Flashback: Seulgi and Irene’s Apartment, A Month After Graduation

“Hey, babe.” Seulgi calls out to Irene and hugs her from behind.

Irene rests her body against Seulgi’s taller one and melts into her lover. She looks up to give Seulgi’s jaw a gentle kiss. “Hey, you.”

This makes Seulgi’s eyes form into crescents and hug her girlfriend’s slim waist tighter. She rests her head against Irene’s and closes her eyes peacefully. The two had just finished unpacking the last of their belongings in their new apartment and they were currently admiring the fruits of their hard work. They had spent all day unpacking and deciding where the furnitures they bought together would go. And given that it was already nighttime, both are just glad to be finished with their work.

The apartment they had chosen was a modern, single bedroom apartment with a balcony area connected to the bedroom. The balcony features the amazing view of Westmaple City. Westmaple is Irene’s hometown and is just a few kilometers west of Springmont, which is Seulgi’s hometown and where their alma mater is located. The apartment was previously owned by Seulgi’s childhood friend who had to move back to Canada. When Seulgi found out that her friend’s apartment would be vacant, she immediately bought the place.

The apartment was made for Seulgi and Irene. They both liked minimal colors and clean designs. The white and grey walls perfectly complimented the pale wooden floors and the overall achromatic aesthetic perfectly suited both of their tastes.

It had a spacious bedroom, enough to fit a queen-sized bed, a dresser and a nightstand. It also had four closets affixed to the walls on the left side of the room for their clothing.

The living room was big enough for a long couch, two single chairs and a coffee table placed in the middle. The dark fur carpet Irene had brought over from her dorm was a great addition to the set. Beside the living room was a long wooden table, sufficient for a group of eight people.

The kitchen featured a granite countertop with a sink and cupboards on the walls. Their fridge was a good fit alongside the kitchen stove already installed in the apartment. The kitchen also had an isle in the middle for simple kitchen preparations or some casual snacking.

Finally, the bathroom, placed right next to their bedroom, just had the essentials. A shower and a toilet with a simple bathroom sink and mirror.

“I’m so glad everything worked out for us. I found the perfect apartment, you ended up loving this perfect apartment and your new job is just one bus ride away from here!” Seulgi picks Irene up from the ground and spins her around which leaves the smaller woman in between screams and giggles.

Seulgi sets Irene down and Irene tries to catch her breath as soon as she feels her feet reunite with the hard surface of the ground once again. “Yes, and let’s not forget that your new job is just a fifteen-minute drive from here.”

“Hyun, it’s hardly a job and you know it.” Seulgi sighs and stomps in front of Irene to face her. “I’m just working for my dad temporarily until he’s convinced that I’m ready so he can give me the money for my coffee shop.” Seulgi rolls her eyes.

“Kang Seulgi, quit rolling your eyes!” Irene slaps Seulgi’s arm. “You’re already lucky enough to just be given money to start your own business. You at least have to work for it a bit.” Irene cups her girlfriend's cheeks and looks straight into her eyes.

“I know. I’m sorry for being a whiny brat, Hyun.” Seulgi pouts like a baby and her girlfriend just laughs at her and pinches her cheek. “I’m just too excited! I want to finish building my coffee shop now so I can ask you to marry me already!” Seulgi breaks out into a wide grin and takes both of Irene’s hands into hers.

“Whoa. Slow down there, tiger.” Irene raises both her hands in the air and backs away from her girlfriend. “We literally just moved in together yet you’re already talking about marriage?” Irene’s eyes widen in disbelief.

“Why? Don’t you wanna marry me?” Seulgi’s face quickly falls into a frown.

“No, no, no.” Irene notices the quick change in Seulgi’s mood so she rushes to her girlfriend and quickly holds her face in her hands. “I mean, yes. Of course, I wanna marry you.” Seulgi’s expression lights up upon hearing Irene’s words. But when she looks up, she doesn’t miss the way Irene’s lips open, as if wanting to say more, but nothing comes out and she closes them again.

“I’m assuming there’s a but?” A half-frown is plastered on Seulgi's face as she urges her girlfriend to continue.

Irene hesitates for a moment before finishing with, “But, not right now.”

Seulgi nods in understanding and stays silent for a minute. Irene is panicking more and more by the minute as she thinks of a way to handle the awkward situation. She's extremely ecstatic that they just moved in together so she really doesn't want the mood to drop all of a sudden.

Seulgi, on the other hand, suddenly bursts out into laughter at seeing her girlfriend’s worried face. Irene is clearly confused by everything that’s happening.

“Why are you laughing?” Irene jabs at her girlfriend’s ribs.

“Ow!” Seulgi winces. “Relax, Hyun. I was just kidding. Were you really that scared that I was gonna ask you to marry me right now?” Seulgi wipes the tears coming out from her eyes from laughing too hard.

