an extremely long read ahead, but as i promised - this one is fluffy... ;} 

“Good evening, Wendy speaking. How may I help you, Miss Kwon?”

“Ah! Nice to hear you again, Wendy-ah. I would like to a bottle of wine sent up to my room, please... better still if you have the usual Cabernet Sauvignon that my girlfriend and I always order.”

Wendy grins to herself at the excited tone belonging to their loyal guest; she knows quite a number of guests here by heart now and it brightens her day all the time. The fact that guests actually bother to remember her name and are visibly more comfortable when she's the one taking their requests touches her heart very much. Her parents and her best friend always remind her of the hardships of being in the service industry but Wendy tries not to mind too much. Spending time with different guests every day reminds Wendy of the positive vibes, especially when she sees their bright smiles after seeing their facilities and rooms. If Wendy were to tell all her friends that she was working at a holiday resort, they would probably laugh at her and tell her to stop the jokes. She might have been the talented one: the musician, the jock and the chef simultaenuously back in school but Wendy was only close to three friends - quite the introvert, actually.

Now look at her, serving different guests every day and even becoming close to them. No one believed that Wendy would last long in this job, not even Wendy herself. She didn't like the introductory period of being in the reception, but being in the communications centre? It was truly a dream come true, hence she made a deal with the manager. She will switch departments every once in a while so she never loses her touch of both job scopes. 

“I will most certainly arrange for your wine to be sent up, Miss Kwon. Please have a good stay with Miss Im and the rest will be provided for.”

There was no audible response after that so Wendy takes it as her cue to hang up and respect their privacy; she is no stranger to complaints from unwanted noise comng from their suite room anyway. In comparison to some of the foreign guests who stay, the ones who have gotten real close to her always tip her generously when they get the chance to. All Wendy can say is, good things fall upon those who do good.

“Seungwan-unnie!” Sooyoung pops her head into the office, holding two cups of bubble tea in hand. She walked all the way to the end of the street to buy Wendy's favourite but nevermind that, not with the overly-excited look in Wendy's eyes. “I know you didn't want me to buy anything but I was already getting something for Seulgi-unnie  so... here you go.”

It's obvious that Sooyoung was telling her a lie, because Seulgi rarely drinks bubble tea nowadays and she definitely doesn't drink it with the pearls but Wendy will not call Sooyoung out on it. She was asked a favour by her best friend, and that's to pretend she isn't aware of Sooyoung's insanely obvious crush on her. What a dilemma... Wendy wants to help Seulgi get the girl so badly, because she isn't difficult to impress but at the same time, she knows Seulgi will be disappointed if she does anything unpredictable. That's just how the human bear would rather have things be; as long as Sooyoung is happy with how things are, silence will be maintained. A waste would be an understatement, because no other pair would look as good together as Sooyoung and Seulgi would from her perspective. None of this is under her control, neither is it her place to get involved but Wendy truly doesn't want her best friend to get her heart broken. She's extremely sure that Sooyoung's crush will not develop into something else.  

Wendy tears her eyes away from the computer screen, holding onto the younger girl's hand after accepting the gesture of goodwill. “Thank you, Sooyoung. But please don't trouble yourself next time.”

Sooyoung gulps at the sweet smile and hurriedly pulls her hand away, cheeks flushed pink within seconds. She should have known that this is how she would react. It's impossible for people not to fall in love with Wendy, and that's just the deepest truth there is. Wendy's insanely sweet disposition and genuine heart full of kindness are the two aspects that have really made Sooyoung this crazy over her. 

“I won’t… are you on night shift?”

“Yeah, Seulgi’s not feeling well so here I am,” Wendy sighs, she’s very worried about her poor best friend who shares a rented apartment with her located nearer to the heart of the city.

A pang of worry that hits Sooyoung like a truck; Seulgi rarely falls sick because she takes good care of herself. Furthermore, Wendy is the one who usually makes sure they maintain their health and strength; for anyone to fall sick and not turn up for work... it means whatever illness it is, it's not light at all. Instead of wasting time going to a faraway place just to buy bubble tea for Wendy, she could have gone over to their apartment and taken care of Seulgi instead. After all, Sooyoung remembers very clearly when she herself had fallen sick, and because she didn't share her apartment with anyone else, Seulgi hurried over with bags of groceries for her place. Despite being the worst cook the universe has ever known, Seulgi still tried her best to whip up some dishes that Wendy had taught her to make when they first came here. She had been ready to face it if her food didn’t turn out well or as nice as Wendy’s, but she was definitely not ready for the fire that had arose in the kitchen.

