“Can we be friends?”

 

Irene knows perfectly she’s the one who suggested them to be friends. It’s a great start, a new beginning, but it didn’t occur to her that being friends with the Alpha also means, Wendy can spill whatever she had kept locked inside her mind, expressing emotional roller coaster she experienced throughout their rivalry situation.

 

Irene felt bad knowing she had hurt Wendy so many times during their ‘cold-war’ and the other ones before that. If only Wendy knew, Irene had also boarded the same roller coaster ride during the time. At the same time, listening to Wendy go off on a particular subject, involving a certain ex-boyfriend was somehow entertaining.

 

“Is he still bothering you?”

 

Irene shook her head. “No. I never heard of him after that night.”

 

“Good. I was worried he would come and find you here. I was going nuts while I was imprisoning in Miss Hwang house. Glad he didn’t.”

 

“Was I the only one you thought of while you were held captive?” Irene asks teasingly which is another thing that’s new. Since when she felt bold talking to Wendy in this kind of manner, and how Wendy stutters after, only aid her confident.

 

 

“W – well, it’s not like I continuously thought of you every minute, relentlessly worrying you would fall back into his arms, falling for his tricks again, give in to his obnoxious command...” Wendy trails off.

 

Irene chuckles and without thinking, she places her hand on top of the Alpha. “I’m messing with you Wendy. Don’t worry, I won’t fall for his tricks again.”

 

Wendy did not respond and her gaze stuck on a specific location. Confused, Irene eyes travelled downward to where Wendy was looking and realized Wendy was looking at their connected hands.

 

Irene flushed by her bold mistake and quickly retreats her hand. However, even before she could pull back, Wendy suddenly twists her wrist around; palm facing upward and without missing a beat, Wendy interlocked their fingers.

 

Because of this simple move, Irene heart increase in speed. Wendy spontaneous move had Irene blushing madly.

 

“Wen – Wendy? What are you -?”

 

A light squeeze, and as soon as that infamous cheeky grin appeared, anxiety stir up within her inner system. That cheeky grin has a meaning, Wendy has a mischievous idea playing inside her head.

 

Irene cautiously leans backward, eyes narrowing at the Alpha. “What do you want?”

 

Wendy beamed a toothy grin, her fingers locking Irene in place, as if she knew Irene would escape if she had a chance.

 

“Heee... I want a reward.”

 

Irene’s mouth fell open, flabbergasted. “I’m not kissing you.”

 

“Why not? Friends do kiss each other.”

 

“Haa! Since when?”

 

“Sica kissed me. She even kissed my irresistible lips because she thinks I’m cute.”

 

Irene just about to exposed Jessica for the kiss, the real reason behind the kiss, but promptly shoved it away. If she told Wendy the truth, she will openly be exposing herself too. Wendy should never find out that the kiss was to evoke a specific emotion inside of her.

 

“Seulgi too. I won’t exactly called it a kiss, she usually bites my cheeks, but it’s close.”

 

“Whatever. I am not kissing you.” Irene deadpanned.

 

“Why? Can you please give me a reason why you don’t want to kiss me? We kissed before.”

 

“That’s different. I was desperate! The second one, you fooled me, and the third one, was all for a show.”

 

“Hehe, the second was kind of funny though.” Wendy laughed recalling the spider incident. “We can make it an even number.” She suggests. “How’s fourth sounds?”

 

Disbelief crossed Irene features. “I can’t even – “ exhaling, “Tell me why? Tell me the reason why? Why should I kiss you?”

 

“Because I saved you from that douchebag.” Wendy pointed out.

 

“I’m gonna go nuts.” She whispered and give the blonde a pointed look.

 

“A thank you, should be enough, or a hug. Not a kiss.” Irene says, pulling her hand from Wendy’s grip, but to no avail. “Wendy! Let go of my hand. Don’t make me file a report for harassment.”

 

Pouting, Wendy petulantly releases her hold.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“I thought we are way past the hating phase. I thought we’re good now. We’re friends!”

