A/N: Hi all, I finally have the last chapter of the story. It did take a bit longer than I wanted but here we are. I did try my best to make it work out in the best way I thought possible, so please enjoy this last chapter to the story and thank you all for the reviews and reading

 

 

 

 

Seulgi’s first instinct was to comfort Joohyun, which was exactly what she tried to do. Seulgi walked over and was close to hugging her girlfriend when something, or rather someone prevented her from doing so. Irene stood in the middle with an eerily cheerful smile on her face. The kind of smile that told Seulgi she better not even attempt to hug Joohyun right now or face some sort of consequence.

 

“But...but...she’s my girlfriend?” Seulgi whispers. Partly in disbelief, because why would Irene not allow her to comfort Joohyun. 

 

“You should have thought of that before you brought us here to your crackpot fake Shaman friend. Now the only thing you are allowed to do is drive us home.”

 

“But…”

 

“Now!”

 

“Yes, Ma’am!”

 

Sort of fearful of what could happen to her. Seulgi hurries to the driver’s seat and almost drives off without either Joohyun or Irene. Thankfully, she remembers to calm down enough to allow Joohyun and Irene to get inside the car too. Now Seulgi had to prepare for the most awkward and anxiety-inducing car ride home. All she wanted to do was say sorry. If Seulgi had known that coming here would have made things worse she probably wouldn’t have suggested it. Still, her intentions were good and she knows that somewhere deep down Joohyun must know that. 

 

“You’re not a bad person, Seul.” Irene is somehow the passenger this time. 

 

“How did that happen?” Seulgi wonders.

 

“You’re just slow sometimes.”

 

“Hey, there’s no need for insults.”

 

“I think this is the time for insults.”

And while the two of them bickered, Joohyun sat in the backseat. Her mind is plagued with not only the events of earlier, but Irene’s offer. How could she not think about what Irene offered now more than ever. All she knows is that Irene is not evil and doesn’t need to be banished. 

 

Would Seulgi agree though, and if she doesn’t would that mean the end of their relationship? Seulgi is the person she loves. This is true. That would certainly always be true. However, she couldn’t allow something to happen to Irene either. Irene who is also a part of her too. They’ve coexisted for a long time, and she cares about the demon. Joohyun knows that Irene cares about her too. Which is why she can’t let anyone attempt to banish her? She’s not an evil creature that needs to be banished or locked away.

 

Or….

 

“Ow, hey let go of my ears!” Seulgi complains and that snaps Joohyun out of her thoughts. She sees Irene somehow grabbing a hold of Seulgi’s ears like she’s about to pull them off, and well Joohyun couldn’t let that continue on.

 

“Irene please stop it or Seulgi might end up driving off the road.”

 

“Oh, well. I guess we wouldn’t want that.” Irene sighs and turns her attention elsewhere.

 

“That’s what I tried to tell you.” Seulgi sighs in relief. Thank goodness Joohyun was able to intervene. Speaking of Joohyun, she wishes that she could talk to her now and that’s when she decides to do something. Using her first chance at a stop light, Seulgi reached back and grabbed onto Joohyun’s hand. The small but significant touch had the brunette look up at her. Seulgi wanted to do more in the moment, but this was a nice gesture and a good start.

 

“Thanks, Seul.”

 

Joohyun feels like Seulgi understood her gratitude even without having it verbally said to her. Seulgi’s plan was to talk to Joohyun when they got back home. But that didn’t exactly happen either because the moment she tried. Irene sat her down in the living room with that same cheerful smile and told her they’d be hanging out for now.

 

“What do you mean we're hanging out for now?”

 

Irene looks like she wants to hit Seulgi upside the head. But refrains from doing so as she reminds herself that Seulgi is indeed the woman Joohyun loves.

 

“Did I somehow not make sense, Seulgi? We are hanging out for now because Joohyun needs space and time to process your betrayal.”

 

“My betrayal?” Seulgi is pretty sure Irene is exaggerating. All she tried to do was help them both and hopefully make some sense of this completely strange situation. Since when is that a betrayal?

