Seulgi has just walked out from the library to go to the lecture hall where Irene's class is currently going on. It is Friday and they had planned to spend the rest of the day together after all their classes ended, they even had picked a Netflix series to binge-watch the whole night. They were both excited for this day to come and they have also planned to get groceries and stuff to spend the night having a lot of fun, even if it's only the two of them. 

     Seulgi takes her phone out to send a text to Irene to inform her that she will be waiting outside the lecture hall when suddenly a hand pushes her shoulder harshly, causing her phone and the books on her hand to drop on the floor. Seulgi was not looking front when she was walking so she thought it was her mistake that she had bumped into someone, but the look on the face of that person she bumped into says otherwise. 

     "I'm sorry, I was looking at my phone. Are you hurt anywhere?" Seulgi still asks out of concern. She gets down to take back her books and is reaching out to take her phone when that person kicks her phone away. 

     "Am I hurt?" That person asks back mockingly, her face full of disgust looking at Seulgi. "I'm not hurt but my friend is! So that automatically hurts me." 

     Seulgi lifts up her head to look at that person and the gang that she has brought along with her. She wonders which one of this person's friends she has hurt so much that she has to bring a group of them just to confront her. She reaches out again to take her phone that was kicked away and fortunately it was not kicked again in a different direction. 

     "Your friend?" Seulgi asks calmly while dusting off dirt from her phone. 

     That person scoffs as she rolls her eyes. 

     "You don't even remember her don't you, ?" 

     Seulgi knows she is now being cornered by this group of freshmen girls and she doesn't like how their argument has now garnered attention from other students around that area, but she still keeps her cool because talking back or getting into an actual fight won't be good, plus, the people she's arguing with are new students. Hearing them out to get to the bottom of their problem and to solve it from there will be good enough. She just needs to know what the heck has she done to hurt their friend. 

     "I'm sorry, but your friend is...?" Seulgi asks out of pure curiosity. It hurts when that person has labeled her with vulgarity but Seulgi decides that she doesn't want to return the treatment as it will just hurt both sides. 

     "Hana." That person says shortly and she takes a few steps forward while glaring fiercely at Seulgi. "Do you recall something now?" 

     Upon hearing that name, Seulgi tries to recollect her memories to make sure the name at least sounds familiar to her but the scanner in her mind must be broken because she can't remember. Seulgi really takes her time to think again and she thanks God that the group of girls are patient enough to wait for her instead of recklessly throwing punches at her. 

     "Oh!" Seulgi manages to think of something. Indeed, someone did come to her a few weeks ago to ask for help about getting around the campus but Seulgi's kindness must have made her develop a crush on Seulgi and Seulgi remembered that she came to Seulgi to confess just a few days ago. And of course, Seulgi rejected her, but with extreme politeness. 

     "Oh? That's all you have to say? Oh? When you have broken a heart? Oh? When what Hana did was just showing you sincerity?" 

     "Look," Seulgi thinks this situation is getting out of hand and she really needs to make things clear between them so she can quickly find Irene to finally have their awaited binge-watching night. 

     "I think we really need to look into this situation properly." Seulgi starts off slow and steady, trying to make her thinking as mature as possible to avoid an even bigger misunderstanding. 

     "I have just known her for less than a month, talked to her less than ten times, a proper conversation maybe only around twice? There was nothing stable between us for me to be considering getting into a serious relationship with her." 

     That person Seulgi doesn't even know the name of looks at Seulgi with disgrace and she scorns at Seulgi. She really doesn't seem like she is going to let Seulgi go easily and her main goal looks like she is trying to make Seulgi walk away with humiliation. 

     "Talking about being stable and a serious relationship when you can't even get over your one-sided crush with that Irene ." 

     "Who the are you calling a ?" 

     All heads are turned to that voice. 

     "I-Irene." Seulgi whispers out softly as tears start to brim around her eyes. Seeing Irene standing there feels like comfort to Seulgi. What Hana's friend had mocked her with really broke her, she really didn't have to go that far to insult Seulgi just because of a confession rejection. 

     "And who the are you," Irene slowly walks up to them, standing in front of Seulgi and crossing her arms, scanning and judging Hana's friend head to toe before continuing to say, "to say it was a one-sided crush?" 

