“A bit more and she’s going to melt if you continue staring like that,” Joy said as she drop her plate on the table. Wendy choked on her orange juice and spat it across the table. Joy shielded her food from the rain of orange.

“Yah! Disgusting!” Joy said as she wiped the fluid across her.

“That would be you and your big mouth!” Wendy said as she wiped .

“Why don’t you two just date already,” Joy said it like a passing comment. Wendy however just sighed.

“Seriously, it’s very frustrating looking at you two. Why don’t you just confess to Irene unnie?” Joy said She took a bite of her burger. She let out a satisfied sigh as she chewed her food.

“I did,” Wendy said.

"What?!"  It was Joy’s turn to choke on her food. Wendy offered some water and patted her back. When she calmed down from trying not to choke to death, Joy looked at her in disbelief.

“When?! Why didn’t you tell me?! What did she say?!” Joy started throwing questions in the air like an automatic machine gun. Wendy covered with her hand. She was almost shouting and they were getting everyone’s attention at this point. Irene even looked over from the other table.

“Will you please be quiet,” Wendy said. Joy pried Wendy’s hand away and calmed down.

“Tell me everything,” she ordered. Wendy just sighed and faced her friend.

“It was a spur in the moment thing. Remember when we had a grocery run last night? I blurted out I like her. Like a complete and total moron,” Wendy bowed her head and tried not to shrink in her seat.

“And? What did she say?” Joy was grabbing on to every word. Wendy wore a faraway look. 

“She was surprised. She didn’t know what to say,” Wendy’s word were muffled as she hid her head in her hands.

“What? That’s it? What else?” Joy demanded. She dreaded hearing a rejection. 

“She said now wouldn’t be a good time,” Wendy whispered. Joy was confused.

“And that means?” Joy said as she looked at her friend. Wendy raised her head to her.

“It means I got dumped, Sooyoung-ah,” Wendy said in the saddest tone she’s ever heard. It took a few seconds before Joy comprehend what she just heard.

“WHAT?!” She shouted. Wendy covered again. She grabbed her arm and they got out of the café. Wendy led her to an empty conference room.

“What?!” Joy repeated. She can’t believe it. After all those staring contests and secret glances every now and then? What the heck.

“And you’re not going to to do something about it?” Joy said. Wendy just looked at her sadly.

“She’s basically telling me we're not going to work out. We’re at our prime and she’s just taking the opportunity while she can. All of us really,” she said sadly. Joy was crestfallen.

“And she never said it back so,” Wendy said as she felt the tears coming. Joy embraced her as she cried on her shirt.

“Sorry, I didn’t say it earlier. It just started sinking in, I guess,” Wendy said between cries.

“I’m sorry unnie. Don’t cry,” Joy hugged her tighter. “I guess now was never a good time for you two. Please don’t cry,” Joy said. Wendy calmed herself down a little for Joy’s benefit.

“Buy me ice cream?” Wendy sniffed. Joy patted her back.

“Okay, as soon as you don’t look like a rat’s nest,” Wendy hit Joy in the arm. Joy told her to wash up before they go out.

“I don’t buy this. I have to ask unnie,” Joy said as she smiled a little when Wendy finally got out of the restroom.

“Mint chocolate here we come!”

“Ugghh.”

“Don’t you have better things to do Sooyoung?” Irene said as she walked past her dongsaeng.

“Unnie, I just want to know if you like Wendy unnie,” Joy said as she caught up to her. They just finished practicing and they were now heading back to their dorm. Wendy wasn’t part of the the show because they won’t let her perform yet so it was only the four of them. By now, the members already heard about Irene and Wendy. Joy just had to ask for Irene's word.

“Of course, I like Seungwan. I like each and everyone of you,” Irene said as she power walk to the lobby.

“No, unnie. I know you know what I’m talking about. Answer my question honestly,” Joy said seriously, grabbing her unnie to stop her from walking away. It was just the two of them. Yeri and Seulgi went ahead to buy snacks in the cafeteria before going home.

“Sooyoung,” Irene sighed. “Now, is not a good time for that. Like I told Wendy, now is never a good time for us,” Irene looked at her. Joy saw how serious Irene was. Joy stepped back, overwhelmed. Irene looked at her.

“Let’s just be Red Velvet like we always were, shall we Sooyoung?” Irene said, almost sad. Joy was left there, feeling heartbroken for her unnie.

It would have been awkward for everybody, knowing what happened between their members, but their already busy schedule without Wendy didn’t help them relax a bit. Wendy, however, found it hard to keep busy. After a month of walking around eggshells with each, she and Irene managed to be friendly with each other in the last few weeks. Like her confession never happened. It’s her fault. If she didn’t just burst out, they wouldn’t be awkward at all.

“Curse my stupid mouth,” she thought as she tried getting back to her game. She and Seulgi were in a meeting room trying to find a better reception for their online game. There was only quiet banter between the two until their manager burst through the door.

“Wendy-yah. I have exciting news,” Manager oppa said.

“Hmmm?” Wendy choked on the apple she was munching on. Seulgi just rolled her eyes and patted her back as she tried to cough up her snack.

“You’re going on a new show!” Their manager happily announced.

“Really? That’s great!” Seulgi said as Wendy tried to reach for her water bottle in her bag.

“I know right! You’re going in the day after tomorrow!” Wendy tried not to choke on her water too. She finished drinking and let out a breath.

“Oppa, try not to kill me every time you tell me something,” Wendy said as she returned the water bottle in her bag. “And that quickly? No contract or –"

"It's all been taken cared of."

"Wow, they’re not wasting anytime aren’t they?” Wendy said as she faced their manager.

“Honestly, it's actually great timing, right? While we film for our show, you get to do something else so you won’t get bored!” Seulgi said cheerfully.

“Well, yeah. But what kind of show is it?” Wendy asked.

“It’s kinda like amazing race,” their manager said. Wendy looked at him doubtfully.

“ Oppa, I don’t think—“

“Now now. It’s not gonna be that strenuous. They reassured us. It’s like amazing race but in a local setting. And you get to partner up too,” he said excitedly. Wendy tried to let the information sink in.

“Okay. Who's my partner then?” She said hesitantly. He beamed at her.

“She’s a close friend of yours," he said. Wendy nodded. 

"Kim Jennie.”

Wendy is a not coward. She’s gone off on her own to a foreign country in the past and now has a job that requires her to perform infront of millions of people. Of course, she’s not a coward. She’s one of the strongest members. She’s brave. She's not an .

But the argument is invalid when it comes to Kim Jennie.

“Unnie, you do it,” Wendy said as she grabbed on to Irene’s arm. They temporarily forgot they were supposed to be in an awkward situation because Wendy is not at all calm in this situation. Wendy had immediately informed her groupmates that she has a schedule but was already dreading it.

“Seungwan-ah, you already know Jennie,” Irene argued. “We’ve hang out a couple of times already.”

“Yeah, you two did. Not me. She’s more of your friend than mine, unnie,” Wendy said as she let go and walked back and forth across the floor. 

Jennie and Wendy were never close. Either they didn’t really had the time to get to know each other or they don’t try. Whichever case, Wendy knows it will be awkward when filming starts.

“Unnie, don’t be such a baby. She’s not gonna eat you. She’s really sweet a