Gwen's room was pure chaos with clothes strewn across the floor and bed.
If she were asked how many hours she'd spent on deliberating on what type of clothes she would wear, she wouldn't have an appropriate answer.
"Haha, having to see Gwen-core slash a-girl-having-dating-clothes-paralysis made a good start to my weekend." Boisterous laughter sounded from the small screen placed against the headrest.
"Hmph. MJ, this isn't funny," Gwen retaliated with a slightly annoyed expression as she clawed through her wardrobe.
"It's as funny as hell, girl," MJ said, still laughing.
Gwen sighed heavily and closed her wardrobe.
"I'm cutting off the video call if you keep on laughing at my indecisive ass," she warned lightly as she stepped toward the bed.
"Sorry not sorry, Ms. Stacy. How many hours do you think it has been?" MJ replied, playfully rolling her eyes.
"I… I don't know. Doesn't matter. Just… Just help a bestie out, MJ," Gwen sighed, lazily lying on the clothes spread on the mattress.
"I would have done that long ago if I could, sweetie." MJ smiled at her.
"You're the one with a better fashion sense, for God's sake," Gwen grumbled, turning her head to look at MJ.
"Language, Gwen. Seol Hwa wouldn't like that," MJ reminded, smirking mischievously.
Gwen gestured a closing zip on her lips before showing a middle finger to MJ.
This only made MJ chuckle some more.
"I wouldn't be able to curse in front… in front of her even if I wanted to. She's such an angel," Gwen said in a low voice as she grabbed a floral dress and lifted it up.
"Love is in the air, I can smell it," MJ responded, taking an exaggerated whiff inside her room.
"You're freaky. You act like you weren't broken-hearted a few days ago. It genuinely amazes me," Gwen said with admiration.
"I'm a woman of steel, I guess. You'd have to thank your 'Seol Hwa' for that," MJ replied, clenching her almost non-existent biceps theatrically.
She looked so cute.
"When did I ever say she's mine, you witch?" Gwen scoffed, a light blush forming on her cheeks.
"Who's blushing now? Say, who is it?" MJ childishly lolled out her tongue at her.
Gwen faintly groaned, her blush intensifying.
"So… what do you think about this dress?" she then asked after some time.
MJ touched her chin thoughtfully while swinging her dainty feet from left and right on her bed.
"I'd say… that's a big NO," she flatly said, furiously shaking her head.
"I mean, it's not bad per se. However, I think you should pick clothes you would feel comfy in. It's bone-freezing outside, girl," she continued.
"Don't go too hard with the clothes, Gwen. I think Seol Hwa would notice. She's super cool and dope. Honestly, I don't think she would mind whatever clothes you wear."
Gwen gently exhaled, throwing the dress away.
"How did you know that?" she asked, curiously looking at MJ.
"Just my intuition. You're a love-blinded fool, how would you know anything?" MJ said.
"Figured you'd talk shit," Gwen clicked her tongue, a small grin appearing on her lips.
There was a short, comfortable silence.
"Say MJ… Do you think I might mess this up?" Gwen asked in a doubtful voice.
"Date anxiety isn't real, Gwen. You're not messing up anything," MJ said with warmth.
"I'd say put on your big girl pants and slay this date."
"Just be you. I know you've got it. Go have fun."
Gwen chuckled a bit before sitting upright.
"What would I do without you?"
"Same. I love you," MJ said, blowing a kiss toward Gwen.
"Okay. That was enough pep talk," Gwen said while standing.
She then began gesturing wildly at her set of clothes sprawled on the bed, much to MJ's amusement.
"Eeny, meeny, miny… uh-huh, you're out," Gwen said in a serious tone, pointing at the beautiful floral dress.
After several rounds of elimination and MJ's suppressed laughter in the background, Gwen finally wore a pair of high-waisted light jeans, and a dark sweater over white tee.
She looked at herself in the full-body mirror, shifting her posture every now and then.
"How do I look?" Gwen asked, her hands placed on her small waist.
