-

    “One last chance to relive your last day. No regrets this time. Make it count.”

    Wendy bolts upright as her labored breathing begins to fill the room, her pupils blown in panic and a cold sweat clinging to every inch of her body. She takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself as she raises her right hand to her chest, feeling her racing heart.

    It’s beating.

    She’s alive.

    A wave of relief washes over as her body releases a bit of tension from her weary limbs. She scans her surroundings, soft moonlight filtering through the large open window, the curtains rippling with the cool night breeze. She glances to her left, discovering a still sleeping Irene with  her back turned towards Wendy’s upright figure. Looking over at the clock on the nightstand next to Irene, she notes that it’s only two thirty in the morning. Exactly twenty four hours before she was hit. The small brunette leans against the headboard and brings her knees into her chest.

    This can’t be real. I should be dead.

    Irene’s calm and steady breaths mingle with the sounds of her own still slightly erratic shorter ones. Leaning forward, resting her face onto her knees, she looks over to her girlfriend once more, watching the way her side raises slightly with every breath.

Finally calming herself down, Wendy lets out a soft sigh.

    I’m sorry.

In that moment, Irene turns to her side, facing Wendy fully. The tranquility of her dream world evident on her face. The light from the window framing her ethereal features, her hair sticking to her cheek. Wendy turns slightly towards the older girl, reaching her hand out. Her tremulous fingers trace the older’s cheek and tuck the hair behind her protruding ear. Wendy’s touches are fleeting, afraid to break the fragile image of serenity that Irene currently holds. Her shallow breaths tickling the tips of Wendy’s fingers as she cups her girlfriend’s cheek.

This is real. I’m alive.

The smaller girl’s vision begins to blur, tears sliding down her face and onto Irene’s cheek. She brings her hand away from Irene’s face and uses it to muffle the sobs that begin to violently wreak through her body.

The soft silence of the room slowly begins to be filled with the broken sobs emitting from Wendy’s curled figure. Her entire being shaking as she tries to keep her emotions contained.

Irene’s eyes flutter open as she looks over at Wendy sleepily. She notices the hunched figure of the small brunette shaking beside her, Wendy’s hand forcefully clamped over , her knuckles on her other hand turning white from her merciless grip on her knees. Hot tears stream from her wide, scared eyes, as she stares at the wall on the opposite side of the room. Her soft whimpers escaping through the slight gaps of her fingers.

All sleep disappears from Irene as she jolts upright and embraces her sobbing girlfriend, “Oh my god Seungwan, what has you so heartbroken?”

With the lack of response, she turns Wendy towards her, removing the girl’s hand from and revealing her trembling lips. Cupping her cheeks, she caresses the brunette’s wet face with her thumbs, attempting to erase the tear trails that stain her face.

Seeing the familiar glint of genuine worry in Irene’s eyes causes Wendy’s tears to fall even faster. The girl in front of her, with her messy bed hair and oversized sleep shirt falling off one shoulder, was - no is - the one who keeps her grounded and yet makes her feel like she is soaring all at once. She was the one who matched the sunshine of Wendy’s smiles with the shimmer of stars in her own eyes. She was real and she was right here, and she was worrying over Wendy, the person who had let Irene’s heart slip out of their grasp and watched it shatter (as she kept going forward nonetheless).

Irene watches innocent chestnut eyes widen in despair as they meet her own. The older had never seen Wendy so broken and it was terrifying, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. It was as if Wendy had finally snapped.

She moves to loop her arms around the smaller girl’s still shaking figure and rubs comforting circles between her shoulders, “Shhh, whatever it is, you can tell me when you’re ready. I’m always here for you.” Irene feels the other wrap her arms around her waist, crinkling the back of her shirt in tight fists as sobs continue to wreak through Wendy’s body.

Wendy buries her face into her girlfriend’s shoulder, attempting to calm down, if only a little. The two are engulfed in the sounds of Wendy’s breakdown and Irene’s soft coos of comfort as the time ticks by for the both of them.

Irene’s consoling touches are slowly lulling Wendy back to sleep as her cries become soft snivels. Her eyelids become heavy and the grip she has on the back of her lover’s shirt is loosening with each passing second. The torrent of emotions wearing off and taking all of her sudden energy along with it.

“... Seungwan?” Irene whispers, her breath tickling the shell of the brunette’s ear.

