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Winner's Nam Taehyun Solo - Confession (고백하는 거야)

She stared out of the window as the van passed by a few tall buildings and busy streets.  She couldn’t help but to think about the negative impressions the netizens had on her. She also heard about how people said that she didn’t fit the leader role for the group and heck, they even called her an empty-pretty-face.

It hurts a lot but she didn’t have any other choice but to swallow them down . What was there to do if that’s really her true nature? A very shy and introvert girl, was that a sin?

Despite those perceptions, she was glad that they were well-received by the fans and observers as a whole. They were on the headlines and all over the internet, she’s proud to be a part of this small group. Her fingers fiddled among themselves as she sighed, somehow sounding between ashamed of herself and relieved.

“Unnie,” She felt a cold hand touched hers and she turned around to look at the owner of the voice. “Are you okay?” Concern laced her voice.

She forced a smile up her face, despite being the youngest in their group, Sooyoung sure shows a lot more maturity and was excellent in taking care of her older members. It’s safe to say that Sooyoung was one of their fans most favourite members.

“I’m just fine, Sooyoung-ah.” She smiled a bit more. “Don’t worry about me.” Sooyoung just nodded and flashed her dorky grin, she always knows how to make her feel better and she was thankful for that.

She glanced at the front seat; Seulgi was throwing her head back as she laughed along with Wendy about some joke the Canadian girl had just made. Seulgi even playfully slapped Wendy’s arm and the scene was heart-warming yet it saddens her.

Her eyes darted to the girl with the blue ombre hair, laughing and playing around with Seulgi. She looks so carefree and happy; and Irene felt something - even worse than those netizens’ mean words - clenched within her.

Her head bobbed along with the music and she couldn’t restrain her body from dancing to their choreography. Irene had tried her best to exert some control to her body during their live singing on radio broadcasts, but it’s proven to be hard for her.

Well, no one can blame her; dancing has been her best forte after all. So, she just let her limbs to sway along with the rhythm of ‘Happiness’.

Then, they reached Wendy’s high note part. Irene’s round eyes automatically found the girl that was standing right beside her. Her pupils were focused solely on that girl as she gracefully hit the notes and something fluttered at the pit of Irene’s stomach.

As if sensing someone was staring at her, Wendy turned to her side and her eyes met with a pair of eyes that resembled puppies’. She couldn’t help but to notice how those eyes twinkling and she smiled in return.

Irene looked away and pretended that she had always been focusing to her front. She gulped and finished the rest of the song while fighting with the unsettling feelings growing up in her.

“Unnie, let’s go.” The girl called out for her with a light pat on her left arm and the only thing that she could see was blue hair. She’s flustered but still managed to maintain a poker face while getting her out of the van.

She could hear the crowds cheering upon their arrival and her adrenaline shots up almost immediately. As per habit, she searched for Sooyoung’s comfort but then realised that the maknae has already walked upfront with Seulgi. Tch, how dare she left her behind? And how could she be so slow? Maybe the netizens were right all along.

Wait, if those two were together then she’s now left with no other but Wendy. Irene mentally face-palmed herself at the late realization. The crowds grew wilder and Irene walked with her head down, hair acts as curtains to hide her face.

She already browsed through her fan taken photos; most of them were either her hiding her face with her hands or simply her facial features being hidden by her pink ombre hair. She wasn’t sure if that’s supposed to be a good thing or not.

She loves her fans, that’s not a doubt. But sometimes they were giving her hard times. Such as narrowing the space for her to walk like at this exact moment and Irene struggled to keep her balance; so much for a small built girl like her. She almost loses it when an arm slid in between hers and stayed there.

“You should walk with me, Irene unnie.” A voice rang near her ear, barely whispered, but it’s enough to send a chill down her spine.

“Oh, y- yeah.” Irene swore her body tensed up at the intimate distance she’s currently sharing with Wendy. She glanced up a bit and noticed that Wendy also hid her face using her favourite red ‘Chicago Bulls’ cap.

It’s a pity that amongst the rest of the members, she’s the least to be close with Wendy. Seulgi and the latter hit it off really well since they’re the same age and Sooyoung was naturally a quick adapter.

She didn’t want to admit it, but it’s pretty obvious that Wendy sometimes appear to be rather awkward (or maybe uncomfortable) around her despite them had been training together for their debut since more than a year ago. So, it’s pretty rare for them to stand this close what more to breathe almost at the same pace.

