Everyone is gathered around my apartment, not yet drunk because I forbid them to be drunk so early at the party. Irene agreed with my decision, somehow she is now very responsible but then again, with her profession as a surgeon, I kind of expected her to be like this. The rest, which are Wheein, Hyejin and Seulgi, can only sulk with Byulyi trying to comfort them. Besides, not all the guests invited have arrived yet. Irene and Seulgi were the first, Wheein and Hyejin followed exactly fifteen minutes later. And just a moment ago I received a text from Wendy who is at the parking lot and on her way up.

I was in the kitchen with Irene and Byulyi. Byulyi was helping us setting up the chicken Hyejin brought because Irene was allergic to chicken and I’m handling something else.

“You’re so lucky, you know.” Irene suddenly told me and when my eyes met hers, she directed it to Byulyi. “She’s super helpful with kitchen stuff. I’m very impressed. She’s like a gem and I’m really happy for you.”

At this point, I know Irene must have noticed the rings on my and Byulyi’s finger. But she decided to be subtle and I’m really glad she’s doing that. I chuckled and nudges Irene’s shoulder. “Thanks and I’m happy for you too. You’re not less lucky than me… I mean, Seulgi is someone who would attract the ladies’ attention without even trying.”

Irene rolled her eyes, “Ugh, tell me about it.” Then she giggles, turning back to look at her wife sitting on the couch, watching whatever it is on the tv with Hyejin and Wheein. “Let’s watch bare bears!” “What?” “You’re a police officer why would you watch cartoons?” “There’s no rules against police officer watching cartoons, is there?”

My god, Seulgi is such a cute bear. I won’t say it out loud knowing Irene has a really short temper when it comes to jealousy. She told me that Seulgi is a huge disaster in the kitchen so it is best if she is away from the kitchen at any moment given. I love knowing this fact because when I look at Byulyi and I. We’re almost like Irene and Seulgi but at the same time, we’re not. We each have our own dynamics and I love knowing that when Irene and Seulgi can’t work together in the kitchen, Byulyi and I, on the other hand can somehow work our way out. Byulyi even taught me how to cook.

My daydream has to end when I heard the doorbell.

“Ah, Wendy!” I beamed at the girl standing by my door.

She was blonde before the holiday started and now her hair is jet black but still has the wavy hairstyle there. In one of her hands was a box that I assume must be the carrot cake she told me about. I hugged her shortly and she gives me a smile almost as huge as mine.

“Glad I could make it. I’m not late for the party, am I?”

“We barely even started.” I stepped aside to let her in and to be honest, I was eager to let Wendy know that the girl who she saw at the lobby back then, has become my best friend and now fiancé. I took Wendy’s wrist and leading her more into my living room where everyone else has gathered. “Hey, guys, I want you to meet my coworker.”

“W, Wannie…?”

Surprisingly, that one came from Seulgi who looks so surprised at the sight of Wendy next to me. This is surprising for me too because just how small this world is if my best friend’s wife actually knows my coworker—and they’re even close enough for Seulgi to call her with such cute nickname.

“Oh god, is that really you, Seul?”

“Wait, you guys know each other? This is oddly very interesting…” Byulyi smirks, observing the two long lost best(?) friends as if she’s watching a movie coming to life. It didn’t take much for Seulgi to make her way towards Wendy and hugs her there. She doesn’t even care that her wife is practically there in the kitchen, witnessing the whole thing with a very visible frown on her face.

We all got to sit around when Wendy and Seulgi starts telling us a few things about them. How they know each other and all. They’re just like me and Irene, only Seulgi and Wendy went way back when they were still in High School. Seulgi won’t stop looking at Wendy because she said Wendy changed a lot though she still can recognize her in one look. Wendy isn’t really bothered by Seulgi’s stare, she’s more scared of a certain someone’s glare—that is clearly coming from my best friend, Irene.

I took the chance to tell Wendy that Irene and Seulgi were married to each other.

Wendy isn’t surprised because why else would the girl who has been clinging to Seulgi’s arm, sending obvious glare at her for the last fifteen minutes if she isn’t someone so important to Seulgi.

“But I’m more surprised with the fact that Kang Seulgi is married to someone as pretty as you.” Oh wow, I almost forgot Wendy can be a flirt when she decides to be one.

Not as horrible as Byulyi but well, they share the same cringiness.

About thirty minutes after Wendy arrived, Amber came and honestly, the girl was so attractively handsome. I’m not even kidding right now. She’s the androgynous type of girl and I swear she’s nailing it. I almost missed the way Byulyi held me closer to her side when I keep openly stare at Amber. Let’s face it, Amber shows up with such stylist clothing that everything almost screams ‘RICH’. Everyone is practically gawking when she entered the living room.

To make it even worse, Amber is also very friendly and everyone just get along so fast within fifteen minutes after the whole introducing.

Amber isn’t exactly from Korea. “Half-Taiwanese and half-American. I went to the same cooking academy as Byul here.” But yeah, despite her not being a tiny bit Korean, she can handle Korean conversation quite well. She has a relative who lives here and decided to visit during the holiday.

“Ah, now I remember…” Amber looks at me expectantly. “You’re the one who helped Byul that time. Um, the dinner?”

“Dinner—Ah! Yes, that’s definitely me.”

For a second there, I saw how Byulyi and Amber exchanged look and whatever Amber was going to ask of me, she decided to not ask at all. Oh well, my mind was already distracted when Byulyi said, “I forgot to tell you guys. I mean, well obviously I told Yong first. But in case you didn’t know, Amber’s the one who gave me that Beenzino’s concert tickets.”

