Irene shivered, rubbing her palms together, blowing hot air to her cold palms. Seulgi noticed this small action, moving closer to the freezing girl. 

“Cold?” Irene nods and replies in her cute baby voice. 

“It’s so cold up here.” 

“Come here.” Seulgi says, opening her large jacket and wrapped it around Irene’s body, sharing body heat with the shorter girl. 

“Better?” Irene nods, pressing her body further, sighing in that warm sensation. 

Joy face twisted looking at the cute interaction. She shifted her attention to Yerim and found the girl smirking at her. 

“What?” 

“Oh, nothing.” Yerim says, proceed working with the set up. 

Joy stood still for a moment. 

“Yerim ah –“ 

“Nope!” Yerim cuts her already know the tall girl intention. “I don’t control the weather. Hug yourself.” 

Joy pursed her lips. “Bad friend.” 

“Boo-hoo. Too bad.” 

“Hishhh...” 

Yerim squint her eyes, shoving two kimbap into at once, chomping the innocent food aggressively, analyzing (glaring) the pink hair girl sitting in front of her. She let out an audible grunt the longer she watch Wendy antic. The pink hair girl is in the middle stuffing marshmallows into while the orange teddy help by adding, pushing the white stuff inside that full cheeks, happy in helping Wendy with her ridiculous experiment.

Yerim huffed “I can’t believe this is the same girl who got a perfect score.” Yerim grumbled, turning her attention towards the remaining two. 

“What?” Joy asks aware of Yerim skeptical look while Irene raise an eyebrow. 

“Are you two not surprised at all that Wendy got a perfect score?” 

Joy hoist her shoulders. “Nope. Wendy is smart. So...not surprising at all.” 

“She help me with my homework before so...” Irene trails, shrugging slightly. 

“Seriously? Am I the only who think she’s... I mean – look at her.” She motioned at the two soulmates. 

 “Purhm-irm-mur.” Talking gibberish. 

“Really? You want more?” Seulgi strangely understood Wendy gibberish talk.   

“Get what I mean.” Yerim says, her expression screams this must be a joke. 

The two girls cackled. “Yeah...I get what you mean. She’s doesn’t look bright, right?” Joy says. 

Yerim nod. “I ask her for a tip. You know... what’s her secret, tips on getting perfect marks and all... And you know what she said to me?” 

“What?” 

“EAT!  What kind of tip is that?” Yerim exclaimed which the two respond with another set of laughter.

“Well, it is a best tip. If you don’t eat, you don’t’ have energy and then, you lose focus.” Irene reasoned. 

There was a pause for a brief second and strangely, without wasting any time Yerim throws in as many kimbaps could contain, having a sudden urge of hunger rushing her whole body. 

“Slow down.” Irene warn, worried by the impressive chopstick skill Yerim possess.  

Joy shakes her head. “Look, what you’ve done.” 

“What?” 

“You already know Yerim only listen to you. I don’t get why...but if she’s dead because of those kimbaps, I’m blaming you.” Irene hissed at her. 

Instead of Yerim, someone else is dying. Holding her neck desperately, choking on the fluffy white stuff. 

“Oh my god!” Seulgi screech in panic, smacking Wendy’s back. 

Wendy is still choking, her eyes rolling up, clutching on Seulgi arm desperately. 

“Ottokae?!!!” Seulgi shriek doesn’t know what to do.

Joy and Irene quickly hop on their feet, ready to sprint and save the day. Even before they could take any action, Seulgi in her panic state did something extraordinary.  

“HAIYYAA!” 

Karate chop on Wendy’s neck (neck slice). 

The two girls froze, eyes widening while Yerim titter as Wendy fall down on the floor, rolling-wailing in pain, those gross marshmallows were no longer suffocating her. The white stuff are now decorating all over the stun bear face.    

“Arrkkkk!!” 

“Ewww!!” 

“Kekekeke..” 

(...) 

Several moments later...

‘Clap’ ‘Clap’ “Wow! Bravo!” Joy comment, shaking her head in amazement. “What a show.”  

Irene brows met in the middle after witnessing the short sitcom, grunting. “ Okay, that’s it! From now on, no more experiment.” Her sharp eyes landed on Seulgi and Wendy.  “No more stuffing food into your mouth. That means you Kim Yerim.”

“What? I did nothing.” Yerim says, still giggling. 

 “Haishhh...Stop laughing and go help Wendy.” 

That manage to put Yerim on hold. “What? Why me?” Yerim express her disaffection. 

“Yerim!” 

“Fine!” Yerim grumble, placing her chopstick down, narrowing her gaze towards the lying figure as she stomps over to help, evidently annoyed. 