Suddenly, Wendy interrupts her train of wild thoughts.

“You can leave if you want to, just don’t forget to return me my keys tomorrow night,” Wendy smiles, not diverting her gaze from the dim computer screen. She takes out her keys from her pocket before chucking it on the table, knowing her words have already taken some effect.

“Thanks, Unnie! I’m off!”

“Huh. And Seulgi says she likes me.”

If only Seulgi could see just how Sooyoung was behaving right now… perhaps she wouldn’t have said that, and with the sad pout of hers too.

“Good evening, Wendy speaking. How may I help you, Miss Kim?”

“Um…”

This was another guest Wendy knew pretty well, because her requests have never once been for herself. The guest in question goes by the name of Jisoo, and she always orders food for her girlfriend that goes by Rose, though the name registered is always Park Chaeyoung. The amount of envy that runs through Wendy’s veins whenever she receives requests for the guests’ partners… boy, it’s unimaginable.

“C-Can I get an order of carbonara pasta, a side order of pho and some kimbap, please?”

It's adorable how Jisoo always sounds incredibly embarrassed on the phone but in person, she can't wait to show her girlfriend off to everyone she meets. Even upon checking out from the room, Jisoo makes sure to let the people she sees know that Rose is her girlfriend. To have someone be so proud of being in a relationship despite the prejudice people have against it… Wendy wants to have someone like that. Don’t even talk about girlfriends; her past few boyfriends have done absolutely nothing but hurt her and break her heart. How can she expect someone to think of her as a good girlfriend when everyone shows her the exact opposite? Perhaps Rose’s kind words whenever they bump into each other in the hotel are well appreciated, but that doesn’t always erase a person’s insecurities.

“Of course, Miss Kim. How bout an additional tiramisu as well? We’re currently having a promotion for it. I would order it if I could too, actually.” Wendy offers kindly, not wanting her to feel so shy about ordering more food. It’s good to have a girlfriend who eats well, actually; so many people are obsessed with maintaining their weight and anorexic-looking figure in this country, it’s crazy. “I can put it on your usual order the next time round if it’s good.”

And the evening turns to night, a couple of calls coming in every half an hour for some minor requests. It's a part of Wendy's daily life now, catering to people from all walks of life and experiencing new aspects of the world she never knew existed before this. Wendy proved the people who said she wouldn't be able to last in this job thoroughly wrong, because she's enjoying it immensely. 

“What would it be like if I had someone like Miss Kim or Miss Kwon in my life?” Wendy sighs dreamily, resting her chin on her palm.

Of course, dreams do get cut short whether warranted or unwarranted.

A few complaints here and there; a few compliments thrown her way; see, everything is part and parcel of the job. In a way, it gives her balance. There will always be good and bad days, maybe really bad shifts once in a while since nasty people actually exist in large numbers. When that happens, Wendy simply goes to one of the nearby shops to have a drink before going home. Although she tries to remember that things said to her isn't on a personal basis, it's not always easy to pretend nothing ever happened. There is one particular memory of a guest mentioning that Wendy must not have had proper upbringing because she was too direct when speaking to her, and God, that really cut her to the bone. She had wonderful parents who went above and beyond with their efforts to bring their two daughters up to be good people. It was her grandparents' inheritance that finally took some weight off their shoulders, resembling a generous windfall instead. 

Seulgi had joined her at the restaurant afterward, ordering two bottles of soju and a portion of chicken. She didn't even need to check with her best friend where she had gone; it was clear from the way Wendy hurriedly packed her things and left the resort instead of her slowpoke self. Seulgi had been working here for a few months before she was approached by Wendy for a job... though it was a huge shock because it's no secret her best friend isn't exactly what one would call poor. 

“Miss Kang, how are you feeling?”

“Wannie...” Seulgi whines, tugging the covers up to her chin. She doesn't fancy the mischievious tone her best friend is using against her right now, especially when she isn't in the pink of health. “By the way, did you ask Sooyoung to come over? Because she's making our apartment hers now...”

Wendy shudders at the mere imagination of that happening; her bedroom would most likely be turned into something that she would rather not have in this life so she will leave the scolding to another time. At least she's aware that Sooyoung actually went over to take care of her best friend and not anywhere else. She can now complete all the tasks for her shift before handing over without any worries in the morning. A part of her wanted to get someone to cover her (even though she's technically covering for Seulgi already) because she doesn't trust Seulgi to take care of herself. Honestly, no one can tell who is older when they're together. Now that Sooyoung has done every one of them a favour by willing to spend the night with Seulgi in their apartment, Wendy decides she owes the latter a huge meal as a form of gratitude. Not wanting to be a total dummy, Wendy sends her precious best friend a few more kisses and more advice before hanging up the phone.