     "Irene?" 

     Irene hears Seulgi clearly, calling out her name with a voice full of yearning, and she wants to turn around so badly to tell Seulgi that she meant what she said but she has to teach Hana's friend a lesson before being able to do so. 

     "Why are you even butting in our conversation here? I'm not even talking to you." Hana's friend manages to snarl back at Irene while pointing one finger at Irene. 

     "I think that goes back to you, kid," Irene scoffs a little, brushing her fingers through her hair before glaring at Hana's friend, "you're butting in on Seulgi and your friend's relationship, trying so hard to make them together when nothing much has been going on." 

     "That's because Hana's my best friend and it to see some hurting her like that." 

     "So then what's wrong with me feeling like it to see my best friend being treated like by a like you too?"

     Hana's friend is clearly taken aback by Irene's attack, her breath has gotten shaky, and is looking like she is cramming her brain to find the best way to bark back at Irene. But fifteen seconds were enough for Irene to feel like she has given ample time for her to say anything but she proved that she has lost the fight to Irene.

     “Kid,” Irene tries to slow talk with Hana’s friend, giving a smack on the arm when she glares at Irene, “It’s only your first semester here and you’re already trying to ruin your own reputation around the campus by doing something like this? You can be famous here if you want to, be like the top scorer or something."

     Embarrassed by what Irene had to say to her, Hana’s friend avoids eye contact with anyone around her and just stares at her own shoes. 

     “Why did you even lie? Did you do it just to embarrass me?” Still not giving up, Hana’s friend asked Irene.

     “About?” 

     “The one-sided crush.” Hana’s friend is now able to glare back at Irene, feeling so confident that she has caught Irene off guard. 

     Irene shakes her head and just smiles instead, she finds the situation laughable. Before saying anything back, Irene reaches back to hold Seulgi’s hand, squeezing once to reassure Seulgi that she is able to handle this girl and her curiosity by herself. 

     Seulgi does not know what the hell goes through Irene’s mind at that time for saying that, but she thinks that maybe putting up an act in front of these people will be like telling them to stop prying on her relationship with Irene. She will just have to talk it out with Irene after all this commotion. 

     “Now you are trying to in on my relationship with Seulgi?” 

     Seeing no response from Hana’s friend, Irene decides that she just wants to get out of the situation quickly. She knows that she leaves Seulgi in confusion, and she doesn’t want to waste any more of her energy arguing with Hana’s friend and would just rather save it for her to talk it out with Seulgi after this. 

     Irene clears , squeezes out a smile at Hana’s friend while also locking her fingers with Seulgi’s. She thought she was slick enough to not let anyone catch that sight, but she knew she failed when the people started whispering and pointing towards their interlocked hands. 

     “I think we’re all matured enough to be arguing about things like this, and there are many other ways to settle these kinds of problems so I hope next time maybe consider talking it out properly rather than putting the other person down?” 

     “I don’t know how much Seulgi has hurt your friend, and if you’re claiming that you hate her so much for doing it to your friend, I suggest you don’t stoop this low doing the exact same thing you hate people doing to the people around you because now you’re just hurting Seulgi.” 

     The surrounding has suddenly become quiet as people are listening to what Irene has to say. Irene feels burdensome by how many eyes are looking and ears are listening but she knows she has to stop this childish argument as quickly as possible. 

     And though Irene is aware of how many people are there spectating them, she couldn’t stop herself from saying the one thing that has been laying heavy on her lips, waiting just for the right moment to say it. 

     “And in case you don’t know that Seulgi is a part of me, because she is, and it just means that you’re directly hurting me too.” 

     A silence too loud for Irene to ignore is eating her up, or maybe it’s just herself trying to shut every noise around her as she is afraid of people criticizing or judging her, but the silence is indeed becoming more burdensome as each second passes by. Seulgi nudges on her hands and she can hear sniffing sounds, she doesn’t know if it is Seulgi crying but she does not have the courage to turn around and see. She doesn’t want to be the reason why Seulgi is shedding tears. 

     But Irene slides her thumb on Seulgi’s hand as a sign to tell her that there is nothing left for Seulgi to worry about. 

