It has been a week since that the final interview happened. Wendy still did not receive any call or notification regarding the status of their application. 

Wendy sighed at the thought, the possibility of not getting into the company clouding her mind.

It has been five days since she returned Ms. Bae’s coat. 

Or more like, left the coat.

Since Wendy wasn’t able to see the older woman. She left the coat to the guard’s station, after the employee called Ms. Bae’s office, but the older woman couldn’t find the time to face her, being so busy, at that time. 

Wendy sighed again at that, missing Ms. Bae after that sudden lunch they shared. Albeit, in a group. 

Wendy wondered if the older woman really got her coat, belatedly forgetting the fact that Ms. Bae also got her navy blue one.

Ping!

Wendy heard her phone ping for a notification. She picked it up and unlocked the device. It was Joy.

JoyIdolJoy: Seungwan unnie!

JoyIdolJoy: do u know hats wrong with seulgi unnie?

JoyIdolJoy: she doesn’t return my calls or text anymore :(

No way, Wendy thought. ‘Seulgi didn’t just ignore Sooyoung’, Wendy bit her lip at the thought. She covered her face and groaned in her position. Her best friend really has worst ways in dealing with a crush. Wendy hasn’t heard from Seulgi about anything regarding their talk after that force confession.

Seulgi didn’t do anything uncharacteristic, the two used to her suddenly going MIA when she’s in one of her artist moods. 

Now that Wendy thought about it, almost a week seemed too long. ‘I should’ve checked up that bear after the talk,’ Wendy chided herself.

Me: sooyoung ah, I actually dnt know anything

Me: u kno her, she gets so engrossed with her paintings sometimes she forget about us

JoyIdolJoy: i know, unnie but its almost a week, dnt u think this is much too long?

Me: yeah tell me about it

Me: lets go to her house, I’ll pick u up

JoyIdolJoy: thanks, unnie

Wendy immediately prepared to leave. 

She still has a bear to choke, after all.

***

Joy waited for her Seungwan unnie to come in her living room, knees bouncing up and down in anxiety. Not really sure why she was feeling so nervous. She shouldn’t really be worried of Seulgi, the girl could go days without telling them what she’s been up to, so absorbed in her passion that sometimes she forgets to eat. 

But Joy and Seungwan realized the unhealthiness of her lifestyle, which is why they made a system in which Seulgi should udpdate them every three hours whenever she’s in her moods. The two created an alarm system on Seulgi’s mobile device to alert the older girl to notify them of her state. 

It has worked, so far. 

‘I don’t know why it didn’t work now,’ Joy thought, more worried now at the prospect that the older girl could be starving herself in her apartment. She should’ve called her Seungwan unnie as soon as she felt something was off with their older friend.

Joy buried her face in her hands, elbows on her knees, worry lines clear on her physique.

The doorbell rang, startling Joy from her brief breakdown. She heaved a breath to calm herself down, before she got up to open the door.

“Joy, are you ready?” Joy opened her door to see her Seungwan unnie, clad in her signature black jacket and black cap.

She hugged the older girl upon seeing her, Seungwan’s balance stumbling a bit from the sudden weight. She felt the older girl pat her back as if consoling her, before she let go.

Joy sniffed a bit, before saying, “Yeah, lemme get my bag first.”

They immediately left Joy’s building to get into Seungwan’s car parked on the opposite block. They left soon afterward.

The two was silent during the whole car ride, nervous energy palpable in the whole space. The two have different thoughts in their head. Joy worrying about the state of her older unnie, while Seungwan thinking what it would feel like to choke the living daylights out of Seulgi.

After half an hour, the car parked perfectly on Seulgi’s apartment building. The two took a glance at each other, Seungwan smiling a bit at Joy’s frazzled state. She noted a few dark circles marring the younger girl’s features. ‘She must’ve been really worried for that bear,’ Seungwan smiled, albeit bitterly. Noting the clear affection Joy has for Seulgi.

“Let’s go,” Seungwan said, Joy nodding before going out of the car.

They all have the keys to each of their apartments, their group deciding to keep it that way in case of emergency, especially with Seungwan’s living alone in Seoul. They went inside the apartment building, each walking with a clear purpose to get to Seulgi. They rode the elevator and pressed for Seulgi’s floor.

Not long after, they arrived at the 6th floor. They almost rushed out of the lift before looking each other, patting their clothes to calm themselves.

They two walked calmly to Seulgi door, exchanging glances, before Seungwan inserted the key. She slowly turned the knob, opening it slowly so as to not startle the owner of the apartment. Seungwan opened it wider, slowly moving inside the threshold of the room.

Seungwan noticed the place lacked the artificial lights they usually came with, Seulgi’s apartment looking somber and dark from the lack of brightness. She noted the acrid smell coming from the connecting kitchen, the sink full of unwashed dishes, the table full of unfinished foods. Pizza half eaten, cereal box lying haphazard next to a half full bowl. 

Seungwan looked at the girl behind her, Joy more worried by the minute, the more they venture to Seulgi’s apartment. Seems like the bear’s apartment looking more like a cave than actual living space for a human being.

They went further towards the living room. Joy noticed the muted state of the television, showing a horror movie. A man on the verge of being sawed by a horrid looking being, she looked away from the TV, chills creeping on her nape. She noticed crumpled bag of chips, empty bottles of beer lying all over the carpeted floor. She’s never seen this place looking disgruntled.