“You are here…” The beauty has her eyes widen in surprised to see such a fitted person taking the seat beside her. She was sitting not too far from the crowd, waiting for her dear friend to come but greeted with an unexpected stranger instead.

 

The night still early as the celebration not even start with the slowly coming individuals joining to hype the crowd. The lights already making the place look more sophisticated and perfect for the event that will be held for the evening.

 

“Of course. I told you I’ll definitely find you.” Irene stared at the girl with much confusion, noticing how calm the girl’s expression while her dark brown eyes mirroring the bright lighting that organized beautifully on the rails at the edges of the water park.

 

“H-how?” Irene asked hesitantly, expecting the answer will be terrifying.

 

“How? That is mine to keep and for you to find.” However, the stranger answered her with a calm and soft voice. The calmness however eluding such mysterious aura for Irene. Blame herself for liking such genre in her reading preference.

 

“Are you trying to play a game with me now?” Irene questioned the stranger’s way of answering her previous question.

 

“Aren’t we already playing it? You told me to find you. So, here am I.” The stranger not even showing any sign of intimidated but more of an amusing kind as she answered her question with a smirk plastered on her lips.

 

“I was just joking!” Irene’s voice strained, as she is terrified with the thought of how the stranger could find her in the crowd and busy city of Seoul.

 

“I never take a joke like that, Miss Arrogant. I don’t like being challenged.” Irene felt choked by her own playful words. Where the heck did, she found the courage to tell a stranger to find her? Irene was ready to slap her own cheeks, but maybe not in front of the stranger. She cannot afford to get more embarrassments.

 

Irene took a deep breath, trying to calm her pounding heart and gathered more courage, “So that means I just challenged you back there huh?”

 

“Huh?” The stranger gave a short response.

 

Irene breathes hitched when the stranger locked eyes with her. Irene was not sure the color of her eyes due to the dimmed light and her black hair shined beautifully under the night light.

 

Seeing the frown on the stranger’s face, Irene felt amused as she threw her another comment, “I never know you’ll take my words seriously. This is Seoul, how did you find me?”

 

Irene was sure she advancing by her own comments based on the stranger’s reaction. But no, she was wrong.

 

“Finding you is pretty easy, Miss Bae.” The stranger once again took Irene into appalling thoughts.

 

Irene’s eyes widen and her calmed heart once again pounding so fast, “W-what?! How did you know my name?”

 

“That is only for me to know… Took me two days to find you…”

 

“But really, how?” Irene needs the answer.

 

“I told you I—”

 

“Please…” Irene is quite petrified at how the other girl could find her. She doesn’t even remember seeing her somewhere on or in any social media accounts she had.

 

Hearing Irene’s voice showing fear and desperate tone, the stranger decided to tell, “The picture.”

 

“What picture?” Irene furrowed her brows in confusion.

 

“I saw from your phone that day. This event.”

 

“Oh.” Irene didn’t expect the revelation. She was sure she closed her phone when she was talking with the girl at the airport two days ago. Then, how? She won’t believe it easily.

 

“I know you won’t believe me but I’m just saying the truth,” The stranger nonchalantly declared after witnessed Irene’s reaction.

 

“Fine. I’ll believe it this time. But my name?” So, Irene believed the stranger’s explanation on how she managed to find her but how in the world the girl knows about her name?

 

“I don’t know if I supposed to tell you that, Miss Bae Irene.” The stranger pursed her lips into a thin line as she decided to keep the details away.

 

Irene understood the sign, “Okay. I won’t ask. But can you please tell me your name too?”

 

“Kang….” Kang Seulgi stopped as her eyes spotted something on Irene’s purse, “Bear?” Seulgi didn’t notice her tongue rolled out what’s in her mind. A small bear keychain? Seulgi wondered when and where did she saw that keychain before.

 

“Huh? Kang Bear? What’s kind of name is that?” Irene raised her brows at the information. She was seriously curious but the girl seems to be playing with her.

 

Upon realizing what she blurted, Seulgi tried to correct her words, “That’s not my—”

 

But failed.

 

“Irene unnie!” The two turned their head to the owner of the voice. A brunette was jogging her way towards their direction. Irene beamed a huge smile upon seeing someone close to her.