She receives shallow breathing and the slow rise of Wendy’s chest against her own in response. She releases a relieved chuckle, and without letting go of her hold on her girlfriend, lays the both of them down on their sides. She leans back slightly, taking in Wendy’s features that had been wrenched in despair and pain seconds earlier, now relaxed and seemingly carefree. The only indicator of her breakdown moments earlier being a red nose and tear stained cheeks. The older tucks a strand of auburn behind Wendy’s ear and leans in, placing a chaste kiss onto her forehead.

Irene sighs as she pulls Wendy closer and feels the younger nestle into the crook of her neck. She nuzzles her nose into Wendy’s locks, the scent of vanilla filling her senses, “Whatever it is… I hope you’re okay. I can’t lose you Wendy.”

She settles into her position, their legs tangled and arms securing her hold on Wendy, sleep once again claiming her from the conscious world.

-

    Dark chestnut blinks away the haze of sleep as Wendy begins to enter the world of the waking. She lets out a groan as her head throbs in protest to her exit from the dream world. Eyes heavy from crying earlier and falling asleep shortly after. Rolling over, she notes that the other side of the bed is cold and empty of any familiar presence.

    I’m actually doing this.

    Wendy moves onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She moves her arm over her eyes, still trying to process everything that has happened in the past few… Days? Hours? What would this be considered? She lets out a resigned sigh, realizing how hopeless the predicament she has found herself situated in actually was.

    You already agreed. No going back now.

    Steeling her resolve, Wendy swings her legs over the side of the bed and finally gets up. The cold hardwood biting at her bare feet and the cool morning air from the window wrapping around her sweater clad torso. The thought of her imminent and inevitable death a glaring neon sign in the back of her mind.

    She recalls a faint memory of one of the random questions her classmates back in grade school would ask in their boredom.

    (“Would you rather know when you die but not how, or how you die and not when?”

    “That’s a dumb question, either thing would put you on edge for the rest of your life”)

    Well, now she knew both when and how she was going to die. And it was tonight. Due to critical injury from a hit and run car accident. And she could say with complete honesty that she wished she was ignorant of both facts. They loomed above her head like a dark cloud, a constant and very prominent reminder that she was only temporary.

    She rubs at her eyes, attempting to clear a bit more of the lingering haze of fatigue as she makes her way out of her room and towards the kitchen.

    Wendy walks up to the archway leading to the kitchen, leaning onto the wall and taking in the sight before her.

    Irene is still in her sleep clothes, her oversized shirt slipping off of her right shoulder, exposing an expanse of her milky skin, and a pair of shorts that put her pale legs on display. She’s humming to herself as she mixes the batter of what Wendy assumes will soon be pancakes. Her ebony locks are tied up in a messy bun, stray wisps of baby hairs tickling her nape.

    The smaller brunette tiptoes slowly over to her lover, making sure she doesn’t notice the new presence in the room. She stops directly behind the slightly taller woman and snakes her arms around her waist, placing her chin on the other girl’s shoulder, and blowing a soft “boo” into Irene’s ear.

    The younger feels the older woman jump slightly in her arms as Wendy tosses her head back in a playful cackle, “Oh my GOD Seungwan! You scared me!”

    Wendy buries her nose into the hair at the base of Irene’s nape, taking in the scent of lavender. The familiar fragrance sends shivers down her spine and forces goose bumps to climb her arms under her sweater.

    She relishes in the shared warmth between their bodies until she feels herself stiffen. Her eyes widen as a full wave of awareness fills her chestnut irises.

    The realization hits Wendy all at once. The last few months consisted mostly of the two girls drifting apart and arguing whenever either of them attempted to mend the growing distance. She had never stopped to think about how much she had missed Irene, despite the older being in the same apartment as her constantly. She missed her scent, her laughter, her small smiles and mischievous smirks, soft skin, and rose tinted lips.

I never realized how much I missed you.

Images vividly flash in Wendy’s mind. She sees a dejected Irene smiling through the pain, with her heart torn and further shredded with each passing second as she listens to Wendy cancel another date due to work. Hears Irene say ‘It’s okay’ when it’s not.

Wendy’s own heart clenches as she recalls a broken Irene screaming for her lost lover.

“Wendy you can’t leave me”

    “Are you feeling better?” Irene’s velvety voice jolts Wendy back into reality, the delicate sound barely reaching Wendy’s ears as Irene continues to mix the pancake batter in front of her. Even with the softest whisper, the concern dripping from Irene’s every word was obvious.

