Imperfectly Perfect [Chaelisa]

fifty two

"Chaeyoung."

When Chaeyoung opens the front door to a crying Irene, she has no idea how to react. Her friend hadn't told her that she was coming over, and Irene never comes over and surprises her. Irene always schedules, because she's the same.

"Um... hi, Rene," Chaeyoung murmurs, rocking on her heels. "What are you doing here? Usually you schedule."

"Chaeyoung," Irene repeats, wiping at her eyes, "Seulgi broke up with me."

As Irene collapses into her arms, Chaeyoung's eyes widen, because that's the last thing she expected. Seulgi and Irene had always been a constant and she doesn't know how to react to the news.

Chaeyoung kicks the door closed and slowly guides Irene upstairs, rubbing circles on her back and humming a tune, trying her best to make her friend better, but none of her friends have ever come to her for comfort after a break up, aside from Lisa after the one date with Lucas, but that's nothing compared to this. Seulgi and Irene were nearly together for two whole years; Lisa dated Lucas for a total of two hours.

She slowly sits Irene down on the bed, clearing her throat and asking, "Are you sure? Maybe you just- um, just misinterpreted."

"I'm sure," Irene sniffles, "I- I, she- she said she didn't want me anymore. She said- said that- she met someone else. Someone she- she likes more."

Chaeyoung is quick to jump onto the bed and pull Irene in for a hug. "That's dumb. Seulgi loves you, why would she leave you for someone else?"

"She told me that- that it's hard for her," Irene buries her face in Chaeyoung's neck, "that she- that it's basically my fault. For having Asperger's."

"No, don't say that," Chaeyoung interrupts before Irene can go on, "It's not- I don't- she's wrong. And if that's what she thinks, if- if she thinks that you are hard to deal with, then she's being ableist and you don't need her. You- you can always stay with me if you need me, Irene. You're one of my- um, my besties."

"I love her, Chaeyoung," Irene murmurs, "I love her and- and she just doesn't love me back anymore. I don't know what I did wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Rene," Chaeyoung promises her, "it's Seulgi who's doing things wrong. She shouldn't hurt you like she is."

"She said that- that I wasn't right for her," Irene mumbles into Chaeyoung's shoulder, "she said that I'd find someone else, but I don't know if I ever will. I always thought Seulgi would be it for me, Chae. I thought she was my romantic soulmate."

"Soulmates can come and go," Chaeyoung tells her, "Seulgi probably was your romantic soulmate, yes. But you'll have other romantic soulmates out there too. You can't lose hope, Rene."

"I just want love," Irene continues, sniffling and wiping at her eyes, "I want what you have with Lisa. I want someone who loves me for me and not for something they try to make me into. Why can't anybody love me for me? Even Hyeri said I'm useless-"

"You're not useless," Chaeyoung is quick to interrupt her, curling her hand around Irene's and giving it a small squeeze. "You're the farthest thing from useless, Irene. I love you and you're one of my closest friends, I need you around to be my maid of honour."

"I wish I'd known," Irene says, "that you had a crush on me when you did. We could be together right now."

"Well, we could be, yes," Chaeyoung replies, taking the possibility into account. "But I'm happy with Lili, so it's okay that my crush on you didn't work out, because I have her and she treats me right and I love her so much."

"You seem like the perfect girlfriend, Chae," Irene sighs, resting her head on Chaeyoung's shoulder and playing with the hakuna ring on Chaeyoung's left hand. "Lisa is so lucky."