Seulgi liked windows. 

Windows were what divided one from the world outside yet allowed the person to see what was going on outside. 

Whether it was raining or snowing, whether the leaves were falling or growing, or whether two people just fell in love or out of love. 

Seulgi liked seeing all of these. 

Sure, part of it was the scenery, considering how much she loved to draw and paint, the way nature enabled colours to blend seamlessly with each other. 

But another part was just playing the role of the casual bystander, the ordinary person watching how the stories of people’s lives unfold. 

Whether the paths of two people converged or diverged, whether the two paths just touched or didn't even come near each other at all. 

Seulgi liked playing this role. Being the main character was too flashy. She didn't mind settling for a more mediocre role that enabled her to form her own thoughts and opinions before transferring the abstract images onto paper. 

Being a famous artist meant that she couldn't openly wonder the streets of Seoul to see the outside world — fans would crowd around her asking for an autograph or a portrait which they could happily bring home to brag to their friends and family about. 

So Seulgi could only see the outside world through windows. 

___

Irene, on the other hand, hated windows. 

She hated how it exposed her so much to the glances of people, how it was so distracting and how she felt under those unwanted gazes, as though people were undressing her with just their eyes. 

Given, Irene was an attractive woman. She wasn’t known as the ulzzang of Daegu for nothing but being attractive had forced her to give up something else in exchange. 

Relationships. 

Irene couldn’t remember when she started realising that people flocked to her not for her but for themselves. Boys wanted to proudly announce her as their partner to make others jealous, prove to other girls that they were attractive or to simply boost their own popularity. Girls wanted to be her friend to likewise, boost their popularity. 

Needless to say, Irene got scared. She didn’t know who she could trust any longer, who would be there when she tripped and fell over on the debris people had purposely left just to watch her fall. After all, who didn’t like to watch someone great fall off their pedestal? 

She closed her heart to all those who tried to approach her, unsure of their true intentions. 

That left Irene very alone in a very cruel world. 

Sometimes all she yearned for was someone who could understand her but all she did instead was push people away. She didn’t know if she was helping or hurting herself. 

The fact that she worked at a bridal gown shop didn't help at all. 

Boutiques loved to flaunt the beautiful gowns that they had and this meant large windows that had to be constantly clean. 

Windows that allowed people to peer into the boutique as well as look at what Irene was doing. 

It made Irene feel so vulnerable, as though she was constantly under surveillance. She couldn’t be herself. It seemed as though life wanted to completely mould her into a different person — since young she couldn’t be Bae Joohyun. She had to be Irene Bae, the person whom the school adored, whom parents desired to be their own daughter, who had to be the person who had to conform to society’s expectations of what a popular and beautiful woman should be. 

Irene hated windows. 

__

Yet it was a window that brought the two of them together. 

It was a Monday and it was Irene’s off day. She headed down to a cafe near her house, as per her usual Monday routine. The waitress greeted her with a smile and went about preparing Irene’s usual order. 

“I can’t sit there today?” Irene enquired, noticing that her usual spot at the corner of the cafe was cordoned off. 

“Ah yes, my apologies. There’s a kid holding a birthday party here later so we need to decorate the area.”

Urgh. 

Irene scanned the small space and it seemed as though the only available seat left was one near a window, next to a suspicious looking person who appeared to love staring out of the window. 

Huffing a breath of irritation, Irene brought her food to the table so she sat diagonally across the lanky figure. The latter didn’t appear to notice Irene’s presence though, as she continued staring out of the window. 

Nonetheless, this piqued Irene’s interest immensely. 

“What’s so interesting?” 

____

Seulgi did hear someone pulling out the chair next to her but paid no heed to it for the view outside the window was more interesting. It was autumn and the leaves of the trees were turning into various shades of red, brown and orange. A smile tugged at Seulgi’s face as she noticed how the colours flowed into one another. 

“What’s so interesting?” A voice broke Seulgi out of her reverie. 

“Huh? Oh uh, just look at those-“

Holy . 

Seulgi’s lower jaw almost fell to the floor when she glanced upon the goddess in front of her. 

What beauty.

For the first time, Seulgi’s artist side failed to process this gorgeous specimen in front of her. The more she stared into those eyes that held the entire universe, the more dumbstruck she became. This was…a once in a lifetime opportunity to paint someone so beautiful. 

“Uh, sorry did I ask something I shouldn't have asked?”

“Huh? Oh no! Uh no I was just, uh, you know, observing the beautiful scenery outside,” Seulgi stammered as the object of her appreciation cocked her head slightly, trying to figure out why all of a sudden she was tongue-tied. 

“Oh yes, I think that it is rather beautiful. But still, don’t you feel so exposed? People can see whatever you're doing and they're gonna judge you for that,” the brown haired beauty pointed out. 

“But still, don’t you see something beyond these glass walls? Something beautiful, something you might never be able to experience, something that might give you hope but at the same time something that might break you down completely,” Seulgi pointed out, facing the window to prevent herself from tripping over her words. Despite what that uninvited guest had mentioned, Seulgi still loved windows more than anything. 

However, it seemed as though she had something more beautiful than the scenery outside the window when she went back. Seulgi smiled at that thought. 

The beeping of her phone reminded Seulgi that she had an appointment to attend to in 30 minutes. Her heart fell a little when she realised that she had to leave a beautiful woman alone at the table but something told her that they would meet again. 

“Ah, I have to leave. Do enjoy your breakfast,” Seulgi smiled at the petite woman before she could reply.

“Oh, and if you don’t mind, could I have your name and number as well?”

----

What a slow start I know. 

Hope this still piqued your interest. Thanks for reading till the end if you did :)

Leave a comment if you feel like it. Silent readers can just chill and grab a coffee and maybe subscribe to this.

Hope I'll be able to make this interesting. Putting in the drama in the next chaper.

Just so you know I don't update very fast. I'll try to though.

Have a nice day guys.