“Just stay with me, okay?” Wendy’s soothing voice intruded her hearing once again and Irene’s pulses went wild for the umpteenth times. She could sense Wendy tightened her hold around her own bony arm. Irene curved a smile and nodded softly, somehow looking like a love-struck girl.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She sat up straight with dishevelled hair. Glancing around the room, she realized that she’s the only one left in there. Hands immediately busy on finding for her mobile phone. Finally, she found it tucked under Seulgi’s pillow (she was unsure how did it end up there) and she unlocked the device.

It’s already 10.45 am and nobody even care to wake her up? Panic aroused within her and without even caring to fix herself, she emerged from the small bedroom.

“Guys!” She shouted with a hoarse voice. Oh my God, did they already ditch me? “Guy-” She almost strained her vocal cord again but was cut off when a head popped out from the couch.

“Seulgi and Sooyoung are not around.” She told her with a calm voice. “Are you okay?”

She had to muster all of her strength to avoid from slapping her own self. Stupid, Juhyeon. We didn’t have any schedule today.

And damn it, why would Seulgi and Sooyoung leave her alone with Wendy at the dorm? It spells nothing but awkward.

“Irene… unnie?” She was startled when the other girl got up from the couch and slowly heads toward her, a brow arched upwards. “What’s wrong?” And yup, she stopped right in front of her and Irene holds in her breathe. She must look like an idiot now because the other girl’s forehead creased almost too much while staring at her.

“Wen- Wendy.” She might beat herself up at this rate. Why does she always have to be in an embarrassing state whenever Wendy was around?

“Yes?” Self-control, self-control. Get a grip on yourself, Bae Juhyeon. Closing her eyes, she repeated those words in her mind like a mantra; her fists balled up. “Irene unnie?” She felt a cold hand touched her forehead at that instance. “You’re burning. Do you have a fever? And… your face is so red.”

Her eyes immediately shot opened. “Am- am I?” Stuttering like a three year old, great job Juhyeon.

“Maybe we should call manager oppa so that he could bring you to the doctor.” Wendy spun on her heels to pick her phone and it turned Irene’s mind into a haywire. Without much thought, she grabbed Wendy’s wrist and the latter stopped on her tracks.

“No- no, you don’t have to. I mean uh,” She her dry lips, the skinship she’s having with Wendy right now was sending a wave of electric shock all over her body. “I just um, need to take a bath.” Her face scrunched at her own excuse.

Wendy turned around to meet her gaze, face still doubting Irene’s words. “You sure?”

“Ye-yeah, I just need to have a nice shower.” Enough with this gibberish talk already, Juhyeon.

“Okay.” Shrugging, Wendy finally gave in to her answer.

Irene nodded vigorously, her smile almost reached her ears. But Wendy still stay rooted on her feet, not budging at all. “Is- is there anything else?” She asked out of curiosity. Wendy’s eyes then travelled down her figure and for a second she opted Wendy was having a dirty thought about her. “Y- yah.” Irene called out, feeling alarmed.

“Irene unnie,” Irene’s heartbeat quickened upon hearing Wendy summoning her name with a low voice. “Are you going to let go of my hand or are you going to drag me along into the shower?” She almost couldn’t believe what she had just heard, was Wendy really meant what she said or was it purely a joke?

Irene could felt herself shrinking and her cheeks burning. She immediately retracted her hand, struggling to control her face expression. “I’m- I’m going to shower now.” She didn’t wait for Wendy to respond at all.

She wasn’t sure if her ears play a trick on her or something, but she swore that she heard Wendy merrily chuckled as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

She was sweating like crazy as she descended the stairs to the backstage. Irene smiled proudly as her team successfully nailed their very first SMTown concert stage; she nearly slipped but oh well, she managed to dodge it. So it was not a big deal.

“Great job, girls.” Their manager greeted them with a wide smile. “You totally owned the stage just now.” He looked no different from a very proud father.

“Thank you, oppa!” Irene heard a little-bit-too-cheerful reply from Wendy. She stared at her side profile and couldn’t help but to notice the sweet smile plastered on Wendy’s face. Tch.

He proceeded to ruffle the girl’s blue ombre hair. “Aigoo, so cute.” Irene inwardly snickered at the gesture, rolling her eyes when no one was looking. “Okay, you girls can go and chill for now. There’s only ending stage left and you still got a few more hours to go.”

“Okay, oppa!” They answered almost in unison, well except for Irene herself. She just nodded and tried to keep her best poker face. Maybe she’s just too tired.

---

“Do you really have to go now?” Irene pouted.

“Yes, unnie. I am more than eager to stay here for the ending stage but bleh, you know that school always . Damn that individual assessment project.” Sooyoung muttered the last sentence under her breath. Her heart swelled with guilty at the sight of sulking Irene. “Have fun for me, okay?” She held the smaller leader’s arms.

