Chapter Text
-Prologue-
“Unnie… I love you.” a hesitant young girl exclaimed with a beet red face and nervous fingers that fiddled with her backpack strap.
She was met by crescent shaped eyes filled with nothing but fondness, accompanied by a smile so warm, that the young girl felt her heart skip a few beats ahead meanwhile her body was rooted in place. “I love you too, Seungwannie.” The older girl responded, she carried herself towards where the other stood and proceeded to pat her soft honey colored hair, “You’re such a good child.”
Seungwan could only puff her cheeks in frustration at the black haired beauty, although she was used to the older one’s thick-headedness at times, this is one of those times she truly wanted her friend to actually take her seriously.
She continued to stand in the middle of the older girl’s room, while said girl had finally averted her attention back to the clothing items piled on her bed, a purple colored suitcase laid beside them.
The room reflected the warm rays of the setting sun as birds chirped outside, and the sound of the wind rustling through grass could have soothed Seungwan at any other given day, but today the sun blinded her, birds screamed and the wind threatened to whisk away any ounce of foolish courage she had left.
This foolish courage struck her the moment they were walking from school, the way ebony tresses shined and danced in the cool summer afternoon, her sudden bursts of laughter that did not match her usual quiet demeanor, the way she clung to Seungwan’s arm in the busy parts of the same old path they took home. She was simply mesmerized by the older girl.
In that moment, her silent observations had triggered a feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction; she wanted more, whatever that entailed. She was not a fool, she was fully aware of her feelings towards the other girl.
But what she did next might have been the most foolish thing she could have done.
She clutched her fists while she still stood in the other girl’s lavender colored bedroom, it was pretty usual for Seungwan to follow the older girl to her house, since they resided on the same neighborhood, she would often spend the rest of her afternoons in the other’s company, until her parents came home from their respective jobs in the late evenings. The younger didn’t mind it at all; she actually preferred to spend her time with her quiet friend. She took care of her better than her own parents ever could anyway.
“No Unnie, I’m serious… I love you!” her slightly raised voice startled the older girl who was preoccupied with packing her suitcase with various items, slightly alarmed she turned her attention to Seungwan, she focused on how her usual benevolent eyes sparkled holding back tears. Confusion danced at the edges of her own brown eyes, undeterred the younger girl marched towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders turning her fully so they would be face to face, mere inches between them as their breath mingled, The older girl froze in place.
Light brown eyes searched darker ones, but quickly traveled downwards till they landed on full pink lips. Seungwan bit her own lower lip in an attempt at resistance but her resolve quickly crumbled as soon as she saw those lips slightly part.
She dove in to close the gap between them, a soft sigh left her throat as her trembling lips rubbed against unmoving ones. Arms still locked around the older girl’s shoulders keeping her in place.
But as soon as the kiss came, it went. Seungwan felt hands push her roughly away. Hurt and regretful light brown eyes fluttered open to look at the older girl whose expression rapidly turned cold.
“What do you think you’re doing, Seungwan?” the older girl’s usual soft voice came out sharp like a knife, it cut away at any hope the younger girl might have had.
“Unn- I didn’t…” a hushed anxious voice responded with broken words, the younger one retreated slightly and her hands that were holding soft shoulders a moment ago, were now wrapped around herself, making her look smaller than she already was.
A pang of guilt flashed through the older girl’s face as she witnessed the sight, she almost faltered but she fought it away to regain composure.
“Don’t do that again.” She said it with a quiet but commanding tone; this made Seungwan pick her gaze off the carpeted floor. The older one expected hurt eyes to look back at her, but what she did not expect was to be met with light brown eyes that dripped with nothing but fury.
“Fine then, Joohyun. Have it your way.” And with that Seungwan picked her backpack off the floor and stormed out, slamming the door behind her, leaving silence as a sole companion to Joohyun’s racing thoughts. Seungwan was nothing but caring and sweet, she didn’t even know that the girl was capable of emitting such raw anger.
