The cold night breeze of Seoul sent shivers through the skin of the five girls waiting for their manager to arrive in front of their van. Each of them silently cursing inside their minds. Of all the things their manager could forget inside the broadcasting station, of ALL the things, it's the car keys. Which explains their current situation right now.

Clearly, everyone of them now knows what a frozen popsicle feels. Or maybe that's just an exaggeration.

"Aish!" Joy blurts out, feeling the sudden hit of the wind on her. Even in her long sleeves, she can still feel the cold.

With the sudden outburst, everyone turns their heads to her. Feeling embarrassed, she just looks down. She knows that she's not the only one suffering in the cold yet she whines loudly. Not to mention their leader just has some tshirt on her. No long sleeves, no jacket, just a tshirt.

Still their leader Irene just gave her a warm and understanding smile. "Just a little bit more Joy. I'm sure manager is on her way back." 

Joy just nodded at that. 

All of a sudden, the young girl heard Seulgi's caring voice. "Come here." The latter says as she took her jacket off and wrapped it around Joy, leaving the caring bear with only a shirt on just like Irene. "There. That feels a bit better right?" Seulgi smiled, making her eyes disappear.

"Gomawo unnie." The thankful dongsaeng replied as she hugs herself feeling the comfort of the jacket.

What Seulgi just did for the younger one didn't go unnoticed by Irene. For the leader, this is exactly what makes their bear charming. Always thinking of the members before herself. Being all kind and caring, being like a gentleman to others. 

Yes. To others. Not to her. Specially these past months after they debuted as a group.

Seulgi has always been this sweet and protective ever since they were trainees. She knows, because Seulgi used to treat her that way. 

And again, yes. 'Used to'.

"Unnie, gwaenchana?" The question that came out of nowhere startles Irene.

She forces a smile when she suddenly saw Seulgi looking at her. "Yes, I'm fine."

Lies. Of course she isn't fine. How can someone be fine if she's standing under the cold with only just a shirt on? How can someone be fine if she sees the person who used to treat her with gentleness and care ignore her and care for someone else instead?

Seulgi just slowly nods and looks away, believing what she said.

Or maybe that's just what Irene forces herself to believe. That Seulgi is dense and would never really be too concerned of her.

But still, the leader can't deny that the question made her heart flutter. It means the bear cares, even if it's just a little.

After a few more minutes of standing and waiting, their manager finally came with the car keys in hand. At last, they're now inside the warmth and comfort of their van. 

The usual atmosphere inside their van is crazily fun. Singing loudly and dancing to the songs played on the radio is something that's normal for the girls, even with their seatbelt on. 

As for their leader, she didn't join in any of the fun because of the fact that she still feels bothered by Seulgi and Joy's interaction earlier, and she hates it. She hates the fact that it bothers her. Like why should it even have that kind of effect on her?

Deep in her thoughts, Irene just sighs and looks out the window. However, her actions weren't unnoticed by a certain bear.

"Unnie, gwaenchana?" The question startles Irene once more which made her jump a bit from her seat.

Seulgi took her seatbelt off and leaned towards Irene's seat at the front to look at her. The leader obviously flustered seeing Seulgi's face too close to her. Not that she didn't like it. It was just too close for the comfort of her now racing heart and the butterflies that she suddenly felt in her stomach.

"Ne Seu-seulgi. I'm just... Tired! Yeah.. That's it."

Irene may not believe it for herself but the younger girl nows her—too much at least. With those 5 years of being together as trainees and friends, both are bound to know each other well. 

Seulgi knows that something is bothering their leader, she just doesn't know what. And she also doesn't want to force it out of her, even though she's really worried. The bear always just convinces herself that she respects it if Irene doesn't want to talk about it.

Again, Irene was responded with a slow nod from Seulgi, plus a small smile too, and the words "Use our travel time to take a nap unnie. I promise we won't be loud so that you can rest well."

Now those damn butterflies are starting to get wild inside Irene's stomach. A bit dumbfounded by Seulgi's gesture, she just nods at the younger girl. 

