Seulgi tapped on Irene’s contact name and immediately, her two thumbs started dancing across the phone screen.

 

To: Han Dynasty’s Granny

 

[‘Irene, what the is going on??’]

 

Seulgi impatiently waited for a reply while she fidgeted with her phone. Wendy hadn’t texted back for a few hours; no calls, nothing. It drove Seulgi nuts that even after so many years Wendy still managed to make her worry. To make everything worse, Wendy was on the other side of the planet somewhere.

 

Seulgi felt her phone vibrate in her hands and her head immediately snapped towards her phone screen.

 

From: Han Dynasty’s Granny

 

[‘Wendy ran off somewhere and I can’t find her anywhere Seul, what do i do?!’]

 

To: Han Dynasty’s Granny

 

[‘care to tell me why the Wendy ran away??’]

 

From: Han Dynasty’s Granny

 

[‘we met ahreum and that kissed me and wendy saw us and oh god seul what do i do’]

 

“!” Seulgi cursed. She knew something terrible would happen if Wendy and Irene were to run into Ahreum.

 

‘Ahreum, that dumb hoe. Ugh!’

 

To: Han Dynasty’s Granny

 

[‘Has she texted u at all? Can u reach her?’]

 

From: Han Dynasty’s Granny

 

[‘No she hasn’t and thats why im so ing worried. what if she gets taken away by someone? That girl is the smallest human being ive ever met.’]

 

Seulgi sighed in frustration. She was beginning to feel that she should’ve gone to Canada along with them and pretended they were in a polyamorous relationship. That would’ve set Wendy’s parents off for sure.

 

Seulgi understood why Wendy was overreacting. The poor girl had been hurt at least 3 times by the people she trusted and now they were back to try to hurt her again(and from what Seulgi read from Irene, it worked.) Wendy already found it so hard to believe that someone like Irene would treat her so...right,

 

but

 

Ahreum worsened that doubt. She wanted to make sure Wendy would never be able to see the ‘sun’ again. That was impossible, of course. After all, certain people back in Korea helped Wendy stay intact and whole, but Ahreum was testing her limits

 

‘You want to test Wendy’s limits, don’t you?’

 

To: Han Dynasty’s Granny

 

[‘Don’t look for her. Give her some time to cool down. I know her she’ll come back eventually she’ll be fine’]

-

 

    Irene was on the verge of breaking down. It was now midnight and she’d usually be sleeping by that time, but a certain brunette kept her awake with the absence of her presence.

 

Irene felt murderous and very very angry at the thought of a certain someone.

 

Ahreum. A name that contradicted its owner’s personality.

 

Irene could not believe she managed to let Ahreum slip past her fingers. It was not surprising, however. After all, Ahreum was a snake and snakes are able to slither their way out of situations, but Irene would not allow this one to escape so easily.

 

‘That is going to get it.’

 

Irene made her way into Wendy’s room and was greeted with the compelling lavender scent that Wendy left behind.

 

Hopefully, Seulgi was right.

 

-

 

    Unwanted tears started to blur Wendy’s eyesight as she clutched her phone tighter. She was just so driven by hurt, she didn’t want to listen to Irene’s explanation.

 

Was there an explanation? Wendy had to find out. She her phone and after waiting for a few seconds, the phone’s screen lit up with a text notification.

 

[Unknown Number sent a photo.]

 

Weny regretted ever tapping on the message because right then and there, her whole world came crashing down.

 

The picture showed Ahreum locking lips with Irene, who seemed to be holding onto Ahreum’s arms. On top of the picture was a message that would haunt Wendy for days.

 

From: Unknown Number

 

[‘Does she still make you happy, Wan-ah?’]

 

As soon as Wendy read those words, hot tears came pouring down her cheeks. She suddenly found it hard to breathe, but chuckled at the thought of Irene’s ability to take her breath away in more ways than one.

 

‘Irene, you perfect .’

 

With quivering lips, Wendy dialed Irene’s number, and ignored the numerous messages she was sent.

 

To: BaeChuu

 

[‘I won't be back for a few.’]

 

She sat on the roof of the car she took from the garage and brought her knees up to hug them.The moonlight shined over her as she smiled bitterly.

 

She found it funny how her throwing her phone away resembled what her own parents did to her 6 years ago. Now, they wanted her back, but they didn’t want the Wendy from 6 years ago; they wanted a different Wendy.

 

Just like a phone; once its owner finds that there is a flaw in it, they immediately want to repair it or replace it. Wendy did not need to be ‘repaired’, but she could be replaced.

 

Replaced.

 

A word that Wendy couldn’t get away from.

 

Replaced.

 

Replaced.

 

Replaced.

 

Not even that word managed to rid Wendy’s mind of a certain name.

 

Irene.

 

The girl who seemed to carry moonlight in her hands; giving Wendy goosebumps whenever they came in contact with her skin. The girl who’s touch was calming and comforting, the girl who’s laugh sounded like music, the girl who’s lips tasted sweet, the girl who was impossibly beautiful, the girl who was absolutely ethereal.

 

Irene.

 

 

-

 

    Irene bites her lip in worry at the text she just read.

 

She sat on the wooden floor and let her tears free fall from her eyes.

 

It couldn’t have been over, could it?

 

Nothing else was on Irene’s mind; not Ahreum, not Mr. Son, not Mrs. Son, no one. The only person that occupied her thoughts was the girl whom she had fallen completely and utterly in love with.

 

‘Seungwan…’

 

How would Irene survive now?

 

-

 

Seulgi didn’t hear from Irene after that, but she still had to take care of the bakery. Who knows what would happen if Joy, Yeri, and Wheein were left alone? Things were already bad as is. After getting dressed(in her usual work uniform), she made her way out of the house with her car keys. Seulgi silently prayed that her mother wouldn’t be there as she her phone to send a message to the group chat.

 

To: Joy is a huge Hoe

 

[‘I’ve decided to open up the bakery. Get ready hoes’]

-

 

 “Okay ebberywan! The great Yeri has spent day and night working on a new recipe!” Yeri said and stood on top of a table. 

 

“Aww our Hobbit’s broken English is so cuute~!” Somi said in an affectionate tone, earning a huff from Yeri.

 

“Shut it, Titan. Stop acting like I’m younger than you.”

 

That only managed to fuel Somi’s babytalk, irking Yeri even more.

 

“Okay, Drowzee. Spit it,” Joy said impatiently.

 

“Well, I made a donut dedicated to Irene! It’ll be added to our menu,” Yeri said excitedly and bent down to pick up a donut box.

 

“Y’al