Irene was quiet and so was Seulgi. After the earth shattering kiss and the heart-stoping confession, both let the silence take over the room save for their labored breaths and the slow rhythmic tap tap tap of Seulgi’s fingers on the floor.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

, Seulgi cursed internally. What kind of spell was she in to utter those three words this early? Why did she say that?

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

Oh my God. Seulgi internally panicked at the realization that hit her. Has irene said anything after? Was there any indication that she heard her? Or- Or that maybe Irene was quiet because she’s ignoring the words that escaped Seulgi’s lips and shrugged it off? Was that- Is this another rejection waiting to happen?

Oh my go-

She was roused from her panicking when a hand, warm and soft held on to her forearm. A slight squeeze before a sigh. “Yah. Kang Seulgi.” 

Biting her lips, her eyes went to the hand that was holding her. That’s a good thing. Irene wasn’t bothered to touch and her fingers weren’t shaking. Okay. Okay. Breathe, Seulgi. It's okay. Things are still okay.

“Yeah, breathe Seulgi.” Irene snickered when she heard that Seulgi has spoken her thoughts out loud. “Can’t have you passing out on me on our first day, can you?”

“F-First day?”

“Yeah. Like...” Irene motioned her arms at the both of them. “Don’t wanna?”

“Not that. It’s just that... isn’t it too fast?”

“Too fast, she said.” Irene said under her breath which was too low for Seulgi to hear but she knew she was being mocked with the way Irene’s eyes seemed to glint in amusement. “This is too fast for you? Because for me it isn’t.”

Her eyes snapped towards the older when Irene suddenly stood up to face the mirror and fixed her hair. Seulgi could only stare while questions swarmed her mind on what Irene meant.

This wasn’t too fast for her? Because like... Seulgi has just ended her relationship with Eunae then not awhile ago they were each other’s face and add that stupid and untimely confession.

It's too fast because Irene still hasn’t said it back or assure her that she feels the same... that she wasn’t only doing this to string Seulgi along or something. That they couldn't just jump into a shark invested water without knowing what to do or if they'll survive.

“You’re thinking too much again.”

“H-Huh?”

“Don’t overthink things, Seulgi-ah.” Irene squatted in front of her and held her face in her hands, thumb grazing softly on her cheeks and a small frown between her brows. 

“Don’t burden yourself with useless thoughts, Seulgi. Don’t fill your pretty head with whatever you’re thinking because you’re wrong.”

“Am I?” Seulgi asked, her tone sounded curious but there was an underlying challenge to it. "Am I wrong?"

Irene smiled half heartedly before she stood up and pulled Seulgi to her feet. “Let’s take a walk and talk somewhere else, okay?”

Seulgi nodded absentmindedly, her mind was still full of doubts and questions. Irene wordlessly took their things and with her free hand, she held Seulgi’s arm and pulled the girl closer to her. Once the practice room was locked, they took notice of how the sky was already painted with pinks and orange hues... exactly how Seulgi would paint her mind right this moment.

Orange were her thoughts because like fire, the object of her musings set her whole being ablaze; with warm mouth that speak of her name with tenderness, lips that leaves her panting and wanting for more, touches that seemed to ignite sparks under her skin and dark dark eyes that seemed to burn her alive.

Irene was like life and destruction to Seulgi. Bae Irene will be the same fire that can warm Seulgi and make her feel secure but could also be the same fire- if not kept and watched closely, burn and destroy her until she couldn’t rise again- until she could only weep with her heart’s ashes on her feet and just stare at the destruction that she brought upon herself.

Yet, Irene... being with Irene makes her feel pink- all warm and fuzzy and tingly. Being with Irene brings her back to purple umbrella’s and a shared car ride or the silence inside their high school room, or the soft music blasting from shared earphones.

Irene makes her... feel.

And it is scary that a single woman can hold so impact on her life.

It's because Irene is both pink and orange and maybe all the colors combined and it makes her so utterly scared because Kang Seulgi, as an artist at heart was not used to having all colors at once.

She's not used to have these kaleidoscope of colors inside her chest which she couldn’t extricate to paint Irene and only Irene because goddamn, if she could paint a single picture her entire life, it would only be Irene’s face. 

Because Irene makes her see color more vividly, she could feel what each color represents and taste each hue and value on her tongue everytime she’s near.

And... And... And she’s still so utterly scared despite Irene holding her, squeezing her hand every now and then and would sometimes look back to flash her a smile, because she knew... holy she knew that she would never feel this much to another because Irene was Irene and Seulgi was Seulgi.

And Seulgi was so utterly inlove and head over heels for someone as despicable as Irene.

“Take a seat, Seulgi.”

Seulgi blinked to sweep her thoughts under the rug for now and looked around to see the familiar lush of green and her ears picked up the soft hum of cicadas around them.

“Why are we here?” She asked when Irene took a seat in front of her. Despite the lack of light around them, her eyes adjusted fairly and she saw the glint in Irene’s eyes.

“Seems fitting, don’t you think?”

Fitting? Them in lover’s corner?

Ahh. She finally understood it. Irene said that this was their first day, right? She only hummed as a response and looked at her hands on her lap. The chirp of the cicadas became louder but her ears still picked up the quiet sigh that escaped from the other’s lips.

“What were you thinking when we were walking?” Irene asked, her voice seemed muffled that Seulgi scooted closer to hear her properly.

“Things...”

“Things? Like?”

Like how you make me feel scared and how you can easily ruin me...

“Just things.” She shrugged nonchalantly. Another sigh escaped Irene’s lips.

“Why do you think so much, Seulgi?” Her question hung in the air as Seulgi refused to answer. “I know you’re very smart and all. Gods, you’re more than smart with how much books you’ve read and with all the knowledge inside your head but why... why have you been thinking too much and... and think too little of me?” Irene’s voice became considerably lower and her eyes... her eyes that was full of mirth suddenly became dull and pained.

Seulgi’s eyes slightly widened and suddenly felt dry. Her heart ached at what the older said, of how Irene seemed so fragile and sounding like that