Wendy wasn't really sure why she ended up inside this candy store.

 

She was just casually strolling around the street to buy ice cream but this candy store caught her eyes.

 

It was perfectly normal inside; numbers of colorful and eye-catching candies surrounded the entire store. Children were fussing over the candies while their parents having blank expressions on their faces as they mentally calculated the expenses as their children hoard a bunch of candies with their arms.

 

Wendy was just walking randomly inside, checking and admiring the goods that were nearly screaming "Buy ME." in front of her face.

 

She wasn't a fool to buy one—

 

And then she sees a candy forming a bear shape that was neatly placed near the counter.

 

She thought that it looked exactly like Seulgi!

 

—yes, you could tell that she's a fool to buy a candy that looked like her best friend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Is this all, Miss?" The cashier asked Wendy as the cashier punched her order in the register.

 

"Yes," Wendy replied as she fished her wallet to get some cash.

 

"You seemed to like candies, Miss." The cashier stated swiftly.

 

"Oh? Why do you say so?"

 

"You looked so happy with your purchase." The cashier replied sweetly and Wendy can't help it but smile.

 

"Yeah, it reminded me of my best friend. I bought it for her,"

 

"Your best friend must've been lucky to have you."

 

Wendy automatically smiled at the thought of her best friend. She always thought that she’s luckier to have Seulgi in her life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wendy wasn't sure if she's luckier to have Seulgi as her best friend because right now, the latter greeted her purchase first before her.

 

Wendy could tell that Seulgi was ecstatic about the candy especially that it looked like her. She then wasted no time as she brought the treat into to have a taste.

 

"Seulgi, that's gross." Joy suddenly puffed out of nowhere before Seulgi choked in the midst of eating. She quickly recovered as Wendy gave her a glass of water.

 

"What's gross about eating a candy?"

 

"You, Seulgi, eating that candy that bears great resemblance to you. That's one of the rules of cannibalism!"

 

"Oh, shut up. I didn't complain about cannibalism when you were eating Seulgi out when I accidentally spotted you both doing the deed on the couch—"

 

This is where Seulgi gets choked really hard this time.

 

"T-that’s different, Wendy-unnie!" Joy was stuttering with her unnie's statement.

 

It was just one time when Joy and her bear girlfriend, Seulgi, couldn't wait to go upstairs so they both decided to enjoy the time of their lives on the couch.

 

Wendy has to cleanse her eyes with 100% holy water when she saw their deed on the couch. She couldn't look at both of them in the eye for a week.

 

"I'm utterly surprised that you're here, Joy. I thought you went to a pool party with Yeri." Wendy said, feigning innocence in front of a Satan spawn.

 

"The pool party wouldn't if weren't for Sungjae and his asshat friends. Yeri and I backed out upon hearing that his lousy gang would crash the pool party later." Sooyoung said in a mocking tone. She had hated her ex-boyfriend ever since he cheated Joy for a girl that was younger than Yeri. Joy couldn't pinpoint if her ex-boyfriend was into younger girls or if he's just plain e.

 

"Good thing you didn't go, Joy. We couldn't risk you to be prisoned in jail. No one's gonna bail you out anyway—and Seulgi is jobless as if you'd think your girlfriend could bail you out."

 

"That's mean, unnie. After all, we've been through, how could you easily throw me under the bus just like that?!"

 

Wendy has enough of Joy's drama and so she decided to stand up from the couch to get some water.

 

The three of them were gathered inside Wendy’s apartment—well technically, it is Wendy and Seulgi’s shared apartment but the latter went jobless so Wendy was left to shoulder all the expenses. It doesn’t really help when Seulgi was indulged in playing a role as a housewife while Wendy seemed to become the breadwinner of the ‘imaginary’ family. But despite all this, Wendy still loved Seulgi in a platonic way, of course, and she just can’t leave her best friend for eight years alone on the streets.

 

Unlucky as it may sound but Seulgi was trying to apply on a new job but to no avail.

