a/n: Here's a treat to a double release :D Chapters 16 & 17

Irene regretted drinking that much. She was supposed to have a meeting with her group after school but she was now stuck in detention because she was late. They had to reschedule and that decision came with insults from Jimin and Seolhyun. Irene massaged her pounding head caused from the hangover. Any longer, she would have snapped at Jimin and her high pitched noise.

“Joohyun, you okay?” Seulgi asked. She was also present when Jimin was hurling the insults at her.

“Y-yea…” Irene uttered before walking towards the car waiting for her.

“God she got a Porsche…” Yeri commented.

“She’s rich after all.” Seulgi said. Since Yeri mentioned the Porsche, Seulgi thought it looked a little familiar.

Irene was free of schedules for the day so she spent her time with alcohol. If possible, she would have Jennie over to cheer her up, since most of her friends were all busy with their jobs and running a bar. But the latter, who claimed that she 'doesn't do commitment', was still in Thailand fawning over the thai CEO. Irene sighed and took another gulp of soju. She was already feeling tipsy.

A ping from her laptop managed to get Irene to focus. She squinted her eyes and navigated to her mail to see one from shindong about the edited video. Usually she’ll inspect it but her drunken state prevented her from doing so. Instead, she sent the file straight to the school’s group chat and got the other 4 to make decisions – the final decision was by Jimin anyway.

Irene closed her laptop and was going through her second phone. She was replying Seulgi who said she wanted to come over to tell Irene something great. Something great. Irene smiled bitterly and this time drank straight from the bottle. Irene was mad at krystal for not telling her that Seulgi and Taeyong had already been dating for awhile. Apparently it started a month back. Irene was even madder that she herself did not notice it. She exited the page and her thumb hovered over the Seulgi and Taeyong’s video.

The actress knew that she shouldn’t torture herself but she still did. Watching that video made Irene’s chest uncomfortable. Watching Seulgi, so close to everyone else but her makes her uncomfortable. A tear trickled down Irene’s cheek and it caught her off guard.
 

“.” She huffed as she tried her best to soak it up with the sleeve of her shirt.

Ding dong.

“Great.” Irene rolled her eyes and tries her best to dry her eyes as she searched for her glasses carelessly.

Pang.

Irene cursed when she knocked over the shot glass.

She had taken her glasses out and knew she had placed them somewhere on the coffee table. Her bad vision and tipsiness was definitely not a good combination as she palmed around for anything that looked black.

She tossed the remote, she tossed her spectacle case, she tossed her pen away.

“There- ah” She found her glasses on the floor but did not register that the broken glass was on the ground when she knocked the shot glass over.

Ding dong Ding dong.

Irene had no time to clean up. She put her glasses on and hopped over the mess toward the door. Taking a deep breath, Irene tried to make herself look a bit sober before opening the door.

“Hey, Seulgi~” Irene hummed excitedly, forgetting all her troubles whenever she was with Seulgi.

Seulgi greeted back with the same tone before her nose scrunched up. “Have you been drinking?”

“A little~” Irene hummed and signed it with her hand – her bloody hand.

Seulgi gasped. She let herself in only to see a blood trail from the broken cup on Irene’s floor. She grabbed the clueless older girl by the wrist and placed her palm under running water to clean it.

“Does it hurt?” Seulgi asked.

“Your face is funny~” Irene giggled. Seulgi took that as a no.

“Where’s your first aid kit?” Seulgi asked as she dapped the cut with paper towels and put pressure on the wound.

“Here!”

“Where?”

“In front of me, holding my hand~”

“J-Joohyun, you’re drunk. Hold this.” Seulgi said as she took Joohyun’s other hand and instructed her to apply pressure. Meanwhile Seulgi looked for the first aid kit.

Seulgi located it in one of the drawers that Joohyun’s TV was placed on. When she came back, she was horrified to see Joohyun pivoting her palm left and right while she looked with bewilderment at the blood sloshing around.

“Ya!” Seulgi yelled. Joohyun was a mess when she’s tipsy.

Joohyun fell asleep on the counter while Seulgi was cleaning the living room of blood and broken glass. She noted that Irene had gone through three and a half bottles of Soju. After that, Seulgi needed Irene out of her blood-stained clothes. She gently tapped the latter awake and explained to her what and why.

“I don’t wanna! I want to sleep!” Irene huffed and puffed her cheeks.

“No, Joohyun. Please go change.” Seulgi coaxed.

“You know? I’m Joohyun. My real name~” Irene giggled.

Seulgi was very confused. She ignored Irene and helped the latter stand up.

