c h a p t e r  n i n e t e e n.

.
.
.

Chen and Wendy woke up early the next morning. He drove her back to her apartment so that she could change and get ready for work.

                “I’ll wait here. Take your time.” he said after parking. When she made an inquisitive expression, he added, “...I’m going to drive you to work.” Wendy knew that it was useless to argue, so she nodded and went on up.

                Upon entering her apartment, her eyes immediately met her roommate, who was sitting at the dining table wearing a beat-up tank. Her expression, hair, and makeup presumably from the night before were utterly distraught.

                She quickly got up, nearly knocking over the table in the process and approached Wendy before embracing her tightly. The latter wrinkled her nose at the former’s signature scent; a musty combination of leather, cologne, sweat and cigarette smoke.

                “Oh my God.” she kept saying. Wendy realized then that she had forgotten to text Amber back saying that she was with Chen and that she was fine. Starting to cry, she hugged her roommate back.

                “I’m so sorry, Amber. I totally forgot to text you.” she said. “I called Chen and he picked me up... I’m so, so sorry.”

                Amber was shaking, but her voice was relatively steady. “...It’s okay. I’m just so glad that you’re here and that you’re okay. I saw Eric and I had no idea what had happened to you.” She let her go and sat down on a chair, leaning her head on her hand as she tried to calm down. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I told you that I would look after you and I didn’t. I’m such a ty friend.”

                “You’re not.” said Wendy wearily, recalling the similar conversation that she had with Chen just hours before. “I’m not a child. You should never have to babysit me. I should never have gone in the first place. I just don’t belong in a place like that.”

                “What happened?”

                “Eric... He...”

                Amber was able to put the pieces together. “Jesus Christ... Wendy, I’m so sorry--“

                Flinching at the swearing, Wendy interjected, “Nothing serious happened. Chen arrived and he punched Eric and that was it.” She walked into her bedroom to change into her work uniform; her roommate followed her.

                “Eric, that er. I always knew he was a creep but I never thought that he’d go that far.” Amber let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned, cross-armed, against the doorjamb. “...Well, I’m happy to tell you that he now has two black eyes, one broken nose and a deviated septum.”

                “That’s terrible, Amber.” said Wendy, taking a white blouse, a pair of tights, and a black pencil skirt out of her dresser drawers.

                The other let out another sigh. “...So you stayed with Chen, then?”

                “Yes.” She took off her coat and threw it on the bed.

                “He didn’t... Did he.....?” asked Amber, put on edge again. To her surprise, her roommate looked straight back at her indignantly.

                “No.” Wendy said, simply. “He understood what I was feeling and he didn’t try anything.”

                “Wow... I’ve ever been so wrong about someone.” said the other, turning around to leave so her roommate could change in privacy. “...He really does love you, then.”

.
.

Sparked with new inspiration for his book, Chen began writing as soon as possible after he had dropped Wendy off at the café that morning. He ordered his usual, a cold brew, and sat at the table in the far corner of the lower level with his laptop open before him.

                His fingers hovered over the keyboard as he waited for the manuscript file to open up on the screen.

                Once or twice, he stole a glance over at her, as they both worked.

                Once or twice, her eyes met his.

.
.

A week passed by in such manner and miraculously, Chen finished the new draft of Of October.

                To celebrate, he took Wendy to a Christmas party at the home of a certain Minseok, a friend whom he had met after attending a writing workshop at the university. Wendy thought that Minseok was one of the most amiable people whom she had ever met in her life; he was sweet, generous, smart, proper, funny━all of his guests, although they were all quite different individuals, loved him. Wendy admired his elegant character, and she could see why Chen had become friends with him so quickly (and would want to attend his party despite his dislike for crowds). There seemed to be no other option if you were in his company.

                Chen and Wendy enjoyed themselves immensely at the party