Joy, Yeri and Irene sat by the window in Bewley's Café overlooking Grafton Street. They often met up there to watch the world go by; Joy always said it was the best window-shopping she could ever do as she had a bird's-eye view of all her favorite stores.

“I can't believe Seulgi organized all this!” gasped Yeri when she heard the news. She flicked her long brown hair behind her shoulders and her bright brown eyes sparkled back at Irene enthusiastically.

“It'll be a bit of fun, won't it?” Joy said excitedly.

“Oh God.” Irene had butterflies in her stomach just over the thought of it. “I still really, really, really don't want to do it, but I feel I have to finish off what Seulgi started.”

“That's the spirit, Rene!” said Yeri, “and we'll all be there to cheer you on!”

“Now hold on a minute, Yeri,” Irene said, changing the celebratory tone. “I just want you and Joy there, no one else. I don't want to make a big deal out of this at all. Let's keep it between us.”

“But Irene!” Joy protested. “It is a big deal! No one ever thought you'd do karaoke again after last time . . .”

“Joy!” warned Irene. “One must not speak of such things. One is still scarred from that experience.”

“Well, I think one is a daft cow for not getting over it,” mumbled Joy.

“So when's the big night?” Yeri changed the subject, sensing bad vibes.

“Next Tuesday,” Irene groaned, bending forward and banging her head playfully on the table. The surrounding customers stared at her curiously.

“She's just out for the day,” Joy announced to the room, pointing at Irene.

“Don't worry, Irene; that gives you seven days exactly to transform yourself into Mariah Carey. No problem at all,” Yeri said, smiling at Joy.

“OK, what are you planning on singing?”

“I have no idea, that's why I called this emergency meeting.”

“No it's not, you told me you wanted to go shopping,” Joy said.

“Oh really?” Yeri said, looking at Joy and raising an eyebrow. “I thought you were both coming to visit me on my lunch break.”

“You are both correct,” Irene asserted. “I am shopping for ideas and I need you both.”

“Ha-ha! Good answer,” they both agreed for once.

“OK, OK!” Joy exclaimed excitedly. “I think I've got an idea. What was that song we sang for the whole two weeks in Spain and we couldn't get it out of our heads and it used to bug the hell out of us?”

Irene shrugged her shoulders. If it bugged the hell out of them it was hardly a very good choice. “I don't know, I wasn't invited on that holiday,” muttered Yeri.

“Oh, you know the one, Irene!” “I can't remember.”

“Oh, you have to!”

“Joy, I don't think she can remember,” Yeri frustratedly said to Joy.

“Oh, what is it?” Joy put her face in her hands, irritated. Irene shrugged her shoulders at Yeri again. “OK, I've got it!!” she announced happily, and began to sing loudly in the café. “Don’t talk just kiss we’re beyond words and sound”

Irene's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as people at the surrounding tables turned to stare. She turned to Yeri for support in silencing Joy.

“Don’t talk just kiss let your tongue fool aroud!'” Yeri joined in with Joy. Some people stared in amusement but most in loathing while Yeri and Joy warbled their way through the tacky dance song that had been a hit a few summers previously. Just as they were about to sing the chorus for the fourth time (neither of them could remember the verses), Irene silenced them.

“Girls, I can't sing that song!”

“OK, well, what CD are you listening to at the moment?” Yeri got serious again. “REO Speedwagon?” she looked at them hopefully.

“Then sing a REO Speedwagon’s song,” Joy encouraged. “That way, at least you'll know all the words.”

Joy and Yeri began to laugh uncontrollably. “You might not get the tune right,” Joy forced out between hacking laughs.

“But at least you'll know the words!” Yeri managed to finish for her before the two of them doubled over at the table.

First Irene was angry, but looking at the both of them crouched over, holding their stomachs in hysterics, she had to giggle. They were right, Irene was completely tone-deaf and hadn't a note in her head. Finding a song she could actually sing was going to prove impossible. Finally after the girls settled down again, Yeri looked at her watch and moaned about having to get back to work. They left Bewley's (much to the other customers' delight). “The customers will probably throw a party now,” Joy had mumbled, passing their tables.

The three girls linked arms and walked the main downtown street, heading toward the clothes store where Yeri was manager. The day was sunny with just a light chill in the air;the street was busy as usual with people running around on their lunch breaks while shoppers slowly meandered up the street, taking full advantage of the lack of rain.

