📞 Renebae🐰 is calling 

"I can't believe you're calling me just because of this. I thought you get over her?"

Irene bit her lip at the end of the receiver, she did promise herself to get over Byulyi last year. She instead focus all of her energy in finding a decent job. But, eventually she ended up becoming Byulyi's coworker, thanks to Seulgi who continously nag her to apply for the open position as an Account Executive at Flanéur Agency. Despite eventually becoming her longtime crush's coworker, Byulyi still didn't notice Irene and Irene purposefully avoided Byul like a plague. Still she can't help to supress the feeling that she's fated to continue this damned crush. Because, after all, she did end up becoming closer to Byulyi and finally talked to her, right?

"Well....it's not like I don't try. You know I've tried!"

"Yeah, fair point. Anyway, I'm not pranking you. Byul did say that." 

"She thought I am pretty??"

Solar sighs heavily and about to berate Irene, yet again, because Irene keeps forgetting just how gorgeous she is. Solar admittedly wanted to slap some sens to the insecure Irene who keeps denying that she's literally blessed with godly visual. 

"Maybe I should buy you more mirror. You can be an idol if you want for God's sake. And Byul is such a weak when it comes to pretty girl – now that she slightly comes to her senses that there are girls out there other than Wheein."

📞 🧸KangSseul is calling 

"Oh wait, Seulgi is calling me."

"I bet Byulyi said the same thing to her," Solar snickered, she just knows Byul too much. She knows when Byul is excited and despite being annoyed by how Byulyi keeps whining to Solar about how she never introduced Irene to her, she's actually relieved that for the first time after many years, someone other than Wheein finally caught Byul's short span attention. 

"Let me just add Seulgi for group call. Annyeong Seulgi! Solar's here in the call as well. By the way, where were you last night?? Why didn't you come home??" 

"Oh, hello Solar unnie. Omg, Irene unnie you're too loud, my head is still pounding from last night. I'm at Byul's unnie apartment."

Irene feels like her heart sunk into the abyss just by the thought of Seulgi calling her while at Byul's place. She wondered how's Byul's apartment look like? It must've been pretty organized, whenever she takes glimpses at Byul's massive desk at the office, it was always pretty neat and the decoration is really simple but it stands out artistically. 

She must have lots of plant, she even has one in the office. 

"Annyeong, Seulgi-ya! Is Byul even alive?"

Seulgi chuckles at Solar's remark, she would've make the same comment about her favorite unnie as well,"Barely. But she did manage to nag me about Irene unnie. I bet she nagged to you as well."

"Ugh. Big time," Solar pretended to be annoyed.

Lucky for Irene, they are in a phone call or else she would've been mercilessly teased by the dumber and dumber duo for blushing wildly. She tries to contain her excitement but her pitch still comes slightly higher than usual. 

"She did?"

"Yeah, Byul unnie said how come Solar unnie and I kept you away from her. So I told her that Irene unnie is too straight she wouldn't like you." 

Solar lets out truly satisfying dolphin laugh hearing Seulgi's joke while Irene is shrieking with annoyance in the background.

"YAH! KANG SEULGI"

"Hehe," Seulgi laughs in tiny while munching some freshly toasted bread with butter. 

"KANG SEULGI, DID YOU REALLY SAY THAT TO HER?"

With mouth still chewing and in between laugh, Seulgi calms her unnie down telling her it was a joke but she still though it's a good one. Solar wholeheartedly agrees while Irene still continues to protest in the background. 

"Anyway, she asked for your phone number," said Seulgi.

"Ok," that's all Irene can mustered to say, because, what else does she have to say? No? Of course she'll say yes, she'll say yes thousand times if needed to. 

"Ok? What kind of reaction is that??? Anyway, I actually already gave it to Byul's unnie last night. She asked that when she's half drunk though, so don't get your hopes up too much, she might've forget it this morning." 

"Let's bet, Seulgi-ya!" 

"You guys are betting about my life??? in front of me?? Seriously, you two are such a kid."

"Unnie needs to buy me one month full of tteopokki if I win, I say, Byul unnie will forget that she asked."

"Ok! If I win, you need to ask Joy out on a date. I say Byul will call."

Seulgi chokes on her water and spray it all over the island counter when she hears Solar's request if she wins,"Aniyo! Unnie! Please choose other price, I can't ask Joy out on a date!!!"

"Why not though? You're the KANG SEULGI, Moon Byulyi's protege, the most sought after senior in SNU, the charismatic dancer, don't say nonsense like that! Be confident."

"Ugh, easy for you to say," Seulgi grumbles but somewhat wanting for her to lose so she can have a reason to ask Joy out on a date.

While Solar and Seulgi continue to jokes around in the background, Irene got a phone call from an unknown number. 

"Guys! Guys! An unknown number calls me, could this be Moonbyulyi? Is she around you Seulgi?"

"No, she went somewhere this morning and hasn't come back. Just answer it, unless you have some left over credit that you haven't paid and you're being called by them."

"Ugh, both of you are seriously infurating. But I love you both!!!! Gotta go! Wish me luck."

And just like that, Irene immediately hangs up and stares for a while at her phone screen. The unknown number is still ringing and she prepares herself to be disappointed. She can take another disappointment, she said to herself, she's been at it for almost two years now. With steady deep breath she answers the phone and there goes the voice straight out of her sweetest dream she sometimes have when she's in a good mood. 

Some days Irene thinks it’s better that Byulyi doesn't know how much she actually likes her. But on other days, especially day like this when she finally answers a phone call from Byulyi, a phone call that she thought would never come, she just wants to meet her right away. Irene wants to look her dead in the eye and tell her about every little thing that made Irene think of her. 

And, sometimes, Irene wishes that she can make Byulyi nervous. She wants her to get just a bit flustered when she catch a glimpse of her in the alley in front of the Creative Room. When they get to know each other, Irene wants Byulyi to look away too quickly when she smiles at her because she is shy, but she has to tear herself away from Irene's gaze. She wants to make her heart speed up if she puts a hand on her shoulder.

Irene wants Byulyi to feel the same way for her as she does for her.

But, this is just a phone call. The first step to many unwalked steps that Irene doesn't know where it may leads, and Irene doesn't like things that are blurry, unstable, or unpredictable. Irene wants things done her way, Irene likes to be in control of everything. More than anything, Irene takes pride in her composure and cool-headedness. With Byulyi though, she feels weak unless she wears her tough mask. But she doesn't want to wear her mask, she wants to be ly raw and blatantly honest, open, and out there. She wants to hand a gun to Byul and trusts her enough not to pull the trigger. 

And so, this is the beginning of love - a matter of courage and surrender. In the Sunny afternoon of Seoul's cold winter, Irene who never surrenders, succumbs to the deep, cheery voice of Moon Byulyi. 

"Hey, Irene. This is Byul from last night. I got your number from Seulgi. Are you busy?"