Can I? | SEULRENE

Chapter XXII

Irene's POV

"Jo, lunch?" Alexis asked, while I'm fixing my stuffs. Class just ended. I look over to her direction. Sierra's already waiting for her too, she's not batting an eye for me though.

"No, sorry. I have other plans." I said and gave her an apologetic smile.  I reach for my phone in my bag... Seulgi must be waiting already.

As I was about to walk ahead I got blocked. When I look up to see who it is...

"Come on Jo. It's been almost two weeks since that proposal. You two should talk. You can't keep avoiding each other." Alexis said.

"I'm not avoiding her, lex." I said. I look over to my phone. I saw a text message from Seulgi that she'll just wait at the parking area. "Look. I really have to go..."

"If you're not really avoiding her, then have lunch with us this time." I look up to her. Seulgi's waiting, Joohyun. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry but I really have plans already. Maybe next time?" I walk passed by her.

"Surely that's not as important." I stopped at that. I face them.

"You're right." I said. It's more important. I saw how Alexis' aura brightened at that. "I'll see you around girls." I said.

"Huh? Where are you going?"

"Going out for lunch?" I questioned.

"Then why are you bidding for goodbye?"

"Because I'm going out with someone else. Excuse me." I said.

Before Alexis could speak again my phone rang. I answered it as soon as I saw the caller ID.

"It's lunch time already, love. Where are you? You only have limited time to eat. Come now." I smiled, hearing that.

"I'm on my way. I just had a talk with someone." I reasoned.

"Don't run, I'll wait here. See you."

"See you." she ended the call there. I look over to my friends. They are  now looking at each other.

"I really have to go now." I said to them. I didn't let one of them speak anymore. I just went and walk out of the room.

When I reach the parking area, I automatically saw where her car was.  As soon as I entered and take a seat, she leaned over and wear the seatbelt on me.

"No proposals?" I chuckled hearing that.

"Are seriously going to ask me that every time you come pick me up?" I said.

"Yes." she face me. She's too close now. I look down her lips. "He's too persistent for me to just stay pu--" I captured her lips with mine.

"I love you." I said to her.

"And my lips." she said as she back out and wears her own seatbelt.

"You're right." I admit. She then started the engine and drive off.

"I called them to ready the food already." she said.

A week ago she brought me to this restaurant, near the University, for lunch. It was own by her Aunt and by the time we got here, food were already prepared for us. She said. It's better to eat there than to line up in the cafeteria, with the time that I have every lunch break. So, everyday she come to Uni to eat lunch with me. She calls the restaurant  first before coming here.

"You'll be coming back to Uni next week." I said to her.

"Yes! Can you believe it? It's been a month now." She exicitedly said. Of course she'll miss school, she's Kang Seulgi.

"Can I ask you something?" I said. She give me a glimpse before saying yes. "That incident, why did you do it? You were not the type to do such thing."

"Honestly, I did it 'cause I can't stand what was happening that time. I badly want to take you out of that situation, but I was holding myself back because I didn't have the right to get involve that time. So I just planned on exiting, to avoid doing something. Yet I still end up doing something, without getting involve." she did do it for me.

I didn't want to assume things that time, when I heard her lowkey admitting it to one of her friend in a phone call. I see no reason why she would really do that for me, that's why I just shake it off my mind. Turns out it was really because of me.

"But you end up getting in a huge trouble." I said. "How did you explain it to Uncle and Auntie?"

"I told them before the University's faculty did. They didn't mind it at all. Oppa even said it was a pretty impressive thing for me to do." I was shocked hearing that. Seriously?

"It was a first wasn't it?" For them to be chill about it, it must be her first trouble.

"Actually it was the second time I got into trouble, my whole life." she said "I think I was 8 then when the first one happened. It was at an event. I can still remember it. I broke a million dollar worth of vase, as to what I've remembered. Only Grandda and Dad knew about it, they settled it privately with the owner." I felt the car stopped.

It was just a quick ride since it was close to the campus. We both went out of the car and walk our way inside the restaurant. The staff greeted us before guiding us to our table. Like how it's been for the past days, our lunch were already served at the table.

"Got traumatized that you didn't get your self into trouble again for the next years?" I teased her. I took my seat.

"No." She said calmly. "The owner actually thank me for it." Huh? "Start eating now." I smile as she put some food on my plate.

"Didn't you said it was worth a million?" I asked her before I eat.

"It wasn't what's important for the owner that time. That event was in chaos. I only remember someone died that time." I paused hearing that. I look up to her, expecting her to tell me more about it. "It wasn't my intention to get involve. I got lost inside a mansion, the next thing happened was I was in this hallway already. I then saw this girl running down the same hallway, opposite as me, she came out from one of the rooms there. I was about to call her to ask for help, but a man came out just after her from that room." I held my breath at the familiarity of her story.

"I saw her hide at the closet at the end of the hallway." This time, I breath heavily. I stopped eating. "For her to hide in that closet, I knew she needed help. At that time I had this thing Grandda always gave to me at those type of events. He said to press the button there if I got in to trouble. I didn't press it when I got lost, because I didn't believe it would really be of help. But at that time I pressed it multiple times, as I was slowly walking back. I just watched the guy walk his way to that closet, afraid that if I take my eyes off him I would miss the chance to help the girl inside that closet. When he got near already, I panicked. I got stumbled up at this stand, while I was walking back. I look at it and there was this vase on top of it."

"At that time all I could think of was to divert that man's attention from the closet, that ended up me pushing that vase off and let it fall. When I saw him paused I ran as fast as I could, still pressing that toy like Grandda gave. Thankfully, as I ran to every corner of that mansion I--- Hey love, are you okay?"

That's when I realized I was crying already. Tears started to fell from my eyes non-stop. I took in a deep breath, wanting to calm myself down. I thought I'm done with this already. Her story just triggered something I thought I forgot already.

"Love?" I felt Seulgi cupped my face with both her hands and made me face her to the side. "Is there something wrong?" I look at her. Before I knew it pulled her in to and embrace. "Love, I'm getting worried now. What is it?" I tighten my hug.

"D-did you got hurt?" I asked. I want to know.

"Love, what do you--"

"Did that man caught you?" I badly want to know. I felt her rub my back.

"No, my love. He didn't." I sighed in relief.

"Thank God." I said. The guilt I would have felt, if she got hurt too.

It was her. It was her who saved me that night. The night my mother died.