"She imagined how the latter would look in a wedding gown, wondered who would be the fortunate one who would walk down the aisle with her. She was attacked by a mild wave of trepidation that Irene would someday be completing the ceremony with somebody else who wasn't her."

***

Seulgi found herself sitting in this expensive hotel, about to have dinner together as the latter's plus one at a cousin's wedding. Her nerves just wouldn't loosen when she was waiting at the lobby while Irene would arrive with the family.

Even though she knew that the meeting with Bae family wouldn't have take place so soon if it wasn't for the wedding, she was actually over the moon when Irene asked her to be the plus one of the night. 

"Me as your plus one?"

"Should I ask someone else instead then?" 

"That's not what I mean!" 

Irene laughed at how quick Seulgi was to react to her tease. 

"So, would you do me the honour?"

Seulgi would be out of her mind if she ever rejected the request.

Fast forward to the day itself, she was pacing up and down, checking her phone for the Nth time only to be disappointed that Irene had yet to reply.

She was careful to not crease her white tight fit dress or messed up her hair that she spent the whole morning doing in the midst of trying to not freak out as their meeting time inched closer.

She hoped she looked presentable enough to be standing beside Irene. 

"Is there anything I can do to ease your nervousness as you wait for somebody who is supposed to turn up but has yet to arrive?" 

A man in his late twenties approached the collage student, attempting to charm her as he purposely flashed his expensive Cartier watch.

Little did he know she wasn't a tad bit interested but she was just too nice to say anything to reject, just giving a halfhearted smile as she walked away. He was fast to follow, refusing to let this beauty escape without another attempt.

Seulgi dialled a number on her phone, busying herself so that she didn't have to communicate with Mr Stranger. She tightened her jaw and dialled again when the call didn't get through. 

"Would you like to have a drink at the lounge?" 

"She's not interested so maybe you should leave." 

A hand slipped into Seulgi's, giving her a little shock but she soon realised it was Irene beside her, hands clamped together.

The man only seemed to be more pleasantly surprised by the interfere of yet another gorgeous looking lady.

Before he could even breathe another word, the elder one escorted Seulgi away, heading towards the vanity room beside the concierge and with the employees around, Mr Stranger stayed away with a face spelling annoyance. 

The good thing about fancy hotels in Seoul was that the vanity room had cubicles to provide utmost privacy to the ladies and Seulgi was made to enter one with Irene in their best attempt to get the guy off their backs.

For the first time since they met, Seulgi was able to observe Irene closely.

Breath-taking was an understatement of the beauty she was looking at, standing before her.

Beneath the white trench coat with gold buttons, Irene was in cream coloured sleeveless blouse and bandage skirt that hugged her curves. 

Busy huffing and puffing at the thought of how bothering the guy was, Irene's rants were fast like bullets and she was too oblivious of how awed Seulgi was.

Her words were muffled when a mouth hovered over hers, luring her into an urgent kiss.

She was being dominated with the intensity of Seulgi rising at every taste savoured, causing her to grip hard on the shoulders to keep them from tumbling over. 

"Wow," Irene caught her breath. "Hi there baby." 

"If I didn't know better I would have thought that you were the bride."

"Look whose talking right here though." 

Even though she was in heels, she still had to look upwards to Seulgi who was even taller.

Her hands were unknowingly patting on the perky bottom as they continued with their little bickering about who looked better.

The compliments were getting cheesier by the second and it wasn't that Irene didn't enjoy the praises, but she still pouted because she was no match to her plus one.

They just stood at their hugging position, eyes only on each other, indulging in their world of happiness. 

"My dad is asking for me so it's our cue to go now." 

Irene brushed Seulgi's falling fringe, tucking them behind the ear. The nervousness that was long forgotten had resurfaced.

In addition, it dawned upon Seulgi that she would have to watch the way she acts around Irene, especially under the watch of all Baes.

A part of her was suddenly dreading and regretting her choice of agreeing to come, but she followed after the footsteps, heading towards the event hall where a crowd was gathering at the reception. 

Seulgi merely watched as Irene interacted with her relatives who occasionally threw questions at her, until it was time to be seated. The ceremony was dreamy, though most of the process, her sight was on Irene instead.

She imagined how the latter would look in a wedding gown, wondered who would be the fortunate one who would walk down the aisle with her.

She was attacked by a mild wave of trepidation that Irene would someday be completing the ceremony with somebody else who wasn't her. 

"So Joohyun, tell me." Mr Bae started in the midst of dinner. "When can I expect to be the host of your wedding?" 

A pair of neat brows creased upon the calling of her name, her peripheral vision catching how her plus one was swallowing hard at the question.

She should have seen this coming.

"Nowhere near, dad. I have a business to run." 

"Look at how she's sounding like she's running a multimillion corporation. You are not getting any younger and you have never brought anyone home before. I thought good news were near when you said you were bringing a plus one but I was entirely wrong and disappointed."

"Dad, that was plain rude of you."

The shock was evident on Irene's face when she heard those words, eyes immediately shooting over the direction to Seulgi who was clearly affected by the comment.

Seulgi only poked at her food, pretending to be as casual as she could, not wanting to get involved in the family’s conversation. 

"Don't take my words that way, girls! No offence to you at all, Seulgi. If I had a son, I would definitely make him go after you. You are such a beautiful young lady!" 

"Seulgi, pardon a father's worries for his daughter's marriage. She isn't getting any younger and neither are we, so we were just wishing for her to settle down as soon as possible." 

"It's okay Mrs Bae, I understand." Seulgi's smile didn't reach her eyes. “She lacks no suitors.”

“Bring someone home soon, Joohyun. To settle down and start your own family by the age of 25 would be ideal! You don’t want people to say that you are an unwanted, don’t you?”

As much as Seulgi would like to interrupt by declaring that Irene would always, always, be wanted by her, she knew better than to make a scene.

Just a statement like such from Irene’s father was enough to let her understand how much of a conservative family Irene grew up in. It attributed to her unwillingness in coming out about their affiliation, or the declaration of love even if it was just between the twosome.

Maybe it was the alcohol, Mr Bae just wouldn’t stop revolving around the same topic. 

“Dear,” He turned to his wife, laughing after taking another sip of his drink. “Should we start matchmaking her with sons of our friends?” 

A loud screech resounded at the table, all attention then converted to Seulgi who accidentally scratched her fork against the plate.

She bowed an apology and stopped with the food while Mrs Bae hushed her husband who was flushing from the effect of alcohol.

For a split second, she got dizzy at the thought of Irene matchmaking with random men.

Her fists were clenched under the table, shaking lightly as she tried to regain her composure when another hand reached out to her. 

Irene’s eyes were full of tender feelings, her lips mouthing apologies over and over again. Her effort in soothing the pale looking girl was declined when Seulgi withdrew away, grabbing onto the glass of oxidised red wine, drowning it with no hesitation. 

Almost a year into their relevance, Seulgi met Irene’s parents. Almost a year of relevance, Seulgi finally understood the reason behind Irene’s reluctance in having a status. Almost a year later, Seulgi realised that Irene was under so much pressure which she could do nothing to relieve. 

Almost a year of everything and Seulgi knew, things were about to get harder than it already was. 

***