 

And Joy is Seulgi’s girlfriend for two years now. If Seulgi was jobless, her girlfriend was also freaking jobless. It just happened that the company Joy worked with was gone bankrupt for a month.

 

She’s also trying to apply for a new job but just like her girlfriend—it must be a curse for both of them.

 

And that resulted in Joy seeking refuge in her girlfriend’s apartment. The apartment wasn’t small but it wasn’t big either. It is enough to house three individuals, a couple of appliances and furniture, and a—

 

“WELCOME BACK, YOU USELESS GAY.” A pair of colorful wings flapped towards Wendy’s direction. It then places her claws softly on Wendy’s shoulder as it gives Wendy a soft peck on her head with its beak.

 

“Park Sooyoung…” Wendy has now only a thinner-than-a-thread of patience not to kick Joy out of her apartment. Joy must have taught her parrot some obscene and useless words again, Wendy thought.

 

—and yes, a parrot. A genius talking parrot to be exact.

 

Wendy can’t even bring her hands to pat the parrot on its head to return the affection.

 

Before Wendy could even choke Joy, the latter ran for her life. She couldn’t afford to die just yet as she wants to enjoy more dates with Seulgi.

 

“Wendy, could I also eat this one?” Wendy’s attention turned back to Seulgi, who was now sticking her hand to another candy. Wendy’s eyes grew like saucers as she strides her way to where Seulgi was eating.

 

“No, not that one. This one’s mine, Seul.” Wendy said as she frantically snatched the candy from Seulgi’s hand.

 

“Geez, no need to be so worked up over a candy, Wen.”

 

Seulgi didn’t understand her best friend who was becoming agitated because of a mere candy.

 

But to Wendy, that candy spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e.

 

 

 

 

As Wendy's was about to head out the store, the cashier suddenly called her attention.

 

"Maybe you could try this candy, Miss. It wasn't a best seller but it is limited." The cashier explained as she gestured her hand to the small jar near the counter. The candies which looked like pills were piled inside.

 

"Uh, maybe next time."

 

Wendy wasn't going to waste her cash on that candies which are nearly $4 each. She thought that the cashier was insane.

 

But the cashier's persuasive tone made her rethink her life choices.

 

"I'm telling you that the candies were out from ordinary.

 

Once you ate one, you could read the minds of other people."

 

Wendy was in the brink of thinking that the cashier was really out of her mind. As she was about to escape her way out, the cashier casually handed her a candy in her hands—the mind reader candy as the cashier termed the pill.

 

"I exclusively gave you one for a free trial if you still don't want to believe me. The candy’s effectivity is only just for a day though. But trust me, the candy would work on its magic."

 

The cashier then gave her a playful wink.

 

Wendy was now thinking if the cashier maybe has the hots for her.

 

But sadly, she’s unavailable as of the moment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both Joy and Seulgi went out to buy some groceries and that means Wendy was left alone with her parrot.

 

Wendy grabbed the 'mind reader' candy from her pockets, carefully inspecting it if it really was legit.

 

The candy's appearance was still ordinary. Wendy couldn't bring herself to trust the cashier earlier.

 

"SQUAWK. SQUAAAWK."

 

The sounds came from her dear parrot. The parrot was already sending her distress signals—as if it was asking for its food right now.

 

Wendy left the candy slightly opened on the couch as she went to the kitchen to get her pet some parrot food.

 

 

 

 

 

She should have just stayed on the couch, or better yet—she should have never left the candy on the couch.

 

Wendy is now frantically pulling her hair as she witnessed her parrot tearing the plastic package of the candy into pieces with its beak.

 

And the candy?

 

It was happily traveling down the parrot’s throat and probably it was now digested on the parrot’s stomach for good.

 

'How could that parrot eat my treat?!'

 

Wendy concluded that Seulgi might have taught her lovely parrot to eat every food that would catch its sight. She would have to distance her parrot away from bad influencers such as Seulgi and Joy.

 

'Way to spoil the exclusive promo.'

