Warm

She was feeling warm.

No longer feeling chilly, she smiles. She hopes that James was the one giving this wonderful warmth.

But she knows it’s not him.

Irene opens her eyes and finds her best friend hugging her close. Mouth slightly open, her Seulgi-Bear looked cute as she slumbered. Irene’s lips part a little as her fingers began to trail Seulgi’s cheeks.

A heavy sleeper, Seulgi doesn’t wake. Instead, Irene’s caress made her hug the smaller woman tighter.

Her eyes fall onto Seulgi’s lips; red, pouting lips.

Irene air, as her heart began to beat faster against her chest.

She tried to compose herself but Seulgi’s body seemed to have a mind of their own.

The sleeping bear moved and got closer to Irene, pressing her against the sofa. Those tempting lips now inches away from her.

Irene forced herself to tear her gaze from them and looked up to Seulgi’s closed eyes.

Beautiful

Like a magnet, Irene leans and captures Seulgi’s lips.

Slowly

Gently

She had to close her eyes as she thought she felt a piece of heaven greeting her.

“Uhn…” Seulgi steers but does not wake.

Luckily it brought Irene back to their reality.

She hides her head on Seulgi’s chest and closes her eyes.

Her heart was beating in a way it never did for James.

Or even for anyone.

@@@@@@@

Seulgi sits impatiently on the sofa while she waited for Irene to come out. Apparently her best friend was hell bent on marrying the in the next few days and was now about to check on her wedding dress.

Of course it irks our heroine but what can we say?

Our bear’s silence is her own pain.

Seulgi rests her head on her hand, fingers massaging her temple.

She imagines all the late nights Irene would have to endure by herself when the probably sleeps with other women.

Worse, wait for the only to be stood up again.

James doesn’t seem to care about Irene, in all honesty.

Irene seems to be okay by it for some reason.

“Why do nice girls like s?” Seulgi makes a face but looks up to Irene looking magnificent in her wedding gown.

Seulgi stares at her from head to foot then back up again.

Breathtaking

Swallowing a lump on she looks straight into Irene’s fearful eyes and lets out a reassuring eye smile.

“How do I look?”

She asks her voice laced with nervousness that Seulgi wanted to take away.

Irene had her head tied into a bun making her creamy neck and shoulders available for Seulgi to gawk on. The simple off shoulder wedding dress showed her milky white skin and collarbones that made Seulgi’s mouth water.

Seulgi couldn’t find the word at some point.

But then when she looked back into Irene’s eyes, she had to hold back.

Irene was in love with James and telling her things would make Seulgi lose whatever was left of their friendship.

Her best friend wouldn’t let her put up with this much torture if she didn’t really love him.

“You’re perfect.” She replies, her voice sounded so weak.

Immediately she stood up and tries to compose herself as she got of her seat.

She was in love with a person she already lost even before she could say a word.

No point torturing yourself as they say.

“I’ll just be outside. I need some air.”

As Seulgi left, Irene frowns feeling an unfamiliar pain in her chest.

She doesn’t want to entertain it but it lingers making her feel heavy hearted throughout the fitting.

If she was perfect then why was she unhappy?

@@@@@@@

Seulgi was out on lunch with Krystal but she had these papers stacked on the table. Krystal was amused but she stayed silent.

For the past weeks, Seulgi had been responsible for all household chores and bills. Her best friend, Irene, was not even responsible for cleaning her own mess. Seulgi did everything on her own. The bear has also stopped slacking and was now studying, determined to get her degree.

But that worried Krystal.

Seulgi didn’t have time for herself anymore.

Just on cue, Seulgi receives a message making her take what seemed to be her last bite of the meal they share.

“Irene again?” She asks, trying not to sound too upset.

It’s not that she didn’t expect these things from the woman who Seulgi is denying marriage. She just didn’t expect something so extreme.

Irene must be desperate.

“I just need to take her to a dinner with James. It seems the couldn’t pick her up.”

“Seulgi…”

Her friend avoids eye contact. She already knows what Krystal would say.

But of course Krystal wasn’t going to be left in silence.

“Why do you keep doing this? You know she will marry him. She will force you into slavery if she has too. She loves the guy.”

The bear sighs and closes her eyes.

Krystal knows she knows what is in front of her.

Thing is why was Seulgi letting herself face things blindly?

“Did you ever feel like, you have to be there because you know they she is just going to break her heart?”

Krystal closed her eyes and lets out a sigh. The irony that the question would be asked by the person who was putting her into the situation was outstanding. But Krystal wasn’t like Seulgi. She wouldn’t want to get into the messy reality her friend has with Irene. Standing by the thought that Irene has yet to accept that she loved Seulgi, Krystal replies as detached as she could.

“Seulgi… I know she’s your friend. And you’re afraid she’ll break her heart but it IS her choice. The only thing you could do is be there for her.”

“Krystal…”

“It wouldn’t make a difference. She doesn’t even care about you right now.”

Seulgi places her pen down.

Krystal sees that she had already finished writing the lyrics to her song.

The song she was going to present to Yuri.

“Do you love her?”

Krystal asks the million dollar question and got the answer that silently broke her heart.

“Yes.”

@@@@@@@

Sulli stared at Irene who was now preparing herself for the Director’s dinner the Jung’s were hosting.

“So… Is James picking you up?”

“Seulgi is…” She replies fixing her hair.

“How’s the marriage thing going?”

“She has been working hard you know. I don’t even have to worry about anything at home.”

“She still makes you lunches…”

“Yes… If I forget, she brings them to the office…” Irene sighs and looks up to Sulli through the window.

“I suppose she’s not going to give you up the easily huh?”

“See! That’s the thing. She would have given up by now… But surprisingly she hasn’t…”

“Maybe she really likes you…” Sulli slipped the words out of her lips and Irene grew wide eyed at the thought.

“Seulgi wouldn’t like me like that… We have been friends…”

“Have you ever thought about it though?”

Irene fights hard not to blush but answers nonetheless.

“Once… But she seemed too in love with Yura at the time I didn’t want to think about it.”

“You liked Seulgi?!?!? Oh my…”

“Shhhh! She doesn’t know. And she shouldn’t know.”

“Wow. No wonder you are not complaining! This is like playing house and making the partner work hard through jealousy!”