A few seconds passed by and Joohyun found herself exhaling shakily, her heart beats resounded loudly in her ears as she turned around to face her bed, eyes landed on the mountain of clothes. She couldn’t bring herself to focus, unconscious fingers came to touch her lips, and she could still taste the slight hint of sweetness that lingered. She suddenly felt her face grow hot, she grabbed her rose colored cheeks and pressed them in an effort to calm her racing heart and the rush of lightheadedness she felt.
She failed and spent the entire night trying to find ways to make it up to her younger friend. She didn’t race after Seungwan, because if she was being honest with herself, she was scared. She didn’t trust herself enough to handle being close to the younger girl. Not when her heart never stopped racing to a beat of an erratic drum the entire night.
Eventually though it stopped, maybe completely. When she realized that she perhaps might not see her friend ever again.
“Ms. Bae, over here!” an unknown figure amongst many shouted at the woman that stood in the center of all their undivided attention. The flashbulbs of the cameras captured her every move, every tilt of her head, and her reserved but breathtaking smile.
She wore a black gown which hung low on her shoulders, exposing her porcelain doll like skin, the rich fabric hugged her body just the way she liked it, her ebony tresses that matched the dark night sky fell free just below her chest, and they reflected the constant lights that relentlessly flashed her way. Her deep brown eyes that averted from camera to camera held an innocent yet dangerous expression. Inviting yet distant at once, she was an absolute beauty, A modern day goddess. The entire industry knew it.
She was not naïve, she was aware of her good looks. But Irene never really paid any special attention on how her eyes were bigger and more expressive than most and her lips were not too full but looked luscious with a classic shade of red, or how her pale complexion occasionally caught bystanders off-guard. At least that’s what has been constantly told to her by strangers. But having been in this industry for almost nine years, she would be lying if she said she wasn’t getting a little sick of it all.
And she might seem ungrateful if she voiced what she really felt, so she would always prefer to keep quiet, gave short but charming responses. Whatever they wanted to hear, whatever they wanted her to be, she can become that. Perhaps she made a good choice in becoming an actress after all. She was attending the premiere of the new film she was starring in. red carpet events were always too loud and overwhelming for her. She didn’t mind the screaming fans that have probably waited for hours to see her; they were the only source of happiness she had while doing her job. What really brought her to a state of annoyed unrest was the mendacity of this whole repetitive and maddening process. But she already made her bed so she might as well just lie in it.
And she did just that as she was ushered by her manager to one of the many reporters that were standing behind the barrier that separated the celebrities from the press and numerous cameramen that were still snapping photos left and right.
“Ms. Bae, Hello! You look positively stunning tonight.” the enthusiastic reporter greeted her, flashing his white teeth in a wide smile in attempt to seem inviting, but that only fueled Irene’s anxiety. Regardless of the countless interviews she did similar to this, she still couldn’t manage to be too comfortable; she was a shy person by nature.
“Thank you.” She replied as her lips quirked up slightly, not reaching their full potential. Though this was not unusual for her, she was known for her calm and collected attitude in the eyes of the public. However, she did have her fiery moments but that is only when she was feeling competitive, or in the presence of people such as Park Sooyoung who goes by the stage name Joy, her current co-star in the film. The younger woman was a model who turned to acting, most notable thing about her in Irene’s mind though was the fact that she was a full-fledged narcissist, and she even admitted this herself. Irene didn’t believe it at first and she was even a little excited to work with the upcoming actress. There was no real animosity between them, not to the extent that the media depicted. Irene already figured that it was bait that the production company set up for the press so that the film would get more hype around it.
However, Joy was anything but a joy to work with. She really knew how to grind Irene’s gears and push just the right buttons, like a child annoying their slightly older sibling is what it was. Nevertheless, Irene was relieved that the film was finally out and this was the last time she had to interact with Park Sooyoung, hopefully.
It didn’t help that Irene stood a few feet away from said actress, who had noticeably winked and flashed a charming smile towards her, which made Irene only groan internally.