Just as she picks up one of the files to look through her paperwork, Wendy looks up to see an external number calling in this time. She isn't a fan of answering external calls because they usually ask all sorts of questions that are a tiny bit hard to handle, such as why are the rooms expensive? Or why do we need to pay extra for meals to be included? It's questions like these that tick Wendy off most.

“Good evening, this is Wendy Son from Jeju Lodge's Resorts and Spa. How may I assist you this morning?”

Some incoherent mumbling and muffled sounds is the answer. 

“Hello? Is anyone there?”  

“H-Help me… h-help fix m-my heart…”

Miss Bright Sunshine visibly tenses up, unable to believe what she just heard. She hasn't been in a relationship since 2012, ever since she got her heart broken by some idiot who decided that bringing one of his flings home was a good idea. It hurts more because Wendy loved him enough to pay three-quarters of his expensive school fees. At the time, everyone supported her decisions without questioning because her mother did the same for her father. How was she supposed to know that her outcome would be the total opposite? Right after that relationship, Wendy found herself incredibly traumatized and she shunned every opportunity to go on a date. In fact, there were people who asked her out to movies and to dinner, but all Wendy could remember and picture in her mind was the other party not turning up or getting turned off by her. There's technically no other reason why Wendy shouldn't skip out on dates that could potentially hurt her more than she needs to be. 

“Y-You asked... You asked h-how you could help... now help me!” 

The chubby-cheeked woman pales, never did she imagine her standard operating procedure to be the cause of her predicament with an obviously-intoxicated woman. She knows how to let people down easy but will the lady even remember speaking to her in the first place? Is there an actual point in continuing this conversation?

“HELLO! ANSWER ME!”

“Ma’am, I… I do apologize but that is a problem I unfortunately cannot help with… s-shall I call you a cab home?” Wendy immediately facepalms after that; she can’t call a taxi when she has no clue who or where the lady even is. She wants to offer her help so badly but there isn't much that can be done like this. “Can you let me know what you see in your surroundings? I can try to locate you.”

“UGH! USELESS!”

More mumbling follows that question and Wendy struggles to understand what exactly the lady would like her to do. She patiently waits for a response, not wanting to hang up the phone in case the lady sobers up in time. People might say it's in Wendy's personality, some others might claim that it's all part of being in the service line. Wendy herself knows it’s a mix of both; she’ll regret it for life if something happens to the lady when she could have prevented it in one way or another. Wendy can try to deny that she’s the same nice person after all these years, but her actions often prove her words otherwise – just like now. She has the option to hang up and focus on in-house guests but she won’t, at least not until she's sure the lady is taken care of. If she can’t take care of her in person, then at least Wendy can be sure no one would try to kidnap the drunk woman.

“Y-You… I hate you so much… You s-stomped on my h-heart…”

And the call was cut off after a few seconds.

Wendy sat back breathlessly, at least relieved that she had heard someone greet her caller by name and saying something along the lines of: “Why did you get yourself so drunk again, Joohyun?” The fact that her caller had done this more than once and chanced upon the resort's mainline? It's extremely awkward and coincidental but it's obvious that she was in distress.

A couple of drunken people calling isn’t a surprise, but they usually stay in the resort during that period of time. For someone who’s not even staying in-house, that’s considered weird.

What the hell was that?

***

“How did your night shift go, Wannie?”

Wendy throws her cap to the side, plopping her body on the sofa. She doesn’t know why, but last night would be considered extremely exhausting. Right after that odd call with the drunken woman, Wendy had a whole bunch of incoming complaints, ranging from minor problems to major ones – like the bed wood falling apart. To be very honest, she can’t take the memory of the drunken woman out of her mind. It’s the first time Wendy has heard such a desperate plea, and it hurts her heart for some reason. “A lady called last night, and she was terribly drunk,” Wendy sighs, cuddling into their human sized Chip plushie. She wonders how the woman could possibly look like; is she old? Does she have a head full of white hair or does she have a healthy body? These questions might as well continue until the next day, because it's all Wendy could think of before falling into dreamland. 

With a shake of her head, Seulgi smiles as she drapes a blanket over the younger one. She already knows where this whole topic is going; her best friend falls in love with people easily, but she feels for others foolishly. To people who aren’t friends of hers, Wendy still has that sense of empathy that could get her into trouble.

