Wendy was not a nosy person--at least most of the time. However, Seulgi was acting extremely suspicious. Being her best friend, Wendy decided to take a peek at Seulgi's phone--mainly her text messages--so that she could prevent possible disaster. Her friend can be overly trusting at times.

TEXT MESSAGE HISTORY BETWEEN SEULGI AND (<3) 9:59 AM, Friday, May 13, 2016
(<3):
B0AF.0E.AD
Hex (40960)
20.15.23.14 12.2.18 The text screamed "DANGER" to Wendy. Whatever information this message contained, she was sure that the sender did not want someone else to know. Fortunately for her, she has a smart sister. "Unnie? I need your help." "As long as it is not about Ms. Bae."

 

No matter what (<3) and Seulgi have planned, Wendy was determined to find out. Even if she could not decode the message, she would track down Seulgi's whereabouts. After all, Wendy was a nosy--caring--friend.

 

*

 

Juhyun and Wendy stared at the letters and numbers.

 

"AD."

 

"Anno Domini? Probably not what it means."

"B-A-E. Bae? Bae Joohyun? D-E-A... DEAD?" "Is this an operation to kill Joohyun unnie?" "I certainly hope so, but it seems not, because I hadn't planned one." "Wait! What if we change this into that, and that into this?" "And hex? Do we need to cast a spell? At Bae Joohyun? Can you get my spell book that I stole from the random vault?" "Maybe it is something in math, like a hexagon? Six?" "It's sixteen."

 

"Is that a magazine? But I have only seen Seventeen though?"

 

Wendy let her imagination roam free, which was not greatly appreciated by Juhyun at this moment.

 

"Wendy, you should not talk to Ms. Bae too often. She is corrupting you."

 

*

 

It turned out that the text informed the recipient, in this case, Seulgi, of the date, time, and location of the appointment.

"Thanks unnie! I will tell you more when I come back!" Actually, Wendy might have lied--somewhat--to her sister. Although the message was not about Joohyun, Wendy asked for her company to the mysterious appointment Seulgi had. However, considering how smart Juhyun is, she followed her sister to the location, since she was afraid that Wendy would be in danger. Especially now that she has spotted Bae Joohyun stepping into the Town Library with her sister, danger sure was inevitable. "Juhyun, what are you doing here?"

 

A sudden voice startled Juhyun and caused her to accidentally smash her head into the glass door of the library.

Yes. Of course. Her mothers tailed her. Why would they not? They were not even sneaky about the whole act. Tiffany had brought her pink car along. "I think Wendy was tricked into a date." "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Tiffany ushered her daughter and her wife into the building. The librarian threw a glare at the loud woman, whom whispered an apology.

* Seulgi's appointment was actually nothing ominous. It was just a date--a study date, and (<3) was Joy.

 

"Wow. No wonder why Wendy did not end up with Peter. What a spoiled brat."

"I agree. Who in their right mind buys that many durians and pineapples? Is he trying to kill Hook with them?" "Not to mention how much they cost. What currency is that, by the way?"

*

 

Conveniently for Joohyun, Wendy was called Wendy, which meant that it was time for the old Peter and Wendy reference.

"You hear, Wendy? Peter is a dumb guy." "I don't want to be with him, anyway. I already have someone in mind."

 

"Who?"

Joohyun took the opportunity and asked, but Wendy shook her head and dismissed her question. "Now is not the time. Not when Juhyun unnie is still single."

 

"Well then. Let's find poor Juhyun someone she likes."

"Yes. Someone she likes."

 

Both of them knew that would not be an easy task. However, they might just find the one for her.

* Being terribly annoyed by the worksheet, Joy and Seulgi complained about every question along the process, from the logic to the wording.

 

They were not wrong. In fact, they were remarkably correct. The questions were horrible and boring.

 

"This practice is like my mom." Joy commented as she reached the midway point of the practice. "Wordy?"

 

"That, difficult to understand, and always have so many questions that demand for explanations."

 

"Does she know that you are meeting me today?"

 

"Judging that we have not been interrupted by anyone, I doubt that."

 

* Tiffany, with her superb hearing, recited the conversation to Jessica and Juhyun. "I am so telling Sooyoung that Sooyoung said that." "Well, she is correct about her though. Sooyoung sometimes talks a lot." "Does she? I don't really listen when she speaks." Jessica snorted with laughter, and the librarian gave them a second warning, threatening to kick them out of the library.

Juhyun wondered why she stayed with them during the "stakeout."

 

"Oh, and we certainly will call Sooyoung at some time."

*

 

After a two-hour long battle at the library, Joy and Seulgi had completed the review worksheet. Their stomachs growled to signal them a more significant problem that they have to solve immediately.

 

"Finally! Let's go grab lunch somewhere."

 

"Potassium."

 

The "Stakeout" family and the shorties hurried down the stairs to the restaurant as the almost-couple left the table.

 

Joy was about to devour her meal, until she heard a familiar voice mentioning something that was currently the voice's owner's interest.

