CHAPTER 11

“She’s coming, she’s coming,” Yeri whispered as she read the text from her manager as she and Seulgi sits at the living with food in front. Then they heard the door open.

“Oh, unnie, you’re home.” Yeri greeted with a smile “How was the shoot?”

“Tiring.” Irene answered shortly

“Are you hungry? Yeri bought a food” Seulgi said

“I’m not hungry but thank you.” Irene answered then went to her room

Seulgi sighed deeply when Irene got inside her room “I shouldn’t have told her.”

“Wendy unnie will be gone for two months, it’s not like she won’t find out.” Yeri said logically “I’m just kind of glad that I didn’t need to be the one to tell her.”

Seulgi sighed as she remembered the reflection on Irene’s eyes that night “Yeah, it wasn’t a sight to see. And it’s really making me sad that it’s like she left too when Seungwan left three weeks ago. She’s here but she’s not at all.”

“Mom?” Wendy uttered in surprised when she saw her mother standing in front the moment she opened her door

Surprised was also evident on Mrs. Son’s face “I-I was just passing by” she said as she starts to left

Wendy went out of her room, “Would you like to have a tea with me?”

Mrs. Son stop from her tracks as Wendy steps towards her “I’m still having a hard time adjusting to the time difference.”

“Oh, this is great.” Wendy said as she made a satisfied look after sipping from her cup. Her mother didn’t say a word and just drink from her cup.

Wendy stares at her cup while holding it then said “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Honey, you have nothing to apologize for.” Mrs. Son told her softly “I’m your mother; I will always worries about you.”

It’s been three weeks since Wendy came and the first two weeks was the hardest for Mrs. Son especially the first day. She passes by her room in the middle of the night when she drinks water, and then there she heard, the cry of her daughter and every night that comes after that.

She doesn’t want to bring it up, she knows that if Wendy finds out that she knew she’s been crying all night, Wendy would feel guilty for worrying them so she just kept mum and stood on her door like what she’s doing tonight.

Wendy’s been so good at keeping and pretending that everything is okay so even though her parents and sister knew that she wasn’t they just rolled with it. Sometimes she would find Wendy staring at nothingness, there were also moments that they’re in the middle of doing something like baking or just merely talking and Wendy would just turn silent.

It’s breaking her heart seeing the lifeless eyes of her daughter who used to always have a sparkle and happiness on it. It’s breaking her heart as a mother who couldn’t do anything for her precious daughter.

On the contrary to Mrs. Son, Wendy felt better. Though she had been crying her hearts out since she got here she felt better.

Ever since she broke things off with Irene, she couldn’t find a time to actually mourn for their relationship. Crying is a luxury she cannot have while she’s in South Korea. She cannot cry for she’s afraid she wouldn’t stop and makes everyone worried than they already are.

At least here, she’s free to do so. The pain, she’s been struggling to keep inside, she’s able to let it all out.

“I wanted to assure you that I’m fine so you would stop worrying but I can’t and I’m sorry.” Wendy said as tears starts forming on her eyes as she pointed to her heart “This stupid heart still misses her.”

“That’s because you love her that much. Letting go of someone you love with all your heart isn’t easy even if they break your heart. No amount of hate can make all those love disappear in an instant, not even time can tell.”

THE MEMORIES  

“Mom?” Seunghee asked when she saw her mother coming out of the guest room

“Oh, good morning,” Mrs. Son greeted her “I cleaned the guest room.”

“Is she coming today?”

Mrs. Son nodded smiling, and then they heard the doorbell.

“Seungheunnie!” A girl squealed as soon as Seunghee opened the door and then hugged her “I miss you.

Seunghee returned the hug “I miss you too.” The girl pulled back when she saw Mrs. Son behind them

“I miss you too mother-in-law.” The girl said softly as she went to hug the older woman

Mrs. Son smile at her warmly and returned the hug “You haven’t change. I miss you too dear.”

“You too mother-in-law.” She said pulling back “Are you drinking on fountain of youth? You still look the same.”

Mrs. Son chuckles as the girl looked around. “Where is fiancé?” she asked excitedly

“She’s still sleeping.” Mrs. Son answered

“Does she know? Please tell me she doesn’t know.” The girl said with hopeful eyes

“We kept mum as promised.” Seunghee answered

“Great! I’m going to surprised her to death!” The girl said excitedly

“Sure you will.” Seunghee chuckle lightly

Wendy stirred from her sleep facing sideways, and then opened her eyes lazily.

“Good morning, fiancé~” The woman greeted her with smile, facing her.

Wendy widens her eyes, pulling back instinctively “Oh my Go…d” she trails off after falling on the floor.

A delight chuckle surround the room as the girl crawled on bed towards Wendy’s side.

“F-fiance?” Wendy mumble while staring at the woman on the bed.

Big smile curved up on the woman’s face as she jumped on Wendy “I miss youuu!”

“What are you two doing?” Joy asked seeing Seulgi and Yeri pushing each other in front of Irene’s bedroom.

Seulgi looked at her flustered “N-nothing.”

“I don’t think so.” Joy said walking towards them “Is Irene unnie alright?”

“Of course besides Wendy unnie.” Joy added when Yeri and Seulgi looked away

Seulgi sighed then spoke “Manager unnie called, asking if Irene unnie eat today. She said Irene unnie barely eat anything on lunch yesterday and didn’t have anything last night.”

“I’m worried too; she hasn’t come out of her room since morning.” Yeri told them, Joy looked at the clock, 8:23PM. It’s been 24 hours already.

There was silence for a moment, and then Joy broke it by knocking on Irene’s room.

There was no answer or sign that anyone’s moving inside. She tried opening it but the door was locked. Then she walked away.

