Nayoung shuts herself inside her room for the next few days while SinB and Wendy camp out in her living room in case she wants to talk.

When it’s been days of complete silence, the other two try to figure out how it all went wrong on a Sunday afternoon.

“I saw her kiss that girl,” Wendy whispers so Nayoung doesn’t overhear. “She was pretty drunk, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Nayoung look at another person when there’s Sejeong.”

“And Sejeong saw her kiss that girl,” SinB surmises with a sigh. She slumps against Wendy’s shoulder and looks at Nayoung’s closed door. “They were supposed to confess to each other that night, not have their worst fight ever,” SinB murmurs, sounding guilt-ridden and so young.

Wendy hugs the girl and reassures her, “You were just trying to help, Eunbi. No one could’ve seen that coming.”

“I shouldn’t have pushed,” SinB laments. She shakes her head and moves away. She stands and grabs her backpack off the floor. “I don’t think she wants to see me,” SinB admits quietly, “so I’m just gonna go to the library and study until Yerin gets off work. Text me when she comes out?”

Wendy stares at SinB for a long moment. She knows SinB must be feeling awful about what happened, but she doesn’t think running away from Nayoung will solve anything. Knowing Nayoung, she probably doesn’t even blame SinB. However, Wendy sees the way SinB keeps her eyes downcast as her fingers fidget uncontrollably with her backpack straps. Whether Nayoung blames her or not, SinB feels guilty.

“Go ahead, I’ll let you know,” Wendy nods. She adds as SinB turns to leave, “You have to come back for dinner though.”

SinB grimaces and says, “I’ll come if she wants me here.” With that, she gives Wendy a sad wave and leaves with a somber attitude that doesn’t suit the younger girl at all.

After SinB leaves, Wendy decides to make lunch for herself and Nayoung. She’s been over to Nayoung’s apartment enough that she knows where everything is, so she busies herself with cooking. As she goes to the fridge for some ingredients, she pauses at the photo hanging on it.

It’s Nayoung and Sejeong at SinB’s birthday dinner a few months back. Both are grinning broadly, cheeks rosy and eyes bright. However, it’s the fact that the two of them aren’t even looking at the camera, but rather each other instead, that makes Wendy’s heart ache for them even more.

Just as she’s finishing cooking, Wendy’s phone rings. Without much thought, she answers the call, expecting it to be SinB or her mom.

Instead another familiar voice drawls, “Seungwan, it’s not kind to just fall off the face of the Earth for a weekend.”

“Hey, Sooyoung,” Wendy replies with a small laugh.

“And?”

“I’m sorry,” Wendy adds obediently.

Joy sighs over the phone before saying, “You know I can’t stay mad at you.” Wendy grins at the words as Joy continues, “I don’t mind you staying with Nayoung, you know. She needs it, and I’ve had Sejeong attached to my hip all weekend, so I get it. You’re being a good friend, which is why I love you. However, would it have killed you to at least text me to let me know you’re alive? I had to text SinB to find out where you were!”

Wendy is too distracted by the fact that Joy said she loves her to reply. She merely stares at the two plates in front of her and grins dumbly. It’s not until Joy starts yelling in her ear that she snaps out of her daze.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Wendy says quickly, and she can’t help but chuckle at the over dramatic sigh Joy gives her. “I’m also sorry for not replying,” Wendy says. “I don’t really excuse. I haven’t really done much this weekend except for watching crappy movies with SinB and catching up on some textbook readings. I just didn’t think to check my phone much.”

“You’re fine,” Joy assures her. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t dead in a ditch.” She then softens her voice and asks, “How is she doing?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Wendy sighs. “I haven’t really seen her. I’m pretty sure she waited until she knew SinB and I were asleep before leaving her room. We’d occasionally walk in to bring her food, but there was just this lump on the bed that we had to assume was Nayoung.”

Joy hums in understanding and says, “Sejeong’s been the exact opposite. She’s been dragging Yerin and me all around town, like if she just stops for one second she’ll just break down.”

“This ,” Wendy mumbles. “Like, epically .”