This girl is insufferable…
The plot of the film had a lot to do with how their dynamic came to be, it was a ridiculous plot and Irene didn’t know why she agreed to it in the first place, a moment of weakness perhaps. It was an already abused trope; a love triangle, one dimensional female love interests to the main male character.
Groundbreaking….
“A lot of fans were surprised at how great you were as a girl next door type; did you enjoy playing that role?” Irene would have laughed at the reporter’s question, but she chose not to, because the irony did not escape her. She was the girl next door once in real life. But that was a long time ago.
“Oh, it was a lot of fun; I hope the fans enjoy watching it.” She answered timidly while choosing to look straight into the camera lens.
“I’m sure they will! Will you be working with Ms. Park on any future projects? The fans loved your dynamic.” The reporter brought back Irene’s attention with the mention of Joy, she wanted to roll her eyes, but that would only fuel the already burning fire surrounding their professional relationship.
“…Well, you’ll just have to wait and find out.” And with that she flashed her best smile, which stunned the reporter into a complete silence. Although she had her issues with being considered only for her looks, she had to acknowledge that it proved to be beneficial every now and then.
Good…
Thankfully, her manager and security guard were right behind her telling her that she was short for time. And with that she thanked the reporter and bid him goodbye.
“Are we all done for tonight?” Irene asked while she let out a deep sigh, glad that she was out of the spotlight literally, they led her towards the black Mercedes SUV that was waiting for her on the far side of the red carpeted street. On their way she stopped to greet the few fans that were standing alongside the fence despite her team’s incessant protests. Once she made sure everyone got her full attention, she headed towards the car with a box of cake gifted to her by one of her fans.
“Yes, Ms. Bae.” Her manager answered with a smile, “Ms. Kang is waiting for you in the car.” He added as they reached the car door. And as if on cue, the person in question poked her head from the window. She smiled brightly as her eyes crinkled at the sight of the older woman who was a bit startled, but then again this wasn’t a rare case, Irene was easily disconcerted by everything.
“Seulgi-ya! You scared me. And you’re blonde now?” the brunette raised her voice, showing a side of her most people were not privy to. They had an unspoken rule that Seulgi would accompany her on events like these. She never asked her to do so but her friend somehow understood the awkwardness she had felt whenever she went alone, so they adopted this routine.
“Yeah, it’s a choice. Do you like it?” Seulgi opened the door so that her friend can join her in the backseat, offering the shorter one of them a hand to help her get in. it was swatted away which only made the blonde friend chuckle, Irene was not one to accept any kind of help in general. Many people took offence to that, and would often misjudge her and frown at her seemingly cold behavior. But they didn’t know Irene the way Seulgi did. Irene found great solace in that fact. Quite often it proved to be difficult for her to cultivate close friendships, due to her tight schedule and the premeditated competitive nature of her job. Seulgi perhaps was the only tie she had left of her past, she knew her as Irene but also as Joohyun.
“Yes, it suits you well.” Irene simply replied, truthfully she thought Seulgi could pull off any hair color, but the tomboyish girl loved to adopt different fashion styles frequently, partially because her job required her to. No matter how continuous the outward changes were, Irene still saw the same girl she grew up with. Who currently happened to have long blonde locks set in soft waves which framed her rounded face, her sharp but kind eyes held a childish gleam to them, and her thin lips were set in her usual relaxed smile.
She was visibly a little underdressed compared to Irene’s elaborate attire, her broad shoulders were hugged by a worn leather jacket, underneath she wore a simple white shirt that slightly rode up at her midriff, and the two items were paired with black slacks and a burgundy set of doc martens.
Once Irene thanked her team for their hard work, they parted ways. she and Seulgi were both settled beside each other in the backseat, immediately a shiver ran through her body, only then was she aware of how cold she really felt from standing outside in the cool night air with a dress that was clearly not designed to keep her warm in any way shape or form.