“You’re such an idiot. I can’t believe I agreed to move in with you.” Irene rolls her eyes and walks away from Seulgi.

“Hey, where are you going?” Seulgi laughs and shakes her head as she watches her girlfriend walking away from her.

“To the kitchen! I need a glass of water. You’re stressing me out.” Irene answers back without turning to look at her girlfriend.

“I want some too!” Seulgi jogs to the kitchen and follows Irene.

Irene grabs two glasses and walks to their fridge. She fills both glasses using the external water dispenser attached to the expensive two-door fridge that Seulgi bought for them. Irene originally wanted a simple fridge, reasoning that the fridge was too extravagant for them, but Seulgi insisted that the fridge was a gift from her father and that they should keep it.

“Here.” Irene shoves the glass of water to her girlfriend and glares at her.

Seulgi just shakes her head and laughs at her girlfriend. “Same old Hyunnie.” She takes a huge gulp and sets her glass down on the kitchen isle. She walks over to Irene and reaches for the latter’s hand. “I can’t wait until I get to marry you for real, Hyun.” She places a kiss on Irene’s hand and smiles at her. “I'll work hard to be ready for when that day comes, I promise.” Seulgi promises as she looks deep into Irene’s eyes and pulls her girlfriend into a warm hug.

Irene’s frown melts into a smile at Seulgi’s promise of forever and she gives in to accept the hug. “You’re still an idiot.”

“I know. A lucky idiot.” Seulgi smiles and buries her face in Irene’s shoulders.

Over the next few weeks, the latest chapter in Seulgi and Irene’s life together as a couple began to unfold at the same time as new pages were being written in their individual lives. Seulgi began to work in her father’s company to earn the right for the money for her business venture while Irene started her job as a Software Developer at Strosin Industries, a really huge and popular tech company. And they continued to live together in peace inside the warmth of their home.

Irene arrives in their apartment and as she opens the door she is greeted by loud, clanking noises which seems to be coming from the kitchen area. In the four years that they have been together, she has never seen her girlfriend touch anything in the kitchen that wasn’t food.

So upon hearing the suspicious noises, she immediately looks for a weapon. The first thing her eyes land on is the long and black samurai umbrella that her girlfriend owns. Being the child that she is, Seulgi bought it during their trip to Japan together. The trip was supposedly another gift from Seulgi’s dad as Seulgi says, but Irene knows that Seulgi just probably forced it out of her dad.

She walks to the kitchen with light footsteps, careful not to make any noise that might alert the intruder. She nears the corner turning to the kitchen and she swiftly positions her back against the wall. She takes in a deep breath and slowly counts to three.

One…

Two…

THREE!

“Hands in the air!” Irene yells as she reveals herself to the intruder. Her voice echoes throughout the apartment along with the sound of the kitchen utensils hitting the floor.

“Seulgi?” Irene calls out to the intruder, who currently had her hands in the air with a frightened expression on her face. Irene’s jaw drops to the floor as she recognizes her girlfriend.

“H-hyun?” Seulgi carefully approaches her girlfriend, who remained unmoving from where she’s standing, with her hands still positioned to hit Seulgi with the samurai umbrella. Seulgi takes the umbrella away from Irene’s hands and puts it down on the floor. She puts her hands on Irene’s shoulders and stares directly into her eyes.

“Hyun? Are you okay?” Irene returns to reality and she turns to look at her girlfriend.

“Seul? W-why are you cooking? I thought you didn’t know how to cook? And more importantly, how?” Irene bombards Seulgi with her questions, still appearing to be shaken up by the whole situation,

Seulgi cackles at her girlfriend’s reaction to her cooking. “I’ve always known how to cook.” Seulgi chuckles. “Well, technically I just know how to make sujebi. And ramen, if that counts. But still.” Seulgi shrugs.

Seulgi hears the loud protest of the boiling soup, wanting her attention back, so she asks her girlfriend to take a seat.

“Hyun, why don’t you take a seat at the dining table? I’m almost finished so we can have dinner soon. I already set the table and there’s also some water there.” Seulgi points to the dining area. “I think you need some.” Seulgi giggles and walks back to the kitchen to finish cooking their dinner.

Irene calms herself down and mutters a simple, “Okay.”

Irene watches intently as Seulgi finishes cooking in the kitchen. And although her personal chef for the night may be a tad bit clumsy, she’s not gonna lie. She definitely likes seeing this domestic side of Seulgi.

I could get used to this. Irene muses as she eyes her girlfriend from the dining table.

Seulgi notices her girlfriend’s heavy stare and decides to comment. “Hungry, are we?” She smirks. “Don’t worry, I’m almost done here.”