 

Irene cast her a ridicule look. “A friend won’t force her other friend for a – a kiss. What kind of friends do that?”

 

“The kind who wants a reward for her good deed.”

 

“Then... I don’t want to be friends anymore.”

 

“What? Now, that’s not fair.”

 

Irene scoffed. “Ohhh. And asking me to kiss you against my will is fair?”

 

“Fine! Forget about the kiss, so can we be friends again?”

 

“Sure, if in the future you won’t ask me to kiss you again?”

 

By the look on Wendy’s face, she had a lot to say, an opposite view she wants to argue. After minutes, possibly battling with her inner-self, Wendy surrender.

 

“Alright you win. I won’t ask you to kiss me again.” Wendy says. Her action however, say otherwise.

 

Irene pressed her lips together, inhaling deeply through her nostril, mindful of the Alpha sulky state. Arms crossed over the chest, lips jutting out to the ground, looking anywhere but Irene.

 

“Oh My God! This is so childish.” Irene breathes out and when she got no respond from the sulky Alpha, Irene grumble. “Seriously? Is this how you’re gonna act after we finally settle our problems?”

 

“All I want is a simple reward...”

 

“Oh God.” Irene sighs, pressing her fingers over her temple.

 

“I even stole a car for you, almost got into a car accident, risking my safety just to get to you...” she took a quick glance at the princess seated next to her. When she saw the ‘I am so done’ expression on Irene’s face, Wendy snorts. Thankfully, Irene was too busy pressing her fingers into her throbbing veins; she didn’t notice the blonde silently laughing beside her.

 

 

Everything, starting from asking for a reward to sulking like a toddler was all an act. She just wanted to tease Irene, loved seeing Irene getting flustered over a kiss request, and maybe she should stop behaving like an annoying kid before Irene exploded and reconsider her decision to be friends with Wendy.

 

Before she could stop herself, her playful mind already sends signal to .

 

“I have to deal with hellsica along the way while searching for that house; do you know I still have nightmares because of her?”

 

Wendy bites her inner cheeks when she heard a low groan coming from the princess associate with a sharp glare.

 

Wendy cough, composing herself, getting back into her character. “Those people must think I was crazy running from house to house, screaming out your name. I was about to pass out when I finally found you. And do you know how lucky we are? You think I could beat him up if he wasn’t heavily intoxicated? He’s a large dude, I would’ve ended up in a hospital. And then, we were caught red handed by Miss Hwang –“

 

As Wendy continue, she feels the girl beside her shift in her place. Afraid that she might have taken the teasing too far, and worried that her body would suffer from multiple bruises (Irene once hit her, and it definitely hurt), Wendy decided it’s definitely time for her to stop and start defending herself as she quickly turns her body around.

 

 

(...)

 

 

A squeak and a hand flew over a mouth.

 

The Alpha froze up in place while the princess had her eyes wide-open, palm covering half of her face.

 

One, two, three – the blonde dazedly blinks several times and soon, her lips stretch out into a goofy grin.

 

“Did you...” she her lips, smiling gleefully when she taste strawberry. “You kiss me.”

 

Irene could feel the blood rushed up into her face, blooming in shade of red.

 

(Irene kissed Wendy. She kissed Wendy by accident.)

 

“Joohyun ah, you kissed me.” Wendy stating the obvious did not help simmering down the fluttering in her stomach.

 

“I was – it’s supposed to be your cheek – why did you turn around?” Irene cried, stomping her feet childishly on the ground, hand still covering .

 

Wendy responds with light chuckles. “I was about to tell you, I was just messing with you, when you suddenly kiss me – on these lips.” She emphasizes the last line very slowly.

 

Irene blows up more reddish. “WENDY!”

 

Wendy immediately jumps off from her seat, already predicting the upcoming sequence where she died in the hands of a shy princess.

 

“I wasn’t really expecting a kiss tonight, but thank you so much for that lovely kiss.” And she dashes away before Irene could lay a hand on her.