"Maybe I should add a coat?" she murmured, looking at the creamy coat on the bed.
"I can't see you. Pick up your phone." MJ's voice sounded.
"Oh." Gwen smiled and grabbed her phone like she was taking a selfie.
"Wow. I think you've found the perfect fit for the occasion. Take the coat, it's nearly subzero out there, stupid," MJ jokingly reprimanded.
Gwen grinned sheepishly.
"Is the Seol effect that strong?" MJ mumbled.
Seol Hwa had really made her slightly stupid… almost irrational.
MJ was all in for her best friend's love story.
She would support Gwen 'till the end.
"What did you say?" Gwen asked absentmindedly.
"Nothing. Let's go get the girl," MJ said with a foxy grin, her invisible tail wagging.
"Yeah. Let's go ge— I think it should be 'showing the girl around the city', MJ," Gwen corrected her, almost rolling her eyes.
"Keep denying and she will slip… right through your fingers," MJ said slowly.
"Not gonna happen since I never had her," Gwen said casually while applying minimal lip gloss.
She then observed the time. It was already one-thirty in the afternoon.
She was supposed to pick up Seol Hwa at around 2 PM.
The more the seconds passed, the more her heart thumped aggressively against her chest.
'I'm hella nervous, fuck,' Gwen thought about the obvious while smoothening her blonde hair.
"You MUST feed me the details after your date, girl. Don't forget or I'll be angry," MJ subtly warned.
"Okay," Gwen nodded.
"Talk later. Byeee!"
"Byeee!"
"Stay chill, blue eyes," MJ reminded one final time before the video call ended.
Gwen was left alone to listen to her own beating heart.
"You can do it!" she breathed rhythmically, gazing at her own reflection.
'Should I send her a text?' she mused while looking at her phone, pacing around.
Finally, she decided not to.
Now what was she going to do during those remaining minutes?
Time passed and soon, Gwen found herself in front of Seol Hwa's apartment.
Coincidentally, or not so much of a coincidence, Seol Hwa opened her door at that time.
Gwen's heart nearly jumped out of her body, her mouth wide in astonishment.
The program called Gwen.exe, vital for her mental faculties, stopped responding.
Maybe due to a viral hit.
Maybe due to… the dream in front of her.
Truth be told, Gwen had already grown used to Seol Hwa. A bit.
She still didn't know a lot of things about her.
She was like a thick, voluminous book with seemingly infinite pages.
The current her might as well have just opened only one page, the other parts waiting to be unraveled.
And that page that she hadn't been prepared for was a ponytailed Seol Hwa.
It was like she had never truly basked in her true divine features, all of her beauty laid bare. Exposed.
Gwen's eyes slowly wandered on Seol Hwa's sharp jawline, trailed down her neck, a neck so lovable, so perfect, so…
Her collarbone, that curvature…
'How would it feel to just barely press my lips on that soft— No, don't, Gwen! No dirty thoughts!' Gwen fought against her intrusive thoughts.
'No horny, Gwen. Say no to horny,' she reminded herself.
All in all, she was completely flummoxed.
"Annyeonghaseyo. Are you… Seol Hwa?" Gwen finally spoke, surprising even herself by her words.
'What the fuck is 'are-you-Seol-Hwa', Gwen? And why the hell did I speak Korean when I totally didn't search up the word last night?'
Seol Hwa smiled in amusement before replying, "Annyeonghaseyo. Is there another version of me that I don't know about, Gwen?"
"Ponytailed version of you?" Gwen blurted out before she realized it.
She cleared her throat. "I meant I—I love it. I love your ponytail."
"Oh, this? I was meditating. The hair can get in the way sometimes," Seol Hwa replied casually, mirth in her voice.
"Oh, oh, so it was like that. Meditating. So… shall we?" Gwen said nervously, smoothening a strand of hair behind her ear.
Seol Hwa nodded and locked the door.
Then, she remembered something that she had read on the internet a few days ago.
