A childhood friend. My almost lover.
As far as I could remember, that’s what I considered Joo-hyun to be, even if she was just three years older than I was. I mean, we always got along super well, and… even through the hardships, we were there for each other. Joo-hyun is my best friend after all.
Or so I thought...
She was my best friend. I used to love her.
I’m writing this in the dark on a piece of paper a guard slid to me. I hope it gets out to someone.
To whoever finds this:
Please help me.
I don’t know how much longer I have left.
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It was true, that at one point, Kang Seulgi and Bae Joo-hyun were best friends.
Truth be told, there was a long while where Seulgi actually loved the other woman. The two spent a huge portion of their childhood together, either chasing each other out in the gardens or inside and cozied up next to each other with books. The two were inseparable for the longest time, until their mid teens. It was the last time that Seulgi had seen the girl she so lovingly nicknamed Irene. She knew things were rough where Irene was from, but did not expect her to have gone missing for such a long time.
In those years, Seulgi allowed herself to clear her mind of any darkened thoughts about Irene possibly having been dead. She breathed in rather deeply, and exhaled the same way. The calmer she could stay, the easier it would be to think about everything. Whereas Irene was war-stricken and fighting for her dear life, Seulgi was calmly walking to the river’s edge and sitting with her feet submerged in the water. It became a matter of the two being from vastly different backgrounds, and it was such that became the failure to understand each other.
It was in those teenage years that Seulgi deepened her love for nature.
It was one of the things her and Irene always shared, especially when they were kids. Most of the time, the two could be found running around in the gardens as young girls. From the sweet smell of the flowers to the relaxing feel of the rain as the drops hit her skin; it was those memories that kickstarted Seulgi’s love for the outdoors.
Irene was a little different, but the same in that manner of loving being outside.
She truly did enjoy being outdoors, but in a more controlled sense. Gardens and things of the sort were her ideal cup of tea, in comparison to her much happier counterpart. Seulgi’s love was more for the open woods; the places where one could get lost and explore the land with no worry in the world. In a way, it rubbed off on Irene and she had a little soft spot for it. With how much time she spent with Seulgi, it was no surprise she picked up an interest or two from her younger counterpart.
In her teenage years, Irene’s home was struck by a terrible civil war, and it lasted years upon years. Not even her family, who tried to maintain peace, were truly safe from the looming threat. This is where Irene grew to be different from Seulgi, and began to be influenced by more sinister thoughts. Irene’s every day was full of the need for survival. There was no sleep for the once joyful girl as she became full of fear, and eventually, became bloodthirsty.
Smoke and ashes at every corner, blood flowing like rivers down the streets and paths, countless bodies dropping left and right. At the peak of it, Irene felt like cannon fodder. She was wary of the people around her. Any person that came her way was met with an unnatural hostility that was going to become a shock for Seulgi to witness it. There was a moment in time where Irene had told herself that maybe it would be over soon, that she could wipe the blood off of her hands and go freely; that time was never going to come. Not even the sweetest perfumes could rid the stench of blood off of her hands.
The winds were just howling through her ears one night. The sky was clear, but the gusts were making her hair fly behind her person. Her family’s treasured Falchion’s hilt was gleaming under the moonlight, as well as the scabbard. The Falchion was a custom blade, being double-edged instead of single, and a lot lighter and thinner. However, the weight did not compromise its lethality. Hearing heavy footsteps behind her, the now twenty-four year old Irene stopped in her tracks and only allowed for her side profile to be visible. This was definitely a threat coming her way, but she was still going to be reasonable.
Who was she kidding, reason was not in her mind. It was survival, and it was going to be her that came out on top.
As the figure came her way, Irene’s left hand reached for the hilt of the Falchion and swung outwards and in a backwards motion. It was such a sudden movement that it managed to cut about half an inch into the neck of her assailant. Messily getting her blade back, she heard a thud followed by cries. The hands of the young man she had just so carelessly struck were at his neck in a desperate attempt to stop the mass bleeding. But Irene turned around, and her eyes were narrowed. Those dark irises that once held kindness held no more sympathy for the fallen.
