Chapter 7

God must've passed by for the atmosphere to become awkward and a thick silence has came over the three sitting girls.

"Excuse me, I need to go to the ladies' room." the girl who has been anxious since the beginning of the meal cracked the silence.

Wendy stood up, got her bag and went her way into the comfort room. With her head hang low, her bs eyes were not missed by Seulgi who stared at her with confusion until the girl got lost in her sight. 

Worried of something uncertain, she decided to follow her best friend into to the comfort room. 

Seulgi was about to stand to excuse herself when the other girl cut her out.

"I'll go follow her, Seulgi-yah." Irene said and stood up.

She sighed, losing appetite to finish her dinner. 

Did I say something wrong? I can't possibly do that to her, right? I love her, because she's my best friend. She thought while mindlessly poking her food with her fork. Her mind wandered to that particular girl who is confined in the comfort room right now, doing God knows what. Her best friend for years was acting strange tonight. There was no mistaking the tears that were clouding the girl's eyes that she saw a while ago. Did I hurt her? Do you want to be something more than just best friends, Seungwan~ah? 

- - - - - 

Irene entered the comfort room to find it empty. Her eyes scanned the doors of the cubicles to check signs of it being taken, thinking that Wendy could've entered one. As she reached the farthest stall, she heard faint sobs coming from the last door. With light steps, she slowly approached the door. 

"Wendy-ah?" she knocked softly.

The sobs immediately died down and rustling can be heard before the girl behind the door replied. "Y-yes, unnie?" her voice cracked.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm f-fine."

"You don't sound fine to me though. Can you open the door?" the older girl asked, worried.

"I'm totally okay unnie, don't worry." Wendy replied, her voice evident from crying.

The older girl somewhat felt guilty that Wendy was acting this way. She has known since then that the girl had been in love with her best friend though she wasn't sure if the best friend that Wendy has always mentioned was Seulgi. Irene still felt guilty, nontheless. She didn't want to impose into the lives of other people, much more to her closest dongsaeng. 

Irene just stood there quietly, deciding to just wait for the younger girl to come out. Crossing her arms, she leaned back into the sink, still staring into the cubicle's door.

For what seemed like hours to the black-haired girl, the knob of the stall's door finally turned. Out came Wendy with puffy eyes and red nose. Seeing that the older girl hasn't left and was in fact waiting for her, she lowered her head to hide her face, avoiding the worrying eyes of Irene. 

"Wendy-ah" Irene said softly, her tone full of worry.

The girl just went straight to the sink beside the other girl. She turned the tap and washed her hands, her head still hanging low.

"Talk to me." the older girl said again, setting her eyes into her dongsaeng through the mirror. "You can always talk to me, Seungwan-ah" she continued. "Even if we haven't seen each other for years, you're still my closest dongsaeng. You're more like a sister to me and I worry about you."

"There's really nothing to tell, unnie." Wendy replied, finally raising her head to look into the older girl's eyes. She saw worry and pain to the two dark orbs and felt guilty for having thoughts of jealousy towards the girl she also considered a sister. 

"Then why are you crying?" Irene looked straight into Wendy's eyes, searching for signs that somehow may give answers to her suspicions. "Are you in love with Seulgi, Wendy-ah? Is she the best friend that you were telling me?" she continued, her eyes never leaving the other girl's.

Wendy was caught off-guard with the question. She didn't expect that Irene could be that perceptive. Her heart started to race as she became nervous. She turned the tap off and shook off the water from her hands, subtly hiding them from shaking. 

Am I that obvious? Does Seulgi know as well?

"No, unnie." she replied, her face impassive. "I have already gotten over that person long ago." 

"Are you sure?" Irene questioned her skeptically.

"Yes."

"If you say so." Irene sighed. Knowing that there's no point asking the younger girl when clearly, she will just dismiss the topic. She decided to just ask her about it some other time and focus on the more obvious misunderstanding at hand. She inhaled deeply and looked back into the girl beside her. "Look Wendy-ah, I don't mean to impose between you and Seulgi. I simply accepted her invitation out of courtesy and with the idea that maybe I could make some new friends now that I'm back. I even asked to tag you along, didn't I?" Irene said with sincerity. "Please don't think that I am taking your friend away from you." 

Wendy's eyes widened upon hearing the confession. Her guilt tripled with the remorse statement that she just heard from the person dearest to her. Having someone else being dragged into the mess of her having feelings towards her best friend was the last thing that she would wish.

"No!" her voice was high-pitched, rather defensive. "Sorry, I mean, it's not like that, unnie." she stepped closer towards the girl and held her hand." You're not imposing on us or anyone else. I am happy to have you here and I am more than glad to have my friends befriend you as well. Please don't take it the wrong way." she felt embarrassed, she bowed down her head as h