“Right, you ladies of leisure, I better head back to work,” Yeri said, pushing the door to her shop open. As soon as her staff saw her they scarpered from gossiping at the counter and immediately began to fix the clothes rails. Irene and Joy tried not to laugh. They said their good-byes and both headed up to collect their cars.

“Don’t talk just kiss,” Irene quietly sang to herself. “Oh , Joy! You've got that stupid song in my head now,” she complained.

“You see, there you go with that ' Joy' thing again. So negative, Irene.” Joy began humming the song.

“Oh, shut up!” Irene laughed, hitting her on the arm.

***

It was four o'clock of the afternoon, the time Irene eventually got out of town and started heading home to Swords. Evil Joy convinced Irene to go shopping after all, which resulted in her splashing out on a ridiculous top she was far too old to wear. She really needed to watch her spending from now on; her funds were running low, and without regular income she could sense tense times ahead. She needed to start thinking about getting a job, but she was finding it hard enough to get out of bed in the morning as it was, another depressing nine-to-five job wasn't going to help matters. But it would help pay the bills. Irene sighed loudly, all these things she had to handle all by herself. The thought of it was just depressing her, and her problem was that she spent too much time on her own thinking about it. She needed people around her, like today with Yeri and Joy, as they always succeeded in taking her mind off things. She phoned her mum and checked if it was all right for her to call around.

“Of course you can, love, you're always welcome here.” Then she lowered her voice to a whisper, “Just as long as you know that Changmin is here.” Christ! What was with all the little visits all of a sudden?

Irene had contemplated heading straight home when she heard that but convinced herself she was being silly. He was her brother, and as annoying as he was, she couldn't go on avoiding him forever.

She arrived to an extremely loud and crowded house and it felt like old times again, hearing screams and shouts in every room. Her mum was setting an extra place at the table just as she walked in. “Oh, Mum, you should have told me you were having dinner,” Irene said, giving her a hug and a kiss.

“Why, have you eaten already?”

“No, actually I'm starving, but I hope you didn't go to too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all, dear, it just means that poor Baekhyun will have to go without food for the day, that's all,” she said, teasing her son who was taking his seat. He made a face at her.

The atmosphere was so much more relaxed this time around, or maybe it had just been Irene who was uptight during the last family dinner.

“So, Mr. Hard Worker, why aren't you in college today?” she said sarcastically.

“I've been in college all morning,” he replied, making a face, “and I'm going back in at eight o'clock, actually.”

“That's very late,” said her father, pouring gravy all over his plate. He always ended up with more gravy than food on his plate.

“Yeah, but it was the only time I could get to book the editing suite.”

“Is there only one editing suite, Baekhyun?” piped up Changmin. “Yeah.” Ever the conversationalist.

“And how many students are there?”

“It's only a small class, there are just twelve of us.” “Don't they have the funds for any more?”

“For what, students?” Baekhyun teased. “No, for another editing suite.”

“No, it's only a small college, Changmin.”

“I suppose the bigger universities would be better equipped for things like that, they're better all-round.”

And there was the dig they were all waiting for.

“No, I wouldn't say that, the facilities are top of the range, there's just fewer people so therefore less equipment. And the lecturers aren't inferior to university lecturers, they're a bonus because they work in the industry as well as lecturing. In other words, they practice what they preach. It's not just textbook stuff.”

Good for you, Baekhyun, Irene thought, and winked across the table at him.

“I wouldn't imagine they get paid well doing that, so they probably have no choice but to lecture as well.”

“Changmin, working in film is a very good job; you're talking about people who have spent years in college studying for degrees and master's . . .”

“Oh, you get a degree for that, do you?” Changmin was amazed. “I thought it was just a little course you were doing.”

Baekhyun stopped eating and looked at Irene in shock. Funny how Changmin's ignorance still amazed everyone.

“Who do you think makes all those gardening programs you watch, Changmin?” Irene interjected.

“They're not just a crowd of people who are doing a little course.”

The thought had clearly never crossed his mind that there was a skill involved.

“Great little programs they are,” he agreed. “What's your project on, Baekhyun?” Frank asked.

Baekhyun finished chewing his food before he spoke. “Oh, it's kind of too messy to go into, but basically it's on club life in Dublin.”

“Ooh, will we be in it?” Seohyun broke her unusual silence and asked excitedly.

