Love Wins All (Chaesoo Fluffs)

18. See you later...

The sun streamed through the windows of the student council room, casting warm patches of light across the wooden table and chairs. Irene was busy organizing papers, her usual composed demeanor focused on the task at hand. The room was quiet, save for the rustling of paper and the occasional distant chatter from the hallway.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Jisoo burst in with her usual exuberance, her newly freed arm swinging in the air.

"Irene! Guess who finally got their cast off!" she announced, waving her arm for emphasis.

Irene looked up, a rare smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Congratulations, Jisoo. It's about time."

Jisoo plopped down on a chair opposite Irene, her energy filling the room. "Thanks! It feels so good to have it off. Chaeyoung was getting tired of scratching it for me."

"So, what are you up to?" She squints her eyes.

Irene adjusted her glasses and continued sorting through the papers. "Just some council work. You know how it is."

Jisoo leaned back in her chair, looking around the room. "Yeah, the usual. But hey, I missed our little chats. What’s new with you?"

Irene glanced at Jisoo, her eyes softening slightly. "Not much. Just handling the usual school affairs."

Jisoo smirked. "Come on, there’s gotta be something more interesting than that."

Irene hesitated, then decided to share. "Something did happen. It’s about Lisa."

Jisoo’s interest was piqued. "Lisa? What about her?"

"Well when I finished my meeting, I found her on the stairs crying. She said how she was going to confess to Jennie but it backfired."

"What! How?"

"Jennie was going on a date and told her. It was before Lisa could confess though."

"What did you do?" Jisoo shifts in her seat, leaning forward.

"I just hugged her. I felt bad." Irene replied, she took off her glasses and leaned back in her chair.

"I had no idea," Jisoo said, her voice softening. "She didn't seem upset when she came home."

Irene nodded. "She was. It was...difficult to see her like that."

Jisoo gave Irene a teasing grin. "Look at you, being all soft and caring. Reminds me of when you comforted me about my first crush."

Irene frowned slightly. "I was just doing what anyone would do."

"Sure, sure," Jisoo said with a laugh. "You’re a lot softer than you let on, Irene."

Irene's expression remained neutral, but there was a hint of a smile. "I’m not soft. I just...understand what it's like to feel hurt."

Jisoo leaned more forward, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You know, for someone who acts all serious and tough, you’re a big softie on the inside."

Irene raised an eyebrow. "You’re impossible."

Before Jisoo could retort, the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Irene glanced at the clock. "I have class now. You should probably get going as well."

Jisoo stood up, stretching her arms. "Yeah, yeah. I’ll leave you to your student council duties."

"Are you going to my game next week?"

"Next week? What time?"

"8, it's okay if you can't-"

"-No, no, I wouldn't want to miss it." Irene waves off, "I know how much you're game superstitions mean to you."

"Great! I'll be expecting to see you soon then!" Jisoo turns to walk out.

She walked to the door, but before opening it, she turned back to Irene. "Thanks for the chat, cousin."

Irene's eyes widened slightly, her composed mask slipping for just a moment. Jisoo flashed a grin, enjoying the rare sight of Irene being caught off guard. She gave a little wave and stepped out of the room, leaving Irene standing there, a mix of surprise and fondness on her face.

The door closed behind Jisoo, and Irene shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. That girl, she thought to herself, returning to her papers with a lighter feeling in her chest.