 

“Anyway, KangBe—” Irene was quite frozen up when she saw no one beside her anymore. “Kang Bear?” The name rolled out from her tongue when her eyes wandered around to find any presence of the sharp-claimed girl. A tap on her shoulder stopped the busy eyes of Irene.

 

“Unnie, what are you looking for?”

 

“Wendy, did you see the girl beside me before?”

 

“Eh? I didn’t see anyone with you unnie.” Wendy furrowed her brows at the question, a bit startling and scared her for a moment.

 

“There is someone with me…” Irene tried to find any sign of the presence of the girl, only to get slapped by Wendy on her right arm.

 

“Yah! Unnie, please don’t scare me,” Wendy pouted as she hugged herself, easing her self from the shivering story of Irene.

 

“But I’m telling the truth…” Irene’s face knitted into confusion.

 

“Okay, okay… Now stop that. We need to get closer for a better view,” Wendy pulled Irene closer to the crowd.

 

For the last time, Irene looked around yet not seeing any sign of the girl who’s with her before and she can only sigh in defeat.

 

“I guess I need to wait another time.”

 

 

Irene’s eyes widen when she saw a note on top of her book. She looked around yet she saw no one suspicious to her eyes. Anyone could be the culprit though, but she didn’t want to just pointing finger at anyone. Irene takes the piece of paper and reads the beautiful handwritten on it.

 

“You’re looking good in that floral dress, Miss Bae Irene…miss Bae Irene?” Irene’s face crunched into confusion after reading the note. She’s aware of her name but it just too formal for someone to write her full name, and with a ‘miss’. That person could write it simply, just ‘Miss Bae’ or maybe just ‘Irene’. Irene was about to crumple the note when she noticed a small bear drawing at the end of the note.

 

“Kang Bear?” Irene quickly looked around as she realized the one who possibly left the note there. She’s not sure but the bear-look drawing reminds her on the only person that so significant with a bear for her.

 

“What’s that?” Irene turned to Wendy who’s pointing at the almost crumpled paper on her hand.

 

“Someone gave me a letter. Did you see anyone who might put this letter here?” Irene asks as she pointed at her scattered books.

 

Wendy raises a brow, “I didn’t see anyone though. But, I’m not sure since I was talking with Jisoo just now,” Wendy explained.

 

“I don’t find it suspicious though since you always got letters from your admirers,” Wendy quick to shrugs the topic, “Let’s go. We have another class to attend.”

 

Irene quickly stuffing her thing inside her bag as she slipped the letter back into her book. Once again, a question added in the list – the list of how that certain girl knows about her.

 

 

“Nice to see you here.”

 

Irene lifts her head when she heard a quite familiar voice. Her eyes almost popped out when she saw Seulgi in front of her. She didn’t expect to see the girl again after their last encounter at the light festival weeks ago – or three weeks ago, as Irene remember it. The last time the girl invaded her mind was the letter she received three days ago, in which she totally forgot due to her busy schedule.

 

“Kang Bear?” Irene was not sure what to say other than blurting the only information she had about the bear-like girl in front of her.

 

“Is that how you call me? That’s not my name,” Seulgi almost releasing a loud laugh but muffled her voice, quick to realize that they are in the library. She does not want to have any bad expression to anyone especially the librarian since she almost spending most of her time at that place.

 

Instead of answering, Irene shot another question, “What are you doing here? Did you found out where I’m studying too?” Irene was getting goosebumps by the thought of it.

 

Seulgi found Irene’s reaction amusing that she went along with it, “You can say that.”

 

“What? Goodness, this is not funny anymore,” Irene almost at the verge of crying. Tears starting to well up in her eyes.

 

“I never say it’s funny,” Seulgi furrows her brows, “And no, I didn’t know where you’re studying or knowing that you’re still studying,” Seulgi explains before the other girl might shed some terrified tears.

 

“Then how?” Irene quickly wipes her welled tears.

 

“I saw you a few days ago at the cafeteria. I didn’t know we are attending the same college,” Seulgi says as she shows Irene her student’s id card, and of course not showing her name.

