None of Us Saw This Coming

August, 2018: Fools in Love

It felt much like going back to school, but at that time they were a bit fried from the busy schedule and then, added with a sprinkle of sleep deprivation (plus lack of food for Irene), which caused her a little dizziness. But again, she would get by just fine.

It was only the first day out of the two days event and they were excited because it meant they got to meet some of their fellow idol friends. It had always been hard for them to get together with idols from other groups despite having good relationships with them because of their schedules; like how they found it super hard to get together with Twice because the girls of Twice were always just as busy as them. So they were always happy to participate in events of such.

The only girl group that was almost always available whenever they invited them to meet up was Blackpink; the girls only had a little over 10 songs ever since their debut with the minimum appearance anywhere on-air. Their agency seemed to be shaping an exclusive image for the girls that they could rarely be spotted in an event of such. The only events they could meet Blackpink at were the formal ones.

Thinking back, Irene just realised how she had never personally interacted with Lisa before all that. Even when they met together as groups, Lisa had always been the one who just sat around by herself looking annoyingly pretty with her perfect and stoic features (considering how embarrassing her members' and Blackpink members' behaviours sometimes).

All those time, before they met at that pho place, Irene had only ever seen Lisa on the stage performing along with Jisoo, Jennie, and Chaeyoung, whom she had known personally. While Lisa—well, to Irene, Lisa had always been someone who belonged on the stage where she could be admired from afar. She still remembered the first time she saw Lisa and thought to herself how beautiful and captivating the woman was. Lisa was beyond her reach and she did not mind keeping things as was.

Funny how things changed.

Lisa was much like Seulgi when it came down to public persona—if Irene must make a comparison; they were different onstage and offstage. They had this charisma that people found it hard to tear their eyes away from their presence; they lured your eyes and they pinned you down. You had no choice but to submit to their presence.

The difference between Lisa and Seulgi for Irene came from the version of each behind the eyes of the public.

Irene had known Seulgi basically forever; they were trainees together and spent most of their time together for almost 15 years. There was nothing of Seulgi that Irene did not know and there was nothing of Irene that Seulgi did not know. To both Irene and Seulgi, they were family first before they were idols. She always thought Seulgi was her soulmate, one she could not imagine not being with. She had spent almost 15 years with Seulgi being constantly in her life—she could not possibly imagine spending the rest of it without her.

Seulgi was her certainty; a person who she built a connection with. A connection that was so deep she could understand the other person easily. A connection that was not enforced, it was natural and it was calm. It did not take her by surprise or sweep her off like a storm. A connection that grew in a perfect rhythm—never beyond her control. It gave her space to fit others in her hand. It never seek for her attention. A connection that gave her freedom to choose.

If love were ever to take a form in a person, then to Irene, it would have been Seulgi.

Then there was Lisa.

Lisa used to be an idea, an image in Irene's head. Lisa was an idol, an artist, who took the industry by surprise and gained fame exceeding anybody else; almost bigger than the KPop industry itself. But to Irene, Lisa came and made her see beyond anything her mind could make up. Lisa was a person she strangely had an immediate connection with—right off the bat; a connection that was so strong she could not help being drawn in them in ways she had never experienced before—not even with her family, not even Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri, whom she practically raised herself. Lisa was a breath of fresh air, a pull of gravity, a force that was so strong, that it swept her right off her feet.