22 october 2016 

It's a routine.

Seulgi arrives at the performance venue, a black tote bag slung over her shoulders, hair braided and make up perfectly done for the day.

It's autumn; her favourite season of the year. 

She loves seeing the leaves transit to a warm shade of caramel, spiralling down like a wistful dance before a wintry embrace could claim them.

She's dressed in a thin red sweater and a white tennis skirt, despite being in the middle of a cold autumn and earning sympathetic looks from other idols who simply have lenient and logical stylists, dressing them comfortably in layers. But there is nothing she can do about it, really.

Seulgi looks at the list of artistes performing that day before she enters the tented waiting room. There isn't anyone she is particularly close to in the list, probably with the exception of BTOB, because of forged marriage relations and stuff. It's always nice to make friends with people of the same league, but not when someone who she only saw as a sunbae names her as an ideal type. When Seulgi was told about it, she shrugged it off nonchalantly, but her insides were drowning with apprehension because heck, she has never thought of Eunkwang-sunbae that way.

It's nine in the morning, the concert starts at six.

It's going to be a long day.

Seulgi is the first to get ready out of the five. All she wanted in this chilly morning was to have a cup of coffee beside her, listen to new releases on her streaming app or perhaps, read a good book.

Instead, a standing fan gets blown into her face, even though it isn't even THAT warm. Her hair gets tossed for the nth time that day, before her group gets called up to rehearse just when she was about to plug in her earphones.

She goes up on stage to rehearse, and Seungwan, the mother-like figure of the group rubs both of her arms, creating friction to warm Seulgi up. She mentally prepares for the icy wind that may hit anytime once the rehearsal starts, because, who hosts an outdoor show in ten degrees Celsius?

She decides to exit the crammed waiting room as soon as they were back, and Seulgi, of course, has to go get coffee.

Seulgi recalls interviewing them a year ago. She remembers the small talks they shared in the dense interview room, from how all seven of them came to form a group, why the 94-liners were forced to call Jaebum 'hyung' because he is strict about birthdays and stuff, and a year later, she is still muddling whether to call him oppa or not.

She also remembers seeing them recently at a music show. The two groups were always situated side by side because of the matching debut years, sharing uncalled-for eye contacts before someone decides to break it off, or shrug off the fact that they should actually talk but no one dares to say the first word. Except, Jackson.

The thing is, they have seen each other far too many times, honestly.

But it's also the kind of relationship where you meet each other so often before you actually meet, and for no unjustifiable reason to keep crossing each other's path.

Here they are, like the most conventional thing to happen, standing side by side in front of the vending machine are Jaebum and Seulgi, staring bewilderedly at the words Out of Order marked in bold.

He has his hands on his waist, looking displeased, a sigh escaping his lips before he ruffles his hair.

Seems like he really wants that cup of coffee, she thinks.

Seeing him, Seulgi feels out of the place and decides whether to leave, but the thought of being back in that open waiting room and withstanding the bitterly cold weather makes her think otherwise.

Seulgi knows a really good cafe across the street. She also knows how to get there out of the sight of fans.

She looks at him again, and he looks back, unsure of what to do in this situation even though, even though the clearest answer is to not get that cup of caffeine.

Seulgi scratches her nape awkwardly, before walking to the clueless boy and tapping his shoulder lightly.

"D-do you want to grab coffee somewhere else?" Her voice is soft, sounding timorous, because the Kang Seulgi does not know if she just asked a boy, who so happened to be the Im Jaebum out, or what.

And going somewhere with him may be slightly intimidating.

Jaebum looks at the orange-plaited-hair girl beside him, feeling very surprised and confused by the abrupt offer.

"I know there's a coffee shop somewhere here. A five minute walk, maybe?" She shrugs, loosening up to the awkward yet intense situation she had just created.

She chuckles after looking at his knitted brows, a sign to tell him that it's actually okay to say no, because even she thinks this is weird.

Jaebum has so many ways and reasons to succumb to the appropriate answer, but he finds himself answering the opposite, maybe because it seems like his cravings for coffee is exceptionally strong today, or he just thinks that rejecting a Red Velvet member is unpleasant.

Though there's still some truth to the former.

Things are about to get down.

It's like a slow and friendly walk. They had taken the route to avoid fans, or basically anything that will spark the curiosity of people because the Kang Seulgi is hanging out with the Im Jaebum? Scandalous.

The supposed five minute walk became a whole fifteen minutes, partially due to Seulgi's poor sense of direction which Jae