“What are you going to do?”  Seulgi asked when Joy entered her and Seungwan’s room

“Key.” Joy answered

“What key? I don’t have a key on Irene unnie’s room” Seulgi said looking at Joy opening Wendy’s cabinet

“You don’t but Wendy unnie does.” Joy said as she pulled out a key on the cabinet.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to do this?” Yeri asked hesitation evident on her.

“No.” Joy answered standing in front of Irene’s room “But can you think of anything else?”

Joy inserted the key when Yeri and Seulgi didn’t answer.

A lamp was opened on the bedside so they easily saw Irene’s figure on the bed. She’s back facing them.

“Unnie.” Yeri called softly

“Yerimie I’m tired, I want to rest.” Irene spoke not moving on her spot.

“Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?” It was Seulgi

“I just want to sleep.”

“But—“ Seulgi was about to say something when Joy cut her off

“Can you leave us?”

Both Seulgi and Yeri looked at her in surprised. Joy looked at Seulgi, Seulgi made a deep sighed as if understanding Joy, “Let’s go, Yerimie” she said pulling the girl outside.

“Are you sure it’s okay to leave Joy unnie there?” Yeri asked, worried “What if she tells her that?”

Seulgi sighed worriedly looking at the door “Let’s just hope she doesn’t.”

“Joy, you too.” Irene said still not moving from her spot.

“Manager unnie said you haven’t eaten anything since last night.”

Irene pulled the blanket on her body “I’m not hungry. I just wan—“

“Should I call Seungwan unnie?” Joy cut her off.

Irene’s body tensed at the mention of Wendy’s name. “Get out.”

“If you don’t get your up there right now, I will call her and tell her to comeback.” she stops when Irene gets up from her bed

“Get out.” She said fuming.

“Why, isn’t that what you want?” Joy not backing down from the fuming BaeJoohyun “Isn’t it the reason why you’re being like this? I’d rather be selfish and guilt trip her to comeback than see you like this. You don’t stop working and when you do, you don’t get out, you don’t eat and God look at you, you are not yourself.”

Irene looked down, everything that Joy said was right. She has never been herself after what happen between her and Wendy, how can she when she just lost a part of her? And she wants to see her, she needs to see her so bad, or else she’s going crazy.

“I understand how you feel, I u—“

“Don’t compare your pain to mine,” Irene looked at her, eyes starting to tear up “What happened to you were out of your hands, but what I had with Seungwan…” she stop when tears fall “I throw it all away with my own hands.”

“At least you know that you did.” Joy said sternly “You know when people said that whoever Bae Joohyun falls in love with will be the luckiest, I don’t agree with them because you are the luckiest. There’s only one Son Seungwan in this world and she choose to give her heart to you, that’s beyond lucky. That is world giving everything to you.”

“I know that.” Irene sobs

“You know what’s making me sad, is the fact that you do everything in perfection, singing, dancing, photo shoot, commercial, everything and yet you manage to up that one thing that’s giving you everything. Why is that?”

Irene didn’t answer and just let the tears stream down her face, guilt, sadness, anger and hate towards herself is washing over her. “I love Seungwan so much, that is without question. I didn’t know when did I start not noticing the quiver on her voice when she’s lying, the sadness on her eyes even when she’s smiling. I used to notice everything everytime when it comes to her, how could I not know what was happening when she’s beside me the whole damn time?”

“It’s because you weren’t really there. Not even when you were together” Joy stated “She needed you to tell her that nothing has change, she needed you to show her that your love is still there, she needed you and you weren’t there even when you two were together.”

Joy’s figure then turn soft looking at Irene “Why out of all things that you have, you choose to break the heart she gave you?”

Those words ring on Irene’s head, as she finally lost all the strength on her knees and drop on the floor.

Joy rushed to her and drops on her level to hug her as Irene cried her eyes out.

“S-Sooyoung-ah, what am I going to do?” Irene asked in between tears “W-what if she… I can’t do it without her.”

“She’ll be back and when she does and she will, make sure that you set everything right.”

“What if she doesn’t want to be with me anymore? What if she—“

Joy pulled from the hug and looks straight at Irene.

“She was waiting for you. She was waiting for you before she left until the last second so you could tell her not to go and she wouldn’t.” Joy said smiling at her “Just because her heart stops to rest for a moment doesn’t mean she’s giving up. She loves you so much that even pain won’t be able to keep up with it.”

“F-fiancé?” Wendy mumbles while staring at the woman on the bed.

Big smile curved up on the woman’s face as she jumped on Wendy “I miss youuu!”

“I miss you, I miss you, I miss you!” The girl said while giving kiss to Seungwan’s face. Forehead, nose, cheeks.

 Then pulled her in an embrace “I miss you.” She whispered.

Wendy tightened the hug, smiling softly “I miss you to Rosé.”

 Wendy pulled from the hug as she looked at her smile never leaving her “When did you get here? How long will you be here, why didn’t you tell me you’re coming?”

Rosé chuckles on Wendy’s non-stop question “I wanted to surprise you, that’s why.”

“You certainly did fiancé” Wendy affirms “Is this why you have been ignoring all my calls and messages?

“I wasn’t ignoring you, okay” Rosé defends, cackling “I just didn’t want to blow it, I’m pretty sure I’d tell you within two seconds if I hear your voice.”

“I thought you’ve been busy with someone already.”

“I can never be busy for you, and am certainly not cheating on you, you idiot.” Rosé said lightly tapping Wendy’s nose

Wendy couldn’t help but smile “How long will you stay here? And please tell me you’ll stay here”

Rosé laughs again “A week and yes, I will stay here with you even if you wanted to get rid of me.”