CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

In an alternate universe, when Sooyoung found out about my first date with Seungwan, she would offer me a gummy smile and ask for the silly details. She would be the happiest girl, happy that her two unnies had finally found the courage to confess how they felt about each other. Because in this alternate universe, I would have continued going to Gokseong annually for the holidays with my mother. The three of us would spend the rest of the year talking in a group chat, waiting for December. In a random year, I would have asked my mom if we could go there during summer vacation too, just because I wanted to be around them for more time.

In this alternate universe, Seungwan would have told me about recording their performances, I probably would have helped her. Then, she would have spoken to the band about the offering to go to Seoul instead of pretending it's all a great work of destiny. I would have reserved all my weekends to meet them in the capital, maybe they would come to my house in Incheon. One night, a few weeks before the release of the band's first CD, Seungwan confessed to me and I told her I felt the same way. Because in this alternate universe, she wouldn't let me give up on love after I told them, during one of our conversations about dating, that I didn't want that.

In the alternate universe, the first date would be perfect. It would end up with a kiss and giggles. Sooyoung would come to me first because I wouldn't keep information. Then she would provoke Seungwan, she was the easiest target. Sooyoung would start calling me mother, and I would insist that I would never have a daughter like her. Meanwhile, Yeri – because I couldn't get rid of Yeri in any universe, she would call Seungwan of father. “She already has a boy's name anyway,” would be something she would say.

It turns out that in the real universe, Seungwan was also the easiest target.

Instead of being teased about things like finally getting laid or needing to buy a diamond ring the size of an orange, Seungwan was getting aggressively shoved on the shoulder. Sooyoung was taking out the accumulated bitterness on that little person who was once her best friend. And Wendy, who had tried to escape earlier, decided to stop when she was caught up. Instead of recoiling backward with every push from Sooyoung, she returned her body to the same place like a stubborn pendulum ready to be set in motion once again.

That night, Sooyoung wasn't the happiest girl, she was the most hurt woman. Hurt by two of her unnies. Seungwan who became Wendy, left Sooyoung for a solo career in Seoul. And for me, who promised to stay by her side but was getting closer and closer to Wendy.

I tried to stop Sooyoung by holding her arm, failing miserably. She was taller and stronger, it felt like I was just a sheet of paper clinging to her arm. “What the do you think you’re doing?” she repeated between s, her voice becoming more and more emotionless. That was scaring me more than if she had been exploding in rage.

Wendy wasn't doing anything to defend herself. She continued to receive the blows with an expression as neutral as Sooyoung's voice. She even dropped the bags she was holding, landing on the floor with a muffled sound.

“I won’t let you play with her,” Sooyoung declared, finally changing her line. This time, the words came out through her teeth, making the warning airier and inhibiting.

I could see Wendy raising one of her eyebrows before wrinkling her forehead. It seemed like she had finally woken up to what was happening, "I'm not going to let you play with my friend and then disappear!" Sooyoung raised her voice and grabbed Wendy's top instead of going for another push.

“I'm not playing,” Wendy said in a rush trying to free herself from Sooyoung's hand. The attempts were futile, however. If she tried to force it a little more, the fabric would end up tearing. "Let me go!"

“I won’t until you promise to leave Joohyun-unnie alone!”

“Now is my word worth anything?” Wendy laughed dryly, “Grow up, Park Sooyoung!”

“You’re the one who needs to grow up, Snow White dwarf number eight!” Sooner or later, they would attract the attention of the neighbors with all that noise.

From then on, the two began exchanging insults that would be hilarious if it weren't for the whole situation with Sooyoung holding Wendy by her clothes and shaking her occasionally. The night was turning into a chaotic competition of mean nicknames and who could speak the loudest. I wasn't sure if the two were even aware of what they were doing anymore.

“You should stop now,” a third voice, Seulgi’s voice was calm and collected. Very different from the two ex-friends. Seulgi always sounded friendly and radiant, but this time the tone in her voice was as cold as the wind that night, “or I will do my job.”

That one sentence worked. Sooyoung let go of Wendy's top and immediately lowered her arm, which almost knocked me off balance. But she remained motionless, staring straight ahead. That's when I decided to look at where Seulgi was, thankful for her finally showing up to save the day.

Despite wearing a dark blazer and dress pants, Kang Seulgi didn't look like a bodyguard or a chauffeur. She looked like a criminal, like one of those mafia goons dressed in custom tailoring. The driver's cap was no longer on her head and I could only see part of her white gloves as her hands were stuck in her pockets. Her straight hair, parted in the middle, swayed in the wind, some strands covering part of her face.

A worthy entry for a badass character in an action movie ready to kick some and break some bones. Except the and bones would have been Sooyoung's if she hadn't released Wendy, because Wendy's safety was Seulgi's responsibility.

