Dirty (Seulrene Fanfiction)

-12-

Speak your fears, mend your wounds

"So...how exactly should we do this?"

The question was posed with the smooth delicacy of a quiet midsummer night and yet my entire body reactively weighted itself down in tensed trepidation.

We were huddled in the backyard of the Bae residence, planted on top of a freshly coated rosewood deck that sloped over the impressively massive pool region. Irene sat adjacent from me, her school attire swapped for a simple t-shirt and jeans combination while I remained in my wrinkled uniform. The decorative flowered centerpiece that usually adorned the glass patio table had been pushed to the side to make room for an immensely different kind of centerpiece—one that silently wailed for my attention.

A familiar blue-tinted bottle etched with golden studded labeling mockingly reigned within my main focal point.

I swallowed back the ugly lump of nerves suddenly engorging my throat, my body progressively sinking into the rough padding of the wicker patio chair as if I were being submerged within quicksand.

Why can't I move...?

"Seulgi?"

My attention shifted to Irene who graciously gifted me one of her many compassionate expressions I really wish she'd keep to herself.

The level of vulnerability those blazing green eyes belted upon me proved time and time again far too intense for me to bear in a single setting.

God, I was already her awestricken fool—must she weaken me further?

"How would you like to do this...?" Irene nervously reiterated, switching in her seat as her slender fingers thoughtlessly toyed at the jagged armrests.

"Doesn't matter to me..." I grumbled under my breath.

I've been dreading this moment.

The entirety of the day was spent with me festering about from class to class a panicky mess, desperately willing any entity lingering among the universe's plane to slow the inevitable drive of time.

As the hours agonizingly drifted along, my impending doom continued to ruthlessly storm cloud around me.

She just had to stay true to her word, hadn't she?

I hoped for once her annoyingly reliable self would fail to rise to the occasion, but surprise, surprise—little miss perfect problem-solver managed to find a way.

I wasn't sure if I favored this trait of hers anymore.

Fuck.

This is it.

I have to face it now.

I've exhausted my excuses, bear trapped myself from escape, completely enslaved by a fiery gaze—I have to face this.

I have to face her.

Park Kyungri.

Although this time only within my subconscious, she managed to shred my life to shambles—ruin me through the faintest of memories.

I needed to do this.

I needed to seize back that fraction of adolescence she stripped from me.

Adolescence I feared I'd never get back...

This must be faced.

But it was still so incredibly frightening.

The odd bright side of it all was that I could now justify actually being within Irene's presence. Her luminous warmth bundled me in a comfort I hadn't allowed myself to feel in a very long time.