The faint rays of the sun woke up Irene that morning. Through half-lidded eyes, she found a mop of hair in her line of sight and soft snores coming from the person beside her. Realizing that it is her wife, she slowly disentangles herself from strong arms that are hugging her tight. Also, upon remembering what happened last night, Irene was quick to put her palm on Seulgi’s forehead and heave a sigh of relief when her wife’s temperature was not as burning as it was before. She also noted that Seulgi is not shaking anymore, making her worries from last night dissipates in an instant. Seeing her younger wife peacefully sleeping gave a warm feeling in her heart especially when she comprehended what transpired between them. The way Seulgi asked her not to leave and said she loves her.

I don’t want to be away from you again Unnie. I love you so much.

The way her wife uttered those words sends a thug on her heartstrings, making it triple its beat. She tilted her head and stare at her love’s features, even brushing the strands of hair stubbornly sticking to Seulgi’s beautiful face. She let her hand linger on the younger’s cheeks as her index finger traces the soft features. As she was appreciating the wonder of Seulgi’s stunning face, her eyes accidentally glance upon the clock on the nearby bedside table. As she realized the time, 8 o’clock to be exact, she stopped what she was doing and decided to fix a quick breakfast for the younger. She gets out of bed, but not before making sure that Seulgi is comfortable and planting a sweet kiss on the latter’s forehead.  She left the room with the basin and towel that she had used the night before in her hand. As soon as she closed the door, she did not expect to almost bump into someone which happens to be Moonbyul, standing beside their door. The girl is obviously waiting and upon seeing the apparent confusion on her face, she spoke flatly.

“I heard from Yong that you have quite a severe phobia of lightning and thunder. She said that just the sound of it can render you immobile.” At first, Irene did not see where the conversation is going but as Byul said her next words, she finally understood.

“So seeing you struggling to bring Seulgi back to the house in the middle of the pouring rain and onslaught of thunder is somewhat a feat if you ask me.” She then added. Irene realized that Moonbyul is aware of what happened last night so she spoke with conviction this time.

“I could and would do anything for Seulgi. It may be plain words to you but I do take it to heart. The event last night is the proof for that.” She confidently said.

“With regards to that, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?” Byul saw the hesitation on Irene’s face and realized something.

“Uhmmm Don’t worry about Seulgi’s breakfast. I and Yong already got that covered.” The way that the tall woman spoke, puzzles Irene but she agreed nonetheless. She brought the things she carried in her arms to the kitchen before retreating to where Moonbyul is. The latter led them to the garden and asked Irene to sit on one of the benches while she herself occupied one in front.

“I will not beat around the bush and go straight to the point.” Irene just nodded at this which probed her to speak further.

“I think you know of my obvious objection with your relationship with Seulgi. I have been very vocal about it since day one of this vacation thing. Given how close I am with your wife, I think you are aware of where I am coming from right?” This earned an understanding nod from Irene.

“I was very adamant with the state of your relationship as well as how I see it will go in the long run. I was sure that sooner or later, you will slip and hurt Seulgi one way or another. Whether it might be intentional or not. But these past few days made me a little doubtful and finally last night’s event made me question my firm belief. I saw what you did last night and Solar made sure that I am aware of how deathly afraid you are of thunder and lightning. That it was so extreme that it can render you immobile once you got exposed to it. So seeing you supporting Seulgi with that small frame of yours while battling your fear is astounding for me.  To tell you the truth, it had me thinking.” This made Irene look at her face to see how it now sports a serious expression. Byul also turned to her side to properly look at Irene and stare at her eyes directly.

“I think I might have judged you too quickly. That maybe you do realize how much you hurt her and the lengths you are willing to undergo for her was way over what I imagined you to be capable of. That maybe you are serious in doing everything that can make her forgive you and doing everything to keep her safe and happy. Now I know why Yong, Tzuyu, and even Seulgi are confident about you Irene Bae. Because you can really move mountains just for Seulgi without compromising her feelings and what she wants. She asked for space and you willingly gave it to her yet you still made sure to let her know that you will always be at the sides, watching and caring for her. And when that time comes when Seulgi needed you, you did not think twice and be there for her even if a lot of hurdles did come your way. You fought your fears and conquered them, proving that Seulgi’s sake will always be a priority for you.  So I commend and thank you for that. I am now seeing you in a different light.” Irene smiled at this.

