*** Seulgi *** 

"Recollection," 

I jumped from my original position when I heard someone's voice inside the house. I thought, mom's music and her soothing voice were the only thing that always welcome me in the morning. 

But I was wrong.

"By BoA." 

I turned to face the owner but was left even more surprised to see who it was. "Jo-joohyun?" 

She stare at me blankly, not bothering to answer my question. I met her eyes which are still looking at me. Her eyes furrowed for I don't know the reason. 

"Hey," after a long staring contest we've had, I decided to stand up and slowly taking the gap between us. She followed me by her eyes. "Why are yo---" I cannot finish my sentence when my mind just refreshing what happened last night. That memory alone can answer my question why she was here. "You okay?" I asked another question while holding her injured leg.

She looked at me briefly then shifted her attentiom to the huge painting in front of us, that was hanging on the wall. She blinked fast then shut her eyes for a few seconds. 

"Something's wrong?" I asked her once more. 

"I just realized..." she finally spoke up. I nodded my head to signal her to continue. She looked at the painting again. She slowly raised her finger and pointed it to the painting. "Is that BoA?"

I followed her finger and it seems like she's asking me if the woman on the painting is BoA. "Yeah," I nodded my head. 

Her eyes widened while left ajar. Followed by her hands covering her slightly opened mouth. 

"What?" I asked, still cannot fill the holes of what is happening. 

"BoA is your mo-mo---" She cannot finish her words, she cannot even find the right words to say. 

I laughed at her reaction. "BoA is my, what?" I asked between laughs. 

She starting to throw punches at me, though I know it's harmless yet it's still painful. "I'm not joking here." She said. "I'm shocked. In the state of shock." 

"Tell me what surprised you?" 

She sighed heavily. "BoA is your mother, am I right?" 

I was immediately froze from my position after hearing her comment. I felt like my body became heavier than before. It is still painful to hear her name from anybody after a very long time.

I didn't answer her because I don't know what to say. I know it is a simple yes or no but what will happen in the next chapters of her life, knowing now that my mother was BoA, is what scares me the most. Most especially, now that she became a special person to me, without Krystal's knowledge. 

"Yes, I am damn right." She said silently. "Your silence answered it." She leaned her back to the sofa. "Wow, Seulgi... you have a very beautiful and popular mother. Did you know that she's my idol? She's a famous singer and a very good dancer. Seulgi? Why you didn't tell me?"

"How did find out?" I said. 

"Find out what?" She looked at me in the eyes this time. 

"That that woman on the painting was my mother." I said, leaning closer to her. 

She sat up properly and leaned her face closer to mine. I could even feel her breath that smells like mint strawberries. "Krystal told me. You even use your own blood with a little mixture of black coffee when processing that artwork." She said, almost a whisper but enough for me to hear the whole thing. "You almost die after you finished that." She said, eyes frowned this time. "What came to your mind when you do that? Why use your blood, Seulgi?" Her tone raised compared from before. 

I hung my head low. "That artwork," I repeated, taking Joohyun's words as an insult. She doesn't know a single hell I have been through. Why would she comment that?

Instead of talking to her more, I stood from the sofa and silently walking towards the kitchen. 

"Seulgi?" I heard her called but I remained silent. "Seul?" 

I opened the fridge to get water to feed my dry lips. 

"Seul---Ugh!" 

I stop drinking and immediately looked at her over my shoulder. She was holding on the kitchen top to support herself from the possibility of falling. She's still having a hard time in walking.

I put the glass of water on the top of the table and came walking to her. I hold her arm and put it over my shoulder. "Let's go to the hospital." I said. 

When I was about to walk us to the door, she call. "Seul?" She squeezed my hand.

I have no choice but to look up to her because our faces were just centimeters apart. "Hmm?" I raised my eyebrows for inquiry. 

"Did I say something that offended you earlier?" She said silently, her eyes were pleading for an answer. "I'm sorry. I don't know what is it but I'm so sorry." She lowered her head, feeling guilty to whatever she said, unknowing of what is it.

I carried her and put her to the nearest chair in the kitchen. 

I get the glass from the table that I used earlier and fill it with water. I kneeled in front of her, reach her hand and offer her the glass of water. But she didn't move an inch. 
Worse, she was sobbing. 

"Hey, don't cry." 

"I told you. I hate it when people left me without telling me the reason. You just did the same." She said, head still hung low. "It suffocates me. Really."

I raised her chin using my fingers, only to see her eyes shut, avoiding contact, tears falling on the side of her eyelashes. I sighed when I saw the heartbreaking view before me. I can't stop myself from wrapping her around my arms and pressed her head to my stomach. It was her signal to burst out crying. "Shhh," I tried my best to comfort her by rubbing my hands on her back. 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She wailed. She sneaked her arms around my waist and pressed her face to my stomach even more. I could eternally feel her sobbing. 

