Chapter Seven: Heart to Heart

“Congratulations guys!” Seulgi pulls Wonwoo into a hug, feeling his laughter vibrating against her chest. Wonwoo lifts Seulgi up and twirls her. “You guys were so cool! 31 versus 22! You were amazing!” Seulgi squeals as she buries her face in Wonwoo’s shoulder. “I am so proud of you, Kang Wonwoo.”

“Thank you.” Wonwoo grins, pinching Seulgi's cheek affectionately. “Wouldn’t have done it without my other half cheering for me.” 

Seulgi grins widely before shifting her attention to Taeyong and gives the boy a high-five. “You too! You were so cool! See? I told you you can do it.” She exclaims.

“Thank you so much.” Taeyong laughs and wraps Seulgi in a hug and he definitely loves how tiny her waist is and how easily his body engulfs her and how—despite the sweat—she still smells like citrus and flowers. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

He can hear Seulgi's laughter just beside his ears and he lets go of the girl. “You were awesome, too, you know that?” 

“I thought you didn’t have time to look at the cheerleaders since you’re so into the game, but I’m flattered that you noticed me.” Seulgi giggles.

“Um, no. I do not approve, move it, Lee.” Wonwoo suddenly pushes Taeyong away from Seulgi, causing the girl to laugh.

Taeyong locks eyes with Seulgi before giving the girl a small smile, which she replies with a bigger smile.

Then, Seungwan, Ten and Johnny come up to them, all of them screaming congratulations for Taeyong and Wonwoo—well, Ten’s a bit on the calmer side—but all of them are happy and elated and even Seungwan hugs Taeyong, for a brief time before she let him go and give Wonwoo a brief hug.

“So you guys didn’t screw up. Good job, ladies.” Johnny says, congratulating Seungwan and Seulgi.

Seungwan laughs, “It’s all thanks to Seulgi, she calms me down when I was a total wreck.”

“No, it’s not. I barely did anything. Seungwan was great on her own.” Seulgi replies, casually wrapping her arms around Seungwan’s waist. Seungwan stares at Seulgi before breaking into a smile and hugging the girl.

“I don’t care, I’m still thankful that you’re here with me.” 

Ten approaches the girl, a small smile adorns his face. “You guys were great, congratulations. All those trainings paid off tonight.”

“Thanks, Tenny.” Seungwan grins, giving Ten a high-five.

“Thanks, number 10.” Seulgi replies cheekily. “So? Did you take any of my pictures?”

Ten shrugs, “I did.” He admits. He really did, because each time Yeongsan scores, his eyes didn’t search the score-board. Instead, it searched for Seulgi and he had to remind himself to capture that proud smile of hers.

“Yeah!” Seulgi exclaims happily. “That means I’m important now, right?”

“Well, I didn’t do it voluntarily.”

“But you could’ve reject,” Seulgi points out smugly. “Thanks, Ten. Can take a look at it?”

Ten shakes his head. “I don’t show my pictures to anyone.” He replies and Seulgi’s face falls.

“What? But Seungwan, Taeyong and Johnny have seen your pictures.” She pouts.

“They took a peep of it without my consent.” Ten replies idly. “I’m not that good anyway.”

“But you still take a lot of pictures of me, right?” Seulgi smiles cutely.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Kang.” Ten warns and Seulgi laughs.

Ten rolls his eyes before walking off to find Taeyong. However, he does feel a slight content, Seulgi looks happy and she laughs because of him. It’s satisfying. A little satisfying.

***

To celebrate Yeongsan’s first win in the new semester, Jackson threw a party in his house on Friday night. Johnny comes—he always comes to parties because, according to him, parties are often where seeds of dramas appears, Ten thinks his obsession with gossips is severe—Taeyong and Wonwoo definitely comes, Seungwan and Seulgi comes, while Ten is forced by all of them, despite his reluctance.

“Come and socialize, Ten, it’s good for your emotion-depraved soul.” Johnny says as he takes a sip of his punch. Seungwan and Seulgi are off somewhere while Wonwoo and Taeyong are hanging out with the team, possibly getting drunk.

