Chapter 19

SeulGi cried that night.

She silently sobbed in the spacious first-floor bath room of the Bae’s just so no one could hear her cry.

She’s always one to cry easily, anyways. Irene’s words didn’t help any better.

“Stupid Irene.” SeulGi mutters as she wipes her eyes.

She looks at her reflection. Swollen eyes, red nose, throbbing lips. All from crying

“Stupid you.” She says to her reflection, “You look horrible.”

It’s the middle of the night. All are sleeping except her. SeulGi made sure that everyone was already asleep before she slipped to the bathroom.

She made sure Irene was asleep.

It’s never your business.

The older girl’s words continue to ring in SeulGi’s head.

She sighs as she washes her face.

Irene was right. It was never SeulGi’s business.

SeulGi is just the plain servant to a princess because her family can’t pay the stupid debt they owe to a royal family.

SeulGi is nothing but a mere slave to someone as high as Irene.

Who was SeulGi to ‘pry’ on Irene’s life?

It was stepping on the line.

So SeulGi can’t do anything but sigh, and wipe more tears.

Because she admits that Irene’s right, because she accepts that Irene will always be right,

“You were never my business.”

---

SeulGi feels a tad bit more tired than normal. She instantly feels her eyes as heavy as the world and as painful as cold water in the morning.

She wipes her eyes and immediately regrets it for it continues to sting.

Damn.

SeulGi tries to not look at the bed beside hers as she fixes her bed. Seeing Irene this early in the morning is one in the bottom of her list.

When the source of all your pain is just right beside you.

How hard is that?

SeulGi hurriedly folds her blanket as she scurries her way out of the room.

Wishing Irene doesn’t notice her.

---

Awkward.

The only thing that runs through SeulGi’s mind during her last breakfast with the Bae’s is how awkward it feels.

She had taken meals with them the whole week and this is the most awkward she felt. Even the time where she felt out of place because of Irene’s cousins is nothing compare to how she feels now.

She still sits beside Irene. SeulGi thinks Irene’s parents might guess something is off between them.

Something is off.

After the conversation about Irene’s supposed ‘boyfriend’, SeulGi has been off.

“SeulGi, dear?”

SeulGi snaps out of thoughts and jerks her head up to look at Irene’s mom across the table, “Yes, Ma’am?”

“Mom.” Irene’s mother stresses.

“M-Mom.” SeulGi repeats, it tastes like poison now to call Irene’s mother familiarly like that, “What is it, Mom?”

“Are you alright?”

SeulGi scrunches her eyebrows, she coughs, “O-Of course, Mom. I-I’ve never felt better!”

Lies.

“You look… tired.” Irene’s mother says worriedly.

SeulGi is.

She is tired from all these exhausting feelings she prays hard to leave her. She is tired from Irene’s never-ending push-pull with her.

She is tired from all the love she’s willing to give only for it to be thrown without any second thoughts.

“I’m fine, Mom.” SeulGi weakly smiles, “Thank you for worrying about me.”

But it was SeulGi who starts to worry when she feels Irene turn to her direction. She feels Irene’s stares etching holes deep in her head.

SeulGi tries her best to resist looking back. She tries hard to resist looking at Irene.

No, she will not fall for it anymore.

No, she will not fall anymore.

---

SeulGi quickly packs her things into her bag, hoping that Irene doesn’t come in the room yet.

She feels that any more second she is left alone in a room with Irene, she will explode.

She will burst from all these tension, the inner turmoil she feels with herself.

When Irene has no problem breathing the same air as SeulGi’s, when SeulGi on the other hand is choking.

But luck is never on SeulGi’s side as Irene steps into the bedroom ready to go back to Seoul.

“Hey, bear.”

Oh, how mocking it was now.

SeulGi doesn’t look up, she just mumbles, “Yes?”

“Help me pack my things.”

And being the obedient servant that she is, SeulGi says, “Of course.”

It was only silence that veils the room as SeulGi continues to pack.

Irene decides to break the stillness, “You’re being rude.”

SeulGi internally scoffs.

Irene continues, “I’m talking to you.”

“I’m answering.” SeulGi nonchalantly says, eyes still on her bag.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you.” Irene says, and SeulGi is not dumb enough to feel that Irene’s threatening her.

So SeulGi sighs in annoyance and in defeat. She closes her eyes once and when she opens it – gathering all her strength and all her will and all her control to do that one simple thing she had always done – she looks at Irene.

And SeulGi at once wishes the heavens grant her prayers that her damned heart keep still and her tears keep out.

Because Irene still stayed beautiful. Because Irene still stayed as the SeulGi had always hated. Because Irene still stayed as the Irene SeulGi had come to love.

“What?” SeulGi spits the word, afraid that if she says more, she’ll break down.

SeulGi keeps her composure as Irene starts walking painfully slow towards her.

Irene says – when she was merely inches away from the kneeling form of SeulGi, “Why aren’t you looking at me anymore?”

Because it hurts.

“Why do you care?” SeulGi spews out again.

SeulGi sees Irene’s lip twitches. She knows she’s starting to anger Irene again, but who cares now, really?

“Watch your mouth, Kang.”

SeulGi bites her lips hard so she won’t say anything anymore. She turns back to whatever it is she’s packing just so she won’t stare at Irene anymore.

She only hears Irene sigh loudly and frustratingly, Irene says, “I’m going down. Just bring my things there. Pack it on your own.”

SeulGi closes her eyes, and tries not to shudder when she hears the door slam shut.

---

SeulGi is busy carrying both their luggage down when someone takes the other bag. She turns to whoever did it and she feels the warmest for the first time that cold morning when she sees it was Henry.

“Hi.” He says, the same bright smile that now brightens gloomy SeulGi’s day already on his lips.

“Hey.” SeulGi replies softly.

“Where will you bring these?” Henry tries to carry more of the bags, which SeulGi tries to take back.

“Just in the living room.” SeulGi tilts her head to the direction, “Henry, it’s okay. Really, I can manage.” She continues to tug.

“Nonsense.” Henry says as he wins their little tug-o-war, another smile beaming by his lips.

They continue to walk to the living room and SeulGi doesn’t notice the other people there. She only notices when she hears a series