VI.

As the elevator door remained open for the fifth second already, Wendy's hand frantically shot to press the open button to prevent them from being trapped. She gave Irene an unbelievable look, clasping onto the other girl's wrist in an attempt to drag her out. 

After the unplanned peck on Irene's cheek, the idol had frozen; her eyes wide open and a hand placed on the site of contact, as if disbelieving that it had actually happened. Her cheeks were flushed pink and she had a look of disorientation. 

"Irene? Irene! The elevator door's going to close," Wendy hissed, hand tugging on the small wrist but to no avail. Irene remained unmoving, her breathing short and labored. Wendy let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing her forehead in an attempt to savage the situation. 

"Joohyun! Can we go now?" 

It was only at the sound of her name that Irene shook out of her lovestruck trance, her eyes turning to shine brightly at Wendy. She split into the widest smile Wendy had even seen on her, her hands trembling a little in excitement. 

"Y-yeah, let's go. My manager's in the black car waiting outside." Irene's voice cracked slightly. Wendy almost slapped herself for thinking that it was the most attractive thing she had ever heard. 

They stopped at a pillar in the basement, hiding away from the hawk-eyes of the cameras. Irene then reached into her backpocket to pull out a black mask, her fingers reaching out to deftly hook it around Wendy's ears. The younger girl was flustered at the close contact yet again and shivers went down her spine when warm fingertips came into contact with her cool earlobes. 

"There. Now hopefully the paparazzi won't pay too much attention to you." Irene whispered, bringing up a hand to caress Wendy's cheek lovingly. She almost purred at the gentle gesture and her eyes fluttered close. Her hand unconsciously slid down Irene's arm to her wrist, mimicking the soft brushing and caressing with her thumb. 

After they reveled in each other's presence for far too long, Wendy returned to reality and released her grip on the older girl's wrist, and she could have sworn she saw a glimpse of disappointment, but it was soon covered up with a perfect poker face. The affectionate smile evident on Irene's face just seconds ago had disappeared in a flash and Wendy knew better than to question it as they made their way to the car outside. 

It made her wonder how proficient Irene was at masking her emotions, if the girl had a public image to maintain in front of not only the paparazzi, but the fans as well. 

"You might want to stand on my left, Seungwan. The paps won't be able to get a good shot of you there." Irene mumbled under her breath. 

Wendy nodded mutely, shifting over to Irene's left and made sure there was a noticeable distance between them before heading out of the basement with her. News about Irene meeting a non-celebrity friend wouldn't make the headlines, right? 

However, as they briskly walked in plain sight, it seemed like there was nothing situated around them. Could they have been too paranoid? The only thing she could see were the trees swaying slightly in the wind, with some families strolling around nearby. She sighed in relief and almost let her guard down when an unmistakable click sound reached her ears. She halted in shock, before recovering quickly and catching up to Irene. Paparazzis did their job well, she had to admit, it was almost impossible to spot them.

Wendy pursed her lips, remembering Irene's words from earlier. "Don't show any expression when you're in public with me. The paps will twist anything they see into something they can potentially sell." 

She forced her facial expression to remain still until they reached the safety of the car. Both Irene and Wendy basked in the comfort of not being watched for a moment, before the older girl turned to Wendy with a euphoric beam, looking unmistakably ecstatic.

"So, you kissed me just now, right? I didn't imagine that, right?" Irene said excitedly, looking like a kid who had gotten a bag of candies on Christmas day; absolutely delighted. 

Wendy forced her eyes away from Irene's dazzling gaze, wanting to tease the older girl for once. "No, that was just a mistake. Forget about it." She put on a grimace on purpose and frowned, wanting Irene to think that she had deeply regretted her decision. She faced the opposite direction and looked out of the car to hide the tilt of her lips.

The beam on Irene's face wiped out immediately, her entire body slouching down. "I-I, what?" Irene whispered after a few moments of silence, her eyebrows furrowed in hurt and confusion. Her previously glimmering eyes were still watery but now with a different emotion. 

It was as if the kid with the bag of candies was suddenly told that it belonged to another child and that she had to give it up. Just like that, the bag was gone and the light dancing in both the kid and Irene's eyes snuffed out instantly. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I honestly really think you should just stop seeing me because we'll never work out." Wendy's voice was monotone and icy cold, and she sniggered internally. Wow, she thought, she could probably pursue a career in acting. 

She rejoiced when she saw Irene's peculiar look. Finally she was