“Yeah, but this kind of ‘socializing’ away my soul. I want to go home.” Ten says.

Seulgi stumbles onto them, then. A boy is trailing behind her. He’s Im Jaebum, the captain of Yeongsan’s Mad-Dogs. “Hey boys.” Seulgi greets as she takes a seat beside Johnny, Jaebum sitting beside her, arms casually resting on her shoulders.

“Wow, is the captain already picking the new girl?” Johnny says nonchalantly. Ten just knows he’s already forming words and mentally typing up some weird dating rumor in his head. ing gossiper.

“Can’t I get friendly with Seulgi without people asking me if I flirt with her?” Jaebum laughs. “Let’s hope that DungeonFairy from the gossip column does not attend this party.”

Ten almost bursts out laughing while lines starts to form on Johnny’s forehead because he’s frowning. “It’s DungeonBoy.” Johnny says. “Besides, I heard that he always go to parties to scoop any possible news.”

Jaebum arches an eyebrow. “Yeah? Tell him to get a life, for pete’s sake. Also change that name, DungeonBoy is like some weird name gamers use for LOL username.”

“Wait, number ten is here.” Seulgi says, noticing the grumpy Ten beside Johnny. “Didn’t know you’d really go. Anyways, it’s nice seeing you here, nice shirt by the way.” Seulgi says.

Ten groans. Johnny forces him out of his Bangkok hoodie and gives him shirt and jeans to wear, the older always says Ten has a hideous choice for clothing so Johnny lent him some of his shirt.

“This is Johnny’s shirt.”

“Oh,” Seulgi says, her cheek is a bit red and flushed, she must’ve drank a few. “I thought the style’s too flashy for you. That explains why.”

“I’m going to get another drink,” Jaebum says suddenly. “Want to come with me?” he says, winking at Seulgi.

Seulgi giggles, “Sure.” She says, allowing herself to be pulled to wherever the heck Jaebum is pulling her to. Ten watches as they leave, fingers entwined and Jaebum pulling Seulgi close, securing her with his arms around her tiny waist. ‘Friendly my .’ He thinks.

“I swear, Seulgi’s like the female George Clooney.” Johnny laughs.

“More like female Hugh Heffner.”

“Ew.” Johnny says. “Please no, that guy dated girls younger than her. Seulgi’s still have the brains not to be a e, thank the Lord for that.”

Ten shrugs before gulping down his drink.

This time, Seungwan appears, alone. She looks glad when she sees Johnny and Ten. “Oh, good, you guys are here. That Seulgi, I swear, ditching me for Jaebum.” She grumbles.

Johnny laughs. “Just stay here with us and help me handle Ten. He’s been wanting to go home since 7.15.”

“That’s like when you guys arrived here.” Seungwan deadpans.

“My point exactly.”

Seungwan laughs before settling comfortably beside Ten. “Poor Ten, he doesn’t like parties yet he’s forced to come.”

Johnny shrugs. “Socializing might help his unhealthy addiction towards solitude.”

Seungwan chuckles before resting her head on Ten’s shoulder. “I don’t know what Johnny did to make you come here, but you look good, at least. I know this is Johnny’s clothes but he did a great job.”

“Seulgi says it’s weird.” Ten says absentmindedly.

“Don’t you and Seulgi always want to tear each other’s head off? Coming from her, I think that’s pretty normal.” Seungwan says.

“Girl has a point.” Johnny agrees. “Anyway, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, Wan.”

Seungwan raises her head from Ten’s shoulder and turns her body towards Johnny. “What is it?”

Johnny shrugs before properly looking at Seungwan. “It’s about Taeyong and Seulgi.”

Seungwan instantly fidgets, Ten arches an eyebrow and decides he wants to participate in this conversation. Seungwan runs her fingers through her hair, a habit she always do when she feels awkward or nervous. “What is it?”

“Girl, I know your lifetime crush towards Taeyong and for all I know, but let’s just hope Seulgi loves to flirt with guys and don’t mean anything, but she may have developed the slightest crush towards Taeyong.”