     “So,” Irene breaks the silence, seemingly as Hana’s friend has not been talking back at her but has instead kept her lips zipped, Irene takes that as her letting Irene finish off and settle the argument between them. 

     “Can I say that we’re even now? We have both hurt each other and that’s that.” 

     Irene says with the motherly and soft tone of her voice, trying to relay the message of her really wanting to be friendly with her and had no more bad intentions or moves towards her. 

     Hana’s friend slowly nods her head, taking each and every one of Irene’s words of wisdom to her heart. She is starting to realize that she should not have taken this issue this far. 

     “I’m sorry, Seulgi, Irene.” Hana’s friend says after a while. “I really should not have done that. Now I’m just embarrassing all of us in front of all these people.” 

     “Hey,” Irene calls out while placing her hand on her shoulder, making her lift her head that has been looking down ever since who knows when, “It’s okay, really. I might have done the same if I was you too.” 

     Irene sees the tear that is fighting to get out from the other girl’s eye, “You know, for the sake of protecting the one that we love.

     “I’m sorry too, for being rude a little while ago. Well, as you know, I did it out of reflex to protect the one that I love.” 

     Irene sees a small smile growing on her lips and a chuckle follows after. Irene doesn’t want to assume what the other girl is thinking but she just hopes that it’s about something good. Something like she is finally admitting that Irene does love and cares a lot about Seulgi. 

     “Okay, I get it. I know now why I did it.” Hana’s friend says to Irene chirpily, “Thank you, Irene.” 

     Irene nods her head with a smile plastering on her face, “I’m glad. So, I think Seulgi and I are good to go now?” 

     “Yes, of course.” 

     They part ways soon after a few more apology exchanges between them and the crowd was finally dispersed when Irene and Seulgi, at last, got the chance to walk away to a place quieter. 

     And for a moment, Irene feels like her mind has gone blank. What has just happened, how did she manage to do all those, how will Seulgi take all these in, and what will she tell Seulgi about it. 

     “Irene.” 

     Irene hears Seulgi call her with a stern voice, feeling Seulgi is trying to break free from their interlocked hands but Irene is still in a state of daze. She hopes Seulgi would give her a few moments more to collect her thoughts as they are still walking at a rushed pace. 

     “Irene,” Seulgi calls out again and this time she forcefully breaks away from Irene’s hold and turns Irene around to look at her face to face. She wants a clear explanation from Irene and she wants to hear it now. Seulgi can feel that Irene is trembling by the touch of their fingertips. 

     “Tell me what was that about.” 

     Irene sees the anger and confusion forming on Seulgi’s eyebrows and she wants to help soothe the anger and she knows the way to do it is to clarify her actions a while ago, but her heart is beating too fast that what came to her mind is a juggle of words and thoughts all mixed up. She is not able to utter any words and she knows that Seulgi is getting angrier with each second she spends being silent. Her vision starts to blur when tears are stubborn to be let out from her eyes. 

     But Seulgi is not having it. How can she when she feels like everything is just a setup and feels like it was all just a lie to get her out of her problem? It breaks her heart to know that Irene is crying because of her but she is not about to let her guards down again when she feels like her feelings have been played. 

     “S-seul, n-not here.” Irene mumbles in between her sobs but Seulgi is able to hear her clearly. Irene reaches her hand out to take Seulgi’s hand to take her somewhere else, running away once more but Seulgi shakes her hands off no. Seulgi takes two steps back, away from Irene. 

     “I’m not going unless you explain yourself right now.” 

     Lips trembling, muscles loosening, Irene feels like her body almost gave out, but that is not an excuse for her to avoid Seulgi’s sharp gaze and shaky breath. 

     “Seul,” Irene calls out with all her might, which doesn’t feel as hard as she thought it would, “I-I’m sorry.”

     Irene is about to catch a breath before continuing because surely there is much more she should say than just an apology, but Seulgi’s loud scoff and clenched fist somehow made her lose her ground and that gave space for Seulgi to say what’s on her mind faster than her. 

     “I knew it was all just a lie, the words you said were just a heroic act to save my face and yours too. You really stunned me for a while, making me trust you and feel like maybe we could make it together.

     “It was my mistake to have thought that maybe you were sincere with what you said. Do you know that it hurts so much more that you are being like this to me than what those girls did to me?” 

