---

Well, the two lovebirds obviously went for a walk; it has been like 30 minutes since they left and Hwasa is getting bored now.

Solar is being called a few minutes ago for a dressing rehearsal and apparently, the older girl doesn’t really want her to come along because she doesn’t want to ‘spoil the fashion show’.

Hwasa scoffed playfully; the girl’s innocent and absolutely adorable beliefs will never fail to warm her heart.

She smiled unknowingly, remembering the bright personality of her fiancée. How lucky can she be to be engaged to such an amazing woman and she thanks every star on the sky for allowing the older girl to propose to her at the first place.

Of course, they got engaged because they thought it would be an easy way out. Maybe, never in a million years would Hwasa thought to actually fall for the slightly taller girl.

She sighed out of boredom. She wanted to see her fiancée, not left alone in this large suite room.

Life is seriously such a bore without the presence of her favourite girls around.

Hwasa sighed again, she’s thinking too much of the engulfing silence around her and as a soon to be graduated doctor, Hwasa shook her head in denial; trying to bury whatever odd loneliness she is feeling right now.

How unhealthy.

Maybe she should just watch whatever is on the television right now, maybe it will somehow distracts her from her inner unstoppable and sometimes super annoying thoughts; the curse of the ability to think too much but then again, her multiple capabilities to open up in such minds is what makes her a great psychology student to begin with.

Advising patients in one thing, but understanding them is another.

You need to be them. You need to feel what they are feeling. You need to suffer what they have been suffering through.

Wheein was worried about her, for choosing such a challenging career but Hwasa likes it. It’s like a puzzle, almost.

Not like solving people’s problem is such a fun game thing to her - that would be cruel to be honestly speaking, but to be able to change or rather helping people to accept themselves; their inner monsters, their inner angels, their inner desires… those are important and if we cannot accept who we really are on the inside, how would we be able to see what the world sees you?

Life is such a mirror, now is it?

The world sees us the same way we would see the world. If you see the world with a happy expression on, the world will see us hopefully and exactly the same, even if it’s sometimes only in your mind.

Hwasa groaned internally, she’s getting overbroad again with her life philosophy.

She walked away from the tall windows on the left corner of the living room and slowly making her way towards the centre, looking for the tiny remote control of the large and flat gadget.

But before she could succeed, three gentle knocks can be heard from the main door. Hwasa faced the familiar giant door to her right, as she stopped herself from continuing her investigation under the couch. She lifts herself up from the clean carpet and let out a clear respond in reply as she dusts away the non-existent dirt on her white blouse and black high-waist pants.

“Wait a second!”

She quickly made her way to the door, without hesitation and without bothering to look at the peep hole, swiftly opened up the wooden flat barrier of the suite revealing a tall, elegant looking and very well dressed woman.

At first, what attracts her the most was the clothing, of course. Such fancy, such presence, such confidence she carries… this woman is no ordinary person, Hwasa immediately noticed.

Definitely, as an advantage of being a psychiatrist, little things like these are considered as hints to her mind that no one else really bother to figure out.

But as her eyes lingered upward, finally focusing themselves to the face of a such body, to those familiar eyes, now widened in surprise and immediately shy away from the sudden realization as a knowing smirk slowly creeping its way to the owner’s undoubtedly beautiful yet cunning face.

Hwasa couldn’t believe her eyes.

But of course, as her brain rotated on its own, clicking clues together… she knows. The girl is a friend of Moonbyul; how could she forget?

“Young Lady Ahn, it is nice to see you again.” The woman bowed, her eyes jotted down for a second before making its way back to Hwasa’s soul windows.

Hwasa was shock, speechless even but seeing the unaffected person in front of her, Hwasa finally took her loss lenses back to her command.

“Young Lady Kang, I didn’t expect to see you here.” She bowed along.

“I’m actually looking for CEO Kim, is she here? I’ve been directed to this particular suite number.”

“She went down a few minutes ago, you probably have missed her just a few steps back.”

“Oh, I have never missed such an important timing.” Seulgi smiled softly and Hwasa’s eyes narrowed in questions; wondering whether the subtle messages behind the tone should be ignored or should it be comprehended.

Hwasa pressed further, “You must be a friend of CEO Moon, yes?”

“Indeed, is she around too?”

“No, she must be with her fiancée.”

“I see.” Seulgi nodded in acknowledgement and Hwasa is hot with curiosity.

“I shall say,” Hwasa continued, finally had enough with whatever ignorant game they are playing right now. “She seems different than I remember her as. Different hair colour, different speaking style, very confident… I, for once do not have complains against such a strong woman.”

Hwasa complimented as she gestured the woman to come inside before closing the door shut.

“And different name too.” She finished as she twisted her body away from the door towards her companion’s back and the woman seemingly busied herself by observing the main room of the suite and hummed quietly in return, indicating that she was paying attention at the first place even if her body says otherwise.