Seulgi lugged Irene towards her walk in closet and placed her at one of the high stools she had in the middle of the room. Irene just collapsed onto the display counter once she was settled down.

It was Seulgi’s first time in this room and she noted that Joohyun had a lot of clothes. For some reason, she had a lot of blazers, jewellery as well as fancy dresses. But Seulgi never seen her wear those. It was out of the radar of what she expect the nerdy girl to have. Seulgi thought it was old for a 21 year old to have those but then she remembered that Wendy has her own too.

“Here.” Seulgi tossed a hoody and towards Irene who just grumbled.

Seulgi sighed and moved the hoody off of Irene before physically straightening the latter. Seulgi scoffed at the older girl's adorable frowning; her eyes were still shut.

“Joohyun. Change.” Seulgi said sternly. “Or else I’m going to be mad.”

Seulgi saw Joohyun’s brows twitch at her last word. The next thing she knew, Joohyun complied. Joohyun lifted up her arms.

“I-I meant you change yourself!” Seulgi blurted in embarrassment. She came from a conservative household and never went to a public bath. It kind of shocked her When Joohyun asked to be changed.

The latter pouted and raised her arms again.

“God, you’re such a child.” Seulgi gave in and did as she was demanded. Seulgi removed Irene’s glasses and set them aside. She then hesitantly pulled Irene’s shirt up and over the latter’s head.

‘Hot’ was an understatement. Joohyun’s body looked perfect. Hiding under the bloodied baggy cotton was an hourglass figure and a pair of perky s. Why wasnt she wearing a bra or some sort of undergarment?! Seulgi blushed and swallowed the lump in . She might be staring at Joohyun a bit too long because the latter was complaining about being cold.

“S-sorry!” Seulgi apologised and helped Joohyun into her fresh sweater.

Seulgi helped Joohyun back to the living room sofa where she instinctively picked up the soju bottle. Seulgi snatched the bottle away, nagging at how drunk she already was.

“You can’t do that! It’s only right if you finish what you started!” Irene whined.

“Fine!.” Seulgi emptied the half filled bottle into herself and placed the bottle back on the table. Joohyun seemed satisfied because she was clapping and giggling happily.

"One shot!" She squealed in her drunken state.

Seulgi didn’t get hit by the alcohol until a little later. She and Irene then started their drunk talk about rocks, fabric softener and why Seulgi was here today. Irene went to grab another bottle to drink and Seulgi didn’t stop her. Drinking felt good.

“Anyway, do people say that you look like Irene?” Seulgi complimented when Joohyun took off her glasses which were constantly sliding off.

Irene almost choked. With how slow she was drinking, she had already sober up to realise what they were doing. Irene cursed at herself. She was going to hell.

“I’ll never be as great as her~” Irene lied.

“Great? I think you are better. Irene is not great!” Seulgi growled.

“Wendy swaid shwe was coming on to me. I think Wendy is rwight…” Seulgi started to slur.

Irene winced a littlewhen she learnt that Son Seung Wan had divulge the secret. It only made Irene realise how unfit she was to be with Seulgi. She was truly and innocent angel that Irene was unworthy of tainting. She started to drink again, in hopes of soothing the pain in her heart.

Even if it is temporary, let me enjoy being close to you as Bae Joohyun - My secret.

Irene would come to regret this selfish thought of hers.

.

Then next morning, a Saturday, Seulgi woke up beside Joohyun. She scanned the unfamiliar surroundings and realized that they were still in Joohyun’s living room and on her couch.

“Seulgi ah, you are in a relationship with Taeyong?”

“Y-yea, he’s sweet.”

“What if I can be sweeter?”

“Joohyun, you’re drunk~”

“What if I met you first?”

“J-Joohyun, you’re too close.”

“What if I caught your attention first?”

“J-Joohyun…”

“Will you fall for me instead, Kang Seulgi?”

Their faces were only inches apart. Joohyun stared at Seulgi, her heart racing despite the alcohol. Seulgi also stared back, her gaze unintentionally looking into Joohyun’s hoodie as she crawled towards her.

“Like what you see?” Joohyun chuckled when she saw where Seulgi's eyes where fixated. 

Seulgi gulped.

Joohyun didn’t wait for an answer, she just lean forward and locked her lips with Seulgi.

Seulgi’s eyes snapped open when she realized what happened. Irene started to stir from her sleep when the light sleeper felt Seulgi jerk.

“What-“ Seulgi shot up of the couch and bolted out of the house before Irene could even ask.

Irene rubbed her eyes in confusion before memories of last night hit her like a slap.

“.” Irene cursed.