Sometimes Irene could be mistaken as the maknae of the group. Her physical appearance alone could make an outsider believe that she’s still in high school. Heck, her attitude was far more childish and playful compared to those netizens bad assumptions.

Seulgi watched in amusement at the side. Somehow, she just couldn’t get enough of her unnie’s childish antics despite knowing the girl for almost five years now. Wendy on the other hand, just looked at them with an empty expression. She opened to say something just to close it back at the end.

“Okay, fine. You can ditch me now.” Irene pouted even more before scurried away to change into the white shirt for their ending stage.

“Oh, wow. She’s so cute.” Seulgi followed suit, her obsession for her unnie’s cuteness doesn’t show any sign of subsiding anytime soon. “See you later, maknae!” Seulgi shouted before disappeared from the scene.

Sooyoung stood there with wide eyes, unable to comprehend the situation that had just happened. She shook her head before turning to face Wendy. “Unnie, can I ask you for a favour?”

Wendy stared at her in horror, ‘favour’ never meant a ‘good thing’ for her. What more when it comes from this particular maknae, the legendary Park Sooyoung. But with Sooyoung hovering over her with puppy eyes, she didn’t have the gut to say no. “Okay, just say it already.”

“It’s for Juhyeon unnie…” When Park Sooyoung’s eyes glimmered with twinkles and a wide grin donned her face, she knew she should have just fled away with Seulgi from the very beginning.

---

“Whoa! This is exciting!” Seulgi shouted for the umpteenth times that night; Irene and Wendy somehow regretted the idea of them sticking together on the stage. “Let’s go over there guys!” Seulgi skipped along their many seniors, waving here and there. At this rate, she might turn to be the next fan service queen.

Irene looked a little lost as she awkwardly gazes around the many crowds in the stadium. Wendy saw the chance and casually grabbed hold of Irene’s right hand; her palm met with Irene’s warm one like it’s no one else business.

“Eh?” Irene stared at her, mouth slightly agape. Wendy noticed the tinge of pink blushes on Irene’s fair cheeks that had her subtly smirk at her leader. Bless you, Park Sooyoung.

“I don’t want to lose you in the crowd.” Wendy reasoned out. “So, it’s better for me to hold your hand like this.”  What crowd was she talking about? Not that there are any strangers on the stage, all of them are basically their seniors. “Come on, unnie.” Wendy left her with no choice but to tag along as her hand was basically glued to Wendy’s; not that she mind about it.

Without her noticing, Wendy had already dragged them to the most front of the stage. Facing an insane number of fans like this was something that Irene had always dreamt of back in her trainee days. But experiencing it on first hand moved something within her and she couldn’t be more than glad that she has her members to share it with.

“Irene unnie!” Seulgi appeared out of nowhere and stood to her left. “This is the best night ever.” Seulgi side-hugged her and the warmth emitted from the latter’s body soothe her anxiety.

Although the warmth coming from Wendy’s hand that tightly held onto hers was something that she would like to call as her guilty pleasure after all; she unconsciously smiled to herself at the thought.

“Irene unnie.” Wendy called her out, and it forced her to jump back into reality, but she realized Wendy didn’t even spare a glance at her.

“Oh?” She faked a poker face, as usual.

“This is one of the best nights ever in my life.” Wendy was half-shouting and half-whispering at her. Wendy rarely poured out her thoughts like this; at least not with her, Bae Juhyeon. “And you know what? I’m anticipating the upcoming future.”

Wendy stopped amidst that to wave at a flock of fans; Irene felt a pang of ridiculous jealousy hit her but she managed to shrug it off. “I’m anticipating the future that I’m going to spend with this group and the future that I’m going to spend with our small fan base.” Wendy chuckled at the word ‘small’, Irene couldn’t help but to have another round of wild butterflies fluttering at the pit of her stomach.

“But above all, there’s something that I anticipate the most.” Wendy paused and gazed deeply into Irene’s orbs, Irene has melted into a puddle of goo by then. “I anticipate the future that I’m going to spend with you, Bae Juhyeon.” Wendy carved a smile on her thin lips, as if sealing the words there.

Irene was struck by the words that had just spilled from Wendy’s mouth. She was glad that the stadium was filled with cheers, music and noises.

Or else, Wendy might hear how loud and fast her heart thumping at that moment.

AN: Bad language, bad grammar, bad everything.
Basically, I failed this. Too lazy to proofread and such.

Anyways, #HappyJoyDay everyone!

God, how can you not love em.

cr