It was back when Seulgi was 17 and Irene was 18. Teenage girl Seulgi was still going through the last stages of her puberty when she started to question what was going on with her when she started to look at her best friend differently. 

     When did her best friend start to look pretty, so pretty that she'd always spend most of their time hanging out staring at Irene instead of talking, making Irene wonder why Seulgi always left her talking alone in between their conversations. 

     And when did her heart start to beat faster when Irene was just merely calling out her name? And when was it that she finds every little detail of Irene adorable, like how when Irene would get annoyed when she loses in her games, or like how when Irene will go bunny eyes when she wants something from her, or like how when Irene would squeal in the cutest voice when she's eating nice food, or like how when Irene is just being Irene. 

     Becoming friends naturally because their mothers are close friends and they were neighbours when they were still kids, seeing each other every day just for the sake of wanting to have company, Irene and Seulgi were always stuck with each other like glue. Irene will always be seen with Seulgi and vice versa, there was never a moment you would see them alone. 

     And it became a natural instinct for Irene to take care of Seulgi a little bit more than she should because she is older than Seulgi, though by only 1 year. Irene has always been affectionate and caring towards Seulgi since they were little girls. 

     Irene was usually the clingy type and because Seulgi gives her comfort, she has always been the one that links arms or initiates a physical contact, even when she knows that Seulgi hates it. But she does it anyway, linking arms and hugging Seulgi when Seulgi is not aware because she loves to best friend. 

     But Seulgi did not know when it started, that she doesn't mind linking arms and hugging Irene because those acts suddenly made her happier than she should, made her crave for it, even more, when Irene lets go and it made her feel like an animal party was going on inside her stomach. But she doesn't mind the party at all. And she began to long for those touches when Irene decided it was not fun anymore teasing her because she doesn't give the explosive reactions that Irene had fun receiving from her. 

     "Irene," Seulgi remembered calling out to Irene that one evening. Irene, who was sketching on her purple notebook, looked up at Seulgi. Seulgi extended out her hand without saying a thing, leaving Irene to look at her with mere confusion. 

     "Hold hands with me." 

     Irene looked at Seulgi's extended left hand then looked at Seulgi's face then to her notebook then back to Seulgi''s face again, "But I want to draw." 

     Seulgi just smiled and she stood up to walk over to Irene's left side, extending out her right hand for Irene's left hand to hold instead. Irene smiled back at Seulgi and she intertwined their fingers when Seulgi was slowly going for her hand. Irene resumed on her sketch with a big smile on her face, and a hint of red painting her cheeks too, if Seulgi remembered it clearly. Seulgi sat beside Irene quietly, not wanting to disturb Irene when she looked too engrossed into her sketch of a bunny and a bear. 

     With the sound of Irene's pencil scratching across the paper, along with the sounds of birds chirping, Seulgi wondered when was the last time she was able to study Irene's face up this close without feeling like her heart was fighting to get out of her chest. As her right hand was occupied, she palms her left cheek with her free hand, head turning to the side as she was looking at Irene with a soft smile on her face. The hues of the evening sun lighting upon Irene's face, with the winds that were blowing softly, made a few strands of Irene's hair to brush over her face, made Irene look so ethereal and Seulgi felt like she was...in love? 

     Irene turned her head to look at Seulgi the moment she completed her sketch, proudly showing it off to Seulgi, telling Seulgi that the bunny was herself and the bear was Seulgi. A sketch of a bunny and a bear standing across each other, with the bear handing a flower to the bunny. 

     "It's cute, right?" Irene exclaimed excitedly. 

     "You mean we're cute?" 

     "Hmm," Irene hummed, "I did say that the bunny was me and the bear was you, but I'm not saying like it's literally us." 

     Irene finally detached her hands from Seulgi's as she felt that her palm was getting sweaty. She smiled sweetly to Seulgi and shoved her sketch to Seulgi's face again. 

     "The bunny is cute and the bear is cute, isn't it?" 

     Seulgi chuckled softly and she put Irene's hand away from her face. Seulgi looked at Irene straight in the eye and with all seriousness, words that she had never admitted before came out from . The words she never thought that will ever cross her mind when looking at Irene before this, before she started questioning herself. But she said it then because it was starting to get weird when only Irene can make her feel feels.

     "You know what," Seulgi can feel the heat that was erupting from inside her and colouring her cheeks pink, she smiled widely to Irene as she said, "You're cute." 

Author's note: 

So it's the flashback chapter! I just hope it's good enough to be an update. A short update for this one, so there might be a bonus chapter coming. 

Thank you to those newly subscribed, and thank you to those that have left comments. I read them well and I appreciate it. 

I hope I'm not too late, but Happy New Year to all of you. See y'all on the next update, have a lovely week ahead :D