Fireworks
HERSHE"That. Was. Crazy."
Seulgi stooped down to put her hands on her knees after their horrible roller coaster ride. She gazed at the person in front of her, amazed that the ride hasn't affected Irene a bit.
"You sure you're human? That was a scary ride back there. I almost threw up."
"Told ya, the theme park is my kind of place," Irene boasted. She was about to tease more when she noticed something hanging around Seulgi's neck.
"I will never consider going here again with yo--whoah!" Seulgi took a slight step backward, thinking Irene will strangle her or whatever. It was then she realized where Irene was looking at.
"You're wearing this?" Irene reached for the butterfly pendant.
"Ahh. Yeah." Seulgi looked away. "I just thought it'd be a waste not to wear it since we bought it, right?"
Irene continued to fiddle the pendant. "I just thought you didn't like it..."
"How could I not like it, it's the only souvenir we got from our... trip..." Seulgi scratched her nape.
Irene's eyes looked up to Seulgi for a second and went back to the pendant.
"You don't want me wearing it?" asked Seulgi.
"It's not like that. I'm feeling bad not wearing mine," said Irene, touching her collarbone.
"Oh."
"Let's make a deal. Let's wear those necklaces every day, even in the office. What do you say?"
Seulgi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. And it's not a request. It's an order," said Irene.
Seulgi chuckled. "Gotcha, boss."
"I just hope your fangirls won't notice it much."
'Weeeeeee... BOOM!'
A sudden beam of bright white light glowering in the sky captured their attention. The echoing sound of the exploding firecracker immediately followed. The first one launched floated in a glittering silver shower, lighting up the sky with its silver outline.
Irene covered her ears right away but couldn't help but admire the art plastered in the sky. "Wow. Are they celebrating something today?"
Seulgi, whose eyes already glued to the sky, pulled Irene closer by her waist. "No. They do this during weekends, every seven pm."
Another reflection of bright light caught Irene's attention, making her look back up at the scene. "This is absolutely amazing, Seulgi."
"I know." Seulgi smiled. "It'll be just for five minutes so make sure you enjoy it while it lasts."
'Pop! Pop! Pop!'
'Sssssssss!'
'BOOM!'
'BOBOOOOM!'
"Look, that one is so cool!" Seulgi pointed up.
This time it was some firecrackers that whirled in a spiral form first before exploding, illuminating a variety of colors from red, blue, green, and even yellow. Some of them tumbled like waterfalls and some shattered into tiny sparks.
Irene couldn't help but stare at it in awe. That's when she started feeling something in her chest, something warm and giddy. She clutched it to calm herself down.
She looked down and noticed how people had crammed to admire the fireworks display. Some were standing on the chairs and scaffolding to get a better view. Some kids were on their parent's shoulders. Some were holding out their phones and tablets to record it. Some couples were cuddling while gazing at the scene.
Her attention was brought back to the arm holding her. Irene's eyes traveled up to Seulgi's face, the latter's eyes still stuck on the show. Irene doesn't care about the pretty lights anymore. It's not every day she gets the chance to look at Seulgi this close without worrying about being caught.
Irene can't hear the fireworks anymore. It's like they've been isolated from that place. She was staring at Seulgi whose face is completely turned up to the sky.
Her eyes...
Her nose...
Her lips...
Her face...
She wondered why she feels the need to see Seulgi every time.
There was another explosion in the sky. Seulgi's skin color changed from red to white, reflecting the light from the fireworks.
Everything just feels so perfect for Irene. Everything just feels so... magical.
Consciousness struck her after realizing she's been staring for long already. Irene dropped her gaze, glimpsing Seulgi's hand this time. She felt the sudden urge to hold it. She never knew how much she longed for it not until she got the chance to feel its warmth again last night in the KTV bar.
Saying nothing, Irene slowly slid her hand down and interlaced it with Seulgi's.
"Ah?" Seulgi turned to her with a surprised face.
Irene felt embarrassed but she knew it's too late to turn back now. She hid her face in Seulgi's shoulder.
"Hey. You said we should enjoy the fireworks while it lasts, right?" she said.
Seulgi chuckled. "Ah. Yeah." She turned back to the show and squeezed Irene's hand tight.
Instead of watching the show, Irene kept her face buried in Seulgi's shoulder. All she could hope for was for the show to extend a few minutes more so she could stay like that for a little longer.
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