Seulgi bends lightly, kissing Wendy’s forehead, “Goodnight, Wan.”

***

“PARK SOOYOUNG! COME BACK HERE!”

Sooyoung squeals in delight, running away from the exasperated bear chasing after her along the corridor. See, this is the reason why no one can take them seriously in the back office. Who would believe them if they said they weren’t at least dating? Most of their colleagues find all this amusing since they’re watching from the sidelines but for Wendy who is close friends with both parties, it’s frustrating to see them dance around each other. Okay fine, Sooyoung might say she has a crush on Wendy now but her actions don’t completely match what she says either. Last night has just proven Wendy extremely sure of her own conjectures thus far; she can either choose to play as cupid or pretend she doesn’t know anything and let them play into fate’s hands. What if things go wrong though? Or what if they miss the opportunity to be with each other when they can be happy together?

“You two, get a room!”

“UNNIE!”

Sooyoung screeches to a halt when she hears that blunt claim, causing Seulgi to bump into her back. She finds her cheeks turning an embarrassing shade of pink; that is most definitely not what she’s expecting to hear, and certainly not from Wendy. Despite the constant snuggling from the bear standing behind her now, Sooyoung can’t stop thinking about an actual room… hence, her face turning redder than before. 

“Oh my God, I don’t want to know what’s going on in your mind so I’m going for break now. BYE!”

Seulgi is left hugging Soyoung from behind now, confused at the cryptic words exchanged between the two. She knows there is another meaning behind those words but what’s the point in trying to decipher it all? Surprises should be left unsaid. Though she probably wouldn’t be saying that if she knew what it meant… Seulgi might be the eldest among the three but that doesn’t mean she’s as broad-minded as they are. She probably thinks her best friend is referring to normal dates and the likes of it, hence there is no fuss over it all. Of course, no one would ever expect people with innocent faces like Wendy or Sooyoug to have such dirty minds and carefree mouths. They are, however, also the same people to defend and make sure Seulgi doesn’t get laughed at for not knowing the same.

“Sooyoung-ah, can we have supper together?”

“Of course we can, Unnie…” Sooyoung sighs, patting the older woman’s arms tenderly.

Oh, Kang Seulgi…

***

Wendy sits in her office, stretching her aching limbs to the fullest. She had a rather good sleep on the couch despite it not being the most comfortable place in the world. What comforted her was the blanket she found thrown on her when she woke up, along with a plate of black bean noodles and a side order of dumplings on their tiny coffee table. Their shifts might always be different from each other’s but the way they take care of each other is Wendy’s driving force. If Seulgi and her weren’t living together and sharing so many years of their lives together, Wendy’s actually very certain she wouldn’t be working in this industry. It was difficult to push through it all in the beginning, especially because Wendy had a short training period compared to other staff. Her first day standing alone at the front counter had brought a difficult guest in, who hurled insults at her and still invited her to his room for a drink.

It was traumatizing, to say the least.

Just as she is about to take a slice of kimbap into , Wendy furrows her eyebrows when she sees an unknown number calling. She can’t help but wonder if it’s the same person. Nevertheless, Wendy takes a bite and calms herself down; it’s not like she can turn down the call anyway.

“Good evening, this is Wendy Son from Jeju Lodge's Resorts and Spa. How may I assist you this morning?”

“Y-You again!” 

“Sorry, Miss… do I know you by chance?”

“Y-You still d-didn’t fix me after all…”

Oh dear. 

Wendy inwardly panics when she realizes who the caller is; well, the lady isn’t wrong in that sense – Wendy didn’t manage to help her yesterday. She knows this is already against her resort standards, especially spending too much time on external callers. Usually, a maximum of five minutes spent on external callers and then they need to wrap it up lest they neglect in-house guests. Wendy can’t exactly put her finger on it, but she can’t hang up even though there’s not many ways to help her. 

“I’m sorry, Ma’am… what can I do for you this evening?”

“K-Kill her for me…”

Shivers run down Wendy’s spine when the call gets cut off again; is this going to keep happening during her night shift? Because if it is, Wendy doesn’t plan on doing night shift any longer. It’s not just creeping her out; it’s driving her nuts because the same person is calling a number that shouldn’t even be listed in her contact list and it only happens during her shift. It might be unfortunate, or it could be fate up to its hard-to-get nonsense as it always is. She’s pretty certain that neither Sooyoung or Seulgi have encountered that problem before, they would have complained about