 

“WENDY!”

 

“BAE JOOHYUN KISS ME! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!”

 

“COME BACK HERE!”

 

 

 

It was way past midnight and the two of them already moved into the cabin. Irene makes herself comfortable at Wendy usual spot, which is the blue couch while the owner of the blue couch settled on the yellow beanbag, guitar on her laps.

 

Irene eyes were watery as she covered a yawn with the back of her hand. Wendy was humming, fingers skillfully plucking those guitar strings, pacifying Irene ears with the soft melody.

 

A small smile appeared on the Alpha face, noticing those droopy eyes. “Are you sleepy?” the girl resting her head on the couch respond with a light nod and Wendy had to restrain not to squeal at the cute sight.

 

“Do you want to go back?”

 

Irene really needs to stop being all cute because Wendy has low self-control, her heart fluttering as Irene again responds with a light shake of the head, muttering in an accent Wendy loved so much.

 

“Don’t stop. Just keep playing.”

 

The already whipped Alpha didn’t argue as she answer with “okay.”

 

As the night progresses, the two ex-enemies sat quietly, enjoying the nighttime air. The melodious tune added with Wendy soothing voice, Irene soon finds herself entering into her dreamland.

 

Well, it didn’t happen.

 

Halfway into her journey, Irene was ed back into the real world, startled by the sharp ringing coming from the small device on the table. In a jiffy, Wendy scramble towards the buzzing object, hissing at the impact between her knee and the edge of the table. And of course, her genuine effort not letting the small device disturb the sleeping girl failed because Irene was already wide awake, giving the phone in her grasp a dirty look.

 

Wendy flash her an apologetic smile. “Sorry, it’s Seulgi. I’ll – I’ll answer it outside.” She told nervously and rushes out of the cabin, ready to roast her bear friend for the interruption.

 

Irene groan in her seat, annoyed that her sleep was disturb. “That better be important.” She grumbled.

 

Minutes passed, the blonde was still outside and by the looks of it, the sharp hisses and those exasperating body movements, Wendy likely in the middle of castigating the person on the other line.

 

Irene smiles amusingly, curious brow lifted up. “What is going on over there?”

 

A sudden ding coming from her phone caught her attention as she swiftly picks the phone beside her. She stared at the screen for a moment. Unknown number. Her brows creased in bewilderment, thumb brushing against the flashing screen.

 

 

 

***

 

“Tae, Kim Tae – Taeyeon! Slow down. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

 

The second she pressed the green button on the screen, she was greeted by incomprehensible language. She tried to assimilate herself with the alien language, in the end it was pointless.

 

“Please put someone who is a certified human on the phone.”

 

She heard rustles and a yelp before Joy’s voice took over the speaker.

 

“Sorry about that unnie.”

 

“Finally, a human. What was that all about? Why’s Taeyeon sound panic?”

 

“Are you at the Alpha’s hideout?”

 

Wendy lifts an eyebrow while scanning her surroundings. “Err…yeah?”

 

“Is Jessica unnie there with you?”

 

No, but I have Irene with me. Spending my alone time with her before y’all ruined it – she wanted to say, but then decided to go with, “No.” she heard the younger girl sigh.

 

“Jessica unnie is not in her room.”

 

Confused, and then a frown. “You called me because Sica is not in her room?!” Wendy exclaimed. “Are you kidding me? She’s probably – “

 

She detaches the phone from her ear, wincing at the piercing volume.

 

“Listen! I had enough of you Alphas screaming at me just because I am the maknae! So would you just listen!”

 

It’s not very common for Joy to raise her voice, especially to her unnies.

 

Wendy sigh. “Okay. I’m listening.”

 

“We can’t find Sica unnie.”

 

That short information brings a negative vibe causing her brows to furrow.

 

“She’s not in her room or anyone’s room. We searched for her everywhere. Also…”

 

Wendy felt uneasy. Something is not right.

 

“…Eunbi unnie and Sakura unnie are missing too.”

