“Irene, relax. She knows her way around. It's not like she's from another world or something,” Joy says. Irene scoffs and runs her fingers through her hair in frustration.

 

“We just gotta find her,” she replies as she looks around.

 

“She couldn’t have gone far,” Seulgi says. 

 

“You guys look for her inside while Seulgi and I look for her outside,” Irene says and fleets past the girls, Seulgi following right behind.

 

“Wouldn't she know her way back, Irene? After all, she is the same age as us, right?” Seulgi questions as she tries to keep up with Irene’s pace.  She gets frustrated when she gets no answer.

 

“Irene, what the hell is going on?” Seulgi grabs Irene’s wrist, causing the latter to turn and Seulgi can just see the frustration on her face.

 

“I don't ing know. Listen, Wendy isn't actually an exchange student, I just bumped into her one day and offered her something to eat and blah blah. She says she came from the past and I think I’m starting to believe it,” Irene answers quickly and releases herself from Seulgi’s grip.

 

Now she knows how Wendy must've felt- having her wrist grabbed all the time.

 

Meanwhile, Seulgi has to process everything she was just informed.

 

The past?

 

Irene turns back around and moves on ahead as Seulgi tries to keep up.

 

“Irene, wait! I'm sure we’ll find her. Don't worry.”

 

“Well then hurry up, Seulgi.”

 

Seulgi sighs. She just wonders why Irene is worrying so much over someone she just met.

 

-

 

Irene and Seulgi spot a crowd by the sidewalk, along with honking cars and chattering.

 

“Hey blondie! If you know what's good for ya, you'll stay off the streets!”

 

That immediately catches Irene’s attention. She walks over to the crowd and when she finally shoves her way through, she sees Wendy crouching in front a car, cradling a small injured orange kitten in her arms. Seulgi barely makes it through to see the scene.

 

“Wendy! Wendy! Come on! Let's go!” Irene calls out.

 

Wendy turns her head and the brightest smile shows up on her face.

 

“Good evening, Joohyun-ssi! Look at my discovery!” Wendy gets up and runs to Irene, who watches the cars rush past and the crowd dispersing. Seulgi sighs in relief when she sees Wendy.

 

“Why did you run off? Irene was worried sick about you! Well... we were all worried,” Seulgi says. Wendy the kitten’s head with her finger, not paying any mind to Seulgi.

 

“Wendy, Seulgi’s right. Why would you--,” Irene stops when she observes Wendy petting the kitten, looking at it with so much care and love.

 

Irene doesn't know why, but the very sight of Seungwan being so caring and so curious makes her falter and stop herself from scolding Wendy.

 

 

“I discovered her injured and dying. I heard her crying out,” Wendy informs and looks at Irene with a soft, childish smile.

 

Irene nudges Seulgi, but makes sure to keep an eye on Wendy.

 

“Seul, text the others that she's okay.”

 

-

 

“So, are we celebrating now that we’ve found Wendy or something? What's the occasion?” Joy asks as she plops onto the couch with a magazine in hand.

 

“Wendy, I put the kitten in my room. Take care of it up there, okay?” Irene says and Wendy surprisingly obeys. When her walking up the stairs can be heard no longer, Irene turns to the other girls who are making themselves home by ravaging her refrigerator.

 

“Guys, focus here. Stop taking all my food.”

 

Yeri, with a donut stuck in between her teeth sits on Joy's back before biting the donut with the support of her hand.

 

“So, what are we talking about? What’s the urgency?” Joy questions and rests her head comfortably on the leather couch. Irene exhales and takes a seat on a stool, in front of the three other girls.

 

“Look, it’s hard to believe and it's totally crazy and insane of me to actually believe this, but Wendy said she was um, from the past,” she explains awkwardly and there’s a long silence that follows afterwards--making her more nervous than it should.

 

That was, until Joy and Yeri start bursting out into boisterous laughter.

