This chapter is kinda weird bec it shows the past, the present and probably the future (??? In terms of seulgi's future) so please bear with me. This also kinda serves as a filler chapter(?) And if youre askinh where's the last scene of the last chapter (where Irene asked Seulgi for help) is, it will be explained further in the next chapter. I just needed to answer some of your questions and add more questions to your mind (?) Lol idk im super lost as well but I swear yhis will make sense in the future. I hope you like this!

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Four years ago

A beep, then a voice. Monotone and mechanical.

Another beep.

"Please don't wait for me. I forgot something. Heading towards the room now, I'm just gonna take a cab home. Don't worry, okay? Love you." She said while turning into the corner.

She walked faster as the sun was setting and the shadows made the whole place look eerie. She shivered. "You're beyond stupid, Kang Seulgi!"

She opened the door of their room. Thank gods it wasn't locked and she headed towards her desk where her notebook was still laid flat on it. "It's still her-"

She stopped. The hairs on her neck stood up as she heard something indistinct- like a... voice.

A pained one.

Holy . Are the ghost stories real?

Putting on a brave font, she walked closer to where she heard the sound. A strangled scream almost escaped her lips as she caught sight of dark tresses covering an insanely fair skin.

With the noise she produced, the girl with the same uniform as hers looked up. Blood shot eyes, pale face, red lips.

"HOLY SHI-Aw! What the hell?!" She groaned in pain when something hard collided with her forehead.

"WHAT THE ARE YOU DOING HERE?" She screamed, her voice pierced through the quiet hallway.

Still holding her aching head, Seulgi picked up her things and headed toward the door. "My mouth is shut."

"!"

//

"Another transferee."

"I just hope it isn't as bad as the last one."

"Hm."

"Look at her height though." Jisoo nodded while pertaining to the girl infront. "She looks intimidating and y. But I bet she's nice."

Seulgi looked at her, incredulous. "What?"

"Gut feeling. She's nice. Well, nicer than you know who."

After half listening to the transferee who was introducing herself, she muttered again. "She's worse than Voldemort, though. Doesn't she own a lot of pink things?"

"Hm? I guess."

"Then she isn't the dark lord." She hissed, "That is Dolores Umbridge. An insane cat lady who doesn't like cats."

It was supposed to be a giggle but what came out of was a full on chortle. Everyone looked at her, and she covered with her hand. "Is there something funny, Ms. Kang? Something you wanna share?"

She could only shake her head and muttered an apology before kicking her friend's shin who only snickered in return.

Then her eyes caught a pair of brown ones looking at her, clearly amused and at the same time curious. She lowered her head in shame but not before seeing her smile.

"What's her name again?"

"Who? Dolores Umbridge?"

"No, stupid. The transferee."

"Chikin? Don't look at me like that. That's the last I thought of when she was speaking."

"You're hopeless."

//

"I see you were laughing at me."

"W-what?"

"Glad to be someone's form of entertainment."

"N-no! I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you."

"Okay."

"It-It wasn't like that..." she sighed. "We weren't. I wasn't - it wasn't you."

"Then what is?"

"It was something dumb that my friend said."

"What did she say?"

She shook her head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"Dolores Umbridge."

The girl scoffed and glared at her. "Do I look like someone who is obsessed with cats?"

"N-no?" Seulgi stuttered.

"Then is that how you welcome new students?"

She frantically waved her hands, "No! No. It wasn't you. We weren't referring to you."

"Who, then?"

"You-" she sighed when she saw her eyes. It was challenging her to say it. "That girl."

Eyes snapping to where she pointed, the scowl marring her feature turned into a mischievous smirk. "I kinda see it. With all the pink she's wearing..."

Turning back to her, she extended her arm and smiled. "I'm Jo Eun- Wait, surnames first, right?"

"Jo-Eun?" She muttered then nodded. "Yes."

"Okay. I got it. My name's Jo Eun-Ae. You can call me what you want. Whatever. Doesn't really matter."

"You said you're not from here, right?"

"Yes. I'm sorry that's why I messed up the name. I usually go by a different name and my given name usually comes first."

She nodded in understanding. "Seulgi. Kang Seulgi." 

"You look like a bear."

"So I've heard."

//

"Nice."

"Drop that smirk." She grunted when it only grew into a grin. "What's with you?"

"You've made friends with chikin."

Chikin. She snickered. "It's because of you, stupid."

"What did I do now?"

"She thought I was laughing at her so I told her about Dolores Umbridge."

"That's her nickname now?"

"I suppose."

"Good. I like this. You're... opening up."

She could only nod.

//

"You'll stay?"

"Can I?"

"Of course. But I don't know if I could sneak you inside the practice room or if you can watch..."

"It's okay. I'll wait somewhere. The school's really big, you know."

"I'm really sorry, bear."