Hwasa waits patiently for her response; any changing in her body’s postures, any tensing movement of her shoulders but strangely, none came. The girl’s body screams relaxation, comforts and most importantly, still radiating the same level of confidence.

“That would be the least shocking part, now is it? It is kind of suspicious when Choi Moonbyul suddenly disappears from the surface of the earth.” Seulgi replied, gently smiling back as she turned to face the red haired woman, at which on the contrary, spotted with not a single smile can be seen.

“If you were her, would you still be using the same name of a person you badly wanted to forget?” She asked nonchalantly and Hwasa straightened her posture in return.

She really feels like she is being attacked right now, she doesn’t know why.

Seulgi slowly approached her. “Of course that being said, her fiancée is the same person that changes her life back then; I wouldn’t be calling my real name if I was in her shoes. Would you, Young Lady Ahn? Would you be honest?”

“Define honesty, Young Lady Kang…” Hwasa challenged, crossing her arms in front of her as the woman looked up upon her because of their small differences in height. Two can play this game.

The woman is shorter than she initially thought.

“Would telling my future wife who I really am be considered as being honest? If that is a yes, then yes. A marriage works best when you are honest, correct?” She continued and for a split second there, Hwasa thought she was a step ahead of the assured woman.

Just for a split second.

But the smirk that Hwasa grown to hate, slowly made its way back.

The woman let out a tiny smirk once again, making the other girl to feel such discomforts in seeing the unflinching motivation of the woman.

“People like us live on motives, Young Lady Ahn, of course we’ve known this ever since we were little. I have a motive, you have a motive, Young Lady Jung has a motive and so does CEO Moon.” She walked away from the red headed girl’s personal space and now making her way towards the windows instead.

“You cannot blame the girl for her instinct to survive and hide from such horrendous past, yes? Not just because of Young Lady Jung, but because of herself too. She’s a scholar, a nobody, an average person.” Seulgi cleared . “In our world, those are considered as a loop-hole, weaknesses. We all have them, no matter how much we wanted to erase them.”

Her voice oozing out of her body seems like a foreign soul to Hwasa. Her cold tone, her unforgiving stares… she doesn’t know who this woman is standing there, not anymore.

This person screams danger, a threat and Hwasa’s shield grown stronger as she spends seconds by seconds with the presence of the now unknown woman.

“Your family has a lot of secrets too, that I know and so do you.” Seulgi resumed, eyes looking intently at the lights reflecting back from the world outside, begging to be complimented with their oddly in sync colours.

Seulgi can hear the heels clicking softly from behind her as the woman in mind, walking slowly towards her.

“We all do have secrets, Young Lady Kang. Some are more discreet, and the others are not so much.”

“Yours are clearly not to me.”

“I beg your pardon?” Hwasa is getting angry now. How dare she come into this room and threatening her with her family’s secrets. Who does she think she is?

Seulgi can feel the woman’s intense glare at the back of her head and her smirk widened. She took a glance at the fuming girl. “I’ve worked with your family before, quite personally Young Lady Ahn. The secrets really couldn’t help themselves from spilling over to my tea, I shall say.”

“I didn’t know you’d scoop that low as a person… and as a professional lawyer, Young Lady Kang.” Hwasa’s upper lip twitched lightly in both annoyance and deep anger.

“Let’s be honest; if I wouldn’t, other people would. I’m just taking a step further. There is no need to be offended.”

“So, you’re threatening me now?”

Seulgi clicked her tongue playfully in return that broadened and pushed the other girl’s patience to the edges. “We are simply negotiating, Young Lady Ahn.”

“What do you want Seulgi?”

The dark haired girl laughed softly upon recalling the first name base that came out literally of the girl’s mouth.

“Careful,” She sings mockingly, “people might think we were friends at the first place.”

She waved her finger slowly in front of the girl’s face. “All you need to do is just to be… absolutely silent.”

“What?”

“You heard what I said. CEO Moon, she’s different, right? But your friend, and apparently, the rest of the world don’t seem to be reminded at all who the girl really is. All they know is Miss Moon, long gone was the Choi girl.”

“Young Lady Jung’s observant skills are rather lower than mine.”

“She’s oblivious, that I know.” Seulgi shrugged slightly, feeling the envy behind her brown pupils as she witness the protective instinct of the woman in front of her towards her best friend.

Seulgi knows she is breaking her law right now, her code to act and be different than those people around her.

Threatening people using her power as an advantage on her behalf is not her way at all, this is not her. But her need to protect the older girl is stronger than she ever thought. Seulgi dropped her gaze away from the worry expression of the woman.

She’s scaring her, that part she knows. And Seulgi is not proud of herself. In fact, she hated herself for doing so.

“We shall let CEO Moon to be just CEO Moon, yes?”