     Seulgi lets out what was troubling her the whole time and she is unable to control the tears that are running down her cheeks, heart too painful to even hold anything back. Her clenched fist is repeatedly hitting on her chest, hoping that it will somehow lessen the pain in her heart. 

     Irene takes one step forward to Seulgi, wanting to hug her while explaining but she knows that what Seulgi needs right now is personal space and that’s the one thing that she should be respectful with at the moment. 

     “Seulgi,” Irene’s voice croaks out, and Seulgi not stopping her from talking gives her the green light to go on, “I know what I say next will sound like another lie to you and I know it is my own fault and mistake to make you think like that about my actions because you have been hurt enough to just let it slide anymore. You can think whatever you want about me, you can do whatever you want to me after this as I truly think I deserve a good beating for making you feel all this pain.”

     Irene swallows once as has suddenly become dry and for forcing herself to talk when her voice and cry were stuck there. Even with her own blurry vision, Irene can at least see that the fist that Seulgi had clenched till white has softened but she has got no time to waste any more than to get her points straight to Seulgi. Irene wipes the tears on her face and she continues. 

     “I’m sorry for hurting you all these while and I’m sorry for being this stupid. But mostly, Seulgi,” Irene sniffed once and gathered her one last courage, “I’m sorry for realizing it too late.” 

     “W-what?” 

     “My feelings for you.” Irene catches her breath, bowing her head down low as she watches her teardrops one by one, “I have been untrue with myself, being dishonest about my own feelings, pushing all those feelings away because of fear, and it has hurt you through all that. I was afraid of becoming true to how I feel but after realizing it all, I was most afraid of losing you.” 

     “N-no.” 

     “Seulgi,” Irene cries out, closing the distance between their bodies and wrapping her arms around Seulgi’s neck in her tiptoes, “I really don’t know how to make myself pay for what I did to you, and I’ll be more than grateful if you could forgive me.” 

     Seulgi clenches her fists again and this time she hits Irene on her shoulders trying to push her away as being in close proximity with Irene has always suffocated her, but right now it is more than just suffocating to her, she is feeling very overwhelmed by the whole situation they’re in right now. One more apology or self-insult Irene does to herself, the more Seulgi feels like kissing her just to shut her up. 

     But Irene keeps her arms locked around Seulgi’s neck, not knowing where the strength even comes from as Seulgi’s hits on her shoulder are indeed strong and it feels painful but it doesn’t compare to the pain she has given Seulgi the past years. Irene cries out louder, wetting Seulgi’s hair with her tears. 

     “Don’t lie to me anymore, Irene,” Seulgi says in between her sobs as the hits on Irene’s shoulder are slowing down and becoming weaker. 

     “No,” Irene says quickly while shaking her head rapidly, “I was not and I will not, Seulgi. All the things I did and said today were all true and I promise I won’t do anything to hurt you anymore.” 

     Irene stops for a while to release her arms, moving away a little bit to look Seulgi in the eyes. She swipes her thumb across Seulgi’s cheek to wipe the tears on her face as she continues to say, 

     “For you deserve all the love and happiness the world has to offer you and I will try my best to give you that world full of love and happiness. I love you so much, Seulgi.” 

     Irene is taken aback when Seulgi lets out a loud cry after what she said, she thought hard about where she slipped up again. She thinks that maybe this will be the last time she will ever see Seulgi and feels like she has ruined everything. She is preparing her heart to bid her final goodbye to Seulgi when Seulgi surprises her with a tight hug. Irene is left dumbfounded as her arms are swaying front and back when Seulgi tightens her hug. 

     “Do you know how much I have waited to hear those words from you?” Seulgi asks when she feels Irene returning her hug and she swears she has never felt anything warmer. The butterflies she felt throughout her whole body made her cry even harder because never in her whole life has she felt this overwhelmed with love before. 

     “I swore to myself that I will wait for you however long it takes but you really made me wait a little bit too long.” 

     Irene finally breaks out a smile when she hears the smile through Seulgi’s voice. She starts to rub Seulgi’s back in an effort to calm Seulgi down. 

