The staff keep barging in and out of the dressing room.

Some of them only visit to greet, missing the days they have spent racing together. Then there are the production assistants of the live show who are updating the occupants and continuously reminding them of the script and the order of how the show would be going.

And the stylists and the glam team hop from room to room to check on each contestant if they are looking fabulous.

Which kind of stresses Wendy out.

She doesn’t mind dressing up, really. She likes doing it if she wants to feel good about herself.

It is just the nitpicking that reminds her that they will face the audience soon, in front of the cameras, streaming the show to the entirety of South Korea. Heck, somebody could be even watching from overseas, legally and illegally.

“You look fabulous.”

Wendy turns to Irene who is sitting on the other chair beside her. The latter showing a knowing smile, a brow arched, telling her to calm down with just a look.

“Unnie,” Wendy whines. The compliment didn’t do much in easing her nerves.

Irene only giggles at her, “Stop worrying, Wan. Just be yourself. You’re good at stuff like this.”

“Not true, unnie!”

“I remember you nailing our introduction interview before. Plus, it is basically your job to talk.”

“Radio and podcasts are much more laidback. TV shows scare me.”

Irene snickers at Wendy’s statement, “Says the one who joined a reality TV game show.”

Wendy huffs, crossing her arms but the corners of quirking up, “I wonder who was the mastermind…”

“Too late to have regrets now.”

“I don’t regret a thing, unnie,” Wendy pouts, complaining exaggeratedly, “I am just nervous for later. It’s the first time they would see us after the finale. It just sank in that we are basically celebrities now.”

“Do you realize you would gain more popularity with that job you just took?” Irene teases the younger woman.

Wendy narrows her eyes at Irene.

The older woman reaches out her arm to hold Wendy’s hand, “It’s fine to be nervous, alright? I am as well. Let’s enjoy it later like how we enjoyed the race. Minus all the drama and the running,” Irene assures her.

Wendy chuckles at that, her tensed shoulders finally relaxing, “We were not the dramatic team. Hyori unnie and Sangsoon oppa love their roles.”

“And the uncles would love to take that from them,” Irene adds, laughing heartily.

Their conversation gets interrupted when the door opens for the nth time. Now, a rushing sound assistant hastily pulls out two lavalier microphones from tiny black bags she has.

“These are your mics. I apologize for bringing them late. I was running back and forth for everyone to get mic’d up,” the assistant rambles her apology while bowing.

“No worries. It’s a busy day for everyone.”

The duo stand up to get their respective mics, helping each other in putting them on, a habit they acquired from the race.

The sound assistant checks them first before leaving the room just as fast she went in. A tall couple enters the room right after that.

“How are my favorite tiny humans?”

Wendy and Irene exclaim at once, “Sooyoung unnie!”

They engulf the taller woman in a hug, Sooyoung pats their heads, “Okay, okay. I know you missed me.”

The man who came in with Sooyoung coughs jokingly, “What about me?”

“Of course, we missed you too, Kyungho oppa.”

They bump Kyungho’s fist with their own then give him a high five.

“Anyway, we want to give you this before the broadcast,” Sooyoung hands them both an envelope, urging them to open it.

Wendy browses the content and shrieks gleefully, “Oh my God! It is finally happening,” she hugs the older couple.

Irene follows in embracing them, “Congrats, you two. It took you a long time to decide on a date.”

“We wanted to wait until the final leg broadcast. Or else it’d be difficult not to give any spoilers when you are in one room with your nosy relatives and friends,” Kyungho answers with a shrug.

Sooyoung shifts her attention to Wendy, grinning sheepishly. The latter notices it immediately and sighs, “What is it?”

“Would you please sing at our wedding?”

Wendy widens her eyes. Her first thought is to say no. It’s the first time someone asked her that. She doesn’t really know how she would be singing on one of the best days of a couple’s life. But then, she sees the hopeful look on Sooyoung and Kyungho’s faces.

Wendy turns to Irene who warmly smiles at her, encouraging her as always.

Well, the whole world already knows she sings so…

Wendy loo