With that, Seulgi sits back comfortably and puts her seatbelt back on while Irene tries to take a nap just so that she can swat away her never ending thoughts about the bear and also to try and dismiss the damn butterflies.

Unfortunately, the leader fails to do so. She just found herself listening to the girls talk quietly with her eyes closed.

"We're here." Their manager announced as Irene felt the van halt. She slowly opens her eyes, trying to still keep her 'sleeping' act together.

Excited to feel the comfort of their beds on their back, the maknae line dashed out of the van while saying their thanks to their manager, followed by Seulgi and Wendy who're also tired as hell. As the two walked towards the entrance of their apartment building, Seulgi noticed that Irene hasn't gone out of the van yet.
Wendy saw the confusion in her bestfriend's eyes as she sees her looking back at the van. 

"Manager probably just reminded unnie about our schedules for tomorrow." Wendy said, gaining Seulgi's attention. "You know how unnie tends to be a bit forgetful, so you really can't blame manager. I'm sure unnie will immediately follow suit."

Seulgi nods and smiles back at her friend. "You go ahead. I'll wait for Irene unnie."

The Canadian just shrugs at Seulgi's words and resumes her walk towards the building. "Okay then." She says to her. "I'll just wait for you guys in the apartment."

The caring bear didn't bother to reply as she sees her friend leaving. She just quietly stood there waiting for their leader to get off the van as her thoughts started to trail off again, thinking about what could've happened that bothered their leader so much. If it's a problem that the leader is trying to face alone, co'z if that's the case, she knows Irene would try and resolve the concern herself without telling anyone or seeking help from anyone.

Her flow of thoughts stopped when she heard the door of the van closed. When she looked up, she saw Irene looking at her with a confused yet soft and caring gaze.

"What are you still doing here?" Irene asks, hoping that the bear purposely waited for her, even if she thinks that the latter waiting for her in this cold weather is something too farfetched. 

The older girl immediately counters her hopes. Maybe Seulgi still just doesn't want to go up their apartment or maybe she still needs to buy something from the convenience store.

But Seulgi surprises her with her answer, making her heartbeat go wild and crazy. "I'm waiting for you unnie... I'm... I'm worried."

Yes, she's happy to hear those words that she hoped for Seulgi to say, but she can't just say to Seulgi what actually bothers her, because in the first place, she shouldn't be bothered about it. It's normal for the bear to care for the members, specially the younger ones. 

Still, she envies Joy. She wishes that her and Seulgi could just go back the way they were before when they were trainees. How close they were before, and not so awkward and distanced like how they are right now.

"You're worrying too much." The leader says, walking past the younger girl. "C'mon let's go. It's getting to cold out here." She added without even turning to look at Seulgi and continued on walking.

The bear just stayed rooted on her spot. Before Irene could even disappear from her sight, she called her.

"Hyunnie."

The nickname sent a rush of memories through Irene's head that made her stop on her tracks. That nickname that Seulgi gave her back when they were trainees. That nickname she's grown to love, specially when it came from Seulgi's mouth. That nickname that she hadn't heard for a long time since Seulgi started formally addressing  her as 'unnie'.

"You know you always have me right? You could always talk to me. I just want to remind you that. I'll listen when you're ready to tell Hyunnie."

Those words made Irene's heart swell. But she thinks she doesn't deserve those words. The thing that bothers her is just too selfish and petty.

Irene clenches her fists against her chest and bits her lip, feeling all too guilty that she's making the bear worry over something so petty. 

"I'm fine Seulgi." Are the only words that left the leader's mouth before she's completely gone from the bear's sight leaving the latter even more worried.

Seulgi was greeted with an empty living room when she got into their apartment. Feeling really tired from their schedules, the bear decided to plop down their couch, not really caring if she ends up falling asleep and spending the night there, but Seulgi doubts that. She's just too worried about Irene to even catch a wink.

"Well, took you long enough."

