“I need your help!”

 

Seulgi came barging into her room, guns ablaze, hair in disarray and eyes wild. Blinking once in surprise, Irene raised an eyebrow at her before looking back down at her books, the older girl already used to the younger girl’s antics. Huffing because she was ignored, Seulgi stomped over to Irene, her fingers gripping at the back of the brunette’s shirt and shook violently, Irene squawking ungracefully.

 

“I need help!”

 

“Let go of me, you stupid-”

 

Prying the fingers off her, Irene delivered a hearty slap on Seulgi’s back, causing the younger girl to fall forwards, Irene curling her lip distastefully as she adjusted her rumpled clothing. She used her toe to prod her still friend, somehow not caring if Seulgi died on her trip towards the ground, the dark haired girl groaning before turning around, her arms waving uselessly above her.

 

“Unnie, I need help...”

 

Folding her arms, Irene stared at her friend suspiciously.

 

“The last time you said this, I ended up being auctioned off like a cow and had to fend off unwanted attention for months.”

 

“It was for a good cause!”

 

“You didn’t have to deal with three stalkers and one crazy ex-girlfriend.”

 

Irene shuddered at the memory and unfolded her arms, bending down to punch Seulgi in the stomach.

 

“Ow! Unnie! What was that for?”

 

Snickering, Irene leant back on her chair and smirked at Seulgi, the younger girl sitting up indignantly.

 

“Payback. I suddenly realised I did not do anything for the last time.”

 

“You’re so petty.”

 

“And this petty person is not going to help you.”

 

Seulgi’s eyes widened with clarity and somehow Irene knew that the younger girl forgot about her original intent for coming over. Sighing, she watched as Seulgi flailed on the ground before going on her knees, fingers clasping over Irene’s lap.

 

“Oh no! Please! Unnie! You have to help!”

 

“No!”

 

“Please!”

 

“No, how many times do I have to-”

 

“It’s for Wendy!”

 

“What?”

 

Irene paused and her brain started sending warning signals when Seulgi grinned triumphantly.

 

*

 

Irene sometimes cursed the day she met Seulgi.

 

Rationally speaking, Seulgi herself was harmless, though she sometimes managed to get Irene into trouble that never seemed to affect the younger girl herself. If Joy was in the equation, Irene would try not to go out of her apartment, lest Hell opened up and swallowed her whole and she does not even want to get into what would happen if the trio was complete with Yeri.

 

But these were not reasons to curse Seulgi into oblivion.

 

The main reason she would curse Seulgi into oblivion was because Seulgi introduced the angelic presence that was Wendy into her life.

 

Irene prided on the fact that she was an independent soul, never giving in to ridiculous demands that came with the combined forces of Seulgi, Joy and Yeri, always standing by the sidelines just observing until her assistance was needed and never got into anything that would trouble her in the slightest. It was how her personality was and it served her well throughout her years of living.

 

Then Wendy came into her life and Irene found herself doing things she would usually avoid, like bungee jumping and scary roller coaster rides and agreeing to be auctioned off at a charity dinner.

 

(She still blamed Seulgi for that particular mishap but in the back of her mind, she knew the fault laid solely on Wendy’s wide puppy eyes and adorable pout.

 

Though the bigger fault should lie with Irene herself and the crush she had on Wendy that was the size of freaking Jupiter.)

 

The puppy eyes and pout combination were displayed in front of her right now, Seulgi matching the expression beside Wendy. Irene raised her cup to her face and looked down as she sipped her drink, trying to avoid the potent effect that was Wendy’s pleading eyes.

 

(Seulgi, on the other hand, she had to force herself not to give the younger girl a black eye.)

 

“Please, unnie! You’re our only hope!”

 

Irene sighed and placed the cup on the table, allowing the noise of the cafe to wash over her. Unlike before, when she came here to study, the cafe’s surroundings failed to soothe her frayed nerves.

 

“I’m sure that there are other options, options not as drastic as this.”

 

She ignored the way Seulgi was gesturing behind Wendy’s back, leaning forward to speak.

 

“I mean, your parents would understand if you-”

 

Wendy’s eyebrows gave off an array of emotions as the girl threw her hands up in the air, narrowly missing stabbing Seulgi’s eyes out with her nails. The dark haired girl glared at her over-enthusiastic friend but followed along, Seulgi clasping her hand together in a prayer.