    The brunette hesitates for a second, hardening her final resolve to make this a day to die for… Literally, “Yes, thank you.”

    “I didn’t do anything though,” Irene stops mixing the batter as she turns around in Wendy’s arms and lifts her chin, forcing the younger to look at her.

    Wendy’s small smile is genuine, a hint of sadness evident in her voice overflowing with love and affection, “You didn’t have to, you were there. And that’s always been enough for me.”

-

    “Are we still on for tonight?”

    Irene pauses and looks up baffled from her place by the door, “Tonight?”

    Wendy looks up from her book, her glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose slightly, “Yeah? I thought you wanted to go somewhere together?”

    “You canceled that yesterday and told me not to wait up. You took extra hours for today, didn’t you?”

    “I took a day off from work today,” Wendy shrugs and looks back to her book, leaving Irene to look at her bewildered, attempting to process the string of words that just exited her lover’s mouth.

    “You, Wendy ‘workaholic’ Son Seungwan, took a day off,” Irene stares at the small brunette who is still in her sweater and shorts from earlier. Typically, she would be dressed and out the door before Irene even woke up.

    Wendy turns the page to her novel and answers nonchalantly, “Yeah, I decided I needed a break. And we haven’t been able to go out recently, so why not?”

    Irene sputters, “W-well if you had warned me beforehand, I would’ve taken a day off as well!”

    The younger brunette finally looks back up to her lover and gives her a small smile, her eyes crinkling slightly with the action, “No, that’s fine. We have tonight. I have some things to settle outside of work today anyways.”

    Wendy releases a soft chuckle when she realizes Irene is still staring at her flabbergasted, “Joohyun, I know I’m beautiful, but you’ll see me later. So close your mouth before you catch flies, and start heading to work, you’re going to be late,” she points to the watch on Irene’s left wrist, “Have a good day at work.”

    The older girl hesitates before putting on her coat and reaching for the door, turning back to Wendy one more time, “Well, okay then. Call me if you need anything. I’ll see you tonight,” she walks out of the apartment, the door shutting behind her with a slight click.

    The remaining woman on the couch lets out a sigh as she sets down her book on the coffee table. She glances at her phone, the screen lighting with notification after notification.

    20 Missed Calls.

    35 Unread Messages.

    Incoming Call: Seulgi

    She reaches for her cellphone, sliding to answer the call. A panicked voice on the other line meets her ears, “Doctor Son where are you. You’re check in time was three hours ago, it’s currently nine o’clock,” the other girl pauses, for what Wendy assumes is to scan if anyone is listening to her, “Wendy where in the hell are you. Mr. Bae is screaming for your whereabouts,” her whisper is urgent as she drops the formalities of the hospital. Wendy can faintly hear irritated screams in the background of the call, what she assumes is coming from her beloved boss.

    “Could you give the phone to Mr. Bae?”

    “Um… Okay? Give me a second,” Wendy hears the shuffle of papers and chairs as Seulgi goes to find her boss.

    She can barely make out a few curses and yells before the other line goes silent and the noise of the phone being given to another person fills the speakers.

    “Doctor Son,” the voice that filters through her phone chills her to the bone, the man obviously irritated and attempting to hang onto his last strings of sanity.

    “Hello Mr. Bae,” the brunette’s cheery voice contrasts the mood set over the phone conversation and leaves Irene’s father speechless.

    “W-what do you mean ‘hello,’ you were supposed to be here over three hours ago Son. THREE HOU-”

    “I know.”

    She can hear muffled breathing as the older man attempts to level his temper, “Three hours ago. We have an agreement Wendy.”

    “Yes Mr. Bae, we do.”

    “Then why aren’t you abiding by it, you’ve violated almost every line of the contract in as little as a single morning Doctor Son.”

    “Well Mr. Bae…”

    “...”

    “... I quit.”

    Silence. The sounds of the cogs of Mr. Bae’s mind are almost tangible as he processes what Wendy had just said.

    “You can’t quit.”

    “Yes, I can, and I have. I no longer wish to work under you or any of the hospitals you own. I sent in my resignation earlier with your secretary, Seulgi. As for your daughter, you do not have to worry about alerting her as per our agreement, I will leave her alone within the next twenty four hours. You no longer have to worry about Wendy Son Seungwan ruining your precious family. Have a nice life sir.”