“Are you telling me to lie to my closest friend?” Hwasa raised her voice a little, not really believing with such deals she just heard. “I don’t know what Miss Moon’s real motive is but I swear to you; if she hurts Wheein, I will hurt her.”

“Indeed,” Seulgi nodded before adding, “but the other girl deserves some justice too.”

“What justice are you-”

“The girl destroys my friend; her life, her dignity, her self-esteem, her confidence, her inner voice and her hope.” Seulgi cut her off and glared at the now quiet woman in front of her.

“Young Lady Jung deserves the truth?” She scoffed hatefully, “the girl deserves to be punished to what she has done to her fiancée in the past. No laws could ever forgive her nor there will be justice to do Miss Moon some good.”

Hwasa sighed and avoided the girl’s eyes contacts.

“Now, I would threaten you to be quiet Hyejin; no doubt I would do it, even if it means that half of my sanity is taken away from me. I would do it. Moonbyul doesn’t want people to know who she really is, and I would do things beyond my control to make sure she gets what she wants this time around.” Seulgi breathes deeply as her nostrils widened in frustrations.

“I would threaten you. But I will not, because I’m hoping that the guilt you’ve carried with you for all these years will do the girl some justice instead.” Seulgi walked towards the door, wanting to be out of the suite as soon as she possibly could; being around the girl will eventually cause her to lose whatever control she has in her body.

Seeing the familiar expression of the girl causes her to feel things that she certainly doesn’t want the other to know. She met with silence instead; the girl oddly gives no witty response in return.

Seulgi held the door knob, twisting it lightly before she decided to shot a glance at the woman still standing in front of the giant windows, body frozen in memory and her mind swallows itself with guilt and self-destruction.

Seulgi shook her head and added softly, “We both know you could’ve stopped her. But you didn’t.”

Seulgi opened the door.

“It’s because you are selfish, Hyejin. You have destroyed her too.”

-Flashback-

There she is, sitting on the same table, accompanied by at least a dozen of different books, hand writing down furiously on her book and sometimes her other unoccupied hand would come up and slightly lift her glasses up her nose as it tends to slide down her face when she ducked too much, wanting to get closer to the modern ink of the pen, as if getting closer to the said paper to her front will allow her to understand better to whatever non-sense she has wrote.

Her face in pure concentrations, muting those who surround her; her mind speaking on its own, repeating the tiny words on the textbooks and jotting down whatever important points that she needed to finish the homework in hands.

Hwasa likes seeing her like this.

The girl seems to be very shy and timid whenever she’s around other people but seeing her surrounded by books and the smell of the rusty papers around her; Hwasa can clearly see that this is her safe zone.

Her posture is comfortable, long gone was the usual afraid and nervous girl. Here, Hwasa can the see the hidden confidence behind those weak eyes people often see her as.

This is her home, and Hwasa couldn’t help but to fall more and more to her mysterious behaviour. She’s beautiful, that part is no doubt.

Hwasa doesn’t really know how people would even dare to say that she’s ‘ugly’ because she’s absolutely not.

The first time Hwasa saw the girl, it took the air right away from her lungs and she forgot how to breathe for a few seconds, frozen on her spot, eyes widened in ecstasy, and hands shaking in excitements.

It was very the first time she felt that way and that was like, a few months ago.

Hwasa is not a person who has a crush on someone; in fact people have crushes on her. Not the other way around. The girl is very confident with her own skin, not afraid to say her opinion out loud and at the same time, not afraid to admit that she was wrong; if she was wrong at the first place, which is quite a rare thing to be witnessed.

The girl is smart, both with books and life. Her personalities are what make people respect her more; not because she’s known as the Young Lady Ahn outside the school, but she’s a brave and confident person in general.

She’s the head student, for crying out loud and the girl is still in her junior year, out landed the position from the other seniors with her fully equipped social and communicational skills with the addition of being the reliable one, everyone reckons her to be the leader.

She was born as one, why not starts now?

God knows she will never inherit her father’s company. With an older brother and two older sisters, her chance of being the heir of the Ahn family is slimmer than her thighs will ever be, but at least with those strong thighs… both boys and girls fallen to her charms almost instantly.

It doesn’t bother her as much; she knows she’s smart and would find her own career sooner or later. But still, watching her brother and sisters succeed in life is both inspiring and pressuring, especially being the youngest one out of the siblings.

And the fact that she first saw the girl was at the school’s field, it took her by a complete surprise.

“Choi girl alert!” She heard the annoying girl said. She took her attention away from her phone to the tall girl standing at the foot of the bleachers and that was exactly when Hwasa felt like someone has kicked her hard in the stomach.

She forgot how to breathe.

Those eyes, it was almost painful to even look away. To be honest, she didn’t hear much of what Jessica said next to the girl. Hwasa just stared at her, observing and absorbing as much as she could.