 

Wendy decided to ignore the candy and its ability to read minds. Maybe the cashier tried to trick her out because the cashier has nothing to do.

 

She plopped herself on the couch as she watched the clock ticking on the wall, a sudden life realization struck her face.

 

'Why are my housemates so useless,'

 

Wendy really tried to sound not too sarcastic but she failed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The continuous ring of the apartment's doorbell jolted Wendy from her sleep. She didn't even notice that she passed out on the couch from extreme boredom.

 

'And now, the passcode is on par with their uselessness,' Wendy is now pissed as she walked her way to the door.

 

Wendy was ready to spit fire or possibly her saliva when she spotted her co-worker in front of her door.

 

This was not she expected though. She was ready to give Seulgi and Joy some lectures on how to punch the freaking passcode on the door—she was not expecting her goddess-like co-worker in front of her apartment.

 

Her voice must have dissipated into thin air together with her soul.

 

Her co-worker noticed Wendy’s face became pale all of sudden. She leaned closer to the latter, checking her if she’s still breathing.

 

Meanwhile, anyone could have guessed that Wendy’s mind has gone nuts as she dumbly looked her co-worker looking so beautiful effortlessly in front of her.

 

‘Why was she here? Am I missing something??’

 

Her co-worker provided her an answer before she could turn into a stuttering mess.

 

“I came here for some brainstorming, remember? We both agreed to have a brainstorming session in your house today,”

 

Oh, that was it. Wendy suddenly had a vague memory of their agreement last week. Wendy had invited her co-worker, Irene, to her house for some brainstorming session for their work.

 

But really, Wendy did just test the waters to see if Irene would accept her invitation. She didn’t expect that her co-worker would agree in a heartbeat.

 

It was one of the most shocking moments of her life.

 

Who in their right mind would accept an invitation from a lousy co-worker such as herself?

 

Joy and Seulgi would think otherwise.

 

 

 

 

 

Wendy invited Irene inside the house. The latter was thoughtful enough to buy a cake on her way to Wendy’s apartment.

 

She thought that she could impress Wendy in this way first.

 

But Wendy was oblivious and her head’s too thick like as the pelican’s beak too even think that Irene would take an interest in her.

 

Wendy put the cake inside the fridge and then she rejoins Irene on the living room where the latter let herself be comfortable on the couch.

 

 

 

 

Both have serious faces plastered on their faces as they type vigorously on their laptops. Wendy realized that three hours have passed since Seulgi and Joy went out for groceries. They must have forgotten the groceries and spent their free time to go on dates.

 

Wendy wasn’t really jealous as she typed on the laptop with so much force, one could guess that she must have been playing some intense survival games.

 

Amidst the quiet atmosphere on the living room, a familiar sound of wings flapping on the air startled both of them. The parrot then rested her feet softly on Wendy’s shoulder.

 

 

“This is Roti, my lovely parrot. Don’t ask if how she’s been named, it’s my entire friend’s fault.” specifically Yeri. She’s the one who’s been obsessed with a banana roti. It doesn’t help when her parrot’s feathers were dominant yellow. It made her parrot look more like a banana than a parrot itself.

 

“Hey Roti, say hello to Irene!” Wendy said as she introduced her parrot to her co-worker.

 

The parrot could only stare at Irene as she was being introduced to her master’s co-worker. The parrot must have been dazed on Irene’s beauty to even hear her master’s command.

 

“Hi, Roti! She’s such a beautiful parrot, I could tell.”

 

“SQUAWK. SQUAAWK.”

 

“Roti knows how to talk but she’s dumb sometimes,”

 

Irene let out a chuckle and Wendy was lost in her co-worker’s honey-dripping voice.

 

 

The both of them were back on their brainstorming session but this time, Roti was observing them while the parrot was beside Wendy.

 

Wendy unconsciously brought the pencil to her lips as she subtly chewed the eraser with her teeth.

 

Irene suddenly caught a glimpse of this—she quickly ducks her head on the laptop.

