Irene POV
We go to school the next day without Moonbyul. It really is different without her here. Usually she keeps the conversations going and Seulgi does too. Me and Solar are both quiet and just listen.
I could tell Seulgi was a bit uncomfortable too. She wasn't used to this silence.
"It really is weird without Moonbyul here isn't it?" She said.
"Definitely. I kind of miss the chaos." I said while smiling. I looked over at Solar and she just kept silent and kept zoning out.
"Solar, you wanna come with us to the boxing club?" Seulgi asked trying to get her to do something that told us that she was still alive.
She nodded and we both let out a sigh of relief. We got into the gym and once we walked in, we saw a crowd.
"What's going on over there?" I asked. Seulgi just shrugged and walked past the crowd. I saw Solar run into the crowd and I thought she really must of lost it.
"Solar!" I ran after her and also went into the crowd. I pushed past some of them and saw Solar hugging Moonbyul...What the heck is she doing here?! Shouldn't she still be in the hospital?!
I heard Seulgi call out our names and I get out of the crowd.
"Why is Moonbyul here?"
"Wait she's here?" She pushes through the crowd and I follow her. Moonbyul just smiles at us while holding Solar's hand.
"Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?!" Seulgi said with her mouth hanging open.
"My injuries weren't that bad." I looked at her closer and she was all bandaged up. She looked better than before, but still she looked really bad last night.
"Don't worry after they cleaned the blood, it wasn't that bad." She said smiling. Did she just read my mind?!
"Still what are you doing here?" Said Solar.
"Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Of course, but you should be resting!" Solar said.
"I wanted to see training and help out. I could be a coach." She said while smiling. Solar just sighed.
I looked at my watch and I had to go. I had an important meeting with my manager. I'm ready to get fired.
"Sorry Seul, my manager is calling me. I'm most likely going to get fired after the stunt that I pulled yesterday." She pulled me into a hug.
"Well it's their loss for losing someone like you." I smiled and gave her a kiss.
"Hwaiting!" She put her fists in the air and I just giggled and walked towards the coffee shop.
I enter it and see that there are other employees there as well. Is she going to fire all of us?!
"Ah Irene!" My manager smiled at me and I was on alert ready to accept my fate.
"Do you want to know why you are here today?" She asked me. I shook my head no even though I had a gut feeling already.
"I'm going on a vacation, so you guys don't need to work for a little bit." Everyone cheered and I just stood there in shock. I definitely thought that I was going to get fired. I let out a sigh of relief.
I walked out of the coffee shop feeling refreshed. As I was on my way back, I saw Seulgi's mom walk out of a shop with a bunch of shopping bags. She accidentally dropped them all and I ran over to help her pick them up.
"Hi Mrs. Kang!" I said. I bent down and helped her pick them up.
"Oh hi there Irene. You can give me those. I can carry them."
"No no, I insist. Where to?" I asked. She just sighed and then smiled.
"To my car please." It was a little awkward on our way to the car. Once we got to her car and put all of the bags in it, she turned towards me.
"Do you want to go get something to eat? Maybe a snack?" I shook my head.
"It's fine Mrs. Kang."
"I insist please. I have to repay you somehow." I look at my watch and sigh.
"If you insist." We go to a small bakery down the street and sit down. We order and we sit there staring at each other awkwardly.
"How are you and Seulgi doing?" I asked her finally.
"We are doing great! Thank you for your help again. I lost my drinking habit finally." I smiled at her.
"I'm glad. You know, she really does like the new you." She nods.
"Do you have any questions for me? Or any questions about Seulgi?" I look at her shocked.
"What do you mean?"
"Seulgi said you guys were dating. Are you not?" She told her?!
"Oh we are. I just didn't know that she would tell you." I said.
"Well anyway. If there is anything you want to know about Seulgi you should ask away." I thought for a bit. I know a lot of things about Seulgi except for her past. Should I ask her mom about it or should I let her explain it to me.
"Umm I was wondering, does Seulgi have any siblings?" I see her mom go cold.
"Oh I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about it."
"She does actually. She has an older brother actually."
"Oh really? Where is he?" I asked hoping I wasn't prying too much into their personal lives.
"He's with Seulgi's father. They aren't in Korea right now."
"Oh are they on a business trip?"
"No, they just moved somewhere else."
"After they left me here with Seulgi, I thought it was horrible. My husband decided to divorce and he took our son with him leaving Seulgi with me." I listened to her and felt a little bad for her.
"I loved my husband and my son more than Seulgi, so when they left me with her, I thought that she was just a mistake. Her brother was smarter than she was and was a boxer. Seulgi and her brother have a special relationship. They were really close. I thought I was having a hard time when my husband and son left us, but I bet she had the hardest time losing her best friend."
"Seulgi never really had the parents that a kid wanted. The only person who really did care about her was her brother. She looked up to him and decided to follow in his footsteps. She got into boxing because he was into boxing. Anyway. It was the final round of the boxing tournament, but he couldn't go to it because that's when my husband and him had to move to the U.S., so he never got to finish his boxing career here." I felt really bad for her. It must hurt really badly when loved ones leave you. I can't imagine how much it will hurt if Seulgi left me.
I give her a hug and she just wipes away some of her tears.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked you about such a sensitive topic." I said bowing to her.
"I think Seulgi would want you to know how important her brother is to her." She said while smiling.
"I have to go now. I'm really sorry! Thank you for the treat Mrs. Kang!" I said while bowing.
"Call me mom at this point okay?" she said while smiling. I smile back. Will do mom!" I waved and walked back towards the gym.
I kept thinking of what Seulgi's mom told me. It starts to make sense why she started to drink. It also makes sense why Seulgi is so focused on boxing and how much it really meant to her. I feel bad for them both. Seulgi wasn't able to experience family love and the only person who gave it to her was across the ocean and away from her. I felt bad for her mother because two loved ones left her.
When she called Seulgi a mistake, I did want to punch her. What a stupid thing to say about your own child?! She can't be perfect like her brother. To me she is perfect and will love her the way she is. Although, I can see it from the mom's view as well. They would compare younger siblings to older siblings. That's what my parents did to Yeri at first, but then they gave up learning that she wasn't like me.
I enter the building and I see Seulgi on the phone.
"Yeah, don't worry. I'll make you proud. I hope you'll be there cheering for me. I'll win this for you! I love you! Bye!" I see her hang up and look at me while smiling. My heart hurt a little when she said that she loved who ever she was talking to. I might have been a little bit jealous.
"Who were you talking to?" I asked. She just smiled.
"Oh, just my brother." She said while smiling.
"Will he come to the game?" I asked. She just sighed.
"No, he can't make it unfortunately, but he wished me good luck."
"That's good." I said. I pulled her into a hug and just stood there shocked.
"Uhh, what is this for?" She asked when I pulled away.
"I'm sorry you're brother can't come Seul. I know how much he means to you."
"How do you know?"
"You're mom told me about what happened with the divorce and how your father and brother left you to go to the U.S."
"I wanted to tell you about that." She said a little upset.
"I'm sorry I was curious." She just giggled.
"Then you know how much this tournament means to me correct?" I nod my head.
"Win it for him Seulgi!" She gave me a hug and a kiss.
"I'll do my best for you and for him."