One week later, the weather has been at calamity. The construction site project has been put to a stop to prevent future injures and casualties to the workers. Irene is one of them. And that means she needs to find a new job until the weather starts to cool down.

 

She wanders around different places, such as butcher shops, plumbing buildings, window washing offices, coal mining and resource companies, any type of place that called for being dirtied.

 

One day on that very week, she decides to try her hand at a music store that she always passes by on her way to the dumpster.

 

Who knows, but she will try and apply for the job. She will do anything to get something in the form of payment.

 

She has not visited Wendy in four days. Reading these crumpled papers that have been messily clipped together isn't enough for her anymore. These memories of Wendy. These words. They are her everything, her only treasure, her life. She needs to see Wendy again.

 

 

 

 

"Hello!" A voice suddenly pops out, and surprises Irene as she turns her head to look at the person. A woman around her age. Her eyes were lined out like a feline cat.

 

This must be the owner, Irene thought. Hopefully she wouldn't mind if she straight up asked about being hired for the job.

 

"I'm Seulgi. Do you need help with anything? Are you interested in any instruments?" The woman smiles and greets her kindly.

 

Somehow, a bright glow appears behind this woman named Seulgi.

 

Irene is suddenly conscious of how she looked. Dirty. Disgusting. Worthless.

 

Her shirt is ragged and stained with dirt and oil stains from the construction working site. Her jeans are scruffy, and consists of holes and rips on the edges. Her shoes? They're lumber boots, used to the point beyond repair.

 

She doesn't understand why the woman is still inviting to her despite her shabby appearance. For all she knew, she could just be a criminal by how she looked.

 

"Ah...no." She quietly replies, and looks around. "I was wondering if..." She trails off, unsure if she should still ask about them hiring a new employee who was beyond poor.

 

"If?" The woman repeats, as she glances at Irene closely. She sounds like she needed help with something, Seulgi thinks. She often sees Irene running by occasionally.

 

"You are hiring." Irene finishes. She knows she'll be turned away. There's no way that she can be hired in this state. Not ever will she be.

 

Her heart starts to slower down as she tries to keep her eyes open. 

 

Seulgi's mouth is saying something. She wasn't able to hear, as her ears suddenly close up. She won't give up. Her eyelids continue to weigh her down, and finally, they overwhelm her eyes that she suddenly lands onto the floor with a loud thud.

 

"Hey! Are you okay?!" Seulgi's voice is the last thing she hears.

 

 

 

 

Irene sits up to find herself in a hospital. She has her own curtains for privacy. She can't. She doesn't have health insurance. She doesn't have anything anymore. She can't be here. She can't. Never. She has nothing to lose and nothing to gain from being here.

 

A nurse comes in and Irene looks up to see Seulgi has been sleeping on an armchair the whole time she was here.

 

"It's time for me to check your condition." The nurse says as she has walked passed Irene's bed and to the one next to her.

 

A shadow in the form of a girl is seen through the white curtains as the nurse leans over to check the heart monitor.

 

"Aw...already? And I thought I could just sit here longer. I don't like needles." The girl sighs.

 

This voice. Irene's ears open up as she repeats everything what the girl had just said.

 

This sultry voice. This comforting, lovingly, and caring voice. It's unmistakable.

 

"Don't be foolish, Miss Son. These shots are going to help you recover." The nurse says.

 

Her head slowly moves to look to the right, where the girl is sitting. The nurse is now pulling open the girl's curtains.

 

"Seulgi. Miss."

 

Irene shakes Seulgi awake with one arm, while looking at the thin barrier that covers her from seeing the other side where the girl sits quietly after the nurse has left.

 

Her chest has started to pound loudly. Irene can sense her heart starting to swell in anticipation, her blood rushing into her head. Her nerves are making her feel insane.

 

The younger girl groggily rubs her still half asleep eyes as she looks at Irene.

 

"Ah! You're awake!" She smiles as she combs the back of her hair that sticks out of place.

 

Irene's eyes have not left the curtains.

 

She wants to get up onto both of her feet, and see beyond that thin sheet of cloth. She needs to. She has to.

 

"Please," Irene's voice starts to shake, as Seulgi looks at her confused.

 

"What's wrong?" She asks. Her eyes looks at Irene's and trails them to the curtain, where the shadow is quietly sitting there, doing something with a large object.

 

"Do you want me to open up those curtains?" Seulgi asks.

 

Irene almost nods at that moment, her head bobbling as the younger girl gets onto her feet and finally does as she requested.

 

Irene slowly reaches for her eyes and rubs them, to adjust to the sunlight that reflects in her eyes. When her vision is finally fixed, she looks to the face of the patient next to her.

 

It's a girl that looks exactly like Wendy.

 

And she has just turned her head to face Irene out of curiosity.

 

She greets her kindly with toothy smile, all of them showing and shining. The background of the window glows behind her as she continues to show her beautiful smile.

 

"Hello!" The voice starts again. It's so similar. So familiar.

 

Irene is stunned. Her lungs are about to collapse on her. is caught, as she can barely choke out a response. She wants to say something, anything.

 

'This is not a dream, is it?' She wants to say. She wants to scream out. But she can't.

 

"Nurse Kim!" The girl calls out, "I think this lady here needs help! She has trouble speaking."

 

It's a nineteen year old Wendy.

 

Irene is twenty nine.

 

Irene stares, tears start to form up in both of her eyes. They slowly drip and fall each second. They continue to collapse, and increase little by little. Soon her eyes are flowing rivers of tears. 

 

They don't stop.

 

"Why are you crying?" The girl asks. She is curious.

 

Irene hesitates to answer her, in fear that anything she does will shatter her chance to stay in this precious dream.

 

I must be hallucinating.

 

The girl that looks eerily similar to Wendy gets onto her feet and grabs onto her hand. She doesn't seem to mind Irene's current stature as the older girl is surprised by the sudden contact.

 

It's real. This is not a dream. This girl is real. Her eyes are the same as Wendy's. Those chocolate, brown orbs.

 

"Don't worry, everything will be fine now." She assures her.

 

Irene is at peace. Maybe she can just leave this world now. But she can't. This girl is here. She has to protect her while she can, with her life.

 

"I'll be your roomie for the time being. Maybe you can be my best friend!"

 

Irene is stunned at her statement.

 

This girl is so careless and open. Her shields and guard are down. What if something happens to her? She cannot leave yet. For this girl, even if she is not Wendy, she can tell there is something special about her. Something that calls for her.

 

Maybe Wendy sent this girl down to tell that she was not alone. She won't ever be again.

 

"..yes." Irene clenches onto the girl's hands tightly, determined.

 

I will be here to protect you. And I won't let you go so easily now.