The familiar jingle of the bell tore Irene out of her thoughts. She’d been cleaning same part of the coffee machine for the last ten minutes thinking about the events of the past twenty four hours.

The rain.

Wendy coming back.

Wendy saying she wants Irene as much as Irene wants her.

Wendy staying.

Irene’s heart had never felt so full than it did from last night up until now. She felt so whole. Knowing Wendy was going to be there and not leave, that they were both in it, whatever it was, together. She just felt like that the piece of herself she’d lost along the way had finally found its way back to her. And that piece came in the form of a redhead with a taste for synths and basslines.

This entire line of thought was interrupted by the bell, which was then quickly followed by two different pairs of shoes scuffing the floor in some sort of hurry, Irene then heard a muffled

“Yes we’re here, now can you please let go?”

Irene’s head whipped up at that voice, the voice that belonged to the girl that occupied her mind every waking moment. Wendy.

But when Irene looked up she was met with a different scene than she expected. Though she wasn’t sure just what she expected.

When Irene looked up, her eyes locked with those that belonged to her best friend, those eyes immediately melted into half moon crescents as Seulgi shoots a smile her way and waves to Irene with her free hand.

Her free hand?

Irene’s eyes shift behind Seulgi and notices that the girl has attached herself to an all to familiar redhead. Hand around her wrist in a tight, ironclad grip, dragging poor Wendy behind her who is a little more reluctant to be moving at the pace that Seulgi wants to.

“Look Seulgi, I know you want to see her but you really don’t have to drag me around the block! She’s not going anywhere and she’s probably working I don’t want to disturb he-”

Wendy stops mid sentence as she realises Irene is staring right at her. She gives a weak smile back,

“Oh hey Hyun,” Wendy half shouts across the room to the girl behind the counter, “I would have texted you that we were on our way to meet you, but someone” she gives Seulgi her best glare, “was in a bit of a rush to go see you and I can’t really text with one hand while also being dragged by a mad woman.” She wiggles her trapped hand to emphasise what she means.

Ah, Irene thought, so Seulgi met Wendy. I wish I’d been there to see that go down. The poor girl was probably traumatised.

Irene felt a little guilty for having been at work that morning, leaving the poor girl to fend off her best friend alone. Though, she couldn’t see any gaping wounds in the red head so Irene assumes they got on okay. That or Seulgi is planning to poison her instead. Though, despite the fact Seulgi was dragging the girl towards the counter with such a force that Irene feared for the health of Wendy’s shoulder, the two seemed to be rather friendly towards each other so Irene felt attempted murder was off the table for today.

“Hey ‘Rene!” Seulgi smiled at the older girl, “me and my new buddy here,” she bumped Wendy’s shoulder, who in turn just rolled her eyes at Seulgi, “we thought we’d drop by to see how your shift’s been?”

Irene giggled at the two in front of them, her best friend and her… Wendy, standing next to each other in front of her at work was kinda surreal to her at the moment. Irene shrugs to herself, it was bound to happen at some point.

“It’s been okay,” Irene says, a little half heartedly, “one of the girls called in sick and I was the only one who was free” she puts the last word in little air quotes, looking at Wendy apologetically, “so they had to call me in on register. It’s not been the most fun but I’ve had worse. And you guys are here now! Do you want the usual?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.”

The two of them spoke together.

Irene catches Wendy giving Seulgi a little side glare and giggles quietly at it while she goes about making the drinks. Quickly, she’s done and hands them over to her friends.

“One caramel macchiato for the grumpy girl in the back,” Wendy scrunches her nose cutely at Irene at that and takes her drink,

“and one americano, no sugar, no milk, no cream, no soul.” She hands the cup over to the other girl who takes it, giving her best eye smile.

“Thanks ‘Rene, good to know you still remember just how I like it.” Seulgi winks at Irene, “Come on you,” she grabs Wendy’s arm, albeit a little more lightly than before, and steers her towards a booth in the corner of the shop, “let’s go sit and wait for her.”

“I’ll be on break in 15 or so!” Irene shouts towards them, she knows they’ve heard her when Seulgi raises her cup a little towards Irene before turning back and continuing to the booth with Wendy.

~~

Wendy felt a nudge on her shin but ignored it. She was thinking about the events that had just unfolded, but before she could think any further, she felt a sharp kick in the same spot. Her head snapped up to Seulgi,

“What was that for?!”

“You were totally spaced,” Seulgi looks at her like it was obvious, “something on your mind, ladykiller?”

“Not really,” Wendy shifts in her seat, looking down, “I mean-- You and Joohyun are...you guys are close right?” Wendy looks up at Seulgi with apprehension in her eyes.

“I mean yeah we’re