 

Irene sighs in relief upon hearing that. She’s not expecting a stalker, and she won’t ever wish for that.

 

“Don’t you have a class to attend later, Miss Bae?”

 

Irene looks at Seulgi with knitted brows when she heard her. ‘Shot! How did she know about my class? Is she really a stalker? But… she doesn’t look like one’ The question lingered inside Irene’s mind.

 

“I do… I’m about to go,” Irene answered as she was done packing her books.

 

The two individual headed to the exit in complete silence.

 

“Kang Bear…” Irene called the girl as they walking down the almost empty hallway.

 

“I told you it’s not Kang Bear,” Seulgi rolled her eyes at which Irene called her with the ‘Kang Bear’ name. Seulgi just taking a step slower than the girl, trailing behind her.

 

“I know it’s not, but you don’t want to tell me your name,” Irene answered, shrugging at the same time. She didn’t bother to turn around or stopping to look at the girl behind her.

 

“I don’t think that’s important,” Seulgi raises her brows, not bothered by Irene’s curiosity.

 

“Yeah, yeah… You still playing the mind game here.”

 

“It’s fun sometimes,” Seulgi simply said, taking a step ahead, positioning herself beside the girl.

 

Irene finally has the chance to look closely at Seulgi when the girl walks beside her. She didn’t have time to notice the girl’s appearance since her mind was occupied with many questions due to the sudden encounter at the library. The girl was wearing a simple white shirt tucked into her black fitted jeans and a sling bag which almost looked just as an accessory to her simple attire. Her right hand tucked coolly into her jeans pocket while her left hand securely holding the books. 

 

“You dance too?”

 

Seulgi raised an eyebrow at the girl.

 

“You once said that you love to sing. I didn’t figure you will dance too. You can pass as an idol,” Irene commented. She pointed at the colorful advertisement paper slipped between the books in Seulgi’s possession.

 

“You remember that?” Seulgi didn’t expect the girl remember something that a mere slipped of the tongue for blurting such nontrivial information.

 

“I kinda do,” Irene answered, unsurely. She’s not sure if that just a slip of tongue or she really did remember all words came out from the girl walking beside her. That information was just some attempt to prolonging their conversation on their first encounter at the airport. Seulgi is so much intriguing her and she admitted it did catch her interest.

 

“Well, thank you,” Seulgi found no more reason to prolong their conversation. The girl in front of her is sharp and smart to even remember such information for merely stranger interaction. Basically, they are not in that stranger line yet not reached the friend line too. Seulgi does know lots of information about the Aphrodite’s daughter standing beside her.

 

“Your welcome… uh—insert your name here,” Irene said.

 

“Sure, Miss Bae Irene,” Seulgi said with a sly smile.

 

“Why can’t you just tell me your name? I will figure it out eventually.”

 

“You just said that you’ll figure it out, eventually, so why don’t you just wait?” Seulgi suggested, of course, with a smirk plastered on her face.

 

“Fine. Be that way,” Irene sighed.

 

“I’m sure you had someone digging information about me, Miss Bae… but I warn you, it’s not going to be easy,” Seulgi smiled in triumph.

 

_____________________________________­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________

 

“Who are you?! Why are you dragging me here?!” A girl in her floral one-piece has her face redden in anger when an unknown person suddenly pulled her away from her friends.

 

“Yah! Who—oft!” The girl stopped absurdly almost bumping herself with her kidnapper when the person suddenly stopped and turned to her.  

 

“Just come with me. I need you to meet Seulgi unnie right now.”

 

“Seulgi? Who is Seulgi?” The two girls looked at each other with confusion.

 

“Eunbi? What are you doing here?” The two quickly turned their head to the owner of the voice.

 

“Irene unnie!” Eunbi quickly engulfed her cousin in a hug.

 

“And who are you?” Irene asked, her eyes lay on the other girl who has her brows knitted, looking at them.

 

“I’m Kang Hyewon, I—” Hyewon didn’t finish her words when Eunbi cut her.

 

“Unnie, she was trying to kidnap—” Hyewon quickly put her palm on Eunbi’s mouth, stopping her from blurting more words.

 

“D