UNCHANGEABLE - SEULRENE

SR - beautiful dreams

seulgi smiles. "still, thanks."

"i know it's still rough right now, but it'll be okay for everyone soon. i can feel it in my bones," says junmyeon, clenching his fist and jaw. "but i seriously hope we can be friends this time around--like real friends. we're on the same team, anyway. we want what's best for joohyun and yerim."

"yeah. of course. would love that." seulgi raises her beer in the air. "for joohyun and yerim?"

junmyeon smiles and toasts their beers together. "for joohyun and yerim."

---

she tells joohyun about her talk with junmyeon and the former agreed that maybe it's about time that they talk to yerim.

they initially plan to go out altogether, the three of them. but before joohyun can even tell yerim about it, seulgi was called for an urgent matter in yeosan. she and sooyoung flew there immediately and was forced to stay for a few days to fix some papers with the municipality.

she tells joohyun it may take her a week as she wants to make sure everything is settled before she flies back. they both agreed to do the talking with yerim once she's back.

it was their fifth day in yeosan. seulgi and sooyoung were in the sanitation office when the former's phone rings. she checks it and sees joohyun's name flashing on the screen.

"aren't you going to answer it?" asks sooyoung, seeing seulgi staring at her phone.

"it's weird. she said she's already at the hospital two hours ago. she rarely calls when she's at work. hope this isn't an emergency." seulgi puts the phone against her hear. "honey, everything all right?"

"who's honey? my mom's name is joohyun," the person on the other line said.

seulgi's eyes widen. "y-yerim?"

sooyoung looks at seulgi.

"where are you?" asks the kid.

"i-i'm in yeosan..." seulgi jabs sooyoung, who's silently teasing her for stuttering. "where's your mom?"

"she's sick."

"what!" seulgi stands up. "what happened?"

"dad brought her back home from work. he gave her medicines and told her to rest. he says mom suffers from gasturaytuss."

"g-gasturaytuss?"

"i think she meant gastritis," sooyoung whispers.

"ahh." seulgi nods. "so, how's your mom now?"

"she's asleep. dad says i should call you to inform you."

"oh. well, thank you, yerim."

"when are you coming over here?"

"uh..." seulgi walks around. "the thing is..."

"my mom needs you," says yerim, indifferent. "she's been calling your name whenever she wakes up a bit."

"tonight!" says seulgi, startling sooyoung. "i'll be there tonight."

"okay. i'll tell mom when she wakes up. bye." yerim ends the call quickly.

seulgi stares at her phone, couldn't believe what just happened.

---

yerim and her grandma greets her at the front door.

the kid has her poker face on. seulgi's laughing inside how yerim really resembles her mom.

"she's already feeling discomfort in her stomach this morning, but she still chooses to work," says joohyun's mom, who's leading them inside. "have you had your dinner yet?"