Wendy wakes up to a loud noise coming from the bedside table. She scoffs, reaching out to throw it away, but the hand on her back wakes her enough to realize it’s her own phone ringing in the dead of night.

“Hi Wendy. Sorry to call this late.”

At the sound of her friend’s voice, she feels slightly apologetic for getting angry. She rubs her eyes and moves to sit on the bed. Despite the initial reaction, they both knew she still would have answered the call anyway.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Wendy’s heart hammers in her chest. Seulgi’s sigh confirms that whatever news she brings isn’t a good one, if the fact that she called at half past two in the morning isn’t alarming enough.

Seulgi’s clear voice is a slur of words in Wendy’s ears. Something about a hospital, a funeral, and Seoul.  

Wendy couldn’t move or say anything.

She feels the other body stir beside her on the bed, hand reaching out in an attempt to still her shaky hands.

“Wen?” The sound of Seulgi’s voice reminds her to breathe. “Are you visiting today? I’ll text you the details…”

It hasn’t fully sunk in Wendy’s system yet, but she nods vigorously with a ‘yes’ on the phone. When the call ends, all she can do is close her eyes and try to breathe.

The hand gripping her own tightens its hold. Wendy turns to its owner, facing warm eyes that try to mask its own worry.

“I…” Wendy starts, before clearing . “I have to go to Seoul now.”

Her girlfriend just nods, but Wendy knows she’s just as surprised. It’s the last thing they both expected Wendy to say after all this time.

---

In the darkness of the night, Wendy’s train ride is filled with spinning thoughts and a racing heart.

It’s just too much to take in.

At her age, she’s used to attending weddings, christenings, and baby showers.

Not funerals.

Especially not of a friend she hasn’t seen in a long time. Not of a friend she may or may not have avoided for reasons she won’t admit out loud.

He was just 37. With a wonderful wife, adorable child, and a huge empire. His life seemed straight out of a fairytale.

And all Wendy could think of is that he was too young to die.

---

Her heels clack on the marble floor but with the room packed with people, she is barely noticeable.

She quickly spots Irene in the front rows with presumably a teenage Jisoo by her side. Wendy takes in the sight. Aside from being wrapped in Irene’s half-hug, there’s no doubting it. The girl looks exactly like her mother.

A hand tapping lightly on her shoulder interrupts her moment.

“Hi. You’re Wendy, right?”

She turns to the owner of the voice, eyebrows slightly rising in recognition. She tries to recall the name to match the familiar face but the other woman smiles and introduces herself before she can even try to remember.

“I’m Solar. Irene’s childhood friend.”

Wendy’s eyes widen as she recalls the first time they met.

“Ah! Hi. It’s nice to see you again.” Wendy smiles but gasps as she realizes the inappropriateness of her words. She shakes her head. “I mean… it’s unfortunate for it to be at this occasion but…”

She feels a light squeeze on her shoulder and sees Solar smiling at her.

“It’s okay. I understand. I’m sure Irene would be happy to see you again, too.”

Solar leads the way and Wendy is compelled to follow. With each step, she feels heavier. If she is shaken up this much, she can just imagine how difficult it is to be Irene.

A pair of glimmering eyes interrupts her thoughts. And instead of something that’s adverse, what greets her is warmth. Pale arms wrap around her naturally, transporting her years back in the past like she’s with the same 18-year old girl that got too scared of