 

“HOW I WISH TO BE THAT PENCIL YOU CHEWED ON.”

 

Two sounds were heard from this scenario. One was from shock and the other sounded like she was choked in her own saliva.

 

The both of them halted their movements.

 

Wendy stared weirdly at her parrot and Irene—she was flabbergasted on what she heard from the parrot just now. The tips of her ears suddenly flamed red and her cheeks were burning from embarrassment.

 

Wendy noticed her co-worker’s uneasy expression and so, she tried to comfort her with all that she can.

 

“You must have been surprised with that. My parrot usually spouts nonsense out of the blue when she’s bored. ”

 

“I-It’s fine. I’m usually jumpy these days,” Irene smiled at Wendy’s direction.

 

Wendy smiled to Irene in return and both of them were back to work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“SHOULD I TRY TO SEARCH ON THE INTERNET FOR SOME WAYS ON HOW TO ASK SOMEONE FOR A DATE?”

 

Irene nearly punched the screen of her laptop when the parrot spoke again. It still gave her the goosebumps when Wendy said that her parrot could talk. It was her first time witnessing a talking parrot.

 

Luckily, Wendy’s ears were stuck with earphones, probably blaring some pop music.

 

Irene really tried to focus on her work but her attention was surprisingly akin to goldfish’s attention span. She couldn’t help but lurk on the internet—stalking for someone who wasn’t near her reach.

 

Or at least she could just reach her across the table now but guess what—she chickened out.

 

She’s too scared to confess to Wendy, her cutie co-worker, afraid that she would be rejected.

 

And rejection is still the scariest thing she wouldn’t love to experience now.

 

Oh Bae Irene, if you only knew…

 

And it doesn’t help when Roti was rambling again,

 

“SHOULD I GIVE HER FLOWERS FIRST BEFORE INVITING HER FOR A DATE?”

 

“OR SHOULD I JUST ASK HER OUT STRAIGHT—OH, THAT WASN’T PUN INTENDED BUT SHOULD I ASK HER TO BE MY DATE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW?”

 

Irene wished that the ground would swallow the parrot whole.

 

Great, now the parrot voiced out her inner thoughts. How could the parrot read her mind?

 

Wendy didn’t tell Irene that her parrot could see through her mind. Maybe Wendy didn’t want to creep her out so maybe the former chose not to tell her.

 

Now, Irene never really wanted something in her life but right now, she badly wanted the ground to swallow her whole together with the parrot when Roti was spouting again but this time, Wendy unplugged her earphones from her ears.

 

“WHY AM I SUCH A USELESS LESBIAN??”

 

Irene suddenly finds the parrot so enticing inside a casserole with boiling water. But Irene shakes her head from the morbid thoughts. It was her crush’s parrot after all. She didn’t want to get on Roti’s bad side.

 

Would Wendy realize that the parrot was reading her mind all this time?

 

Irene was sweating bullets from her seat and Wendy—well, she just sighed.

 

Wendy thought that Joy was behind almost all her parrot’s words.

 

Wendy apologized to Irene again, saying that her friend taught her parrot some words the parrot shouldn’t be saying normally such as that.

 

Irene was thoroughly confused but she nodded anyway.

 

‘Maybe Wendy wasn’t aware that the parrot could actually read minds,’

 

 

Wendy decided to take her parrot back to her room where her cage was placed. The parrot must have been exhausted from all the ramblings and Roti’s mind was about to burst because of Irene’s noisy thoughts.

 

And Irene was still conflicted whether she would confess her feelings to Wendy now before she’d chickened out or maybe next time—

 

Wendy was about to walk her way to her room when her parrot said something,

 

“SOMETIMES, YOU GOTTA BE BOLD.”

 

The shock was visible to Wendy’s face and Irene’s heart was about to explode from the ribcage because she thought that the parrot might read her mind again but thankfully, the parrot didn’t.

 

“That was the lyrics from the song I played on my phone minutes ago,” Wendy said as she eyed her parrot. Roti still had that dumb expression as she stared at her master.