“What—?!” Wheein immediately rose up from her seat. Irene jumped at the sudden outcome while Wendy giggles at the whole thing. Hyejin rolls her eyes and eyes Amber with curiosity.

Hyejin’s eyes met mine for a brief second before she turned to Amber again.

“So, you have relatives who can give you free concert tickets?”

Amber shrugs, “Yes, sort of. I have a few connections from back when I tried to be an idol.”

Everyone’s interests have once again surfacing towards Amber. Byulyi was the one who explained to everyone the secret behind Amber’s fluent Korean language. She had to be able to talk to people using Korean while being a trainee and it forces her to nail the local language asap. Long short story, she somehow knew that the idol path isn’t really for her to pursue. So, she quitted and flew back to the US and there, she met a Korean girl. You guessed it, Jung Soojung. They eventually become best friends.

“Soojung was a newly accepted student in London Cooking Academy and was currently in a vacation to visit her sister, Jessica, in the US. That’s basically how I met her.” I nodded and somehow couldn’t help but think about how did Amber even end up going to the same academy as Soojung. But oh well, it isn’t exactly my place to question such thing. We only met for a few hours, after all.

The party still goes on for the next hour.

I’ve given everyone their permission to consume all the alcoholic drinks they brought and a few that Byulyi and I purchased earlier today. I declined everyone’s offer because I know how horrible I am with alcohols, so I stick with the 0,05% alcohol canned drink. Byulyi also told me to stay away from those drinks everyone else is consuming.

“Don’t wanna have you pass out before we tell them.” She kisses my cheek and continue her conversation with Seulgi and Amber. Irene catches my eyes when I can feel my cheeks starting to feel as if it’s burning. And she smirks at me, taking a sip from her drink.

Then I watch how Amber reaches into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone. “It’s Krystal.”

“Well, what are you doing? Pick it up!” Byulyi said, grinning.

As Amber excuses herself to the balcony to pick up the phone, Seulgi looks lost. “Um, wait. Who is Krystal again?”

“Oh, she’s the same Jung Soojung. Krystal is like her western name.”

“So, it’s like how Wannie now using the name ‘Wendy’?” Seulgi asked, tilting her head to the side and god, this girl is married why do I keep thinking she looks so damn cute?

I decided to diverts my attention elsewhere.

But Byulyi won’t let me when she says, “Exactly!” She grins again, chuckling. “She must be so nervous talking to her.”

“Why would she?” I decided to ask and surprisingly, it isn’t Byulyi who answers me.

It was Irene. “Because Amber likes Soojung.”

What?

“She loves her.” Byulyi corrected.

And I’m now even more confused.

“Wow… That’s…” At Seulgi’s speechless respond, Byulyi’s smile soften.

Maybe a little melancholy, but whatever it is it was barely showing. “Krystal is her first love, after all.”

At the mention of first love, I turned to Byulyi so fast I almost snap my neck. “What was that? Did you say that Soojung is Amber’s first love? Are you just assuming things right now, Byul?” Maybe, this took me by surprise almost a little too much.

But I clearly never expected that—well, before Amber explained about how she ends up being close friends with Soojung, that is.

Byulyi laughs. Looks like there really something Byulyi forgot or purposely forgot to tell me.

“Now,” She looks towards the balcony where Amber still on the phone with Soojung. “Amber has been keeping her feelings for Soojung since the day they met. Amber said it was love at first sight but Soojung was too precious of a best friend that she never thinks of confessing.”

“So, it’s like you and Yongsun-unnie’s case?” Wheein is suddenly sitting nearby the couch, facing us. Hyejin next to her and even Wendy is also trying to focus on the current topic. This feels a bit wrong because we’re talking about someone’s pent-up feelings while the main character of this topic is just a few feet away in the balcony, talking to the possibly the love her life.

“Guys, let’s not talk too much about it. Amber is literally out in my balcony and here we are.”

Hyejin narrows her eyes at me, “You just don’t want us to spill about you and Byulyi-unnie and how frustrating it was watching the two of you.”

Well, honestly, yes.

I’m already sick of myself back then for thinking that Byulyi can’t possibly have feelings for me, completely ignoring the tiniest possibility of us being together. I can’t be more thankful when Byulyi kisses the side of my head, trying to calm me down.

“I believe you guys also have something to tell us, right?” Irene gives me a knowing look.

“Chill, we have something to announce later. All of you would want to stick around and not sour my baby’s mood now.” And at the way Byulyi calls me ‘my baby’, I feel embarrassed and tries to hide in her embrace. It makes me feel giddy and my heart doing another tiny little jumps.

“Speaking of announcement… Well, I know I am only friends with Seulgi and Yongsun-unnie here but I’d like you guys to know that I’m going to get engage probably in January.” Well, that was one heck of an announcement.

But isn’t Wendy already engaged to someone?

“I thought you’re already engaged? With that guy… I don’t know, your boyfriend?”

Wendy bit her lower lip, smiling apologetically. “Something happened a week after our engagement and I decided to break it off with him. Not long after that, I met this woman and we hit off really quick.”

“…I never knew you swing both ways, Wen.”

Wendy only shrugs, “Me neither. Until I met her, that is.”

The conversation went on with Seulgi saying she’s really happy for her best friend’s decision but she also said she would like to meet the woman first before Wendy execute the whole engagement. And the rest of the people saying their congratulatory for Wendy.

Almost an hour later, Amber is finally done with the phone call.

By the time she walks back inside my apartment, everyone is already pretty much a bit intoxicated. We’re all still sober enough for a sane conversation though and some drinking habit is already showing. It’s always cute watching people acting out of their usual behavior while being under the alcohol influence.

“Man, you took a while.”