IRENE woke up with a groan as she felt her sore body. Slowly, she opened her eyes as she tried to go for a stretch. With her sight adjusting, she looked behind and saw the very reason for the soreness of her whole body. Lying equally beside her with arms wrapped around her waist and face buried to her back, Gi was still fast asleep with her soft snoring filling the room as if it was some sort of calming music.

The older girl smiled at the sight of her y-eyed lover treating her like a little spoon. She completely turned around and faced Gi before jailing herself to Gi’s sturdy arms. Feeling her movements, Gi’s hug to Irene grew tighter as she welcomed the girl’s face by her chest.

“What time is it, baby?” Gi asked, almost groaning her words. Her eyes were still closed but she managed to locate Irene’s head and planted her a soft kiss.

“I don’t know…” Irene answered, her eyes closed once more. “Why?”

“Nothing…” A smirk curved up from Gi’s face while her dominant hand went south. Irene let out a gasp when she suddenly felt Gi groping her . “I just thought it’s time for another round.”

“Shut up…” Irene buried her face in the crook of Gi’s neck. “Are you trying to kill me? Do you know how many times we’ve done it just this week? You aren’t even content with once a day!”

“Hm?” Gi hummed with an innocent tone. “I don’t know. I don’t even count.”

Irene opened her eyes and tore herself from where she planted her face to give Gi a look of disbelief. Gi just looked back at her with that mischievous smile plastered on that breathtaking, beautiful face. “If you were a man then I would be probably growing your baby in me now.”

“Hm~?” Gi shoved her face to Irene and planted a soft kiss on the girl’s lips. “I can’t help it when you’re this attractive. Do you know how much I was so frustrated because I wasn’t able to claim you right away?”

“Stupid.” Irene chuckled before succumbing to Gi’s embrace again. “You better be back soon, okay? I am going to miss you so much.”

Gi smiled. “Don’t worry, I won’t take long. Though I really want to see you unleash that hidden animal in you once you get too hungry for me.”

“Stop with the ing.” Irene blushed. “If you don’t come back soon, I will fly to Cali and drag you back here.”

Gi shook her head before resting her chin to Irene’s hair. “No, don’t go after me… Just trust me. This rose of yours will surely be back to your arms.”

Irene just nodded not because she had nothing to say but she’s already feeling lonely that Gi would be leaving already. It hasn’t been that long since they started officially dating but they already had to go LDR.

Also, Irene could feel something strange about this parting. She could somehow feel it. In the way Gi touches her, in the way Gi kisses her, in the way the other girl makes love with her…

It felt like she’s a beautiful stone that Gi found on the shore, took a picture of her and ultimately tossed her in the ocean, sinking deep in the ocean floor.

The message is very clear—Gi wants Irene for her only. She won’t let anyone touch her ever again, after her. Irene is for Gi and Gi alone.

And the girl didn’t fail with her plans. Irene couldn’t even imagine herself in the arms of someone else. Her heart and her body know to whom they belong. No one else can make her this happy aside from Gi. No one else can satisfy her needs this much aside from Gi.

But, Irene could also feel that their separation won’t be that short that’s why Gi was doing all of this with her.

“Baby?” Gi softly called.

“Yes, baby?” Irene answered. She felt Gi giggled after she called her baby back. Irene just chuckled at the cute reaction.

“Will it be fine with you to accept visitors for today?” Gi finally asked after calming herself. She was called with different nicknames before but she couldn’t believe that being called baby by Irene would make her that giddy.

“Visitors?” Irene repeated. “Are the girls coming today?”

“No…” Gi tightened her hug to Irene. “Wendy will pick me up tomorrow morning. Sooyoung and Yerim would be there for me in the airport.”

The two have already discussed it. Irene won’t be going with her to the airport. It was Gi’s request, saying that she’s worried that Irene won’t be able to drive back home because she misses Gi already. Gi also knew that the last time Irene went home from the airport, she was bawling her eyes out. The girl doesn’t want her beloved to walk towards her home with eyes like that.

Of course, Irene wanted to send her off but she just agreed to Gi’s request despite the feeling of uncertainty that’s lurking in her stomach.

“Then who will be visiting?” Irene asked.

Gi moved backwards to have another look of her lover’s ethereal face. “Some of them want to meet you. I hope it’s fine with you.”

AFTER eating breakfast with Gi, Irene washed up and dressed up. She then found herself being seated by her lover by the dining table. Gi asked her to wait for a bit as she ran towards the living room. While waiting, Irene suddenly heard Bambi barking so loud and the sound of someone panicking. Irene hurriedly stood up and ran towards the living room to save the body shivering in fear of the little dog.

“I already said I am afraid of dogs! Why is she like this!?” Irene heard the person cry out. She couldn’t help but to chuckle because that scaredy-cat expression is something new on that face.

