strawberry milk | ijb + ksg.

팔.

Twirling the short goblet, Jaebum watched the cognac hued liquid submerge ice cubes for the quickest of instances before their buoyancy kicked in, each one floating delicately back to the surface. He brought the cup to his mouth, welcoming the strong and bitter taste of alcohol into his mouth and down his throat. The burn lined his tongue, but he drank the beverage like it was water—tasteless but quenching.

His dark eyes swept through the club, wincing whenever they met with bright neon lights. Loud, upbeat music mingled all around him, journeying him to another dimension where his ex-girlfriend didn't cheat on him, and he didn't see his best friend naked.

He shut his eyes, releasing a longing sigh. If he had the chance to redo time, he would. He thought of all the things he would do differently. For example, knocking on the bathroom door before entering. He scrubbed the pads of his calloused fingers on his temples, soothing a faint headache. It wasn't that he and Seulgi became awkward after the incident, but he couldn't un-see it. It was actually quite pathetic.

Throughout his young adult life, Jaebum witnessed the artwork that was the woman's body firsthand. He had multiple experiences, but when it came to his best friend, he was an inexperienced teenager all over again. He couldn't recall his first time or the last person he had in bed, but whenever he shut his eyes, even to blink, Seulgi took over.

And it wasn't just her body.

It was everything there was about her: the way her eyes creased into pretty moons when she smiled yet they twinkled like the brightest stars in the universe, the way she could look adorable one second and sexy the next—and she wasn't even trying. She was making goddamn coffee. That shouldn't be playing with his emotions, but it was!

Jaebum asked the bartender to refill his cup, craving something stronger. Alcohol always did the trick when he wanted to forget his problems. Even if it was only temporary. A temporary high was better than a night long of stress. And he didn't know why he was so tense to begin with.

No, he knew the reason, but the reason made very little sense to him.

Did he like his best friend?

Was he a walking cliche manhwa, where the main character was a dense idiot? Another troubled sigh gusted through his lungs. Probably.

Thoroughly thinking about it, despite slightly liquor induced, he was probably in love with his best friend since high school.

Suji was yelling orders at the wedding coordinators as Seulgi lingered behind, trying to avoid the line of fire. She witnessed many of her friends turn into Bridezilla when their wedding rapidly approached, and she felt the brunt of their wrath one too many times.

One employee hobbled towards Suji, holding two purple tablecloths in her arms.

Suji turned, face wrinkled with mortification. "None of those are lilac! That's violet, and that's lavender! Do none of you know how to do your jobs properly?"

The employee flinched, face blooming red. Unshed tears brandished her lower lashes.

"I'm sorry, Miss Suji, but this is all we have," she apologized in a meek tone.

Suji deeply furrowed her eyebrows, releasing an exasperated exhale. "This is why I told you to let me handle my wedding, but you insisted you had everything I needed. My wedding is in two weeks, and if I don't have lilac by then, I swear–"

Seulgi grabbed her friend by the shoulders with hopes she could talk some sense or at least calm her down before she bursts a blood vessel. "Breathe. You need to relax."

"How can I relax when I'm surrounded by insolence?!" Suji snapped, jerking herself away.

"You don't want any wrinkles or grey hair on your wedding, do you?" Seulgi asked, approaching slowly.

Reluctantly, Suji's fingers when to her scalp. She felt her thick strands of hair, examining their colour as she fanned them in front of her eyes. Nothing yet, but it wasn't a risk she was willing to take.

"Just try to get me lilac. Lavender will do if not," she dismissed the employee, finding an empty chair to drop her weight on to.

Planning a wedding was more stressful than she thought. She hated how terrible she was acting lately, but it was proving difficult to keep under control. The seat next to hers shifted. When she lifted her eyes, Seulgi offered her a warm smile. She was relieved. She was expecting to hear how impossible she was being.

She grabbed Seulgi's hands, head hung low. "Please tell me everything will go well. I just want my wedding to be amazing."

"You're marrying your favourite person. Of course it will be amazing," supported Seulgi with compassion.

"You think so?" Suji sat up straight, longingly staring around the wedding hall. "I guess you have a point, this is about marriage, not a ceremony–"

"Just a moment," Seulgi interrupted, her phone vibrating in the pocket of her jeans. She retracted it, reading the name on the screen. "It's just Jaebum. I'll call him back later." She pressed silent and laid the phone facedown on the table.

Suji flickered her sights onto the gadget, offering Seulgi's hand a reassuring squeeze. "No, answer it. It's late. Who knows what happened."

"Alright, then," Seulgi surrendered with uncertainty fluctuating her tone. She grabbed her phone, tapped on Jaebum's missed call. As it was ringing, she sandwiched the device between her ear and shoulder. "Hey, Jae–"

A female voice cut her off. "Yo!"

Confusion dawned on Seulgi's features. "Seola? Why are you calling me on Jaebum's phone? Did he lose it again?" Because he did lose it once or twice, and Seola always called her to pick it up.

"No, but he's passed out here at the club. Do you want to pick him up?"

"Passed out?" Seulgi repeated, eyebrows knotting of worry and frustration. She locked eyes with Suji, as if asking for permission to go. "I can't. I'm with Suji–"

Suji snatched her best friend's phone, pressing it to her own ear. "Seola! Keep Jaebum there. Seulgi will get him. If he ever wakes up, tell him to hide his ass or she'll kick it."

Bewilderment dawned on Seulgi's expression, jaw slack and eyes round. When Suji ended the call, Seulgi tried to process what was happening.

"Why did..." She trailed off.

Suji chuckled, shaking her head. "Your best friend is drunk out of his mind. He needs you. Go to him." She gave Seulgi a weak shove to stand.

Seulgi stuttered. "But I promised to be here for you."

"You and I both know you'll leave me for him sooner or later." Suji dropped her eyes to her long skirt, fiddling with the tiny yellow bows sewn onto the hem.

"What? No!"

Managing a smile of assurance, Suji gave her best friend's knee a chummy pat. "Do you want to know why I cheated on Jaebum?"

Further confusion loitered around Seulgi, twisting her features to various puzzled masks. The last thing she was considering was a change in topic. And the last topic she could ever think of was that.

"I mean, it's not a good reason, but do you want to know why I did it?"

Seulgi speculated, that regardless of her answer, she would find out so she nodded. She couldn't deny herself from enlightenment, anyway. For years, she desired to know what went through Suji's mind to dictate her past decisions.

Suji licked her lips, preparing to reveal the truth after keeping it hidden for so long—too long. "You."

🍓🥛

i'm sorry for the late and short update!