UNCHANGEABLE - SEULRENE

SR - beautiful dreams

"so, how's joohyun?"

seulgi eyes junmyeon, who's sitting on her sofa. she puts the can of beer in front of him. "she's... okay. you've seen each other just the other day, right? when you attended the school activity where yerim performed?"

junmyeon reaches out for his beer and nods. "yeah. i mean i want to know how she's doing. is she still feeling guilty? she's been really careful when she talks to me."

"she still feels sad sometimes whenever she thinks of you and yerim. but she's doing okay. seeing you start to move on helps her too. and she says you look more handsome after growing some stubble."

junmyeon laughs. "i'm glad she's doing well. i hope you're making her happy as you have promised."

"i'm trying my best." seulgi sits down and opens her beer. "how about you? how are you doing?"

junmyeon took a deep breath in. "better. getting better." he eyes the beer in his hand. "it's been four months. it would be a lie to say i'm a hundred per cent okay now. but i'm getting there. crying days are finally over. and joohyun's proven to me how great of a friend she can be despite what happened to us. somehow it makes me feel we're better off as friends."

"mmm-mmm. anything or anyone keeping you occupied lately?"

"i have been going out with my mates lately to have some fun." junmyeon pauses and thinks. "and then there's this fellow doctor, two years younger than i am, a divorcee, who's been my confidant after this whole ordeal blew up."

seulgi nods. "are you guys going out now?"

"well..." junmyeon shrugs. "misery loves company, you know. we haven't talked about our relationship yet, but i bet she would agree that we're filling in a void in each other's lives."

"and it helps during nighttimes, right?" seulgi smirks.

junmyeon lets out a loud laugh. "i ain't answering that." he waves his finger in the air. "but a man has his needs. a woman has her needs too."

"okay."

"by the way, how's you and joohyun after the winter school break started?"

"it's hard to see each other lately. joohyun doesn't want yerim to have suspicions."

"suspicions about?"

"about me and her mom seeing each other."

"what?" junmyeon chuckles. "she knows, man!"

"s-she knows?"

"yeah. what makes you think she doesn't know? she told me she knows whenever her mom goes out to see you cos joohyun always comes home looking happy."

seulgi looks away. "then what was the hiding all for?"

"i don't know." junmyeon shrugs. "if i were you, i'd talk to her. it's been what, four months now? i think she's starting to accept things. she even stopped trying to get her mom and me back together a few weeks back. that's a good sign."

seulgi doesn't know what to say. junmyeon's right. if yerim knows about them then what's the point of still hiding and making everything complicated for her and joohyun?

"i know you truly care for my daughter, seulgi. and i know my daughter loves you back. that's the reason she felt betrayed because she trusts you that much," says junmyeon. "but can you please try to reach out to her and fix this issue between the two of you? i know you and joohyun were waiting for things to cool down, but i seriously think now is the right time. you can't hide from yerim forever, you know."

seulgi inhales. "you're right. i'll talk to joohyun about this. and thanks for trusting me with your kid."

"only a fool wouldn't trust you even after you put your life in danger twice to save his kid."