Irene Bae had stopped avoiding her.

Maybe it was just a one day thing. Wendy didn’t know what came over the senior but the girl had stopped ever so obviously making a U-turn every time they meet in the campus ever since she returned from her two-day absence.

In fact, Irene Bae had become a little too clingy to the point that it was becoming a bother for the Stupid Cupids.

“Can she please detach herself from you for even one second so we could do our job here?” Yeri demanded, sprawled on the chair with her arms lifelessly dangling down.

“Yeah, it really is becoming a problem,” Seulgi scratched her head, “Whatever you do can’t even brush her off anymore,”

Wendy sighed. Indeed, the past few days have been problematic, though personally, she didn’t really find it bothersome. Irene Bae’s company was something she enjoyed.

(So maybe she wasn’t really doing her best when she tries to get away)

Joy, whose prying eyes she could feel ever since the talk started, finally spoke, “Well, we’ve got to do something about it. Don’t you think so, unnie?”

Wendy met her gaze and was taken aback by the gravity in them. For some reason, she felt uneasy. It was like Joy knew her deepest secrets which was absurd. The girl was a psychology major, not a mind reader.

“Of course,” she managed to answer smoothly, “What should we do, Captain Gorgeous?”

“Hmm, let’s see…” Joy leaned back and crossed her arms, “I’m thinking that you should stay away from the cabbage for now. We’ve got enough information. There’s no reason for you to stay close. Is that okay for you?”

Wendy panicked. For some reason, she had trouble understanding what Joy had just said, her genius of a mind rendered useless. Stay away? What does that even mean?

She recalls a certain pair of chocolate brown, reflecting broken glass; a cold hand holding her wrist, a voice pleading.

“Don’t leave me alone,”

But then she looked at her friends and knew she couldn’t lose them either.

These… irrational feelings will be gone. And when it is, I can just go back and be her friend again. Besides, she’ll be with Bogum. You won’t be leaving her alone, Wendy.

If it was a year ago she wouldn’t probably say this but right now, she couldn’t even think of college life without the agency.

(She’d choose friendship over everything else anytime)

“Okay.” she said, swallowing the lump in , “I can do that,”

The three merely stared and she had to avert her eyes down to her hands.

To her surprise, Joy chuckled.

“How predictable of our Olaf-unnie. Alright, take these and give one to Irene Bae-sunbaenim.” she handed two movie tickets to Wendy, “Tell her to watch it with you,”

“Wha… I thought I’m going to stay away from her from now on?”

Joy flicked her forehead, “Stupid. I thought you don’t want to?”

“What? I never—”

“You’ve got to learn to be selfish and greedy, unnie. Listen to your heart sometimes. It helps. Your brain may be intelligent and all but that doesn’t mean you’re not stupid,” the girl ruffled her hair, “Now take these and give one to Irene-sunbae. Tell her to watch it with you,”

Wendy took it, “I’m watching this with Joohyun-sunbae?”

“No you’re not. Our Gummy Boy is.”

Wendy stared at her, “You’re going to trick her into this, aren’t you?”

Joy smiled cunningly, “I’d rather call it a wise strategy,”

Wendy sighed and pocketed the tickets, “Anyway, about that plan you’re talking about. Are you still going to push through with it?”

 Joy and Yeri exchanged looks before simultaneously nodding, “Of course,”

Seulgi shook her head, “I still think it’s too dangerous,”

“I agree with the bear,” Wendy said, frowning, “What will you do if he dies?”

“Spill his blood on the altar and offer his soul to the devil?” Yeri suggested.

Joy shook her head, “No. Selling his kidneys would be much more beneficial for us,”

“One million?”

“Too cheap. Maybe ten?”

“Hm. A reasonable price.”

Wendy ran her fingers through her hair, exasperated. Her friends always jokes out of the line with the most serious faces. Unbelievable.

“Guys, can’t you please be serious for a moment? We’re talking about legit life and death here,”

Joy waved a nonchalant hand, “Unnie, you need to relax. Yerim would be driving. You saw her potential when we played bump cars last month. He won’t die,”

Both Wendy and Seulgi visibly paled. Their eyes locked and both knew they were thinking of the same thing: He’s definitely going to die.

“The kid doesn’t even have a license!” Wendy pointed out, “She’s barely legal!”

“I have a student’s license, unnie,” Yeri took out the card from her wallet and waved it around, “Your argument is invalid,”

“You just got that yesterday,”

“Doesn’t change the fact that I got it,” the girl stuck her tongue out.

“It’s over, Wen,” Seulgi patted her shoulder, “She wins,”

Wendy sighed in resignation, “I can’t stop you in this, can I?”

“Nope,” Joy replied in a gratingly cheerful tone, “Besides, if my theory is correct, this might work real well. Now, focus on your task and give the ticket to our cabbage. That ticket is for 6 PM tonight,”

“6 PM—” Wendy checked her phone and cursed. It was already 5:30. She quickly got up and shouldered her bag and was about to dash out of the room when a grip on her arm stopped her.

