IT HASN’T been minutes but Joohyun had to get off of the car as she could feel her heart racing in a manner that it’s hard for her to breathe. Seulgi immediately got off as well to assist Joohyun.

“Irene…” she called, worry was written all over her face. “I-I’m sorry… Is it too soon?”

Joohyun shook her head. She clung to Seulgi’s arm for support. “I’m okay…” She said as she took a deep breath. “It’s just… It has been so long since the last time I rode in the front passenger seat. I suddenly got flashbacks…”

Seulgi clucked her tongue. “It’s enough for today. Let’s try practising again tomorrow.”

“N-No, it’s fine. I can try a few more.” Joohyun straightened her back. “If I can’t overcome it then I won’t be able to travel with you.”

Seulgi pulled Joohyun close to her as she wrapped her arms around Joohyun’s waist. “It’s fine even if we don’t use my car. I can go with you anywhere even if it’s public transport if that’s what you’re most comfortable with.”

“But travelling by car is the most convenient.” Joohyun insisted, suddenly feeling all fuzzy when Seulgi held her near. “I don’t want to stay in the back passenger seat. It would seem like I am making you my driver.”

Seulgi chuckled and tucked a stray hair behind Joohyun’s ear. “It’s fine. I don’t really mind. As long as I am with you I am fine with any setup.”

“Seulgi…” Joohyun was moved by the words of her girlfriend at the same time she felt guilty. She hasn’t told her about her uncle’s challenge. She still couldn’t find the right timing. She couldn’t even make herself say it since she’s finally spending time with Seulgi freely.

“Hmm…” Seulgi looked at her car as she fell deep into her thoughts. “Since you have bad memories with the front passenger seat, why don’t we try covering it with a good memory?”

“Hm?” Joohyun tilted her head to the side, looking at her girlfriend’s cute thinking face. “What do you mean?”

The younger girl turned to Joohyun with her cheeks covered in blush. A mischievous smile then curved up her lips. She invited Joohyun to come a little closer which the older girl didn’t hesitate to do. Seulgi whispered something on Joohyun that earned her a smack on the shoulder. She might not have been getting into small accidents lately but she still gets bruised with Joohyun’s powerful smacking whenever she gets her flustered.

“Ya, Kang Seulgi!” Joohyun called with her face burning red. “You just scored one time but now you’re really bold about this stuff, huh? You better stop watching The Rose on my Porch!”

Despite being hit, Seulgi didn’t let go of Joohyun. She just chuckled but kept her girlfriend jailed in her arms. “I was just kidding but I admit I was hoping that you would agree.”

“Seulgi!”

“Ehem, ehem!”

The two turned to Minjeong who was cleaning the front of the cafe.. The girl was busy treating her broom like a golf club. “Please have some respect for the singles around you. You guys make me want to quit work.”

“S-Sorry, Winter…” Seulgi said as she let go of Joohyun. Her hand immediately moved behind her head. “I’m really sorry. I hope Karina drops by so your grumpiness would subside even just a little bit.”

Suddenly hearing that name, Minjeong lost hold of her golf club (aka broom), making it fly towards Seulgi. With fast reflexes, most probably developed as she is dealing with the curse, Seulgi caught the broom with ease and was not hurt at all.

“Winter-ah, I know that you want to be in a relationship too but you don’t have to do this.” Seulgi continued teasing the younger girl. Minjeong marched towards her and grabbed the broom from her.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t mean to throw it to you!” The younger girl shouted. “But please, stop linking Jimin to me! It’s giving me chills!”

“I am not even linking her to you.” Seulgi said as she tried to make an invisible wall with her palms. Her eyes were obviously saying the opposite of what her lips were claiming. “I just know you really miss Karina~”

“Come on…” Minjeong puffed her cheeks. “I still see her in class. I am also not that close to her!”

“You say so~” Seulgi shrugged her shoulders. “Just the mention of her name draws emotions in your robotic face. If that’s not something then—”

“Seulgi-sunbae-nim!”

Joohyun chuckled at the sight of the two but her attention was caught by the car once more. Overcoming her trauma would be something that Yejun would also be proud of. She wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe that Yejun would be happy seeing her happy in someone else’s arms. But, no matter how much she wanted to believe it, she couldn’t erase the feeling that somehow, somewhere, Yejun was loathing her after everything that happened because of her.

At times she still wonders if she has the right to be happy like this with Seulgi. Sometimes she feels really guilty. If only she wasn’t selfish. If only she tried to understand him. If only she didn’t let her blood rule over her.

But no matter how much she feels guilty, no matter how much she regrets, no matter how much she simulates what she shouldn’t and should have done, the time won’t be returned. Yejun’s life won’t be returned. So, Joohyun has decided…

‘I will surely make Seulgi happy, no matter what.’

Not only because she has Yejun’s heart with her, Joohyun knows deep inside that Seulgi has completely swept her away. Seulgi destroyed her walls, she embraced even her hideous parts, she loved her no matter what came her way. And that trait of Seulgi has surely caught her off guard and ultimately made her fall to Seulgi’s charm.