Seulgi took a few steps towards us, slow but powerful with her hands still in her pants pockets. She stopped in the same place Seungwan had been seconds ago, staring at Sooyoung without blinking. The taekwondo goddess' confidence made it seem like she had the same height as my friend, despite her being slightly shorter.

It was only then that I noticed that Seungwan took advantage of Seulgi's walk to us to escape, possibly back to her car. Meanwhile, Sooyoung decided to continue staring at the woman in front of her and I kept clinging to her arm. I couldn't believe she was considering some confrontation with a professional athlete. Not that she was aware of it. Even so, she should assume that a bodyguard would know some defense or immobilization technique.

I only managed to let go of Sooyoung's arm when Seulgi bent down to pick up the bags from the floor and gently offered them to me. At this time Sooyoung exhaled through her nose, turned, and walked into the house. That girl even dared to slam the door.

“Are you okay, Joohyun-ssi?” she asked me with her sweet voice back.

I nodded confirming. I wasn't feeling okay, but it would be useless to tell the truth. Seulgi wouldn't be able to solve that problem in depth. Me neither, and I don't think even a therapist would resolve the problem between the two. At least Seulgi stopped the physical contact before Sooyoung did something worse.

"I need to go. If you need help, tell Wendy-ssi and I'll show up,” Seulgi looked towards the door of the house and sighed deeply, she looked disappointed.

Seulgi bowed before leaving me alone in front of the house. The car disappeared towards Itaewon and I didn't even get to say goodbye to Seungwan after that confusion. All I could do was go home and face whatever was waiting for me inside.

When I ran towards the two of them, I didn't realize that I dropped the lilac hydrangea to fall to the ground. She accompanied me throughout the afternoon and ended up forgotten on the floor for a few minutes, which was enough for her to be stepped on. It didn't seem very damaged, one of the petals received the most damage. So, I decided to pick her up and take her inside with me. It was still possible to put her to dry in a book and preserve the memory of that day.

Come to think of it, the flower with a single crushed petal perfectly portrays the first date with Seungwan. The hydrangea, once again in my hands, had everything to be flawless. In a single, unfortunate event it was damaged. However, the flower was still beautiful. The date was perfect until Sooyoung showed up. The damage she caused wasn't enough to ruin the day's events. I won't forget that day, just like I wouldn't throw the flower away.

The first thing I saw when I entered the house was Sooyoung standing in the middle of the room, with her arms crossed and disregard in her eyes. Her jaw made small, quick movements from side to side. Saying she was mad was redundant at that point.

“Is this the kind of business you’ve been doing all this time? I didn’t think you would stoop this low,” contempt dripped from Sooyoung’s every word.

I understood what she was implying at that moment, and it hurt. But I was willing to let it go because I knew Sooyoung was hurt too. She used hostile words to attack, that was her way of defending herself.

“I have a business meeting with her, Sooyoung,” there was no reason to hide what was happening anymore. So, I took a deep breath and continued, “Today was my first romantic date with Seungwan.”

Someone gasped in surprise at that, either Sehun or Taeyong who I had just realized was in the living room too. I was so focused on Sooyoung that I wouldn't have seen them there if it weren't for the noise. At least I wouldn't have to repeat the story to the rest of the band with them already there.

“Again with Seungwan,” Sooyoung let out a single laugh, throwing her head back. “Tell me, unnie. Were you hanging out with us a plan to get to Seungwan?”

"What? I don't-” I couldn't even respond to that ridiculous accusation.

Sooyoung must have been going crazy if she thought I was there to meet Wendy, Seungwan, or whatever. I went to Gokseong at the end of the year intending to visit the bar where Wendy had been discovered by a music producer, I had no idea that my cousin's band still existed! I didn't know they would play at that bar, much less that they were Wendy's old band.

When I asked to join them on the tour, I couldn't even imagine that they had signed up for the competition that Wendy would be one of the coaches in. Did she really think I would waste half a year of my life, pause my studies, and live in a kombi just to execute this crazy plan? Should I feel flattered that Sooyoung thinks I have such a brilliant mind? Clearly, I came up with this when I learned that Wendy's name was Son Seungwan… when Wendy released her first single. Years of planning for sure!

“Sooyoung, even you don’t believe in what you said,” finally Sehun had the heart to say something. If it wasn't to impose himself against his friend by talking nonsense, at least it was to defend his cousin.

Once again, she let out a humorless laugh, “Don’t tell me you believe it’s a coincidence how she approached her immediately?”

“What happened to ‘what you do in your free time is none of my business’?” I asked her intrigued, interrupting whatever answer Sehun was planning to give her.

“