Summary: Seulgi is dying, and it’s only the flashes of Irene that’s keeping her alive.

A/N: “Italics” are happening on present. Normal texts are flashbacks. (Except for the last part)

 

 

 

 

Seulgi was sitting on her parked car when she first laid her eyes on Irene. Her windows were completely tinted and Seulgi liked the privacy it provided. Irene apparently had other plan in mind on how to make use of Seulgi’s tinted windows.

 

She was on her way to school when she stopped at Seulgi’s parked car (coincidentally on the driver’s seat’s window where Seulgi sat), looked at her reflection, and proceeded to re-apply her lipstick while fixing her hair, not knowing that someone was inside staring at her amusingly.

 

Seulgi didn’t mind actually. The girl was pretty, she was such an eye candy that Seulgi thought it was the universe’s way to say ‘Good morning!’ to her.

 

When Irene finished freshening up, she smiled at her reflection, unknowingly smiling at Seulgi too on the other side of the tinted window.

 

That day, Irene was actually the only good thing that happened on Seulgi’s Monday (and Seulgi would soon realize that Irene was actually the one good thing that would happen in her life).

 

---

 

 

“! Really heels? You have to give up now?!”

 

Seulgi almost laughed out loud at the girl blaming an inanimate object. Irene was seated on the sidewalk holding her left shoe to look at the damage. The heel is already dangling and just one pull would break it off. Irene just looked at it with a pout, not knowing what to do.

 

Seulgi approached her and offered her help.

 

“I can fix it.”

 

Irene looked up and stared at Seulgi for a moment to see if she can actually fix her broken heel.

 

“If you’re just going to break the other heel, then go away. I can’t stand being cliché today.”

 

Seulgi cannot contain her laughter at that moment. She moved closer to Irene and sat beside her on the sidewalk.

 

“Well?” Irene raised her eyebrow at her, but gave Seulgi her shoe anyway.

 

Seulgi reached for her bag and took out her super glue. She applied it on the broken heel and blew on it for faster result. She smiled at Irene when she finished and gave Irene her fixed heel, but did not stand up to leave, and neither Irene when she only scrutinized her shoe on eye level, moving it this way and that way.

 

“Do you always bring super glue?”

 

Seulgi smiled at the question. “Not really. Only on days when I need it. I’m an architecture student, by the way.”

 

“So you build houses and buildings using super glue?”

 

“Not the actual houses and buildings, if that’s what you’re thinking. Only the models.”

 

“Well, thank god.”

 

Seulgi moved to kneel in front of Irene. She looked at Irene for a moment before taking her shoe and slipped it on her foot and it just freakin’ made Irene swoon; but she won’t drop her cool exterior for Seulgi. Not a chance.

 

“Didn’t I say I can’t stand being cliché today?”

 

Seulgi smiled with all her heart, because the crack on Irene’s voice at the end told her otherwise.

 

“I’m Kang Seulgi.”

 

“Bae Irene.”

 

---

 

 

Seulgi was about to dash off in the rain to get to her car when someone grabbed her arm and harshly pulled her back. She looked at the jerk who—

 

“Well at least you’re a pretty jerk. I thought you were trying to break my arm.”

 

Irene rolled her eyes in response and pulled Seulgi (gently this time) under her umbrella. “This is just payback for fixing my heels. In all fairness, your super glue still worked like a charm.”

 

“Only the best for you.” Seulgi winked that made Irene weak in the knees (but obviously doesn’t show it because Seulgi is a smooth jerk).

 

“Now, where’s your car?”

 

“Ohhh, can’t wait for me to take you home, huh?”

 

“Just how many times do you want me to roll my eyes at you?”

 

“Let’s see, in bed—”

 

“Just shut up and start to walk!”

 

Seulgi laughed, and put her arms around Irene’s waist to pull her closer (so no one would get wet, of course). Irene let her be because she liked it and doesn’t even bother to cover it up.

 

---

 

 

“You know,” Irene started, while playing with the food on her plate with her fork. “I noticed you keep bringing me on fast foods for our date.”

                                                                                         

“Is there a problem with that?” Seulgi stopped eating, and focused her attention on Irene.

 

“It’s fun on the first one, but not anymore.” With that, Irene threw her fork completely on her still full plate and crossed her arms. “It’s like I’m not worthy of bringing to a nice restaurant and prepare a candlelight dinner with a full orchestra as our background music as we eat lobsters and—”

 

“You’re a picky , you know that?” Seulgi continued eating her fries when she realized it wasn’t a big problem that’s bothering Irene.

 

Irene huffed at the lack of empathy. She just stared at Seulgi and asked the real question that’s really bothering her.