“Or if that’s not the case, it’s Taeyong who has interest on her.” Ten adds in.

Seungwan let out a sigh, she plays with her fingers, eyes locked on her blue nails. “Honestly, I’ve been thinking the same for quite some time.”

Johnny deadpans. “Then confront her. Seulgi may be the saint she is but she still has flaws. She either doesn’t notice your feelings or flat out trying to ignore it and still pursue Taeyong anyways.”

“Don’t say that.” Seungwan says, face contorting in discomfort. As much as she loves Seulgi, the thought of the girl being Taeyong’s girlfriend makes Seungwan’s stomach churns.

“It’s the truth.” Ten agrees. “Seulgi’s a pretentious fox.”

Johnny rolls his eyes. “Ignore Ten and his ridiculous hatred towards Seulgi. But really, you treasure her as a friend, right? Friends tell. You don’t have to sacrifice your whole feelings to a girl you’ve only known for approximately a month. Even if she has been your friend throughout high school, you still have to tell her. Friends don’t steal each other’s crush—well, unless it’s with consent.”

“He’s right.”

“I know…” Seungwan says. “It’s just… I’m scared.”

Truthfully, the thought has lingered on Seungwan’s mind since so long. Of course she doesn’t miss the way Taeyong’s eyes would always fall on Seulgi’s first each time she enters the room. Of course she doesn’t miss the glint of interest in Taeyong’s eyes when he talks to Seulgi. But both are important person in her life and Seungwan hates to risk losing one of them. She hates to lose them over some petty things.

“The thing is,” Seungwan frowns, trying to form her words. “Seulgi, I may have only known her for a month or so, but I really, really treasure her. She’s my best friend and I trust her with all my heart and she’s honestly so important to me. I’d hate to hurt her feelings or do something that might make her… distance herself from me.”

“If she distances herself from you after you told her to back off from Taeyong, then she’s a true pretentious fox like everyone has predicted.” Ten says nonchalantly, spinning his phone in his hand. “You only see her good side so far, Wan. What makes a person a good friend is not by only seeing your good side, you know that. Besides, Kang Seulgi wears too many masks, neither of us know her true personality.”

“As much as disturbing it is, he’s right.” Johnny does agree with Ten. Despite Seulgi’s clear position as one of the ‘it girl’ in Yeongsan, despite what kinds of stereotype and labels have been sticking on her back ever since she moved from Seoul, nobody truly knows what kind of person Kang Seulgi is. Heck, even Wonwoo is easier to read.

Seungwan sighs. She regrets drinking Jackson’s beer because her head is spinning right now and she can’t really think straight. Yet somehow, the thought of not understanding Seulgi 100% and still wondering what kind of person she is bothers Seungwan so much. “I don’t know…”

“Talk to her.” Johnny advises. “That’s the best thing you can do, or you’ll end up like the love triangle you see in mangas. Bad news is, you’re the friend who got ditched.”

Ten nods. “That’s true.”

“Okay.” Seungwan sighs. “I’ll tell her after this party.”

“That’s the spirit.” Johnny squeezes her shoulders and gives her a warm smile. “Although, if I dare to say, according to my observation, Seulgi only has the tiniest crush on Taeyong and Taeyong’s attraction to Seulgi is pretty much like all of the boys of this school attraction towards Seulgi, so you’ll be fine.”

Seungwan arches an eyebrow. “Elaborate on the last part?”

“Oh, you know boys.” Johnny shrugs. “Their weakness is their eyes. Once they see someone pretty, boys will be all over that girl. Boys love to have their ego and Seulgi knows just how to do it, so that’s pretty much it.”

“So it’s not… that serious?”

“No.” Johnny shakes his head, giving the girl a cheeky smile. “Perhaps you can even ask Seulgi to teach you how to a guy’s ego. Maybe that’ll make Taeyong like you.”

“Don’t do that, you’ll end up like a copy of Kang Seulgi. As if the two of you hanging out together all the ing time isn’t bad enough.” Ten closes his eyes, looking like as if he's in pain.

