Hickey
HERSHEIrene didn't plan on being where she's at right now.
She is looking out the window as they ride a coaster on board to their destination.
It's the time of the year when their company sponsors a team-building event for all employees. It's something she looks forward to every year as it always involves fun activities and free food.
However, this year, their team building is accompanied by a new employee her best friend Krystal is infatuated with.
It was Krystal who wanted them to sit beside each other on the coaster. It was too late when Irene found out that Krystal's plan was to put her on the third wheel.
And now, Irene's stuck with hearing the lovey-dovey couple beside her flirt while she sits there, pretending she's having the time of her life too.
"How many are you on your team again?" Krystal asked Seulgi.
"We're seven, including Eric," said Seulgi.
"What do you guys usually do during your free time? I'm curious, how does a group of artists like you bond?"
"Mmm, we're making fun of each other. The most common is editing someone's picture."
"Like?"
Seulgi chuckled as if she remembered something funny. "Like putting Eric's head on the body of a y--star!"
Irene couldn't stop herself from smiling while the two laughed as she can clearly imagine that picture. She feels bad somehow for eavesdropping, but she can't help overhearing the conversation because, well, the two are just beside her.
"How about yours, what do you guys do for fun?" It was Seulgi who asked this time.
"We usually play the game 'answer a question with a question'," said Krystal. "Someone starts a question and you just have to keep answering each other with questions."
"Wow. Sounds hard."
"Yeah, I'm always the one who loses first."
"Does everyone in your department take part in the game?"
"Yeah, everyone. We even form a circle to make it more fun."
"Well, it just seems to me you have some serious teammates in your department."
At this, Irene side-glanced Krystal and Seulgi who looked at her too.
Krystal held Irene's arm. "It may not seem like that but Irene can be a jolly person."
"Oh really? I guess I haven't seen that side of her yet," said Seulgi.
Irene raised an eyebrow and turns back to look out the window. There's no way she's gonna fall for that. She's got nothing against Seulgi but she doesn't like to be branded as one of the newcomer's victims.
"You might see it sooner once you do a project together," said Krystal.
"I look forward to it, Krystal."
Irene eyed Seulgi and saw the latter smirking. She responds with a glare.
Seulgi chuckled. "Hey, Ms. Bae, I think you'll be prettier if you'll add a little smile on your face."
It may or may not be an innocent comment. For all Irene knows, Seulgi's just flirting with her like how she does with Krystal and her other victims.
Although Irene thinks that Seulgi has this certain charm, an irresistible charm, like a magnet that can make any female hormones go wild, she swore she isn't falling for it and won't join that fan club.
Seulgi chuckled again. "I see the princess is serious, huh?"
Irene scoffed. "Princess your face."
"Oooh! At least she finally responded!" Seulgi clapped. "You don't want to be called a princess? What do you prefer then, amazon?"
Krystal playfully hit Seulgi's arm when she laughed. Irene shot Seulgi another death glare.
But Seulgi seemed not troubled by it. "Okay. I'll stop now. The last thing I wanted to do is to get in trouble with an amazon."
"You-- You want attention, right? Here it is!" Irene doesn't know what's gotten into her. She felt the urge to pinch Seulgi's arm for punishment but since Krystal is holding on to it; she went for the cheek instead.
"Aw! Aw! Ow!" Seulgi's still chuckling tho while Irene squeezes her cheek.
Irene made sure she released all her pent up stress before letting go of her victim. "Hmp! You better know whom you're messing with."
"Aw. Damn." Seulgi rubbed a palm over her abused cheek. "For a small hand like yours, it really hurts big time, you know."
Krystal gasped when Seulgi revealed her reddened cheek. "Oh, my. Irene, I think you went a little too far on that."
"What?" Seulgi looked at them, clueless.
Irene lightly poked Seulgi's cheek. "Does it hurt?"
"Hell yeah."
"I guess it left a mark on your face," admitted Irene.
"What?" Seulgi covered her cheek right away. "Is it gonna stay there long?"
"I think so. I might have pinched you way too harder."
"Yeah, I can still feel your fingers--no, your nails--on my face. Jeez. Does it look bad?" Seulgi showed them her cheek again.
For once, Krystal and Irene agreed on one thing about Seulgi and immediately shook their heads no.
"It looks like a kiss mark. Check it." Krystal handled Seulgi a small mirror.
Seulgi stared at her right cheek. "I can't believe it. Irene left a hickey on my face."
"What!" Irene grimaced.
Krystal chuckled. "Yeah. It really looks like a hickey, Irene. I'm getting jealous."
"How long is it gonna be here?" asked Seulgi, still looking in the mirror.
"Maybe for a day or two," said Krystal.
Seulgi glared at Irene, in a cute way. "Jeez, Bae. You left a hickey on the most obvious part of my body. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk."
Irene rolled her eyes. "It's not intentional, and it's not a hickey."
"What should I call it then?"
"I don't know. Maybe call it a bruise or a pinch mark, perhaps?"
"I knew it! It's an amazon's curse!"
Irene rolled her eyes again and turned back to the window.
All the guilt feeling from earlier vanished by now.
---
They end up in a high-end hotel resort where they will stay for two days and one night.
As they are required to share a room with at least one employee, Irene's default choice is Krystal. Although she knows Krystal wanted Seulgi to be her roommate, she's thankful her friend had chosen her.
"I am so glad I'll be staying in the same room as Eric!" Taemin, one of the writers in their team, gladly announced to Irene and Krystal.
"How in the world did you do it? Did you ask someone to exchange rooms?" asked Krystal curiously.
"No, no! That is fate, darling!" Taemin replied with conviction.
"Ooh, someone has his lucky day, huh?" Irene nudged him. Everyone in the office knows of his major crush on Eric.
"Hey, Seul, which room are you staying at?" asked Krystal as Seulgi and Luna, one of the graphic designers in their team, passed by.
Seulgi looked down at the paper in her hand. "Uh, 303. How about you?"
"We're in 301," Krystal answered.
"Okay. We'll see you then." Seulgi smiled, the red on her cheek getting more obvious.
"Well, if you get bored, you could come to our room. I'll give you a real hickey this time," said Krystal.
"Wow, Krystal! Wow!" Taemin clapped.
Seulgi blushed and scratched her head as she walked to her room.
---
"Where are you going? It's already ten o'clock," asked Krystal when she saw her friend preparing to go outside. They have retired to their rooms after all the activities.
"I'm gonna call my mom. Signal here is jammed." Irene picked her phone from the table.
"Oh. Then I'll just be staying here, okay."
"Yeah, you should be. Seulgi might stop by, you know. I guess I better disappear for a while," she teased, and Krystal giggled.
---
Irene cursed herself for having that habit of walking around while she's on the call. Because right after the call ended, it rained, and she's in the middle of the resort far away from the hotel building.
So, she ends up running and looking for the nearest shed she could find.
She doesn't know why but she's got this urge to go back to the hotel room asap, maybe wanting to find out if Seulgi took that offer from Krystal, and maybe wanting to distract their hickey-moment if ever.
Irene found a small unoccupied cottage, the one with a roof and one table only. A perfect place to shed until the rain stops.
She sat on the table as she attempts to dry herself with her handkerchief.
The night is almost turning out badly for her. Suddenly, she heard a clanking sound of a bottle hitting the metal table she's sitting on. She turned around.
The person behind greeted her with a wide grin, "Hey. What's up, amazon?"
Comments