 

Upon hearing the parrot statement, Irene suddenly gained a sudden boost of confidence.

 

Maybe all she needed was a little push and Roti gave it to her. She couldn’t thank the parrot enough as she squealed with excitement.

 

Meanwhile, Wendy wondered how Roti knew the song. She was just singing it from her head when the parrot suddenly spouted the lyrics as if Roti read her mind.

 

‘That was weird…’

 

Wendy thought that Irene's really name suited her. But now, she wanted to take it back.

 

Irene wasn't really an epitome of peace just as everyone thought of her when Wendy had just witnessed her co-worker banging her head against the laptop's keyboard.

 

The keyboard must have been severely bleeding now if only it has blood.

 

Irene noticed Wendy's presence so she automatically straightened her back and she tried to focus her attention to the screen of her laptop like nothing happened.

 

'Bloody hell, why am I making a fool of myself in front of her...'

 

For the first time, Irene felt that she was fated to be single for her entire life.

 

 

 

 

 

Irene was so focused on her work that she didn't actually hear her stomach grumbling for food.

 

Wendy noticed this and so, she stood up from her seat to get Irene's cake from the fridge.

 

"I'll just get your cake, wait for me here." Wendy softly said as she noticed that Irene was giving her a questioning look.

 

Irene nodded afterwards and Wendy was off to get the back. Maybe she'll have a slice and for Irene, she thought that she could give three slices of it.

 

And hopefully, she could say the three words she wanted to say to her.

 

‘I like you...’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Irene was in the midst of doing her work when a memory crossed her mind,

 

"Quit messing with my cake, Yeri."

 

Yeri scoffed at her but it doesn't stop her from decorating Irene's customized cake with letterings.

 

"What the actual did you just do?!"

 

Irene was beyond furious about her cake. She was about to share it with Wendy later and her cousin and also a patisserie, Yeri, was about to ruin her cake.

 

"C'mon, unnie. Maybe it's time to confess your feelings to her! You don't want to see your crush being with someone else, right?"

 

Irene was still against the idea but the idea of Wendy going out with someone that wasn't her made her blood boil.

 

She's going to confess to Wendy and maybe now's the time.

 

Irene lifts her fist in the air, trying to gain some confidence.

 

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Yeri also lifts her fist in the air to boost her cousin's confidence.

 

Irene just looked at her blankly in the eye, not noticing that the cake was neatly wrapped inside a box.

 

Irene was too occupied on boosting her confidence that she failed to reprimand her cousin to erase the certain writing on the cake.

 

"YERI, ERASE 'THAT’ ON MY CAKE RIGHT NOW, YOU SCUM."

 

And Irene wasn't successful in convincing Yeri to erase that when she noticed the time.

 

She doesn’t want to show up Wendy's apartment late. And so, she ran her way outside to hail a cab, forgetting that Yeri had vandalized her cake.

 

After Irene exited her cousin's apartment, a mischievous smile crept on Yeri's lips.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"WHAT THE , NOOOO!"

 

Irene made a mad dash to the kitchen to find Wendy and to abolish the cake as soon as possible.

 

Irene is really doomed if Wendy would read that damn writing on her cake.

 

It would be the most embarrassing moment if Wendy read that and Irene would love to dissipate in the air.

 

Her hands were sweating from nervousness and she felt she was about to faint right now but not this time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Irene's heart momentarily stopped when she spotted Wendy on the kitchen and she was holding a knife like she's about to slice the cake.

 

Wendy was excited when she opened the cake, only to be dumbfounded when she read the writings in it on a thick icing.

 

'What on Earth is this...' was the first thought that came in Wendy's mind.

 

Suddenly, Wendy felt that she can't read anymore.

 

Irene stood beside Wendy, the latter still can't believe what she saw on the cake.

 

Irene cleared to catch Wendy's attention. The latter turned her head to Irene who's mind short-circuited upon locking eyes with Wendy. Irene’s face turned into flames of red as she tried to grasp for air.