Seungwan chuckles. “Alright boys, I’ll have a heart to heart talk with Seulgi. Thank you for being so caring towards me, what would I do without you?”

“Be the friend who got ditched, of course.” Johnny says.

***

It’s nearly one in the morning when Seungwan finds Seulgi sitting side by side with Jaebum burying his face in her golden hair and Seungwan shakes her head. This girl, she thought.

“Excuse me, Jaebum, I’m going to borrow Seulgi for a bit?”

The tanned boy pouts a little but nods anyway. “Alright.” He says before squeezing Seulgi’s shoulder gently.

Seulgi follows Seungwan, muttering a thank you for freeing her from Jaebum. “Seriously, he’s nice and all but he’s too clingy when he’s drunk.” Seulgi laughs. “Anyway, what do you need?”

“Would you like to have a sleepover at my house tonight?”

Seulgi tilts her head to the side. “Can’t you come to mine instead? I can’t leave my mother.” She apologizes. “She’d get antsy if I spend the night on someone else’s house.”

“Oh, sure, you sure it’s fine? I won’t be a bother, right?” Seungwan asks worriedly.

“Relax, Wan. My mom would love to meet you. Plus, I’m already beat. Should we head home now? I should find Wonwoo.” She says, looking at her watch.

Seungwan nods. “Sure, let’s look for Wonwoo together.”

And the two walk around Jackson’s house, trying to find the other twin while avoiding any drunk students. Seungwan loves partying but she certainly does not like it when people are all drunk. This party should end really soon.

They find Wonwoo and Mina tangled up on the couch. Seulgi rolls her eyes, secretly hoping that they’re not eating each other out. She’s glad when she finds out they are only hugging and asks Wonwoo to go home.

“Already?” he whines. “It’s only 1 A.M.”

“Mom’s alone at home, dummy. Let’s go.” 

Wonwoo seems to sober up a bit at the mention of his mother. He bids goodbye to Mina before exiting Jackson’s house.

“How drunk are you?” Seulgi stares at Wonwoo quizzically.

“Ah, , I forgot I’m supposed to drive you guys home.” Wonwoo says sheepishly.

Seulgi chuckles. “Alright, I’ll drive, you go sleep at the back.” She fishes out the car key from Wonwoo’s pocket and opens the back door for Wonwoo.

“Thanks, Seul, love you.” He mumbles incoherently before passing out on the back seat.

“I love you too, Wonwoo.” Seulgi replies, as she opens the passenger seat door for Seungwan before getting into the car. “Come on, let’s go home.”

By the time they reach Seulgi’s home, it’s almost two and they are all dead tired. Seulgi’s mom is already asleep and the three of them are struggling to keep both eyes open. Wonwoo doesn’t even mutter goodnight before going to his room.

“Ugh, sometimes I want to be boys, they can go to bed without having to wash make up off.” Seulgi complains as she struggles to find clothes and her towel in her room.

Seungwan smiles before picking up a fresh, new towel and warm, clean clothes from Seulgi’s wardrobe (Poor girl is rummaging in her underwear section, she doesn’t realize it). “Come here.” she holds Seulgi’s hand and leads her to the bathroom.

“Sit.” She says, motioning Seulgi to sit on the bathroom counter, the girl obliges sleepily. “Let me clean your make up for you.” Seungwan says as she picks up Seulgi’s cotton pads and cleanser.

“…’ank yoo.” Seulgi replies, half awake.

Seungwan smiles as she wipes and cleans the makeup off of Seulgi’s face, secretly enjoying it and is amazed at how clean and smooth Seulgi’s face is. It’s adorable how Seulgi forces herself to stay awake while Seungwan cleans and washes her face for her. Seungwan smiles as she dries Seulgi’s face with the towel, she helps the girl change into warm pajamas—Seungwan definitely does not stare at Seulgi’s perfectly toned abs.

“What are you going to do?” Seulgi slurs and it takes Seungwan a few seconds to realize that the girl’s talking to her.

“I’m going to clean and change, you can go ahead and sleep.” Seungwan ruffles Seulgi’s blonde locks affectionately.

