She gets to live for another two days, and now she’s in the middle of watching the rehearsals for the spring play that Wendy has written and is directing.

(Seulgi has been Wendy's other pair of eyes, ever since finding out that she has a vast background in theater since her high school days.)

Irene had merely laughed when Seulgi finally told her about what happened, over lunch the following day while sharing the bento for two that Irene made. She looked amused for the most part—which had Seulgi breathing out the air she’d been holding in since the day before—and really, really beautiful—and that was when all the air came back rushing in, filling her lungs in one mesmerized sigh.

The rehearsal is light for now, maybe that's why Joy keeps on hamming it up. But something doesn't sit quite right, Seulgi can’t help but think, tilting her head as she observes the seventh attempt to nail the scene down.

Joy stares at SinB with a lovestruck look on her face, and yet, she also looks like she's just heard the biggest joke of her young life.

SinB is outright laughing, her hands clutching at her stomach. It grows even more when she chances a glance at Joy, and the other girl pulls another silly face.

“Seonsaengnim!” SinB whines in between snickers. “She won't stop making faces at me!”

“Okay,” Wendy’s voice rings all over the mini-theater. Though, Seulgi swears the resigned sigh that follows is louder. “Let's just run through it again. From the top, please.”

SinB slides back into position in a snap while Joy stands straighter, the two of them towering over their teachers seated at the front row.

“Maybe I should rewrite the script,” Wendy mutters forlornly as SinB bursts into another round of laughter. “SinB can’t even get through one line without laughing.”

Seulgi flips back to the page where they’re currently at: Act Three Scene One, and then reads the line that SinB is supposed to act out. “Nah, they're just being difficult.”

Wendy sighs. “I just want one successful runthrough, is all.”

She’s about to cross out the line with her blue marker when Seulgi’s hand darts out from her side, pulling Wendy’s by the wrist to stop her completely.

“It’s really fine, Wannie,” she says. And if there's one of a few things Seulgi absolutely can't stand, it's seeing dejected looks on any of her best friends’ faces. So she hops off of her seat, promising Wendy to talk to her students before climbing up the theater stage.

“Guys, what seems to be the problem?” Seulgi glances between her two students. “Why can't we get this scene right?”

They must have heard the authority in her tone because Joy turns apologetic while SinB hurries out a mumbled mianhaeyeo. They may tease Seulgi to their hearts’ content, but they still hold her to the highest respect. Besides, a serious Kang Seul Gi is never one to mess with.

“It's my fault Seonsaengnim,” Joy admits, palm rubbing up and down the dark blue sleeve of her uniform’s cardigan. “I keep making her laugh.”

“Ani, Seonsaengnim.” SinB waves her hands in gesture, turning Seulgi’s attention to her. “It’s mine. I don't think I really know how to act it out? Like, should I flirt back with Joy’s character?”

Seulgi squeezes both their shoulders in acceptance, dismisses the apologies with an understanding smile. Then, she says, “It depends on how you want to play it. We can try different emotions and pick what we think is best.”

“I'd want Viola to flirt back though,” Wendy offers from her spot. “It'd be new and... amusing.”

(So not because she's been shipping Viola and Olivia ever since she first learned about Twelfth night.)

Finally realizing it’s time to take things seriously, SinB cranes her neck to look at Wendy. “Can you show us how you’d like to play it off, Wendy-seonsaengnim?”

“Alright.”

Wendy rises from her seat, too, and then clambers up the stage stairs to stand in front of Joy.

But Joy is admittedly too tall, and there is something very comical about this difference that even Wendy herself thinks she's not going to be able to take the scene seriously.

She's about to tell Seulgi to step in as Olivia for the meantime, but hesitates in the split second after she’s opened because she can't flirt with her best friend to save her life.

She might end up being worse than SinB, and that doesn’t really bode well with setting a good example, does it?

So, Joy must have to do.

Even though her forehead can only meet the tip of Joy’s chin. (It wasn’t the best decision to wear flats today.)

Even though she has to really tip her head back to meet Joy’s eyes.

Even though Joy is realizing it too, and she’s starting to laugh, and maybe, they’ll never get to finish and she’d have to write the entire scene out.