 

“What?”

 

“We can’t find them unnie.”

 

“You… can’t find them?”

 

“We can’t reach their phones unnie. We’ve looked everywhere. They’re not in the dorm or at school.”

 

Wendy had opened but no words come out, confounded.

 

“The three of them are missing unnie.”

 

Her frown deepened. “I don’t understand. Are you saying they are – “

 

“Wendy?”

 

Irene.

 

Her voice sounded different. Something is wrong.

 

Her head snap fast to the side.

 

Irene was trembling, phone clutched over her chest. She moves towards Wendy with weary steps and watery eyes.

 

Without a second thought, Wendy drops her phone and rushes to the girl side.

 

 

 

Eunbi’s eyes flutters opened. Her head felt heavy, throbbing in pain. She heard murmuring but she couldn’t discern the sound of that voice. She felt a gentle touch against her cheek and the murmuring slowly becomes clear.

 

“Eunbi?”

 

She blinked couple of times, adjusting her blurry vision and slowly Sakura worried face become visible.

 

“Kkura?”

 

“Thank God.” Sakura breathe out a sigh of relief and pulled Eunbi into her arms. “Oh God! You’re awake. You’re okay.” Sakura muttered more likely to herself.

 

Eunbi lips parted, so many questions piling up at the back of her throats as she has no clue what’s happening, but a suspicious red stain on Sakura sky-blue jumper draws her attention, adding to her curiosity.

 

Eunbi pushed herself backward, creating a small distance between them. She gasps in horror when she saw the state of her girlfriend, the side of Sakura face were covered with dry blood.

 

“Kkura, your head – What happened?”

 

Sakura catches the advancing hand in mid-air and pulled it downward in between her palms. She carved an assuring smile and shakes her head.

 

“Don’t worry about it. What matters is you are okay.”

 

Eunbi felt like choking up, tears welling up. “Who did this to you? Who hurt you?”

 

“Your sister’s crazy ex.” Another familiar voice replies.

 

There, standing behind her girlfriend was Jessica. She was leaning sideway against the door, arms crossed over her stomach, glowering through the small window attach to the door.

 

“Sica unnie?” Eunbi then quickly come into her senses and scanned her surroundings.

 

The room was small and dim. There’s nothing much in the room, a bunch of broken chairs and desks, just a load amounts of junks scatters around the room. There are no windows on the walls and the only light they receive was from the small window on the door.

 

“Where are we? What’s going on?” Eunbi asked.

 

“I’m guessing we’re in an abandon school, or a storage, I don’t know.” Sakura says, unsure.

 

“We’ve been kidnapped.” Jessica says.

 

“What?! By who?”

 

Jessica veers her gaze to her. “Hyunsik.”

 

“Hyunsik oppa?” Jessica simply nodded. “What – how? Why?”

 

“Something about revenge.”

 

“They attacked us just outside the school gate.” Sakura then added. “And you were the target.”

 

It hit her.

 

“That’s how you got hurt. You tried to save me.” Sakura just smile, squeezing her hand as if she was telling Eunbi, it’s not her fault.

 

Eunbi let out a shaky breath. Her fingers curled inside her girlfriend’s hold, forming into a fist as anger overtake her now clear mind as she drifted her gaze from her girlfriend bloody face to Jessica. It pains her knowing that lowlife scumbag hurt the person she loved.

 

“What does he want?” Eunbi muttered between gritted teeth.

 

Jessica let out a soft sighed. “I’m afraid to say this but, he kidnapped you so he can get to your sister.”

 

No! Not her sister. The tears welled up again. The last person bound to get hurt because of her is going be her sister.

 

“And to get to your sister, he needs to eliminate the person who comes in between him and Irene.”

 

Her girlfriend suddenly become stiff and Eunbi notice her jaws was tense, and that’s when she realizes…

 

She gasps. “Wendy unnie.”

 

 

 

 

 

With every stride she takes, she could feel her heart escalating double time it’s speed. Her no