The clock hit 5:00 pm, and Irene was getting ready for her date with Seulgi. Butterflies invaded her stomach as she thought about the events that were about to unfold. Thousands of scenarios ran through her head. Some good, some bad. Most of them were bad though, because Irene was just that insecure.

She took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly to calm her nerves. She closed her eyes, trying to relax. It was going to be fine, she repeated inside her head.

After hours of trying to decide what to wear, she finally made her decision. Now, she was already dressed, thinking about her make up.

She was sitting next to her window, dark yellow sunlight pouring through the glass. Irene glanced outside, the sky painted with beautiful pastel colors. Blue, pink, purple, and a hint of yellow adorned the beautiful sunset. Irene smiled, the sky easing her anxiety almost immediately.

It was going to be okay.

She deserved to be happy.

-

“!” Seulgi screamed in frustration, throwing her cellphone on the bed. She stood up, walking in circles inside her bedroom, trying to ease her nerves. What was she so nervous about? It was almost time for the movie.

“I need to get my together,” she mumbled to herself, looking at the attire she chose for the night laying on her bed. The make up was already chosen as well. All she needed to do was apply it to herself.

But why was she so stressed? She felt like she was going to meet a whole new Irene, an Irene she didn’t know could exist. She was scared of finding the perfect match, the perfect connection.

Every time she visited Bleu, she built a stronger connection with Irene. They communicated longer, their conversations were deeper. Seulgi felt that familiar pull, that magnetic pull she was scared of falling into.

She was scared of falling and not being able to climb up. She wanted to be into that void of happiness, love, and hope. But at the same time, she wanted to protect herself from the bad outcomes. She wasn’t a very optimistic person, insecurities tormenting her all her life.

She sighed, looking out her window. Soft pastel colors adorned the sky, so beautiful and ethereal it reminded her of Irene.

Did Irene like to watch the sky? That could be a question she could use for the date.

Seulgi never thought she’d say the word ‘date’ inside her head so many times since she moved into the city. She had no hopes of finding anybody interesting, so she accepted that she was going to live alone. Everyday, she tried to live with that.

But now, Irene came to her life, and her hopes of everything getting better are bigger than ever. Seulgi didn’t feel this kind of interest for something before, and she liked it.

So now, as she saw her attire laying on her bed and her make up products waiting to be used on her table, she was determined. Determined to make the most out of tonight, even if Irene was there out of pity. Even if Irene didn’t see her the way she did, even if it was just a waste of time and the universe didn’t want her to enjoy the little things in life. She was determined, because she wanted everything to be better.

-

Irene never thought she’d be taking a bus to go to a date. It was kind of empty, only a few people sat far from her. She was happy about that. The image of a bus full with people bumping into her made her nauseous.

It was 6:20 pm, forty minutes until the movie. She was minutes away from the movie theater, anticipation eating all of her thoughts away. She couldn’t think about anything else other than Seulgi. With excitement bubbling in her stomach, she watched the city lights go by, hoping the night was going to be alright.

-

Seulgi walked at a fast pace through the busy sidewalk, bumping into a few people, some cursing her out in return. But she didn’t care; the only thing on her mind was the date. She was out of breath, the feeling of being late bothering her immensely.

After what felt like hours walking, she finally spotted the movie theater at the distance. She sped up, not caring about the odd looks she was receiving.

When she finally arrived at the entrance, Irene wasn’t there. She frowned, trying to think positively. Irene was going to be here, right? She wouldn’t leave her hanging, right?

However, all of those bad voices in her head quickly shut down when the bus stopped a few steps ahead. Seulgi waited anxiously, hoping Irene was there.

Seulgi smiled widely when she saw her walking out the bus, her stomach doing a million backflips, turning and rumbling. She ignored that completely and walked towards Irene, her heart beating fast.

Irene’s eyes widened a little when she saw Seulgi walking towards her. Seulgi looked beautiful; her black hair cascaded down her shoulders beautifully, her red blouse and skinny jeans making her look chic. Her make up was simple but made her features stand out more, specially her eyes.

Seulgi’s eyes looked prettier than before, Irene thought. She couldn’t tore her eyes away from her.

“Hey,” Seulgi said nervously. Irene thought she looked adorable.

“Hi,” Irene smiled, genuinely happy. “Ready?”

Seulgi looked at her properly this time, and boy was she in deep. She didn’t know how, but Seulgi looked prettier every time she glanced at her. There was something about tonight that had Seulgi glowing.

Irene wasn’t aware, but she looked exactly the same.

“Yeah,” Seulgi replied. Together, they walked towards the main entrance of the movie theater and got some tickets. Once inside, they fought over who was going to pay for each popcorn. Eventually, Irene won the game of rock, paper, scissors, meaning she was going to pay. Seulgi pouted, and Irene only wanted to squeeze her round cheeks.

“I’m the game queen,” Irene said proudly.