Seulgi's eyes followed Joy while she paced back and forth inside her and Irene's unit. Joy didn't made her close the door once she got back from work and constantly questions Irene and Wendy's whereabouts at this time that they're supposed to be back already. 

It's already late and Seulgi managed to conclude something after observing Joy the entire time. Her heavy eyebags, anxiousness and crumpled shirt, the girl was obviously concerned too much about her unnie. 

"Will you please stop being silent and become useful for me? Go ring Irene!!" Joy dismissed her investigative self and assisted her right away. One other conclusion she made, Joy's a hot mess. 

"Don't worry too much. Irene and Wendy are grown ups, they can handle themselves." Seulgi said as she dialed Irene's phone. 

"Oh don't start with me, I trust Wendy unnie but Irene unnie?" Joy rolled her eyes, she suddenly remembered what that older lady had told her the other day about liking Wendy. She trusted her and looked up to her, but she felt so betrayed. 

"Whoah! Didn't you say you were her fan? What happened?" 

"I was! But not until when your friend wanted to take away someone precious from me." 

Seulgi was amused. Being an accountant surely made her busy, missing out all the fun in hanging out with the cousins and her bestfriend. 

"Your boyfriend likes Irene?" 

Joy only looked at her with disgust and never bothered saying anything. Perhaps she blurted out something non sense. But hey, that doesn't satisfy her curiosity... 

"So you have a boyfriend?" 

"YAH! This is not the time for you to ask me about such matters!!! Seriously I'll break your neck if Wendy unnie doesn't come back to me." Joy trailed off, she was getting nervous. Wendy wouldn't do anything wrong, right? She promised her. If Irene let Wendy do something harmful to herself then she swear she'll feel her wrath once she comes back. 

Seulgi didn't know how Joy turned out to be this mad at her when just the other day they were teasing and laughing at each other's antics. This just shows how much she really looked out for Wendy. 

Seulgi's calls were not getting through but she knew that if she'll quit dialing Irene, Joy would end up exploding. So she tried once again... and brought up something to talk about to calm her nerves. 

"Wendy is a likeable person. I wouldn't really ask why Irene unnie fell for her." 

"WAIT! You knew?!" Joy was shocked and betrayed at the same time.

Seulgi nodded as an affirmation. "In case you have forgotten, Irene and I are bestfriends. There are no secrets between us." 

"And in case you have forgotten too... I am Wendy's cousin... and being her relative, I have the authority to break someone's neck if they hurt my Wendy unnie. You and Irene unnie are no exceptions." Joy glared at her threateningly. 

Seulgi gulped but at least her risky conversation with Joy made her feel all loose. She knew the tall girl was only concerned so much about Wendy, she is too, but if she show her that then they both will end up panicking together. 

"Since when you knew?" Joy started asking. 

"Come sit down over here and I might tell you." Seulgi offered, she has to make sure that the latter is still well taken care of. She didn't want to dissapoint both Wendy and Irene. 

Joy took the seat in front of her in the living room. She feels the dizziness but she has to stay awake and look for Wendy. She was about to get up when Seulgi took her phone and covered her with a blanket. 

"I'll call both Wendy and Irene with our phones. I promise I'll wake you up once I got through any of them." 

Joy was about to retaliate but Seulgi already left her and the warmth of this blanket was giving her a hard time to stay awake. It didn't help either when Seulgi shut off the lights in the living room. 

Seulgi did her promise though, Joy was watching her from the comforts of the living room dialing non stop in the dining area. While watching her, Joy saw how anxiousness took over Seulgi as well with the way she's biting her nails while she's dialing both. She then realized how the latter was acting all strong in front of her in order for her not to worry too much. Her impression of Seulgi being kind hearted person like her Wendy unnie was true and it's the reason why she's easily trusting her too.

After a few more minutes of watching Seulgi, she finally fell asleep. But that's after she assured herself that Wendy will be fine... especially now that there are these kind and warm hearted people around her.

---

"What do you think you're doing?" These were the words that made Irene realize the consequences of her action. Her bravery was washed away the moment Wendy spoke those words after she claimed her lips. 

To Irene, her actions were the result of her realest feelings, Wendy has become the center of her desire. When the younger woman started her self pity, Irene was triggered to confess despite the possible negative consequences of her actions. She just couldn't tolerate someone she liked so much to scorn herself like that. She thought the risk will all be worth it as long as she could tell Wendy how much she's loved and cared for, different from what she's believing in.

However, Irene got carried away. Not only did she confessed, she crossed her boundaries and kissed her as well. It was all because of that question Wendy asked about happiness. Irene would've ignored the question if she was asked way before, because she didn't know what it meant either, not until her heart decided what it wanted later on. She has never experienced liking someone this much, it was incomparable to Bogum nor the past relationships she had. 

The desire to see, hear and feel Wendy. The desire to know Wendy is okay and living. The desire to make Wendy feel loved. Satisfying all these and more desires centered to her brought her happiness. And the kiss proved that conclusion.

But, Irene was also mature enough to realize how insensitive she became to Wendy's feelings. She knew it when she felt her kiss was not returned. She maybe feeling the heights of being in love when she captured her lips, but the target of her love is still in question with how she's taking all this in. 

Irene forcefully stopped herself from kissing her and her heart almost dropped upon hearing Wendy's cold voice.

She couldn't look at the younger girl straight to her eyes but when Wendy stood up from the swing, she quickly stopped her from leaving by instinct. 

"I'M SORRY!!!" Irene screamed apologetically while she held Wendy's arm tightly. She was scared that the latter would walk away. 

"Are you playing with me?" Wendy replied, hurt was visible in her eyes.

"I'm not playing with you. This is how I feel for you, Wendy. I really like you.... but..." 

"But?"

Wendy was growing impatient, and Irene was starting to get anxious and hesitant. She had not planned to confess nor kiss her this day, she had not seen this coming. She was begging her brain to explain her actions and make up excuses for her not to leave but she just couldn't find anything. Irene didn't notice how she's taking much time in her own mind when Wendy cackled like a mad woman and return her to a fearful reality.

"What is there to like about me?" Wendy's voice cracked. But instead of daring her, the question sounded more like a plead... Asking Irene to convince her that there really is an existing answer to end her life-long question to herself. She coulnd't grasp that there was something to like when she hated herself so much.

Irene gasped upon hearing her. How could she show hesitance in front of this person? She asked herself. Irene should have known better, that wavering and making up excuses in front of Wendy would only worsen her situation and this wasn't her goal. Her goal was to make her