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It’s cold, Irene thinks as she steps into the airport. The heaters in the airport provide some relief of the chilly weather outside. Irene folds her arms, hugging herself as she makes her way to board. Scanning it, her eyes find the flight she’s looking for. LA to Seoul, 2am. She sighs, noting the time. It’s nearly two am in the morning and Irene has work later. It’s horrible and Irene wants nothing more than to bury herself under her warm bed sheets and rest. She resists the urge to curse as she makes her way to Starbucks, dragging her feet.

She orders a latte and sips on it, half grumbling about the expensive price of the coffee Starbucks sell. The coffee better keep her awake. She’s about to leave Starbucks when she hears someone call her name.

“Irene?”

It’s a familiar voice and she turns around, only to be greeted by a surprised Wendy. Irene blinks, not expecting the CEO to be here. The sight of Wendy makes her legs feel like jelly and she kind of wants to run away. Still, she steels herself as Wendy approaches her with a coffee cup in hand, looking every part the CEO.

“Miss Son,” Irene greets, bowing ninety degrees.

“Ah, yes, Miss Bae,” Wendy consciously reverts to formally addressing her, smiling professionally. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I’m waiting for someone,” Irene briefly explains, smiling politely, hands clasped together in front of her.

Her nails are digging into her palm and her teeth are clenched as she smiles. So much for remaining calm.

“I see.”

“Are you leaving on a business trip?” she asks, not quite knowing what to talk about.

“Yes, for two days.” Wendy doesn’t know why she feels the need to inform Irene of the duration of her absence.

The two stand there in awkward silence. The last time they saw each other was filled with unsaid words and lingering touches. Irene’s heart aches at an unfulfilled love. Close enough to see, but not close enough to touch.

Just like the moon.

Wendy is about to make a move when someone yells Irene’s name. They both turn towards the voice. Irene immediately lights up, waving towards the person.

“Bogum!”

Said person – Bogum – reaches the two of them and engulfs Irene in a hug. Irene only hugs back, patting him on the back. When they pull away, Irene notices Wendy eyeing the boy.

“Right, Miss Son, this is Bogum. He’s a childhood friend. Bogum, this is Miss Son, my… my boss,” Irene hesitates.

Bogum immediately turns to Wendy, offering a hand. Wendy takes it, shakes it firmly, letting out a courteous smile.

“I’m Bogum, Irene’s friend since young. Thank you for taking care of her.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Are you American?”

“Oh , I totally forgot about Korean traditions. I’m too washed out.” Bogum scratches the back of his head.

“It’s okay, I understand.” Wendy waves it off coolly.

Turning to Irene, she says, “I’ll be making a move first then. I need to check in soon. It was great meeting the both of you.”

It’s a stiff smile but Irene doesn’t question it. Just nods and lets Wendy leave. Bogum turns to her smilingly.

“Let’s go.”

Irene only nods, sneaking one last glance at Wendy’s retreating form, sighing softly to herself.

It’s better this way, she (unsuccessfully) convinces herself.

///

Wendy walks away with clenched fists, murmuring curses under her breath. The goddamn coffee in her hand is too bitter. Stupid barista, stupid coffee, stupid boy. What’s his name again? Bogum. Right. Stupid Bogum.

She heard the brief pause earlier, feeling the emptiness between Irene’s words, which only serve to magnify the emptiness in her heart. She hates it so much. How Bogum gets to call Irene by her name but Wendy has to address her formally. How Bogum gets to hug Irene while she has to make do with tight-lipped smiles which burn into the back of her mind.

She takes one last sip of her supposed mocha and tosses it into a nearby bin, cringing at its bitterness. Walking up to Sooyoung, she folds her arms, sulking, still thinking about Irene and Bogum.

“Wendy? You alright?”

“I’m fine,” Wendy replies, lips set in a grim line, attempting to mask her emotions.

“Was that Irene? I saw you talking to a girl who looked like her.”

“Yes. She was there waiting for a friend.”

“Oh.”

Sooyoung stares at her for a moment before looking away, looking strangely disinterested. She fishes out her phone, answering a call. Meanwhile, Wendy feels strangely frustrated. Bogum. His name is at the back of her mind, constantly nagging at her.

They are just friends. They are just friends. They are just friends… Right?

She buries her face in her hands, utterly exhausted. It’s not even her business anymore but her mind keeps going back to Irene over and over again like a broken record. She brushes her hair back, fixing it. Sooyoung’s call ends and she’s smiling at Wendy widely like she just won an award.

“Guess who found you a secretary?”

For once, Wendy feels a bit of that weight lift off her shoulders. She forgets about Irene momentarily and asks about the new secretary.

“Do you have his or her profile?”

“I have it with me. You want to double check her qualifications?” Sooyoung questions.

“Yes. Give it to me on the plane.”

“Noted.”

“What’s her name?”

“Kim Taeyeon.”

Wendy nods in approval. Taeyeon. Her name has a nice ring to it.

By the time their plane takes off, it’s well into the wee hours of the morning, three am. They are seated in business class, having the luxury of having an individual plane seat. Sooyoung is situated beside her while she has the window seat. Sooyoung is dozing off, mouth wide open. Wendy only shakes her head fondly, fishing out her phone to snap a picture of the currently unglamorous Manager Park.

Her new secretary’s profile is with her and she opens the black file, scanning through. This Kim Taeyeon is really something. Graduated with honours at the top of her major, worked in several high admin positions. A very well-polished résumé  indeed. Pretty too, Wendy has to admit. A very promising candidate for the job. Wendy hopes this girl does well.

She closes the file, feeling the exhaustion overpower her. She looks out her window, seeing nothing but darkness blanketing the sky. Seoul is too far away now. She sighs. Perhaps there’ll be a better view in the morning.

Irene comes to mind again and she sighs. Too many problems on her plate.

How do I forget her?

The urge to sleep is overwhelming and it covers her like a warm blanket, slowly lulling her to sleep. She drifts off, wishing she knew how to forget Irene.

///

“Your boss looks pretty.”

The need to hit Bogum surges within her instantly upon hearing that statement. She turns to glare at Bogum, narrowing her eyes.

“She’s the CEO. Don’t mess around,” Irene warns, eyebrows scrunching up.

“Ooh, strong woman. I like.”

Irene flashes a glare at Bogum, snapping at him, “Stay away from her.”

The unnecessary aggression in her voice makes Bogum raise an eyebrow.

“And why is that?”

Irene racks her brain to find a legitimate answer but doesn’t manage to come up with any. She huffs irritably, speeding up her footsteps, entering the hotel before him. She immediately hears loud laughter behind her, making her r