The crowd couldn't stop cheering for the team, as they just got one point of margin from the deuce. The opponent from the semi-final was definitely more well-played, more organised and tougher than all the previous opponent team they played against.

Aubrey gestured the signal with hiding her hand behind her back to the rest of the team, panting as to catch her breath, giving the next tactics for this last match. The members casted a look to each other, nodding their heads respectively.

They were so close of closing the game.

Seulgi acted as the server, throwing the balls upward, hitting it across the field. The opponent caught it with no difficulty, pushing the ball to the teammates, setting up for a strike, aiming the empty spot on the left.

When the ball was hit, Wendy knew the spot it was aiming, despite it was definitely impossible to catch it, as she was standing too far from it.

Wendy slipped through Joy and Beca who were standing beside, throwing her body to the ground, diving through the gritty ground, her face frowned at the scratch on her wrist, yet her eyes focused on the ball that was falling to the ground.

Her fist facing inward as she hit the ball, setting a different angle for the ball, saving the point. Chloe quickly appeared to the ball, digging it up for Joy.

Joy jumped high, her arm stretching upward, going for a strike.

The opponent team thought it would be out of bound, hence staying put at their position, watching the ball landing on the ground.

The referee blew the whistle as soon as the ball landed, the crowd stopped chanting.

All of them panted heavily, as they waited the decision from the referee.

The line judge extended the arm with the hand open toward the court, flashing the flag.

Indicating the ball was, in fact, in bound.

The team rushed toward each other, the others attempting to carry Joy on their shoulder, only to see Joy wiggling through the hands as Joy was pulled into a kiss by Seulgi.

Joy's widened eyes and stunned body caused all the team to laugh at the public displayed affection, joining the roar in the crowd. The cheers was shrieking even louder at the arena, almost throwing the roof off.

Wendy was there to laugh, her eyes glistening with love as she saw one of her composed friend to be swept off by the feet.

Her eyes swept across the crowd, she didn't know why she did that, despite knowing she wouldn't be here. Her body was more honest than she thought, quickly shifting back her attention to her team.

A too perfect smile splattered across her face as she met eyes with Beca who was standing opposite her, shrugging her head, as she warmly threw a question look toward Beca's worrying look.

Their interaction only to be interrupted by the group hug as Chloe pushed them into a group hug, ushering the group to chant their slogan.

"Let's us welcome the team of HanYang university to the final!"

The group didn't forget the courtesy to shake hand with the opponent team, exchanging words.

"Thanks for a good game."

 "That was close."

"Good luck in the final." Wendy nodded her head with a genuine smile as she shook the hand of the opponent who aimed for the empty spot.

"Don't be this reckless in the final." The warm warning caught Wendy's attention, her body stopped itself from walking past the opponent, finding herself dumbfounded for a moment, only remembered to nod her head as a reply.

"We are just talking about you! So, where are we heading?" Stacie wrapped her hand around the MVP's shoulder, nudging Wendy to give idea.

Wendy chuckled, her hand removing the hand around her shoulder as she said.

"I think I'll pass."

The alarming silence screeched through the originally loud waiting room, the fretting eyes casted among the members.

No one dared to say a word.

Joy quickly spoke up, disguising her worrying tone with non-chalance. "Don't be a killjoy."

"It wouldn't be fun, without you." Seulgi quickly stepped forward, stretching her hand to her best friend's hand.

Wendy shook her head, patting her friend's hand as she withdrew her hand, a smile stretched again. "Don't be so dramatic, you guys will be just fine without me." Her tone overly gentle as if she was cooing a baby.

"I'll go to bath." Wendy turned around, grabbing all her necessities, walking out from the waiting room, didn't even care all the eyes casted on her.

They all wanted to say something yet not dare to.

"I'll talk to her." Beca spoke as she followed her member, walking out from the waiting room.

Wendy was splashing water to her face when Beca walked into the shared bathroom, the eyes met through the mirror.

Using the towel to wipe her face clean, she nodded to Beca with a smile, proceed to take a bath.

Beca waited no time, stepping forward, blocking the road, casting a knowing look to her member.

Wendy glanced toward her captain, pretending to be clueless, shrugging her head. "What?" Wendy didn't forget to compliment her innocence with a chuckle.

Beca sighed, shaking her head, speaking up, sincerity full in her tone. "You know, you can talk to us, right?"

Wendy nodded her head with that smile again.

The robotic, perfectly stretched muscle on her face which didn't even reach her eyes.

"I know."

The eye-locking showdown between the captain and the member as they speak.

The fake flicker of passion camouflaged the lost phantom beneath it.

All people who knew Wendy would see through the poorly authentic acting, but Wendy didn't even mind as long as no one brought it up.

"I'm just gonna take a shower." Wendy arched up her eyebrows, her elbow nudging as she put the towel on her shoulder, her tone full of the awkward innocence, reminding the blockage from Beca.

Reminding how Beca asked Chloe to get out when she barged in her shower.

Beca stepped aside, giving way for Wendy, backed off as Wendy wished.