“Yeah, I might just show the back of your head or something,” he joked. “Well, I can't wait to see it,” Irene said encouragingly.

“Thanks.” Baekhyun put his knife and fork down and started laughing. “Hey, what's this I hear about you singing in a karaoke competition next week?”

“What?” Seohyun yelled, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

Irene pretended not to know what he was talking about.

“Ah come on, Irene!” he persisted. “Wannie told me!” He turned to the rest of the table and explained, “Wannie aka Wendy is the owner of the place where I did the gig the other night and she told me Irene has entered a karaoke competition in the club upstairs.”

Everyone oohed and aahed and talked about how great it was. Irene refused to give in. “Baekhyun, Wendy's just playing games with you. Sure everyone knows I can't sing! Now come on,” she addressed the rest of the table. “Honestly, if I was singing in a karaoke competition I think I would tell you all.” She laughed as if the thought were so ridiculous. In fact, the thought was so ridiculous.

“Irene!” he laughed. “I saw your name on the list! Don't lie!”

Irene put her knife and fork down, she suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.

“Irene, why didn't you tell us you're going to sing in a competition?” her mother asked.

“Because I can't sing!”

“Then why are you doing it?” Seohyun burst out laughing.

She might as well tell them, she figured; otherwise Baekhyun would beat it out of her and she didn't like lying to her parents. It's just a shame Changmin would have to hear it too.

“OK, it's a really complicated story, but basically Seulgi entered my name in months ago because she really wanted me to do it, and as much as I don't want to do it, I feel I have to go through with it. It's stupid, I know.”

Seohyun stopped laughing abruptly.

Irene felt paranoid with her family staring at her, and she nervously tucked her hair behind her ears.

“Well, I think that's a wonderful idea,” her dad suddenly announced.

“Yes,” added her mum, “and we'll all be there to support you.” “No, Mum, you really don't have to, it's no big deal.”

“There's no way my sister is singing in a competition without me being there,” declared Seohyun.

“Here, here,” said Changmin. “We'll all go so. I've never been to a karaoke before, it should be . . .,” he searched his brain for the right word, “. . . fun.”

Irene groaned and closed her eyes, wishing she had gone straight home from town. Baekhyun was laughing hysterically. “Yes, Irene, it'll be . . . hmmm . . . ,” he said, scratching his chin, “. . . fun!”

“When is it on?” Changmin said, taking out his little diary.

“Eh . . . Saturday,” Irene lied, and Changmin began writing it down. “It is not!” Baekhyun burst out. “It's next Tuesday, you liar!”

“!” cursed Changmin, much to everyone's surprise. “Has anyone got any Tipp-Ex?”

***

Irene could not stop going to the toilet. She was nervous and had gotten practically no sleep the night before. And she looked just the way she felt. There were huge bags under her bloodshot eyes, and her lips were bitten.

The big day had arrived, her worst nightmare, singing in public.

Irene wasn't the kind of person who even sang in the shower. But man, was she spending time in the toilet today. There was no better laxative than fear, and Irene felt like she had lost a stone in just one day. Her friends and family had been as supportive as ever, sending her good luck cards. Joy and Moonbyul had even sent her a bouquet of flowers, which she placed on the draft-free, heat-vent-free coffee table beside her half-dead orchid. Yeri had “hilariously” sent her a sympathy card.

Irene dressed in the outfit Seulgi had told her to buy in April and cursed her all throughout. There were far more important things to worry about right now than irrelevant little details like how she looked. She left her hair down so it could cover her face as much as possible and piled on the waterproof mascara as though it could prevent her from crying. She could foresee the night ending in tears. She tended to have psychic powers when it came to facing the tiest days of her life.

Moonbyul and Joy took Irene in the taxi and she refused to talk to them, cursing everyone for forcing her to do this. She felt physically sick and couldn't sit still. Every time the taxi stopped at a red light she contemplated jumping out and running for dear life, but by the time she built up the courage the lights would go green again. Her hands fidgeted nervously and she kept opening and closing her bag, pretending to Joy she was searching for something just to keep herself occupied.

“Relax, Irene,” Joy said soothingly, “everything will be fine.”

“ off,” she snapped.

They continued on in silence for the rest of the journey, even the taxi driver didn't speak. They finally reached Son's, and Moonbyul and Joy had a hell of a time trying to stop her ranting (something about preferring to jump in the river) and persuading her to go inside. Much to Irene's horror, the club was absolutely jammed, and she had to squeeze by everyone to make her way to her family, who had saved a table (right beside the toilet as requested).