 

“They wouldn’t understand!”

 

“I tried, unnie! I wanted to say that I was the one-”

 

“But they were very persistent, wanting me to go back to meet-”

 

“We can’t lose Wendy now! She has a lot going on for her here-”

 

“I’m too young, unnie! But if you agree-”

 

“Her parents know that we can’t be and they know Joy and Yeri so you’re-”

 

Irene pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly feeling dizzy at the verbal assault put forth by her two friends and she raised her hand, inwardly applauding when both their mouths shut quickly, Wendy’s eyes widening comically.

 

“Okay, let me get this straight.”

 

Wendy and Seulgi nodded.

 

“Your parents called you earlier this week and asked you to go back to Canada.”

 

Both of them nodded again.

 

“The point of this was to meet with someone from some company that Wendy’s parents are going to merge with.”

 

Twin nods were given.

 

“But it’s actually a ploy for an arranged marriage meeting.”

 

Irene paused and pursed her lips, tilting her head to one side.

 

This feels very much like the Korean dramas Yeri was so partial to.

 

“Which is very backwards, if you ask my opinion...”

 

She trailed off when she saw Wendy’s eyes sparkling, the younger girl about to launch into another diatribe. Beside her, Seulgi was nodding furiously while sending sympathetic looks towards Wendy (a feat that Irene had to tip her hat off to the younger girl for) and the both of them swallowed their words back down when Irene glared at them.

 

“And to avoid said plot...”

 

Irene huffed and closed her eyes, her fingers pressing against her temples.

 

“You want me to fake an engagement with Wendy?!”

 

She did not even need to open her eyes to see the both of them grinning at her, knowing instinctively that they thought that she would agree readily.

 

“Do either of you even see how this could backfire badly on us?”

 

“It’s foolproof!”

 

Irene cracked open one eye and was greeted with Seulgi’s eating grin, pulling down into a scowl as she reached over to take the bread on Seulgi’s plate to stuff into her face.

 

Seulgi’s face was saved from meeting with the pastry when Wendy spoke up pitifully, her eyes shining with tears, her voice soft and imploring.

 

“Please, unnie? I promise it would only be until my parents get off my back about it.”

 

“Or you could talk to them like civilised adults?”

 

Wendy pouted and shook her head.

 

“They were very adamant about it. Please, unnie, it’s the easiest way!”

 

There were an abundant of reasons at the tip of Irene’s tongue that were ready to be used against the argument that all will be well in this ridiculous plan Seulgi and Wendy had cooked up.

 

All those reasons died before they made their way out of Irene’s mouth and she found herself nodding, her fingers clenched tightly into fists.

 

(This was a bad idea.)

 

Wendy and Seulgi both erupted into cheers.

 

“Yay!”

 

“You won’t have to go back to Canada!”

 

Irene watched them celebrate with a heavy heart which promptly sank when Wendy turned that blinding smile towards her.

 

“I’ll work out the moving in arrangements later, okay, unnie?”

 

(Scratch that. This was an extremely bad idea.)

 

*

 

“It does sound like a train wreck waiting to happen.”

 

Irene waved a hand over her head, her forehead sticking to the coffee table as she mumbled agitatedly.

 

“You’re not helping.”

 

Nana laughed into her drink and reached over to ruffle her hair, the brunette groaning before looking up at her cousin, the blonde raising a disinterested eyebrow at her.

 

“What do you want me to do?”

 

Irene deadpanned.

 

“Bury me six feet underground.”

 

Nana shook her head and placed her cup back on the table, drawing her legs up on the sofa. She chuckled and shook her head, humming as she did so.

 

(Irene did not know why she called her over. Nana was as helpful as a piece of rock when it came to matters of the heart, seeing as the blonde was in a very fairytale like relationship and thinks that everything is up to fate.)

 

“Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise, have you ever thought about that?”

 

Irene’s eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head to one side, her arms stretching out in front of her as she replied.

 

“Such a blessing, seeing her in the morning and at night and having to play a couple when we are not a couple, doing nothing but seem like we are in love but it’s actually just me.”

 

At least Nana had the decency to feel sorry for her, her usual stoic expression missing as she slid on the floor and wrapped her arm around Irene’s shoulder.

 

“I know it sounds hard but think about it. You’re never going to confess to her-”

 

“Because she’s straight as a rod and I’d rather have her as a friend than have her be awkward with me.”

