Seulki runs into an old "friend"
Seulki smiled happily under her mask. She had managed to sneak away from the dorm, unnoticed. It wasn't that she wanted to cause any trouble; she just wanted a few hours to herself. Without 7 grown men interrupting her quiet time. It was the best time for her to find inspiration as well to write new lyrics and a way for her to just relax like a normal 22-year-old. Well, as normal as her life could get at this point.
She found a small café that seemed to be hidden away and thought that it would be the perfect place to be able to sit and relax without being noticed. She walked in, the smell of coffee beans hitting her nose. She ordered her caramel latte, wanting to switch it up from her usual Americano, in hopes of the new flavor offering her more inspiration. She had wanted to write her solo song on her own, without the help of their producers or Joon. She wanted it to encase just how grateful she was for the 7 boys she'd had the pleasure of living with the past 7 years.
"Sarah!" The barista yelled out and Seulki held back her giggle, walking up and grabbing her drink. She settled into one of the small round tables in the back, pulling out her notebook and just doodling for now, occasionally sipping her drink. She sighed after a few minutes, leaning back in her chair and staring out the window, people watching. She loved being an idol and she loved her job, but sometimes, as anyone would imagine, she wished this could be something she did daily.
She heard a few of the customers start whispering and she adjusted the hat on her head and her mask, worried that she had been recognized. She mentally prepared for the interruption of peace she currently had but her eyes shot up once someone called out a name. "You're Soojin? From that new drama?" Her hazel eyes met the ones of Soojin, her old member, her old friend. Well, she didn't really think Soojin considered her a friend anymore. She hasn't for years.
She saw Soojin smile brightly, signing some autographs and taking some pictures with her fans. She must have felt Seulki's intense glare because her brown orbs met Seulki's hazel ones and a look of disgust formed on her face for a split second. Seulki couldn't deny the pang of hurt she felt and quickly averted her gaze back to her notebook, fiddling with her sleeves. "Fancy meeting you here." She heard the snarky voice of her former friend.
She plastered a smile on her face, even though her mask was covering it and looked up to meet Soojin's gaze. "Soo, it's been a while." She said quietly and Soojin snorted, sipping her drink. "Only 7 years." Seulki shrugged her shoulders, an awkward silence taking over the two for a moment. "I see that Bangtan is doing pretty well these years." Soojin sighed, placing her chin in her hand and staring at the small girl in front of her.
Seulki shrugged again, she wasn't one to boast. Especially not with how Soojin had reacted when she was first accepted into the group. "We're making our way, I guess." Soojin snorted again, rolling her eyes. "Please. We all know you're not that humble, Seulki." Her eyes shot up, narrowing slightly at the girl in front of her. "But, I guess despite how well they're doing, they still can't seem to help you out any."
Seulki cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?" Soojin smirked, crossing her arms on top of the table. "Your nose is still crooked. Obviously they aren't forcing you to cover up your eyes, it makes you stand out. People probably watch because of how freaky you look." Seulki clenched her hands into fists on her lap, staring down at her notebook. But she didn't say anything.
"Don't they have enough to hire a nutritionist? A good one? I mean, you look so much bigger than the last time we saw each other. Do you have no sense at all? Aren't you supposed to be a role model? And don't even get me started on your face. I see plastic surgery wasn't in the agenda. You still have the acnes scars." Seulki took a deep breath, digging her nails into her palms. She looked up at Soojin, someone who was once her best friend in the whole world. Heart breaking as this is how it was to be now.
"I liked your new drama," Seulki said quietly, meeting her eyes. Soojin looked shocked for a moment. Maybe she had expected Seulki to lash out, but she should have known better. Seulki was not one to lash out. At least not in public. "Well, it was one of my best performances so far." She said, standing up. "We should catch up again later, friend. I have more important things to do right now. Bye!" Soojin waltzed out of the little shop, relishing in the attention she had drawn to herself.
Seulki pulled her cap down and adjusted her mask, not having the stomach to finish the sugary drink anymore. She shoved her stuff into her bag and quickly made her way back to the dorm. Soojin's words echoed around her head, on replay. Seulki shuddered. She had sounded just like Ringa did back then and she wasn't sure if that broke her heart more. She avoided looking at her reflection in the windows, keeping her head down until she reached their dorm, walking in and slipping her shoes off.
"Where were you?" Namjoon asked, surprised no one had noticed a missing member. "Out." She replied and made her way to her room without anymore explanation. Namjoon shrugged, figuring it was just that time of the month. Seulki stripped down to her bra and panties, looking at herself in the full-length mirror. She pinched the love handles, her stomach, stretched her cheeks out, inspected her face with all the acne scars, looked at her crooked nose and her dead hair. Her eyes. The most different thing about her out of almost everyone in Korea. The damn hazel eyes.
She quickly moved across the room, pulling out the colored contacts she had accidentally taken from their music video shoot a few days ago and popped them in, still frowning. Her eyes were brown now, but you could still see the hint of blueish-green in them. She heard a knock at the door and Namjoon popped his head in, yelling and turning around, the tips of his ears turning red. "Jin-hyung just wanted me to tell you dinners ready! I didn't know you weren't dressed. I'm sorry!"
Seulki chuckled a little, pulling on her shorts and a hoodie. "It's fine, oppa. I didn't even hear you knock. I'm actually not feeling to well right now, I'll skip out on dinner tonight. I'm just gonna try to rest." Namjoon turned to look at her, face still a little flushed and raised an eyebrow. "Do you want one of us to take you to the doctor?" She shook her head. "No, no. I think it just might be a cold. I'll take some medicine and rest, I'll be fine by tomorrow." Namjoon looked unsure, but ultimately nodded. "Alright. Get some rest."
Seulki sighed as he closed the door, walking towards the bathroom and standing on the scale.
59 kilograms.
