Seventh Part| Perks of Dating

Irene

I thought I can trust Seulgi on this. Turns out, I thought wrong.

            “They’re supposed to be here right now!” Joy hissed, the two of us waiting patiently on a café where we’re supposed to meet our ‘blind dates’. We were in our short skirts and blouses, something appropriate to wear on a first date. Seulgi, on the other hand, was in her usual white dress and red Fedora hat. Her wings were out, making her invisible for other people to see.

            It’s hard for me, needless to say, for I have to pretend that the seat next to me wasn’t occupied. And the goofy face Seulgi has makes everything harder for me.

            I mean, how can you even disregard such half-godly presence anyway?

            “Maybe they cancelled last minute…” I mumbled. “Let’s just go home, Joy-ah… I mean, I’m not looking forward for a blind date anyway.”

            “Oh please, don’t say the ‘Bogum is the only one in my life’ craze again. I’m seriously choking you, Irene unnie.”

            I shrugged, “I’ve gotten over it. Bogum’s in a much better place now.”

            Joy’s eyes grew wild at that.

            “Wait, what did you just say? YOU’VE GOTTEN OVER IT? BOGUM’S DEATH? HOW? WHAT SORCERY IS THIS—Oww!” I smacked Joy’s head and gave a cold stare.

            “Just shut up, Joy…”

            While rubbing her forehead, she pouted, “But it’s hard to believe unnie! For the past five years you’re like ‘Bogum used to like this’ and ‘I miss him so much!’ I honestly thought you’ll be stuck with him for your whole life and end up like a monk or what!”

            I glanced at my cup of coffee, the drink already turned cold.

            “M-maybe I woke up to the reality that he’s gone… that I think he isn’t the one for me all this time.”

            A small grin went to Seulgi’s face. She was obviously listening to our conversation but was pretending to read some book. The title seems to say A Guide to Mythological Dating 101 but I’m not sure. I never had trust on Seulgi’s books ever since she showed me the book ‘How to Get a Girl Apollo Style 2017’ the other day. It scarred me to the point that I won’t see poems the same way ever again.

            Joy had her eyebrow raised at that.

            “You…think?”

            I shook my head, putting up a smile.

            “I know… And I also know that Bogum wouldn’t want me to waste the rest of my life just missing him. That’s why I made up the resolve to put the past behind and maybe-just maybe-open up my heart again.”

            “Oh my god…” Joy muttered each syllable out of as if she wouldn’t believe what I just said. “Is the world ending or something? What happened to you the past few days when I literally remembered you crying your heart out a few days ago because of Bogum?”

            I shrugged.

            “Maybe I met an angel.”

            “An angel?”

            Seulgi’s grin got even wider. Bad. I just boosted this girl’s ego.

            “Yeah… somehow…”

            Joy didn’t press on. Instead, she just nodded her head in understanding and smiled. Quite sinister, as I daresay but I didn’t ask. Joy was always that weird.

            A short silence enveloped us. It seemed calm, simple… peaceful. I didn’t know the next words that Joy uttered out of her lips would just be anything but simple.

            “So… you’re heart’s opened up now to love again?”

            It took me by surprise, to be honest. Maybe because I never really thought of it. Maybe because I’ve been to hung up by the ideas of Bogum I never realized how my heart has been healed slowly with time and the only thing I need was closure—closure Bog