“If you ask me to leave now, I will.” 

“Run away with me, Irene Bae.” 

***

Seulgi couldn’t help it but to feel pathetic for loitering around on the street in the cold, looking for the restaurant that Irene was in with Ilhoon. 

This guy had came to the cafe six months after their first year anniversary, looking for Irene and it turned out that Mr Bae wasn’t kidding about wanting to matchmake his elder daughter with sons of his friends. 

Within the short span of his appearance, the two girls had fought at least three times about it, with one just happening the night before. 

It was his fifth visit.

The bouquet of flowers sitting on the table separating Ilhoon and Irene was an eyesore and heck did Seulgi want to throw them away. 

Thank goodness for her self control which was on the verge of crumpling, if not who knows what kind of scene would she had created.

Nevertheless, she let her imagination ran wild; picturing herself rushing forward to kiss Irene abruptly or just blurting out loud that Irene was hers, so that Ilhoon can get the hint and get lost. 

The entire pantomime in her head lasted for about twenty more minutes before she watched Irene sent him to the door. 

“It was nice talking to you like this again, Irene.”

She said nothing, just smiling halfheartedly.

“Can I take you out for dinner tomorrow? There’s this new chicken place at Hongdae and I thought it would be nice to try it out with you.”

A simper came out a bit too loud and Seulgi just disguised it with a cough when Ilhoon looked over to her direction briefly. 

That guy obviously knew nothing about Irene because if he did, the last place he should take her out for dinner would be a chicken restaurant. 

She wasn’t sure what was the feeling brewing in her tummy. It felt like a mixture of anger and jealousy that Irene was asked out but not without a pinch of triumph, knowing that Irene revealed little details of her own to this person. 

“I… I’m not-”

“It’s my birthday tomorrow so please don’t reject me?” 

That was all it took to break Seulgi’s limit as she stood up, scaring Irene in the midst of doing so. She threw a look of disbelief that Ilhoon actually pulled such a trick. 

Walking towards the water dispenser and filled up a large cup of ice water, she gulped it down as if it would help to extinguish her raging emotions. She didn’t even have to think to know that Irene would be too softhearted to give no as an answer, especially not to the guy who was personally introduced by her dad. 

The exchange of goodbyes signified another fight that they were about to have. 

“You heard it all, didn’t you?”

“He was too loud for me to not hear, as much as I wished I was spared.” 

Irene sighed. “Come with me tomorrow?”

Seulgi slammed the cup on the counter and shocked Irene second time in a row.

“Are you being serious right now? Are you mocking me?”

“Seulgi..”

“Don’t Seulgi me now, okay? Thanks for your kind invitation but no thanks Irene, I am pretty sure I would have no appetite.”

Seulgi went back to the table, throwing all her belongings into her bag and swung it over her shoulder. With each second that passed, her frustration only seemed to escalate.

“Baby,” That pleading tone was sad to hear. “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere away so I wouldn’t be able to see those damn flowers!” 

“Kang Seulgi, don’t you ever walk out on me like this.” 

Her hand was already on the handle but she halted at the cracked voice. Her mind was experiencing a malfunction and she badly needed fresh air to clear her poisonous thoughts. 

She didn’t look back when she pulled the door opened. 

“He doesn't even know you can’t eat chicken, Irene.” 

With that being said, Irene paced to the door to watch Seulgi’s receding back walking away from this argument, walking away from her. 

She slouched onto the ground, a hand clutching onto the chain around her neck as she let the first tear escaped. 

With her vision blurred, she sent a text.

“What happened to being indestructible?” 

For the whole night, Seulgi tossed and turned in her bed, contemplating if she went too far.

She watched the sun raised, watched the clock struck one in the noon and she still didn’t get up from her bed. Moonbyul checked on her in the evening, only to find her still in the same position like she saw in the morning. 

“I have been looking for you but your phone was switched off. Did something happen?”

It was then when it occurred to her that she disabled all forms of communication once she left the cafe so she could empty her mind, even though it was still fully cramped and not to mention that she hadn’t slept for the entire night. 

