Seulgi has lived in the city all her life and has been to most of the iconic places around Seoul. She remembers enjoying school fieldtrips with Soojung and Sulli in middle school and that one time that her and Wendy's class went to the strawberry farm when they were in elementary school. However, Seulgi has never been to a broadcasting station and so, she was thrilled to hear from Irene that she's giving her and her friends exclusive backstage access to a music show where they will be performing. She's basically being asked to bring them coffee and food so it's still work but she can't complain, not when she gets to see how live broadcasts works. And she's actually happy for Sulli because she'll get to see so many of her idols in one place.

The three of them walk down the hallway, hand in hand, to Red Velvet's waiting room with Soojung and Seulgi on either side of Sulli, supporting her just in case she faints - Soojung likes to think that it's to keep her restrained. However problematic Soojung maybe about Sulli, nothing can spoil Seulgi's excitement. She's going to see how her friends work after all.

Irene, on the other hand, nervously paces around the waiting room, waiting for Seulgi's arrival, worried for some reason that Seulgi might not show up as opposed to Wendy who sits in one corner, peacefully practicing her parts for the performance. Yeri moves around the room, taking videos of her unnies to upload on instagram while Joy watches her. A soft knock is heard on their door and Irene darts for it. 

"Seulgi! You came!" Irene exclaims. Wendy stands abruptly, taking her earphones off.

"Hi, Irene unnie." Seulgi gives her a smile and Irene isn't sure if she should feel relieved that she's here now because she isn't helping with her nerves at all. She knows it has nothing to do with their performance later either, knows that it's all just Seulgi because how the can someone look so cute and so breath-taking like that? 

"Oh, hi, Seungwan." She hears Seulgi say.

Ouch.

Just like that, Irene is harshly brought back to reality. She swallows, takes the food from Seulgi and the coffee from her friend, whom she thinks is called Soojung, and places it on the table. Joy and Yeri are quick to gather around her like the hungry babies they are. She knows she has to feed them - Joy's whining too much already - but she can't tear her eyes off Seulgi and Wendy talking so amicably with Seulgi's friends. She's busy passing food around to the maknaes to notice that Yeri is looking at her. Irene looks up at the youngest as she takes the food containers from her and passes one to Joy to shut her up.

"Unnie, you know we can feed ourselves, right? Go on." Yeri says, wiggles her eyebrows at her. Irene gives her a small smile, wonders why their maknae seems to know so much. 

"Why are you so noisy, huh? Should I spoon feed you to keep you quiet?" Yeri turns to Joy, hisses at her and she quiets down as if she's considering the offer. Irene takes that as her cue to leave and steps into Seulgi's side.

Her heart picks up pace almost at once because Seulgi looks away from Wendy and right at her and that's the only thing that matters. on that, Wendy.

"I was worried they wouldn't let you in or that you would get lost." Irene starts.

"I am starting to notice that you worry too much, unnie." Seulgi replies, smiles at her. "I'm fine. We're all fine. Sulli's having the best day of her life. Thanks to you."

"I'm glad to be of help." She laughs, seeing Sulli's hand shaking as she attempts to take a photo with Wendy. "Oh! Have you ever been to this broadcast station?" 

Seulgi shakes her head. Irene's eyes light up instantly, an idea on that brilliant mind of hers, something that can give her some time alone with Seulgi.

"How about I give you a tour?" She almost jumps up at the thought.

"But don't you have to perform soon?" Seulgi asks, hesitant.

"There's still, uh, 20 minutes left before we're up. C'mon." 

She takes Seulgi's hand, smiles at her before she pulls her out the door. She swears that she see's Wendy's eyes on them and it makes her feel smug because, well, she's ing holding Seulgi's hand!

They're walking hand in hand down the hall and there's a bounce in her step. She can't think straight and can't look away from Seulgi, concludes that she'll never be anything but dysfunctional around her.

"So this is where the waiting rooms are." She says, hopes Seulgi doesn't notice anything.

"That's where the studio is." Irene points at the doors at the very end of the hall. "When we're called to perform, you guys can find seats inside so you can watch us."

"Unnie, are you sure it's okay for you to be running around the place with me right now?"

"Now who's the worried one?" Irene giggles, pokes Seulgi's cheek with her finger. Her eyes grow wide, surprised with herself. Seulgi doesn't say anything and just laughs. "Why are you laughing?"

"You're cute." Seulgi says and Irene feels like dying.

She isn't given anymore time to relish in the fact that her crush thinks she's cute because a group of rookies walk past them and for some unfortunate reason, they know Seulgi. Thank god they're not guys.

"Oh! Unnie! Isn't that Seulgi unnie?" One of them exclaims, pulling at her member.