    “Wai-” Wendy brings the phone away from her ear and ends the call, interrupting whatever Irene’s father was planning to say.

    She stares at her phone, the screen going black.

    Leaning into the soft plush backrest of her couch, she lets out an exhausted sigh. Tension seeps from her limbs as she marks down one less thing to do on her mental list.

    She sees her phone light up once more, but this time with an email. The sender being none other than the man she had pissed off minutes prior. Opening her inbox, she notes the subject line of the message to be “Good Luck.”

    (Good luck trying to be a doctor anywhere else, Son. You’re ruined.)

    Wendy looks at the lines written on the screen in front of her. She reads them once, twice, three times before she breaks out into laughter.

    “Mr. Bae, they don’t need doctors in the afterlife.”

-

    Irene pushes open the door to their apartment, looking around and noting that Wendy was nowhere to be seen.

    She lets out a resigned sigh, turning to close and lock the door.

    She must have got called into work.

    Fighting the looming disappointment that attempts to pry itself into her heart, she turns to take of her coat-

    “Wah!” Wendy pops out from the kitchen, her sleeves rolled past her elbows and her hair pulled back neatly in a high ponytail.

    Irene lets out a squeal of surprise as she stumbles backwards into the door, one hand steadying herself against the doorframe, the other against her chest feeling the aggressive thrum of her heart, “Wendy? What the hell?”

    She watches as the shorter girl breaks into a fit of giggles, her eyes squeezing shut as laughter escapes her open mouth, her arms wrapping around herself as she bends slightly. The sight before her a large contrast to the one she had witnessed the night prior.

    A small smile subconsciously slips its way onto Irene’s face, her eyes squinting slightly, affection gracing her dark irises as she watches her lover attempt to calm her laughter.

    Wendy looks up and meets Irene’s affectionate gaze, mirroring the older girl’s smile, “Let me get my jacket and then we can go.”

    Before Irene could say anything, Wendy dashes out of her sight and into their bedroom. She emerges seconds later with her army green anorak jacket on over her crisp white button up, her hair now down, letting her soft auburn tresses fall over her shoulders. The smaller girl bounces over to where Irene is still standing by the door, reaching past her for her worn black converse, putting them on and standing up straight, looking at her lover expectantly.

    “Well, are we gonna go with you like that, or do you want to change into something that doesn’t scream that you’re an attorney?” Wendy smirks as mirth dances across her chestnut eyes.

    The older girl looks down at her outfit, Wendy was right. She probably shouldn’t go out for a casual outing looking like she was ready to defend someone in court with her black blazer, pencil skirt, and modest heels. She looks back at Wendy whose face is still graced with a teasing smirk, she huffs and makes her way to their bedroom to change.

    “Need help?”

    Irene scoffs at her girlfriend’s cheekiness before closing the bedroom door, “Let me change in peace you .”

    She can hear Wendy’s laughter filter through the gap under the door as her smile from before returns to her face.

    What a child.

    In the other room, Wendy’s laughs die down as she looks at the door Irene had just closed. Her previous playfulness melting into longing as her wide smile shrinks into a smaller, more wistful one. A haze of obvious melancholy setting over her chestnut irises.

    I love you.

-

    “So where are we headed,” Irene looks at Wendy skip along the walkway in front of her with amusement.

    The smaller girl looks back at her lover, her eyes creasing in glee and her smile wide with affection, “I told you it was a secret.”

    She falls back into step with Irene, their hands attracted to each other as she moves to intertwine their fingers, Irene’s slotting perfectly between the gaps of Wendy’s own.

    “Hmm… Well I hope it’s not too far a walk then. We could’ve used the car you know.”

    (The glare of headlights. Deafening screech of rubber against pavement. Blinding flash of sirens. The scream of a lover who has lost.)

    Wendy pauses for a split second as the memories hit her all at once. Breathing deeply, she attempts to maintain her composure as to not alert Irene.

    Don’t think about it.

    Irene feels Wendy suddenly stiffen and her grip tighten slightly. She looks over at the brunette, the girl’s face contorts slightly, almost unnoticeably, but a glint of sheer terror flashes across her eyes. As soon as it had appeared, however, it’s gone.

    “... Wendy?”

    Said girl looks over at Irene, the previous hesitation no longer present, a cheerful smile returning as if it had never left, “It’s nice to walk once in awhile though, especially on a day like this.”