 

“Irene, you have got to stop getting so deep into literature! What, you think Wendy just waltzed her way into a wormhole and got lost? That's insanity, Irene,” Joy says, still giggling along with Yeri.

 

“Irene you know time travel is impossible, right?” Seulgi asks as if Irene really is crazy.

 

Irene doesn't know what to say at this point. She doesn't know what to do to convince them, or convince herself. Everything she knows about Wendy is a blur.

 

“Look at the circumstances! How do you explain her eyes? Her lack of knowledge about anything we ate, drank, or the places we went to?” Irene says with gesticulations as she nearly falls off her stool.

 

“Look, Joohyun, I'm gonna go home and sleep. You get a rest too, maybe that'll help. Goodnight,” Yeri states and gets off the couch before grabbing her things. Seulgi sighs and also gets her things since she's Yeri’s only way home.

“Seulgi, wait!” Irene says and scurries for the stairs. Seulgi and Yeri stare at each other in bewilderment.

 

-

 

Irene enters her room and sees Wendy playing with the very much healthy kitten. She grabs Wendy’s clothes out of the hamper and is about to exit the room, until Wendy speaks out.

 

“What will you be doing with my clothes?”

 

Irene smiles.

 

“I'm washing it. Don't hurt the kitten.”

 

She rushes out and shuts the door before running down the stairs.

 

“Seulgi!” Irene gestures for Seulgi to come over.

 

“What?” Seulgi says and eyes the bunch of clothes in Irene’s hands.

 

“You're taking biology and you go to a lab, right? Can you tell how old this is and bring it back to me?” Irene asks, handing Seulgi the clothes.

 

“I don’t know if--,” Seulgi is interrupted when Irene speaks.

 

“Just take it. See what you’ll find. I'm not doing this just to prove something to you guys, I'm doing this to see whether I'm crazy or not, so please? Plus, aren't you interested in stuff like this?”

 

Seulgi can't just say no to the look on Irene’s face so she hesitantly takes the clothes and walks away.

 

“Thanks, Seul.”

 

Joy gets off of the couch and follows Seulgi and Yeri.

 

“Goodnight Irene! Don't stay up too late!”

 

And Irene is left with silence. She turns and runs up the stairs when she hears a thud coming from her room. Swinging open the door, Irene enters her room to see Wendy looking under the bed.

 

“Wendy what are you doing?”

 

Wendy tries to reach for(Irene assumes) the small kitten under the bed as it hisses.

 

“It does not seem to be very fond of me,” Wendy replies and attempts to crawl under the bed until Irene stops her.

 

“You get on the bed and I'll get it for you,” Irene says and once again, Wendy obeys. Now, Irene lays on the floor and reaches out her hand to the kitten that stops hissing.

 

Wendy watches as Irene gently picks up the kitten and brings it up. To Wendy’s surprise, the kitten is calm and collected.

 

“That is most peculiar. It immediately calmed down when you touched it. Maybe it is not only I that possesses power.”

 

Irene the kitten’s head gently and sits next to Wendy.

 

“I don't have powers, Wendy. That's impossible, just like time travel.”

 

Being careful, Wendy slowly reaches for the kitten, but stops when it starts hissing at her again.

 

“It is content in your touch. It seems that you spread peace inside her.”

 

Irene sighs and sets the kitten down on the floor. Its orange fur is tousled and filthy with dirty and dried blood.

 

“You said it was on the verge of death when you found it?” she asks and receives a nod from Wendy.

 

“Thank goodness it was. If it were dead, it would be impossible to revive it,” the blonde answers and smiles at the kitten.

 

“She ought to be grateful. This little peculiar thing.” she hesitantly reaches out and with one finger, its head again.

 

Finally it is calm in her touch. Irene watches Wendy, observing how Wendy’s pupils are gently dilating and constricting.

 

Irene assumes that this means Wendy is in a state of calm.

 

And Irene certainly thinks that Wendy looks beautiful at the moment. There