"Oh, Jane? And Halla! Everybody's here!" Seulgi acknowledges them, greets them one by one, hands still intertwined with Irene's. The rookies see her and they almost break their backs greeting her.

"You know them?" Irene asks Seulgi, politely returning their greetings.

"Yeah, they're my friends. We go busking together." Seulgi says with a huge smile on her face.

"Busking? I didn't know you were into music." Irene mumbles. One of the rookies hear her, feels the need to talk about Seulgi's talent.

"Oh, she's more than into music, sunbae. She's a good guitar player. And her voice-" She didn't get to finish because the rest of Red Velvet appear, followed by Soojung and Sulli.

"Irene unnie! There you are! Let's go! They've been paging us for like five minutes already." Wendy says with an unreadable expression on her face. Irene is pulled out of Seulgi's hold and she can't do anything but stare.

She's helplessly dragged away by Wendy as she watches Seulgi get playful with the rookies, hitting them and joking with them as they walked behind her. How she wishes that Seulgi could be like that with her too. And she knows she could be, if only there weren't so many people around Seulgi.

There's just so many people to compete with for Seulgi's attention, as well as her affection. There's Wendy who turns out to be her childhood best friend, Soojung who is undeniably pretty and is the current best friend, and now there is this cute rookie girl group. She hates to admit it but she knows there's only one thing she can do, she has to get rid of them - no matter how evil that sounds. It's weird but she gets the feeling that Yeri will help her with that because the maknae looks at her and there's a glint in her eyes and it makes her shudder.

--

Seulgi is mesmerized. She's only ever used that word twice. Once when her mother brought her to the music store to buy her her first guitar and the other time when Wendy pulled her out of her hiding place after beating up the kids who laughed at her art project. And she's using that word again now because there's no other word that can describe how she feels, standing in the middle of a crowded auditorium, eyes glued to the stage where Red Velvet is, performing, or should she say, slaying. 

She's too captivated to even mind Sulli who was shouting her brains off along with the other fans or Soojung who was quietly hyperventilating. She's just so caught in a trance. And is it just her or is Irene looking right at her? Why hasn't she noticed until now how ing gorgeous Irene is? She's always thought that the other girl is pretty but this time, it's different. She's stunning. She's out of this world beautiful. Maybe it's because she looks so passionate while she's dancing and rapping - passion has always turned Seulgi on - but Seulgi's heart never beat this fast for anyone else. She knows she's never going to look at Irene the same way again. 

Wendy takes centerstage to sing her part and Seulgi shifts her attention to her. Wow. If only the kids in elementary school who called her Wandookung can see her now. Well, they probably are watching her now and dying of envy because, damn it, why does her voice sound so ethereal and why does she look so... attractive? And she looks so happy doing what she does. Seulgi feels like her heart can grow roses at the sight. All she's ever wanted is to see her Seungwan happy. And she is. 

The song is about to end and for the final pose, Wendy and Irene stands next to each other for a good minute Seulgi's eyes dart back and forth between the two girls, not really sure who she should look at because they're both smiling at her.

--

It's a little past eleven when they get back to their house. Joy's too tired to linger and chat so she heads straight to her bedroom. Wendy and Irene both stand by the door, saying their goodbyes and good nights to Seulgi. Yeri lags behind, waiting for the chance to talk to their leader. She gets her chance when Irene breaks away from the door first, looking a little bit defeated because Wendy got a hug from Seulgi and she didn't.

"Unnie! I have something to tell you." Irene perks up at the urgency of the maknae's voice, her eyes on Yeri's hand which was gripping her elbow with her realizing.

"What is it, Yerim? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"It can't. Listen up, Bae Joohyun." Irene's eyes grow wide. Just what is this important thing that Yeri has to tell her for her to talk to her like she was 5? "You want that girl? You're gonna girl up and stop sulking every time she's with someone else."

"What-" Yeri holds up a hand to silence her.

"You're gonna up your shyness, go to her house and ask her out. You're gonna stake your claim on what you want. Okay?"

"What are you-"

"Don't ask questions. Just do it. Tomorrow, you're gonna go over to her house and say 'hi' like a strong and confident woman. And you're gonna score a date with her. Clear?"

She swallows hard, nods obediently because what else can she do when Yeri is looking at her with fire in her eyes.

------------------------------

A/N: Hi everyone! So here's the update as promised. We're ten chapters down! Ack. Even I, am getting excited for what's going to happen next. And I just realized how lucky I am to have readers like you all! Thank you for giving time to read this fic and for sticking around for ten chapters even though it's weird. Thank you for commenting because your comments make me happy. And thanks for the upvote mikito, onewpillow, and Baymax143! Thank you for all your support. Please anticipate the next chapters. 

- Bluekimchi