Wendy enters a café where Joy asked to meet.

“I’m dating Yeri.” Joys says with the biggest beam of smile she has ever seen.

As glad as she is for her friend, she can’t hide the surprise from her face. She is speechless for a few seconds when Joy interrupts her moment.

“I know, I know. It’s shocking. But you know what, she was persistent, and the more I saw her, the more I got to know her. Apparently, she’s a wonderful person.”

“I’m really happy for you! Especially knowing she had to spend a year to woo you!”

“I know. I feel bad sometimes… but I’ll make up for it. Anyway, it got me thinking. How about you, Wendy? I think it’s time for you to scout a love interest.”

“Scout? I don’t think I need it. Do you remember the girl I told you about?”

“Yeah. The goddess. What’s her name again? Aria? Ira?”

“Irene. And well, um…”

“You’re still waiting for the girl you only saw twice… and that was a year ago, if I may add.”

“Actually, um, we’ve met and now we’re friends.” Joy spits her coffee and Wendy is glad she’s fiddling with the napkin she easily covered herself with.

Joy wipes and pounds her hands down on the table, ears alert to listen.

“Tell me everything.”

---

So maybe Wendy has a crush on a girl she only saw twice. At the beginning of the semester, she hoped she would see Irene again, her face playing on a reel inside her head. It was a silent dream, which explains exactly why she almost had a heart attack on the first day of class upon seeing said girl seated at the back of the room.

Awkward does not describe Wendy, not until she finally meets Irene, and she instantly becomes the very definition of awkward mess.

---

Joy accompanies Wendy to her shared class with Irene. Although she warned Joy to be subtle, she stood in the middle of the doorway, almost melting Irene from her flaming stare. Wendy walked in with a faint blush of pink on her cheeks. She hopes Irene doesn’t notice any of it. But when she turns to look, Irene catches her eye and chuckles. She’s now as red as a tomato.

---

She sees Irene sitting on one of the tables while she was browsing books in the library.

Her smile is beautiful but she’s still pretty without it. Right now, Irene holds her head on her hand while leaning on the table. The fingers on her ot