She’s not exactly sure how she ended up here.

Irene lies comfortably on a bed that isn’t her own, in an apartment twenty minutes away from her home. Wrapped in a fluffy blanket she personally picked from the store a few months ago, she looks over to the home owner looking at her with pity – or is it sympathy – making Irene bow her head. Wendy reaches for her hand from the other side of the bed. She’s too far for Irene’s liking, but the warmth still gets to her the same.

A few hours ago, she jolted up from her bed. She sat awake at midnight, afraid that dreams would worsen if she goes back to sleep. She knew she had to get rid of the buzzing sound and tingly feeling in her body that came with the haunted memories. It’s not the thought of her dead husband that bothered her per se because if there was anything worse, it was the lack of his presence in her dreams lately.

When Wendy opened the door, her hair was a mess and her eyes were still half-closed. Although obviously surprised, Wendy being the good person that she is, still graciously welcomed her in her own space. She needed company and she needed comfort. Now that she has both, she’s finding it harder to leave.

Luckily, she has the option not to.

“Can you just stay until daylight comes? It’s not safe for you to drive at this hour.” Wendy is already shifting the pillows on the bed as if she doesn’t expect the question to be answered at all. But she stops after a second and adds as an afterthought. “But will your children be okay?”

She nods. She left Nanny Jin a message that she’ll be out for the night. She’s worked with the family since Irene was Mina’s age so she gladly entrusts her children with her.

“And I’ll be home before they wake up.” Irene mutters sleepily, stifling a yawn in between her words. The friends exchange a whispered ‘good night’ before they both doze off.

Irene wakes up three hours later. Fully awake and seemingly recovered from her breakdown, she nudges Wendy’s arm lightly to let her know she’s leaving.

“Are you going now? It’s not even sunrise.” Wendy croaks but Irene nods still.

“I need to be home for my children’s breakfast.” She looks at her phone and continues, “And it’s almost 6:00 so I won’t be driving in the dark for long. Thought I should let you know though you don’t need to get up. I’ll lock the door.”

Ignoring what she said, Wendy still sits up and absentmindedly wraps her in a hug. It takes Irene by surprise but melts when she looks at Wendy, sleepy and unusually quiet, asking questions with her gaze alone.

“I’m okay now. Thank you, Wendy. Bye.” Irene briefly returns the embrace, reveling in the stillness and silence before she left for home.

Jisoo is already awake when she comes home. But if she notices her disappearance that night, she doesn’t say a word about it.

---

“Can I please hear just a little bit?”

Irene’s giggly plead has Wendy shaking her head. She’s in her house again, more often than either of them could have expected. And the situation they’re currently in sends flashbacks in her mind – going to each other’s dorms in between classes, dining out, sleepovers – much similar to what’s happening now.

“Oh come on, Wendy.” Irene has that mischievous smile on her face and she succumbs to the request much sooner than her resolve would allow. But the mirth in her doe eyes never really changed even with the addition of some lines that came with age.

She coughs, prepping herself for the song. She performs the solo from a song she shares with most of the cast because it wouldn’t give away the plot and won’t require too much expression on her part. Her other solo is longer and more emotional but she decides she’ll save that piece for the day itself.

Irene is looking at her with an expression that is eerily familiar. She hasn’t seen it recently, but she definitely did years before. She sings the part but opted to look at the wall in front of her, pretending to see the audience there. Irene’s gaze was just too strong for her to stare back.

She swallows at the end of the song and wills away the tiny bubbly feelings in her chest as more memories invade her mind. She knows she shouldn't have fallen in love with Irene then. And she shouldn’t fall in love with her now.

---

It’s a shivering, manic Friday morning. Irene wakes up too early, even to her standard. She groans as she washes her face longer than she normally would, with shrieks and crying as background noise.

Yeri screams in distress to stay in her pajamas and go back to bed. The girl hates the cold more than anyone and Irene can only wish for a miracle to change her mood. She walks out of the bathroom and kneels to convince her daughter, apologetically sending nanny Jin to prepare another breakfast because Mina refused to eat whatever’s on the table. Minhyuk oversleeps despite their mother and Jisoo’s nudging so he crankily walks out with an empty stomach, sandwich deliciously tucked inside his bag. Jisoo walks out with heavy lids and dark circles under her eyes. It’s way too early for them to discuss this after the eldest was scolded last night for being on the phone past midnight. She has it easy though, because if Sehun were here to see his firstborn with a boy, let alone dating one, Jisoo would probably get her phone confiscated and be grounded for at le