Seulgi sensed her friend’s slight trembling and handed her a blanket but not without snatching the box that was laid delicately on Irene’s lap in exchange, “Cake!” she exclaimed a little too enthusiastically. “Your fans are the best, Unnie.” She continued as she opened the box and stole a healthy portion of cake frosting with her finger.
“Stop that, that’s unsanitary!” Irene scolded and as she pinched her friend’s bicep playfully who was sucking on her own index finger enjoying the taste of the sugary goodness. A smile graced Irene’s lips unconsciously despite her clear disapproval of the younger woman’s habits.
The car began moving away from where the event took place, Irene peered out from the tinted window, she watched as they transitioned from crammed streets to an open highway, where she could finally see the clear night sky, albeit the never-ending line of street lights did distract her, she didn’t mind it as much as she did the constant flashes of cameras that barraged her a few moments before.
But she shouldn’t complain, she really did manage to do what few could in their lifetime. Her job was a dream; most people hated their jobs and would probably scoff at her champagne problems. Irene didn’t think of herself as someone who possessed incredible talent, she was just a lucky girl who was at the right time and the right place. She didn’t feel like she worked hard in comparison with Seulgi, her friend was one of the most determined and talented people she’s ever known, an amazing dancer with vocals that were strangely just as powerful but also gentle as an ocean wave. And Irene… she never could tell if she was ever good enough.
“Unnie… you’re thinking self-deprecating thoughts again, aren’t you?” the brunette turned her gaze away from the window to meet the eyes that were observing her carefully. She didn’t realize that they sat in complete silence for quite some time.
Despite appearing flighty, and she was at times. Seulgi was an observant person, especially when it came to her older friend. “You were really great in that movie; it reminded me of our school days.”
“Really? You were practically a baby back then I’m surprised you could even remember.” Irene teased, but internally she felt as if a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders, she really did appreciate Seulgi’s input. It sounded much more believable coming from her.
“As opposed to you wise old grandma?” Seulgi’s retort earned her a slap rather than a pinch this time. It didn’t hurt but she rubbed her shoulder to make it seem more dramatic, “The only thing I fail to remember are your violent tendencies though.”
They both burst out in silly laughter; to anyone else they would have appeared completely insane. However, what an outsider didn’t know is that their usual banter and odd friendship is what kept them sane in this ever-changing and unpredictable world they chose to be part of.
Irene felt content whenever she was in Seulgi’s presence, and she enjoyed their time together however brief and scattered it was. Little moments like these felt like home. However, at the back of her mind there was always this insistent thought, a sense of incompletion. Like this home was missing the most vital parts that made it a home, possibly it was missing a fireplace or a large fuzzy blanket that kept the cold away.
Or perhaps it was missing someone who was Irene’s only source of warmth.
“So you’re coming to the after party with me? You agreed to it earlier, you can’t go back on your word.” Seulgi inched closer – her sudden movements broke Irene’s reverie. The blonde attempted to do the best puppy eyes she could muster. Irene honestly thought she resembled a bear rather than a puppy. The actress really didn’t wish to attend; she wasn’t the kind of person to enjoy parties nor was she in the mood to rub shoulders with people in her industry any more than she did tonight. She much preferred to go back to her place, read a book and catch up on much needed rest.
She knew, however, that she promised Seulgi reluctantly so, that she would attend the after party of her own film, and she was not someone to break promises. She heaved a sigh as she spoke “… Fine, but I’m only going for a short while. Feel free to stay as long as you want.”
“Oh thanks, you’re such a cool mom.” Seulgi nudged her friend’s shoulder while wearing the most ridiculous grin Irene had ever seen.
“Kang Seulgi-ya, don’t make me turn this car around.” Irene reprimanded half-jokingly, which earned her a hearty laugh from her dancer friend.
Arriving at their destination which was one of the film producers’ extravagant villas located on the outskirts of the city, it was a considerably large estate surrounded by a thick grove of trees; which gave it a sense of seclusion and privacy. With that being said, large expensive cars piled in at the front and different types of people from the industry were escorted inside the large house that were all too eager to have their photos taken by the cameramen that were allowed on the property, for more publicity purposes.