Changmin was sitting awkwardly on a stool looking out of place in a suit. “So tell me about these rules, Father, what will Irene have to do?” Irene's dad explained the “rules” of karaoke to Changmin and her nerves began to build even more.

“Gosh, that's terrific, isn't it?” Changmin said, staring around the club in awe. Irene didn't think he had ever been in a nightclub before.

The sight of the stage terrified Irene; it was much bigger than she had expected and there was a huge screen on the wall for the crowd to see the words of the songs. There was a lonely piano, a guitar and even a drum-set, Irene wondered if someone would be brave enough to sing with live instruments instead of that old monotous playback. Suho was sitting with his arm draped around Yuju's shoulders; they both gave her a supportive smile. Irene scowled at them and looked away.

“Irene, the funniest thing just happened earlier on,” Suho said, laughing. “Remember that girl Wendy we met last week?”

Irene just stared at him, watching his lips moving but not giving a damn about what he said. “Well, me and Yuju got here first to keep the table and we were having a kiss and your woman came over and whispered in my ear that you were gonna be here tonight. She thought we were going out and that I was doing the dirt!” Suho and Yuju laughed hysterically.

“Well, I think that's disgusting,” Irene said and turned away.

“No,” Suho tried to explain, “she didn't know that we were brother and sister. I had to explain...” Suho trailed off as Joy shot him a warning look and silenced him.

“Hi, Irene,” Wendy said, approaching her with a clipboard in her hand, “OK, the order of tonight is the following: First up is a girl called Margaret, then a guy called Keith and then you're up after him. Is that OK?”

“So I'm third.”

“Yeah, after . . .”

“That's all I need to know,” Irene snapped rudely. She just wanted to get out of this stupid club and wished that everyone would just stop annoying her and leave her alone to wish evil thoughts on them all. She wished the ground would open and swallow her up, that a natural disaster would occur and everyone would have to evacuate the building. In fact, that was a good idea; she searched around frantically for a button to raise the fire alarm, but Wendy was still talking away to her.

“Look, Irene, I'm really sorry to disturb you again, but could you tell me which of your friends is Joy?” She looked like she was afraid she was going to bite her head off. So she should be, she thought, squinting her eyes.

“Her over there.” Irene pointed to Joy. “Hold on, why?”

“Oh, I just wanted to apologize for the last time we spoke.” She started to walk toward Joy. “Why?” Irene said with panic in her voice, making her turn around again.

“Oh, we just had a minor disagreement on the phone last week.” She looked at her confused as to why she had to explain herself to her.

“You know, you really don't need to do that, she's probably forgotten about it completely by now,” she stammered. This was the last thing she needed.

“Yeah, but I would still like to apologize,” and she headed over to Joy. Irene leapt from her stool.

“Joy, hi, I'm Wendy, I just wanted to apologize about the confusion on the phone last week.” Joy looked at her as though she had ten heads.

“Confusion?”

“You know, on the phone?”

Moonbyul placed her arm protectively around her waist. “On the phone?”

“Eh . . . yes, on the phone.” She nodded. “What's your name again?”

“Em, it's Wendy.”

“And we spoke on the phone?” Joy said with a smile appearing on her face.

Irene gestured wildly to her behind Wendy's back. Wendy cleared nervously. “Yes, you called the club last week and I answered, does that ring a bell?”

“No, sweetie, you've got the wrong girl,” Joy said politely.

Moonbyul threw Joy a dirty look for calling her sweetie; if it had been up to her she would have told Wendy where to go. Wendy brushed her hand through her hair and appeared to be more confused than anyone else and began to turn around to face Irene.

Irene nodded her head frantically to Joy.

“Oh . . . ,” Joy said, looking like she finally remembered. “Oh Wendy!” she yelled, a bit overenthusiastically. “God, I am so sorry, my brain cells seem to be going a bit dead.” She laughed like a madwoman. “Must be too much of this,” she laughed, picking up her drink.

Relief washed over Wendy's face. “Good, I thought it was me going mad there for a minute! OK, so you remember us having that conversation on the phone?”

“Oh, that conversation we had on the phone. Listen, don't worry about it,” she said, waving her hand dismissively.

“It's just that I only took over the place a few weeks ago and I wasn't too sure of the exact arrangements for tonight.”

