Kang Seulgi.

For the countless years she's known her, to describe her in so few words would be a feat. From grade school until now, the older girl hadn't changed much at all. Still the little naive, bright Seulgi she had met all those years ago, albeit taller than her now, the girl continues to strike a protective chord in her.

They had lost touch at the end of college, much to everyone's surprise. A friendship thought to have been set in stone, now lost between the hustle bustle of adult life. Wendy was the one to reach out because who knows how long it would've taken timid Seulgi to find the courage to do so.

Warm mug in hand, she had chosen a quiet café, her favourite, for their grand reunion. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, and how foolish she felt to even feel a little anxious to see her old best friend. There were no secrets held between the two, when they were a packaged item. Seulgi and Wendy always went hand in hand, no force could separate them but time and life itself.

The dark cocoa sprinkled atop the thin foam of her hot chocolate swirls in tranquillity, almost hypnotizing her, pulling her further into her thoughts of the past. She wonders if Seulgi ever ended up opening her dream pastry shop. The girl loved sweets as much as she loved baking them. Having fought with her weight all adolescence, Wendy puts a little blame on her. Then again, her arms weren't twisted to be Seulgi’s personal taster.

The what ifs were plentiful, many unanswered possibilities to a friendship stuck on pause.

But then she hears that voice. It was warmer than the cosy feel of the café, an awkward giggle sweeter than the chocolate coating her tongue. Wendy smiles upon seeing Seulgi, because the other girl’s smile has stayed just as infectious.

Her hair is in a bun, short bangs serving as a small curtain over her forehead. Her cheeks are as chubby as she remembered them, but that's the only feature that didn't slim down over the years.

It takes them a minute of floundering over what to say and how to say it, but once they start the beat comes back and they're off. As if they hadn't stopped talking half a decade ago.

As if they were still the best of friends.

Seulgi made her dream happen. Business wasn't exactly booming, but she was happy with what she had.

Humble baker as always.

She couldn't help but stare at the other girl as she ordered her drink. Identical to Wendy’s, that much hadn't changed. The way she talked and acted was the same, mannered and a touch of cuteness that only Seulgi could pull off.

But the way she held herself, her style of clothing - the change wasn't much to anyone else, really, just a little more confident and form fitting. The difference wasn't drastic, but it was a lightyear in Wendy's eyes.

Did she grow into this woman overnight when the last message sent between the two was left on read? Or did she build up to be who she is over the years? Wendy doesn't know and it strikes some chord in her that she wasn't there to watch her friend blossom.

Was it strange for her to want to know every little detail of the other girl like old times?

Every little detail, like the ring sitting snuggly on Seulgi’s ring finger.

Is she reading too much into a simple band? Or is she right on the money. Nerves get the better of her, zones her out of the conversation Seulgi is animatedly discussing. Last she remembered; the other girl wasn't the biggest fan on jewellery. Did that preference change too?

It doesn't take long for Seulgi to notice the stare. She stammers, like she used to, fingers quickly brushing and playing with the silver band.

A promise ring.

It wasn't like she was married, but a promise ring did hold its own weight. Did she feel relieved or just the same once hearing the explanation? Wendy couldn't decide.

It was the name she got out of her that made her certain over what she was feeling.

Bae Joohyun.

The bane of her existence throughout grade school until the girl’s high school graduation. And it wasn't only her life she made a living hell, it was Seulgi’s too. How the two had crossed paths again, when even Wendy couldn't, she couldn't comprehend for the life of her.

“Seulgi, she bullied us for years. You had panic attacks just at the thought of school because of her.” Wendy just couldn't believe it, even if she saw it.

The other girl stays a little quiet as she plays with the band some more. The response she gets comes out as a whisper, as if they were sharing secrets again under Wendy’s My Little Pony blanket.

“People change.”

The answer screams at her, beats the feeling in her chest into burning oblivion. Because Seulgi’s right. People do change.

It's just sad to find out that Wendy’s the only one who hasn't.