Chapter 14

“Will you quit staring at me?” Irene scoffs as she twitches an eye, “It irritates me.”

SeulGi doesn’t seem to listen and continues to stare.

“Stop it!”

SeulGi finally blinks and asks, “Why? You’re growing conscious?”

“It’s annoying.”

The taller girl continues to blankly stare at Irene from across the table in the Bae’s huge living room. When Irene knows that she can’t make SeulGi stop, Irene shakes her head one last time before looking down at the magazine she was reading.

Unknown to the older girl that SeulGi is staring again.

SeulGi watches the features of Irene’s face with keen eyes. Irene’s new hair colour really suits Irene in the most enchanting way that SeulGi can’t help but stare.

She has grown to involuntarily watch and gaze at Irene. She was not aware she was doing it for a long time already until Irene caught her seconds ago.

What is wrong with me?

SeulGi brushes the thought off as she tries to bring her focus to something else.

Something else that is not Irene.

---

“You really did a job well done with your hair styles, JooHyun.” Irene’s dad nods as he approves of their new hair colour, Irene’s mom nodding at the side as well, “I was almost about certain that you were not my daughter.”

He laughs as Irene shakes her head in disbelief, and SeulGi is left chuckling on her own.

“But to be honest, SeulGi surprises me more!” He then marvelled at SeulGi more than he did to his daughter, “JooHyun, I have to be honest. SeulGi is prettier than you. Shame on you, JooHyun.”

He playfully shakes his head with Irene saying in an unintentional childish voice, “Daddy!”

“But it’s true!”

SeulGi only giggles at the sight of Irene and her dad playfully fighting and SeulGi knows that she misses her family as well.

When that thought came into SeulGi’s mind, her smile disappears almost immediately. SeulGi lets her eyes wander the floor as she wonders how her own family was doing.

She was doing this for them. This was for them.

SeulGi was only pulled back from spacing out when she feels a familiar tug at her shirt, and the familiar voice she has heard every day for the past few months,

“Hey, bear.”

SeulGi looks at Irene, her heart skipping beats with how Irene’s dazzling beauty becomes more dazzling. More than dazzling.

“Y-Yeah?”

“What do you say about your new look? Do you agree with Dad?” Irene smiles, and it was not one of which emits mockery. It was one which gives out sincerity and concern.

When SeulGi wasn’t able to think quickly and properly did Irene rephrase her question, “Do you like it as well?”

“Yeah,” SeulGi finally smiles back, “I like it so much.”

SeulGi then bows to the Baes to show her gratitude, “Thank you so much for taking care of me.”

And Irene doesn’t pull on SeulGi’s collar anymore.

---

SeulGi listens intently and attentively as Irene’s father tells them of the upcoming events for the whole week. It still puzzles SeulGi why she was included in this reunion when she clearly doesn’t know any of the people coming except for Irene and the latter’s immediate family.

A phone call to her dad did not help SeulGi in any way as her father quickly tells her to be in her ‘best behaviour and just do what they ask you to because our lives depended on them that depended on you.’

Oh, Dad. SeulGi sighs.

SeulGi nods like a student being instructed by her professor as Irene’s dad tells them the schedule.

“Tomorrow will be the reunion itself,” Irene’s dad says, “It will be a family gathering and dinner. JooHyun,” He turns to Irene, “Some of your cousins will be coming over today so kindly accompany them to their room and make them feel at home. Understand?”

“Yes, Dad.” Irene lazily nods.

“Good,” He nods as well, “Then on Wednesday, we’ll be having a picnic at the park, visit shrines and temples and then go hiking. Clear?”

SeulGi looks at Irene because she wants to ask if she was included in whatever plan the Baes have in mind. SeulGi could only remember that she agreed to tend to Irene on the day of the reunion itself, not the other events that will follow after that.

“Then on Thursday, we’ll be having a family outing in a private resort.” Irene’s dad points at the calendar, “Then on Friday and Saturday, maybe you could watch movies or hang out on your own, do teenage stuff teenagers do.” He shrugs, “Sunday, maybe you may go back to Seoul and prepare for school.” That’s when SeulGi decides to clear .