“Tell me about it,” Joy replies dryly, and Wendy can just picture her. She’s probably in her living room, sprawled across the couch with her head hanging off the edge and a pout on her face. “Say, do you think yo could get away for an hour or two? Meet me up for some coffee?”

“I don’t think I should leave,” Wendy says, shifting her weight from foot to foot. “SinB already left, and I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“You should go.”

Wendy jumps when she hears a voice behind her rather than from the phone. She spins around and sees Nayoung standing there, dressed in baggy pajamas and looking like she hasn’t showered in days.

“You should go,” Nayoung repeats.

All Wendy can think is how can she possibly leave with her looking like that?

“I take it that’s Joy,” Nayoung says, voice rough with a slight tremble. “You should go.” She pauses before adding firmly like she’s trying to convince herself, “I’m fine.”

“Nayoung…”

“Just for a few hours,” Nayoung tells her stubbornly. She hesitates before her face breaks a little and she says, “Please.” She shakes her head, and Wendy sees tears in her eyes. “I just need a few hours,” Nayoung whispers.

“Leave her be,” Joy says from the phone, and Wendy realizes she forgot she was even there. “It’ll do her some good if that’s what she wants.”

Wendy bites her lip. She wants to stay. She sees Nayoung standing there, all five foot and seven inches, but she has never looked so small. Wendy always remembers Nayoung as this adorable and clumsy goofball, all dimples and smiles. To see her like this, broken and devastated and just so small, it kills Wendy. She wants to stay.

But…

But Wendy also sees all the embarrassment and shame on Nayoung’s face and knows it’s best to give her time.

“Just for a few hours,” Wendy finally says, smiling a little when Nayoung nods and Joy cheers into her ear. Wendy wags a finger at her though and tells her, “I will be back though for dinner, and so will SinB.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Nayoung bobs her head, looking a bit more like herself when she does. She glances at the food Wendy prepared and says shyly, “Thank you for the food.”

“Of course,” Wendy smiles. She tells Joy she’ll meet her soon and hang up. Wendy walks over to Nayoung and hugs her tightly. She makes sure Nayoung sits down at her kitchen table with the food, checking to see she’s actually eating before packing her stuff up. Before she goes, she hugs Nayoung once more and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re gonna be okay,” Wendy tells her.

Nayoung simply smiles faintly and tells her she’ll see her later.

Wendy rides a cab to the coffee shop using the address Joy texts her. It’s only a twenty minute ride, and Wendy buzzing with excitement. She loves Nayoung and SinB, but she also loves Joy and misses her so much. It’s only been a few days, but Wendy is kind of hopeless. It’ll also be nice to not be stuck inside the apartment of her depressed friend.

When Wendy gets there, it’s drizzling and she runs in to avoid the rain. The coffee shop is dimly lit but warm, giving off cozy vibes that Wendy just adores. She isn’t sure how Joy found this place before her, but she’s glad she decided to share.

Joy is tucked away in a booth in the corner, so Wendy orders herself a tea before joining her.

“Wendy!” Joy cheers as she slides into the booth across from her. Joy leans across the table and hugs Wendy awkwardly, but she pulls back with a grin nonetheless. “I’ve missed you.”

Wendy’s heart flutters at the words and she returns them in kind. “You don’t look too bad for someone who was dragged around all weekend,” Wendy teases as she takes a small sip of her tea.

“Sejeong is trying to be strong,” Joy shrugs, a solemn look crossing her features. “She’s hurting though. I don’t think she’s ever had a fight this serious with Nayoung before.”

“Nayoung has never been one to rock the boat,” Wendy replies. She wonders how she got so attached to these girls so quickly. It feels like just yesterday that she was intimidated by Nayoung’s looks and SinB’s attitude. It is amazing how much things can change over just a few months. “But, she finally rocked it,” Wendy sighs.

“They’ll work it out,” Joy says confidently. She smiles and says, “They’ll be fine.”

Wendy smiles in return. She takes another sip of her tea before changing the subject to something happier. “How’s your dance class going?” Wendy asks.

“Great!” Joy beams. “We’ve gotten into groups to create our own choreography. My group is really great. You should meet Seulgi and Irene some time.”