“With everything that happened recently, I was just thankful to be given another chance at her. I was prepared to spend the rest of my life feeling lonely and accepting that I can never be with anyone until the day I die. Because I decided that I won’t love any person other than Seulgi. And with everything that went down on our paths, I also accepted that we can never be together in this lifetime. But God has been merciful and gave me another chance to be with her like this. And I promise myself that I would never let her be apart from me again. I got a taste of hell when we fell apart because of some stupid decisions back then and right now I am tasting heaven by sharing a wonderful love with her so I will fight and do everything in my power not to go back to that dreadful place. Facing my fear of lightning is nothing because right now, the only fear that has is a future without Seulgi in it. The mere thought of it is making my knees go weak and my body trembling. I love her so much and Seulgi is now everything to me. I cannot function without her.” She then frowned at the mere thought of losing Seulgi.

“I guess that is good enough for me for now. But I still won’t let you off the hook that easy. One wrong move and I will do everything I can to take Seulgi always from you. If I see Seulgi feeling anything other than happiness then I will do everything in my power to make you two split up. If I feel that she has been taken advantage of and you treat her less of what she deserves then I will not sit still like what I did before. If I need to bring Krystal back to snatch Seulgi from you then I will.” The mere mention of Seulgi’s ex made Irene flinch but she managed to hide it.

“I will make sure to always treat her the way she should be treated and if ever the time when I made a mistake again. I will never give her up. You would do everything in your power to take her away then I will do the same to bring her back. Because Seulgi and I are made just for each other. I will not let any other person snatch her away, ex or not. I am not afraid of Krystal Jung. She got Seulgi because I was too stupid to see who and what she is in my life. Now that she is everything to me, I will fight tooth and nail with anyone who will try to get her.” Irene said full of conviction which made Byul smirk internally.

“Then I guess I need to watch out for that.  Because from what I know. Krystal Jung is bound to go back one of these days. So guard Seulgi with everything that you have Irene Bae because unlike what you experienced with Tzuyu, that girl is also out there to get back what she believes is hers. Wife or no wife, she is determined to get Seulgi. I guess at this point all I can say is that, may the best girl win.” Irene gave her a determined nod which she just acknowledges with a nod of her own. Moonbyul then walked back to the house. Once she was inside the confines of her own room she shared with her wife who is still sleeping as of now, her mind went back to the day after the fight. The time when all of the husbands went for a swim.

Flashback

The rest of the gang are crowding Seulgi in one of the shallow corners of the pool. Each of them occupying the steps of the stairs submerged in water. As soon as they are far from the presence of the “wives”, Jeongyeon and Jisoo instantly pried Seulgi about what happened last night. Moonbyul who is the oldest and the Big Brother of the group tried to warn them sternly but Seulgi tap her shoulder and shook her head before shifting her gaze to the two and heave a deep sigh.

“We talked last night. I found out that it was Suho and not her that blocked me. I thought it was her and on the other hand, she thought it was me who did it. So she got angry at me all these years because she thought that I was the one who throws everything away. But last night, everything had come to light. She realized her mistake and is asking for forgiveness but I am far to hurt to do it. I was so hurt because I realized that while I did a lot of things for her, she tossed me aside for her boyfriend, and then she even believes that I can do such things like blocking all contacts with her. So in the end, I asked for space, to think and sort out my feelings.” Seulgi tried to summarize what happened that night in the fewest words that she can, fearing that she will completely break down if not.

It elicited a mixed reaction from the group. A few faces showed sympathy while one showed disappointment. And that face belongs to Byul who decided to be very vocal about what she feels.

“Why ask for space and not break things off with her. She hurt you and even led you to believe that it was your fault when it was hers all along? I think that is a grave mistake that is not worthy of being given a second chance.” Others may deem what she said as harsh but Byul doesn’t give a damn.

“I can’t do that Unnie. I know it sounds stupid but I can’t let this end like that. You said so yourself Unnie. She made a mistake. Something that she realized, later on, was her fault all along. She asked for forgiveness and even wanted to make amends for it.” Seulgi smiled even if her eyes are glistening with tears.

“It does not take a genius to know that the person who hurts you will also be the one to heal you completely. I