“Oh, don't worry . . . we all need our time . . . to adjust . . . to things . . . you know?” Joy looked at Irene to see if she had said the right thing or not.

“OK then, well, it's nice to finally meet you in person,” Wendy laughed. “Can I get you a stool or anything?” she said, trying to be funny.

Joy and Moonbyul sat on their stools and stared back at her in silence, not knowing what to say to this strange woman.

Moonbyul watched with suspicion as Wendy walked away.

“What was that all about?” Joy asked Irene as soon as she was out of earshot.

“Oh, I'll explain it to you later,” said Irene as she turned to face the stage. Their karaoke hostess for the evening was just stepping up onstage.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!” she announced.

“Good evening!” shouted Changmin, looking excited. Irene rolled her eyes up to heaven.

“We have an exciting night ahead of us . . .” She went on and on and on in her DJ voice while Irene danced nervously from foot to foot. She desperately needed the toilet again.

“So first up tonight we have Margaret, who is going to sing the theme to Titanic, 'My Heart Will Go On,' by Celine Dion. Please put your hands together for the wonderful Margaret!” The crowd went wild. Irene's heart raced. The hardest song in the world to sing, typical.

When Margaret began to sing, the room became so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop. Irene looked around the room and watched everyone's faces. They were all staring at Margaret in amazement, including Irene's family, the traitors. Margaret's eyes were closed and she sang with such passion it seemed she had lived every line of the song. Irene hated her and contemplated tripping her up on her way back to her seat.

“Wasn't that incredible?” the DJ announced. The crowd cheered again, and Irene prepared herself not to hear that sound after her own song. “Next up we have Keith, you may remember him as last year's winner, and he's singing 'America,' by Neil Diamond. Give it up for Keith!” Irene didn't need to hear any more and rushed into the toilet.

She paced up and down the toilet and tried to calm herself, her knees were knocking, her stomach was twisted in knots and she felt the beginnings of vomit rising to . She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to take big deep breaths. It didn't work, as it only made her feel dizzy. The crowd applauded outside and Irene froze. She was next.

“Wasn't Keith terrific, ladies and gentlemen?”

Lots of cheers again.

“Perhaps Keith is going for the record of winning two years in a row, well, it doesn't get any better than that!”

It was about to get a lot worse.

“Next we have a newcomer to the competition. Her name is Irene and she's singing . . .”

Irene ran to the cubicle and locked herself in. There was no way in this world they were getting her out of there.

“So ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Irene!” There was a huge applause.

*** 

It was three years when Irene had taken to the stage for her debut karaoke performance. Coincidentally it had been three years since Irene had taken to the stage to do karaoke.

A huge crowd of her friends had gone to their local pub in Swords to celebrate the thirtieth birthday of one of the girls. Irene had been extremely tired, as she had been working overtime for the previous two weeks. She really wasn't in the mood to go out partying. All she wanted was to go home, have a nice long bath, put on the most uny pair of pajamas she owned, eats lots of chocolate and snuggle up on the couch in front of the TV with Seulgi. 

After standing on an overcrowded train, Irene was definitely not in the mood to go through the whole ordeal again in an overcrowded, stuffy pub. On the train, half her face had been squashed up against the window and the other half lodged underneath the sweaty armpit of a very unhygienic man. Right behind her a man was breathing alcoholic fumes rather loudly down her neck. It didn't help matters that every time the train swayed he “accidentally” pressed his big beer belly up against her back. She had suffered through this indignity every day going to work and coming home for two weeks and she could take it no longer. She wanted her pajamas.

Finally she arrived at the final station and the very clever people there thought it was a great idea to all get on the train while people tried to get off. It took her so long to fight her way through the crowd to get off the train that by the time she reached the platform she saw her bus drive off, packed with happy little people smiling out the window at her. And because it was after six o'clock, the coffee shop had closed and she was left standing in the freezing cold waiting for another half an hour till the next bus arrived. This experience only strengthened her desire to cuddle up in front of the TV.

But a good evening at home was not to be. Her beloved wife had other plans. She arrived home tired and extremely pissed off to a crowded house and thumping music. People she didn't even know were wandering around her living room with cans of beer in their hands and slumping themselves on the couch she had intended to live on for the next few hours. Seulgi stood at the CD player acting DJ and trying to look cool. At that moment in time she had never seen Seulgi look so uncool in her life.