Their car halted near the entrance, Irene having had to change her outfit in the car, it was a pretty common occurrence given her hectic lifestyle. Thankfully there was a barrier between the backseat and the front so she could do it with little worry; she didn’t mind Seulgi being there since they were roommates and they have known each other for far too long to be embarrassed about seeing each other in a state of undress.
Though it didn’t stop Seulgi from teasing her and saying such things like “Oh Ms. Bae, are you trying to seduce me?” her sly comments and the ridiculous way she would wiggle her eyebrows only earn her an eye roll.
“Just shut up and help me with this zipper, idiot.” The actress would reply.
They stepped out of the black vehicle; Irene was dressed in black ankle length coat, a leather short skirt that showed off her toned legs matched with a vintage concert tee, coupled with statement earrings and a pair of black platforms. Her dark hair was tied back in high ponytail and her lips were coated with her usual bold red lipstick which stood in contrast to the all-black attire.
This was not her choice of fashion; this was all her dancer friend’s doing. When they spoke about attending the after party one of her go-to excuses was the fact that she didn’t pack a second outfit, to her dismay Seulgi had countered back and told her that she packed clothes for her beforehand. At times she valued the fact that her best friend knew her so well, at others she wholeheartedly detested it.
“Unnie you look so cool, no one would believe you are actually a nerd.” The taller woman stated as she admired her work. And Irene could only shake her head in defeat. She was already way too exhausted to argue, and all too aware of the cameramen that flocked towards them as soon as they stepped out of the car.
After a few photos were taken, they made their way into the mansion, immediately they were met by loud music, strangers piling in and out, two glasses of champagne were handed to them by a waiter that stood by the door. The lights were dim but there was enough lighting for them to notice the large stairs leading to the balcony where they assumed where the party was taking place. Seulgi offered her arm for Irene to take, helped her keep steady as they walked up the steps.
The second floor had a high ceilings and marble floors, in every corner there were a set of couches and tables, people were divided into groups, either they were sat enjoying their drinks, or stood engrossed in conversation, or simply swayed to the constant beat that was thumping throughout the manor. A bar was located near the glass walls overlooking the balcony with a bartender that was busy serving drinks to the line of people that stood near.
“This is so extra.” The blonde muttered loud enough for Irene to hear, as she marveled at the sight. Her jaw only managed to drop further as they walked towards the balcony; it had another set of stairs leading down to the backyard where the pool area was located which billeted more throngs of people.
Irene was momentarily amused by her friend’s reaction, unfortunately she didn’t see much glamour in anything that surrounded her, the crowded mansion filled with strangers brought her discontent, and the loud music that uncomfortably struck her ears only managed to fuel the anxious feelings she had.
“Hey Unnie, I’m going to get us something to drink, I’ll be right back.” And before she could protest, Seulgi was out of sight. She wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t come back; the taller one of them got easily distracted by anything and everything easily.
Irene grumbled quietly to herself as she stood on the balcony. She could feel several sets of eyes on her, but that was to be expected; everyone here knew who she was, she was one of the leads in the film they were celebrating after all. Oddly enough though, rarely would they dare to approach her.
This didn’t help diminish the feeling of loneliness that grew with each minute that went by. She decided against her better judgment not to wait for her friend to return, and walk down the steps despite the difficulty she often experienced doing it by herself. Her hand gripped onto the railings careful with each step she took, and the platforms she wore certainly didn’t make this an easy feat.
Finally, she managed to arrive near the pool; she stood at the edge of it her eyes fixed at the gentle ripples of the illuminated body of water. She was painfully sober amongst hordes of drunken individuals.
Why am I here?
