Just a quick note from  me,

Thank you to my readers who waited and most important of all, there are a few readers who commented on my chapters regularly and I'm so thankful. It's beacuse of you guys that I decided to try my best to continue this story till the end. As for other readers, I would really love to read your thoughts and feelings on the chapters, either good or bad. It really does give me strength.

Because of the lack of feedback I got from you guys, I decided this story wasn't worth to keep going. But this story's a bit personal to me so I decided to keep on continuing. My writing's fluctuated a lot from my lack of keeping it up. Mostly because I'm working for the past couple of years now. So please feel free to suggest anything if you see it.

As for the story, this will get better.  I promise ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Have you heard about upcoming Seulrene Sub-Unit in June btw? NOW THAT'S EXCITING!

Now, Enjoy! (づ￣ ³￣)づ

______

"I don't think we should go to the bar tonight."Jisoo stated softly as she accompanied Seulgi who had been silent ever since they left the expo event. 

"I promised you, Jisoo."Seulgi responded calmly, at least she was trying to best to look the part. Jisoo shook her head and sighed, she of all people knew how observant Jisoo is. 

"You said yes to meeting her tomorrow morning, Seul." Jisoo reprimanded, Seulgi's clenched her teeth tightly,"You need to be in your best condition to deal with it."

-20 minutes earlier-

"Seulgi?"

She wanted to say Hi, she really wanted to. But 's not functioning as her brain wanted to. Fake a smile, greet her like an old friend, nod along to what she says, wave her goodbye at the end. 

She could immediately form simple steps for a friendly conversation. But why , limbs were not working?

She knew why but she didn't want to admit. All she wanted to do right now was buried herself, six feet under. 

Just like Wendy told her before, no one would mourn for her more than a month if she took drastic measure to end her sufferings. Less regrets, less lingering attachments.

Somehow, she bowed at the older out of courtesy, words killing her for she never expected to meet her again like this. Jisoo would have laughed at this absurd behavior of ever-calm Kang Seulgi but the stiffness of her posture, her eyes clenching shut as she lowered her head was very worrying. 

And she was not getting back up from her bow. She glanced at Irene who visibly looked shaken yet her eyes didn't move away from Seulgi.

Jisoo gently put her arm around Seulgi's back as she nudged the girl back to her senses. "Irene-unnie will not eat you, Kang."

Seulgi got back to her senses as she tried her best to smile. Her heart was beating wildly outside of her control, her plams starting to sweat. And she really couldn't hear anything. Despite all her struggle, she managed to feign composure, "Long time no see, Irene-unnie."

It's better, calling her in a foreign name that she never got used to. 

"You look taller, Seulgi-ah." Seulgi could feel Irene's eyes on her, her soft spoken voice that felt too close to home covering her senses completely. 

"You two know each other?" Jennie asked, pointing the two of them.

"She was my senior in High School." And yet, Seulgi still couldn't look at her in the eyes, just looking around where the sight of Irene didn't exist. 

But the latter was standing right in front of her, and she could hear Irene's trying to manage her breath slowly, her figure trembling subtly as she also tried to maintain her composure.

The older wasn't doing any better, she thought as it somehow made her feel less uncomfortable.

"Small world,huh? "Jisoo commented as she moved closer to Seulgi, her pinky finger intertwining with Seulgi, hidden behind their backs.

Seulgi clutched her hand instead, holding them tightly. And the latter's fingers were cold and shaking. 

Her subtle actions didn't escape Irene's eyes as Jisoo could see Irene looking at her and then to her arm hidden behind her back. Jisoo held her tongue, not letting out a witty remark to throw Irene off-balance. In fact, she hadn't confirmed anything but Seulgi's actions had been a dead giveaway. 

"Are you here for a visit?"Irene initiated, her warm smile adorning her face. 

"No, I'm studying here."

"Oh!"Irene looked shocked, her eyes starting to sparkle and look determined, "Where?"

"...NYU. "

"I'm studying there too."Irene continued, "I transferred from Korea during last semester."