 

Nana continued on as though she was not interrupted.

 

“Because you are so convinced about the futility of your deep and unrequited love, how about you take this ... experience as the only time you’d ever spend time with her as a couple?”

 

Irene sighed and lowered her head back onto the table, mimicking the same position Nana found her in earlier.

 

“And then what?”

 

The arm around her shoulders tightened and she had to strain to hear what Nana was whispering.

 

“And then maybe you could finally let go of her.”

 

*

 

“So, your bedroom is over here and I think you remember where everything else is from the last time you came around so...”

 

Irene trailed off and dropped her hand awkwardly, gazing at the younger girl standing in her guest bedroom. Wendy gave her a grin and flopped on the bed, her eyes bright and her smile radiant.

 

“Yeah! Don’t worry, unnie.”

 

Irene bit her lip and nodded, twisting the hem of her sweater between her fingers as the silence between the both of them stretched on.

 

Now that she thought about it, they’ve never really interacted away from their group of friends.

 

(Which brought her back to beating herself up for agreeing to this insane plan.)

 

Unable to stand the quiet atmosphere between them, Irene blurted out the first thought she had, inwardly face-palming when it was the exact topic that got her into this mess in the first place.

 

“So how are you planning to tell your parents?”

 

She winced when Wendy’s face lit up, her eyes alight with the excitement of Irene jumping into this lunacy together with her. The girl bounced over and grasped at her hands, her words coming out a mile a minute.

 

“I’ve already thought about that and I have an idea that won’t let us down.”

 

Because it was not her nature to disagree and instead to support silently, Irene nodded and her lower lip into as she listened intently, aware that her stomach was slowly eating itself from the nervousness she was feeling. Wendy’s skin was so smooth against hers and it was as though the younger brunette had a furnace at the palm of her hands, the warmth burning just so at the tips of Irene’s fingers to the top of her head.

 

“We’ll just have to tell my sister! She’ll take care of the rest.”

 

“Ah, she knows about this then?”

 

Wendy’s lips curved and her smile turned sly as she narrowed her eyes, leaning forwards to whisper conspiratorially.

 

“No! My sister can’t keep a secret to save her life. She’ll definitely let the cat out of the bag.”

 

Irene smiled uncomfortably and subtly leant away, Wendy jumping up and down on the spot.

 

“So like, Seulgi and I figured that we’d actually let her believe that I’m actually engaged. She’s definitely going to throw a party and my parents would have no choice but to attend and believe it. Doesn’t that sound grand?”

 

Irene forced herself to not say what was on her mind (No, that doesn’t sound grand, that sounds like a disaster with a capital D, I can’t even function like a human being around you, let alone with a group of people) and nodded along, already giving up on (if there was any) resistance.

 

“So we’re going to work on a game plan tomorrow with Seulgi and the rest, okay?”

 

Although she knew that if the trio was involved, Irene was going to get into massive amounts of trouble, she nodded anyways.

 

She agreed because Wendy’s eyes were bright and her touch burned her, her brain on shut down, unable to put a frown on the younger brunette’s face by disagreeing.

 

*

 

Yeri smacked the coffee table loudly, bringing the rowdy group to her attention as she bellowed out excitedly. Irene sighed (she seemed to be doing that a lot these days) as she exited the kitchen, passing out the drinks gracefully as the kids had once again commandeered her living room as their base. She was barely listening to Yeri, lamenting on the fact that she was a pushover for Wendy’s smile.

 

She rationalised that if it wasn’t for the girl’s smile, maybe she wouldn’t be in this deep.

 

“So I think we should have Irene and Wendy unnie practice being a couple!”

 

Irene caught the end of the sentence, the ends of her hair slapping Joy in the face as she turned her head towards the youngest of the group sharply. Ignoring Joy’s protests about her hair being weapons, she growled low, finally voicing her first dispute since this plan was brought up.

 

“What? Why? That sounds stupid!”

 

Seulgi looked at her knowingly before clearing .

 

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, unnie, you’re really awkward around Wendy.”

 

“I am not!”

 

She whipped her head towards where Wendy was sitting, her eyes wide and imploring as she silently pleaded with the younger girl to agree with her. To her dismay, Wendy was nodding gravely, set in an exaggerated pout. The brunette leant forwards and pressed into Irene’s side, the older brunette immediately stiffening and pulling away, cursing when the other three started to make noise as she had just proven them right.