"You look very pretty in those clothes," Seol Hwa said, softly looking at Gwen.
The heat rushed to Gwen's cheeks before she could think about Seol Hwa's words.
"T-Thanks," she stammered, her gaze inadvertently lowered, demurely.
She tried to hide her wide, toothy smile.
"Pink tomato," Seol Hwa whispered close to Gwen's ear before walking ahead.
Gwen felt a shiver run down her spine, all the way down there. The netherworld.
'Bloody hell! One of these days I'm going to die from a sexiness overload,' she thought, her right hand momentarily resting between her breasts, above her overclocked heart.
'Calm down. The day's long.'
Gwen then followed Seol Hwa and they entered the elevator.
"So… where are we heading first?" Seol Hwa asked.
"It's a surprise. I know you'll love it," Gwen replied in a confident tone.
"Oh?" Seol Hwa arched her eyebrows.
Gwen didn't elaborate as the elevator slowly descended.
'Her young heart is surely energetic. Am I that terrifying?' Seol Hwa thought humorously.
~~~<>~~~
There was a bit of sunlight, not helpful at all against the freezing temperatures of about 3 degrees Celsius.
The moment the two began walking in the streets, they easily garnered attention.
Seol Hwa was dressed in simple dark jeans, slightly oversized brown coat and a pair of sneakers.
They always say clothes make the woman, but they never expected someone like Seol Hwa to subvert such a thing.
She made the simple clothes feel like designer clothes.
"Do you like this city?" Seol Hwa asked as they walked side by side.
"Born and raised. It grew on me as shitty as it is," Gwen happily answered, shrugging slightly.
"Actually, it's the friends and family that make it bearable," she continued.
"Where did you live in Korea if you don't mind me asking? South or North?" Gwen then asked.
She wanted to know about Seol Hwa—all of her even the tiniest of useless details.
"South. I stayed at a place called Incheon," Seol Hwa replied.
She had had the time to learn a few basic things about Min-Seo and the former… Seol Hwa.
"Incheon? I have never heard of it. I only know of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. Wait… your name sounds almost the same as the city," Gwen said, realization dawning on her.
"Not quite the same. They follow different romanization rules. I don't want to bore you with all the details," Seol Hwa said gently.
"I want to know even if it's boring. That's for me to decide," Gwen insisted adamantly, glancing at Seol Hwa.
For the rest of the walk, Seol Hwa shared some of her culture with the eager Gwen.
She couldn't be happier to file the information at a special compartment of her memories dedicated to the black-haired goddess.
The walk ended at a low-profile Ice Cream Parlor.
It was owned by an old French couple, the Belmonts.
"Have you tasted ice cream… like really good ice cream?" Gwen asked as she led Seol Hwa into the shop.
"I don't think so," Seol Hwa responded, slowly shaking her head as she scanned the nearly empty shop.
It was quiet and peaceful.
She preferred it over a noisy restaurant.
"We've come to the right place for that," Gwen said, smiling at her before walking to the counter.
An old woman sat there, a warm smile breaking on her face when she saw Gwen.
"You finally decided to pay me a visit, Gwen," Mrs. Belmont greeted with a thick French accent.
"Bonjour," Gwen replied with a smile of her own.
"Bonjour," Mrs. Belmont replied.
"I told you to learn a few more words. My good grandson back in Lyon is around your age…"
Gwen giggled, listening to the old lady ramble but didn't put her words to heart.
She always said that she was perfect for her grandson and so on.
"Can you give me a scoop of vanilla? Give me a sec… I ask my friend what she would like?" Gwen began her order then remembered she had to consider Seol Hwa.
Mrs. Belmont's aged eyes widened in surprise when she saw Gwen's friend.
Her thoughts of her grandson and Lyon all went out of the window.
She smacked her dry lips and gulped.
Meanwhile, Gwen was asking Seol Hwa what she would like.
"Are you a fan of dairy?" Gwen asked.
"I have no mortal issues if that's what you're worried about," Seol Hwa replied, surprised that Gwen would even ask such a question.
