BREAKUP
UNTOUCHABLE"Seulgi...?"
"Hey, honey. What's up? I'm sorry for not returning your calls right away. We got up three in the morning and just got back here in the room."
"That's fine... Were you able to eat dinner...?"
"Hyun, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"Seulgi... my dad..."
"W-what happened?"
"W-we rushed him to the hospital this morning. ..."
"Oh, my." Seulgi slides down against the bed frame. "How is he?"
"He's unstable. Half of his body is paralysed now. I don't know what to do, Seulgi..."
"Honey, your dad's a strong man. He'll make it."
"B-but the doctors said his chances of survival are slim. We're not even sure if he'll ever wake up again..."
Seulgi massaged her head with her hand. All the stress from the morning is finally taking its toll on her. However, she can't show any sign of weakness or tiredness as her girlfriend needs now.
"Joohyun, baby, you have to stay strong. Your dad wouldn't want you to see like that."
"I don't know what to do if he won't make it, Seulgi. I... I'm not ready for this..."
"It's going to be fine. I promise you that. He's going to make it."
---
"The man was able to make it the next morning. However, after three days, he died," said Seulgi sadly. She's Yerim's side with her thumb while the little girl is taking a nap on her shoulder. "It was tough for her to take. She's her dad's baby girl. She asked me to file an early leave so we can be together. But the earliest schedule I got was three months after her dad's burial."
"In other words, you didn't make it to the burial?" asked Amber.
Seulgi shook her head no. "I couldn't leave. It was a busy year for AEF at that time. We were working eighty hours a week. I rarely talk to her. And there were times she's not in the mood to talk to me. I understood. I knew she's grieving for her loss. I gave her time because I knew that's what she needs."
"Then what happened?" asked Krystal.
"Two days before my scheduled vacation leave, the list of SAU passers arrived."
---
"W-we passed." Sooyoung trembled.
"Yeah." Seulgi is staring intently at the paper in front of her. "I can't believe it. The exams were crazy, especially psychological tests."
"It says here that all SAU members who wish to continue will be deported to Brazil the day after tomorrow," said Sooyoung, looking at the instructions. "There, the new SAU members will have intensive training for two years."
"Two years..." Seulgi stepped backward to sit on the bench. "That's a long time."
Sooyoung sat beside her. "Yes. It's uninterrupted training. Our families won't see us for two years."
"Will you go for it?"
"It's now or never. The next exam will be after two years again."
Seulgi huffed. "Why is this happening to me?"
"You want to come. But you can't."
"I can't. Joohyun needs me. She's been far away these past few weeks because of her dad's death. I want to make it up with her by being there."
"Truly romantic." Sooyoung nudged her. "So, I guess I'll see you after two years?"
Seulgi nodded. She offered her right hand. "Congrats. What can I say? Stay alive. I heard lots of new members die even during training."
Sooyoung shook Seulgi's hand. "Thanks. I wouldn't have made it without support and inspiration from you."
It was Seulgi's turn to nudge Sooyoung. "I can't wait to see you in that SAU suit."
Sooyoung smiled. "You're doing the right thing. She needs you now more than ever."
"I know. Say, why don't we start packing now?"
---
"Did you regret choosing to be with her, Cap?" asked Krystal.
"I didn't," said Seulgi right away. "Yes, I wanted to join SAU, but given that type of choice, I'd still choose her."
"So, you did take your vacation leave?" asked Amber.
"I did. But instead of staying in her house like before, I booked a hotel room. I don't want to stir anything with her mom that might affect ex more. Besides, she's already working in the AEF hospital at that time. I don't want to take her much far away because I know she likes to help people too."
"And?"
"It felt different when she picked me up from the airport. She's still sweet. I felt how she missed me. But something about her has changed. Our usual noisy drive turned into a silent one, with her being on the phone most of the time," said Seulgi. "I thought it's because she's mad at me. But when we finally got into the hotel room, that's when I found out why."
---
Seulgi was bolted back to reality when she heard the vibration on the bedside table. She reached for Joohyun's phone and noticed a person named Doctor Kim Junmyeon's calling.
Seulgi put the phone down, thinking it's work-related. Besides, Joohyun's still in the shower room, and can answer the phone herself once she's done.
However, the call didn't stop. The said doctor kept calling. Seulgi doesn't know why but something tells her it's odd behaviour. She stared at Joohyun's phone screen until the call stopped.
Seulgi doesn't like checking Joohyun's phone. But curiosity kicked in when a text message from the doctor came. She opened it and felt more nervous.
