Irene looked at herself one last time in the mirror. Her black gown, that flared out at the bottom, hugged her body a little too well but she just shrugs her shoulders. 

"You know honey, if your personality doesn't work then there's always they physical side of things." Irene remembers her mom saying that to her before when they just started looking for young bachelors/bachelorettes. Most of the people that her parents invited were superficial Anyways and never hanged around long enough to get to know Irene personally. 

Irene was about to head out when her phone starts to ring.

"Seul, hey! I'm about to leave." she answers. 

"Okay cool, us too!" 

"Thanks for getting Wendy, she must be nervous right?" asked Irene. She knew that when she asked Wendy to come that it would a lot to handle, but grateful that the girl said yes to her. 

"Well if she is, then she's hiding real good," replied Seulgi, "But damn, you picked out a good tux. Want me to sneak a pic?" 

Irene rolled her eyes as she could feel Seulgi's smirk on the other end of the line, "No thank you Seul, just get there alright and let me know."

"Will do Miss Bae!" and with that Irene ends the call. Letting out one last sigh to get her nerves in order, Irene makes her way out to the front to meet the driver. 

~

After Irene ended the call, Seulgi shoots a quick text to Joy. 

Hey babe, wish us luck tonight. 

Omg Seul please take of my Wannie >.<

Your Wannie? Psh what about me :(

Babeee you know what I mean :((

I knoww, don't worry. I know Irene won't let Wendy fend for herself out in the lions' den.

Let me know if they need anything! 

Wait...what if I need something??

Like what? 

You know ;) 

xP 

Yah! T.T 

Just kidding babe. We'll see...tomorrow night ;)

Okay! Love you xx

Love you too xx

"Yah stop texting Joy and let's go bear. We're going to be late." 

Seulgi looks up and her jaw automatically drops, "You changed your hair!?" was the first thing to come out of Seulgi's mouth.

Wendy shyly plays with a a strand of now-dyed brown, hair that escaped her high-ponytail. 

"I've never been to one of these things, and plus all these people are fancy and all," confessed Wendy, "I wanted to make a good impression...for Irene." 

Touched by Wendy's sincerity, Seulgi walks over and lightly squeezes Wendy's shoulder, "Let's go. She's waiting." 

Wendy nods, and follows Seulgi out the door. 

~

Irene automatically puts out her hand when her door opens, allowing herself to be guided out of the car by her chauffeur. She thanked him and slightly lifted up her gown as she went up the stairs towards the entrance of her family home. Well, more like mansion is a better way to put it. Finally, making her way through the main doors, Irene scans through the party's massive, main hall. 

She spots her family's usual attendees, ranging from her parents' clique to a few business partners that they are apparently close to. Apparently, Irene would use that term very lightly. She knew better. Majority of these people attending just wanted to get in her father's good graces, including herself. Irene gracefully moves across the room, meeting her mother near the bottom of the main stairwell.

"Joohyun!" her mother exclaims, enclosing Irene into a warm, motherly hug. 

"Mother, how are you? What have you been up to?" Irene asks when they separated from their hug. 

"Oh I'm well, sweetie. You know doing things here and there." Here and there meaning her mother's lavish social meetings with other rich women of the country. Yes, Bae Irene was up there. 

Her mother was about to ask her the same when one of her colleagues comes to her side and whispers something to her mother's ear. 

"Oh?" her mother gasped, "Well Joohyun, we will catch up some other time soon. I have business to attend to. Please greet your father some time tonight!" and with that Irene's mother disappears into the crowd. 

Irene sighs, as she expected, she couldn't be in her mother's company for more than five minutes. She looks up at the clock that hanged above the fireplace. 

"I wonder where those two are..." she quietly says to herself. 

"What two?" a voice chimed in. Irene jumps and quickly turns around, she smiles as she sees a familiar face.

~

"See this is what happens when you don't listen to when I tell you turn!" yelled Wendy, nervously looking at her watch. They were late...oh so late.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't read the sign well." apologized Seulgi with a pout. 

Wendy sighs, "I know, sorry Seul, I didn't mean to yell." 

"Look I know your nervous but just try to relax, we're almost there." 

Wendy nods, and tries to calm herself down as they pull their through a long driveway. 

~

"Park Bogum, you're a sight for sore eyes." Irene ginned.

Bogum blushes and lets out a shy laugh, "I could say the same thing to you Irene-ssi. May I ask who the two, you're looking for? Surely your parents."

"No, I've met my mother already tonight, I have to yet see my father but I'm in no rush."

"Ah I see...still that going on?" asked Bogum. Irene shifts her position, crossing her arms together.

"In a way..." hinted Irene.