Besides the miss calls and messages from Moonbyul, one text got her all shook. 

“Damn it!” 

Despite a record breaking time she took to bathe and rushed to Hongdae, the sky was already dark. That’s how she found herself standing in the cold, unaware of which restaurant Irene was in exactly. 

It was pathetic of her to walk out on the one who presented her with the promise ring resting on her finger as she searched the youthful place for the sight of Irene. 

Three fights in a month, one of which she let her anger got the better of her. 

After what seemed like forever, she stopped on the street, pondering on her next step when a promoter came along to an advertorial into her hand.

“Toreore Chicken, Opening Special!”

If this wasn’t a push from the deities from above, Seulgi wouldn’t know what it was either. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, reaching the restaurant in less than a minute. She scanned the crowded place and it was effortless for Irene to shine among the rest of the diners. 

The moody face guilt tripped the guts out of the younger one. 

Seulgi would like to think that it was their telepathy when Irene happened to look out of the window and widened her eyes at who she saw. The collage girl gave a timid wave coupled with an embarrassed smile. 

Ignoring the possibility of being ignored, Seulgi made a call. 

“Irene, you have a call.” 

Ilhoon mentioned the obvious and leaned into his chair to give the girl some privacy but Irene’s thoughts were no longer on him to mind his words. 

It had never been on him throughout the meal and she felt bad about it but how can she be blamed when she wasn’t even a willing party in this matchmaking from the beginning? 

“Hey..” 

“I’m sorry Irene, I’m so sorry.” 

A beam spread across Irene’s face, eyes twinkling with tears. She missed this voice. 

“Can I be the one who takes you home later instead of him?” 

“If you ask me to leave now, I will.” 

Ilhoon looked at Irene, confused. 

“You-You will?” 

“Ask me.” 

Even from some distance apart, their eyes were locked and they only saw each other. Seulgi wore a smirk so handsome that Irene felt herself falling in love all over again. 

“Run away with me, Irene Bae.” 

Action speaks louder than words. 

Irene ignored a shocked Ilhoon’s calling for her as she bolted out of the restaurant towards Seulgi and grabbed the hand firmly before they took off together, running like their lives were dependent on this sprint. 

For once, Irene didn’t want to think about any consequences. 

For once, Irene only wanted to care about Seulgi and nothing else, because Seulgi was all that mattered. 

Their laughter was ringing along the streets that they ran on. 

They had no particular destination in mind but as long as they were together, anywhere would be good. 

They eventually stopped at an empty park, both stumbling onto the grass and leaned against the tree for support. It took them awhile to catch their breath but soon lost it again when they started giggling uncontrollably. 

Irene made her way into Seulgi’s engulfment, then they both finally let the entire affair sank in. 

“I can’t believe you really did that.” Seulgi was soft. “You actually eloped with me.” 

“Hmm, I did.” 

Nobody spoke for the next few minutes, each girl having the same episode replaying in their head. 

Seulgi was starting to worry when Irene’s phone displayed 4 miss calls from Ilhoon and felt her stomach flipped when “Dad” surfaced on the screen. On the other hand, Irene was busy watching every expression of the younger one who she missed so dearly ever since she was walked out on. 

She knew she had let hell loose back at home, especially with the temper of her father. He wasn’t one who can deal with losing his face. 

But she wanted the night to be nothing besides Seulgi. 

Ensuring that nobody was within their proximity, her lips gravitated towards the jawline. 

She kissed her way up the jawline, leaving a trail of warmness on Seulgi’s skin, tingling the girl on the inside. The pair of lips lingered slightly longer right beneath the ear before Irene whispered.

“I realised how vulnerable I can be without you.."

Seulgi shuddered at the hot breath tickling her skin in a sensual way.   

"I promise to do my best so you wouldn’t ever feel the need to walk away again, Seul. I will give you my best.”

One year and five months of forbidden attachment, they lost count of how many times they fought. One year and five months, Seulgi walked out on Irene during an argument. One year and five months, Irene proved that Seulgi was her priority by running away from a date set by her parents. 

One year and five months of everything and Irene knew, without Seulgi, she would be soulless. 

***