"You're going to be late. Go. I'll be fine."

After the other disappeared, she retraced her steps towards their room. She listened for any sound- an indication that someone may be inside.

She couldn't hear anything.

Maybe it's a one time thing?

But she listened more carefully, that even her breathing stopped for a moment to fully strain her ears.

Then there. Distinct and so faint that she almost missed it if not only for the hiccup that followed.

She slowly slinked her way down the wall, cautious not to create any sound that would give the one inside an idea that someone was around.

She rested her head on the cold wall behind her and closed her eyes. The faint sound of sniffs and whimpers echoed through the silent hallway.

What are you going through?

She didn't say anything or tried to disturb the one inside instead she just listened and listened.

What's this all about? Why are you crying?

Are you okay?

"Bear!"

The sobs stopped, an indication that she knew she has been found. Seulgi stood up and jogged towards her friend, steering her away from that room.

Why?

She didn't know. 

"It's finished already?" She asked, feigning shock to see her friend already finished with her practice. She glanced at her watch and saw that only 25 minutes had passed since her friend went inside.

Seulgi was about to drink from her bottle when she couldn't touch her bag pack behind her. She cursed inwardly when she realized that she left her bag near the wall.

"I volunteered to be the first one to perform so you wouldn't wait for too long."

She briskly walked towards it, hoping not to make any noise but at the same time, the door opened to reveal the one who's been crying. But when she looked at her, there were no sign of sadness nor tears.

Her friend saw who it was and bowed. "Oh. You're still here."

The other's face remained stoic, but Seulgi caught the small movement of her left brow. "I forgot something."

"Okay. Be careful going home." she smiled before turning to her, "Maybe I should always perform first? So that we can go home earlier."

Seulgi's smile was automatic, and she tapped her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry about me, I'll always be here. I wouldn't go anywhere and wait for you."

I'll always be... here.

//

"You're getting closer."

She could only smile as an answer.

//

It became a routine.

She'll wait for her.

Go to the same spot.

Listen to the same noise.

Ask questions she couldn't say inside her head.

Wait for her friend to finish. 

Then she'll pretend she didn't know she was inside. 

Then she'll pretend she didn't know how painful her cries were.

Or how lonely she looked when she took a peek.

Because every afternoon, she'll see her like nothing happened.

Like nothing could bother her and deter her walls.

Like she was okay.

//

"What's that?"

"Hm?" She asked nonchalantly while Seulgi couldn't hold back a 
giggle at the failed attempt of her friend being sly.

Seulgi just shrugged when she kept quiet, "You're not gonna stand there forever, are you?"

She shook her head and she scooted, "Here."

The other complied, her hands were still behind her. None of them spoke, letting the silence engulf them.

It has always been their thing, the empty room and the peace it brings. No rowdy classmates, no deadlines, no schedules- just them, sitting side by side, with their breathing and the beats of their hearts as lullaby.

They didn't mind the time. They never did but when it got dark, the other got agitated.

Finally, the silence was interrupted by a slight movement- where her friend faced her and released a sigh.

"Hey," Seulgi said when she saw her fidgeting and she smiled. It was an assurance. Of what? No one knows but them both.

Her smile faltered a little when something was shoved infront of her face, taking her by surprise.

"That's yours. A gift, or... something. I don't know."

"This is... for me?" She opened the box and her eyes widened. "I-I can't."

"Don't worry, that's fake. I'm not rich, well not yet but... that's all I could afford."

"Thank you."

The face she adored so much for the couple of months brightened, and her own heart quickened its pace when she caught sight of a small smile.

"But... Seulgi?"

"Hm?"

"Can you promise me one thing?"

She nodded absentmindedly, her eyes still eyeing the gift she received.  Her heart welled in gratitude.

"Please don't throw it away... yeah? Keep it forever with you, okay?"

Clutching the velvet box in her hands and her heart pounding in her chest, she smiled. "I promise."

I promise.

//

Present

There was one thing that Seulgi has failed to mention. Well, thinking that it was only a small and super unimportant detail, she didn't bother to further expound or made herself think about it more than she needed.

It was something that can be overlooked, she said. Little did our naive Seulgi knows that it'll be the cause of the unending questions in her life.

That one minute thing (she believed it was) could be the destruction of Seulgi's beliefs because after all, despite being so small, a dust in someone's eye could hurt like ing hell.

The analogy was fitting, though. Small but goddamn, it's presence became something massive in Seulgi's life.

And she never even saw it coming.

It started one afternoon while Seulgi sat leisurely under a tree, a book was propped on her hands. It was her free period and what better way to spend it than to read and bask in the warmth of the sun, right?

Just a typical free period for Kang Seulgi, the architecture major who loved to read and enjoy the peace of life.

Engk! Wrong.

She was too engrossed in the book that she didn't even see someone frantically looking everywhere until a shadow loomed