The voice startled Seulgi which resulted to her falling off the couch and the owner of the voice laughing hysterically.

"I swear you'll be the death of me Wendy." She sternly says to the person who's now grinning from ear to ear.

The Canadian just shakes her head at her friend's remark. "No. What you're deeply contemplating on moments ago will be the death of you." 

The bear knows that Wendy is right. Irene will be the death of her. She's so freaking worried of her. She sits upright on the floor and throws her head back on the couch, releasing a sigh in the process.

"That's deep." Wendy now joins her friend, sitting beside her on the floor. "Mind telling me what or WHO made your thoughts a mess?" 

Seulgi just covers her face with both of her hands, trying not to let Wendy know what's going on inside her head, but she can't escape from the great Canadian herself. "It's Irene unnie isn't it?"

Again, a sigh escapes Seulgi's mouth. "It's just that, she's been really quiet since earlier after we finished our broadcast."

"Well, I heard her tell you that she's tired earlier inside the van, right?" 

"Yes. But I know Hyunnie. It's not just because she's tired." 

The mention of Irene's nickname made Wendy raise an eyebrow and form a small grin on her lips.

Seulgi then continued in almost a whisper. "I want to know what's wrong." Which Wendy still heard clearly.

"How will you expect unnie to tell you if you're awkward with each other in the first place?" The Canadian said giving her friend a meaningful look. "You think I didn't notice how you tried to distance yourself from her since we debuted?"

Surprised by how her friend figured those things out, Seulgi's eyes grew wide, if that's possible.

Not minding the shocked bear, Wendy continued. "You guys were the closest back when we were trainees. You two would always be together practicing the dances, eating, or just plainly hanging out. It was even Irene unnie who made you comfortable with skinship right? Those holding hands, linking arms, hugs—"

"Okay you can stop now." Seulgi says with a straight face. "I know where you're getting. That it's m—"

"Your fault that you're having this kind of problem now. Yes you're right." Wendy was the one to cut her off this time. "I won't pry to whatever your reason is on distancing yourself from her. May it be that you started to get scared when you realized that you're starting to like her mo—"

This time the bear shoves her friend to prevent her from talking. "Yah."

Wendy just shrugs Seulgi's reaction off. In her own opinion, Seulgi is too obvious towards how she feels for their leader. When it comes to Irene, she worries more than necessary, even though they've grown to be awkward around each other she still tries to care for the leader in her own little way. It's really noticeable how the bear restraints herself from crossing that 'friend' line every time she's worried for Irene.

Seulgi looks down and runs her hand through her hair as she mumbled. "I—I don't like her like that." 

What the latter said earned her a flick on the forehead from Wendy. 

"Ouch! What was that for?"

Calmly, Wendy replies. "So that you'll wake up and realize that you've done a terrible thing by trying to distance yourself from unnie." Just then, Seulgi was again caught off guard as she felt another stinging pain on her forehead. "And that one is for not trying to think things through. Just imagine how Irene unnie might've felt when she noticed how you try to distance yourself from her."

Those words made Seulgi silent. The bear can't help but hang her head low, thinking, what exactly Irene could've felt when she started to notice the sudden change. "Eottokhae Wendy?" She asks, looking completely helpless.

Her friend smiled at her and patted her head. "Confess to her." Wendy said as if it was the easiest thing to do.

Seulgi's face immediately went red. "I–I said I d–don't li–like her that w–wa–way."

"Yeah. Convince yourself that." Wendy chuckles. "But seriously though, I think you should stop this 'distancing' act."

With a sigh, Seulgi wholeheartedly smiles at her friend. "Thanks Seungwan."

The Canadian playfully cringes because of that. "Don't go all too sweet on me bear!" She laughs which also made Seulgi chuckle. "Now you stop that overthinking, go wash up and sleep. It's already late." 

As expected, the inner 'mother' in Wendy took over as she said those words, leaving the bear laughing as she replied to her with a "Ne eommoni."

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(To be continued...)