"What happened?" I asked. Tell me insane, but I can sense that this crying thing of her isn't just because I ignored her earlier. I can sense there's more than that. I cupped her face and raise her head to face me. Our eyes were locked this time. "Tell me. Tell me, what's wrong?" I pleaded.

She cried even more. 

"Hey," 

"I'm scared." She said, almost a whisper. She hugged me tightly, avoided my gaze. 

"Scared from what? From the people who chase us?" 

"No." 

"From the society who will soon to judge us?" 

"No." 

"From Krystal?" 

"Definitely, no."

"Tell me, from what?" I lowered my body, leveling my face to hers while brushing her tears that keep on falling. "Joohyun, you're scaring me too." She didn't answer but still crying. "Oh, come on!" I urged. "Tell me what is it before I become paranoid." 

"I'm scared for you." 

I cupped her face again and look her in the eyes. "Why?" 

"I'm scared to what might those people bring you. I'm scared that one day, I'll see you full of bruises. I'm scared to see you battered to death. I'm scared for you. I'm scared to lose you." She hugged me tightly like a mom misses her daughter for a very long time. 

My mouth left ajar from the latter words. 

"I thought you'd get die from those girls who attacked us." She said. "I was frightened when I saw you unconscious on Krystal's car." Her sobbing turned into a silent cries. 

I was left frozen. Unsure of what just happened, to what I've heard. 

"Seulgi. Say something!" 

Her voice brought me back to my house. I inhaled deeply. "Joohyun?" 

She raised her head and look at me, waiting for my next words. 

"Why are you like this?" 

"You don't know, don't you?" She said. She brushed her tears using the back of her hands. "You don't know, don't you?" She repeated, only to raised her tone a little this time.

I thought a lot deeper, trying to find possible answers from my mind. But there was nothing. "I'm afraid I don't, Joohyun." I said silently. Praying that she won't get angry. 

"I love you, silly." 

And that was it. She said the word. She said the words that I wasn't expecting to hear so soon. There was nothing powerful more than that word. It's so powerful that it made me step back from her. I felt like I'm having a heart attack.

I suddenly felt all my internal organs stop functioning. The numbness spread across my body quickly. The dreadful memory is flashing to my mind.

I shut my eyes harder to push it away from my brain, from all over me.

"What's wrong?" Joohyun said with a tone of disappointed. 

"Oh my God! My heart, my heart beat just... quickened or something. Nevermind me. I always messed things up when it comes to this." I hold me chest and feel every heart beat across it. Every pump send chills to my bones. The shakiness of my body started. And it was harder and faster this time. 

"You're dying?" 

I rolled my eyes to her. "No. I cannot explain it." 

"Are you high blood?" 

"Joohyun, I'm nervous! I ed up big time!" 

"Why?" 

I scoffed. "Oh gosh, it's exhausting dating an honor student." I rolled my eyes to her. "Joohyun, you said the word." 

"Will you please relax!?" She said, hands on the air. 

Her words were like magic, it helped me come down. I breathe deeply numerous times, collecting myself after the past two minutes. 

She sighed after she saw that I'm already relax. "Well, I'm not sorry to feel that way, because it's true, I wasn't lying. And I felt the need to tell you badly because my heart felt heavy. Carrying those words is so exhausting, especially if I felt the urge to tell you every single day I am with you." 

I turned my head to see her, hands still on my chest, but my tears are starting to fall. 

"Do you think I should have kept that forever?" She said quietly.

"Yes. No, I mean, not forever forever but..." I cannot find the right words to say. "That was such an inconceivable confession, Joohyun!" 

"I know," she nodded. "But it's true." She said. 

"Oh my God," I said quietly, obviously put off. 

"I'm leaving." 

I rushed to her when I saw her starting to walk away. I brushed my tears away. "I'm sorry, Joohyun. Will you stay?" 

"Kidding," she said, beaming from ear to ear.

"Figured." I muttered. 

"Seulgi," she reached out for my hand. "It is true. I love you." 

My heart palpitated hard again by the sudden confession. The same effect started to cross all over my body. I breathed deeply, inhaled, exhaled, trying to get enough oxygen for my system before I suffocate.

She burst out laughing when she saw my reaction. 

I was kinda disappointed because she doesn't know that it's serious, that I'm serious.

"Don't tell me you're kidding about it." I said, eyes frowned. 

"What? No!" She filled the gap between us, slowly but she made it. "I swear, it's true. I lo---" she didn't finish her words when I put a finger on her lips, free hand on her cheeks. 

"Don't just throw it everywhere, Joohyun. My mother told me it is a sacred word. And please, I can't breathe poperly anymore." I said, almost a whisper, looking at her, eye to eye, pleading.

Her lips formed a curve shape, eyes almost gone, gently nodding her head. 

I separated my myself from her and was ready to go the the counter to drink the unmoved glass of water when a sudden loud confession echoed around my house. 

"I love you, Kang Seulgiii!!"

*********

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Here's an update for a little celebration because our finals was moved. Just like the old time, please leave a comment about your thoughts on this chapter. Love you a lot! Thank youuuuu~