 

“Seulgi’s right, unnie. You don’t really do anything remotely physical with me.”

 

There were many things wrong with that sentence, starting with Seulgi being right, down to the end of that sentence.

 

Irene could not even refute because Joy had butted in, her voice loud and commanding.

 

“Yeah! How are you going to convince Wendy unnie’s sister and her parents that you guys are engaged when you can’t hold hands with her.”

 

Irene sputtered uselessly and gave up, slumping back against the couch as Yeri nodded, reaching over to grab Wendy’s hand and held it up in front of the older girl’s face.

 

“This is the basics to a relationship. If you can’t hold hands, then we’re basically a sinking ship with this plan.”

 

Irene remained silently and blew at her fringe, wanting nothing but for the floor to swallow her up, if only to escape the pitying gazes of Joy and Seulgi.

 

(Once, she got drunk and blabbered to the both of them about her doomed crush.

 

The next day, Irene found herself on the other end of Wendy’s pouts whenever they needed her to do something outrageously ridiculous.

 

Clearly, she couldn’t trust the devils.)

 

“I mean, like, nothing too out there obviously, this is a fake engagement but the basics like hugging, holding hands-”

 

Irene started to tune them out, her chest heavy with regret as she once again wondered how it was that she always get ered in by Wendy’s eyes and Wendy’s pout.

 

She was certain that she will come out of this unharmed.

 

She snapped out of her self imposed exile when a familiar warmth covered her left hand, trailing her gaze from the floor to the concerned eyes of Wendy, the younger girl leaning in and whispering softly.

 

“Are you okay, unnie?”

 

Irene dropped her gaze to the hand covering her own and back to Wendy’s face, the younger girl uncharacteristically quiet. Swallowing thickly, Irene nodded, tilting her head towards the three stooges whose plans were slowly getting more and more absurd.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Wendy looked unconvinced and to Irene’s horror (delight), the younger girl shifted away from the group, pressing in close to Irene. Her hand lifted Irene’s hand and their fingers intertwined, Wendy pulling the clasped hands onto her lap as she replied.

 

“I know it’s a bit much and I truly wouldn’t ask it of you if I wasn’t so desperate...”

 

Suddenly overwhelmed by the rush of emotions in her chest, Irene found herself blinking back tears. She laughed out loud, Seulgi, Joy and Yeri stopping their discussion to look over, eyes wide and incredulous as Irene continued to laugh.

 

Irene could do nothing but laugh because no matter how positive a spin Nana had put on this plan earlier, the end was the same.

 

This was just some plan, some way to use her because Wendy was desperate not to marry another man for convenience’s sake.

 

(There was this small bubble of hope that Wendy asked her because the younger girl felt the same.

 

This same bubble of hope was rapidly extinguished with Wendy’s words.

 

She truly was doomed.)

 

Irene rubbed at her eyes as her laughter trailed off, somehow managing to pass off the tears as one of laughter. She pulled her hand away from Wendy’s grasp, the younger brunette following her movement worriedly (perhaps she thought Irene had finally lost it with all the episodes they put her through) and shook her head, her voice loud and clear as she spoke with a bravado that was missing whenever Wendy was near.

 

“Alright, let’s do this then!”

 

The four of them were still appraising her suspiciously but the situation at hand soon took precedence as Yeri started to throw out ideas about how their practices should go and Joy chipped in with her own opinions about what would look natural as opposed to being forced. Wendy listened intently, as though committing the words to memory.

 

Only Seulgi continued to stare at her, her long time best friend’s face pulled into one of concern, her first since she proposed the stupid engagement plan to Irene.

 

Irene figured that the younger girl would want to talk to her later, her prediction coming true when Wendy sent the youngest two to the door, Seulgi pulling her into the kitchen, her voice low and urgent.

 

“Unnie, I’m sorry, I’ll tell Wendy that you don’t feel comfortable and ask her to find some other way. This was the easiest one we came up with but I’m sure we can come up with more-”

 

Irene pressed her hand to Seulgi’s mouth, her lips set in a hard line as she spoke dejectedly.

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Seulgi’s eyes widened and she spoke behind Irene’s palm, her words muffled but audible.

 

“No, really, it’s fine, unnie! You know us, we can come up with six different plans.”

