November 1, 2014

 

I just finished taking a shower. It was already embarrassing enough coming home feeling sticky after my date poured orange juice in my head. It was even more humiliating that a stranger offered the extra shirt she bought from the shopping center for me to wear. 

 

And the stranger? Man she was beautiful. Raven-haired, almost as short as me, wearing a dress. She looked stunning. Like she was going to a high-fashion gala rather than dropping by the department store to get some stuff for the her house.  

 

“That must’ve been a disaster huh?” The girl, who later introduced herself as Irene, said, offering a pair of wet wipes as I tried to wipe myself off with paper towels. 

 

I shivered as the air conditioning, the wet wupes, and the cold splash of orange juice mixed to form chills on my neck. 

 

I mumbled. “Yeah. Tell me about it.” 

 

After my neck was rid of the sticky nectar, Irene fished out a plain white t-shirt from her shopping bag. "This should just about be your size." 

 

I tried to cross my arms in protest. “Hey, you can keep tt-t-that,” I said in stutters. 

 

Irene didn't notice me. “I have a few more here.” She forks over the white piece of fabric. “Now go to the rest room, thank me later! Your shirt’s an eyesore.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. 

 

I made a new friend that day. 

 

February 15, 2014 

 

I finally found time to return Irene's shirt today. The Christmas rush was a mess. For days I had to wear a snowman costume at work, giving out fliers to promote the gift shop I worked for to pay for my student loans. There, I met my next date, which worked out good for a few months until she dumped me for getting the wrong popcorn flavor. Pathetic. 

 

It was silly, I had to choose the best fabric conditioner at the convenience store - even if it meant I was going to eat noodles for the rest of the week until my paycheck comes through. Heck, I even prepared for the laundry more than my date (which was supposed to happen before Irene and I hung out for the night.) 

 

I waited for a full hour at the diner and no one came in.  So I just left. By the time I got to Irene, the woman called, asking me where I was.

 

Turned out I got the time mixed up - making me the receiving end of expletives from the other line. 

 

Irene just sighed, as I returned her shirt. "Wendy I don't know you well enough... But yeah, I think you're the problem," she snickers. 

 

"But -" 

 

"Ah! Ah! It takes two to tango in a relationship, Wen." She smiled as she sipped on a glass of juice. "And maybe, if you're careful and if you communicate well, you might just make things work." She quipped. "I believe you're a good person, Wendy. If you do things right, you're going to work it out." 

 

Before the night ended, she invited me to spend time with her and her friends at a camping house some time, which I immediately accepted. 

 

June 15, 2014

 

While other girls poured drinks at me and yelled expletives over the phone, Irene made me feel... like I was a better person. 

 

Sure, we’ve been building our friendship, but nowadays when we meet I get this fluttering feeling in my stomach— with the way she smiles, the way she clings to my arm when I offer to drive her home. She’s cute, she makes me feel warm. Safe, even. Like, I’m not such a monster as other women saw me after all.

 

Maybe she was the one. 

 

May 28, 2015

 

We’re at a camping site right now in Jeju. It felt exhilerating, trying to unwind, making new friends. Irene’s college friends Yeri and Seulgi, made me feel like I was part of their team, even though they just met me that day. We went hiking, fishing, and all the other fun stuff. 

 

While we prepared for bed, she entered our tent squealing.

 

“Did you see a bug again, unnie?” the girl named Yeri teased, as she grabbed a small bag of toiletries from a purple duffel bag. 

 

“He just asked for my number!” I heard her say. 

 

Somehow, I felt my world crash. 

 

January 4, 2016

 

I bought a new notebook to start anew. It's been a while since I wrote something, even. 

 

I didn’t really think Irene finding someone would affect me so much. Every chance I got, I avoided her. Ignored text messages. Replies were filled with excuses. Some with cold messages. I even tucked my old notebook away for ’s sake. 

 

She made me feel like a kind person despite everything. Despite me unconsciously standing up to dates, or ordering the wrong flavor of popcorn. She was so kind in so many ways unimaginable and I was about to let slip away the only person which made me feel... relevant.  

 

Anyways, time to move forward. 

 

January 16, 2016

 

It was midnight when Irene called. Subconsciously, I picked it up. And before I could even talk, she was quick to interrupt, sobs filling the other line. 

 

“I really need you.” she said in hiccups. 

 

Nonchalantly, I said “Why me? Yeri and Seulgi are there for you.”

 

“You don’t understand. It’s you that I need right now.” 

 

Her man walked out of their date, after Irene forgot to tell him about accepting a law scholarship offer he didn’t know about.

 

“Rene, if there’s one thing I learned from you, it’s to communicate well. Maybe you should follow your advice too, yeah?” I grinned as I wiped her tears. “That way, you’d plan your future well enough.” 

 

A few more sobs later, her eyelids drooped. Irene’s snuggled up on my left, fast asleep from the crying. While I’m here, writing about this. I sighed. Maybe getting this new notebook was a bad idea. 