“What is wrong with you?” Seulgi asked her after seeing her storming upstairs to the bedroom. “Seulgi, I am tired, I am pissed off, I am not in the mood to go out tonight, and you didn't even ask me if it was all right to invite all these people over. And by the way, who are they?” she yelled.

“They're friends from my work and by the way, this is my house too!” Seulgi yelled back.

Irene placed her fingers on her temples and began to gently massage her head; she had an incredible headache and the music was driving her crazy.

“Seulgi,” she said quietly, trying to stay calm, “I'm not saying that you can't invite people over. It would be fine if you had planned it in advance and told me. Then I wouldn't care, but today of all days when I am so so tired,” her voice became weaker and weaker with every word, “I just wanted to relax in my own house.”

“Oh, every day's the same with you,” she snapped. “You never want to do anything anymore anyway. Every night you're the same. You come home in your cranky moods and at me about everything!”

Irene's jaw dropped.

“Excuse me! I have been working hard!”

“And so have I, but you don't see me biting your head off every time I don't get my own way.”

“Seulgi, this isn't about me getting my own way, this is about you inviting the whole street into our h–”

“It's Friday,” Seulgi yelled, silencing her. “It's the weekend! When is the last time you went out? Leave your work behind and let your hair down for a change. Stop acting like such a granny!” And Seulgi stormed out of the bedroom and slammed the door.

After spending a long time in the bedroom hating Seulgi and dreaming of a divorce, she managed to calm down and think rationally about what Seulgi had said. And she was right. OK, she wasn't right in the way she had phrased it, but she had been cranky and y all month and she knew it.

Irene was the type of person who finished work at 5 P.M. and had her computer switched off, lights off, desk tidied and was running for her train by 5:01 P.M. whether her employers liked it or not. She never took her work home and never stressed about the future of the business because, quite frankly, she didn't care, and she phoned in sick as many Monday mornings as possible without running the risk of being fired. But due to a momentary lapse of concentration when looking for new employment, she had found herself accepting an office job that forced her to take paperwork home, to agree to work late and to worry about the business, which she was not happy with at all. How she even managed to stay there for an entire month was anybody's guess, but nevertheless, Seulgi had been right. Ouch, it even hurt to think it. She hadn't gone out with her or her friends for weeks and she fell asleep the minute her head hit the pillow every night. Come to think of it, that was probably Seulgi's main problem, never mind the iness.

But tonight would be different. She intended to show her neglected friends and wife that she was still the irresponsible, fun and frivolous Irene who could drink them all under the table and yet manage to walk the white line all the way home. This show of antics began by preparing home cocktails, God only knows what was in them, but they worked their little magic and at eleven o'clock they all danced down the road to the pub where a karaoke was taking place. Irene demanded to be first up and heckled the karaoke hostess until she got her way. The pub was jammed and that night there was a rowdy crowd who were out on a stag night. It was as though a film crew had arrived in the pub hours earlier and worked away setting the scene for disaster. They couldn't have done a better job.

The DJ gave Irene a huge buildup after believing her lies of being a professional singer. Seulgi lost all power of speech and sight from laughing so hard but she was determined to show her that she could still let her hair down. She needn't plan that divorce yet. Irene decided to sing “Like a ” and dedicated it to the man who was getting married the next day. As soon as she started singing, Irene had never heard so many boos in her whole life and at such a loud volume. But she was so drunk she didn't care and continued on singing to her wife, who seemed to be the only one without a moody face.

Eventually when people began to throw things at the stage and when the karaoke hostess himself encouraged them to boo even louder, Irene felt that her work there had been done. When she handed him back the microphone there was a cheer so loud that people from the pub next door came running in. It was all the more people to see Irene trip down the steps in her stilettos and fall flat on her face. They all watched as her skirt went flying over her head to reveal the old underwear that had once been white was now gray, and that she hadn't bothered to change when she got home from work.

Irene was taken to hospital to see to her broken nose.

Seulgi lost her voice from laughing so loudly and Yeri and Joy helped matters by taking photographs of the scene of the crime, which Yeri then chose as the cover for the invitations to her Christmas party, with the heading “Let's get pissed!”

Irene vowed never to do karaoke again.

***

att notes: howdy everyone, how's going? its time for Irene to face her fears in honour of seulgi, right? I still dont know what she should sing... any rec? anyways, I have a twitter and i didn't felt the urge to use until now, so follow me and let's talk :D