 

The funny thing was that Irene knew that they probably could and between the four of them, they could rob the Pentagon if they put their minds to it. It was what made them so endearing and scary at the same time.

 

But Irene had already fortified her heart and she decided to take Nana’s parting words as advice.

 

“It’s okay, Seulgi.”

 

Her head turned instinctively towards Wendy’s voice, the younger girl calling out to Seulgi that Yeri and Joy were waiting for her.

 

“At least this way I can forget about her and let her go.”

 

There must have been something in her demeanour because the fight went out from Seulgi’s body. Irene released Seulgi and pushed her out of the kitchen, suddenly wanting to be alone acutely.

 

Seulgi twisted around and grabbed both her hands, the younger girl pressing her lips to her fingers as she whispered sadly.

 

“I’m so sorry, unnie.”

 

Irene shook her head and gave her a melancholic smile.

 

“It’s no one’s fault but mine.”

 

Her own fault for always wanting Wendy to keep a smile on her face.

 

*

 

Irene shuffled out of her bedroom, eyes half closed and her hand running through her messy hair, barely catching herself when she knocked into Wendy, the younger girl’s eyes widening comically as hands shot out to stabilise her. Her eyes immediately snapped open, suddenly very aware of Wendy’s proximity, the younger girl giggling before crowding in closer, her nose brushing past Irene’s.

 

She greeted Irene teasingly.

 

“Good morning, fiancee.”

 

Flabbergasted, Irene could only nod in response.

 

Wendy laughed and released her grip, but only after making sure that the older girl was steady on her feet, suddenly looking very sheepish.

 

“I hope you don’t mind but I used the kitchen and made us both breakfast. If you want, you can join me after your shower?”

 

The brunette trailed off hopefully, her head tilted to one side in anticipation.

 

Irene had to try several times to get her brain to work, a small smile making its way to her face as she answered.

 

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

 

Wendy clapped her hands together.

 

“Cool! Don’t worry, I cleaned up after myself so you won’t see a mess, I promise.”

 

Unable to take the fact that Wendy was acting like a guest, even though they were supposed to be “engaged”, Irene reached out to grip the girl’s wrist, stopping Wendy in her tracks as the younger girl looked down at the hold in surprise.

 

(Can’t blame the girl. This was probably the first time Irene initiated contact.)

 

“You live here now, just treat this place as your own home, okay?”

 

For the first time, Irene witnessed Wendy out of words to say, the younger girl’s mouth opening and closing as she nodded blankly. Satisfied, she shot Wendy another smile, making her way towards the bathroom.

 

(If she had turned around, Irene would have saw that Wendy was blushing, rubbing at her wrist and staring at it in wonderment.)

 

*

 

By the time Wendy had arranged for them to meet with her sister, the both of them had settled into a comfortable routine.

 

Irene does not know how she’s ever going to let go of the image of a cuddly looking Wendy in the morning, pajamas rumpled and hair a mess as she side stepped Irene making her way to the bathroom. By some deference, Wendy always let Irene have the bathroom first, choosing to instead make them breakfast before going to shower herself.

 

After that, their comfort with each other escalated enough for them to brush their teeth together, eyes half shut and mouths in silly grins as toothpaste foam decorated their lips. Irene soon learned to tease Wendy back, to ignore the twinge of hurt in her heart every time her brain reminded her that this was going to end, that she will never have this after Wendy’s parents gave up on the arranged marriage.

 

It took them just a few weeks to fall into a routine, to fall into a closeness that seemed like always existed.

 

It took all of Irene’s being to remind herself everyday that this would end, that she will be letting go at the end of this trip.

 

And maybe her heart wouldn’t hurt too much after that.

 

But for now, Irene cherished it, the closeness, the ability to cuddle up to Wendy without feeling like her heart was about to burst, to wake up to Wendy’s smile first thing in the morning.

 

*

 

“So this is the Irene I’ve heard so much about.”

 

Wendy’s sister was so much like her.

 

Not just the way their face was shaped or the way their eyes smiled together with their lips but their overall demeanour.

 

Irene could not fathom how two people could be so bright.

 

And how the restaurant hasn’t imploded yet from the sheer force of the sisters’ smiles.

 

At least, Jessica, Tiffany’s partner, looked as dazed as Irene felt, the blonde leaning into Tiffany as the dark haired woman reached over to shake Irene’s hand, Wendy sliding into her seat as she tugged Irene down beside her.