But Wendy soldiers on, because the clock is ticking and she still has a Netflix queue waiting for her at her apartment.

She raises the script at her eye level, clears to signal the start. But just as she’s about to speak, Moonbyul’s voice echoes from the theater’s doorway, followed by the squeak of more than one pair of shoes against the smooth floor.

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m late.”

Wendy looks over her shoulder, watching as Moonbyul ambles inside with Yongsun in tow.

And Wendy’s unknowing saving grace.

.

 

The taller woman hops up the stage after she leads Yongsun to the chair Seulgi has vacated a while ago, asking no one in particular, “Where are we?”

Which goes completely ignored by Seulgi because she’s too busy trying to calm her heart that starts hammering at the hi Irene has mouthed at her. So it’s Wendy who answers, “Act three, scene one. We can’t seem to get it right.”

Irene plops down the theater chair next to Yongsun, her eyes roaming around the group of people gathered by the stage. She props an elbow against the chair’s arm, and leans her temple on her fist as her gaze slides back to Seulgi.

A smile works on her face when she catches the younger teacher sneaking a glance at her, which grows into a charmed smirk that tugs at the corner of as she watches Seulgi smooth the hair shrouding her eyes, as if to hide the fact that she just got caught.

Moonbyul pulls her copy of the play from the back pocket of her jeans, flipping pages until she finds the one Wendy points to.

She lets out an amused ooooh before wagging her her eyebrows at everyone. “We play it flirty, right? Please say we’re gonna play it flirty.”

“That’s the plan. For now, at least,” answers Seulgi, despite the skip her heart makes at the sound of Irene’s tiny giggle making it to her ears, when she and Yongsun laughs at Moonbyul who seems to be too engrossed with the scene’s idea.

“Let’s see it then.” Moonbyul takes a few steps back to give SinB and Joy some room to freely move around, prompting Seulgi and Wendy to do the same.

But SinB throws both her teachers a pleading look, which compels Seulgi to speak up. “Oh, right. They kind of want to see how Wendy wants it to play out.”

Moonbyul hums, mulling it over. “How about this, I’ll be Viola and Wendy can be Olivia?

“Ani,” Wendy shakes her head. “I need to look at it from the outside, unnie.”

“Oh, good point.” Moonbyul nods in understanding. She then turns to look at Seulgi and opens to speak, but closes it again and only stares at the younger teacher harder.

Seulgi pulls back a little, raising a hand that she lets hover on her cheeks. “Do I have something on my face?”

“No,” the other woman says. “I just can’t imagine you as Olivia for some reason.”

A frown slowly creases on Seulgi’s forehead. “Should I be offended?” She scratches at her temple as she throws Moonbyul a quizzical look. “I feel like I should be offended.”

“I didn’t mean it that way!” Moonbyul quickly defends, because she really didn’t. “I just can’t picture you out as Olivia, and me as Viola pretending to be Cesario.”

Then, she adds, grimacing at the mere thought. “It’s like I’m hitting on my sister or something, even though it’s just acting.”

“You know what, you’re right,” Seulgi agrees. Her face pulls into a wince too, matching the disgust written all over Moonbyul’s face.

Though it quickly changes into a horrified glare at Moonbyul’s next words. “Where is Eun-ae when you need her?”

Wendy pulls the thick script to cover the amused grin shaping on her lips, and the way her nostrils flare as she curbs the urge to break into laughter; while Seulgi debates on throwing hers at Moonbyul’s face to stop her from talking.

“Yah,” Yongsun calls out. And when Seulgi twists around, she meets Irene’s curious eyes. “Why look for someone who’s not here?”

Irene’s about to ask who Eun-ae is, but Yongsun beats her into speaking first. “Juhyun has played Juliet multiple times. I’m sure Olivia won’t be a stretch.” She turns to face Irene, lips quivering as she tries really hard not to smirk. “Right, Juhyun?”

Irene, in turn, drops her chin, suddenly feeling shy from the eyes that are now on her. “It was a long time ago, though.”