 

“Okay, maybe not a betrayal exactly.” Irene can recognize she’s being a tad bit dramatic. At the moment she’s more worried about Joohyun than anything. She’s only been with the girl since she’s a teenager, and in reality they are very much a part of one another. If Joohyun is hurt or upset she’d feel it as well. 

 

“We will call it a silly mistake. I know you didn’t intend any harm. I am sure it’s not easy for you dealing with the fact I come along with Joohyun too, since you didn’t know I existed until recently.”

 

Irene had to remind herself that this situation isn’t exactly easy for Seulgi either. That’s why she can’t be too hard on the woman. 

 

“It’s…” The monolid woman pauses. “It’s not anyone’s fault. I really was trying to help, so I apologize if things went wrong.”

 

“I know, and I’m not angry anymore. But Joohyun still needs space, you understand? Give her some time and she’ll be ready to talk. In the meantime, you’re stuck with me, that is what you humans say right?”

 

Seulgi smiles slightly. She has to take this moment for what it is. Irene is trying here as well. This whole thing can’t be easy on the demon anymore than it is for herself or Joohyun either. And as worried as Seulgi is about her girlfriend. She is also worried about Irene too because they are a packaged deal.

 

“It is but I don’t think that applies here. I can respect that Joohyun needs space, so I guess you and I can get to know one another. You’ve been here this whole time and I know very little about you, Irene. I guess it’s as good a time as any to start because you and Joohyun are a part of one another. I recognize that.”

 

The purple-eyed woman isn’t surprised by this kindness from her human host’s girlfriend. She has seen many times how Seulgi is with Joohyun, and how considerate she can be. She has seen the same energy with Joohyun when it comes to Seulgi. She knows that right now it’s probably the hardest thing for Joohyun to be apart from the woman she loves. But seeing as how Joohyun needs time to figure out her own emotions.

 

Irene can agree that this would be a good chance to get to know Seulgi better. Because at the end of the day Irene isn’t going anywhere. Ultimately, she will most likely return to Joohyun and no longer exist in this physical form. But that won’t mean she disappears or anything.

 

“I think I would like that. It’s kind of not fair seeing as how I know so much about you. Because I see and hear everything.”

 

“Ahaha, again with the creepiness.” Seulgi chuckles nervously, and wonders about when Irene says she has seen and heard everything. Does that truly mean exactly what Seulgi thinks it does? “So like when Hyun and I…”

 

“I see and hear everything.” The demon repeats. “Now, come on. Let’s go hang out. I’m sure Joohyun won’t burn the house down while we’re out. Unless…” 

 

“Okay, let’s go now, because you’re making me anxious.” Now Seulgi can only think about Joohyun attempting to cook more horrid gray soup, but something worse, and then they’d all be stuck eating it. The best thing to do now was leave and hope for the best.

 

“Wait, you can talk to Joohyun right? She can hear your thoughts or at least you two communicate somehow.”

 

“Yes, why?”

 

“I know I’m supposed to be giving her space and I respect that, but if it’s not too much trouble. Would you give her a message for me?”

 

And who was Irene to deny Seulgi this. She couldn’t possibly and so she agreed to pass on a message.

 

It wasn’t as if Joohyun meant to shut down on everyone, especially Seulgi. She knows her girlfriend is most likely worried about her. It’s not like them to not communicate when they have problems or issues, but they do respect when the other needs space. Joohyun has so much in her head right now that needs to be dealt with, and the best way to do that was to do so alone first. Before talking to the person she loved most.

 

“I don’t even know what to do…” Joohyun sighs. Where did she even begin?

 

“Hyun?” She pauses and hears Irene’s voice in her head. Oh, no, something must be wrong if Irene is trying to get in contact with her. She thought she asked Irene to refrain from trying to beat Seulgi up, especially over the incident with Seungwan earlier. Because Seulgi never meant any harm and was only trying to help in the best way she thought at the time. 

 

“Irene, is something wrong?”