    The soft hum of the city in the evening fills the couple’s ears as they take in the scenery. The mellow glow of streetlights begins to light their path as evening settles upon the city. Wendy turns to look at Irene while the older girl witnesses the scenery with awe. The warmth from their joined hands stretches up her arm, wrapping her heart in a gentle embrace. She takes in the view of the girl beside her, the older’s eyes slightly creased due to the small, but content, smile she was sporting. Ebony tresses framing her face, the city lights melting behind her as Wendy senses become overwhelmed with nothing but Joohyun. The way her hair curls over her ear, a few stray strands reaching and tickling the curve of her jaw. The scent of lavender filling her nose as she can’t focus on anything but how perfectly Irene’s hand fits in hers. How her nose slightly flares when she takes in the cool evening air, and the way the corner of her lips quirk slightly when she meets Wendy’s gaze.

    “Is there something on my face?” Amusement fills her expression as she catches Wendy staring at her like she may disappear at any moment.

    Wendy blinks a few times before a sly smile creeps onto her face, “Yes actually.”

    “Oh?”

    “Perfection.”

    “... WAH SON SEUNGWAN!”

    Irene smacks Wendy’s arm as the younger breaks into a fit of giggles, attempting to shield herself from Irene’s violent forms of affection.

    The older girl stops her actions as her girlfriend squeals for mercy, the latter still bent over in a fit of giggles. Irene’s eyes soften with fondness for the other woman as she watches her try and calm herself. It had been so long since she had last seen Wendy laugh so genuinely and joyfully, and she had missed it. She had missed this side of Wendy. She had missed the girl whom she had fallen in love with, and here she was, falling all over again.

    I’m falling in love with you again.

    Wendy finally calms down and grabs Irene’s hand, intertwining their fingers once more and leading the older girl by the hand to their supposedly mysterious destination.

    And I know you’ll catch me.

Irene glances at their hands, tightening her grip on the other girl slightly.

    Just please don’t let go this time.

-

    “Ahh Joohyun hurry up! We’re going to miss it!”

    “Miss what? You haven’t told me anything!”

    “Just hurry!”

    The two girls had arrived at a local park not too far from their apartment, and Wendy had claimed this was their destination. But the smaller girl kept going, now running up a hill, enticing Irene to follow pace.

    The smaller brunette reaches the top of the hill first, standing at the top of the hill and staring at the horizon in wonder, her eyes widening with a childish glee.

    She turns and sees Irene about three quarters up the hill, she jumps up and waves her arms at the older girl, “Joohyun!!!”

    “I’m coming, I’m coming, calm down you child.”

    Wendy, being incredibly impatient, runs back to where Irene is, grabbing her hand and practically dragging the other girl up the rest of the way.

    “Wendy calm down why are you so ex- Woah.”

    Wendy watches as her girlfriend becomes completely enraptured by the view before them, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

    The sun melts into the horizon covered in thick foliage of tall trees and other lush greenery. A perfect symphony of reds, yellows, and oranges dancing with blue to create the soft fusion of lilac that forms between them. A heavenly glow casts itself onto the trees and field below the hill where the two girls now sat. The shadows of the trees being stretched out before them, climbing nearer as the sun sinks lower with each passing minute.

    Wendy turns towards Irene, the older still frozen in wonderment towards the setting sun, wrapping her arms around the other girl’s waist, she sets her chin on Irene’s shoulder, breathing in her scent that was wholly and completely so Joohyun.

    “Joohyun.”

    Irene turns her head slightly towards Wendy’s direction, her ebony locks tickling Wendy’s nose with the small movement, “Hmm?”

    She feels her girlfriend lean back from her shoulder, but receives no response. Looking over, she locks eyes with those burning with an overwhelming intensity that tears through her soul.

    “Seungw-?”

    “I love you.”

    “I love you too.”

    Wendy breaks eye contact as she shakes her head rapidly, her eyes now pleading as she returns Irene’s gaze, “No. Joohyun. I. Love. You. And so much more that words cannot even begin to describe the torrent of emotions I experience when I am around you. These past few months have been so difficult, and the more we drift apart, the more I’m falling apart at the seams. I’m so sorry. I love you so much that my heart isn’t even mine anymore, it betrays me to be with you. You make me feel like I’m soaring whenever I’m with you, and yet you help keep me grounded to reality. I want to give you the world, but the world doesn’t deserve you. I don’t deserve you. I love you so much it hurts.” The glow of the sunset reflects the glint of unshed tears in Wendy’s eyes, love, affection, longing, but most prominently guilt.