“Seulgi, go clean yourself. Wash your face.” Irene command sternly which the bear nods and dash away in a speed of light. 

Joy smirk, side eyeing the short girl. “Wow! Do you work as a part time mother too?”  

Irene frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Joy shrugged. “Nothing! I’m just saying you’re old.” 

Irene agape. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She exclaimed. 

Joy smirk. “It means...grandma, you’re literally an old person trap in that tiny body.” 

Irene hissed, crossing her arms. “I am not that small, okay?” 

“Uh-hem. Just tiny.” Joy says, making a tiny gestured with her index finger and thumb.  

Irene open , ready to pour out her wrathful thought, her long length of colorful vexed speech are on the tip of her tongue. 

However, those ranting never come out. The taller girl gaze are not on her face anymore, narrowing down at her body.

Realizing Joy is looking at folded arms. Her sleeves must had accidentally roll up earlier. Irene quickly pull her sleeves down covering back her exposed arms.

“I- err... I fell.” Irene explained almost immediately, clutching on the thin fabric, not meeting the taller girl eyes. 

Irene bit her lower lips, her fist clenches tightly as Joy kept silence. She doesn’t know what to say and she can’t bring herself to look at Joy’s face, too nervous (too afraid) to see her reaction. 

Feels like forever, Joy finally speak. 

“I don’t care. I didn’t ask.” Joy replied in her casual chick tone and walk away. 

Irene eyes follow the taller girl movement as Joy went over to help Wendy who still currently lying on the floor and Yerim happily taking pictures of the dead hamster.  
 
 

 “You’re supposed to help her, Yerimie.” Joy says amusingly.

“I am! Storing great pictures for her memory lane in the future.” Yerim says, poking Wendy cheek to get the dead hamster attention. 

“Stop poking me. I’m already dead. Leave my body alone. Don’t torture my chubby cheek. Let me die in peace.” Wendy says lifelessly, eyes closed. 

Joy shakes her head. “You two should get up or that grandma will start preparing a long boring lecture.” 

Irene roll her eyes Typical Joy. The previous event completely forgotten and her anxiousness vanished as Joy continue making fun of her, insulting her height, calling her an old person. 

“Yah, giant! I’m not a grumpy dwarf!” 

Joy smirk. “See! Get up Dopey and Doc dwarfs. Grumpy dwarf is angry.” 

“Hey!” Wendy jolt up. “Who you calling us dwarfs?” 

“Yeah. We’re not that short, okay?” Yerim says. 

“I’m Snow White duhhh!!” Joy flip her hair, which the three respond with eye rolls. “And you guys are my cute little friends. Except for grumpy dwarf over there.” 

“YAH!!” 

Seulgi chew on her bottom lip, nervously playing with her fingers as they wait for the nerve-wrecking announcement, the final lineup for the new girl group. Her friends told her not to worry, they are confident she would make it to the lineup, but Seulgi has been through this exact scenario bunch of times and she is one hundred percent confident she will come home with an aching heart this time too.  

You can say, Seulgi already lose her hope when she look at the other trainees in the room. All of them are extremely talented, has great visual and their bright personalities makes them more attractive, have a good chance to debut instead of a shy girl like her. 

Seulgi wasn’t always like this. When she first enter the company, she was bright too, confident, friendly, talkative. But after she got badly criticized by several senior trainees (ex-trainees) she doesn’t remember when or how, she ended being what she is now. 

Seulgi heart stop beating shortly when she heard one of the company executive director called her name. She can sense the other trainees looking at her questioningly when the director ask her to leave the room. 

The moment she step out from the practice room and later, she heard loud cheers booming from inside the room, she knows she had failed once again. 

“Maybe it’s time for me to give up.” She bit her lips, swallowing her sob.    

An amused smile spread across her face after reading the text Wendy sent to her. Wendy was complaining to her how Yerim threaten the poor girl if she didn’t teach her tonight by dyeing her hair purple and then told her mom she got influenced by Wendy. 

Irene would never admit this to Wendy, but she was the one who gave the idea to Yerim. She knew Wendy would stay because of that, she can’t let Yerim mother have a bad impression of her again after the woman finally accept her (them) to be friends with Yerim. 

“Wendy’s not coming today?” Her friend Solar asks. 

Irene closed her locker. “She’s at her friend house.” 

Solar nodded. “You know... She’s here every day and it’s a bit weird not seeing her waiting for you out there.” Solar chuckles. “Don’t you think?” 

“No.” Irene say. “See you tomorrow.” 

“Okay, goodnight!” 

The truth is, Irene did feel slightly strange, like she forgot something, a missing piece in her heart. Probably she was used to Wendy greeting her with a widest smile; entertain Irene with her foolish antics, and made her feel