Seulgi was her answer, the woman in question nowhere to be seen. Irene guessed she ran into someone she knew. Seulgi was so unlike herself, sociable and bright. She liked to make friends whether human or animal wherever she went. Seulgi reminded Irene a lot of her, they were very alike but different. She possessed certain warmth that Irene failed to find in anyone she had met so far. She was always kind and thoughtful; she also managed to make Irene laugh at the inanest things with her sharp reactions and random facts she often blurted out from time to time. She had a level of genuineness that took people aback, but to Irene it was nothing but endearing. Seulgi might have brought her much needed solace, but she was the only one who succeeded in bringing Irene out of her quiet shell. Irene missed the person she used to be, but that person disappeared the moment she walked out of her life. Nine years have passed since then, yet her image was still so vivid in Irene’s mind.
Seungwan…
A sudden commotion broke out behind her, which took Irene out of the thoughtful trance she was in, she quickly turned around and her eyes fell on a tall figure, what appeared to be a young man stumbling towards her, clearly drunk. Irene froze in her spot, eyebrows knitted and eyes closed in anticipation of something bad. Instead of feeling the sudden rush of freezing water, as if out of the blue a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and swiftly pulled her out of harm’s way.
“Hey, watch it!” the person who was still holding onto Irene bellowed, the actress recognized that it belonged to a woman, she sounded beyond furious, but Irene found her voice pleasant to listen to despite the angry tone it carried… but something was odd, why was Irene suddenly feeling nostalgic? “She can’t swim! You’ve could’ve seriously hurt her.”
Irene still had her eyes tightly shut, she didn’t know why. Perhaps it was because of the way the woman held her so firmly against her; they were so close that the tip of the brunette’s nose made contact with the soft skin of the other woman’s neck. She couldn’t help but inhale the sweet scent that flooded through her senses. Irene felt lightheaded; her pulse competed with the loud bass that echoed in the open air around them.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Bae. This idiot drank too much. I’ll make sure he’ll never do it again.” A deeper voice joined which held an apologetic tone. The apology was directed at her, so she had to acknowledge it.
Just open your eyes already, Joohyun.
And she did, except she didn’t turn around to address the second man that was holding back his drunken friend. Still in her secure position in the other woman’s arms, her eyes first laid sight on the soft skin that her nose had brushed against, Irene moved her head away from the other’s neck as her gaze traveled upward and registered the woman’s features and what she saw made her heart simultaneously drop and soar; the diamond shaped face that was surrounded by dark honey colored locks, her fringe parted in the middle, her angular nose, her plump pink lips that were set into a faint pout, her cheeks tainted by a hue of pink, Irene locked eyes with big brown ones. And in that moment, the loud chattering of people and the steady beat of the music around them dissipated into a distant hum as the two women stared at each other.
Seungwan, Seungwan, Seungwan...
Irene couldn’t believe it, she didn’t want to. Her thoughts raced so fast that they left her body and mind completely vacant. She was stood in the arms of none other than the one she pushed away nine years ago. She was finally face to face with the one that has constantly infiltrated her thoughts to the point of madness. Son Seungwan was here in front of her; all beautiful and grown up, her Seungwan… and she saved her.
Have you finally lost it, Joohyun?
“Ssue-“ her voice cracked as she tried to speak. The younger noticed and quickly took action.
“You’re shaking, come on let’s have you sit down.” She untangled her arms from around the older woman; she took Irene’s hand and led her to the nearest empty spot she could find. Irene did little to protest, she followed behind closely and she took this time to stare at the woman that walked in front of her, she wore a white and blue plaid button up that was tucked inside black tight pants, her hair was bouncing along with every step she took as her slender body moved quickly between the masses of people. Involuntarily dark brown eyes traveled downwards landing on the woman’s behind and a blush quickly attacked her cheeks, she shook her head slightly as she bit her lips, she decided to avoid staring at Seungwan altogether. However she couldn’t ignore the goose bumps that ran the length of her arms where the woman was touching not too long ago, the hand that firmly held her own was warm and stable, she didn’t think she would get to experience this sensation again.