"I see.."Seulgi merely looked up at her in response, but she managed to reply. She wanted to just scream and run away at her stupid fate. 

"What major?"

"She's taking Business Administration just as her parents wanted."Jisoo answered for her. 

"I'm taking Marketing and a course for Fashion Business."

"She's helping out with our branch office here, even models occasionally."Jennie added, hugging her unnie sideways with a proud smile on her face.

"No!"Irene shook her head shyly, "There's still so much to learn a lot and I just helped out because you couldn't make it to the shoot."

"Which ended successfully by the way and you're even getting popular."

"Congratulations, Unnie. You have achieved so much." Seulgi genuinely stated. Irene was always destined to do great things. Her mindset, her belief and her work ethic to accomplish what she wanted was always well-known.

Which used to inspire her as much.

"Thank you, Seulgi"Irene smiled at her and Seulgi's just starting to count seconds in her head as she looked for an escape route.

"You guys will be late for the dinner, Jennie. Hurry along"Jisoo tried to shoo them away. Jennie scowled at her, shaking her head, "I'm not going without you."

Jisoo huffed as she felt a headache coming. Can't this girl read the atmosphere?

"Unnie's with you now and heck, your baby's friends will be there also." Jisoo pushed, even though the word baby felt like a horrible taste in .

"Maybe Seulgi can join us."Irene stated.

"I-"

"Sorry, Unnie. This bear here" Jisoo dismissed the offer as she smiled sweetly and poked Seulgi's cheek , "promised me that I will have a good time. And it's been awhile since we hang out together."

"We really have A LOT to catch up on, aren't we Seulgi-yah?" Jisoo asked Seulgi, signaling her to play along.

Seulgi rolled her eyes and nodded. "It's fine, Unnie. Besides I really don't know the people joining your dinner."

"See, Kim Jennie? Don't worry, I won't disappear.See you tomorrow." Jisoo waved her hand as she dragged Seulgi along to leave. 

"Seulgi-yah! Can I have your number?"


___


"God, you even immediately accepted to meet up for a coffee."

"It's a meeting, Kim Jisoo. Not an interview."Seulgi responded, "I can handle myself but thank you for your concern."

Jisoo rolled her eyes, Business Kang is back again with that faux politeness. "Just do as I say. You OWE me the best time and we're definitely not having the best time in this condition."

Seulgi her temple in annoyance, "This is not my first rodeo meeting the people I'm not comfortable with, Ji. I know you're worried about me but when I say I'm fine, I am fine."   

She had no one four years ago, no Wendy, no Sunmi or Jisoo. Sooyoung was also busy with her own life after going after her own dream. 

That bleak year of 17-years old, Seulgi. 

She pulled through for 365 days.

A coffee should be a piece of cake. 


___



"So, Irene-unnie huh?"

Wendy greeted her with a smirk on her face before Seulgi could even the door.

Seulgi turned to glare at Jisoo, "Can't you even wait for a few minutes?"

"No can do."Jisoo smirked as she went ahead to enter her apartment and high-fived Wendy who let out her annoying loud laugh.

Some friends she has

"You never showed me how she looks like and man, oh man!" Wendy continued as she followed her cousin to the kitchen. 

"You got taste! I approved."

Seulgi groaned loudly before yelling at Jisoo,"Kim Jisoo! You piece of !"

Last thing she needed was her two nosy friends poking her around for more juicy gossip-worthy teenage angst. But she needed a drink ASAP. She took out her favorite beer from her fridge and tried her best not to slap Wendy who's buzzing her around like an annoying fly.

"Hey, how about me?" 

Seulgi rolled her eyes and ignored Jisoo as she took a seat on the sofa. "You have eyes, hands and legs."

"You are such a meanie."Jisoo huffed as she prepared to get up. 

"Let me get one for you."Wendy winked as she went back to the kitchen. Jisoo shouted her thanks as she pushed Seulgi with her leg.
  
"See? She's an angel unlike you."

Seulgi scoffed.

