Not So Romantic

Chapter 7

"I'm taking you out on a real date!" Irys exclaimed as Bae followed behind her, hands still intertwined  with each other

"Was my date earlier not real?" Bae raised her brow.

"This is with me so it's different!"

Bae chuckles. She didn't really get what Irys meant about taking her out on a real date when she considers her date with Zeta to be real but, it wouldn't hurt to just play along right? Besides, they could use this as an opportunity to get to know each other more.

"So where exactly are you taking me?" Asked Bae

"I heard there was a new museum around here, I wanted to check it out but wouldn't it be a bit lonely if I just went there by myself?" Irys replied with a grin. 

Bae only nodded in understanding. She too had heard about the museum but she was too lazy to put in the effort to go there. She had to do her homework and projects and on her day off she had to stream so she really didn't even have the time to go there in the first place. 

The two of them talked about the date with Zeta as they walked to the museum. Bae and Zeta talked about a lot of things but it was mostly about their university life, nothing special. Irys would give comments about the date here and there and made Bae laugh a few times. 

They arrived at the museum and were immediately welcomed by a bunch of beautiful paintings from artists around the world.

"Bae, look! This painting looks so pretty!" Said Irys as she pointed towards a painting of a grim reaper reaching out to a phoenix. Below the portrait was the painting's name which is 'death and immortality' 

"Does the grim reaper want the phoenix?" Asked Bae earning a confused look from Irys.

"Why the heck would a grim reaper want a phoenix?" Irys shot back. 

"Maybe because it was facing the death of others all the time that it started craving for something that never dies?"

"That makes sense… You're a genius, Bae! I thought the reaper wanted to eat the phoenix!" Irys giggled, earning a look of disappointment from Bae.

"Oh, look! There's more! "said Irys in hopes that she wouldn't get a nag from Bae.

Irys was pointing towards a portrait of a civilization's evolution through time. She was actually genuinely happy that this portrait wasn't as complicated as the one they first saw. 

And then they went to see another one, and another, and then other more

Bae didn't want to admit it but she was actually having a lot of fun with Irys right now. Whether it was trying to understand the painting or just give and make fun of it. Pointing at random things that they thought looked funny or things that actually got them intrigued.

"Man, I wish I could paint like this." Said Irys.

"Do you wanna be an artist, Irys."

"Well, maybe. But a different kind of artist." She replied. "I wanna be a singer."

Bae hummed. "That's nice…" she says.  And then the two of them fell into silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable type and that was a relief to Bae. As they walked, Bae found herself staring at a painting that got her interested. 

It was a painting of a woman holding a girl. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and regret. The girl she was holding was covered in blood, lifelessly laying on the woman's arms. The woman showed no tears but Bae knew she was in pain. The woman was… empty. 

"I know this masterpiece. I read about it once." Suddenly, a voice said beside her. She glances over at Irys who was also looking at the portrait with a sad smile. 

"It's called despair." She added. 

Bae looked back at the painting, eager to know more about it. 

"What happened to them?" She asked. 

"It's a painting about Hope and Chaos falling in love. The Gods were against it so they tried to break them apart. Chaos was determined that they were going to be just fine and that they could overcome the challenges that the Gods were about to give them. Hope on the other hand knew that they weren't meant to last. They were incompatible, the complete opposite of each other. She knew that if they angered the Gods more, they were going to meet their doom. She didn't want to die in the hands of the Gods but she also didn't want Chaos to suffer. So in order to save her beloved... Hope chose to die in the hands of Chaos."

Irys stopped as she stared more at the painting. "That's why the artist named it despair. I think their name was Omega?" 

Bae didn't know what to feel. It was such a sad painting that it left her speechless. All they ever wanted was to love each other but instead, this is what they got. She felt bad for them.

"Honestly, If I was Hope, I would've done the same." Irys added, earning a disapproving look from Bae.

"Hope didn't think this through. She forgot to consider what Chaos would've felt after she left." Bae protested.

"If I was Chaos, I would have killed the Gods with my own hands." She added. 

Irys only chuckled at Bae's response. But this story was indeed sad. She spent a whole night crying over a painting. It was her favorite masterpiece.

"Well, I just wish that they'd meet again. In a different life where they could love each other once more." Said Irys. 

"Yeah, that would be nice." Bae agreed.

She couldn't imagine how Chaos would've lived her life without her Hope. That kind of pain is something Bae wishes to never experience. 

After that, they decided to go back to their dorms. Bae didn't have her car with her because she went with Mumei so Irys offered to drive her back. 

The ride back home was quiet. They had small talks but most of the time they kept their mouths shut. They didn't have any energy left to communicate with each other but it was fine. After all, they had so much fun.

"We're here" The taller girl said. 

"Hey, Irys.. Thanks for today. I enjoyed it a lot." Said Bae before she got out of the car.

"No problem. Let's have another date sometime" Irys replied, earning a scoff from Bae. 

"Whatever…" Bae muttered to herself.