“I’m not sure if I want sujebi right now.” Irene pouts. “I think I’m in the mood for something else.” Irene adds suggestively.

"Be patient. It's gonna be worth it, I promise." Seulgi assures her girlfriend. "And don't worry, there will be dessert." Seulgi adds with a wink.

After a few more minutes of cooking, Seulgi finally finishes her dish. She carefully plates the food and attentively garnishes it before serving the finished product on the dining table. She places one bowl in front of Irene and places the other one in front of her seat.

“Tada! Here we have Kang Seulgi’s Famous Sujebi!” Seulgi proudly presents her dish and moves to sit on her side of the table.

Irene examines the bowl of food in front her. Looks edible. Plus points for the garnish. Irene smiles in satisfaction.

"Not bad, Kang." Irene gives Seulgi her approval.

"Wait until you taste it." Seulgi smiles proudly.

Irene picks up her spoon and scoops a generous amount of the sujebi before putting it in . She chews carefully and studies the taste thoroughly, wanting to give a proper evaluation for the first dish her girlfriend ever cooked for her.

"So.. how is it?" Seulgi asks nervously, seeing her girlfriend's serious face after eating her dish.

"Do you want an honest answer or a compliment?" Irene chuckles when she notices Seulgi's tense expression.

Seulgi contemplates for a second before deciding. "Honest. I want you to be honest. I really want to learn more about cooking. I've always felt bad that you're always the one cooking for us because I lack skills in the culinary department." Seulgi smiles sheepishly. "So I want to learn. Go ahead. I can take it." Seulgi encourages her girlfriend.

"Well, you didn't really have to give a whole speech about it, but okay." Irene giggles. She inhales deeply before speaking which adds to Seulgi's nervousness. "It's good. Like really good. The flavor is there and the noodles are cooked to perfection. If I hadn't caught you cooking, I might have thought that you bought this." Seulgi laughs at her girlfriend's comment. "But! It's a bit too spicy, babe. Maybe you could tone it down next time." Irene finishes and reaches for Seulgi's hand across the table.

Upon hearing the last part of Irene's evaluation, Seulgi takes a spoonful of her portion and tries it. She almost chokes on the soup and immediately reaches for the glass of water in front of her. "Oh damn! It is too spicy! How did you keep a straight face eating this?" 

"I guess I can handle spicy food pretty well." Irene tells her girlfriend. "And I didn't want you to feel bad about it so I held it in." Irene smiles shyly. "It's really good though! Don't worry I can eat it." Irene reassures her girlfriend while taking another spoonful.

Seulgi smiles endearingly at the sight of her girlfriend deliciously eating the food she cooked. "Thanks, Hyun. I promise I'll do better next time."

"Hm?" Irene looks up from her bowl, feigning ignorance. "What were you talking about? Sorry, I was too focused on this bowl of delicious sujebi." She then returns her attention to her bowl.

"I think my stupidity is rubbing off on you, Hyun. I don't mind it though." Seulgi chuckles and begins eating her food.

"Whatever. Don't think I haven't forgotten. I want my dessert after this." Irene demands, eyeing her prey.

Of course, like with every couple, it wasn't all rainbows and butterflies. We all know that. And like any other couple, they also had their own way of dealing with conflicts in their house.

"Kang Seulgi, how many times do I have to tell you to finish your chores first before playing your stupid video games?" Irene yells from the bathroom.

"Huh? The sink is already cleared out. Plus, I already cleaned our bedroom and threw out the trash, Hyun. I even cleaned the living room a bit before playing, even though this is your part." Seulgi defends herself, not looking away from the television.

"It's the second weekend of the month, Kang Seulgi. You're forgetting something." Irene reminds her girlfriend.

Seulgi and Irene had initially divided the chores in their house to avoid having fights. They had agreed that Seulgi would mainly be in charge of washing the dishes, cleaning their bedroom and trash duties while Irene would do their laundry and take charge of the living room and kitchen. As for the bathroom, they had decided to take turns every week. And this week, it was Seulgi's turn. But the bear-like girl had forgotten it due to her excitement in playing the new game she recently bought as a gift for herself.

"Oh is it? I'll clean it after this level." Seulgi replies absentmindedly.

Irene knew that tone too well. She knew that if Seulgi didn't get up right now, she wouldn't be getting up until the sun sets. And that means that she end up cleaning the bathroom on her own because there's no way in hell she's going to use an unclean bathroom. So she had to take action. And quick. So she goes for Plan A.

"Seulgi, please? I really want to take a bath soon." Irene pleads cutely to her girlfriend. 

But Seulgi couldn't care less. She was already in too deep. "Five minutes, promise." Seulgi mumbles.

Well, that didn't work. Irene thinks to herself. Time for Plan B.