It felt… blasphemous.
Heaven knows the variety of food she had eaten back in Murim.
Gwen showed a slightly weird expression before smiling. "Mortal issues? O-Okay. So you'd try out my recommendation?"
"I'll take whatever you're taking," Seol Hwa said.
Gwen then guided her to a booth at the corner for their own little privacy before going back for the servings.
Soon, Gwen returned with two cups and sat opposite Seol Hwa.
Seol Hwa looked at her cup before picking up her spoon.
"Try it," Gwen urged as she picked her own spoon.
"Okay," Seol Hwa nodded as she scooped a little bit of the vanilla, slowly guiding it between her lips.
Gwen watched in both anticipation and… thirst.
Her concentration was on those moist, perfect lips.
Of course, above all, she waited for Seol Hwa's judgement.
Who knows, maybe she has some "god tongue."
She really liked the place and its menu.
There was some silence.
"It's good," Seol Hwa commented finally and took another scoop.
Gwen sighed in relief before exposing a mesmerizing grin.
Her heart was suddenly filled with warmth.
She wanted to say "I told you so" but held off any further commentary as they both enjoyed the ice cream.
Gwen couldn't stop herself from stealing glances every now and then when Seol Hwa looked out of the window.
There was a comfortable silence throughout the 'deeto', and she couldn't ask for more.
~~~<>~~~
When they finally walked out of the Belmonts' Ice Cream Parlor, they had satisfied smiles.
Gwen then led Seol Hwa through a marketplace for local delicacies.
They sampled a bit of this and that moderately.
Seol Hwa couldn't be more impressed by the different varieties of food and culture all in a small place.
The two entered a mall and window shopped, trying out different clothes.
Gwen couldn't be happier.
Seol Hwa, on the other hand, was also enjoying the different sights.
The mortal had truly put a lot of thought in the places they had visited.
And she had a knack for pretending to bump on Seol Hwa's shoulder.
How brazen.
~~~<>~~~
"There's one last place that I really want to show you," Gwen said with a reminiscent, almost distant gaze.
"I have never shown it to anyone. I have a feeling you'll love it very much. The Problem is the distance. We will walk a lot," she added, gazing up at Seol Hwa.
Seol Hwa's expression shifted imperceptibly. "It's okay."
'The place seems very close to her as much as she tries to hide it from her face,' she briefly thought.
The two took a path that slowly trailed off from the noise and foulness of the city.
They walked until they reached an old dirt path that led into a small forest made up of strange trees as thick as three men combined, interspersed with other exotic species.
'The air is much fresher, and the ambient spiritual energy has increased. It's even more concentrated than the tiny park the psychic showed me,' Seol Hwa noted before looking at Gwen's form.
"Hmm, I think the road was somewhere here," Gwen stated in a slightly uncertain voice as she tried to kickstart her memories.
"How long has it been since you came here?" Seol Hwa asked in a low voice before placing her palm against the bark of a thick exotic tree.
"A couple of years. Since middle school," Gwen answered, turning her head to look at Seol Hwa.
Seol Hwa directed a questioning gaze at Gwen.
"Memories, huh? So essentially, you've forgotten the place, right?"
Gwen looked away in embarrassment, her blonde hair partially hiding her gorgeous face.
"I guess… so…" she murmured, barely audibly.
Seol Hwa softly scoffed, a smirk etched on her face. "You're truly…"
"Can you describe the place for me? Something worth noting?" she then inquired with a contemplative expression.
Gwen didn't know why Seol Hwa wanted a description, but she didn't dig much into it.
"There's a… there's a small stream. The place looks like something out of a painting. And beautiful wildflowers grow everywhere. Wait… I can somehow remember the smell. Paradise."
"It smelled like paradise."
Seol Hwa listened to her and didn't bother to even spread her spiritual senses.
She looked in a certain direction, the distant gurgle of water trickling felt so close to her ears.