She asks, “Uhm, Sir?” He faces SeulGi, and SeulGi quickly shifts in discomfort.

“Yes?”

“Am I, Am I included in any of these, Sir?”

Irene’s father looks at Irene first, but then Irene looks at SeulGi who was looking back and forth between the two.

“Why of course, SeulGi!” He exclaims, and SeulGi’s heart feels warm when he acknowledged,

“You are part of this family, too.”

---

It was almost night time when some of Irene’s relatives arrived to stay over for tomorrow’s gathering. SeulGi could only look and smile blindly at people passing her as she bows and greets them.

She only stops when Irene yanks her to one side, “What are you doing?!”

“Greeting your relatives?”

“Then why do you act like a servant?!”

SeulGi quickly creases her eyebrows as Irene confuses her most of the time, “Well, aren’t I?”

SeulGi sees Irene groan from irritation as the latter say, “No! You idiot!”

And it was then that Irene confuses SeulGi the most when the shorter girl says,

“You’re my guest, aren’t you?”

---

“Help me pick which one to wear tomorrow night.” Irene holds two dresses in front of the mirror as she alternately tries them out.

“How can we choose if your clothes are everywhere?!” SeulGi says from her bed, crossed legs over each other.

Irene turns to SeulGi with her eyes wide open, “That’s why you’re here?”

“Fine.” SeulGi grunts to irritate Irene more, “Try the red one?”

“SeulGi, I’m not out on a date.” Irene shakes her head, as if to tell SeulGi that the taller girl really is stupid.

“Then how about that black one?”

“Then we’ll have the same colour!”

“So?”

“I don’t want that!”

“Fine! Try that white one!”

Irene looks at where SeulGi is pointing at, the shorter girl shrugs, “That could work.”

“Finally.” SeulGi lies down and rests an arm on her eyes as she tries to sleep, and to stop herself from peeking as Irene changes just meters away from her bed.

She was brought to attention when Irene suddenly calls, “SeulGi.”

“What?” SeulGi doesn’t take her arm off.

“How do I look?”

“What?” SeulGi takes her arm off to turn to Irene’s direction and her eyes immediately widened as she freezes to her place.

Of all the times that SeulGi thought of Irene being beautiful, the moment she sees the other girl in that white dress that perfectedly hugged her petite body, SeulGi knows that those other times were nothing compared to how she absolutely thinks how Irene is unmistakably beautiful during that time.

Irene’s dad is as right as a father because Irene’s new hair colour unbelievably compliments the dress and Irene’s skin tone.

SeulGi’s trance was halted when Irene asks, “Well?”

“I… Y-You’re…” SeulGi stammers, bad. She hates herself for not knowing why.

Say it’s beautiful on her.

Say she’s beautiful.

SeulGi tells herself, and SeulGi punches herself mentally when all she was ever to come up with was, “It’s... It’s totally fine!”

With that, SeulGi turns to the other side as she wishes hard to drift off to sleep so she would stop blushing like the fool she is.

---

SeulGi’s slumber was interrupted when she feels slight tugging and an alluring voice call out to her,

“SeulGi, I’ll go downstairs to check on my relatives. Will you be okay here?”

SeulGi looks up to see Irene. She’s still getting used to Irene’s new look for SeulGi feels her heart pound harder as she looks at the girl’s face inches away from hers.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll be okay here.”

Irene nods, “Or you could come with me if you want. I’ll introduce them to you already so you won’t feel as awkward tomorrow at dinner.”

SeulGi forms a small grin, “Is that a question or a demand?”

Irene only punches SeulGi’s arm, “Do whatever you want.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll go down with you,” SeulGi smiles as she stands up and stretches.

She walks to the door to open it for Irene. Irene was about to walk out of the door when she sees SeulGi still wearing that same hideous smile on her face.

“Why do you smile so creepily?” She asks the taller girl.

SeulGi’s grin grows wider as she says, “Why don’t you just admit that you want me to go with you?”

And that earns her another punch at her arm.

---