"No wonder you lost your over her" , Wendy commented as she joined them on the sofa, "She's really a beauty, like out of this world."

"I might even turn gay for her if I didn't know what happened."

"You have Joy waiting for you."

"No, thank you!", Wendy cursed at her cousin who finally laughed loudly. Seulgi introduced the two via Skype last year and as curious as ever, Wendy started to question Sooyoung anything she wanted to know.

To the point she asked about how Sooyoung act or kiss her co-actors or if there was any tongue involved. 

And nobody ever wants to piss off Sooyoung the Satan intentionally or not. 

Next thing she knew, Sooyoung posted Wendy's number and photo on a hook-up website.She even offered her a free make-out if she visited Seoul someday.

"On the serious note, are you really up for it? It's tomorrow morning, Seulgi-ah."Jisoo noted.

Seulgi didn't answer and continued to drink her beer. 

"I have never seen Irene-unnie looked so shocked and out of place before."

Seulgi sighed, "I really don't know what to say or to think, Jisoo."

"Since when?"

"Highschool."

"Wow."

"I was also surprised the first time I heard about it" Wendy commented, remembering her cousin breakdown in the middle of the night and it ended with Seulgi coming out to her. 

And she's proud to be her ever-so-secretive cousin's confidante.Seulgi had been always mysterious to read. It would seem like Seulgi's very easy to approach or simple-minded but the girl's very calculative and unapproachable beyond measure, building up her walls so high and impenetrable.  

The girl was also unpredictable and her self-esteem also fluctuated a lot which she later found out why. 

"I will be fine tomorrow, Wendy. Don't worry about it."

"You don't need to push yourself , Seulgi."

Wendy wanted to say more but she wished Seulgi could take a look at herself. If Seulgi didn't look so conflicted and miserable, she would have nagged her more for agreeing so easily to meet the person who broke her the most.

And Wendy's also very curious to meet this Irene Bae Joohyun herself.

"A yes is a yes and-"

"You don't run away if you have given your word." Wendy rolled her eyes as she recited, already used to the latter's mantra.

"Do I need to order Pizza in advance?"

"A Beer Keg?"

"A hooker?"Jisoo chipped in. 

"Yah!" Seulgi pushed her cackling friend away. 

"She doesn't need one. She has you."

Jisoo stopped laughing and started to blush while glaring at Wendy. It was Seulgi's turn to laugh at the latter. 

"Yeah, you need to laugh now cos I'm sure you won't tomorrow."

Seulgi glared at her cousin who's now holding her stomach, laughing to her heart's content. Sometimes, she wished she could put a brake on this ignorant squirrel's mouth. 

"No wonder Joy signed you up for that website. You really have a big mouth, aren't you?"

"YAH!!!"




______



Seulgi sighed for the nth time as her feet continued to bring her along to the dreaded place.

Seulgi didn't want to come. She thought of ditching her old senior. Or maybe even sending Seungwan in her place. But her urge to see her again won over. 

Like what had she been doing all those years? Jisoo showed her a few photos of Irene's modeling photos the night before along with their hangout photos. And Suho was also included in the photos, turned out they went to the same university. 

She wondered if they're still dating. It would be better for her if it's true. Maybe the truth could slap her across the face so she could stop her self-pity party and move on. 

"You'll be fine. There's nothing Kang Seulgi can do." 

Seulgi finally remembered Jisoo's still with her, accompanying her to the café she agreed to meet. The latter insisted on coming along with her before heading back to her hotel. 

Even though she denied the offer multiple times, she was grateful inside. Seulgi squeezed her hand in response, smiling softly at her. 

Kim Jennie's so lucky to have Kim Jisoo and she hoped the latter realizes it. 

They gradually arrived near the destination and Seulgi could see a familiar figure sitting by the window, looking outside. She gulped as she tried to gather her wits. 

"Do you want to leave?" Jisoo asked her. As much as she wanted her friend to finish this catch-up and be done with it, Seulgi's uncharacteristically panicking could be a recipe for disaster.

"No", Seulgi finally breathed out. "Like you told me last night,