 

"Joohyun unnie, I brought cupcakes!"

 

"Wendy, I hope you don't mind sharing." Seulgi usually do not speak in a stern and dark tone, but she feared that her date was about to be butchered.

 

It was not a successful date, anyway, since all they have done was school work.

 

"Of course not! Oh! Joy! Seulgi! How pleasant to see you two. What a coincidence!"

 

"What a coincidence that I don't believe in coincidences! You followed us."

 

"Oh, Joy! You are such a bundle of joy!"

 

Wendy let out a string of fake laugh that was so fake that it faded out on its own, when she found out that no one was echoing her laughter.

 

"How did you even know we were here?"

 

"The text."

 

"Smart. Seulgi just called me to ask where we are going to meet."

 

"That is another smart way, too. I'm Joohyun, by the way. Juhyun's classmate."

 

Joohyun extended her hand out. The two newcomers hesitated, but shook her hand in the end.

 

*

 

"I am so proud of my daughter. Not a single bit of awkwardness." Taeyeon sipped her tea as she watched Joohyun interact freely with Wendy's friends.

 

"Ms. Hwang, did you call your whole PTA group?" Jessica questioned when she noticed two other people sprinting towards their suddenly-very-populated table.

 

"And I asked them to bring an extra memory card for their cameras!"

 

Tiffany's tone implicated that she needed some sort of compliment as encouragement.

 

"Oh great."

 

Even if the compliment were a sarcastic remark.

 

*

 

"Oh. My. Gosh. Joohyun got a napkin for Wendy!"

 

"Oh. My. Gosh. They are sitting so close together!"

 

"Oh. My. Gosh. Look at them! They are holding hands!"

 

"Oh. My. GA-SHEE. They shared a meal!"

 

Squeal, squeal, squeal, and more squeals. It would be wonderful, if they had aimed to attract unwanted attention, which they had not.

 

While Juhyun buried her face in her palms in embarrassment, hoping to escape reality, Jessica just observed the PTA group in silence, rethinking the day when she first met Tiffany and what happened that led to today. She appeared to be in deep thoughts and scribbled random phrases on a piece of paper.

 

 

Then Jessica continued staring blankly at Tiffany.

 

The librarian on lunch break passed by and gave them a third--last--warning, even though the restaurant was not under her administration.

 

"Mom, please keep it down--"

 

"Mom?"

 

"Mom?"

 

"Mom?"

 

"Mom? Ma?"

 

Five moms had been mom'd at once.

 

"Oh! So nice to meet you all here! What brings you four here?" Hyoyeon pretended to be surprised, but her acting skills sold her out.

 

"Study session. What about you?" Joy inquired with a bright smile that could kill.

 

Hyoyeon turned to Sooyoung. Sooyoung turned to Jessica. Jessica turned to Juhyun. Juhyun turned to Taeyeon. Taeyeon turned to Tiffany. Tiffany turned and faced Seulgi.

 

There was not way out.

 

"This is a PTA meeting!" Tiffany answered, because there was no way that the children would be interested in the details.

 

"With Juhyun unnie and Ma here?" Wendy, always the observant one, and always the insistent one, added.

 

"Well, you see, it was a quick meet. I am due at another place now."

 

"Where?"

 

"The dance studio at home, because I just wanna dance! Let's bolt, Jessi!"

 

"I would fly if I could."

 

*

 

Seulgi and Joy chose to take the subway home, and Joohyun and Wendy walked, since their houses were both within a two-kilometer radius from the restaurant.

 

They stood at the Jung-Hwang's door silently. Neither of them was prepared to return home.

 

"You should go in. I can sense Juhyun glaring at me from upstairs."

 

"I guess. Unnie, how is your exam preparation for tomorrow?"

 

 

"Dandy! Splendid! Look, Wendy, I have to run. See you!"

 

A quick peck on Wendy's cheeks from Joohyun and the culprit was gone.

 

On the other hand, as Seulgi and Joy were ready to part at the subway station, Joy halted Seulgi in her tracks before she could leave.

 

"Do you think we could hang out more often?"

 

"I would love to. Oh, and Joy?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"A goodbye kiss for you. Bye! Remind me to tell Wendy to thank Joohyun unnie!"

 

A quick peck and Seulgi was gone like the wind. Joohyun must have had a private conversation with Seulgi without Joy noticing.

 

"Alright. Remind me to remind you then..."

 

*

 

The next day, zombie-Joohyun entered the classroom to face her imminent death granted by the exam.

 

"If you don't do well... Well, you don't want to know what will happen." Juhyun warned and a pen attached with a card landed on Joohyun's desk.

 

 

 

 

 

I'll tell you that I will not update for a long time, since I am lazy and do not have the next chapter's plot.

I hope you liked it. (Here is the handwritten first and second draft of the plot. I thought they would be interesting to share.)

Question of the Chapter: How do you study for exams? I read my notes and redo the homework assignments.