After just a day or two, the people clearly started noticing her, now that she didn't wear her old glasses anymore. The attention was new, even the compliments. It wasn't uncomfortable, but she thinks it's a good change, not having to look down when you're sure that they think positively of you.

"Now I'm starting to regret giving you those. Look at those guys gawking at you, Seul." She doesn't know if the tone was playful, or protective, or something beyond that. 

Seulgi raises her head, and the said guys immediately look away, pretending they've not stared at her for a handful of minutes. 

"Pathetic." Irene didn't mean to sound worked up, but who can blame her. Staring is rude!

"Should I just use my glasses again, unnie?" Seulgi chuckles, she thinks she can't do anything about it anyway but her friend's more affected than her like she's ready to poke the eyes of whoever would stare at her.

"NO!" It came out much louder than she intended, making heads turn towards them in the room. 

"I mean, n-no you should still use the contacts because I gave them to you. And isn't it more convenient for you?" Huh, Irene never stutters. 

"A-also you look prettier without your glasses. Well of course you were already pretty even with your glasses but you know, it suits you well." 

A scrambling mess, that's cute. Seulgi thinks.

She shrugs it off, being used to the older girl's compliments even when she still had her glasses on. Along the way, she thinks that it's also a part of Irene's plan of her makeover, starting with confidence. And now Irene thanks the gods for Seulgi seeming to be unbothered by her sudden outburst. 

In a blink of an eye, it's already valentine's day. Just four days away from Seulgi's birthday where she stopped using her glasses but flowers were already being generously given to her by random men she thinks are in the same classes as her. She's not really sure. 

She doesn't really care, anyway. What she cared about were the countless gifts Irene received. Varying from chocolate boxes to letters, and of course, flowers in different kinds. She cared about how odd it is that Irene doesn't care as well even if some of the gifts given to her came mostly from the popular boys in their university. 

She always says the same line to her. 

"Eh, I just don't want any extra drama these days." She took a bite of an expensive chocolate some rich boy gave to her and offers it to Seulgi.

"But you've dated before, right?" And the latter accepts it, conversing with both muffled voices while chewing.

Irene hums for a short beat, "I guess so. They were just flings to begin with. I just haven't found someone who entirely piqued my interest if you know what I mean. From all those flings, I always had faults and wouldn't feel bad about it too much. And after a while, they'll get tired of me and just leave me, moving on yet I still wouldn't feel any remorse." 

The teller winces, imagining how she must have hurt the said people. 

"You're an . But damn, these chocolates taste so good!"

"I know, but can you blame me? And yeah, I agree with you."

Seulgi ponders, she doesn't say it outloud but she feels the same way. Not the part when she had flings but more likely the part that she also hasn't found someone who would make her fall head over heels for. The idea felt nice, but it was also frustrating to not have experienced the things she had read every time in her love story novels collection at home. They were a lot. Like really, a lot. 

Love. It wasn't something she ever felt but wanted to.

"Not really." She smiles at the older, a positive look on her face. 

"It's just that you haven't met the person you'd fall in love with too. They'll come soon." 

"You think? Well I hope they come sooner." 

"I thought you don't want extra drama yet?" 

"Maybe I would want drama if it was with that person. It kinda changes things." 

Seulgi doesn't see it while watching the clouds get slowly driven by the wind, but Irene's stare lingered a little longer than she usually does. 

As she stared, she got into the details like always does. She thinks Seulgi has the prettiest monolid eyes she's ever seen. Her pretty nose with heart-shaped nostrils from some angles, pretty lips with that natural color lipstick she uses, even her black locks look like they're straight out from a shampoo ad. 

But it didn't take long for Seulgi to catch her gaze too and raise her eyebrows for the stare Irene was giving her. And the latter skillfully saves her own by making a silly excuse. 

"I was wondering, what shampoo brand do you use, Seul?" She couldn't help it but bring her hand up to slide her fingers against Seulgi's flowy hair. 

This is new. And why is my heart thumping?? 

The girl still hasn't processed proper words with her heart's unusual behavior. And yet, Irene was still playing with her hair. 

Why is she still doing this? Is my hair really that nice? 

Before she could utter a reply, a voice brought her back from her stupor. 

"Seulgi-ssi?" 

She turns to look behind her and it was a classmate in a few of her classes and a recent groupmate for one of their