“You always say I should meet your other friends, but I never do,” Wendy jokes. “It took me almost a year to meet Yeri, and you live with the girl. Who knows how long it will take for me to meet Seulgi and Irene. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to hide me.” Wendy says all this with a broad grin to let Joy know she’s teasing, and she laughs at the way Joy blushes.

Joy shakes her head then replies, “Maybe I just want to keep you all to myself.”

Wendy doesn’t know what to say to that, so she settles for drinking her tea and pretending that her cheeks aren’t reddening. She hears Joy laugh at her reaction before Joy’s reaching out to tug one of her hands off her cup to hold.

“You’re so cute, Seungwan,” Joy grins, and Wendy feels like she’ll never get over the sound of her real name spoken by Joy. “You know, whenever this blows over, we should go out.”

“G-go out?” Wendy stammers in surprise. “As in, just us?”

“Of course, silly,” Joy laughs. She’s still holding Wendy’s hand, soft and warm. Joy squeezes her hand. She digs into her purse for a moment before producing a black pen. Before Wendy can stop her, Joy starts doodling on Wendy’s hand. “I’m doing this so you don’t forget about me after you leave,” Joy tells her sternly, but Wendy sees the coy smile on the corners of her lips.

Wendy just laughs a little breathlessly and says, “I could never forget you.”

Joy looks up at her through long lashes and murmurs, “Good.”

That’s how they spend the rest of their time together with Joy mindlessly drawing all the way up Wendy’s forearm while Wendy just watches her lovingly. They talk as Joy draws, about random things like how their classes were going and about the other girls. It’s intimate and just a little too close to domestic to stop Wendy’s heart from thrumming uncomfortably fast. She can only hope Joy can’t feel her heartbeat as she draws.

They stay that way for hours, just talking, until Wendy’s phone chimes with a text message.

With her free hand, Wendy checks the message and sees it’s from SinB who’s asking about their dinner plans. Fumbling a bit at first at texting with one hand, Wendy manages to reply that she is out with Joy, but she is going back to Nayoung’s for dinner. Then she tells SinB she has to come and that Nayoung is expecting her.

Wendy rolls her eyes when SinB sends her a crude message in reply to hearing that she is with Joy, so in retaliation, Wendy tells SinB that now the younger girl was in charge of buying and picking up a few pizzas for tonight.

Across town, SinB scowls at her phone and tosses it onto Yerin’s bed.

“Why the grumpy face?” Yerin asks her, barely glancing up from her book.

“I have to get the pizza for tonight,” SinB tells her with an over-exaggerated sigh and a pout.

Yerin just laughs and reminds her, “You’re the one that was feeling so guilty earlier. Use this as your penance or something.”

“Ugh, groveling on my hands and knees would’ve been cheaper,” SinB grumbled, but Yerin knows her girlfriend is secretly relieved at having something to do that can help the situation. “I should get going then if I have to go get the pizzas,” SinB sighs.

“So early?” Yerin questions. “It’s barely four-thirty.”

“I’m gonna head to that one really good place,” SinB explains, “but it’s like thirty minutes away from Nayoung’s, and they’re always crowded. It’ll take forever to get the pizzas.”

Teasing her girlfriend, Yerin coos, “Aw, what a good friend Eunbi is.”

“Shut up,” SinB rolls her eyes, but her words are belied by her pink cheeks. She rolls off Yerin’s bed and goes to grab her jacket and backpack. “Do you want anything while I’m there?” SinB asks. “I could get them to deliver it here.”

“Eunbi is being such a kind person today,” Yerin teases some more as she wraps her arms around SinB’s waist. She kisses SinB briefly before saying, “Yes please, my usual.”

SinB kisses Yerin once more before heading out, texting both Nayoung and Wendy for their pizza topping preferences.

A couple of hours later, her apartment’s doorbell rings. Nayoung opens the door, expecting it to be Wendy and SinB, but instead she finds someone she isn’t even close to seeing. She only stares, unable to find the words. Nayoung stands there for so long. She stays there until—

“Can I come in?” Sejeong asks.

A/N: I felt so bad about last chapter's angst fest that this just sort of happened.