Irene walks over to her girlfriend and sits beside her, pressing her body up against Seulgi's. "Come on, babe. So we can take a shower together after." She whispers the last part in Seulgi's ear and it noticeably shakes her girlfriend up. Just when Irene was about to smile in triumph, Seulgi suddenly moves away from Irene and returns to her game.

"Did you just move away from me?" Irene protests in disbelief.

Still nothing.

Irene was already getting impatient and it wasn't helping that it was particularly hot that day and all she wants to do is to take a nice cold shower to freshen up. Plan C, it is.

"Kang. Seul. Gi." Irene emphasized every syllable of her lover's name in a dead serious tone that effectively sent chills down Seulgi's spine.

Seulgi immediately looks up with widened eyes, recognizing that tone. She also knew that tone too well. She knew that Irene was already beyond pissed and merely cleaning the bathroom wouldn't cut it. So she runs to their bedroom and retrieves a secret weapon she was reserving for a special occasion.

"Where are you going, Kang Seulgi?" Irene angrily asks.

Seulgi bursts through their bedroom door and appears in front of Irene in a flash, both her hands behind her back.

"Hey Hyun, remember those limited edition fabric softeners we saw last time at the grocery?" Seulgi spits out of nowhere.

"Kang Seulgi, if this is your way of distracting me, it's not working. I swear if you don't begin cleaning, you'll never see the end of-" Seulgi cuts off Irene by pulling out something behind her back.

"Oh my god! Is that the limited edition Downy Unstoppables In-Wash Scent Booster?" Irene's eyes sparkle as she stares at the love of her life, Downy.

"Yup." Seulgi grins proudly, knowing that she has succeeded.

"Oh my god, babe. You didn't have to, but thank you." Irene is almost in tears and is evidently touched as she hugs her Downy bottle.

"Alright, I'll let you guys have your moment first and clean the bathroom." Seulgi sneaks away to the bathroom while her girlfriend is distracted with the bottle of fabric softener in her hand.

She begins cleaning the bathroom quickly before her girlfriend snaps out of it and she gets into more trouble. 

"Damn it! I was reserving that for Christmas! Now I gotta think of something else." Seulgi mumbles to herself as she scrubs the bathroom floor hard.

It was just the middle of August.

Present Day: Joy and Irene's Apartment, 10:01 PM

"Seulrene being domestic. I like this." Joy smirks. "You guys were so cute. I wish I knew you both back then! I would've loved to live with you guys and be your daughter." Joy drunkenly pouts in front of her bestfriend.

"You're drunk." Irene flicks her bestfriend's forehead. "And I don't have a daughter like you." 

"Whatever. You know you love me anyway." Joy rolls her eyes and sips more of her wine. 

"Not really." Irene sticks her tongue out and laughs.

"Can we just get back to the story? I, your bestfriend, am feeling really offended over here." Joy makes sure to put emphasis on the word bestfriend. "So what happened with Strosin? When I read it in your rèsumè that you once worked in Strosin,  I never really understood why you left in the first place."

"Probably because I wanted to meet you? My bestfriend." Irene jokes.

"Oh shut up, Joohyun. You missed your chance. I'm gonna look for a new bestfriend." Joy folds her arms across her chest. "Tomorrow." She takes it back. "I'll give you one more chance. But you have to answer the question seriously."

"Fine." Irene sighs.

"So why did you leave Strosin? They're like the biggest tech company right now. Even I would want to work there if I had the credentials to back it up." Joy declares.

"It's actually really simple. I wanted growth and I couldn't get it from Strosin." Irene shrugs.

Flashback: Strosin Industries, Four Months After Graduation

"Guys, daily standup in 5 minutes!" Irene's team leader, Kwon Boa, announces. 

It was another normal day at Strosin Industries for Irene. She has been working for the company as a Junior Web Developer for three months now. So far, she has only been assigned menial tasks due to her rookie status but she's looking to change that soon. She previously spent her whole afternoon preparing ideas she could present to her team leader and she couldn't be more excited.

Everyone gathers in Miss Kwon's office and stands together to form a circle. There was only a few seconds left before they begin and Irene is now preparing her notes.

"Since everyone is already here, let's begin. For today, let's just go with the usual 'what did you do, what are you going to do and blockers' got it?" Miss Kwon asks to which the whole group agrees with. "Alright, I'll start!" Miss Kwon declares.

Irene ended up standing beside Miss Kwon that day so she will be going last. One by one, Strosin's development team delivered their updates for the day. The team had just finished another sprint so it wasn't a particularly busy day for them. The updates mostly just consisted of a few bug reports and some user feedback from their latest deployment.

"Irene?" Miss Kwon notices that Irene has been a little distracted and calls for her.

Irene snaps out of it and sees the whole room looking at her, as if waiting for her next move.

"It's your t