“Why are you laughing?” The person whined. “I know, I know it wasn’t cool but I couldn’t help it!”

“Alright, alright.” Irene nodded, trying her best to put up a straight face. She then pulled the said person towards the dining room, giving Bambi treats along the way so he would stop following them.

The person sat on the seat opposite to Irene, still whining non stop about how Gi purposely called them out with a dog around.

“What’s your name?”

The person took a deep breath. “My name’s Rowon, I am a guy, 27 years old, single and available! Nice to finally meet you, Irene!”

Irene chuckled at the hyper-energetic self-introduction. “Nice to meet you, too, Rowon-ssi. I am sorry but I am not available.”

The guy’s shoulders dropped together with a sigh. “I know, it’s actually sad because it’s the first time I saw a woman as beautiful as you!”

“I see that you’re a flatterer.”

“No, I am just telling the truth! No wonder she is attracted to you.”

Irene then heard the most unique laugh she has ever heard in her life then realisation struck her.

“Hey, I think I heard about you from Seul!” She said after her hands got together in excitement.

“Yeah.” The guy smiled. “I was the one guiding her when she became the host. Me and Sangha. A lot of us wanted to meet you but I guess we really don’t have time to come out one by one so only a few of us will meet you today. The others will just do this meet and greet some other time.”

The guy fixed himself at his seat. “I am not really the type to go on the surface but I just really want to take the opportunity to thank you.”

Rowon reached for Irene’s hands and held them tightly. “Thank you for becoming her light.”

Irene’s cheeks reddened in an instant. “I didn’t do anything special.” She shyly answered.

“Nah…” Rowon hummed. “Your existence itself is special. Thank you for existing, Irene.”

“R-Rowon-ssi—”

Irene was startled when Rowon reached to give her a pat on her head. “Also, you did well to sticking with her even after everything. I know it was never easy to deal with a system like us, most especially with the weight of our past, but you stayed. You even let the two be with you and you welcomed everyone you met through this body. I am very grateful to you personally.”

Hearing those words of appreciation, Irene suddenly felt like the feeling that she was pushing got released from the dam. She lowered her head as she felt tears pricking her eyes. “T-Thank you, Rowon-ssi. I didn’t know I needed these words until now.”

Rowon just smiled. He lifted up Irene’s head by the girl’s chin and gently wiped the tears from her face. “Come on, don’t cry. She’ll surely nag at me if she finds out that I made you cry.”

Irene just nodded. “T-Thank you.”

“I should be the one thanking you.” Taking a deep breath. Rowon pulled his hand back and looked at Irene straight to her eyes. “To be honest, I am much closer to Seul because I was technically her guardian but I also know her—”

“Gi…” Irene blurted out while still wiping her tears. “Her name is Gi.”

That statement made the smile on Rowon’s face grow wider. “Right. Her name is Gi. Sorry, I have been dormant for a long time. Also, she doesn’t let us see anything whenever she’s on the surface.”

Rowon rubbed his nose with his thumb. “For a long time, Gi was viewed as some sort of villain by Seul since she didn’t know anything about her and what she has done for the system but I am very happy now that the two seemed to patch things up. I give all the credit to you, Irene.”

“I-Is Seul doing fine? I haven’t seen her for so long.” Irene worriedly asked.

“Seul is doing very fine. Being in the headspace is really new to her but she already adapted because of her bright and cheerful personality. It didn’t take time for her to bond with the others, especially with the kids.” Rowon snickered that annoying laughing sound once more. Even the way he smiles is different from Gi and Seul. His every movement was different but Irene could feel his sincere concern for Gi and Seul.

“Irene, please take good care of Gi…”

Irene’s tears just dried up but it felt like she was about to cry again due to Rowon’s tone. It felt like he was basically telling her that it’s the first and also the last time that they would meet. “Rowon-ssi…”

“Gi is really one of the nicest people I have ever met. The world wasn’t very kind in the early days of her life but hey~ It’s starting to turn around for the better ever since she met you. All I ever ask is for you guys to live in peace and harmony. That kid has suffered enough.”

Rowon then stood up, Irene’s eyes were following him. “I’ll take my leave. There’s more of them who want to meet you. See you around, Irene.”

“Rowon-ssi!” Irene called before the guy could even turn around. Rowon looked at her with a curious face. Irene took a deep breath. “T-Thank you, for taking care of Seul! Also, thank you very much for understanding Gi…”

The guy nodded while giving her a tight-lipped smile and a thumb up. He just turned around but it was already a completely different person when the body looked back at Irene.

After Rowon, there were four more alters who faced Irene. She prepared lunch with Sangha, ate it with Doyun, played some game with the youngest alter of the system and had marriage counselling (out of nowhere) with the goofy soldier. The girl found the whole experience very exciting as she was really interested in Kang Seulgi’s system as a whole. She could feel familiarity with each one of them based on the portraits Gi made