The graceful flap of butterfly wings, the gentle sway of trees, the humming of the wind…
She could almost visualize the scene but stopped herself. It wouldn't be fun.
"Let's take this path. I have a feeling it will lead us to that place in your memories," Seol Hwa suggested, pointing a finger in a specific direction as she gracefully walked like it was her own garden.
"You have a feeling? We might get lost in these woods and I'm all for that adventure," Gwen smiled, hyped for the unknown.
"That's a reckless way of thinking. Don't fret about getting lost when I'm here," Seol Hwa mildly laughed.
"I think you might be Dora in disguise, amiga," Gwen laughed with her, following behind, mindful of her steps.
They trekked for a few minutes before a clearing appeared in front of them.
It was then that Gwen felt some of her memories surface.
"It's definitely here. I remember," she said absentmindedly as she briskly walked, almost running, past Seol Hwa.
"Slow down, little lady," Seol Hwa faintly chuckled.
A small paradise was unveiled in front of their eyes.
A small stream with clear water cut through the piece of land.
The gurgling and splashes made when the flowing water hit the small pebbles and rocks was like music to Seol Hwa's ears.
A garden of wildflowers of different colors and varieties swayed under the whims of the gentle wind.
Multicolored butterflies flew across the flowers, flapping their mesmerizing wings.
A predatory dragonfly zipped around the river's surface, catching mosquitoes like catching Pokémon.
Gwen stood like a statue, her eyes absorbing every scene into her mind, refreshing the events of her past, the ghosts left behind.
She couldn't control it and her eyes slightly moistened.
Seol Hwa sensed the shift in her emotions but didn't interfere, evaluating the place instead.
She deeply inhaled the air, devouring the essence of heaven and earth.
It was richer in qi and also serene. It downright looked like a different world than New York.
"Sorry for my current state. I didn't think that returning would suddenly make me emotional," Gwen apologized, sniffled as she turned around, facing Seol Hwa.
Her eyes were slightly reddened, but a smile remained plastered on her face.
"I must have already ruined the mood, right?" Gwen added with a self-deprecating smile.
Seol Hwa silently walked toward her and stood a couple of inches away.
"You don't have to worry about anything," Seol Hwa calmly said as she slowly guided Gwen to take a seat among the flowers with her.
It was quiet for a moment as Gwen wiped away her tears with her handkerchief.
"My… My mother showed me this place when I was young. Seeing it again reminded me of her," Gwen said in a weak voice, sniffling slightly.
"We used to play a lot here. It's really unbelievable how much time has passed," she added with a soft smile.
"Time… can be like that," Seol Hwa said, considering what words to say.
'I really am not good at comforting others with words,' Seol Hwa thought.
There was some silence again.
"You're really not great with comforting words, aren't you?" Gwen said, weakly smiling at Seol Hwa.
"Something like that. I've led a life where comfort equated to weakness and complacency," Seol Hwa said, cutting a small blue flower from its branch.
"That was a sad life," Gwen remarked, her smile faltering.
"Yes it was," Seol Hwa admitted, casually sniffing the flower.
"Do you… think like that… now?" Gwen asked, biting her lip anxiously.
"No. It's changing slowly," Seol Hwa answered.
The evening sun cast its rays down on the small paradise bathing everything in shades of orange and yellow.
Gwen's blonde hair caught the light, shining with a dazzling allure.
A small trout jumped out of the water and chomped down a dragonfly that was flying too low.
"Did you just see that?" Gwen asked with incredulity in her voice.
"I saw it. Eat or be eaten," Seol Hwa replied.
"I'd probably prefer to be the eater," Gwen said, making a face.
The way the sunlight kissed Seol Hwa's skin and her dark amber eyes, made Gwen wonder.
'Why is she so blinding?'
THUMP!
THUMP!
Seol Hwa could hear Gwen's accelerated heartbeat again as they sat in silence, enjoying the beauty of nature.
'If I had a canvas and a brush, I'd paint this scene to pass the time,' she imagined.
