(Shawn Mendes- "Aftertaste" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNvrW9a_aLs)

“Now you're gonna say pretty please forgive me,

Fool me once, told you twice you're gonna regret it.

Now you're all alone.”

Things are peaceful in the following three months. Irene thinks.

At least, it is less worse than she has expected.

She still works from sunrise to sunset, sometimes longer. She still hangs out with the little rascal Kim Yerim. She still eats her meals irregularly. She still misses Wendy. 

And she isn’t dead yet. Irene is glad already. 

Just occasionally, she hopes she could bump into the young girl on the streets so that she could see if she is alright.

But, she has to be. Or else, Irene would hunt the bear down and use her fur as her new rug.

It might be the toughest decision she has ever made and she hopes she is right about that.

-

Joy knocks on the door and the bear welcomes her in.

“What’s up?”

“She left.” 

Joy’s jaw drops a little, recalling the fact that Wendy is not sharing the same dorm with Seulgi. So, what does she mean?

“I think I have lost, eventually.” Seulgi somehow manages to laugh a little. “She is not mine to begin with. And she never will be.”

“You don’t love her that much.” Joy rolls her eyes as Seulgi isn't looking. She knows it from the moment she fails to comprehend Seulgi’s affection towards Wendy. It can’t be compared with Irene’s. 

“Why am I so dumb?” The bear leans her head on the giant’s shoulder. “Why would I even think of competing with her? Gosh, Wendy'd hate me.” 

“Like you’ve said, you did what you had to.” Joy pats her head as if the bear is a little puppy instead. “I think Wendy won’t blame you for that. It could be hard for them but it is too deep for them to let go.”

“What should I do now?” Seulgi sniffles.

“Shh…..” Joy seldom sounds so gentle. “I’m here now. You’ll be okay.”

-

Irene opens the door and hesitates to greet her guest.

“Are you letting me in… again?” Wendy timidly asks holding all the luggage. 

“It depends….” Irene sizes her “ex” a little. In fact, she isn’t sure if she is her ex and if they really had their “break-up”.

Her expression instantly softens as Wendy unknowingly pouts and shows her “infamous” hamster face. Wendy hasn't changed a bit. “It depends how long you'd stay this time.” 

The hamster brightens up, not expecting such reply, “W-what? Really?”

“Close your eyes, you can hide.

Try to forget me, but I'm everywhere.

I'm the smell on your sheets you regretted,

When you left me there.”

“So …. How long?” Irene taps her bunny slippers on the floor.

“I won’t leave even you kicked me out.” Wendy grins and her eyes shrink. “I’m so sorry, Joohyun. Now I finally understand.”

-

Irene sits in front of her working desk and Wendy awkwardly stands behind her after walking out from the shower.

“Need help drying your hair?”

“No…. ” Wendy rubs the towel on her hair. “Just see if you are ready to bed or not.”

Irene spins her chair around and looks at her playfully. “I thought you are sleeping in the room next door.”

There is indeed a spare room in the house and Wendy had stayed there for a while until she felt comfortable enough to share the master room with Irene. And now, with their ambiguous relationship, Wendy thinks her hopes might be too high.

“But,” Irene closes her laptop. “I am going to sleep now so you’d better decide right away.”

Wendy beams as she jumps onto the huge bed.

-

Things go smoothly as Irene slips into the covers and starts falling asleep. You can’t blame her since her work is too freaking tired.

So Wendy takes the advantage and slips her arms around her waist inching closer.

“What are you doing, Son Seungwan?” Irene’s husky voice suddenly rings and startles the sneaky hamster. “Are you harassing me in my sleep?”

Wendy gets bolder anyways, and hugs the older girl from behind. “You are awake.”

“Miss, who are you to touch me like that?”

“Who am I to you, Bae Joohyun?”

Irene groans turning around and faces the young girl with sincere eyes. “I won’t let you in if I don’t love you. I still love you so much, Seungwan. And I think you know that by now.”

She doesn’t mind spilling everything out, anymore, at this very moment. Since she has come back to her after all those s. 

She puts Wendy first than everything, always, even before herself. And it constantly reminds her how much Wendy means to her. She was even willing to let her go just because she loves her so much. 

Wendy’s hands soon find their way to Irene’s cheeks, “I know. I’m so sorry. I promise I’ll stay until the end. I love you too.”

“Okay.” Irene sweetly smiles in returns. Her eyes grow a little in the dark. “Now go to sleep.”

“No, I have better things to do.” The young girl smirks after successfully stealing a peck by closing the little distance between them. “You still remember my birthday, right?”

Irene’s face heats up as she finally realizes where her young lover is leading to. “I did buy you a gift. But I didn’t send it to your dorm….. I thought-”

“That’s not the point.” Wendy doesn’t expect she has to take the initiative and gets a little impatient. She doesn't expect Irene is so slow and so shy all the sudden. “I am an adult now. Technically, two weeks ago.”

“Truth is that no one can replace me,

I'm permanent you can't erase me.

I'll have you remember me,

One more kiss is all it takes.

I'll leave you with the memory and the aftertaste.”

Irene doesn’t know how much she misses Wendy until she kisses her again. She thinks she is going to bruise her lips but she doesn’t care, she thinks she is going to tire her out tonight but she doesn’t care.

She wants Wendy to know and feel how much she loves her. Now, she knows how much her Seungwan loves her too.

“Don’t let me go again, ever.” Wendy wants to crave those words into Irene’s heart as she plants a kiss on the skin there. 

Irene keeps the young girl in place and traces her hand on her , “You’re not going anywhere.”

-

Irene tenderly tugs a strand of hair for her dear girlfriend and stares at the adorable face as soon as she wakes up.

Things happen too fast and everything kind of goes back to what it used to be. Something did change. Like, Wendy is all hers now.

She watches Wendy scrunching her nose while she is opening those beautiful eyes. The young girl doesn’t like the idea of waking up and buries her face into Irene’s long hair as her limbs are still tangled with hers.

It makes Irene giggling like a creepy ahjumma. She is so happy all the sudden.

“Hey, lazy bum. I saw you.” 

“Uh.”

“I saw you drooling on my hair.”

“Nah.”

“I saw your -”

“Shut up.” Wendy is now wide awake. “Don’t try to brag about that.”

Irene laughs, “You saw mine too.”

Wendy blushes and slaps Irene’s arm, “Stop hanging out with Taeyeon unnie. You two are both erts.”

“Anyway,” Irene presses her lips on those non-stop blabbering ones. “Good morning, love.” 

Wendy shows her brightest smile pulling away, “You don’t know how I miss the taste of your lips.”

I repeat, I can't write .

And apologize for any typos cuz I posted this right away, I can't just break y'all's wenrene hearts.

(Shawn Mendes got some really good songs btw)

My semester break just starts and I will update my on-goings asap :D

Next update will be Neverwhere. 

Stay tuned and see you on the flip side.

xo