Wendy was sitting in a corner of the practice room, looking through the pictures in her phone— her family, her friends, her school– just everything. She missed everyone back in Canada too much.

No, it isn't like she was forced to stay here; she just didn't tell anyone. She felt her work and passion come before her family. Although she wanted to see them at least once, at the same time, she didn't want to. She was afraid; afraid whether she'd feel too much homesickness and return back to Vancouver, causing a problem here. Getting to debut after two years of staying away from family itself was an accomplishment for her, since she never left their side, not once in her 18 years of staying in Canada.

"Hwan, why are you here?" Seulgi asked her, standing before her.

"Huh? Nothing, just... Come on, let's practice" She said and got up, leaving her phone behind. Seulgi had a chance to peek inside, and saw what she was watching all this time.

"Seunghwan... You miss them, right?" Seulgi asked Wendy, "Your family, your friends... everyone?"

"Well, I do miss them; is that even a question?" Wendy chuckled, hiding the tears that choked . And she wasn't sure why. "I've been with them for years, Seulgi. Of course I miss them" She smiled widely just to fool her.

"Well... if you say so... Still, take care, okay? You can always talk it out" Seulgi gave a smile to her as they the song to practice.

Wendy really felt like she should have told her. Yet, she didn't.

"...We miss you, Wendy. I wish you could come back here, but... Anyways, take care, okay? Don't hesitate to come whenever you can. Mom really wants you here; she doesn't like you being there, away from us. She's

Love, Dad"

She sat before the computer, looking at the mail her Dad had sent her. She felt the tears blur her eyes; she knew she had to stop them. Yet, she couldn't.

Sitting there for quiet a while, she let everything out.

She had found a way.

Whenever she felt really homesick, she'd come to the living room of their dorm, and silently think to sort her mind out and gather herself.

But one night, she really couldn't keep it in anymore.

She came out silently, being careful not to wake up anyone, and sat on the couch, biting her lips hard to keep the tears in. 

Still, they fell. They streamed down her face, her cheeks.

Why do I miss them so much? I can go visit them whenever I want to! It's not like anyone's stopping me from going!

That time, everything that her Amber eonni, Henry oppa, Tiffany eonni said came to her mind.

Stay strong, okay? You'll get to see them when you get the chance. You shouldn't be homesick because of this, Amber had said to her, giving a slight pat on her back.

My dad still doesn't like me being a singer here, yet I do it. It's just a matter of time, Wendy, Henry had said.

My dad doesn't like me being away from him and the rest... There's so much of technology now, Wendy. You can see them even when you're in the other part of the universe, Tiffany had said with a warm smile.

Yet, she just wanted to throw herself onto her mom for a hug.

Not even her Mom, just someone. 

All she needed was a gentle, comforting, warm hug.

"Mom..." She whispered in between her sobs, sniffing hard.

Seulgi was sure she heard something.

She got up, trying to hear it again. There it is again, She thought, someone's crying...

She walked out of the room, careful not to wake up her roommate, Irene. She took her blanket with her, as it was really cold; obviously, since it was a November day; when the winter sets in more and more.

She could see the lamp lit by the couch, but couldn't recognise who sat beside it. She had a hunch on who it could be, but was hesitant to call out the name.

"... Seunghwan?" 

Hearing the name made Wendy cry more than she did. After all, that was the name her parents gave her; the name they called her whenever she was home.

Everything went by a flash before her eyes: the day she got selected to train with SM, the day she left Vancouver, the day she met her friends for probably the last time, and more. She struggled to even cry.

"Or Yeri? Is that you?"

"W-Wendy" Wendy said, more to make herself feel better.

"Seunghwan? Are you... c-crying?" Seulgi asked hesitantly.

"Don't!" She yelled, "Don't call me Seunghwan... please" She pleaded. "Please"

The words kept ringing in Seulgi's ears.

"Okay... Wendy." She gave in, although her pronunciation of the English name was a bit weird. "Why are you crying, though?"

To that, Wendy couldn't reply. She cried harder, her shoulders shaking.

Seulgi felt really bad for asking that question, since it made her friend cry.

The two didn't know how they ended up being friends, but somehow, they understood each other and stuck together. They could feel the hardships of each other: of Wendy's homesickness and of Seulgi's pressure of not debuting even after training for seven years– and found the comfort within each other. The two had a very special relationship.

Seulgi just hugged her gently, as if she was a fragile glass piece which could get broken.

And Wendy broke down completely. She couldn't keep up her strong façade anymore.

"Sshh... it's okay, Hwan-ah" She said as she circled pats behind the back of her best friend, while she cried hard on her shoulder. She had never seen Wendy this weak- She was considered the vitamin of the group. Now she knew why she was alone wherever she saw her: it was because she needed time.

"M-Mom... I-I miss he-r so mu-ch..." Wendy hiccuped. "I-I jus-t want to go... back" She ended in a whisper.

"It's okay, let it all out, okay?" Seulgi said as she felt the chill atmosphere bite through her skin, but her friend was important to her now. "Sometimes we miss someone. Look at me? I miss my family too"

"But they're at a distance where you can go and see them! Mine are not!" Wendy yelled in English.

Eventhough Seulgi didn't understand what she said, she could feel the anger in it.

She looked at the clock that was hung to her right: a bit close to One'O clock in the night. That was the last time she checked the time.

As Wendy's sobs slowly stopped, the tiredness set in, and within minutes, she was fast asleep in the comforting hug of Seulgi. not sure of what to do, she moved very carefully to take the blanket beside them and used it to cover themselves from the chilly night.

The last face she saw was Wendy's, with a small smile in it. It made her feel happy; made her feel as a good friend.

And soon, she too drifted to sleep.

"Yah!" A voice woke Wendy up. She tried to look up at who it was, but noticed the uncomfortable position she was in. And the headache wasn't helping her either.

"You love-birds, sleeping while hugging each other in the couch! My baby Yeri's eyes might get scarred! Get up, you two!" it was Irene. 

That was Wendy felt the feeling of someone beside her. The warm hug felt so comforting; she wanted to sleep in them forever.

"Hnm..." She recognised the voice. She could recognise the voice anywhere.

Seulgi.

"S-Seulgi? You're..."

"Well," Seulgi replied sleepily, getting her hands away from hugging Wendy. "You were crying for a really long time yesterday. I had to"

Wendy felt a smile creep up to her face, for she realised she had someone from whom she could receive warmth and confort.

"Thanks, Seulgi-ah"

"No thanks between friends, Hwan" Seulgi smiled widely: a genuine, warm smile to make her best friend feel more better. "next time, you never do this, okay? Just call me, we can talk everything out" Seulgi got up, but Wendy was fast enough to pull her to a hug again.

"Thanks, Seulgi. Really. I-I don't know what to say—"

"You never know what to say, derp face" Seulgi stuck her tongue out, making a funny face

"Yah, that was a bit too much, okay?!"

And they started their daily line of squabbles.

"Aish, these two... they care for each other, yet they fight every now and then! What am I going to do with them... I'm gonna go insane" Irene sighed as she ironed Yeri's uniform and thought of something to pack for lunch for the maknae of their group.