Sera had had her entire physique curled up like a fetus as she deliberately overlooked the filth that was surrounding her. With so much on her plate, she had to compromise one way or another eventually. Hurrying to the nearest solitary place, which unluckily turned out to be the restroom for her, Sera had immediately confined herself within the metallic walls of one of the stalls. As she stifled the loud cries— that were about to emanate from her— into silent sobs, she could not help but recall the abominable in the process.

As a teenager, she had dealt with a fair share of such situations. However, with time ticking away so nonchalantly, she had learned to flush the bad memories down the drain too. Years had passed by since she underwent her last breakdown, and she was earnestly looking forward to such period of mental peace in the future as well. But then, the very trigger that she was running away from, in order to save herself, surprisingly ended up breathing in the same air as her— if a couple of moments were retraced back.

"Why... Hadn't I moved on already? Why does that face end up crushing me like this every time I come across it? Why can't I be a little more strong, for fuck's sake!" Sera screeched under her breath, kicking her legs right at the wall in front of her before losing her cool once again for the worse.

Unfortunately, contrary to what Sera had presumed, she was not the sole body in that space. Gaeul had managed to catch a sight of her rushing into the restroom, and since then was standing there like an inanimate statue. At first, she had almost mustered up the courage to go and console Sera. Though as time flew by and she illicitly wound up overhearing her struggle, she instead found it better not to irk her with a human company just yet. Result of what came out as her leaving the hall which had apparently become a crying mess— credits of which must be given to its resonating property.

Crestfallen— as her face was notably screaming— Gaeul had returned to the fest venue, swinging her arms listlessly as she approached her desk. She re-settled herself on her designated chair, preparing to confront the wild mob once again. Quite remarkably, there was a figure whose presence alone was intriguing her like anything ever since she had sat herself down. Beckoning her assistant to take over the desk for her so that she could meet with the stranger, Gaeul marched forward towards him to further add insult to the injury. Or so her conscience was telling her.

"Excuse me, sir?" She let out a fake cough, stirring the said man to lend her an ear as expected.

"What happened to that official there all of a sudden? Is she alright? You ran after her to check on her, right? How's she doing, is she better now—"

"I'm sorry, sir, but it's me who came to ask you a question and not the vice versa. What exactly did you say to her for her to act in such a way? She's a very composed person as much as I know her, based on a day's basis." Gaeul rested her hands on her waist as she continued quizzing the potentially harmful man. If his ability to cause such a difference in a person's mental integrity was not a matter of concern, then she did not know what was.

"What? Were we not supposed to say our names? How are you people thinking of registering us, then?" Jimin's forehead was now creased, and that was the only testimony of genuine confusion that his highly covered face could give out. His answer for sure did not entertain Gaeul at all, but she had to give him the benefit of the doubt. She could not just go on interrogating him like she were an authorised detective, after all.

"Alright, sir, let's say that I'm convinced. I'm sure you mustn't have much time in your hands, so we should pick up from where Ser—Er, my colleague left, already so that you won't have to face further inconvenience. Here, sit." Gaeul gestured the patron to sit across the desk that had originally been assigned to Sera, and asked him to submit all the documents that were required for his verification.

Following the procedure completion, Jimin left for his home the next second itself. Though if he said that a part of him was still worried over the woman whom he had met prior to Gaeul, he would not be lying.

It was as if Sera was awaiting Jimin's departure that she appeared behind Gaeul right after the instant that he had set his foot out of the room. Placing her hand on the female's shoulder— who was still handling her desk— she had caused her to turn around only to have the latter observe her smiling half-heartedly. A trace of disconcert appeared in Gaeul's eyes momentarily too, but she succeeded in veiling it with the gleam of joy.

"What all happened while I was away dealing with stuff?" Sera queried as she pulled a stool for herself to get seated on, her puffy eyes making a contact with Gaeul's simultaneously.

"The man, you know... ugh, the last one you took ca—"

"Let it out, I don't mind." Sera reached out for Gaeul's hand, and the warmth that she had accumulated so difficultly all this while, got transferred wholly to the latter, making her be at ease eventually.

"He was a K-Pop idol. Jimin from BTS to be more precise." Gaeul tugged her lips into a grin, her eyes speaking on the behalf of her heart as they rendered an exceptional gloss.

"Sounds nice, good for you." Sera nodded her head briskly with a smile, displaying her friend that she did acknowledge her excitement. Though the contradiction that her glum eyes were posing to her former expression became quite too much evident for Gaeul to overlook just like that. Hoping that she would make the air light by her usual joking, Gaeul went ahead:

"Okay, I'll just assume that you aren't into the genre then." She mumbled, pretending to be disgruntled due to Sera's dry response.

🔸