As the stained silver rose up, the young man began to cry out louder, but it was all to no sort of avail and entirely useless if one was being honest.
The pained screams for mercy were choked out and cut short when the blade was thrust through the rib cage of the wailing man. The cracking and breaking of the bones was almost music to Irene’s ears at this point. The blood that sprayed everywhere for a few seconds soon began to pool underneath the body on the cobblestone street. It was a good thing she decided to take his life, because upon kicking open his trench coat, she found a holstered firearm of sorts. Seeing no one was around, Irene kneeled down near the crimson pool and began to search the body for other things.
It was her versus the world in her eyes.
And if that meant she had to slaughter to keep herself alive, she would turn everyone to sacrificial lambs.
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When Seulgi had gotten word that the war was over, she immediately wrote to Irene. She missed the woman, and deeply so. This was her best friend– nay, this was someone she could hope to be lovers with after being close for so long. Seulgi remembers it too, how the joy was tremendous to the point she almost cried. No, she did cry. It was a relief to hear that the war over in Irene’s home was over and done with. Little did Seulgi realize that war had changed her beloved Irene, and for the worst.
When the letter came in that Irene was coming to visit, Seulgi was overjoyed. But Irene wasn’t coming for Seulgi, no… she wasn’t heading there for her best friend. She was there for the land. The riches. She was there for Seulgi’s power, and to bring Seulgi down. Make an example of the woman, and use her to make the point that those in power were all corrupt. Rather, Irene was going to find a way to do that to Seulgi. She knew, and was quite aware of the fact that Seulgi had always been a merciful royal of sorts. Tarnishing the image of the innocent was going to be no easy feat, but Irene was sure that she could do it with no sort of struggle.
Even if it hurt her on the inside.
A small part of her would always hurt. That small part did love Seulgi, and in fact, did want to see a future with the other woman.
But when the consequences become dire and all one knows is how to kill and survive, the choices that are the most difficult are the ones that have to be made. Sometimes, there is no easy way out.
Seulgi’s mind was racing, and so was she. Quite literally, the queen was hugging the letter she had received and laughing. Her happiness truly was something to be infectious, because everyone from the royal crownsguard to the servants she didn’t even call servants. She was essentially determined to give everyone the best life possible. It was the legacy her parents left behind, and it was the legacy she would continue on. Pulling in one of the crownsguard members into a tight hug, Seulgi can’t help the smile on her face. “Just get the dining hall ready! Please! I have so much I have to write down!” And like that, the woman was down the hall and still running.
A confused Yeri just shrugs and heads on her way to do what Seulgi asked.
Joy’s hand came up to Irene’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re positive you want to do this? You’ve known this woman for… years, Joo-hyun. She’s been your best friend all this time. She always writes to you and tries to keep you informed of what she does. I’m not sure if taking advantage of that is such a good thing.”
“And since when did you grow a heart, Sooyoung?” Irene’s cold eyes met Joy’s.
“...right, my apologies, Her Highness. We’ll surround the city’s walls on your command. My men are at your beck and call,” Joy hardened her demeanor up. Even she wasn’t quite on board with this plan. When Irene had brought up how she was going to siege Seulgi’s home, Joy felt her heart drop. She had remembered how Seulgi had been so kind to Irene, and now this was happening? It made her sick to her stomach, in a way. Though it pained her to have to listen to Irene, it pained her even more that she had no potential of warning Yeri so that she could save Seulgi. If any word got to Seulgi, whether by Yeri or Wendy, it would spell the end of Joy’s life.
And she witnessed Irene commit many a murder. The woman was not afraid to face death head on.
Backing away from Irene, Joy began to pace around the table to keep her mind busy. She was almost certain that what she was looking at was a plan to the interior of the manor gates. Gulping, she speaks up in a slightly shaky voice. The hesitation of wanting to do this was present. She indeed was a lot more emotional than her counterpart before her. “S-So… how do you plan to get us through the city’s outer walls and the gates of the manor?”
“Simple, Sooyoung,” Irene unsheathes the Falchion and allows the tip of the blade to land where she would be standing. “Quite simple, actually. As far as the lovely Lady Kang knows, only you and I will be showing up. You distract that Yeri girl, and I take Lady Kang to her chambers for what seems like an innocent talk. From there...” the tip of the Falchion slides to where Yeri and Joy should be. “...I give you the signal. You simply subdue Yeri to render her unconscious, and use all means to tell the others to move onward with the siege. Since I’ll have Lady Kang distracted… she won’t have a chance to fight back.”
“Not that she would fight back to begin with. She’s never been the type to fight. She’s a pacifist, Joo-hyun. You can’t expect a pacifist to be violent. That’s like… telling a vegan to eat meat.”
“I know, which makes this plan all the easier to perfectly execute and not have to worry about any loose ends,” Irene’s eyes look up at Joy’s frozen-with-fear eyes. Her lips curl up into a devious grin. “Sooyoung, we take her power… we have everything we ever wanted and more. Land, money… the sheer control of people. They will be at our will. Don’t you want to command an army so vast that any opposition trembles before us? We won’t be those war-torn girls anymore. We won’t be weak anymore! They will fear us! We will finally be safe! Isn’t that what you want?”
A sharp inhale from Joy. There was only one right answer to this, and she knew if she dared to disagree, that her head would be rolling on the floor.
“Being safe is nice. Okay, okay… fine, Joo-hyun. I’ll join your stupid plan.”
“Thought so. Ready your men for two days from now, Sooyoung. And make sure your gunblade is ready. We only take Lady Kang and Commander Kim prisoner. Everyone else falls to the slaughter like lambs,” Irene sheathes the Falchion and releases a quiet sigh. “You almost had me fooled, you know. I really thought you weren’t going to go through with my idea. And I like having you around, Sooyoung. I don’t want to throw you out to the wolves to die.”
“...thanks, Joo-hyun. That’s so sweet of you… y’know, not throwing me out to the wolves.”
“Least I could do. I hope to see your best, my dearest Commander. Don’t let me down, and don’t fail at any costs. Again, I actually like having you around,” Irene hums to herself, hand resting on the hilt of the Falchion as she paced around the room. It was unsettling for Joy, but she would just accept it and move on. Truth be told, she would end up trying to warn Yeri anyways. Just how Seulgi and Irene had been friends since their childhoods, the same could be said for Yeri and Joy.
Was she really about to have to kill her own best friend that she spoke to through the modern day?
A voice began to nag inside of her head.
“Is it worth it, Sooyoung? Is it truly worth it? Is Joo-hyun’s fit of anger truly worth a human life?”
“It never has been. But war changes people…”
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Those two days approached by a little faster than one would like. On the day of Joo-hyun’s siege, Sooyoung was wide awake earlier than normal. Her eyes would not come off of her gunblade. The thing that made her the most unsettled about all of this was the open chamber for the bullets. Not only did she not want to fire upon anyone, she definitely did not want to use that against any other people. It was either that, or she would use the halberd she grew up using. Though knowing Irene’s demands…
“And make sure your gunblade is ready.”
...she would be forced to bring it with her.
Joy’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach with all of the lingering doubt. She knew Irene had gone insane years ago. Hell, everyone around them knew– the woman relentlessly murdered for fun at this point, and no one could really stop her.
Just as Joy was wide awake and having an internal monologue, Seulgi herself was wide awake with excitement. Her eyes scanned over that letter Irene had sent as a response after years and years of not hearing from the other woman.
슬기:
Had surviving not kept me busy, I would’ve written much sooner. It’s been a long time, my Seulbear.
I’ve gotten every single letter. All of them, from the very first day. I appreciate you still writing and thinking about me. I owe you a visit, I really do. I’m sure you’ve heard, but my family and I were stuck in a terrible civil war for years when we were just teenagers, Seul. I’ve only just now managed to regain peace and control of the land.
It’s been nice to see you’ve been okay all these years. Your letters brought back home and comfort in a time and in a space when none of that existed for me. They reminded me of the old days, and how we spent all of our time in the gardens and roaming outside. You always lived in a very nice city.
I remember when home was as pretty as yours has always been.
It’s a lot to unpack. Some things are better left spoken rather than written, yeah?
See you soon, Seulgi. I’ll always remain your Irene.
-주현
PS: I still love the fact you nicknamed me Irene as a kid. I will never let go of that nickname nor that fond memory.
“Seulbear…” A smile crept upon Seulgi’s face. “It’s been years since I last heard that name. She still remembers it. And we see each other after… wow… almost thirteen years. I bet she’s as pretty as she used to be. No, no Seulgi. She’s definitely gorgeous. Ah, sheesh… what am I doing? It’s so early in the morning… I need sleep.” Setting the piece of paper down on her nightstand, Seulgi ran a hand through her hair and glanced over to the window. The sun hadn’t even bothered to touch the horizon just yet.
Falling back down onto the bed, Seulgi stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes, had one looked at her, saw the wonder and the overwhelming excitement. Had Irene seen her, she would’ve said Seulgi held the galaxies in her eyes. Well, the Irene from their childhood would’ve said that. The Irene from now wasn’t quite the lover anymore. The woman lost touch with her humanity after the second year of being stuck in that war.
When the sun rose and filtered in through the window, a knock on the door was what got a disheveled Seulgi to sit right up. On the other side of the door was Kim Ye-rim, better known as Yeri to Seulgi. “Seul? Hey, wake up! It’s almost ten in the morning! And also, I’m coming in.”
Brushing her hair back with her hands, Seulgi sleepily looks up to the opening door with a grin. “Hmmmm? Yeri?”
“Yeah. Morning, Seul. Something keep you up all night? You’re not one to sleep in like this.”
“No, no… just woke up earlier than normal and fell back asleep, is all. Aside from the obvious agenda with Joo-hyun and Sooyoung coming to visit, what else is there for today?” The once human burrito was now out of her blankets and standing up, arms stretching upwards. Yeri’s gaze went to the window before going to Seulgi’s face again, with a shrug being the only true response.
“Not much, apparently. Everything’s almost set, though. So, Joo-hyun and Sooyoung will definitely have a warm welcome. Man, Seul… it’s been years since I last saw Sooyoung. I have to contain my excitement though, I’m your personal Crownsguard.”
Rolling her eyes, Seulgi walked past Yeri with a smile on her face. “Loosen up a little, Ye-rim! Have some fun with it. You’re seeing your best friend after years, and I…” The pause. Seulgi realizes that she’s never told Yeri about her feelings for Irene. “I… uh… yeah! I see my best friend too. So, things are great and lively. No need to be so serious, the formalities don’t really come until later.”
Yeri’s eyes narrow as she scans Seulgi up and down, watching how her facial expression changed during that pause and how her cheeks dusted over with a light pink. “You love Joo-hyun, don’t you?”
A defeated look. “Yeah, yeah… I do. I fell in love with her years ago, Yeri. Even if she’s always been my best friend, something… something just felt right about her. It still does, and I can’t really ignore it at this point. I didn’t just write those letters for her to know that her best friend still thinks about her. Some of those were–”
“Subtle ways of confessing your love without actually facing her. Clever, but also idiotic. Just tell her up front, Seulgi. Really, what’s the worst that can happen?”
Oh, if only the two knew of the dire consequences coming their way. Being naïve was about to present itself in the ugliest form possible, and neither of them were ready for it.
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Upon Irene and Joy’s arrival to the city, the doors of the manor were opened for the two to walk through. Joy was rather impressed with the elegance, while Irene forced a pleased expression onto her face. She would only really be pleased to hear the cries of mercy and help from Seulgi.
“Her Majesty. Commander Park,” Yeri bows towards Irene, and extends her arm out towards Joy, with Joy returning the handshake.
“Commander Kim. It’s been years, hasn’t it?”
“I suppose it has.”
“And where’s Lady Kang, Commander?”
“Right, she’ll be out–”
“In a moment,” Seulgi’s smile could outrival the sun if anything. “Irene, it’s so good to see you again. And I extend my greetings to you too, Sooyoung. Yeri tells me you go by Joy in casual conversation?”
A nod. “I do, yes. Actually, I was wondering if I could speak to Yeri in private.”
“No need for the question. Lady Bae and I have our own conversation that needs to be held. Long overdue, if anything. We’ll be sure to call if something arises.”
Joy’s heart went still for a moment. Seulgi’s kindness and hospitality was endearing, and Irene still wanted to bring her down? It began to make her mind race. Was she truly on the right side here? Should she help out Irene with her sinister desires, or help Yeri and Seulgi by preventing the oncoming attack on the city?
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“Seulbear, it really has been years,” Irene pulls Seulgi into a tight hug and smiles. The woman’s acting was impeccable. “How have you been? Aside from the letters?”
“Ah, well,” Seulgi feels herself melt in the embrace. “Things have been okay. I’ve been okay too. If you know me well enough, you know I’m always outdoors. Yeri has to essentially drag me back inside whenever we go out. I haven’t really changed, Irene. You… how are you doing? I remember it was difficult getting letters through to you when the war first broke out.”
“Recovering, Seulgi. I’m recovering, to say the least of it. Witnessing so much destruction and violence takes a toll on someone. Really, I’m so sorry I haven’t responded to your letters.” The lies were like a trap coated in honey, and Seulgi was being lured in. Irene had all of the time to respond, she just chose not to. Though, now that she thought about it… entertaining the thought of playing with someone’s mind was becoming an amusing thing. “I’m glad I was able to find the peace of mind and time to finally do so.”
“I am too, if I’m being honest. As long as you’re safe and sound. I knew and believed you were always alive, I would never think you’re dead. Though, the first two years had me thinking such. I really did miss you, Joo-hyun.”
Irene’s smile looked so warm and gentle. Seulgi was right about her murmurs from earlier in the day, the woman she loved truly had become gorgeous. And as far as she knew, this was still the same Irene from their childhood in terms of personality. This was still the gentle spirited, bashful Irene she last remembered. Pulling Seulgi into another hug, Irene let out a soft chuckle. “I missed you too, Seulgi. I really missed having you around.”
As the door behind them closed, Joy looked over at the distracted Yeri.
She just hoped and prayed her best friend would forgive her for the unfathomable sin she was about to commit.
Reaching for the grip of the gunblade, Joy was quick to unsheathe that weapon and point it at Yeri with no hesitation. There was a quiver coming to her lips, but she had to speak without making it obvious. Yeri reached back for her axe, but stopped when she saw the barrel of the gunblade aimed right between her eyes. “Ye-rim, please… I beg. Don’t fight back… I don’t want to kill you. Please, please… don’t make me kill you. I can’t handle taking my best friend’s life.”
“Sooyoung–”
“Hush, Ye-rim… I’m so sorry it has to be this way.”
“Sooyoung, no–” Yeri began to run towards Joy with a purpose, but that was cut short as the revolver grip met Yeri’s temple and rendered her unconscious in mere seconds. Joy was shaking from having done that, but she didn’t want to die– nor did she want to kill her best friend. Bringing her free hand up to her ear, a shaky finger presses a small button on an earpiece.
“She’s out, Joo-hyun.”
That was enough for Irene to smile wide. The sweet smile began to become sinister. And much to Seulgi not knowing, Joy was outside and having to gun people down. Shot after shot, Joy was wanting to cry. The unconscious Yeri wasn’t going to wake up any time soon, and anyone who came Joy’s way got a bullet to the head or a blade slicing through their neck. Outside though, the scene was much darker and drastic than the murder spree indoors.
The smoke and wind began to cover up the once sunny sky. It was anyone’s worst nightmare:
Watching their home fall prey to the clutches of war.
Fires began to roar outside, people began to scream, and this was not going to get to Seulgi for a couple of minutes.
“Seulgi, do you remember the old days? Before I was stuck home for years?”
A laugh escaped from Seulgi. Her hand rested on top of Irene’s, with Irene interlocking their fingers together. “I do, and quite fondly. Those days were the best, Irene. Where we didn’t have to worry about stupid things. We could be free– nay, we were free! We were free to roam about and enjoy our time outside as if the world was in our hands.”
“Much simpler times. I truly do miss it. Do you remember the long hours we used to spend in the garden? Or walking out towards the woods? You would never want to go home, you always said–”
“The outdoors is my home. I love being outside, I always have. Nature’s been calling my name since I was born,” Seulgi leans on Irene, resting her head on her shoulder. “You would laugh at me every time I said it…”
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“Hyunnie! Look!” A young Seulgi tugged on the sleeve of the slightly older Joo-hyun to get her attention, pointing to a lake not far off from where they stood. “Maybe we can go to the lake and take pictures of it.”
The older girl just chuckled and nodded. “Over there, Seulbear?”
“Aw, no fair. You always have a nickname for me. Hmmm… I got it! Irene.”
“Irene?”
“Irene, yeah! It’s unique. It’ll be my name for you, just how you call me Seulbear. It’s not very cute or creative, but… I think it means a lot, and that’s all that matters.”
Joo-hyun’s lips curled up into a smile as she began to laugh. Seulgi felt herself tear up, but those tears went away when the older girl pulled her into a hug. It took her by surprise that her older counterpart loved the name. Tightening the hug on the younger girl, Joo-hyun didn’t let go of her best friend. “I love it, Seulgi. We’ll be Irene and Seulgi, and no one will take that away from us. I will always treasure that name, since it’s from you.”
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“I can’t help but laugh. It’s cute, Seulbear. It’s like you, and it’s fitting for you.”
But while Irene was sweet-talking and luring Seulgi deeper into the trap…
The city was entering a state of chaos. Bodies began to drop left and right as Joy’s command of men either shot or maimed the populus. The once rather clean cement pathways became tainted in crimson.
Yeri would end up waking up in the span of this time, bringing her hand up to her temple to feel dried up and matted blood. Glancing up, her free hand went to the handle of her battle axe as she stood up. “You traitor… you fucking traitor!” The angered woman lunged forward, swinging the axe with no care for Joy’s life. Being quick to the draw, Joy managed to deflect the attack with the blade, but stumbled back and nearly fell from how heavy of a swing Yeri had. “I should rip your head off right now, Sooyoung! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just cleanly cut through your head!”
Joy pulled on her collar. “It wasn’t my idea, Ye-rim! It wasn’t my idea, I swear! It was Joo-hyun’s!”
“Joo-hyun’s?” Yeri lowered her axe for a moment as Joy lowered the gunblade.
“Joo-hyun’s not the same, Yeri. She’s… Irene, the Killer Queen. Some of the people back at the home call her Lady Macbeth because of the blood she’s shed. All she does is murder, Yeri. She… she forced me to do this. Do you really think I would hurt Seulgi like that?” With a regretful look, Yeri sees Joy’s words ring true. The tears begin to flow from Joy’s eyes as Yeri blinks, but has to bring a hand up again to her temple to try and subdue the pain. “I wanted to warn you, but she threatened to kill me too. The war changed her.”
“She’s alone with Seulgi, Sooyoung. Get out of my wa–”
The blade strikes Yeri in the shoulder, piercing through her shirt and going into her quite messily. The cry from Yeri warranted Seulgi’s attention, but Irene sat her back down. The two looked worried, but Irene’s worry was a mere act. With a loud thud of the axe hitting the floor, Yeri began to try and get Joy off of her. Bringing her leg up, knowing Yeri was essentially pinned against a wall, Joy forcefully kicks the woman off of her. The gunblade cuts through layers of skin, and the impact of Joy’s boots against Yeri’s chest and abdomen warrants a few cracks and snaps. Joy could feel it too, every single bone breaking inside of Yeri’s rib cage.
Another loud thud as Yeri fell. She was unable to stand up at that point, and was surprised she was even awake. “Soo… young…” The pained woman reaches up, seeing who she thought was her best friend stand above her.
“I’m so sorry, Ye-rim.”
The heel of Joy’s boot made contact with Yeri’s temple, and there was a brief moment where the silence was deafening out the sound of the wind rushing out of the injured woman’s body.
Seulgi’s eyes caught the window, and she turned her head to see how the sun began to get clouded over by smoke. Her eyes widened when upon closer inspection, she saw the sparks of a fire off in the distance. Breaking free from Irene’s grip, she ran to the window and opened it, to only get hit with the smell of burning bodies, iron, and gunpowder. Coughing, she ended up stumbling backwards, which made Irene get up, peek outside, and then close the window up so the two wouldn’t suffocate from the toxic air. Even it got a cough out of her.
“Seulgi?”
“Someone’s…. attacking the city… I need to find Yeri, Irene–”
Irene looked at the door. She knew it was locked.
Seulgi did not. So when she got to the door, she was fumbling around because of her worry for Yeri.
But Seulgi froze when she heard the click from a gun being cocked. Turning around, she sees the woman she loves so dearly aiming right at her with the most innocent smile on her face. So saccharine but so deadly that if looks could kill, she would’ve died right there. “Oh, my dearest Seulgi… you really think some mindless fool would attack such a vulnerable girl like you? Of course not. It takes a calculated plan to take such a pretty lady out.” Irene’s smile began to go from innocent to wicked, her eyes darkened, and her left hand had a tight grip on the Falchion’s hilt.
“...Irene…” One could hear the hurt in Seulgi’s voice.
In the silence, with Seulgi’s sniffling filling the air, Irene coldly stared at her younger counterpart. “All of your letters, as sweet as they were… made me sick, Seulbear. They made me feel like I was going to vomit. Some happy, high and mighty little brat will never understand the pain of the common man. You, Kang Seulgi, are nothing but a sheltered little bitch. You never had to experience your family being ripped to shreds in front of you by malicious dogs, or had to murder to survive!” The smile began to fade from Irene’s face as her brows furrowed.
“Always safe and sound… never worrying about who would come to kill her next. No more of that for you, Seulgi!”
By this point, Irene had come face to face with Seulgi and slammed her left hand against the door to pin Seulgi down, with the barrel of the gun tipping Seulgi’s face upwards. “Grow up. Quit being such a fucking child and grow up! The world isn’t as happy as you make it out to be, okay? It’s a total shit show, and I’m really tired of having to sit back and watch you be so naïve. Let’s drag you out of that turtle shell of yours, and see how you like killing to survive.”
The tears were streaming down Seulgi’s face like rivers to the ocean. Never ending streams that seemed to bring more and more with them as time passed.
“Open your eyes, Seulgi.”
And she did. Seulgi opened her shut eyes to see Irene was essentially nose to nose, with their lips barely apart at that point.
“If only you were stronger, I would actually love you,” the older of the two closed the gap. Irene very gently had bit down on Seulgi’s bottom lip, pulled on it, and allowed for their lips to brush before plastering that wicked smile on her face once more.
“But it’s a damn shame no one out there loves you. So cry, little damsel… cry. No one can hear you scream in the raging fire.”