 

“But you like me though?”

 

Seulgi smirked. Bingo. “You have no idea how much.”

 

And Irene picked up her fork to eat again, satisfied with Seulgi’s answer.

 

 

 

The next time Seulgi asked Irene for a date, she brought her to a nice restaurant for a candlelight dinner with a full orchestra as their background music as they eat lobsters.

 

---

 

 

“What was your first impression of me?” Seulgi asked when she got bored while waiting for Irene to finish up her work.

 

“Is that a serious question?”

 

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” Irene finally looked up and almost laughed out loud at Seulgi’s squished cheeks between her fisted hands while her elbows rested on the table, before reminding herself that they were in a library and laughing would get them in trouble.

 

“Stop making that face!”

 

Seulgi sighed and opted to rest her arms on her table before urging Irene to answer her question. “Well?”

 

“Well,” Irene felt bad that Seulgi got bored waiting for her, so she finally answered Seulgi’s question as a reward. “I thought you were a creepy ert when you approached me.”

 

“Seriously? I helped you fix that damn heel!”

 

“Okay, a handsome creep. If that makes you feel better.”

 

“Not really. Is that all?”

 

“Actually, I was kidding. I just thought you were a jerk.” Irene shrugged.

 

“Is that supposed to be better? Again, I offered help, and you thought of me as a jerk?”

 

“Not my fault your face screams ‘jerk’, I thought you just offered help because I’m pretty.” Irene giggled, finding Seulgi’s dark expression funny. “It’s your turn! What was your impression when you first saw me?”

 

Irene smiled and looked at Seulgi with anticipation.

 

“I thought you were one of those vain girls that made checking their appearance every five minutes a necessity.” Seulgi shrugged.

 

“Hey! Are you trying to get back at me?” Irene frowned.

 

“No.”

 

“Then why would you think of me as vain when I actually looked disheveled with my broken heel that day?”

 

Seulgi smirked. “Who said that day was the first time I saw you?”

 

“Huh?” Irene asked confused because she couldn’t think a time she saw Seulgi around campus other than that day she broke her heel. “You saw me before?”

 

“Yes.” Seulgi smiled and leaned herself closer to Irene as if she’s about to disclose a secret. “My car was actually your substitute mirror every morning before you go to class. I’m actually disappointed you don’t remember my car when I’ve been driving you around all this time.”

 

Irene thought for a moment what Seulgi was saying, and finally got what it meant. “Oh.”

 

Seulgi giggled, “Oh yes, babe.”

 

“YOU WERE IN THERE ALL THIS TIME?! YOU JERK!”

 

 

 

After that outburst, Seulgi and Irene were banned in the library for two months by the librarian. Seulgi was actually happy for the punishment because she doesn’t have to wait for Irene in that boring place.

 

---

 

 

“You can’t leave me.”

 

“Oh don’t be such a baby, Seul.”

 

But in all honesty, Irene almost decided to never leave and stay by Seulgi’s side until she gets better. She looked at her baby with soft eyes as Seulgi tried hard to breathe with her stuffy nose and complain that her room was so cold even though the heater was on and two layers of thick blankets are covering her.

 

“If you’re hungry, just heat up the porridge I made. There’s a glass of water beside you, don’t forget to eat your medicine two hours from now. I already set your alarm, so you need to wake up, okay?” Irene sat by Seulgi’s head and played with her hair for a bit to help Seulgi fall asleep.

 

Irene finally stood up and grabbed her bag on the floor then kneeled beside Seulgi for goodbye.

 

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, I promise. In the meantime, try not to die.”

 

She kissed her burning forehead, but Seulgi has her lips puckered up for a kiss and Irene doesn’t have the heart to deny another kiss.

 

Seulgi reached for Irene’s hand when she stood up, pulled her close so Bae won’t leave, and kissed it.

 

“What can I do to make you stay?”

 

“You’re already making it hard for me to leave.”

 

---

 

 

Seulgi has the most serious look Irene has ever seen. She smiled, and then wiped the sweat that’s making its way to Seulgi’s eyes.

 

“You never give me this much attention before, Seul. Should I be jealous?”

 

Seulgi never looked up from what she’s doing when she asked, “Is that a serious question?”

 

“Would I be asking if I’m not serious?”

 

Seulgi finally looked up from what she’s doing and gave Irene the most exasperated look she could muster because, really, Irene has the most ridiculous worries a person could ever have. Like really.

 

“Well, yes, baby. You should be jealous of your foot for having all of my attention.” Seulgi capped the nail polish she just used and brought it back to its place.

 

“Now, what color would you like for your next nail?”