Seulgi never made her feel lacking, the other girl assured her that she’s more than enough for her. She stayed with her despite driving her away a lot of times, she stayed despite the hindrance of her family, she stayed despite knowing that her life could be in danger.

‘At the very least we should go on a date this Christmas.’ Joohyun thought to herself while staring at the front passenger seat. ‘I want to bring her to beautiful places and watch the scenery with her. I want to take wonderful pictures with her and decorate my room with those pictures. I want to buy her a gift that will make her smile and I want to record her when she’s opening the gift. I want to tell her everyday that I—’

Joohyun’s eyes suddenly widened when an idea entered her mind. She shook her head to somehow get rid of the idea.

‘It can’t be. I have to embrace being an Ahn in order to completely free her from the grasps of her father. I can’t be this sentimental and have my awakening as a Bae at such a crucial time like this…’

Joohyun turned to Seulgi who was still teasing Minjeong. She held Seulgi's sleeve which caught the girl’s attention. The taller girl turned to her with that signature warm smile on her face. “Is there something wrong, Irene?”

Minjeong faked gagging noises. “Oh my, she’s already calling her with a nickname.”

“Minjeong-ah.”

The junior immediately stiffened with that one call from Joohyun. “Y-Yes, yes! I will go back to cleaning! I’ll go home right after I finish!”

The girl rushed back inside the cafe and told Jiwon that they should leave right away so they should hurry up and organise things quickly.

Joohyun then twitched at the sound of Seulgi’s chuckles. She turned again to her girlfriend and fell in love once more on how beautiful she is when she smiles with her eyes forming upside down crescent moons.

‘My goodness, how should I tell her about the challenge? The presentation is already this Saturday. We don’t have much time…’

“Irene…”

Joohyun’s breath hitched when Seulgi suddenly put her face close to her. “S-Seulgi?”

“Is there something wrong, Irene?” Seulgi asked as she observed her girlfriend’s face so dearly. “Is there something in your mind? You look troubled.”

Joohyun can’t properly explain it but the change in Seulgi after that one long night they spent to become even closer would always be something that she would love. That very moment she started calling her Irene, it felt like Seulgi shed all her worries and anxieties and properly claimed her as her girl. Seulgi was already good at making her heart race before but the Seulgi she met that night just made her feel like she’s a high school student experiencing her first love.

The fluttering of her heart was more than what she felt with Hyejoon, it was more than what Yejun made her feel. Just Seulgi calling her Irene is enough to make her knees weak.

‘My goodness. I guess I am indeed a Bae.’

“Nothing.” Joohyun hummed. “Say, Seulgi… Do you have time this weekend? This Saturday to be exact…”

“The weekend after the exams?” Seulgi smiled. “Of course, my weekend is all free. I am preparing for the reward you will give to me after doing well in the exams.”

“Hey…” Joohyun softly pushed her. “The results of the exams will be up next week and it’s already winter vacation at that time. Also, I never said anything about giving you a reward.”

“Huh?” Seulgi whined. “T-There will be no reward?”

“Come on, Seulgi…” Joohyun gave her girlfriend soft pinches on the cheeks. “Are you a little kid? Also, I can’t believe that I will be the one bringing this up first. It’s already Christmas Eve this Saturday, remember?”

“Yes. What about it?”

That nonchalant answer of the younger girl made Joohyun’s mouth open dramatically. “What about it? You don’t have any plans to take me on a date?”

“Hmm…” Seulgi thought aloud. “I actually thought about taking you on a date that day but Christmas Eve is a very busy day. I squeezed my brain to somehow come up with something memorable but I can’t come up with anything unique. It’s my first time being in a relationship so I don’t really know what to do…”

Seulgi’s apologetic face somehow took a grip of Joohyun’s poor heart. ‘Goodness, Seulgi! Please don’t make that face.’

“I tried asking Wendy for advice but all the places that she told me are all already fully-booked. I should’ve thought about this earlier but the finals are also consuming a lot of my time.” Seulgi lowered her head. “Sorry, Irene…”

Joohyun quickly cupped Seulgi’s face and lifted it up to face her again. Seulgi’s cheeks were squished, she looked like a puffer fish.

“It’s okay, Seulgi. If that’s the case then I’ll be the one taking you out. I already have a plan.”

The younger girl’s face brightened up. “Y-You’re taking me on a date?”

A smile curved up off Joohyun's face after seeing the sparkle back on Seulgi’s eyes. “Yes. I have to go somewhere to prepare for our date so I will be out a little early. I’ll send you someone to pick you up from here.”

“Do you really have to send someone? Can’t you just give me the address?” Seulgi asked.

“If I tell you then it won’t be a surprise anymore.” Joohyun let go of her girlfriend’s face. “I’ll have you picked up at around 5PM. Make sure you’re ready by that time, okay?”

“Okay.” Seulgi answered with an innocent nod but what she whispered to Joohyun next wasn’t too innocent at all. “Then we go make babies after dinner, okay?”

“Beep, beep! Please be mindful of singles.”

The two turned to Minjeong who just got out of the cafe with Jiwon. The two just laughed at the said girl.

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