VII.

Heavy breathing was the only thing heard in the otherwise silent room after the appalled gasp from Wendy. Her fingers clenched into a fist so tightly on the wooden table she could feel her fingernails piercing her skin. Her eyes, previously a mixture of shock and confusion, now burned fire as she glared at the brochure in front of her. 

It wasn't as if she didn't expect to see him again, no, the world was too small for that. But she certainly didn't expect to meet him this way.

Because on the commercial of a soju brand, was a man grinning brightly as he held on to the familiar green bottle. His pearly whites were for all too see, glimmering under the artificial light probably from the shooting set. Ironic, she thought, at how that man was advertising alcohol, when that was what she turned to after he mangled her heart, wrecking it to mere crumbs. 

When did he become a celebrity? Wendy thought bitterly, biting her lower lip. Life was unfair, that much she knew, but why was it that the people who deserved to go to hell ended up being the most successful? Were all stories and legends about karma utter nonsense? 

Her heart burned and her head started to ache as she had flashbacks to the past; of how he reassured her that he would never leave her, of how much he loved her, of how much he was sure that they would be together forever...before he left her, without a word. It was painful. 

Wendy swore never to cry again after that, and she succeeded. But now, as she stared intensely at the small brochure, she started to question her resilience. She knew tears would well up in her eyes any second. 

Engrossed in her thoughts, she only snapped out of it when Irene took a seat opposite her, grinning. 

The younger girl felt a twinge of guilt at that. Just one picture of him was able to make her totally forget about Joohyun, as if she was out of the picture. It was preposterous, the amount of control he had over her. Would she ever be able to fully invest in another relationship? 

Irene caught her line of vision, curiously looking at the advertisement. A pout immediately formed onto her face when she realised what Wendy was staring at. 

"Hey, hey, hey, you're on a date with me, don't go staring at other guys when I'm right in front of you." 

Wendy was so troubled that she didn't even react to Irene saying they were on a date, her mind just focusing on her hatred and hurt. A few moments later, she looked up to meet the other's gaze robotically. 

"You know this man?" 

Irene nodded uninterestedly, her fingers drumming on the table lightly. "Yeah, of course I do. He's been really famous these days, hasn't he? Shot some dramas that were a big hit. Oh, Eric's in my company too. He's a decent guy." She then shot a questioning look at Wendy, wanting her to explain the sudden interest. 

An actor? That certainly fit, Wendy thought wryly, he probably acted really well during his time with her. How much of those sweet words and promises were real? 

And Eric, Irene said? Wendy furrowed her eyebrows. That wasn't his name. Did she recognize the wrong man? It couldn't be though, she had spent almost four years with him and there was no way she would mistake him for someone else. He had also made too much of an impact in her life to be forgotten. 

"Eric?" She asked cautiously, not wanting Irene to get the wrong idea. 

"Yeah. It seems like we're not the only ones who has English names. His real name is Nam Yoondo." 

Hearing that name, her heart clenched and she almost buckled over. It was almost like a trigger. It had been awhile since anyone had said a thing; her friends knew better than to speak about that taboo topic. That name, though it sounded overdramatic, opened up a fresh wound in her chest and it hurt. 

"Don't tell me you're falling for his good looks, Seungwan? I won't let you," Irene joked, believing that Wendy was genuinely interested in that guy from her intense gaze. 

Wendy forced a smile onto her face, shaking her head slightly. She could see the uncertainty on Irene's face, and suddenly the only thing in her mind was I don't want to hurt this girl, ever. 

She unclenched her fist, feeling slightly better at the relief of tension in her palms. Her hand raised to fit just on top of Irene's, their hands sharing warmth in the cool breeze of the air conditioner. It ultimately made heat grow in Wendy's heart as well, thawing the ice that had claimed it when she saw him.

Nam Yoondo was mentally forced to the back of her mind, he was something she absolutely didn't want to deal with until later. Confronting her emotions and coming to terms with herself was always draining. All she wanted to do now was to have a good breakfast before lessons started in a few hours. 

"How can I? When I have all I want right in front of me?" She then smiled for real when an happy blush appeared on Irene's face.

It almost seemed like their roles were reversed. Irene was always making her blush in the past few days, and now she was the one having fun teasing. It was true then, what Seulgi said. Irene's arrogance and cockiness were only a facade. Underneath that disguise, was a fragile and shy girl who genuinely invests and gives her all in a relationship. 

It was special, what they had now. Even if it wasn't official, and Wendy isn't even sure if she wants it to be, but at least it was something. Something she can build on, something she can hope for, something to help her get over the scars of the past. 

It turned out that Wendy didn't have to look at the menu after all, as Irene had already taken the initiative to order for them both. The piping hot food arrived soon after and it was only then that Wendy realised how hungry she actually was. 

Her stomach growled slightly as the food was placed in front her, the smell of freshly grilled eels wa