    Irene is rendered speechless, her eyes widening to a comical degree, “I-”

    She cuts herself off as she leans forward, catching Wendy’s quivering lips with her own. Wendy’s arms tighten around her waist as she returns the kiss with just as much fervor, Irene’s hands cupping Wendy’s face, bringing her ever closer.

    Irene pulls away, her lips still barely brushing Wendy’s, “Seungwan. I love you. I’m not good with words or expressing my affections, but you still accept me wholeheartedly. Thank you for being you. That’s all I ever needed. I love you.”

    It’s Wendy who leans forward this time, kissing Irene as if she has never done it before, attempting to communicate all the things she had left unsaid the best she can.

    I’ll miss you.

    I’m sorry.

-

    No regrets this time.

    Glancing at the sleeping figure of her girlfriend pressed against her side, Wendy realizes how ridiculous that statement was.

    There will always be regrets if it means leaving her behind.

    Wendy slowly and carefully untangles her sleeping girlfriend from herself, trying not to awaken the older girl. Glancing at the clock, she notes the time, and makes her way towards the bedroom door. She changes into a sweater and jeans, grabbing a scarf before opening the door to the hall.

    The small brunette pauses in the doorway before turning and taking one last look at the sleeping figure of Irene, chestnut eyes flooded with overwhelming mourning and regret, “I love you, please never forget that.”

    She turns, cautiously closing the door behind her with a soft click. Failing to notice the flutter of eyelids weighed with sleep, sparkling onyx behind half lidded eyes curiously peeking at the space Wendy was standing in minutes prior.

-

    She feels her heart rate increase as the time ticks nearer, the sound of blood rushing through her ears drowns out the sounds of nightlife surrounding her. The breeze of the late summer night sends chills down her spine, causing her to bury her nose deeper into her - no - Irene’s scarf, the older girl’s scent bringing a small wave of calm over her, despite the circumstances.

    Two minutes left.

    Memories of the flash of lights, the screech of rubber against pavement too late, and the heart wrenching screams of a lover once lost overwhelm her senses. She wipes the clamminess of her palms onto the front of her jeans.

    One minute.

    She doesn’t want to die.

    Just turn back.

    The shivering brunette plays with the idea in her head as she comes to the crosswalk at an intersection, but something is stopping her from simply turning on her heels and running back into the warm embrace of her lover. Her senses are overcome with the simple need to walk forward and she can’t comprehend why. The light is obviously still red, so why are her feet carrying her closer.

    Why?

    She catches a glimpse of bright white lights in her peripheral, but she doesn’t dare look. Causing her to miss the blur of raven hair and porcelain skin.

    Her right foot inches forward, the heel of her worn converse touching rough asphalt.

    30 seconds.

    She knows. She is well aware of what will happen once she takes a few more steps forward. Her mind begs. Pleads her to turn back, but her body isn’t listening.

    Her feet carry her a few steps more.

    The lights have become overbearing. The rapid beating of her heart becomes deafening, causing her to miss the desperate cry of her name in a voice so familiar.

    Hot tears wet her face, absorbed by the scarf still wrapped snugged around her chin.

    She finally turns, the bright glow of oncoming headlights blinding her, Wendy tenses, her eyes squeezing shut as she braces herself for the impact. She waits until…

    10 seconds.

    Until a different force hits her side, pushing her out of the way.

    The familiar screech of tires against pavement surrounds her as she hits the pavement. The small brunette takes a second to register that she wasn’t hit, but once it all clicks she bolts upward, looking around in sheer panic, a different sense of foreboding numbing her every limb.

    Chestnut eyes widen in absolute terror as they land upon the motionless body of a woman in the exact position she should be in, not anybody else.

    She makes her way towards the other girl in haste without a moment’s hesitation. Completely ignoring the soreness on her side from the fall taken seconds earlier.

    Wendy’s head is buzzing with silent screams. Don’t let it be her. Please Please don’t let it be Joohyun.

    The small brunette falls to her knees next to the near motionless body, taking a quick note of the shallow rise of the woman’s side, ignoring the familiar clothing and hands that look to fit perfectly in hers. She reaches forward, brushing a blood soaked strand out of the woman’s face.