And her heart dropped as Wheein dismissed her away. She looked hurt, and that was the first time, ever in her entire life, that she feels she wanted to shout at Wheein; angry at her for doing such horrible things to an innocent girl, wanting to hate her even.

She has taken this façade way too far.

But the girl is like a sister to her; she decided to ignore her inner voice and opted to warn the slightly older girl instead, but knowing that the right message and disapproval are being delivered nevertheless.

“That was unnecessary, Jung Wheein.”

And ever since then, Hwasa has becomingly somewhat distant with the blonde girl. She hated feeling this way. They were inseparable since young but Hwasa feels like she cannot forgive the girl for being so mean.

Hwasa wanted to stop her, ‘stop bullying her!’, she wanted to scream. She wanted to protect her. And that scares Hwasa badly.

Her desire to protect another person beside Wheein is a foreign feeling to be experienced and it scares her.

Hwasa also knows that the senior has a crush on Wheein; that’s what everyone told her. The rumours are flying by, from one student to another. She thought it was a cruel joke.

But when she later found out it was in fact the truth, Hwasa cried that night.

She cried and she has never done that before; not even when her parents have decided to stop paying attention to her and more to her brother and sisters. Not even then.

But the feeling of wanting someone that could never be hers is unbearable; it is painful, bitter and lonely.

But yet, there she is, Hwasa still come to the library to see the girl study from afar even for a few short minutes; seeing the girl happy in her own bubbles can brighten up Hwasa’s day right away.

“Hi, Hyejin-shi!” She dropped the book in hand as she busied herself before by staring at the dark haired senior through the cracks and small spaces in between the tall book shelves.

The sudden voice emitted from her right took the girl by surprise and she jumped lightly as her hands lose their tight grips on the said textbook. The thick book made a loud noise as it flopped down to the floor and Hwasa blushed lightly upon hearing the ‘hushing’ noise from the other students and the library staffs.

Both of the girl immediately kneeled down, not wanting to be the end of the judgemental eyes now directed at them and as well as with the intention to retrieve the fallen book itself from the carpeted floor.

“I’m sorry!” The girl whispered with her guilty face on and Hwasa laughed softly as she recognized the playful smile spreading across the face in front of her.

“Seulgi-shi, next time approach me slowly; people may have not known this, but I’m a naturally jumpy person.” The blonde girl joked causing the other to giggle loudly in return.

Hwasa knows the girl; she’s one of the friendly students in her Biology class. Though they never had the chance to sit next to one another, but they have done short project together and Hwasa really, really like her charming and funny personalities. They have become close friends short after.

“What are you doing…” Seulgi hesitated as she read the name attached at the top of the book shelves and frowned deeply in confusion, “at the history section?”

“What? Oh.” Hwasa finally realized, to be honest, she just took whatever book that was placed in front of her; she wasn’t there to study anyways, not for the time being.

“I-I umm…” She stuttered, not really know how to explain it to the girl without giving away that she’s actually there to stalk a particular someone. “I’m taking few extra classes this summer!”

An unconvinced lie but at least she tried.

“I thought you are interested in pursuing science?” The bear like girl pressed further.

“I… I’m interested in knowing more about wars, and how the leaders and soldiers decided to approach the wars before. Their plans, their brave intentions, their motivations to protect their countries even if they know they’re going to die in doing so. It’s amazing how much we can learn from our ancestors’ minds.” She half-lied and feeling rather impressed with her own reasons and explanations.

“I’m interested in learning human’s behaviour.” She finished. Now to think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. She’s probably going to end up really taking the history class in the summer anyhow.

“That’s cool.”

“What are you doing here then?”

“I’m fetching some of these books for a friend.” She casually explained to her as she shown Hwasa a small ripped and crumbled paper in her right hand with a long list of book names written neatly across them.

“That’s a lot of books.”

“Not all of them, just a few. Moonbyul unnie is taking history class this semester.”

Hwasa’s stomach dropped.

That name.

Moonbyul.

Hwasa remained silent, not able to find her own voice at the moment.

Oh my god.

“She’s sitting right there, do you know her?” Seulgi pointed out.

“Nope.”

“Really? But you’ve been staring at her though for the past 30 minutes.” Seulgi tilted her head sideways and smirked playfully.

---

To be continued...

p/s: I know the last part is a bit cruel haha but I'm not sure if you guys like long chapter or short one, so I decided to divide this chapter into 2 XD  it's actually one long chapter. I'll probably going to post the 2nd part tomorrow and I hope you don't mind me focusing on Hwasa first before I focus on WheeByul and thier suite room situation ;D Some people are curious about Hwasa's past so there you go! <3

The 2nd part probably won't be as long as this but it will reveal some truths that will make a lot of sense haha

But yes, please do comments what you think so far and thank you for your support! <3 YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!