 

Probably it was a result of their “practices” (as Yeri liked to call them) but Irene leant into Wendy automatically, her hand brushing past Wendy’s neck to push away the stray strands.

 

(She ignored the way Wendy shivered under her touch.)

 

Wendy murmured lowly.

 

“Thanks, babe.”

 

Irene nodded in response and turned her attention towards Tiffany and Jessica, the dark haired woman almost about to leap off her seat as she congratulated her sister.

 

“Oh my god! I cannot believe it! My baby sister! Engaged!”

 

Jessica placed a hand on Tiffany’s back, drawing the woman back into her seat with a few words.

 

“Tiff, honey.”

 

Tiffany had the decency to look chastised for behaving so loudly and sat back down, shooting Wendy a smile which was returned.

 

“Okay, so like, you have to let me throw you a party!”

 

Wendy agreed easily, the two sisters putting their heads together to plan, barely looking away even when the waiter came over to take their orders.

 

Jessica and Irene both placed their orders quickly, Jessica ordering on Tiffany’s behalf as well, her lack of hesitation speaking volumes about their relationship.

 

Irene stared at the blonde before looking down at the menu, somewhat worried that their farce would break just because Irene couldn’t order lunch for Wendy. She spent a few minutes on the menu before deciding on two things, hesitating to place the order in case she chose something Wendy couldn’t eat.

 

Why didn’t they talk about this before the lunch meeting?

 

Sighing, Irene reached over and tapped Wendy on the shoulder, showing the younger girl which one she was going to order.

 

Wendy’s eyes widened in surprise and she squeezed Irene’s thigh (her leg jerked in response), her voice low, Tiffany looking at the both of them amusedly, even though she couldn’t hear a thing Wendy was saying.

 

“How did you know what I wanted to eat?”

 

Sheer, dumb luck.

 

Irene merely smiled and nudged Wendy slightly, pushing her to get back into conversation with her sister. She showed the items to the waiter, the tall man writing the names down quickly before excusing himself.

 

The two sisters’ conversation continued on without a hitch, even as the waiter came back with their food. Wendy’s hand was still lingering on Irene’s thigh, the warmth shooting up her leg and deep into her stomach. The brunette shifted in her seat, causing Wendy to tilt her head towards her, the fingers pressing into flesh. Irene’s breath hitched and she took the hand off her thigh, opting to instead intertwine their fingers.

 

It was the safer option, all things considering.

 

Wendy smiled at her fondly, her grasp tightening twice before she turned her attention back towards her sister, Tiffany looking as though she was about to explode with happiness, if her wide smile and constant tugging of Jessica’s sweater was any indication. To her credit, Jessica did not look annoyed at the childish display. If anything, Jessica looked even more lovestruck, her fingers taking Tiffany’s prying hand gently before mimicking Irene’s actions.

 

Though it happened earlier, Irene couldn’t help but marvel at the way Tiffany calmed down with just a simple touch.

 

Before she could catch herself, Irene found herself wondering if that would ever happen to her, if her touch would calm Wendy, if there was such a lovestruck look on her face.

 

“So have you told Mum and Dad yet?”

 

Tiffany’s question caught Irene off guard but Wendy took over smoothly, her other hand coming up to caress the back of Irene’s fingers.

 

“Not yet. I was waiting for the right time, you know? It never seemed right when they call.”

 

Tiffany pressed her head against Jessica, the blonde cutting her sandwich into smaller pieces before taking one and feeding it to Tiffany. The dark haired woman accepted it without question but she continued to stare at them, Irene spotting a hint of question in her brown eyes, her head tilting away from Jessica as though she was thinking of something.

 

Irene’s stomach sank when the dark haired woman questioned them again, this time her words slightly suspicious.

 

“Why? Is the engagement not solid yet?”

 

It seemed that the bubbly personality wasn’t the only genetic trait the sisters shared.

 

Tiffany seemed to have picked something up between them, her body language shifting subtly.

 

Wendy fumbled with her words, her naturally silver tongue failing her.

 

Taking in a deep breath, Irene twirled her noodles onto her fork, hoping that it would work as well as it did in her head.

 

Aware that the two older women were staring at them as Wendy tried to give them a plausible excuse as to why the parents weren’t informed, Irene lifted the fork to Wendy’s mouth, hoping that the other girl’s reaction would be as automatic as Tiffany’s.

