12

The brown-haired woman opens her eyes with strain as she hears her phone ringing just beside her head. She makes a little bit effort to glare sideways and is about to reach her phone, wanting to know the caller who is brave enough to wake her up from her Saturday beauty slumber. She ought to turn it off the next time she plans to sleep again.

Her device stops blaring and so is Seulgi’s hand movement. She stops getting it altogether. “Finally,” she breathes out while turning her body around, lying flat on her stomach with her face completely drowned in her pillow.

She has almost let gravity pulling her lids close again if not for the series of knocking sound and steady melody of her bell outside that finally reaches her hearing.

“What is it?”

Seulgi groggily pushes herself up, combing her hair into a messy bun before making her way out her bedroom with eyes barely open. Been living in her apartment for years already, she doesn’t find the difficulty to reach her threshold in a mean time even with the lack of eyesight— depending only on her unwilling drag of footsteps.

No one knows her apartment aside her parents, cousins, and some maids back in her parents’ house. Seulgi wonders in her train of thoughts. It’s not the scheduled day for her maids to come and clean her place though, and if it were Heechul, he would just stroll inside without the need to ring any bell at all.

She frowns, tearing down the possibilities as there’s only one option left. Surely, her parents won’t pay a visit out of sudden, right?

“They’re busy,” Seulgi assures herself. “They don’t have time to check on me.”

But she soon regrets it the moment she checks her intercom, the face displayed on it, is the one she dreads to see in this kind of situation. Seulgi’s eyes immediately gain its full function. “Trouble…”

Seulgi dashes to open her door and notes the growing annoyance on her father’s face the moment her door flings open.

“Good morning.”

She greets and shortly bows. “How can I help you, father?”

“Good afternoon.” He scowls while emphasizing his words. “What took you so long to open your door? You didn’t even pick my call. What are you trying to do? Been busy in the middle of slacking off?”

By the look of it, annoyed is an understatement, but at least he returns her greeting albeit a little cranky.

“I’m sorry, father. I slept through my alarm.” Seulgi answers, eyes dancing to avoid his stern gaze in the middle of scanning her pajamas up and down.

“Such an unjustifiable reason for making your old parents stand outside. Grab yourself together, Kang Seulgi.”

“I apologize, father.”

Her father doesn’t look pleased to hear that though he shrugs it off later, maintaining his composure yet again. “Aren’t you going to invite us inside then? Given that you’ve changed your password as well?” He signals with his eyes at the digital locks before finally meeting her gaze. “Hmm?”

“Uh… I’m sorry, how rude of me, the intercom was under a maintenance and so the technician has suggested me to change my password frequently within six months or so for a better security though it’s only been two weeks since I’ve considered changing it.”

Seulgi takes a deep breath to calm herself, a morning disturbance indeed. Though she swiftly hides her dislike with another innocent small smile at the end of her sentence, she’s getting better at playing her role.

“Let her have some privacy, will you? She is no longer teenager you’ve to monitor every day.”

Just then a feminine voice cuts in, revealing herself behind her father’s sturdy figure. The much smaller woman shakes her head at her father’s subtle comment on spoiling her. She watches as her mother takes a step closer toward the entrance. Tossing her attention at her and smiling vibrantly in her direction. “Good day, honey?”

Seulgi’s expression steels at the sight of her mother. Her grip on the handle tightens a bit, she replies without missing a beat. “Good day to you too, mother.”

“Very well,” she returns her greeting and Seulgi nods a bit, watching her father from the corner of her eye.

“Can we drop by a little, Seulgi? We promise it won’t take long, besides,” the older woman says, lifting a small bag in her hand. “I made this for your lunch.”

Seulgi steps back and opens her door wider. A decent smile, she supposes, is pasted automatically on her face as she gestures her guests to come inside.

“Sure, welcome.”

X

Sitting on her couch while eating an instant ramyun after cleaning her apartment the whole morning is a deserved reward. But something isn’t right. Because, instead of watching the various advertisements about cooking utensils like she usually does in her free time, she finds herself glancing at her phone laying idly on the coffee table most of the time.

“Well, it’s not like I was expecting someone to contact me though.” Joohyun mumbles as she rolls her noodles with chopsticks, eyeing her phone yet again. Restraining herself from spoiling her meal, she uses her greatest focus to eat it without any disturbance in one go.

As if on cue, her phone abruptly rings and she almost spills her noodles on the couch as she grabs her ringing device at a lightning speed. Her expression falls a bit as she picks her call though it doesn’t sound so obvious in her tone. “Good afternoon, Ms. Choi.”