Somehow, Seulgi manages to snap herself awake because she blinks and Seungwan watches as Seulgi’s eyes starts to focus. “No, no,” she says, waving her hands animatedly. “I’m going to clean your make up for you.”

Seungwan arches an eyebrow. “Not to be rude, but I don’t want you accidentally pouring Clorox and wipe it on my face.” She says, half-laughing.

The latter chuckles. “No, I won’t. Relax.” She yawns really, really wide before motioning Seungwan to sit at the bathroom counter, so she sits. Seulgi rubs her eyes and yawns again before searching for her cleanser and cotton pads. Seungwan watches in amusement as Seulgi struggles to concentrate and stay awake while her blonde hair is tied into a messy bun that nearly falls off and she’s wearing a baby pink pajamas with bears on it and her collarbone is showing.

Seulgi giggles slightly, though Seungwan does not understand why she’s laughing. She closes her eyes as Seulgi begins to dab the cotton pad across her face and cleans her make up off.

“This feels nice.” Seulgi says, surprisingly sounding more awake than she did three seconds ago.

“Yeah, you actually slept while I cleaned your make up.” Seungwan rises her head when Seulgi cleans her jawline area.

“I was sleepy.” She pouts. “Do you use skincare products or you just go to sleep after?”

Seungwan suddenly feels embarrassed. She saw skincare products lined up on Seulgi’s bathroom (she took extra care and actually googled how to use each skincare products before applying each on Seulgi’s face—she does not want Seulgi to miss her skincare routine), but Seungwan herself doesn’t really put much thought into skincare products. “Not really, I kind of want to, though.”

She can hear Seulgi yawns again before saying, “That’s alright, we can just wash your face then. Remind me to take you shopping for one sometimes, okay? Come on, let’s wash your face.”

She helps Seungwan washes her face and then dries it with warm towel, smiling when Seungwan’s face is all clean and fresh. Seulgi then helps Seungwan change into her own pajamas—it’s Seulgi’s but who cares anyway—it’s white with hamsters printed on it and it feels really comfy.

“Come on, let’s go to bed. I’m dead tired, thank God tomorrow is Sunday.” Seulgi says before hurriedly heads to her bedroom and falls face first into her bed.

Seungwan laughs at her antics. “Dummy.” She tucks Seulgi to bed, making sure she’s all wrapped up and comfortable.

“Thanks, Seungwan.” Seulgi mumbles and by the time Seungwan gets under the covers, Seulgi’s already fast asleep.

Seungwan stares at her for a few seconds and chuckles. Leaning in, she places a soft kiss on Seulgi’s face. It tastes like snail slime, probably that skincare product that uses snail secretion or whatsoever. Instantly, she feels embarrassed and quickly hides herself under the blanket, even though Seungwan knows well Seulgi doesn’t realize what she did.

Breathing slowly, Seungwan let her eyelids shut before slipping into dream land.

***

Author’s Note:
Yooooo! My ms.word is all fixed y’all and my assignment’s deadline is postponed so today is a GREAT day! What better way to end the chapter with Seuldy eh >< but anw let me rant here a little, so idk what’s wrong w my stomach but lately I’m always hungry?? Like I ate at 7 and I got hungry again at 9 and I’m super pissed bc I currently live in a dormitory and my mom only sends me enough money to live for the week, enough meaning all of them will be spent if I ate three times a day. However, because of my messy hunger schedule I ended up eating more and I LITERALLY WASTED MY MONEY ON SNACKS AND NOODLES because I can’t help it I’m just so hungry L plus, I needed money to buy some skincare products bc my acne is acting up and it’s been hell, my face is hurting BUT I CAN’T SAVE ANY MONEY IF I’M HUNGRY ALL THE TIME.
Like honestly, I can’t find any solution to suppress hunger so if you guys know a thing or two about suppressing hunger, pls comment down below you might save someone’s live. thANKS guys!
ALSO big thanks for @yeoleum for giving me advice, I’ve downloaded googledocs in case my ms.word starts acting up again, ily <3