For the ice cream?" Seulgi has to swallow. She's frozen in place, too shocked by the sudden proximity, but slowly comes to her senses at Seungwan's warm touch. It feels good to be held like that again.

"No, for being there when it rained." Seungwan replies. Seulgi snaps back to attention.

"I... what's with the rain?" She asks, confused. There's a long pause. Seulgi wonders if Seungwan will ever answer or if she would let go of her. She does the former but not the latter.

"It's just that... something significant always happens when it rains." Seungwan finally says.

Seulgi doesn't know what to make of that answer but she doesn't ask more, afraid that she might be pushing her luck too far. So she keeps quiet, just pats Seungwan on the back.

-----------------------

A/N: I'm back! The semester is finally over for me and hopefully, I'll have the drive to actually write more during the break. So, that's that. Thoughts? Also, please don't ask about when will Soojung appear or where she is. I can assure you that she is not a figment of Seulgi's imagination. She'll show up when the time is right, okay? Okay! - Bluekimchi