“…”

“Yeah, that’s right. You may go to the place I’ve informed earlier, you happen to bring the dress she has requested, right?”

She hears her long answer and smiles. “That’s very nice of you. I believe you’ll style Ms. Hwang just as beautiful. So, you don’t need to worry, Ms. Choi.”

Another exchange of words before she ends her call with, “Okay then, thank you. Good afternoon too.”

She notifies her boss about her upcoming guest before settling her phone down, eyes glued on the outline of her device.

“What in the world are you doing, Joohyun?”

Her ramyun is long forgotten as she has placed it down on the table as well. She slouches in the comfort of her comfortable couch and sighs. “Is she… busy?”

She can’t help but wonder in silence. The black haired woman reaches for a remote and lowered her television’s volume—the bubbly love song that suddenly blasted as a background music of this double pan’s advertisement has made her winced.

“Is it really a right decision to befriend her in the first place? Why am I acting like a high school girl who’s waiting for her crush’s call in the wee hours?”

“Wait.” Joohyun cringes at her own words, shaking her head furiously at the sudden absurd thoughts. “Hell no. It’s not even wee hours. What crush? Whose crush? What am I saying, anyway?”

X

“I expect you to come as I’ve invited all of my important colleagues, so I hope you understand its urgency.”

“Don’t ever think of playing around anymore like what you did in the last year’s anniversary. Reflect on your soon to be position and think of its consequences--what it will cost if you’re still bent on doing something irrelevant.” He adds more seriously and everything he has said earlier, fleeing away across her ears just like a breeze.

Seulgi scrutinizes a fallen hair that gets stuck on her carpeted floor with a serious look rather than hearing her father’s stern warning about their upcoming event. In the end it will only lead to saving their images, his image. She doesn’t feel thrilled about attending a grand party filled with an equally boring people and possibly being the object of her father’s matchmaking attempt again.

“You hear me, right?”

“Loud and clear, father.” She nods her head nonetheless. Too tired to argue as she sinks into her seat. She looks up, finally noticing her father’s fond eyes.

Seulgi follows his gaze that lands on her mother’s back figure, who’s currently settling down her packed meal on the dining table. Without her realizing it, her own eyes have abruptly watered on its own. He never puts any effort into giving her a genuine smile, let alone to have such fondness oozing out in his eyes like that.

“You’ve to accept her, it’s been years already.” He comments lowly. “Face it like an adult.”

Throughout his word, he doesn’t even look back at her and Seulgi remains indifferent. There’s no use of her crying now though.

“Everyone copes differently, whether they are adults or not.” She bites back an answer, rubbing her eyes in lame excuse of being sleepy again.

They stop exchanging words when the other woman makes her way to join them in the couch. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Nothing. Are you done?” Her father raises to his full-height and Seulgi mirrors him, it’s her cue to finally send them away.

“Done.” The woman smiles, gesturing toward the now fully occupied table back in her kitchen. She looks back at Seulgi. “Make sure to eat it all, okay honey? You look too skinny.”

“Of course.”

The only man between them clears his throat after their talk goes into a silence once again. “Alright. We’ll be going now.”

She escorts them toward the door and bows again as she thanks them one last time. “Thank you for coming.”

They bid her goodbye, walking towards the opening cubicle at the end of the corridor and leaving for real.

Seulgi waits until they are no longer in sight before she slams her door close with a bang. She can’t be careless if she’s somewhat disturbing her neighbors with her earlier outburst.

She really wants to vent her frustration off somehow.

Storming inside her apartment with a loud thump, she immediately goes to where her precious aquarium is located. A small bowl of a fish tank filled with two tiny goldfish placed in her living room is what she wants to see the most.

The woman sets herself on the floor and watches them swim abruptly at her sudden presence, wiggling their tails as they bolt to hide in a small castle. Seulgi has to smile at that sight. They never fail to brighten her gloomy day.

“Changie… Songie…?” She reaches for their snack just beside the glass bowl and shakes it in front of her pet, smiling dumbly despite the fact that she has just cried a while ago. “Do you want food?”

They gobble out incoherent words from their hidden place and Seulgi bobbles her head in a way that she can understand their language just as perfectly. “Sure, I’ll give you the generous amount of it.”

The latter pours their snack inside the water and laughs when one of them starts biting the said food. In the stillness of her apartment as her eyes glued to the sight of her pet’s feeding time, she hears her phone popping a small noise from her bedroom’s direction.

