Irene had fallen asleep suddenly the night before and was woken by Wendy’s gentle nudges.

“Hey, rise and shine. Yeri called five minutes ago to tell me that the driver would be coming for us in forty-five minutes.”

Irene mumbled a little and was in a daze as she looked around. She was in her own room. The idol remembered falling asleep on the couch with Wendy.

“I carried you in. You slept so soundly throughout,” Wendy said plainly upon seeing the befuddled look on the sleepy idol.

“Thank you,” Irene said as she climbed out of her bed clumsily.

Wendy caught the idol when she tripped on her own house slippers and gave a look of disapproval.   

“One rest day certainly was not enough for you,” Wendy said severely and Irene gave a sheepish smile.

They shared a long moment in each other’s arms before a ring from Wendy’s phone interrupted them. Irene had gone ahead to prepare herself whilst Wendy took her call and was greeted by a shriek from the other side of the phone.

“Wendy! You forgot that I was coming back today?! You were supposed to pick me up.”

It was her source gatherer editor, Joy, on the other side of the line.

Wendy blinked rapidly. She had indeed completely forgotten.

“Right… I… I am sorry… I forgot”

“How could you…” Joy faked a wail on the other end of the line.

“Okay, okay, I am really sorry okay…”

“Are you still coming to fetch me?” Joy asked sadly.

“I… uh… I can’t… I am tied down with… work…” Wendy replied guiltily.

“Work?! What work?! Your timings are flexible, who are you kidding, Wendy!” Joy screeched and Wendy had to hold her phone centimetres away from her ear.

Irene had exited the bathroom just in time to witness her comical action. With a smile, the idol propped herself against the door frame and listened in to the phone conversation.

“It’s… uh… a side job. Anyway, just hail a cab yourself and I will pay for it. Don’t be such a big baby.”

“But you were supposed to have breakfast at the airport with me…” Joy whined again.

“Get a donut or something. I will have breakfast with you in two days’ time.”

“Two days?! What?! Where are you exactly,” Joy screamed again.

Wendy shielded her ear and winced. She threw a defeated look to Irene who was busy sniggering to herself.

“I am staying over at someone’s place. I told you its work.”

Joy’s voice had turned sensual all of a sudden. “Oh… someone’s place… and a different kind of work? I didn’t know you were into that, Wendy. Anyway, I don’t care, I am coming to look for you once I have dumped my luggage at home. Just tell me where to look for you, even if… it is at that person’s place… surely that person would not mind an extra lover… kidding! I have something to discuss with you.”

“It’s not that… Joy… I just…”

“Text me your location. Now!”

Without waiting for Wendy’s reply, Joy had ended her call leaving Wendy’s mouth to hang open as she stared stupidly at her phone.

“I guess that must be Joy?” Irene asked in a knowing voice.

“Yes… gosh… she wants to see me.”

“I can infer that. You sounded really nervous with her,” Irene had pointed out then added more plainly, “you sure there is nothing between you and Joy?”

Wendy jumped. “No! Of course not! She is my long time friend for goodness sake.”

“Hmm… we shall see. Anyway, if you need to meet her, you may ask the driver to send you there. Today’s schedule is just as boring as the other days… Yeri will manage just fine.”  

“I am supposed to watch you work. I will find Joy at the end of the day.”

“But aren’t we supposed to spend time together at the end of the day?” Irene asked with disappointment laced in her voice.

Wendy was at a loss for words. The writer had not expected the idol to be such a clingy person but she guess it was a good thing.  “Okay… well… I guess I will ask Joy to meet me during lunch then?”

There was some reluctance but alas, Irene acquiesced.

“Wendy! What exactly are you up to? I just heard that you had an article taken down. A hit article at that too!” Those words shot out of Joy’s mouth immediately as they waited for their food to arrive.

“Well… it is actually a complicated situation and you have to keep silent about it if I were to tell you.”

“Okay, fine, fine, I would know better to keep my mouth zipped after working with you all these times. What is it?”

Inhaling deeply, Wendy then began her story about how Irene had paid her a visit and about her offer. Wendy had kindly left out the details about how beautiful Irene was and how she had completely fallen for the idol and instead jumped to mention about how they had been wrong about their accusations of the idol in Wendy’s article.

Joy’s mouth had fallen open after listening to Wendy’s accounts. When she had regained her composure, Joy then asked.

