Follow me || Red Velvet & Seulrene

Chapter 45

"Hey Seulgi", Jungkook smiled as he approached her. She was dumbfounded.

"How are you?"

"Go-good", she stuttered, not able to say a whole sentence.

"Pretty much work, right? I saw Bang Chan who struggled with some dudes of the major department of finances." He smiled again.

Seulgi couldn't tell what she felt. She knew this face. He always smiled at her like this. But still, she could find a slight tone of sadness trailing in his voice.

"I- I am pretty busy yeah..."

"Oh yeah I didn't want to bother you"- he took a step to the side- "go and continue with your assignment."

Seulgi didn't move or said anything. She couldn't tell how his presence was still manipulating her. His eyes. And his movements. For a short moment, everything seemed to be like four months ago.

Until her mind focussed on Irene. And how she was still standing here without showing any reaction.

"Ehm yeah thanks Jungkook", she managed to say and passed him.

"Have a nice day!", the boy answered, this time an obvious sad tone in his voice. She remained silent. 

This was probably the most embarrassing conversation she had ever had. Oh help why didn't she said anything back? Why has she even had this feelings? 'Argh Seulgi can't you just put your tons of problems to the side? Is your mental health that damaged? DOES YOUR COMMON SENSE STILL EXIST?'

For the second time this day, she tried to shrugg everything off. But the unfortunate row of events continued as she got a call from Joy.

"UNNIE WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM!" the voice almost made her eardrums burst. "THE KIDS JUST WANTED TO SEE A CHEMICAL REACTION, BUT SOMEHOW A WHOLE CHEMICAL VULCANO ERUPTION FOLLOWED."

Seulgi mentally facepalmed herself.

"Did you already told Bang Chan or a professor?", she ask calmly.

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK THEM, THEY ALREADY SAW IT SINCE A QUARTER OF THE YARD IS NOW FULL OF FOAM."

"AND WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING ME NOW?!", Seulgi now yelled back, amusement in her voice.

"BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I HAVE AN ALLERGIC REACTION TO THIS SHIT."

"Oh", was Seulgi last statement before she ended the call and rapidly walked to the exit in order to see the spectacle.

Joy was right. It was a completely disaster.

Through the yells of kids who played, she could hear Bang Chan and Rosie discussing. Joy was standing next to them with a red, swollen cheeks, looking like a hamster. 

The chaos around them was maybe even more funny and concering at the same time. The foam was everywhere. Pink bubbles covered the grass while the kids started to play with it. Chae one of them.

The principal of St. Priston just watched the spectacle, perhaps overtaxed with the situation. Her history teacher was yelling. The dudes of the 'major department of finances' looked dumbfounded.

She managed to find a way to her friends without getting in contact with this pinky foam, while some kids attacked her with bombs out of the stuff. She successed in passing the first section.

Until a ear-wrecking noise appeared.

A sirene.

Fire alarm.

The word 'escalation' would have described it perfectly. Everything escalated at this point. Kids started to cry, professors tried to calm the crowd down; without success. The finance dude were still observing the spectacle.

But Seulgi froze.

She had experienced it all. Half a year ago. The fire in the northern tract.

Her safety-mechanism sprang to live. For a short moment, she exactly knew what to do. First make sure that everybody leave the building.

But her thoughts vanished like dust in the air as her dark brown eyes crossed Seulgi's mind. Last time, she feared the most that she has lost Irene. In the fire.
Six months ago it has been luck that the latter wasn't in the northern tract.

But why shouldn't she been near the fire now?

Again Seulgi forced her brain to work clear. Probably, this was just a test. Or somebody accidently pushed the alarm buttons in a hallway.

But that never happened before. And as a students council member she knew about every test alarm. Again her heart skipped a beat as the petite figure popped up in her mind.

Her eyes scanned the crowd. Her breath was getting gradually faster. Where was Irene? She could see Chae and Jennie, Lisa, Rosie and Joy, and even saw Nayeon and Jihyo far behind the yard. But  the raven-haired girl had vanished from the face of earth.

Another time her mind told her to think straight. Why should Irene be in the building. There was no special occasion except of going to the toilet. But Irene got tired fast. She could have taken a nap. In the building.

Suddenly, Seulgi hit the point where her brain couldn't comprehend it any longer. The tears started to roll down her cheeks. This was way too much for her body.

Too stressful.

Too painful.

Her sobbing grew and she kneeled down to the floor. Her hands slowly covering her face. She couldn't endure this pressure anymore. Today was too much for her. She wasn't even paying attention to the crowd in front of her and the muffled noises.

Why had this all happened? Why was it coming all together now? Was it all her fault? She gulped as much more tears made its way to her eyes.

A hug from behind appeared out of nowhere, but she barely noticed that. Only her sobbings filled the air.

"Seul, calm down."

She didn't stop.

"Seul, I'm here."

She was still crying.

"You don't have to worry. I am here..."

After the third statement, she recognized who was hugging her back. With teary eyes and constant sobbing, she turned around and looked into dark brown eyes.

"I'm here, Seul", Irene repeated and placed her thumb on her cheek to wipe off the tears. Again, she got involved into a tight embrace. But her heart was still racing.

"You are safe now", was Irene's last statement as Seulgi hugged her back. Knowing that everything was okay now.