“That’s okay,” it’s Moonbyul who answers. She exchanges a series of stares with Yongsun that Seulgi cannot miss, seemingly talking with their eyes, and Seulgi gets the feeling that she’s going to be involved with whatever it is they’re trying to pull.

She’s proven right when Moonbyul continues, backing Yongsun while building her up. “Seulgi had to play Lysander back at our high school because there weren’t a lot of male actors. So Cesario’s gonna be a piece of cake.”

Seulgi plans to protest, to tell Irene that it’s totally okay for her to say no if she doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea. Because she’d rather act opposite Moonbyul no matter how awkward it would be, than make Irene uncomfortable in any way.

But Irene says yes, okay, and she stands from her seat and climbs up the steps; plants herself in front of Seulgi in what feels like a blink.

And now, Seulgi doesn’t know what to do with her racing heart and trembling hands.

.

 

In Wendy’s script, Olivia speaks first, which Irene reads off perfectly from Moonbyul’s copy. “Cesario, by the roses of the spring, by maidhood, honor, truth, and everything, I love thee so, that, maugre all thy pride, nor wit nor reason can my passion hide.”

Seulgi knows she needs to answer, be Viola pretending to be Cesario. But I love thee has come from Irene’s lips, carried by the lilt in Irene’s soft tone that rings inside her ears like a bell that wouldn’t stop chiming.

She suddenly can’t find her voice, running dry, like a desert in dire need of rain in the form of Irene’s smile.

“I...”

“And that, folks, is how we’re not going to do it,” Moonbyul jumps in a few beats later, when it looks like Seulgi’s brain has abruptly stopped processing anything that isn’t the woman standing in front of her.

Seulgi shakes her head, blinking rapidly until her everything snaps back into attention. “Sorry, sorry!” She hurries out, even bowing to everyone. “I—sorry. Can we start over?”

Irene stretches a worried hand out, running it up and down Seulgi’s shoulder in comfort. “Are you okay, Seul?”

“Y-yeah,” Seulgi replies. She momentarily freezes at the contact, but that doesn’t really stop Irene from easing the tension she can see is pushing down on Seulgi’s shoulders. “I just wasn’t ready, I guess?”

“We’ll give it ago whenever you’re ready, okay?” Irene says. Though, there’s something that flashes in her eyes that’s too quick for Seulgi to discern. Yet, the ensuing smile that forms on Irene’s lips leaves her the feeling that Irene isn’t just talking about acting opposite her.

Seulgi stutters out an okay when she answers, Irene’s fingernails scratching at the edge of her bottom lip as the smaller woman picks something off of it and flicks it away.

“Seulgi,” Wendy calls out. “Are we good?”

The taller woman heaves a deep breath, and then shakes both her arms and her hands out to get rid of the nerves coursing through her system. She blows out the air after, emptying her lungs, and then wears Cesario’s skin in the next breath, every trace of Kang Seul Gi now gone.

Irene matches it easily (there’s a reason why she’s played multiple lead roles back then), and recites the line again. Better, bolder, with a stare that Wendy dares say smoulders.

Seulgi doesn’t miss her cue this time. “By innocence I swear, and by my youth, I have one heart, one bosom, and one truth. And that no woman has, nor never none shall mistress be of it, save I alone.”

Irene—Olivia—circles around her. Seulgi chooses her Cesario to stay rooted to her feet, but her gaze follows every step that Irene takes.

Irene stops in front of Seulgi again, though, she’s a step closer than before. A scant distance that she’s given thought at the last minute, as a reflection of how maidens in Shakespeare’s time were taught to act.

“Yet come again, for thou perhaps mayst move that heart,” she says, lets the side of her hand trace the silhouette of Seulgi’s face; quite there but not touching. “Which now abhors, to like his love.”

Seulgi raises her own hand, covering Irene’s; pushes it down gently, and only lets it go once it’s safely back on Irene’s side. Then, she says, “Farewell, My Lady.”

Cesario stupidly rejects Olivia’s love after all.

.

 

From somewhere in the background, Moonbyul whispers towards both SinB and Joy. “I told you guys flirty was the best way to do it.”