 

“No, of course not. Why did you assume something was wrong first, hm?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because of how upset you were with everything that happened earlier. You were already trying to murder my girlfriend.”
 

“I was not! If I was actually trying to murder Seulgi you’d hear screaming at the least, now enough with your dramatics, Hyun. Do you want to hear the message Seulgi has for you or not?”

 

“Message? Seul has a message..”

 

“Yes, she has a message. Now, you do want to hear it, yes?”

 

“Yeah, I’d like to hear her message.”

 

Even if she did want space, that didn’t mean Joohyun would actually turn down a message from Seulgi. The fact that her girlfriend actually is having Irene send her a message in the first place matters. It’s sweet and thoughtful. Very much like Seulgi to let her know she’s thinking about her.

 

“Seulgi wants you to know this.” and then Joohyun hears Seulgi's voice, no doubt courtesy of Irene’s powers once again.

 

“Hey, Hyun. Irene was nice enough to let me get this message to you, so I just wanted to remind you that no matter how much space you need. I’m still here and I love you. But don’t sulk too much because then you’ll try and make your horrible gray soup again.”

 

This time Joohyun laughs when Seulgi mentions that gray soup because it’s somehow become a bit of an inside joke between them all. Mostly, she laughs because like usual Seulgi is the only one who can make her smile when she feels like she can’t. 

 

“Take your time and feel better, Hyun. Irene and I will be spending some time together hopefully safely. She promised I would be safe, Irene please don’t glare at me like that, it makes me feel not safe. Anyways, don’t forget I love you.”

 

The message ends and Joohyun is overwhelmed with emotion. “I love you too, Seul.”

 

Irene doesn’t speak again to her and Joohyun is left totally alone to her thoughts. She hoped she’d be feeling better by the time Seulgi and Irene came back. 

 

“Oh, I hope they are able to get along.”

 

After all, Seulgi has never been alone with her demon before. Especially not without her to help. But they should be okay, right? 

 

Irene wouldn’t hurt Seulgi. Joohyun was positive about that.

 

“I guess it’ll be a true test to see if Seul will be okay with having Irene around.”

 

 

 

 

When Irene suggested they would be hanging out for now. Seulgi had no idea what that might end up meaning. She supposed with Irene it could mean just about anything. The monolid woman didn’t expect they’d end up in the middle of the woods.

 

“Um….” Seulgi laughs. “You’re not going to abandon me out here like Hansel and Gretel's parents did to them, right?”

 

“Who?” Irene turns to look at Seulgi with worried eyes. “Who are they, some friends of yours?”

 

“Uh, no, not exactly. I just don’t know why we’re out in the middle of some creepy woods.”

 

“I like quiet places, if this doesn’t work for you we can be somewhere else.” And before Seulgi can even ask where Irene teleports them both to what appears to be a deserted beach. 

 

“Wow…” no matter what Irene is pretty cool and Seulgi does see this as her chance to get to know the demon for who she is too. 

 

“There, now we have some pretty scenery. I suppose we’ll need food.'' Naturally, she conjures up an entire picnic spread for them. Along with comfortable bean bag chairs for them to sit. Irene truly was incredible.

 

“You’re kinda scary. But you’re cool.”

 

Irene chuckles. “That’s exactly what Joohyun said to me before. Though she was a teenager then.” The purple-eyed woman takes a moment to think about the young teenager she had met years ago. Joohyun had been nothing more than a frightened teen when Irene was ‘awakened’ for lack of a better term. It hadn’t been an ideal time for them to meet. However, Irene always felt grateful she could help Joohyun then. The two of them really have been there for one another since the beginning, and the demon didn't see that changing. But she is here and Irene will take her time to get to know Seulgi better. It’s the least she can do as well.

 

 “I figured we could sit down and share food, that’s a good way to get to know someone. I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Seulgi. It won’t help you and Joohyun if you are.”

 

Seulgi knew that. She didn’t want for this new revelation about her girlfriend to somehow come between them. No m