Wendy barely slept for the past week. She was extremely grateful to her manager, who was able to get her a new number for her phone and also blocked all the hate mail coming her way. Aside from the screaming fans outside their dorm for the first few days, she had no idea how hated she was by Chanyeol’s fans. She read comments on online forums, and to her shock – people loved them together.

“They’re both so musically gifted. They’re like Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae, and they had a collaboration with them too. It’s like fate,” one of the top comments said. First of all, this was far from fate, Wendy thought. They were being forced to do it. If they only knew.

“Maybe with this, Chanyeol might change... finally, a woman taming him for love... we all know the playboying rumors were about him, and Wendy doesn’t deserve to be hurt...” another comment said. Wendy was annoyed when she read this particular comment. Chanyeol no longer is the playboy he once was, thanks to his family and his own self-reflections, Wendy thought. In addition, love shouldn’t be about taming your partner, right?

Wendy then felt like she swallowed a bitter pill when she realized that that was exactly how she thought when she entered her relationship with Sunggyu. She wasn’t that naive; people warned her about him, especially Chanyeol. But she had hopes that somehow, she could change him. She now realized that change really wouldn’t happen unless the person truly wanted it. She was willing to forgive him, but he was so unapologetic about what he did, leading Wendy to think that she was the one at fault. Maybe I should’ve given in and just said yes all those times Sunggyu asked. She sighed, wiping tears away from her eyes.

She surfed through Chanyeol’s fan forums to see their responses. She knew better, but her curiosity just had to be satisfied. The fans were divided, to say the least. Many were mourning, unable to accept Chanyeol dating anyone (they’d have a heart attack if they found out how many girls he’s dated, Wendy thought). A few were angry at Wendy, saying that they will boycott any Wendy-related project. Some of the moderators acknowledged the hurt caused by the scandal, but still reminded fans that they needed to accept the reality of Chanyeol dating someone and that they shouldn’t resort to extremes in their retaliation (Wendy was thankful for that, somehow). She hoped that the marketing directors were right – that the tide would turn for them, and the fans will learn to accept them ‘together.’

Finally, she went through her fans’ online forums. While many were sad, majority were concerned for Wendy, saying that Chanyeol didn’t deserve her. She felt bad that the fans had no idea that Chanyeol and her were actually each other’s best friend, and that they thought that Chanyeol didn’t deserve her. Chanyeol is a good person, she thought, just kinda dense and narcissistic at times (okay, maybe more than sometimes for the narcissistic part). She still hoped that people would also see the good in Chanyeol – even if she never said this to him.

The fanfare didn’t end there. Netizens started speculating on when the two started dating, and compiled ‘evidence.’ One was during the Seoul Music Awards when Red Velvet won Rookie of the Year – Chanyeol went out of his way and waited for Wendy to pass by to say congratulations, and he immediately went back to his seat after he congratulated her. I mean, what kind of best friend would he be if he didn’t do it?, Wendy thought. Of course, also included were all their Stay With Me performances (from Seoul, Hong Kong, and Japan); netizens said that Chanyeol couldn’t keep himself from showing his ‘love’ for Wendy. More like he was trying his hardest not to laugh, Wendy thought. They also had clips of Chanyeol seemingly always on the look out for Wendy. Granted, Wendy never noticed these moments, but she had a newly found appreciation for her best friend. See? He’s a softie. He just didn’t show it that much.

Every day, every night, that’s what Wendy did: read another article about the two of them, look into their fans’ online forums, then contemplate if she was doing the right thing or not.

Especially when Chanyeol’s mother’s face popped into her head.

She hasn’t talked to her own parents yet. She doubted the news reached them already, and she wasn’t prepared on what to say to them yet. The more pressing problem was Chanyeol’s mom.

Chanyeol insisted that she shouldn’t bake brownies because his mom would allegedly fall in love with her even more – but considering that they were probably going to break his mom’s heart, she had all the more reason to bake them. Besides, she always brought baked goods to the Park household. She even brings some cookies to Chanyeol’s older sister’s office when she’s in an area nearby. She just can’t help it.

With all the rumors and news coming her way, Wendy was distracted from her thoughts of Sunggyu – but not completely. She still had a difficult time sleeping at times when she thought of how he left her. Chanyeol already told her to sleep early as they were going to visit his mom tomorrow, but Sunggyu suddenly invaded her thoughts and she just found it impossible to sleep. She thought that maybe she was crazy: everyone was telling her that it wasn’t her fault, but that’s not what she felt. What’s making her hurt even more is that she refused to tell her thoughts about Sunggyu to her members. They were already worried enough with the dating scandal with Chanyeol, so why add even more burden to them?, she thought.

While she knew that Chanyeol was already worried with his mom, he was the only one Wendy could share her thoughts with.

Seungwanderer: are you still awake?

PCY: ....

PCY: i told u 2 sleep like 10 mins ago!!!!!!

Seungwanderer: i know, im sorry :(

PCY: IM NOT MAD STOP SAYING SORRY

Seungwanderer: but ur using allcaps

PCY: im not mad stop saying sorry

PCY: what’s wrong

PCY: wendy

PCY: wendy

PCY: seungwan

Seungwanderer: just things

PCY: what things pls elaborate u know im slow

Seungwanderer: just... ur mom, the news...

PCY: 1) with my mom – well, i’m worried too but let’s just wing it tomorrow ok? I’ll b there so u dont need to worry. 2) the news – i havent read a lot but like a lot of them love us no... also pls stop reading them

Seungwanderer: i know...

PCY: ur still not telling me something

Seungwanderer: how can u tell

PCY: i just can. I’m right am i

Seungwanderer: just... sunggyu entered my brain again... not that i wanted it 2 happen.. it’s just...

PCY: Seungwan...

Seungwanderer: i know i know i shouldn’t rly be thinking about him now and im thankful im distracted but?????? Tbh i still feel like it’s my fault???????? Am i crazy???????????????

PCY: im gonna b serious here

PCY: it’s people like sunggyu who make u feel like it’s ur fault when it’s not. That’s what manipulative people do wan. So i honestly dont think ur crazy bc that’s what they do to people

Seungwanderer: yea but like... god i cant believe im saying this 2 u of all ppl i havent even told seulgi

PCY: first of all im ur best friend so i do have to know everything and second what is it

Seungwanderer: i kept on saying no. i think i told u that already

PCY: no to?

Seungwanderer: u know

PCY: ahh yes u told me

Seungwanderer: i just... it frustrates me to no end. We’d probably still be 2gether if i just got through with it u know

PCY: him. No means ing no. did he ever pressure u into doing it? If yes u dont have to share if u dont want to

Seungwanderer: ....

Seungwanderer: well there was this one time he was drunk and he kept on trying to kiss me and open my clothes but he passed out?? I mean he was drunk so

Seungwanderer: chanyeol

Seungwanderer: chanyeol???

PCY: i’m gonna ing murder him

Seungwanderer: he was drunk

PCY: THAT ISN’T A ING EXCUSE. . i can’t believe that er. . wendy u dont deserve a piece of who cant ing respec