"I'm sorry Seul. I was caught up with some of our college friends...", Wendy explained when we arrived at my apartment.

"It's okay Wendy-ah", I said while giving her hand a light squeeze.

"It's okay. I'll be okay", I said to her but more to myself.

She looked at me worriedly and I couldn't find it in me to look at her. My eyes sting as I try to fight the tears that are threatening to fall.

"I saw her", I mumbled.

"I saw her Wendy", I said a little bit louder this time.

"It's over Wannie. It's all over. She is a mother now and probably a loving wife of someone else", I chuckled bitterly as tears start streaming down from my face.

"She has her own life now Wannie. And I no longer exist in it. She was happy without me. It's over", I continued as I started sobbing. Wendy shifted closer giving me a hug with her hands rubbing my back up and down.

"It still hurts. It hurts so much Wannie. My heart feels like breaking apart over and over again. It was five long years. I shouldn't have expected too much. It hurts, Wannie", I said as I buried my face against her shoulder.

"It's okay Seul. You'll be okay. You'll get through this. You have me, Joy and even Yeri. We will always be with you", she said as she continued to comfort me.

I woke up with a sleeping Wendy beside me, her hand securely wrapped against my waist. I untangled myself from her warm embrace as I get up.

She woke up long after. She was still looking at me worriedly. I was about to fix us a breakfast but she insisted to do it instead.

"Wouldn't want to have us both running at the emergency room because of food poisoning", she said trying to liven up the mood. I smiled. It was the least I could do. I wouldn't want to burden her by worrying about me. She has her own life too.

I went back to my room to pick up my phone. I browsed through the messages.

'Unnie, Yeri and I will sleep at my place tonight. We will be back at your place tomorrow night, will you be okay? -Joy'

'Unnie? -Yeri'

I quickly typed a reply to the two. They must've been worried about me.

A message from an unknown number.

'Nabi, this is heechul-oppa. Are you okay? Call me once you read this'

Instead of calling, I immediately typed a reply informing him that I'm okay. I looked at my own reflection. I must've looked so pathetic. I've been giving my friends a hard time. I am such a burden.

The breakfast was uneventful. I tried to smile and make small talks. Whether it's about work or about the antics of the two prankster.

Wendy was reluctant to leave me alone. She was looking at me worriedly. She was always worried about me. For the past 5 years, she spent her 5 years looking after me. She even rejected several job offers just to take a job at the company I'm working, just to look after me. I am thankful but I don't want to weigh her down any longer. She wasted too much time because of me. She wasted too much opportunity because of me.

---
She was looking at me nervously. Her hand was shaking as she held the microphone. She was one of the students with the best voice but she lacks confidence. Probably because she was new student. She was smiling at the crowd awkwardly as she held on the mic a little bit tightly. I held out my hand and she stared at it questioningly. I smiled as I took her hand. Her hands were sweaty but it stopped shaking. She smiled at me as she started singing.

Hakyorul jorobhago negtail choum mego ooh
uri hakyo aph gu golmog jujome anjaji ooh oh
( Graduated school, put on a necktie for the first time ooh
And Im sitting in this place on the streets of our school ooh oh)

I looked at her and at our intertwined hands as I started singing.

hanjanshig chewo ganun suljane damgin yegi ooh
uri jinan nal kuodon kumdurul koneji ooh yeah
( The stories going around the drinks on the table ooh
We took out our past dreams of the old days ooh yeah)

She held onto my hand a little bit tightly as she started hitting notes once again.

Jongmal olma maningoni alge moruge byonhan no
( How long has it actually been?
You changed so unexpectedly)

I stared at her and smiled trying to reassure her as I started singing once again.

hona shigani uril deryogamyon
urinun yejone uriga doeji onjena nol senggag hesso
( But if time takes us away,
We become our old selves
I always thought of you)

She was looking at me while singing. Her nervousness long gone and forgotten.

Hime gyoun sesangul mannal te
to orungon choumi noyosso yeah
( Whenever we encountered the hardships of this world
The first thing that popped up in my mind was you)

I closed my eyes feeling the rhythm of the music.

shibnyonhue shibnyonul onjo gandedo
uri maumun idero byonhajima
( Ten years later, even if we forget those ten years
Lets hope our hearts will never change)

She stared at me while smiling as she sang the next words as if she meant it.

Nega issoso johun gol
( Its so good that you are here)


urin onjena chinguya
soro gathun kumuro mungchyodon uri
darun sesangul gajiman hamke ingol
( We will always be friends
We were always together with our dreams
We went to different worlds
But we were always together)

Our voice perfectly blend as we sang together. She was smiling at me and I was smiling at her. She was swaying her body to the music. I broke into a foolish grin as I looked at her.

The auditorium was filled with claps from our classmates. She stood beside me awkwardly. I looked at her and smiled.

"You did great, Wendy-ssi, I'm Seulgi by the way", I said as I held out my hand. She gladly took it and she flashed me her blindingly beautiful smile.

---
The irony of life. Who would've thought. The shy girl that I protected from the crowd and stranger was the one protecting me. The one who stood beside me, who never left me when I was close to giving up life. I stare at her retreating back as I smiled to myself. I am beyond blessed to have someone like her. And maybe, just maybe, life wasn't so cruel with me.

---

Author's note:

Italicized words from the past. You might want to listen to WenSeul singing 'Just Friends' at some show in JTBC i guess. A dose of SeulDy/ WenSeul. How do you like it?