    Warm chestnut eyes blurred with tears meet a pair of still sparkling onyx, despite the obvious haze of pain.

    Wendy carefully moves Irene into her lap, the older girl groaning in pain from the slight movement.

    Irene’s half lidded eyes still somehow form a half crescent as a small smile takes its place onto her face when she notices Wendy, albeit looking more like a grimace of pain, “Why are you crying? I’m the one who just got hit by a car Seungwan.”

    Wendy scoffs at the audacity of the dying girl in her arms, “Because that car was supposed to hit me, not put me in the position of holding the love of my life as I witness the life leave her eyes,” she cups Irene’s cheek, the older girl closing her eyes and relishing the touch.

    The distant sound of sirens becomes nearer as Irene’s breaths become more shallow.

    “You were always taking bullets for me, I decided it was my turn to do the same for you,” her eyes begin to close, “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

    Wendy watches as Irene’s eyes close for the last time, despite the girl’s still present breathing and pulse, she knew all too well what the aftermath would be. A sob wreaks through her body as she holds the unconscious girl closer to her, “You did enough. Sleep well, Joohyun.”

-

    Wendy is sitting on the curb as she watches paramedics carry Irene’s body into the ambulance, the flash of siren lights bright and jarring. She pulls her legs closer to her, resting her chin onto her knees. The cold night air biting at her tear streaked face, but she couldn’t care less. Not when the pain settled at the bottom of her heart has caused her entire being to become numb with loneliness.

    She notes the sudden presence to her right, guessing who it is from the sudden standstill the rest of the world seems to come to.

    Silence stretches between them as Wendy’s lifeless eyes continue to stare forward, refusing to acknowledge the devil who had settled next to her.

    Joy waits for the broken girl to speak.

    “It was supposed to be me,” her voice cracks with exhaustion, Wendy should be furious, she knows, but all the fight had left her the second Irene did.

    “Mhmm.”

    “So why am I not the one unconscious in an ambulance. Why am I watching the events that are supposed to happen to me, play out for someone else.”

    “Hmm. I wonder.”

    Wendy finally turns towards Joy, a slight spark returning to the ocean of pained and grieving brown irises. “I signed my life away. Not hers,” the brunette whispers, the slight choke of tears evident in her voice. “So why isn’t she the one alive right now. Why is it me,” Wendy’s hands ball into fits against her jeans.

    “Because why not,” the red headed lucifer responds nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders, irritating the brunette.

    “ANSWER ME,” Wendy screams, the frustration of a grieving lover suddenly filling her with energy, she grabs the collar of the devil’s black shirt, “WHY AM I THE ONE ALIVE.”

    Joy smirks back at the hysterical girl in front of her with amusement, “Because the contract never specified whose soul was to be taken at the end of the day, Wendy Son.”

    Wendy’s eyes widen, her grip on the devil loosening slightly, “What do you mean.”

    “Contract states that a soul needs to be taken by the end of the 24 hours. It never specifies whose.”

    Wendy stares lifelessly at Joy, her hands dropping to her sides once again. She turns to face forward, once again becoming consumed by overwhelming loneliness.

    Joy gets up, brushing herself off and fixing the disarray the distressed brunette had put her shirt in. She scoffs at the pathetic shell the other woman had become, “You’re lucky I’m not punishing you for ruining this shirt.”

    After a few seconds of silence, the redhead concludes that she won’t be getting any response, “It was fun doing business with you Wendy Son.”

    Wendy hears the click of the devil’s heels fade into the distance as the world begins to take movement again, the blinking of emergency sirens and hushed conversations of the officers and paramedics filling her ears once again. She curls further into herself, burying her nose further into Irene’s scarf around her neck.

    “I’m so sorry,” Wendy’s whispers are filled with tears, and yet she feels as if she has run out, her eyes swollen and stinging.

-

    Hours pass and the brunette is still sitting on the curb embracing her knees, until the final officer takes their leave from the accident scene. She looks as the sun begins to peek over the horizon, choosing to finally make her way back to their - her apartment.

    Wendy stands and stretches her stiff limbs, continuing to brush herself off from sitting on the pavement. Tired eyes survey the area until they land on the crosswalk, the caution tape around the surrounding area having been removed by now. She takes one last look before reluctantly making her way back home.

    “Goodbye Joohyun.”

-

(A/N) Whoops