Seulgi and Irene have yet to break their eye contact, even though the scene is long over. Wendy even flips back and forth her pages, looking for a line that she thinks she might have missed reading.

But there’s none, and Scene Four really follows Cesario’s last line.

“Betcha ten thousand won, we can leave now and they won’t notice,” Moonbyul adds to her observation (which she really would do, if SinB or Joy takes her up on the deal.

Yet, everyone agrees with her so the bet is basically useless.)

SinB sneaks to where Wendy is, and whispers. “You should totally rewrite the entire play, Wendy-seonsaengnim. Make Viola and Olivia end up together, and then cast Irene-seonsaengnim and Seulgi-seonsaengnim. People won’t notice that you changed the ending.”

Wendy would be lying if she says that that thought didn’t cross her mind at all.

.

 

In the end, it’s Yongsun’s high pitched squeal that breaks everything: the spell that Seulgi and Irene has casted around the room, SinB and Joy’s eardrums, perhaps even the roof of the theater with how loud it is.

Moonbyul rushes down at the other woman’s side, half worried and half laughing as she watches Yongsun put her feet up the theater chair, her sticker-covered Crocs now out for everyone to see. “What? What is it?!”

“There was a mouse!” Yongsun yells. She’s close to tears, Moonbyul can see, but her face is twisted into this funny kind of terrified that she just can’t help but crack up.

Meanwhile, Irene startles at the loud sound, so much that she practically jumps into Seulgi’s personal space, her hands pressing against both her ears to block the noise. While Seulgi’s arms wrap loosely around Irene’s waist in their own accord, steadying her and keeping her in place.

Her fingers lock behind the small of Irene’s back as she bends on her knees a little, coaxing out a frightened Irene in hushed tones and telling her that it was just Yongsun.

Slowly, Irene lifts her head up, greeted by Seulgi’s reassuring smile. She lets both her hands drop listlessly, suddenly feeling tired, and sort of just falls onto Seulgi’s front when her knees buckle.

Her ear is pressed right on Seulgi’s chest. Seulgi swallows nervously, hoping that Irene doesn’t hear how fast is her heartbeat.

...

 

 

Rehearsals for the day ends with Wendy’s good job today, and thank you everyone, but Seulgi’s admittedly still a little worried about Irene despite the other woman’s assurance that she’s totally fine.

So she offers to walk her home again, to which Irene never gets a chance to turn down because it’s Yongsun who answers for her.

(A habit she’s clearly picked up from Moonbyul.)

And here’s where Seulgi is standing now: in front of the gate of Irene’s humble and homey apartment that’s starting to get familiar (a thing Seulgi really, really likes).

“Thank you for walking me home. You really didn’t have to,” Irene says, the fingers hooked on the sling of her shoulder bag curling tighter when Seulgi’s eyes shape into crescents as she smiles.

Seulgi doesn’t say it’s nothing, because anything about Irene is never nothing. So instead, she says, “I’ll see you again tomorrow?”

Irene leans on her toes as she bites her bottom lip, then rocks back on her heels. “I’ll bring the coffee?”

“The cheese bread’s mine then,” Seulgi resolves, leaving no room for Irene to disagree. She pockets both her hands as she stares at Irene (rather shamelessly, thank God for the low light), and then whispers, “Good night.”

Irene mumbles a soft goodnight back, smiling fondly at the way Seulgi fishes a hand out to fix her wayward bangs.

But she feels a stronger kind of warmth upon hearing Seulgi’s chuckle. “What?”

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” Seulgi answers in between soft laughs. “That I shall say goodnight, till it be morrow.”

Irene playfully shoves Seulgi away, despite the laughter escaping ; one that tells Seulgi that she’s rather endeared. “You’re such a dork.”

Seulgi backs a few more steps before extending her hands out, and then curbs it a few inches in front of her stomach and behind her back as she bows in front of Irene, as if she’s some sort of royalty. “Have a good night, My Lady.”

Irene’s laughter grows louder, echoing into the quiet night—a song that Seulgi will never get tired of listening to. “Yah, Kang Seulgi! Stop it.”

“As My Lady wishes.”

“Oh my God.”

.

 

It does not become their thing.

(It totally does.)