     “I didn’t know, Seulgi. I truly should have not let you wait that long. It was my fault for realizing it too late. I’m really sorry, Seul-” 

     Irene is forced to abruptly end her sentence when Seulgi suddenly pulled away from their hug and quickly planted a kiss on her lips instead. Irene’s eyes widened at the unforeseen action from Seulgi. 

     “Seul-” 

     And another kiss. 

     “Enough of you saying sorry, Irene. I got it. All that matters is that we share a heart now.”

     Seulgi smiles warmly at Irene and Irene can’t help but mirror the smile. Irene brushes the strands of hair that have gotten in the way of Seulgi’s face and the warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart just by looking at Seulgi staring at her lovingly has gotten the better of her so she just engulfs Seulgi in another hug and spins her around slowly. 

     “Thought you were going to kiss me.” 

     “You want to?” 

     Seulgi answers Irene nothing but she loosens Irene’s arms around her to cup Irene’s face. 

     “I will if you won’t.” 

     Placing pecks on Irene’s lips repeatedly along with a fit of giggles from Irene, all these really feel like a dream to Seulgi. It was all really things she could only dare imagine and something she could only experience in her dreams when she’s in deep slumber. She would like her mom to wake her up now if this is only a dream, but it’s actually not so she’s really feeling over the moon. 

     Not remembering that they are still in a public area, they soon stopped being glued to each other when they heard someone coughed, which sound forced, maybe to let them know that people are present and to signal them to continue whatever they’re doing at home instead. 

     And so they did. 

     Hand in hand, they walked together matching each other’s steps as they walked towards Irene’s dorm. Once they have settled down on the sofa, the rising tension of awkwardness and silence is really gonna end them if one of them does not speak up soon. 

     “So-” 

     “So…” 

     They both said at the same time. And they swear that things have never gotten this awkward between them before, not even their two years of contactless friendship could beat this. And now when they are in the situation to cross over the once forbidden line, they suddenly have no more words left to say. 

     Flushed cheeks, speeding heartbeat, sweaty palms. Irene and Seulgi both feel like they are gonna pass out soon, feeling their lips so heavy wanting to say the first word, to ask the first question. 

     “So,” Irene mustered the courage first to break the awkward silence, “what are we now?” 

     Irene looks up to Seulgi’s eyes and her breath hitches when Seulgi looks back at her. She knows the obvious answer to her own question, but she still can’t help but feel nervous to hear an answer from Seulgi. 

     “Well, what do you think?” 

     They both chuckled at Seulgi’s answer because they both seem to be unready to be the first to actually say the word. 

     “I asked you first. What are we now?” 

     Seulgi has lost it when Irene looks at her with her doe eyes and feels like she has been defeated. So she decides to just give in and be the one to ask the question the both of them are too afraid to ask.

     Seulgi’s hands find Irene’s own, and she softly smoothes her thumb over Irene’s hand. 

     “Do you,” Seulgi stops mid-sentence to stare right at Irene, and with the sweetest smile on her face she continues, “do you want to be my girlfriend?” 

     Irene swears her breathing has just stopped for a moment and just dwells at the moment where they both feel like they’re in their own universe. 

     “And if I say yes?”

     “Then I’ll be the best girlfriend ever, to you.” 

     Irene tucks a strand of hair behind Seulgi’s ear, and now Seulgi’s face is so clear and bright for only her to see. She leans in to kiss Seulgi on the lips and their lips move so naturally as if they are made for each other, like a key to only a certain lock. 

     Irene pulls away when it is getting breathless and she smiles ever so softly while looking at Seulgi. She engulfs Seulgi in a hug, giggling as she gives her answer to Seulgi. 

     “Then I’ll be the best girlfriend to the best girlfriend ever.” 

 

 

Author's note: 

It has been a while and now I'm back with a new chapter which is also the last for this story. 

I would like to thank everyone who has read, subscribed, and shown interest in this story. A story that I have started planning to write and started writing early last year (2020), I feel proud of myself for being passionate enough to even complete it. And I thank you all for joining me on this journey. 

I apologize if there were mistakes along the way, or maybe the way I write may have rubbed off differently, I just hope that everyone has at least had fun somewhere while reading just like how I enjoyed myself while writing. 

See you all again in (maybe) another story. Hope you all enjoyed this final chapter!

Bye! ;D