it was saturday night, at the usual venue when irene decided to came to her gig, after almost a year. she quickly found her circle of gig friends. everyone did not expect her to come, of course. 

(it was kind of surprising.)

"she invited me, so that won't hurt," irene shrugged it off like usual, did not want for her friends to catch up her real feelings. 

(and maybe, she did a good job hiding it.)

when her band went up the stage, irene can not help but feel proud. they had come this far from being nobodies to somebody.

 

 

when her band finished their performance, irene did not expect seulgi to be next to her.

"hey, long time no see,"

irene gave her a side hug, trying to shake off the awkwardness between them and it received well by the taller.

jennie did a good job giving irene and seulgi a good amount of space from them (and irene thanked her in her mind)

"i thought you wouldn't come,"

"i should come! i support you way before when we're together."

together.

seulgi's heart felt like it was poked for a moment.

"yeah, i'm so stupid," seulgi tried to play dumb, chuckled sheepishly to the grinning older.

"so, would you like to come to the afterparty? krystal said she misses you,"

well, do you?

irene wanted to say it badly but she did not.

 

"sure,"

 

---

i can't stay mad at you. how can i, when you were used to be my sanctuary?

 

as usual, the afterparty was held at the band's drummer, taeyong's, which was only 30 minutes drive from the gig venue. sure, irene met everyone she knew, some old friends, and someone she did not expect at all. 

"is that rosé?" jennie bumped her shoulder to irene, which made the older look at the said girl. 

"what is she doing here?" irene hisses, felt her blood boil seeing the girl that broke her.

"she's with....... seulgi now," 

irene felt her heart stopped for a moment.

right after jisoo told the news, seulgi came to rosé, hugging the taller tightly.

irene knew rosé saw her, and irene felt like her heart got smacked and kicked when the couple kissed in front of her.

irene turned her head away, taking the nearest drink she could find. 

"hey, that's so unexpected," seulgi breathes, letting herself from rosé a good amount of distance. 

"i missed you, baby. and clearly her, too," 

seulgi turned her gaze to the older chugging a fruit punch before glaring to her girl in front of her. "you did this for a reason."

"come on, seulgi. exes can't be friends, you know that," 

"this is not a ing highschool anymore, chaeyoung. and you know that," the taller hissed before moving towards irene. "we need to talk," 

 

"you need to back off."

finally, wendy came into the picture. 

(maybe irene will thank jisoo later for calling wendy.)

"irene, i need to talk to you,"

"clearly, she didn't want to, you ,"
wendy came face to face with seulgi, glaring at each other. 

before things got messy, taeyong and johnny quickly hold seulgi and wendy. 

"that's it, you two. stop acting like teenagers,"

"seriously, 'rene? wendy? you gotta kidding me," seulgi chuckled dryly, balling her fists.

"shut the up, seulgi. at least i'm there when she needs me." wendy replies back with same energy, then smirked in satisfaction when she saw the taller boiled in anger.

"okay, okay, stop, both of you. wendy, please take irene home." johnny patted the said girl's shoulder, before letting her go. she then took irene's hand, walking to the front door. 

"thanks, wendy." irene hugged wendy's arm tightly, holding her tears from the many eyes on the house. 

"i'm always here, unnie."

 

(wendy knew that from this moment, she will hug irene tighter, kiss her harder. 

because she loves her.)