She turned and saw Joy. “What?”

“Whatever happens, we’ll still be your friends. Our bond is more than just business, is it not?”

Wendy frowned, not understanding. “What?” she repeated.

“Nothing. Just wanted to tell you that,” Joy pushed her out of the door, “Now go and find that cabbage,”

***

Joohyun had just gone out of the shower when her unexpected guest invited herself in.

“Joohyun-sunbae!” Wendy Son called out in apparent relief as soon as she saw her while Joohyun flinched and instantly tried to hide her bra-clad upper torso with her tiny purple towel in panic.

Thank god she was wearing pants.

“Seungwan! When in heaven’s name will you learn how to knock?” she reprimanded, cheeks flushing.

The girl immediately turned around, “Oops. Sorry.”

“You’re facing the mirrors! It doesn’t make any difference!”

Wendy Son covered her eyes, “I don’t know why I’m doing this. I already saw everything when you got sick,”

“This is different!” Joohyun rushed to her locker and put on her shirt in record time, “What’s with you and your timing?”

“I don’t know but you should really lock your door,”

Joohyun sighed, making a mental note of locking the door next time. “I’m decent,” she told the girl and started to dry her hair with her towel, “What brought you here?” she casually asked, masking the fuzzy, warm feeling swelling inside.

Wendy Son took out two pieces of paper from her pocket and waved them around with a goofy grin, “Wanna hit the cinemas?” she approached Joohyun with a spring on her steps, “I got some tickets for a movie. Wanna watch it with me? If you’re not busy, that is,” she quickly added, initial confidence fading with a shy smile.

 “Don’t you have other people to go with? I’m pretty sure there’s a lot. Why are you asking me?”

“Well…” Wendy Son scratched her cheek bashfully, “That honestly didn’t cross my mind. I saw the poster and thought of you so I bought the tickets. I…er…wanted to watch it with you so…” she smiled at her unsurely like she was actually afraid Joohyun would say no (as if Joohyun could), “Watch it with me?”

Now, now, having that kind of face is seriously unfair. Joohyun is the master of rejecting people but how can she say no to that smile? Wendy Son must have it easy, having the ability to bend people to her own will with just a slight tilt of her lips.

Joohyun sighed at what she was about to get herself into and plucked a ticket out of Wendy Son’s hand, reading the details and mentally cringed. She didn’t really like that movie.

(But she couldn’t deny that having Wendy Son ask her out with a bashful expression didn’t make her feel giddy.)

“Where did you park your car?”

“Huh?”

“Your car, Son. Where did you park it?”

“Oh. Just outside the Arts Building but why…”

Joohyun was already halfway through the door, “The movie. I assume you’ll have to drive? Unless you have other ideas on getting there within fifteen minutes without a car,”

Wendy Son stared at her blankly and Joohyun could almost see the gears turning in her head. She bit her lip to suppress a giggle at the expression.

“Is that a yes?” the girl asked dumbly, “Like, ‘yes, I’ll go watch that movie with you’ kind of yes?”

Joohyun rolled her eyes, “You’re such an idiot for someone so smart.” she turned to leave, “I’ll wait for you by your car. Come when you’ve finally finished processing everything,” she walked out and was a good meter away when she heard Wendy Son’s loud voice from inside the practice room.

“Well, sorry for not being able to speak your complicated language, Madam Beat-Around-The-Bush!”

Joohyun let herself laugh; not minding the other students’ astonished looks shot her way.

***

“How’s your new, budding friendship going?”

Joohyun glanced at her self-proclaimed chauffer, getting a mini heart attack upon seeing that her eyes weren’t on the road.

 “Goodness gracious, keep your eyes in front, woman.” she more or less shrieked, “You’re going to get us killed!”

Wendy Son had the nerve to laugh as she brought her eyes back on the road, “This phobia of yours is getting a bit ridiculous. Did you get in a car accident or something?” she said with a snort.

“…”

She felt worried eyes on her when she didn’t reply, “…sunbae?”

“Eyes on the road, Wendy-ssi,” she snapped, though her voice shook a little and she knew the younger girl heard it too, judging from the glances thrown her way. Getting rid of the rising tension, she took a deep breath and cleared .

“What were you saying earlier?”

A lingering gaze.

“Right. Um, how’s your new, budding friendship going?”

It was clear that Wendy Son was trying to sound upbeat and Joohyun was thankful for the cooperation.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, Park Bogum. You mentioned you were friends?”

“Oh. Him,” Joohyun said, “We’re doing alright, I guess?”

“Doing alright, eh? Going on lunch dates, that sorta thing?” Wendy Son wriggled her brows suggestively Joohyun would have been mad if only she didn’t look so ridiculously cute while doing it.

How infuriating.

“What are you implying,” she deadpanned.

Wendy Son waved a nonchalant hand, “Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Just curious about my friendless friend’s relationships,” she said, “But, you know, I’m pretty close with the guy and I can say that he’s a wonderful man. He’s handsome and kind and, you know, warm-hearted and all that,”

“Uh-huh,”

“I know he’ll take good care of you so I support your…ah, budding friendship, as what you call it,” the younger girl sent her a greasy wink.

