Joy sat on the floor by Wendy’s bed. The owner of the bed was hugging a Teddy bear, sulking all morning. Joy, who had just returned from her parents’ house, was greeted with a grim expression of Wendy and she got dragged into the room. Something happened during the visit to the Secret Beach.

“She kissed?” Joy had to make sure she didn’t get the point of Wendy’s story.

“Yes.”

“Like a real kiss?”

“She just said that she just had her first kiss,” said Wendy.

“Who was it?”

“I didn’t ask. Argh, now I can’t get the image of Irene kissing out of my head.”

Joy curled her lips when Wendy dropped to her bed and buried her face in the pillow.

“Is that why you cut your hair, Unnie?” asked Joy.

“Hmm.”

“You look great, by the way.”

“Thanks.”

“So… do you want me to find out who it is, or….”

“No. It’s just going to make me feel even more miserable.”

“But, you said it yourself that Irene-unnie is straight, right? So the fact that she’s seeing someone and had her first kiss doesn’t change anything.”

“Yes. I know for a fact that Irene-unnie and I could never be together but to think that she has a boyfriend… the kiss… I don’t know…. I thought I was prepared for it but I am not. It hurts.”

Joy didn’t know what to say, although she knew Wendy was not expecting any consolation or whatever. Still, Joy felt like she had to say something.

“So, what are you gonna do?”

Wendy shrugged. “Nothing. As always, I will have to go on loving her without her knowing. It just got harder than before.”

**

The agency building was in a sudden heap of joy when Amber visited. Amber was always away on something and when she returned, everyone seemed to be rejoicing. Amber was like the main event in any party.

The most excited person was probably Taeyeon. She ditched a meeting with one of the producers to had lunch with Amber. Then, after Taeyeon returned to her work, Amber was busy with Krystal. After Krystal, Amber hung out with Boa and Changmin until late in the afternoon.

Wendy was finishing her dance practice when she came downstairs and met Amber. She was now all alone and getting ready to go home.

“Oh!” Wendy hugged Amber. “How are you?”

“Good. Perfect timing I ran into you. Do you have any plans after this? I’m thinking of getting some Korean barbecue. It’s been ages since I’ve eaten Korean authentic meat.”

“Sure. Let’s go. Let me call Irene-unnie and my manager.”

So they went to a cozy place right in the middle of the city with Amber car. They got a table right in the middle of the restaurant and they ordered a lot of meat.

“How long are you planning to stay in the country, Unnie?” asked Wendy.

“A week, probably.”

“And what you’re going to do while you’re here?”

“A lot, actually. Oh, and no one to accompany me. Where will you go tomorrow?”

“I’m on a holiday. I have five days left. You want me to go with you?”

“Yes! That’ll be perfect. There’s a contemporary art exhibition I want to go to tomorrow. I’ll ask Krystal but she’s flying overseas.”

“Okay.”

“Cool. I’ll pick you up at eleven?”

“Okay.

**

Amber arrived at Red Velvet’s dorm exactly at eleven and Wendy skipped down the building eagerly. They drove for a half an hour to the museum. There were some press at the steps and they had to pose for a little bit before entering the exhibition.

The two ended the museum tour at around two and they went for a lunch at an Italian place downtown. Then they went to a karaoke until late in the afternoon. For dinner, Amber wanted to eat some street food so they went to the market place in the heart of the city. They didn’t bother avoiding the public eyes because it was futile for there were so many people in the market. It took them quite some time to maneuver through the crowd to get to a stall. They filled their belly with food and a little soju.

By the end of the night, Amber invited Wendy to go to a movie premier and the latter girl said yes. So, the next day, Amber came to Red Velvet dorm at four in the afternoon. Wendy hopped into the car with some casual t-shirt and jeans. Amber however, was wearing blazer and fancy shirt.

“Why are you so dressed up?” asked Wendy.

“Because it’s a movie premiere. There will be cameras and interviews.”

“You didn’t say that yesterday!”

“I’m saying it now. Go change.”

Wendy ran back and changed into a simple dress and put on some makeup. Then, she and Amber drove to Seoul Theatre.

It was indeed a premier for a movie because there was red carpet and the press. It turned out that Amber was invited by the director because he was her friend. Wendy was there as Amber’s plus one. After some photos and short interview, the two entered the theatre hall to mingle. There were famous directors in there and some well-known actors. The mayor and the chief of police were there too. A head of a fashion magazine spotted Amber and Wendy and she came up to them for a lengthy conversation. Then Amber found her friend the director and they talked for a while before entering the theatre.

The movie was okay for Wendy’s standard and Amber agreed. It will, however, performed well in the country because of the casts. The director then asked the two to attend the after party at a hotel not too far from the theatre. Amber and Wendy went.

The party was a blast and Wendy had a great time. When the clock struck at eleven, Amber signaled Wendy that it was time to go. Before going home, they stopped at a chicken soup place. Around two in the night, Amber drove Wendy back to the dorm.

“It was fun, Unnie. Thank you,” said Wendy.

“No. Thank you for accompanying me. I’ll let you rest tomorrow and find out what to do on my own.”

“Feel free to ask me again. I actually need a distraction from something I’m going through.”

“Oh, are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing much.”

“Well, there is a friend of mine who’s having a wine tasting tomorrow. I didn’t want to go because her peers get so weird around celebrities, but if you’re coming, then….”

“It’s a date, then,” Wendy smiled.

“Okay. I’ll pick you up tomorrow at two.”

Wendy smiled and got out of the car. She said goodbye to her senior and ran upstairs. Wendy took out her keys and unlocked the door. She entered the dorm and found Irene was sitting at the kitchen, looking at her.

“Hey, Unnie.”

“It’s two.”

“Um, yeah,” Wendy took a glance at her watch.

“It’s two in the morning. Where have you been?”

“I’ve been with Amber-unnie. I told you this morning, right?”

“But you didn’t say you will come home this late.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

“You’re grounded. Stay home tomorrow.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“But… I mean. You can’t ground me. What are you? My mom?”

“I am your leader, Wendy.”

“Yes, but still….”

“You’re out of control. You drink every day and you come home late. You’re a celebrity. You have an image to keep.”

“I am not doing anything wrong, Unnie. Stop exaggerating.”

“I am not exaggerating. What if the paparazzi found you and Amber together and they concocted a story about you and her being together? What would happen then?”

“Joy is with Super Junior-oppas a lot. No one seems to mind.”

“It’s different with them.”

“Different how?”

“They’re not girls.”

Wendy froze. “Excuse me?”

“I mean…,” Irene was flustered.

“Is that what it is about? Is it because Amber-unnie is…. Do you have a problem with that?”

“No,” Irene said but soon turned silent.

“She’s my friend, Unnie, yours too. And I can hang out with her if I wanted to. I can date her if I wanted to.”

“Don’t…,” Irene sighed. “Don’t even joke about it.”

Wendy felt something boiling up in her chest and she looked at Irene with anger. “What if I am?”

Irene fixed her eyes at Wendy but she said nothing.

“What if I am dating her?” Wendy stomped her way to the room and slammed the door. Inside, Wendy threw her jacket on the bed, jumped on it, and she buried her face in the pillow. She screamed. Wendy her back and stared at the ceiling. A tear escaped her eyes which she quickly wiped away. But more tears came out and she couldn’t help but sobbing in the darkness of her room.

--