 

---

 

 

Irene has her legs over Seulgi’s lap as Seulgi counted Irene’s imperfections. Irene told every scar’s story, and Seulgi would kiss every one of them because they made Irene as she is.

 

“And this one?” Seulgi asked as she pointed to the last scar she saw just above her ankle.

 

Irene smiled, knowing the story even before Seulgi pointed it. “That’s actually my favorite one.”

 

And Seulgi couldn’t help but to smile back even though she doesn’t know the story, but because Irene has the most beautiful smile that she wouldn’t want to look at anything.

 

“And why is that?”

 

“Because that’s the day my heel broke.”

 

 

 

On a small corner by the door sat Irene’s favorite heels; tattered, and with Seulgi’s super glue keeping the heels together.

 

---

 

 

Seulgi woke up with Irene wrapped around her arms (and recalled that no, Irene wasn’t with her when she fell asleep last night). Her alarm clock was blaring (and surprisingly the light sleeper Irene didn’t woke up, but Seulgi saw the heavy bags under Irene’s eyes and understood) because she has a morning class she doesn’t want to miss, but seeing Irene made her change her mind.

 

So she grabbed her phone on her bedside table, dismissed the alarm, then went back to sleep with the thought of Seulgi’s human bolster worth missing a class for.

 

 

---

 

 

Irene was busy reading the third book she has to read for the finals when Seulgi came to visit her in the library.

 

Seulgi’s favorite would always be Irene’s neck, and Irene knew that well. So it came as no surprise when Seulgi greeted her with a kiss on the neck, followed by Seulgi’s nose burying further to that smooth part, and finally a kiss on the shoulder to top it all off.

 

It would always be one of Irene’s favorite things that Seulgi does, but she wouldn’t admit that because, yep, Seulgi is a jerk.

 

“Seul, we’re in the library. People are looking.”

 

Seulgi pulled the chair beside Irene and moved closer, taking a soft bite at Irene’s neck that made the girl almost scream.

 

“So?”

 

“And I’m studying, you jerk.” Irene pushed Seulgi’s face farther away from her. “Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be in your own department?”

 

Seulgi smirked, “Is it so wrong to miss you, Miss Bae? Because the last time I saw you was last week.”

 

“Not because you finished everything—”

 

“Are we still going to pretend? Because you’re the one who texted me to come here.”

 

“Did I?” Irene just smiled innocently and didn’t say anything after that.

 

“Just shut up and kiss me.”

 

---

 

 

“Seulgi, can you hear me?”

 

“Nurse! I think she’s waking up!”

 

-

 

 

“I already know you like sleeping, baby, but you didn’t have to make me wait this long.” Irene huffed as soon as she saw Seulgi opened her eyes again.

 

Seulgi found herself on a hospital bed with a lot of wires attached to her. The first thing her mind thought was to panic seeing herself in that state, but as soon as she saw Irene, she forced herself to calm.

 

Irene. Seulgi thought. When the haze in her eyes slowly disappeared and her sight got clearer, she saw the dark circles on Irene’s eyes, and then noticed the drastic weight loss that Seulgi was afraid that she would fall apart if she as much as hold Irene’s hand.

 

“How long was I out?” Seulgi mumbled despite the roughness she felt on .

 

Irene finally sat beside Seulgi’s bed and looked at her with teary eyes as she held Seulgi’s hand, and then finally releasing a relief sigh and comforted herself that yes, Seulgi’s alive.

 

“You left me for a month, baby.” Irene pouted so that she could make Seulgi guilty for leaving her with all the scary thoughts.

 

“Sorry.” Was all Seulgi could offer for now.

 

“Nevermind, as long as you’re finally here with me.”

 

“If it makes you feel better,” Seulgi started, held Irene’s hand a little bit tighter, and then gathered whatever strength she has to pull Irene closer to her. Irene understood and moved closer, her ears almost touching Seulgi’s lips, so she could hear what Seulgi was trying to say.

 

“What?”

 

“I dreamt about you all this time. But it’s so much better when I’m awake, because I can hold you like this…”

 

The confession made Irene smile, she finally moved away and found that Seulgi has fallen asleep again.

 

Seeing Seulgi’s sleeping face reminded Irene that she needed sleep herself. Now that she felt assured that Seulgi would not leave her, she can finally get that much needed rest. So she lay down beside Seulgi and hugged her arm like how she did for the past month.

 

“You better be dreaming about me again.”

 

Irene mumbled and kissed Seulgi’s temple as goodnight and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

 

 

 

 

---

 

A/N: This was started last year, I just finished it today >.< Some of the flashes were written a really long time ago, I'm happy to finally publish it here lol. Hope you enjoyed this.