Joohyun made a face, “What are you trying to say,”

“That he’s a good guy and he can be trusted,”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she said sharply with a tone of finality. Wendy Son must’ve caught it because the girl shrugged and stopped bugging her about him, focusing on driving instead.

They soon arrived at the cinemas in silence but as soon as they got off the car, Wendy Son’s phone rang.

“Sorry, sunbae. Gotta take this. Why don’t you go ahead and buy us some popcorn first?” the girl suggested, “I want caramel,” she said before running off to answer her call.

Joohyun paid no mind and did as she was told.

By the time she got their snacks, a young man ran up to her and her brows raised up to her hairline. A bad feeling started to tug on her gut.

“What are you doing here?”

The guy scratched his head, “I honestly don’t know either,”

“Park Bogum-ssi,”

“I really don’t!” he denied, “I just ran into Wendy and she told me to go here and look for you,”

Joohyun knitted her brows, “Where’s she?”

“I don’t know. She got into her car and drove off after telling me to look for you,”

Before Joohyun could reply, her phone rang. Reading the caller’s name always made her feel a little giddy but this time, the name made her want to throw her phone to the girl’s face.

She answered the call and greeted the other line with an, “I am so going to kill you,”

“Sunbae! I’m so sorry! I’m really sorry!” Wendy Son profusely apologized, “Something came up and—”

“You asked me to watch this rubbish with you and now you’re ditching me?” Joohyun fumed, though the feeling was a bit refreshing. No one has ever stood her up before. “And no driving while calling!” she never forgot to reprimand.

“You’re on speaker phone. Don’t worry,”

“Oh, I see. So I’m free to scold you all I want then?” Joohyun took a deep breath to calm herself, “You know what? I’ll just head home and eat all the popcorn by myself,”

“Wait wait wait!” Wendy Son rushed, “See, something came up and I’ll have to head home fast. I’m so sorry I left you but it’s really urgent. The lucky thing is, I ran into Bogum just as he was entering the cinema. I didn’t want to waste the tickets since I got such good seats so I figured that maybe you can watch it with your other friend?”

“No,” she snapped and ended the call. She panted and ran her fingers through her hair repeatedly, fuming.

Wendy Son Seungwan you are such a foolish, stupid idiot! Don’t you see I only agreed to watch this because of—

“Sunbae? You okay?” Park Bogum’s voice brought her out of her mental ranting.

Joohyun faced him, still simmering, “Yeah. I’m fine. I’m fantastic,” she sarcastically said. The boy looked intimidated so Joohyun softened her scowl. “I’m alright, Park Bogum-ssi. It’s not your fault,”

“Well, since we’re here…” Park Bogum brought out a ticket from his pocket, “Wendy gave it to me so...”

“I’m sorry. I have plans to do.” Joohyun tried to smile apologetically, hoping it actually looked sorry, “You can watch it with someone else if you like,” she handed him her ticket as well as the popcorn, “Bye then,” she bowed her farewell and walked away briskly. There’s no way in hell that she’d watch that goddamned movie.

(Unless if she’s with good company, of course)

When she stepped out of the cinema, almost reaching the road, Park Bogum emerged from the doors, calling her.

“Wait, sunbae!”

Joohyun stopped and turned around. The boy was jogging up to her.

“At least let me drive you?”

Joohyun shook her head and stepped back, “You should go watch the movie. It would be a waste of tickets.”

“But sunbae…”  Park Bogum walked closer.

She walked backwards with every step he took, “Seriously. I’ll be fine. You shouldn’t worry. Go call a friend or something. Watch the movie with them—”

BEEP!

“Look out!”

Joohyun turned and froze at the sight of bright headlights beaming on her. Somehow, she had unknowingly stepped into the road and now a car raced towards her, ready to deliver her to death.

Joohyun found it hard to move, merely staring at the approaching vehicle and trembling in fear. Her life seemed to play before her eyes.

“She’s a total , isn’t she?”

“Just because she has a pretty face she thinks she’s all that,”

“I thought you were friends?”

“You actually bought that? It was all an act!”

No…

Tear-clouded vision.

Lights. Bright lights.

No.

Blaring horns. A loud screech.

A looming shadow.

NO!

“Sunbae!”

Static filled Joohyun’s ears as she slammed against the asphalt, barely registering the loud crash. Her flesh trembled, her heart raced. She laid there, eyes in a shocked daze.

Fear.

Fear filled her up to the brim. She didn’t notice the people gathering around or the ambulance that soon arrived. She didn’t know how long she was there, how long the medics questioned her and received no reply; too busy having a mental fight with her monsters and ghosts.

And then a familiar metallic scent reached her keen nose.

Blood.

Heart stopping, she moved for the first time, turning to the scent.

The sight made her pass out.

There on the asphalt not far from her lay the bloody body of Park Bogum.