While Seol Hwa was slightly distracted, Gwen looked at her hand on the ground.
Those hands beckoned her.
Her warmth invited her.
Slowly, Gwen strategically snaked her own fingers closer to Seol Hwa's spread on the earthen floor.
Then, hesitantly, she enclosed her slightly cold hands on Seol Hwa's who immediately whipped her head to look at her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Seol Hwa asked as if she had caught a child trying to steal the hidden sugar.
"I, um… helping you get warm. I'm cold, you're cold, we share the heat mutually," Gwen replied, coming up with a goofy reason.
'Sneaky girl, you're centuries too young to lie to me,' Seol Hwa thought as she lifted one perfect eyebrow.
"That's lousy. I'll allow it," Seol Hwa said before flicking Gwen's head with her free hand.
"Ouch, you meanie!" Gwen cried out, rubbing her fingers on her forehead.
She thought of her next step, but she was a bit… hesitant.
In the end, youthful boldness had an edge, and she intertwined her fingers with Seol Hwa's.
Seol Hwa didn't say anything.
Gwen released a barely audible sigh, a victorious grin on her face.
Another silence.
"I'm glad you came, Seol Hwa," Gwen said.
"A promise's a promise. I'm also glad you showed me around," Seol Hwa said.
"Thank you for that," she continued.
Gwen unknowingly increased her grip, feeling more of Seol Hwa's softness.
"Stop being greedy," Seol Hwa casually commented with a helpless sigh.
A pink blush spread on Gwen's cheeks.
"Okay," Gwen finally said.
The two watched the sun set while holding hands, sharing a few stories and laughing until it was time to leave.
It was the sad part of it all, but time had passed and night would soon fall.
On the way back, Gwen inscribed small marks on the trees so she would never forget.
~~~<>~~~
The rest of the journey back was silent.
Neither of them minded it.
Of course, the handholding had been for that specific time alone.
Gwen didn't want to bite more than she could chew. She was afraid.
Gwen & Seol Hwa's Apartment Building.
"This was… this was really nice," Gwen commented as the elevator went up.
"Yeah," Seol Hwa nodded.
"Do you think we could do this from time to time?" Gwen asked in a low murmur, an expectant gaze on her face.
"Don't be too greedy, Gwen," Seol Hwa replied, faintly tilting her head to the side.
"I wasn't being greedy. Just being hopeful. Am I allowed to have hope?" Gwen said with a faint grin.
"You're allowed everything," Seol Hwa replied.
Gwen tugged a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "So that means… another dat— I mean sight-seeing?"
"Maybe," Seol Hwa said vaguely.
It was then that the elevator chimed and the doors opened.
"Well, that's you," Gwen said in a sad tone.
"That's me," Seol Hwa replied.
How Gwen wished time would stop.
Of course, she didn't wish for h-doujin time manipulation powers.
She had exquisite standards, after all.
She just didn't want that moment to end.
"Good night, Gwen," Seol Hwa said as she slowly stepped out of the elevator.
"Good night, Seol Hwa. Byeee," Gwen said, awkwardly waving her hand.
She definitely would have launched herself to hug her like a heat-seeking missile if she were crazy.
Seol Hwa waved her hand back just as the elevator doors began closing.
Gwen watched her back disappear off and as soon as the doors closed, she began screaming silently.
That day was easily one of the best Saturdays of her life.
The date had been simply sublime!
Unbeknown to her, Seol Hwa had some thoughts about it.
And it put a smile on her face.
~~~<>~~~
Yuner's corner:
Wassup? Totally feeling alright now thankfully. I can't wait for the Brand New Day though to get released.
Who else is waiting on it? (I don't watch camrips so have to play the waiting game).
Also, this chapter was super long and made me feel feels🫠giddy idk. Ugh, too much sugar.
You can read 20+ chapters on my p a treon: a t r e o n.com/Yu_ner (remove the spaces)
Buy me coffee ko-fi/yunerr21.
Am also on tumblr: yunerr21