HERSHE - SEULRENE

SR - Back

December 31st - Daegu

"Irene, lunch is ready."

"In a while, Mom."

Irene is lying on her cousin's bed, staring at the ceiling. It's weird. She never hated holidays before. But now it feels like a great sacrifice to do nothing and wait for two more days before she'd be busy again.

"Irene?"

Irene turned her attention to the voice and saw her cousin standing beside the door. "Hey, Jisoo."

"What's up?" Jisoo climbed on the bed and lay prone beside her.

"Nothing. I'm just bored."

"We do this every year, why are you so bored today?"

"I don't know." Irene played her fingers on her tummy. "I just wish that there's no holiday."

Jisoo laughed. "Hey, doppelganger, tell me where my real cousin is."

Irene laughed. "Seriously. I wish I had work today."

"What?" Jisoo looked at her cousin. "Do you hear what you're saying?"

"I just feel bored. That's all."

"Is there something different in your office this year that wasn't there last year?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you get a new crush or something?"

Irene had to laugh it out. She can't understand why the first person that came to her mind with what Jisoo asked is Seulgi.

"No, it's not crush..."

"Not crush. But there is someone, right?" asked Jisoo.

"It's not like what you're thinking."

Jisoo playfully hit her. "Hey! Are you keeping secrets from me now? Are you in love, Irene?"

The question made Irene cringe even more. "I'm not, you silly."

"Fine! But I don't believe you."

Irene rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"Well... speaking of crush." Jisoo leaned in closer. "I heard someone just got back here."

Irene's mind was still lingering on the word crush and why Seulgi was on her mind when she heard that. She didn't understand what Jisoo said.

"Do you remember your all-time-biggest-crush when you used to live here?" asked Jisoo.

Irene had to recollect thoughts first from her childhood memories. "What do you mean?"

"Gosh. Don't tell me you've forgotten Bogum?"

"Bogum?" Irene looked away as flashes of memories of her childhood flooded her brain, recalling how she did really develop a crush on one of her playmates.

"Yeah. Bogum and his brother Minho. You remember them?" asked Jisoo.

"Yeah. When did they get back here?"

"Just last week. I heard their dad wants to retire and is planning on putting up a business. Both their sons are now working so they've got nothing much to worry about finances."

Irene is not sure about what she's feeling. A while ago she was thinking about Seulgi and now hearing Bogum's name gave her the same feeling of what she's having before.

"Wait." Irene remembered something. "Don't tell me they're joining us for lunch like how they do before?"

Jisoo smirked. "Yes. They are waiting for us downstairs. I came here because your mom asked me to drag you down."