'Hey. Why aren't you answering my calls? I'm worried.'
With the way the guy approached Joohyun, Seulgi knew something is going on between the two. There was no message history from that guy, which means Joohyun might've deleted it. The guy doesn't seem to have any idea that Joohyun has a girlfriend and thought he could call her anytime he wants to.
Seulgi felt her face heating up when Joohyun stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body.
"Honey, I'm hungry. Can you please order room service?" said Joohyun.
"Who's Doctor Kim Junmyeon?"
Joohyun's body jerked a little. "He's a doctor in the hospital I'm working. Why?"
"He's been calling you." Seulgi sat on the edge of the bed and showed the phone. "And he sent you that message."
Joohyun turned to Seulgi, straight-faced. She closed the distance between them and read the message.
"Who's he?" asked Seulgi.
"I've told you, he's a doctor in the hospital. I work with him."
"Then why is he calling you even if you're not at work?"
Joohyun couldn't answer. She looked on the floor.
Seulgi felt more nervous. "Why is he calling you like he's expecting you to answer his calls?"
"Seulgi--"
"Why the is he calling you like he knows your schedule!" Seulgi's voice trembled.
"Seulgi I--"
"What! Tell me! Are you cheating on me!"
"I'm not cheating on you!" Joohyun raised her voice.
"Then why is he ing calling you and telling you he's ing worried about you!" Seulgi threw the phone on the bed.
"Because we talk all the time!"
It was hard for Seulgi to take. "Talk all the time? W-what are you talking about?"
Joohyun closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It started when dad was rushed into the hospital. He, Junmyeon, is one of his interns. We just... talked... and he was there with my mom and me after dad died..."
Seulgi opened , but no words came out. She finally connected the dots.
"So... he's the one who's on your side..." she whispers.
"Seulgi--"
"... just because I wasn't there, right?"
"It's not like that, Seulgi..." Joohyun climbed on the bed and tried to hug Seulgi.
"Please don't touch me." Seulgi raised her palms and got to her feet. "I don't want to hurt you, Hyun."
"Seulgi... please... I..."
"What do you feel towards him?"
Joohyun started sobbing. "Don't do this. Please..."
"What. Do. You. Feel. Towards. Him."
Joohyun looked down the bed; her tears kept on flowing.
"What the do you feel towards him! Answer me! Be honest with me, Hyun! That bastard wouldn't act like that if you didn't give any motives!"
"I like him, okay? I like him! Happy now?"
Seulgi pressed her lips together. She looked up at the ceiling as a tear rolled down her face.
"I was lonely..." said Joohyun, sobbing. "I needed someone to be there... I needed you..."
"Well, I am here, Hyun... I'm right here... see?"
"Yes, you're here now... but until when...?"
Seulgi bit her lower lip, still trying to stay in one piece. She shook her head. "This is over." She picked her duffel bag from the floor and aimed for the door.
"Seulgi, please don't leave me like this..." Joohyun climbed down the bed. "Let's talk about this. Please..." She reached for Seulgi's arm, but the latter yanked her away.
"I said, don't touch me!"
"I just want to talk, Seulgi... please..."
"What else is left to talk about?" asked Seulgi, mad. "Seven years, Hyun. You have never entertained any guy who tried to woo you for seven years. You never even bothered to look at them even if I wasn't by your side. But this one--" she clasped a hand to , couldn't continue her sentence as her voice is breaking.
"I'm sorry, Seulgi... I'm so sorry... please don't leave me..."
"There's nothing to be sorry about," said Seulgi calmly. "You deserve to be happy with someone who can always be there for you. Sadly, it's not me."
Joohyun is slowly stepping towards Seulgi again, hesitating to touch her. "No... don't... please..."
Seulgi swallowed a lump in before finally saying, "I'm setting you free now."
And with that, she stormed out of the room without looking back. She kept walking, not knowing where to go. Joohyun kept calling her phone, but she cancelled all of them. When the calling stopped, dialled Sooyoung's number.
"Hey, Seulgi. How's the vacation?"
"Sooyoung, what time is the flight tomorrow for SAU training in Brazil?"
"Uh... it's four in the morning. What's up?"
"Cool. Please make sure my name is enlisted in there too."
"Uh. Sure. I'll submit the form for you. But I thought you're on vacation? How are you going to attend the training?"
"Thanks. I'm going back there now." After that, Seulgi threw her phone into the water.
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