Dive // Jaeyi x Seulgi

Chapter 7

The staff hesitated, but something about Jaeyi—her cold, commanding tone, the sheer urgency in her presence—made them nod.

Minutes later, she saw it. The security footage.

Seulgi entering the kitchen. A shadow following behind her. The freezer door shutting. Not opening again.

Jaeyi's pulse slammed against her ears as she reached the freezer door. She yanked at the handle. Nothing.

Her stomach turned. Locked.

She stepped back, breath sharp, assessing—no, not assessing—there was no time to think. Seulgi was inside. Seulgi was freezing.

Her hands curled into fists. She kicked the door once. Twice. Her foot ached, but she didn't care. The lock rattled, but held. Not fast enough.

"Seulgi!" Her voice was sharp, louder than she intended. No answer.

Jaeyi swallowed hard. Her fingers twitched. If she hesitated—if she was even a second too late—

No. No, she wasn't too late. She refused to be.

Another kick. Harder. Fucking break.

A snap. The lock gave way. The door swung open, slamming against the wall.

Cold air rushed out, biting at her skin.

Jaeyi barely felt it.

Because there—curled up, body limp—was Seulgi.

For the first time in years, Jaeyi felt something like fear.

Real, suffocating fear.

"Hey." Her voice was steadier than she felt as she dropped to her knees. She pulled Seulgi into her arms, heat against ice. "You're alright. I got you."

Seulgi stirred slightly, her lashes heavy with frost. Her lips barely parted.

"...Jaeyi?"

"Yeah, it's me," Jaeyi murmured, already pressing her hand against Seulgi's back, willing warmth into her. "I need you to stay awake."

Seulgi's body didn't resist the way it normally would. That scared Jaeyi more than anything.

So she held on tighter.

Her lips were pale. Her eyes fluttered open slightly, unfocused, her breath weak. Jaeyi had never moved so fast.

"Stay with me." Jaeyi's voice was low, almost pleading, as she wrapped herself around Seulgi, trying to bring warmth back to her frozen limbs.

Seulgi's vision blurred. She saw a face—Jaeyi's face. But it wasn't clear.

"Jaeyi-a," Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Stay awake, okay?" Jaeyi murmured, adjusting her grip.

Seulgi barely registered the movement as Jaeyi carried her out of there.

-

By the time they reached Seulgi's hotel room, the warmth of the heater was nothing compared to the heat of Jaeyi's body pressed against her.

Jaeyi sat on the bed, Seulgi curled in her arms. She had shed her own coat, wrapping it around Seulgi, but it wasn't enough.

Jaeyi needed to warm her up.

Her arms tightened. One hand slid along Seulgi's back, rubbing slow, steady circles to generate heat. The other held Seulgi's waist, keeping her close.

Seulgi let out a shaky breath.

Jaeyi felt it against her neck. The faintest shiver.

Without thinking, Jaeyi tucked her head onto Seulgi's left shoulder. Her nose brushed against Seulgi's skin, her lips just inches away from her collarbone.

"Just stay close," Jaeyi murmured. "You're still cold."

Seulgi didn't resist. Her body instinctively leaned into Jaeyi's warmth.

It wasn't just about keeping her warm anymore.

It was something else. Something deeper, heavier.

Jaeyi's fingers absentmindedly traced slow, gentle patterns along Seulgi's back. Seulgi shivered again—not from the cold this time.

Neither of them spoke.

The silence was thick, charged. A tension neither of them had the strength to acknowledge yet.

Jaeyi didn't let go.

Not for a long time.

-

The next morning.

Seulgi stirred first. She blinked at the warmth beside her, taking a second to register the soft weight of Jaeyi's arms still wrapped around her.

For a moment, she just... stared.

Jaeyi was still asleep.

Her breathing was slow, steady. Peaceful.

Seulgi swallowed, carefully reaching for the blanket and pulling it up to properly cover Jaeyi.

A knock suddenly interrupted the quiet.

Kyung's voice. "Seulgi? You up?"

Seulgi stiffened.

Jaeyi, barely awake, opened one eye lazily.

Another knock.

"Seulgi?" Hyeri's voice this time. "We brought something for you."

Jaeyi registered the voices immediately. In one swift motion, she rolled off the bed and slid under it.

Seulgi barely held in a laugh.

She cleared her throat. "Coming!" She quickly sat up, brushing her hair back before unlocking the door.

Kyung and Hyeri stepped in, holding a folder.

"Here," Hyeri handed it over. Hard copies from the photoshoot. "Your shots came out great."

Kyung nodded, flipping through. "Yeah, you look really good in these."

Seulgi smiled. "Thanks."

Kyung glanced around the room. Something felt... off.

Her eyes flickered down.

Her gaze landed on a pair of unfamiliar shoes near the bed.

She paused.

Then shrugged. Whatever.

Seulgi exhaled.

"Anyway," Hyeri clapped her hands. "Let's go somewhere later! Maybe a park?"

Seulgi hesitated.

Under the bed, Jaeyi raised an eyebrow.

Seulgi sighed, glancing subtly downward.

Jaeyi's sharp eyes stared back. Flat. Expressionless.

Seulgi swallowed a smile.

"...Yeah," she finally answered. "Let's go."

Kyung and Hyeri beamed.

Under the bed, Jaeyi exhaled slowly.

This was going to be a long day.