She sat her down on a couch as she took the seat next to her. Her hand never left Irene’s. They were face to face once again, and the older one couldn’t avert her attention away from the expressive light brown eyes that peered back with honest concern. This didn’t feel real, none of it did.
“Hey, Are you okay?” Seungwan asked, Irene couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
An infinite number of questions poured through the actress’s mind; there was so much she wanted to say to her, why was her estranged friend here? How was she here? And why did she look at her like they were not separated for almost a decade?
“You might want to slow down those racing thoughts, or you might pass out.” Seungwan jested in attempt to break the awkward silence that was bestowed upon them the moment they sat down. Irene would have appreciated the playfulness but she was not in the right state of mind to do so. She forgot how annoyingly easy it was for Seulgi and her to know exactly what went on in her mind.
“Se… Seungwan…it’s you.” Irene softly voiced, her lips molded into a thin line frustrated with herself for her lack of coherency. Bewilderment, distress and curiosity danced behind dark brown eyes.
“It’s Wendy.” The younger corrected sheepishly, the hint of a smile on her lips captured Irene and it distracted her from actually comprehending the words directed to her.
“…Pardon?”
“I go by Wendy now.” Seungwan explained as she rubbed at the back of her own neck awkwardly, she looked down at her lap as she let go of the other’s hand. Irene missed the warmth it provided almost instantly.
“Seungwan, why are you here? How?” Irene did her best to gather her scattered thoughts, as she finally asked the questions she wanted to know the most. Whether Irene ignored or downright refused to call the other girl by the name she offered, that was yet to be clear.
Seungwan blinked as she met the intense and demanding brown eyes. Her lips still held a soft smile; it appeared that she was actually pleased that the older woman insisted on calling her by her given name.
“Uh well-“ she began to clarify but her words stopped dead in their tracks as a shadow of another figure fell over them.
“There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” a soft feminine voice shook them out of their quiet conversation. Irene watched as Seungwan immediately stood up to greet the person who invaded their space. “Wendy-unnie how dare you leave me alone like this?” the person continued to whine and for some reason it only managed to get on Irene’s nerves.
With a visible scowl on her face, the actress looked up at the other person, who had their hands wrapped around Seungwan’s shoulders. The dim lighting made it difficult for Irene to recognize who it was. First thing Irene had noticed is that this person was tall towering over Seungwan, she wore a skin tight dress that hugged the curves of her body, the exposed skin of her legs were covered in fishnets. Her straight black hair ended just above her chest, her full lips drawn in a smile and her wide eyes were focused on the shorter woman in her arms.
Irene’s eyes grew wide as her face took on an expression of complete horror. This person that was hugging her Seungwan was none other than Park Sooyoung, her co-star, the one that completely infuriated her to no end.
What the hell is going on?
Another set of questions bombarded Irene’s mind, and at this point she was on the verge of a massive headache. Her mental capacity was not prepared for the constant slew of information to process all at once. The actress really wished that there was a button to push to reset everything into place, to maybe take her far away from this situation. She even wished that this was all just one big bizarre dream she was having in the car on her way home from her movie premiere, in that universe she surely did the right thing in declining Seulgi’s request to come to the after party. But sadly there was no button, and this was no dream either.
“Oh I’m sorry, I was just catching up with um…” Seungwan replied to Joy’s questions as both of them looked at the unmoving brunette who was still sitting on the couch, eyes blank looking back at them.
“Irene-unnie, this is a rare sight! You never attend events like these.” Joy greeted excitedly, oblivious to the internal turmoil that was ensuing behind dark brown eyes. Irene inhaled deeply as she composed herself, her expression quickly turned cold, having joy there certainly helped sober her up from the intoxicating effect Seungwan had on her.
“Well, that’s because I’m not a fan of loud noise or crowded places.” Irene spoke clearly for the first time since the almost incident near the pool.
Joy chuckled; apparently she didn’t anticipate that level of seriousness that Irene’s voice carried. “Huh then this must be a nightmare for you.” She added.