Seulgi doesn’t even spare any glance towards her kitchen as she strides straight into her room and sees her device blinking in a notification on the bedside table. She swipes her phone, feeling her side of lips twitches into a lopsided smile as she reads the entire message coming from Joohyun.

X

“Let’s go over there.”

Joohyun follows the woman in front of her quietly, diving in the view of various paintings hanging on the walls as she paces behind Seulgi. She never expects Seulgi to bring her to this kind of place though. But recalling that Seulgi is someone with uncanny personality for a boss who likes to support spontaneous acts, this, in some way, oddly describing Seulgi as Seulgi. Her eyes dart from one piece to another with an awestruck look on her face. From various colors splashing around to the ones with the duller color.

It feels unreal.

She comes to a stop and marvels at the painting of a beautiful woman with dark brown hair boring an empty look at her back. The one that Seulgi has paid a much longer time in appreciating just minutes ago.

It seems like this woman in the portrait was supposed to smile brightly, she even has her corner of lips curving into a wide smile. But no, all Joohyun can see is an obvious half-hearted smile, as she gazes back into the sad pair of pitch black eyes this woman has.

“Why is she looking so sad though?”

Joohyun shakes her own head as she starts walking again, almost leaving the picture behind with difficulty in her step.

They have been taking a good look at the whole arts posted on this grand exhibition for two hours straight. Seulgi has been touring her around like a guide ever since they stepped inside and she could only nod the entire time. It’s not like Joohyun doesn’t like it—she enjoys art despite not having any decent skill about it. Her ability in that area is pretty lacking, hence the poor knowledge she has compared to Seulgi who’s obviously in the much higher level.

The latter, to Joohyun’s delight, would try to explain it with an easier word even without her asking for it. She really appreciates her thoughtfulness because in the end, Seulgi would let her interpreting those arts on her own without the need to force her earlier insight about it.

Joohyun scans the area and spots her companion standing alone in the corner, looking all immersed. Feeling curious about it, she decides to join Seulgi. She strolls and comes to a stop just beside her to see an ordinary white canvas filled with two huge dots each colored rather contrary and painted against one another in acrylic. The darker dot is a mix of black and gray color with a hint of something sparkling in the middle of the said dot.

Her forehead creases a bit. She steps closer and examines the current art. True enough, there are glitters sprinkled in the middle of the huge darker dot, making it twinkle amidst the light coming from above. Joohyun shifts her gaze to the other side and takes a note that the brighter dot is painted in orange color combined with light yellow and a reddish hue, but to her dismay, it somewhat gets ruined by a splash of those tiny black dots in the middle.

“Those black dots ruined the bright one. Unlike the darker dot with glitters that complements each other.” The older woman mutters under her breath, pointing at the painting. She slowly turns to face Seulgi.

“Don’t you think that the painter isn’t aware of these black dots? It looks like getting splashed by accident though?”

To her surprise, Seulgi doesn’t respond to her remark. She only stares hard at the painting, eyes wide with something she can’t comprehend. Joohyun keeps quiet until she gets the shock of her life when she catches Seulgi’s eyes glistening for a split of a second.

“Seulgi?”

Fortunately, Seulgi seems to gain her sense back fast enough after she tenderly nudges her by the shoulder. Joohyun doesn’t even have a chance to ask about her condition, because the latter has already gone, saying that she wants to go to a restroom—by running frantically towards the other direction without waiting for her reply. Joohyun purses her lips into a straight line, watching the retreating figure with a worried look. “What’s going on? Why is she crying?”

She spins in her place and observes the earlier painting rather seriously this time.

X

“Hey! Sorry for taking a long time the queuing was a mess.”

Joohyun whirls around and eyes the woman staring back at her with ice cream cups in hands, widely grinning in her direction. “For you,”

It’s weird.

How can she do that? The woman finds herself mentally asking to no one. Seulgi doesn’t look like she has been shedding any tears at all. Her chirpy tone strikes again, not the one that has hoarsely replied to her question back then in the gallery.

She receives her share of ice cream and stays silent after saying her thanks. They walk towards Seulgi’s car in silence after dropping by an ice cream parlor near the art exhibition building.

“Do you like vanilla that much?”

Joohyun looks up from her ice cream and nods, stealing a glance at her. “Why?”

“Just asking, anyway, I like chocolate.”

“I notice.” She replies in a heartbeat.

Seulgi pauses in taking a bite of her cold treat, looking slightly surprised. The act of widening eyes is a dead giveaway to her because Joohyun is just as surprised.

“You notice?”