 

Her heart had gone wild and the rapid beats of her heart didn’t help Irene’s situation at all.

 

'This is now or never, Irene.'

 

"Wendy—"

 

She was cut short when Wendy suddenly interrupted her.

 

"W-what do you m-mean with—"

 

Irene felt that Wendy was about to ramble again and she didn't know how to stop Wendy from rambling too much other than to silence her with a kiss—even though she’s too embarrassed to face Wendy because of the cake but she has to do this.

 

It was just a quick peck to the lips but Wendy felt her soul left her body. Irene must have her soul out other than her lips—

 

"Wendy, I know that this might be surprising for you but I actually like you. Like, like you—in a romantic way. I fell for your charms and how your smile would curve in a way that would lighten everyone's mood. I fell for your eyes and how it would radiate so much happiness in it. You made me want to keep you in my pocket because you're such an adorable hamster especially when you pout. And I love—"

 

Irene paused to inhale much air in her lungs. She feels that she could pass out from nervousness when Wendy stared at her blankly.

 

"I love the way you make my heart skipped a beat because of you and for that—you made me fall in love with you, so much it felt like I would go crazy if I couldn't make you mine. So, Wendy Son, will you go out with me?"

 

Irene had said the words that need to be said in a straight face.

 

The ball is on Wendy's court now.

 

It's up to her whether she would accept her feelings or she would r-re—rej-j—rejec—

 

It's better to be positive—she’d better be positive if Irene wanted to keep her sanity intact for a long time.

 

Wendy was still dumbfounded about the cake and now, Irene's confession made her even more confused.

 

'Is Irene really...'

 

And she looked Irene in straight in the eyes. Her orbs mirrored the sincerity with her speech—but she saw a glint of nervousness but with faint hope in it.

 

She couldn't—she just couldn't bring to reject Irene, not when—

 

"Of course, it's a yes, Irene. A million times yes!"

 

—not when she also feels the same. She's also whipped with Irene and now, she would not let Irene go.

 

Both Irene and Wendy were lost in their own little bubble and the cake was long abandoned with the untouched letterings of “Son Wendy, I’m ready to make babies with you <3”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile,

 

“What the heck do you want, Yeri? Did you suddenly changed your mind and you want to crash the pool party—”

 

“The heck, no! I just want to inform you gays that I’m the best matchmaker in town.”

 

Both Seulgi and Joy threw disgusting looks at Yeri.

 

“We freaking came all the way here and to destroy our lovely date just to say that?!”

 

And for that, Yeri had provided them both with context from the start (where her cousin and Wendy’s co-worker, Irene, had confessed to her that she liked Wendy—which apparently is also Yeri’s friend—for a long time) down to the favor where Irene asked Yeri to personally bake and decorate the cake hours ago.

 

Of course, Yeri didn’t miss out the part where she decorated the cake with some special writings to it.

 

The three of them cackled loudly after Yeri had told them the story. It was a hilarious statement but who knows because of that, their friends would have their own happy ending they deserve.

 

Seulgi squealed with excitement and Joy —she expected this to happen but not this soon. Well, the latter knew that Wendy has the hots for Irene especially when Wendy couldn’t shut and all she would say is about Irene. She had also seen them both going out for lunch dates once in a while.

 

Moments later, a toothy grin crept up on Joy’s lips before she pulled Seulgi close to her.

 

Joy was felt victorious because now, she would have Seulgi all to herself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And months later, Yeri would have to find her own girlfriend because she’s fed upon her role as a third-wheel—and worst, becoming a fifth-wheel on double dates.

 

Sometimes, Yeri opted to date Roti for a while instead as she waited for her soon-to-be girlfriend.

 

‘Roti’s single too, it’s not that bad…’

 

‘But it’s a parrot, for Pete’s sake,’

 

‘Who cares if it’s a parrot? Someone married a tree and it is much worse than dating a parrot.’

 

‘Just shut up, Seulgi-unnie.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

end.