Irene knows that something happened between Krystal and Seulgi when the two met as a part of the plan to get her wife’s memory back. The way the younger would space out and stare into nothing at the most random time of the day is proof enough of it. Sitting in her office chair with mountains of papers in front, the CEO thought long and hard when did this start.

Flashback

After their heart to heart talk that night, Irene was a little confident that once Seulgi comes home that day, she and her wife would talk about what happened in the meeting with the girl’s ex. Irene is complacent that she and the younger is now on the same page and would continue doing so throughout the whole ordeal. So that day, she made sure to get out of work earlier than usual. She usually went out at 5 but that day, she is already prepared to leave her workplace at 3 on the dot. Solar even wished her good luck as she was leaving.

Irene has just finished changing her clothes when she heard the front door open and closed in a soft manner, so soft that she would’ve missed it if she is not atoned for it since she is expecting her wife to come home anytime soon. She sped up twice as much as before and almost skip down the stairs. Once she arrived at the living room, she saw her wife sitting on the couch with her head placed against her arm which is in the armrest of the furniture. The older, once seeing her wife’s state immediately knew there is something wrong. The way Seulgi’s shoulders are slumped and her body is slouching is a clear indication of it. Plus the younger is emitting some kind of heavy aura with her.

Without even thinking, she sits beside her wife and wrapped her arms around the younger waist. She felt Seulgi flinch at their sudden contact but relaxed when the older murmured, “It’s me”. The couple stayed like that for a few minutes until Seulgi decided to break the moment.  She lifted her head from its previous position and stared at her wife. Irene, in turn, saw the tear-stricken face of the younger and it broke her heart to see her wife in such a state.

“Can you tell me what happened Pooh bear?” Irene said as softly and with as much care and sincerity as she can. She wanted to convey how she is always there for her wife even within those simple words.

“I was overwhelmed with everything I found out. I had a few flashes from my past and I guess I just went into overdrive. I just feel tired and my head is aching a bit.” Irene wrapped her arms tighter and listened attentively while urging the younger to continue which Seulgi did.

“Do you want to talk about it now?” Irene asked softly yet Seulgi cast her eyes downward which did not miss the former’s keen orbs.

“I know we agreed to talk about everything that will happen during these sessions every time I meet up with her.  But can I just think about this one first? It might sound like I am hiding things from you again but I swear that it is not. I just want to gather my thoughts first. I want to fully digest everything that I found out and realized today. I want to compose myself before we talk about this.” The younger looks up and stares at her wife’s eyes lovingly.

“I won’t shut you off or push you away. I promise that we will talk about it later.” Seulgi tried to reason out but Irene shook her head in response.

“Hey, I won’t force you to do anything. If you want us to talk about it later then let’s do that. I trust you Seulgi. It’s something that I did not do before but I do now. Take all the time you need and I would just be here waiting for you to be ready to open up to me.” Irene said.

“Thank you and just remember that I love you always,” Seulgi said before planting a soft kiss on her wife’s lips. Once their lips separated, Irene hugs the younger once again

“Do you want me to do something? You want to go to our room and sleep or want to take some meds for your headache?” She worriedly asks but the younger shook her head and lean more into her embrace.

“Nope just let me hug you like this. Being inside your arms and feeling your warmth is enough for me.” Seulgi softly said and Irene just nods in return.

The couple stayed like that for a few minutes until Irene felt her wife’s hug loosened a bit and soft snores escaping the younger. She just heaved a sigh with a smile while softly grazing the younger’s features with her finger, tracing her eyebrows, her monolid eyes, her button nose ultimately leading to her soft and plump lips. She then placed a loving kiss on that very lips before untangling herself as gently as possible from Seulgi. Once she is free of her wife’s koala-like hold, she grabbed the latter’s hand and placed it on her neck as she positioned her hand at the back of her wife’s knee. Then in one swift move, she carried Seulgi with a little difficulty since the latter is a few inches taller than her. Once the bear is safe and secured in her arms, She decided to bring her in one of their mansion’s first-floor spare rooms being it would be a little difficult to go through the stairs with the additional weight she is carrying.

“I guess I am carrying my whole world in my arms right now.” She giggles at the thought before taking careful steps, one at a time.

 Upon arriving at the room, she brought her wife down on the soft mattress. As soon as she secured her wife’s position on the bed, she covered the younger’s body with a duvet before planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

End of flashback

To say that Irene was dying to know what Krystal and Seulgi talked about and what memories did the latter remembered is an understatement but she decided not to pry. She trusts her wife so she will patiently wait for her to be ready to talk. Although, she did get a little hurt whenever she saw how her wife is suffering. During these past few days, she noticed that most of the time, her wife has been out of character. The usual bubbly and talkative Seulgi would space out and stare into nothing. She would sigh every now and then. She would also catch her wife wiping the tears from her eyes. She wanted to snoop but decided not to and would just comfort her wife as much as she can.

“I wish Solar is here right now.” She heaved a sigh of desperation once those words escaped her lips. Her bestfriend took three days off to accompany her wife Moonbyul on a business trip abroad. The girl said that she should approve the leave as a payment for the great love advice that she gave Irene and for being the literal bridge or in her word “courier” that bought Irene directly in front of Seulgi so the two of them can continue their unfinished love story. She laughed it off and immediately signed the forms.

“I’m starting to regret sending her off. I am really in need of those love advice that she provides.” But she has this thought at the back of her mind. For once she wanted to solve this on her own. She wanted her and Seulgi to get through this ordeal with just the two of them.

Meanwhile, Seulgi is also having deep thoughts on her own. The last flash of memory she had of Krystal had shattered her to the core and it left her feeling guilty, devastated even.  During the last talk she had with Irene, before she agreed with Krystal’s condition, she mentally prepared herself to be tough and blindly thought that she can handle whatever memory she will recall. She believed that as long as she and Irene could talk about it and have a mutual understanding then she can withstand anything that can be thrown in her way. She thought that her relationship with Krystal is not that deep and consists of skinship and just casual kissing. However, she did not imagine that she already reached that level of intimacy with her ex. It left her devastated and confused. She never wanted to hide it from Irene knowing that by doing so, she is already breaking the promise that she made with her wife. But at the same time, she selfishly wanted to spare Irene of the pain. Her wife has been so selfless and has been enduring a lot for her sake and she wanted to reciprocate it. Seulgi really appreciated the fact that Irene is very understanding and did not demand that she fulfill her promise. It’s not that she wants to hide what she remembered from the latter. It’s just that she is trying to compose herself. She knows that the fact that she had with Krystal would make Irene cry again and she doesn’t want that. She is aware that it is something that they must face but she thinks that she is entitled to prepare herself first. She knows that one way or another they needed to face this but then again is it wrong to give herself a little bit of time before breaking her wife’s heart once again? Her wife has been through so much because of her. She realized that it is not right to subject Irene to such torture over and over again for a mistake she did a long time ago. A mistake of loving another person other than Seulgi.  It’s not fair for Irene to carry the burden, to face the consequences that Seulgi brought upon herself.

Why does Irene need to be hurt over and over again? She had her fair share of despair like mine during those times that we are apart. Does choosing her happiness before, entitled her to such misery? Do I need to hurt her over and over again by the choices I made before? She does not deserve any of this.

And at one part of her heart, Seulgi also thought about Krystal. The girl has been through a lot too. Something she did not deserve to feel and experience. Just because she fell in love with a girl named Kang Seulgi.

***

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