“You always send me countless photos of your late snack, remember?” Joohyun chimes with a shrug. She feels a bit flustered by her own fast response but tries to conceal her expression in a nonchalant manner. “There’s where I notice.”

“Good eyesight.” The taller woman replies shortly and Joohyun scoffs playfully in return. She peers at Seulgi and casually asks. “Where are we going now?”

“To the parking lot.”

“I know, boss.” She quips and rolls her eyes. “The next destination is?”

“Do you want me to take you somewhere else?”

Joohyun jerks in place and snaps her head at her, her ice cream almost tumbling upon the sudden movement.

“What? I only asked you to accompany me to an art exhibition, right?”

“Right,” the older woman replies much later. A silence follows and Seulgi finally breaks into a loud laughter.

Joohyun nudges her rib to calm down. “Everyone is looking at us!”

“I’m kidding. Let’s go somewhere, I’m bored.” Seulgi responds as she eases herself from the earlier jabbing. “But, I’m serious. I don’t know where to go. Have any idea in mind?”

Seulgi’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes and Joohyun notices it a tad bit later that her companion doesn’t look okay at all, she smiles back nevertheless.

“I’ve something in mind,” she draws her free hand forward, palm opening in Seulgi’s direction. “Let me borrow your car.”

Joohyun is about to ask her again for her car’s key because Seulgi does take a longer time to respond. However, she freezes in place when she doesn’t feel any cold surface of the metal being handed like she has earlier expected, and instead, it’s the feeling of Seulgi’s warm hand meeting her open palm that gets her in a deadlock situation.

“What?” She watches that question innocently. “I thought you wanted me to hold your hand?”

Joohyun blinks in surprise, her hands suddenly feel a bit clammy. “I-I don’t?”

“You don’t want to go with me? But I thought you prefer my company than Wendy’s?”

“You twisted my words.” Joohyun quickly understands and can’t help but sigh at the realization of being messed around. “Just let me borrow your damn car then.”

Seulgi nods in agreement. “Sure.”

“Sure? As in okay?”

“Okay.”

“Oh.”

“Oh yeah.”

“Uh... Seulgi?”

“Hmm.”

“Aren’t you going to let go?”

“Ah.”

“Yeah?”

“No.”

BAD BOY DOWN!!!!!

Such a powerful line! *still obviously having my mind scattered over their newly cb

JUST GOD JOYRENE AND JOYGI WHAT DID YOU GUYS PLANNING TO DO ARE YOU GUYS WANT US DIE BY PULLING OUR HAIR OFF LIKE A WIG JUST TAKE IT ALREADY I PREFER BALD ANYWAY. OKAY. NO. OFC I NEED MY HAIR.

Aside of those unexpected scenes in MV that got every shipper went wild, let me appreciating them in this new bop era. Whoops they even got their first daesang! 2018 is a blessing year indeed! Congratulation girls! 

To: Irene  

How can someone be this beautiful? I mean. Are you even allowed to be this beautiful? Even your crown of hair is beautiful. How is that even possible?

To: Seulgi

Did you know how many girls devoted themselves as gays and the gays turn even gayer just after watching you dance? Check youtube Seulgi, or maybe twitter, you'll be very much surprised.

To: Wendy

Did you know that it's illegal for being that lethal? I don't have anything to say anymore. Thank you very much. 

To: Joy

PARK SOOYOUNG WHEN YOU SMILE I'M HAPPY TOO. *screams in that fanboy's voice*

HOW CAN YOU BE THAT JOLLY THEN Y THEN CUTE THEN ON FIRE THEN- *beaten up by the baseball bat*

To: Yeri

OUR DEAR BABY SQUIRTLE YOU WILL BE FOREVER BABY TO US NO MATTER HOW DAMN GOOD THAT FISHNET IS MAKING YOU LOOK LIKE A LADY IN YOUR UNICORN BALLOON CHAIR BUT AS WHAT JOY HAS SAID THAT FISHNET ISNT A CONCEPT SO I SHOULD JUST STOP RAMBLING.

Sincerely, 

Your fragile reveluv.

Side notes:

And oh my God, I didn't even expect that I would get advertised in the end like wow the amount of people reading now is really overwhelming, I'll be forever thankful! I hope I won't disappoint anyone (?)

Thank you for giving this story a chance, hope you enjoy it so far! Thanks for reading, commenting and upvoting as I would never be tired of saying that I really appreciate it! Thank you again!

Until next time, let's stream Bad Boy (https://youtu.be/J_CFBjAyPWE) and have a very nice day everyone!