"You guys have fun, okay?" Wendy even didn't forget the courtesy before she closed the curtain.

All of them rushed toward Beca when she came back from the bathroom, bombarding the petite captain with questions.

"What did she say?" Seulgi asked, her tone almost teary.

"Did she say she wanna join us?" Stacie's tone hopeful.

"Is she okay?" Chloe sighed.

"I just said she can come to talk to us anytime she feels like it." Beca stated out the truth, didn't understand the frantic reaction behind it.

All of them facepalmed at the "helpful" captain's not-so-helpful tactics, all rolled their eyes, turning their back to gather the necessities, going to the bathroom respectively.

"What, guys?" The kicked chihuahua whined as to call out the members. "Hey, you know how bad I am when I come to talk." Her eyes searched for validation as the members walked past her while she reasoned herself.

As the last member who walked out, Joy reached out and patted Beca on the shoulder, was kind enough to give the validation the captain was looking for. "Beca, don't sweat it, you already did what you can."

"Was she like this in highschool? When Joohyun left?"

Joy shook her head dejectedly as she replied. "No." 

Tore away from the gaze, casting an empty look toward the hallway, sighing as she closed her eyes, her head started to ache at the mere thought of it.

"Which is worse."

"Why?" Beca gulped as to see her friend to have such dark expression on the joyful Joy.

"She didn't pretend to be okay."

"Shouldn't we do something about it?" Stacie asked as the gang gathered at the usual diner, her fork poking the salad, her tone slightly dispirited.

It went all the same to the team, they just got into final, yet they all looked they lost the champion as they didn't come here as a whole.

A part of them was despairly grieving and there was nothing they can do.

"Irene, you're late."

Wendy's fist clutched almost immediately as she heard the name, her head digged lower to avoid any possible eye contact, suddenly Wendy's throat felt dry.

She definitely wasn't ready to face her.

A sigh escaped as she heard the Irene muttered an apology. Wendy finally remembered how to breathe as the two dragged themselves to other place. Her hand stayed put in front of her chest, taming the wild feast trying to escape from the ribcage.

"You look like ."

Wendy already lost count of people telling her that, of course with better words, but basically all of them meant this. Wendy apparently grew tired of their obligated concern.

Wendy was absolutely not fine, she knew that, and made sure everyone who knew her well knew that, also made sure no one could ever muster courage to find out why.

"I'm aware, thank you. You aren't so bad yourself." The past Wendy might have been offended by a sudden rude comment from someone. Wendy, with Seungwan coming back, didn't really give a about others, her eyes glued to her notes, didn't even bother to look up to the rude stranger as she threw back the comment back to the person.

"I guess Seungwan is really back."

That very sentence caused Wendy to snap her head, meeting gaze with whoever had the guts of bringing that up.

Jessica's eyes twinkled with mischief, plopping her head with her elbow, her enjoyment fully reflected on the smirk on her face.

It was annoying as to Wendy.

"If I were you, I won't press into people's wound like that." Wendy threw a dead stare toward her senior as she stood up, didn't want to waste her energy on something trivial like this.

Seungwan would run in moments like this, when it was too much for her to handle.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Jessica quickly put her hands up as she surrendered, her hand stretching out to grab Wendy's wrist, wanting her to stay.

"It's just that you were sitting here for days, weeks." Jessica didn't care to hide the fact that she had been observing Wendy for days.

"Are you stalking me?" As much as Wendy wanted it to be intimidating, the ice queen had been through worse to handle this piece of cake.

Their level were definitely not the same.

"This is my spot, and judging by your aura. You would murder anyone who come to talk you." Jessica shrugged as she said.

"But, you come and talk to me, senior."

"You know I'm not anybody."

Wendy scoffed at the self-centred comment, her body nevertheless moved as to give the place to the queen.

"Come to my party? It will be on Christmas Eve, we count down and it's my graduation party, I already asked Joy and Seulgi, and everyone else."

Wendy gulped at the thought of everyone.

What if she would be there.

Jessica quickly dispersed the countless scenario running through Wendy's idea, though whatever came out from Jessica was always sarcastic.

"She disappeared, if that's what you're worrying. No one knows where she is, some says she went back to daegu, some says she take a year off. I swear rumours are getting crazier."

Wendy didn't respond to the rumours speculating her whereabouts. Whoever she was, Wendy didn't care.

"You guys make up?" With Seungwan coming back, she also remembered all childish beefs occured during highschool occured among them.

"If I were you, I won't press into people's wound like that." Jessica's face dropped at the mention of them, reciting the same sentence.

Wendy shrugged as the lips muscle pulled into the innocently annoying smile, getting back on Jessica.

Wendy was getting to the level of Jessica.

"But, yes, I reached out. We got over it. We're all good." Jessica shrugged nonchalantly, though a genuine smile spread across the icy cold expression on the ice queen.

"So, will you be there and celebrate with us?"

The suggestive and hopefully warm tone, contrasting with the normally indifferent tone. It didn't give Wendy much of a choice to reject.

Wendy wondered if she could ever get over it, nevertheless she was happy for 9 of them, and to se