 

Luck was on their side.

 

Wendy’s attention shifted slightly, the younger brunette opening a little to receive the noodles. Irene purposely pulled the fork away, inwardly giggling at the way Wendy followed the morsel. She breathed in again for courage and planted her lips on Wendy’s forehead as the other girl leant into her, her cheeks flushing hot when Wendy pulled away, turning up in a confused smile.

 

She returned the smile and cupped the younger girl’s chin, feeding Wendy carefully.

 

Nonchalantly, she answered Tiffany’s question, sighing in relief when the older woman turned back into the bubbly person before.

 

“I’m afraid it’s my fault. I’ve been keeping her too wrapped up in our own world, we kind of ignored everyone around us.”

 

Wendy gave her a look of gratitude, her fingers coming back up to take Irene’s hand, this time her touch a lot softer.

 

Irene tried not to let the way Wendy molded into her side affect her.

 

Even though it felt like she was coming home with every burn Wendy gave her.

 

(It’s a fake engagement, Bae JooHyun.)

 

*

 

Nana picked at the invitation card gingerly, her eyes watching Irene carefully as she passed it over to her girlfriend, Lizzy practically buzzing with excitement as she opened the envelope.

 

Irene always wondered how Nana and her could be related as they differed in almost everything, height, looks, interests.

 

(She forgot that they were similar in so many ways as well; silent, silly around people they love, falling in love with someone with the complete opposite personality.)

 

The blonde spoke quietly, her eyes soft as she regarded Lizzy, the younger girl showing Nana the invitation to Irene’s engagement party, a show of support that came from a family member that Irene could never really understand.  

 

“I’ll be here when you need me.”

 

Lizzy was understandably confused by Nana’s statement, Irene thanking the taller girl with a nod for not saying anything about the fake engagement.

 

Irene would always wonder how Nana and her was related but she will never question whether the blonde would always be there for her.

 

*

 

When she first met the girl, Irene was already in her third year of medical school, stoic and aloof with her eyes hidden behind her glasses. Wendy could hardly phantom how a person this serious could be friends with Seulgi, the bright girl the complete opposite of her quiet friend.

 

But because Wendy was Wendy, she did not question it much.

 

Even as the group slowly got closer, Irene always held herself at arms length, hardly interjecting into their usual bout of trouble but somehow always managing to bail them out of it.

 

It made Wendy curious.

 

It made her wonder.

 

The first time she seen Irene Bae as Irene was when Seulgi was desperately trying to finish her thesis draft before the deadline, Wendy having stayed up all night with the frantic girl and helping her.

 

Irene had knocked on their dorm door, her hair tied up in a messy bun and her arms filled with different kind of snacks and books. Wendy had let her in with wide open and the girl proceeded to make herself at home, depositing the items next to Seulgi on the floor, carefully opening the packets for Seulgi.

 

And stayed with the both of them until the sun had risen, helpfully giving them materials and information from the books she had brought over.

 

It made Wendy intrigued because Seulgi was a law student and her thesis paper was vastly different from anything Irene had to write. It meant that Irene had purposefully went to look for relevant books and trekked all the way to their dorm to help.

 

It was kind of amazing.

 

And after that, it was as though a door had been opened.

 

Wendy was treated to a slightly more childish Irene, an Irene who would put salt in the cereal and serve it to them because Seulgi and Joy had the nerve to give her number to that business student who was smitten with her. She saw an Irene who was violent with Yeri because the youngest amongst them loved to jostle the delicate girl and Irene would give it back as good as she got.

 

She bore witness to an Irene who was uncomfortable with a large crowd but would brave it because Joy was performing on stage and she wanted to support the younger girl, despite all her teasings that Joy was a terrible actress if she couldn’t keep a straight face while lying.

 

But the Irene around her was unfailingly polite, eyes averted to the ground when they happen to be standing close to each other. Her version of Irene was prim and proper and barely spoke in her presence.

 

It made Wendy sad seeing this Irene.

 

Until one day, she ran into trouble with some of her classmates, a mean girl accusing Wendy of stealing her music composition and claiming it as her own. Being a pacifist, Wendy did not want a fight, merely trying to push her away out of the situation, the argument turned physical as the girl reached out to slap Wendy, when suddenly a pale hand pulled her back, Irene using her body to shield Wendy.

 

Her head twisted to one side, her cheek f