"Well, obviously not a topic for a party." Bogum quickly says noticing Irene's silence. The music suddenly changes, and the attendees start to couple themselves off to dance.

"Shall I have this one dance with you?" Bogum asks, extending his hand to Irene. Irene is hesitant at first but shrugs her shoulder seeing no harm in one dance.

Bogum leads them to the middle of the dance floor. He takes Irene's right hand into his left, and places his right hand at her waist as she puts her right onto his chest. Irene lets him lead her through their area. She feels the watch of the whole room on them. 

"Shhh relax, just focus on me." Bogum says, and their eyes meet. 

"Irene?"

Irene snaps out of focus once more, and turns towards the voice that called out to her. Her eyes widen and she quickly separates herself from Bogum.

"Seungwan-ah, you're finally here." mumbled Irene, she could feel her face heat up. 

"Yeah, sorry Irene! It was my fault," explained Seulgi, who finally caught up to Wendy, "I took a wrong turn." 

Bogum could sense something off in the air. 

"Thank you Bogum-ssi for accompanying me for a short time. If you would excuse me." Irene hastily says, just as Bogum was about to say something. 

Irene gives him a small bow and quickly takes Wendy's hand, removing themselves from the area.

Bogum and Seulgi are left confused and look at each other.

"Kang, long time no see." said Bogum, turning to face Seulgi.

"Bogummy! Let's catch bud!" yelled Seulgi, dragging the former to the open bar.

~

Irene takes Wendy out to her grandmother's garden. She releases Wendy's hand when they finally reach a gazebo located in the middle of the garden. Irene plops herself down onto the bench, trying to catch her breath. Wendy takes in surroundings. 

"This garden must be huge," Wendy thought to herself, "I wonder how far we went." She looks back to where she could see the mansion's lights and hear the faint music at a distance. 

"We're pretty far from the party, if that's what you're wondering." Irene explain, getting up from the bench. 

Wendy could feel her heartbeat rapidly increase as Irene made her way towards her.

"She's enthralling." Wendy thought to herself.

"Are you alright?" Irene asks, bringing her hand to Wendy's cheek, "You're a bit warm." 

Wendy gently removes Irene's hand from her cheek, "Yeah just a bit winded, I guess." She knew her guess was absolutely wrong.

"Come...Lets sit and talk for a bit before we go back." Irene leads Wendy back down to the bench. It wasn't till they were seated, that Wendy noticed that they haven't released each others' hand, but she didn't mind. 

"So..." Wendy began, looking slightly away from Irene's glance.

"So?" 

"That guy..."

Irene could feel Wendy's awkwardness and lets out a sigh.

"He's a friend, Seungwan-ah." 

"A friend?" Wendy didn't sound convinced.

"Yes. A friend. An old one actually." clarified Irene. 

Wendy lets go of Irene's hand to wipe her sweat off of hers, "Sorry, they get a little sweaty sometimes." Wendy says sheepishly. 

"It's okay, Seungwan." chuckled Irene. 

"Yah since when was it okay for you to call me by my Korean name?" 

"Since I can do whatever I want," Irene teased, "Come one let's go back." 

"Do we have to?" whined Wendy with pout.

"I could just leave you here." and with that Irene gets up and starts walking away from the gazebo.

"Yah! How could you just leave me!?" yelled Wendy, then she bolts her way towards a laughing Irene. 

Once Wendy catches up to Irene, she entangles her fingers with Irene.

"Wha-...what are you doing?" stuttered Irene, feeling her face blush once more.

"So you won't ditch me again." explained Wendy, with a grin. 

Irene shakes her head the mischievous girl, and looks down at their intertwined hands. At this point, she wasn't sure what she and Wendy were. She knew they would have this conversation soon in the future, but for now she just needed them to survive the rest of the party...and her father. 

(A/N):

Hello everyone! Long time no update once more! I'm finally on break for a good month-ish, so I'm hoping I can get a couple more chapter up before school starts up again. I didn't read through it all yet (just did a spell check) because I wanted to get this out to you guys ASAP. To those who have stuck around since the beginning, I am truly grateful that you've stuck around and I thank you for you patience with me. And then to those who have just joined us, I would like to thank you also for joining. I don't always update, but when I do I try to do it to the best of my capacity. 

Honestly, I wasn't planning to put Bogum in my story. I don't hate the guy, but he looks like a good obstacle for Wenrene to go over. That goes the same with Irene's father and his plans for his daughter's future. You'll get to meet him the next chapter. Also the Wenrene relationship is slowly, and I say once more, slowly developing. This won't be a slow burn I promise (maybe hehe). 

So until next time!