 

May 20, 2019

Hey,

 

I haven't written much. But after years, and years of searching for the right person I think I found the one for me. 

 

I've had my own inhibitions about meeting people online. But there was Joy, someone I think I could call my soulmate. And our first date tonight went so well. We talked about a lot, from music, fashion, to taking photos. I asked her out for another date, and we’re going to a museum next week. 

 

When she talked, I felt butterflies in my stomach not found before. I felt so alive, Irene was able to sense it when we went out for steak and wine the next day. 

 

She laughed at how I subconsciously waltzed around while looking for her. "I can tell you guys were happy," she smiled. "It's about time."

 

But what made me happier was how she showed me her hand, glinting with a huge diamond ring. Her smile was as bright as the big rock settled on her ring finger. “I’m getting married!” She squealed. 

 

My eyes widened, and instinctively, I squeezed her in for a hug. I was happy for her. Genuinely. “Let’s call for a celebration. Drinks on the house!” 

 

August 15, 2020

 

It took a while for the wedding to push through, coronavirus and all. But it happened. Irene and her now-husband have sealed the deal, and I just came back from seeing it happen.  

 

It was a night full of laughter, and some tears were shed. I was her maid of honor, and I was content with that. Yeri, Seulgi and I danced the night away. Of course, Joy was my plus one, with Irene able to talk to her.   

 

While I was driving Joy home, the tall girl said: 

 

“Wen?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Does Irene like me?” 

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

 

Joy fiddled with my hand on the gear. “We were talking at the minibar, while you and her friends were dancing. She was a bit tipsy, and she told me to take care of you.” 

 

I shrugged and laughed, Joy's fingertips as I shifted the gears.  “She’s just being protective. You know how best friends are. Always there for each other." 

 

February 23, 2021  

 

It’s been years since I met Irene, and circumstances aside, I’m glad things turned out the way they are. 

 

Joy and I have settled down, and bought a place we could call home. And I was very happy. In fact, we had Irene’s baby shower in there, and the afterparty was something I've never witnessed before, thanks to Yeri and Seulgi's loud antics. 

 

Up our rooftop, Irene settled on one of the porch chairs, looking at the sky, holding her baby bump. 

 

“Not so used to the noise, huh?” I called out, hands in pockets, swinging my right foot back and forth. 

 

Irene sighs and smiles. “Tell me about it.” 

 

“Shouldn’t you be resting though?” I asked as I sat on the garden chair beside hers. 

 

“I’m fine. I’ll go through more suffering when this little runt comes out.” We both laugh. She was having a girl, which she would name Seungwan, she first revealed to me. 

 

Silence reigned for a few minutes. 

 

“Hey, Rene?” 

“Yeah.” 

 

I fiddled with my fingers. “I don’t know if I told you this but, I had this huge on you before.”

 

“I can tell.” She smiles. 

 

We both laugh. 

 

“But you know what?” I asked “I’m really glad things turned out to be the way we are now. And,” I put my arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead. 

 

“Thank you. For everything. I wouldn’t have found Joy. I wouldn’t have made it work because of you.” 

 

Irene laughs, wriggling her way out of my shoulder. “Now Wen, don’t put me up on a pedestal. You’ve grown so much. I was just there to help you out and I’m equally as proud of you for doing so yourself.”  

 

Looking back at how I was to my dates, Irene and I wouldn’t have worked out. Then, I was emotionally immature, and she her mind was working well beyond her years - having the brains to go with her ethereal, youthful beauty. Being a bad friend, and a partner to her would be a disservice to the both of us. 

 

Of course, Joy and I had those kinds of days as partners. But it was part of the process. And besides, Joy and I wouldn’t have worked out if Irene wasn't there to save me from all the social casualties I've gotten myself into. Salvation came in the form of orange juice. It came in the form of popcorn. It came in the form of expletives from the other line. Irene was just there to help out, aid me through it.

 

We sat there, looking at the stars for the next hour.  Maybe in another life, we would have been together. 

 

But now, we’re just enjoying whatever the world threw at us. 

 

-- END -- 

 

So yeah. Here it is. 

 

It's not much, and I only went through the copy like, once or twice before I put it up. I just feel the need to explain why Wendy's character is built that way. 

 

The main focus of the story was how Wendy was bad at dating; and Irene was just there, as a friend, to help. Halfway through the entries, you see Wendy having this very toxic notion for liking Irene - because she made her feel good about herself. That she wanted to be with Irene because she felt that Irene would never throw her under the bus; that despite the fact that she was a bad date, she was a good friend. Wendy couldn't divorce the two ideas. But Irene was able to help her through that, subconsciously. 

 

And no, Irene never thought the same about Wendy. She valued their friendship more than anything else to think about that developing into something more. 

 

I'm sorry if it's pretty boring hehe. This copy is a bit experimental on my part. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed.