The Girls Next Door

Epilogue

I promise to take care of my friends, who became my only family. Be there when things get tough, be there in their achievements and their downfalls, be there for them as much time and circumstances allow me to. She mused as she looked at the framed picture in their living room with a happy yet mellow smile on her face. She wondered when and how did all of them grew up so fast? She could vividly remember their childhood together, and it seemed like it was only yesterday. She reached for the frame, cradling it between her palms while tracing four faces with her thumb. It stopped at a certain face, she was smiling again. When did you get so tall? I only reached your shoulders.

She didn't hear the footsteps behind her and just jumped when someone held her head.

"Why are you looking at our family picture?" Seulgi asked, she also peeked at the picture from behind Taeyeon.

The latter shrugged her left shoulder. "I just wondered.. whenever I had a hard time dealing with shit or whatever, you guys were always there for me." Taeyeon smiled at Seulgi.

The younger woman smiled back at her. "You do the same for us, Unnie."

Taeyeon nodded contentedly. "Well, family. Right?"

"Family."

——

"You know, Taeyeon unnie gives Fany unnie flowers everyday." Irene pouted, watching their friends having some fun on the pool. "Maybe.. you should try that too." She whispered to herself.

Seulgi turned to Irene from her beer. "Hmm? Did you say something?" She acted oblivious, but she heard Irene clearly.

Irene shook her head. "Nothing." She turned her whole body to her girlfriend. She eyed the glass of beer in Seulgi's hand. "How long have we been dating?"

The younger set her glass on the table in front of them. They were having a night out and the others were currently playing at the pool. Seulgi hummed. She thought of her memories with Irene. A grin slowly formed on her lips. "Two years?"

Irene glared at her which made Seulgi chuckle. Seulgi reached for her hand to pull her for a hug. "I'm just kidding. Two years and five months. Can you believe it? It's been two years already."

Irene nodded. "Yeah.. it sometimes drives me crazy, you know, just how fast the time flows."

Seulgi pulled back her head. "Is that a song?"

"No!"

She laughed, hugging Irene tighter. "I'm thinking of having my own place."

"What?" Irene pushed Seulgi by the shoulder to look at her face. Her eyes were wide. "You're moving out?"

"Yeah. Do you want to move in with me? I wish to wake up and see you first in the morning. Eat breakfast together. Go to work together. Come home with or to you. And sleep next to you knowing that the next morning you'll still be by my side."

Irene smiled wide. "I love you, Seulgi-ah."

"I love you too, Joohyun Unnie."

"Unnie?!"

————

Taeyeon and Tiffany stayed behind by the pool. The rest went back inside Tiffany's house since it was already late and all.

Taeyeon was hugging Tiffany from behind. They were still in the pool, of course, in their bikinis. The weather wasn't cold since it was still summer.

"Daddy wanted it to be legal, Taeyeon-ah." Tiffany said, breaking their silence. She turned around to face Taeyeon, her own arms went to rest on her shoulders.