A cart full of food arrived at the agency training room. Irene was the first one to notice. The rest of the members were still practicing in front of the mirror. Irene, considered that she already mastered the choreography by the trainer, was taking a break at the corner of the room, fiddling with her phone.

Irene received the cart and unpacked all the food. There were fried noodles and dumpling, spicy meatball and paella. They all came in one big packaging so Irene had to divide the foods into plates for the members and the trainer.

When the break time finally came, the members flocked to the cart to grab their food. Irene, being the most organized person in the room, distributed the food evenly and in a very orderly fashion. She then retreated back to the corner of the room to play with her phone some more.

Seulgi sat on the floor right next to Wendy. Wendy was sweating like crazy and she was finishing her huge bottle of water. “You finished it in one gulp?”

Wendy smiled. “I’m thirsty.”

“What are you? A camel?”

“Shut up,” Wendy laughed and picked up her plate of food.

“Hey, you got three meatballs,” Seulgi whined.

It was true. There were three meatballs on Wendy’s plate and only two on Seulgi’s.

Seulgi looked to her other side where the trainer was also eating. She too only got two meatballs. “How come you have three?”

“Haha!” Wendy let out a maniacal laugh.

Seulgi sulked and ate in silence. Wendy finished her meal very quickly and she choked a little. She coughed.

“Here,” Irene came to her with a water bottle.

“Thanks, Unnie,” said Wendy, taking the bottle off of Irene’s hand.

“The water’s in that box, Seulgi,” Irene pointed to a cooler box by the table.

“Okay,” Seulgi nodded.

“You only brought one for Wendy?” asked the trainer.

“She was choking,” Irene answered coolly as she returned to her corner.

Seulgi watched Irene fiddled with her phone for a few seconds before looking to the trainer. Then, the two of them stared at each other for a full three seconds.

**

“It’s raining again,” said Joy.

All of the members were standing at the exit of the agency’s building. They had to go across the parking lot to get to their car. The manager was already in the car but he said he had no umbrella. So the girls had to run if they want to go home.

But the rain fell so hard they can’t even look too far ahead.

“Should we give up on going home and sleep here instead?” said Seulgi jokingly.

“In the cafeteria, maybe,” said Yeri.

“Huh? Where’s Irene-unnie?” Joy looked around.

Irene came out from nowhere carrying two umbrellas.

“Ooh, salvation,” said Seulgi.

Irene had one small umbrella and one ginormous one. “I can only find two of these, so….” Irene handed the small umbrella to Wendy, “You go on ahead.”

“Okay,” Wendy took the umbrella and walked under the rain.

“Gather around,” Irene opened the huge umbrella and Joy, Seulgi, and Yeri flocked around her. The umbrella was not big enough. When the four of them walked under the rain, Seulgi’s shoulder was wet, Yeri’s feet are wet, and Joy’s back was unprotected. Even Irene, the one stood in the center, got a few splashes on her. They all arrived at the car in a miserable state.

Seulgi sat down and looked at Wendy. The only one who completely dry. And she thought to herself, “Hmm.”

**

The rain continued into the night. The members were gathering in the living room during the rain and Seulgi, who was reading a magazine on the sofa, had fallen asleep. A few hours later, Seulgi was woken up by the voice of two girls laughing and shouting.  Joy and Yeri were playing Playstation and the two had so much fun they made so much noise.

Seulgi sat up, yawning, and stretched her legs. Then, on of her leg hit Wendy. Wendy was also sleeping on the sofa, right next to Seulgi. Seulgi couldn’t move so she lay back down, trying to get more sleep.

“Hey,” it was Irene’s voice. “Keep your voices down. Wendy’s sleeping.”

“Sorry, Unnie,” said Joy and Yeri in unison.

Seulgi, who was completely awake now, curled her lips and thought, “Hmm.”

**

At midnight, Seulgi who had move her sleeping place into the room, felt hungry. She went out the room to the kitchen to grab something to eat. At the dining table, she saw a bowl of soup.  Since there was nobody around, Seulgi decided to sit down and eat it.

“Oh.”

Seulgi raised her head and found Irene standing by the bathroom.

“Hey, Unnie.”

“Hey. You’re awake.”

“Hungry. Whose soup is this?”

“Wendy’s. I made it for her.”

“Oh. Is it okay if I eat it?”

“It’s fine. I’ll make her another,” Irene walked to the kitchen and made another bowl of soup.

Seulgi watched Irene make another soup in the kitchen. “Hmm.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Seulgi finished her bowl and washed it at the sink.

Seulgi took a glass of water and when she drank it, she noticed that Wendy was still at the sofa, sleeping. There was a blanket over her body, a blanket that wasn’t there when Seulgi left her. Seulgi turned to Irene and thought, “Hmm.”

Irene finished making the soup and sat on the dining table to play with her phone.

“Aren’t you going to sleep, Unnie?”

Irene shook her head. “Not sleepy.”

“Okay,” Seulgi stood near the water dispenser for a few minutes.

On the sofa, Wendy stirred and she opened her eyes. She sat up and looked with empty eyes around the dorm. She yawned again. “What time is it?”

“Around one,” said Seulgi.

“Oh, I’m hungry.”

“I made you soup,” Irene said.

“Thanks, Unnie,” Wendy sat on the dining table and eat the soup. “It’s good.”

“Clean up after, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And finish the soup.”

“Okay.”

Irene stood up and walked to her room. When she passed by Seulgi, the younger girl was looking at her so intently. “What?”

“I thought you were not sleepy.”

“I am now.”

“Hmm.”

Irene disappeared behind the door to her room. Seulgi then took a minute to watch Wendy eating soup before smiling and entered her own room.

“Hmm.”

--