“It truly is.” Irene responded, irony dripping from her calm voice. She gripped her hands together tightly in her lap. While Seungwan only stared at her with an unreadable expression, Joy who was still latched onto the shorter woman nodded sympathetically not catching on the double meaning of Irene’s words.
“How do you know Seu- I mean Wendy?” Irene scrutinized her co-star as she asked.
“Oh we’re dating, aren’t we the most attractive couple you’ve ever seen?” Joy responded as her hands came to squeeze the smaller brunette’s behind, boastful as she wiggled her eyebrows and laughed at the sudden intense blush that painted Seungwan’s cheeks; the embarrassed brunette groaned in protest and chastised the taller woman for her crude behavior by swatting her hand away.
Irene’s nostrils flared momentarily as she witnessed the scene that unfolded before her, her hands that were clasped together turned into fists. The only emotion that coursed through her small body was pure rage. The more logical parts of her mind however, kept her calm on the surface.
“…How?” Irene pressed further as she glared at the taller brunette, anyone would shudder from the sheer iciness of her voice. However, either Joy was simply fearless or incredibly thickheaded but she only grinned down at her co-star. Her height certainly served an advantage.
Seungwan unlatched herself from Joy’s arms, her body turned frigid and her eyes grew wide in size. She opened her mouth to speak but the taller one beat her to it.
“Oh, Seulgi introduced us.” Joy divulged as if it was the simplest explanation, but it only managed to complicate things even further. Irene almost forgot that Seulgi and Joy had previously known each other.
“Joy…” Seungwan grunted with eyes closed, her fingers rubbed the bridge of her own nose in frustration.
“I see.” Irene was beyond furious at this point, but a more significant part of her felt betrayed. She had a hard time wrapping herself around the idea that Seulgi kept in contact with Seungwan, was it for the entire duration of those damn nine years? Or was it only recently?
How could Seulgi, the one she relied on the most, do this to her? all the while knowing that she spent sleepless nights thinking about their friend, wondering what she was doing, and wallowing in the fact that she made a grave mistake all those years ago and she had no way to correct it, she let her think that she had no more second chances, no links that could help her reach out to Seungwan. Seulgi was the link all along, and she didn’t even bother to reveal that to her.
“Joohyun...” the sound of her given name caught her off guard as it came out of Seungwan’s lips, each syllable was pronounced with such care that it made Irene’s racing heart slow down, and the fog in her mind slowly clear out. Dark brown eyes searched lighter ones. For a moment everything was put back into place, and they were alone surrounded by four violet colored walls.
“If you’re looking for Seulgi, last I saw her she was playing some drinking game with her dancer friends near the bar… She kept losing, but she looked super cute so it doesn’t matter.” Joy mused; she was once again unaware of the sudden shift in the air.
“Thank you, I’ll go see her now.” Irene was the first one to break the stare she and Seungwan shared. She gave Joy a tight nod as she stood up. She straightened her clothes and was about to turn around to walk away, but she was stopped by a light tug on her arm.
Seungwan held her wrist as her lips kept opening and closing undoubtedly wanting to explain, but was unsure of what to say or where to start. “Joohyun I-“
“It’s Irene. I go by Irene now.” The actress cut her off a bit too harshly than she intended. She could see the younger one flinch and she suddenly let go of her hand. It hurt at how familiar this all felt but Irene didn’t wish to dwell on it more, she had quite a night and she was honestly exhausted.
She needed space, a quiet space to think. She just wanted to go home.
Without another word, she turned around and began walking away; putting distance between her and the couple little by little. She fought against stealing a glance back, but she couldn’t help it so she did when she was far enough out of sight. Her face fell in disappointment when she was not able to see Seungwan, due to the masses of people that were blocking her vision.
She let out a deep sigh; her breathing became steady for the first time tonight. She grasped onto her coat as she continued walking. However the defeated expression on her face was abruptly replaced by a determined one as she was reminded of her unfinished business with a blonde roommate and best friend.
Seulgi, you’re a dead woman walking.