“Wendy… will she be taking any legal action then? I heard that it is becoming popular. I mean we didn’t make any direct accusations and merely wrote in a speculative, non-insulting manner but I heard that there are ways for entertainment companies to sue us now.”

Wendy smiled thinly. “No, she would not be.” Then after some thought, Wendy added. “Right, Joy, where did you get your sources about Irene from? You know the ones which you said were a hundred percent credible?”

Joy then recoiled and placed a hand on her chest defensively. “W-W-Why are you asking that? Did Irene ask you to expose the source? In exchange for not suing us?”

Wendy rolled her eyes. “Please… Irene is a lot more magnanimous than that. I am the one who is curious.”

Joy pouted her lips and looked troubled. “Well… I certainly thought that the source was credible since that person is…”

“Is who?”

Joy sighed. “Well… no point hiding it from you right since you would find ways to get it out from me. It is an industry person, in fact, she is from the same company as Irene.”

“Yuki?” Wendy guessed.

Joy looked momentarily surprised at Wendy’s perceptiveness. “Well, please don’t tell me that Yuki is actually the bad person here who is trying to sabotage another idol’s career.”

Wendy gave a wry smile but said nothing.

“I take that as a yes. Well… that is drama indeed and I am sorry, Wendy… I really believed Yuki since she had… backup sources but I believe in your judgement more. After the article was published, I did hear about some bad reputation about Yuki but I brushed it aside since the article was already written. By the way… you sounded almost smitten with Irene.”

Wendy fiddled with her fingers under the table at Joy’s words and wondered just how obvious she really was.

“Irene is really nice… nicer than she should be…”

“Yeap… you are smitten. You sure your judgement is not blinded because of her beauty?” Joy asked.

“Not just her beauty… her personality as well.”

Joy sighed. “Guess I really made a huge mistake this time then. Please don’t fire me.”

Wendy knocked Joy’s forehead with a spoon. “Consider this your punishment.”

Joy rubbed her forehead gloomily.

“Well… it is my fault too… I should have done more thorough research myself like I did with other articles. I guess I was really just jumping in the bandwagon.”

“Can’t believe that your article became a hit with the general population as well.” Joy supplemented.

Wendy shrugged. “People like to see what they want to see and hear what the wish to hear. Superficialities. If only human beings could take the time to see beyond superficialities, the world could be a kinder and brighter place.”

Joy sighed again. “Well… harsh truths and life lessons 101. Anyway you sure she is not suing us right? Please charm her with everything you’ve got. I still haven’t got to publish my own article yet.”

“You are just worried that she will be taking legal action right? You coward,” Wendy scolded her friend.

Joy stuck out her tongue. “You don’t have to worry since you’ve got your family to back you up but I am different. I am easily sue-able.”

“Please… you think I’d leave you to die in the ditch alone? Don’t worry, I have already assured you that you are safe so you would be.”

“I would hold you onto your words, Ms Son.”

By nightfall, Wendy had returned to the set which Irene was working at. This was the photoshoot that she had missed two days ago, a make-up schedule and it was for a lipstick collection. Wendy had arrived just as Irene was applying the lipstick seductively and Wendy thought her heart had caught in .

Like the photoshoot Irene had for the branded bags, Sejeong was her make-up artist and had scooted over to Wendy to observe the shoot together.

“Hey Wendy,” Sejeong greeted the manager.

“Hello!” Wendy replied enthusiastically, her attention flitting between Irene and the make-up artist who was trying to engage her in a conversation.

“Wendy, do you want to have lunch with me sometime this week?” Sejeong asked.

Too distracted by how gorgeous Irene looked, Wendy did not fully register what the make-up artist had said and Sejeong had to repeat it.

“O-Oh… lunch? Like with Irene as well?” Wendy asked, her attention still divided.

“No… lunch as in… lunch with me alone,” Sejeong replied abashedly.

Fortunately, Wendy’s mind managed to catch what Sejeong had said and she understood what the make-up artist meant.

A look of difficulty passed over Wendy’s face as she thought of ways to decline Sejeong without hurting the girl.

“Sejeong… I would gladly have lunch with you if it was a friendly one but… if its anything more then I am sorry but I already have someone of interest.”

Sejeong was disappointed but she dealt with it maturely. “Well then… I am happy for you. Then… shall we change it to a lunch appointment with Irene and yourself then? Oh… with Yeri too…”

Wendy smiled good naturedly. “Sure! Of cour