‘Progress is progress.’

That’s the phrase that Irene has to keep telling herself every time she gets even the slightest interaction with Wendy. At this stage, Wendy doesn’t seem to be running out of any area that Irene also happens to be in. And, in their Transfigurations class, Wendy actually says a greeting or farewell in some way shape or form, but only occasionally and with one or so words.

But hey, progress is progress, right?

Ever since Jisoo mentioned her pace, however, she couldn’t help but start to worry. Irene was still aware that she can’t just tell Wendy that she loved her and then call it a day. She has to rebuild and regain that trust and she can only blame herself as to why the road back up has been made so much more rocky than it could have been. So when she deals with both the highs and lows of Wendy leaving class with yet another quick and awkward ‘Bye,’ she starts to get frustrated at how this 'progress' doesn't feel like progress at all. At this rate, she may very well still be single by the end of the year.

“Why are Ravenclaws so- so- ugh!” Irene groans as she joins her friends in the Great Hall.

“Hey!” Jisoo calls out as Irene sits down next to Joy.

“Ah sorry- I mean,” Irene runs her hand through her hair. “I’m just getting nothing. Nothing! Not even a whole sentence!”

“Huh, maybe you should stop then,” Joy suggests before Jennie throws a fry at her. “I was just kidding!”

Jennie looks at Irene, “Ignore ‘em. Anyways, do you have any ideas on what to try next then?”

“To be honest, no,” she answers truthfully. “I don’t know how I am supposed to jump from somewhat awkward ‘Hi’s’ to having actual conversations again.”

“Well, have you actually tried to start a conversation?”

“It’s difficult. During class, she goes back to focusing on the professor. Outside of class, she always finds a way to excuse herself. It’s just hard to keep her attention.”

“Then, try to think of ways that would catch her attention," Jennie suggests. "Remember how you would always find things in people that would make you lose interest? Instead, try to think of things that would keep her interested or at least, make her feel like she needs to listen to you."

Irene nods in understanding as she starts to mentally list all of the things Wendy seemed intrigued by.

One of the first things that Irene thought of that could pique Wendy’s curiosity was quidditch. As she recalled, it was one thing that both she and the Ravenclaw had loved to talk about whenever they were together. And considering that the Ravenclaw versus Slytherin game was coming up, Irene thought there was no better time to bring it up than now. The two had competitive spirits and she was sure that Wendy couldn’t shy away from game talk.

After some debate as to when she should broach the discussion, she decided that it would be best to do it after school hours since Wendy wouldn’t have the excuse that she’d be late to class. If she remembered correctly, Wendy and a few other Ravenclaws would often go to a small quidditch training pitch when games were coming up and so it came to no surprise that she was able to find her there.

Luckily for her, Wendy and her teammates were already packing up to leave and so she didn’t have to wait long to approach her. As she walks up, a teammate notices her first, prompting them to give Wendy a small nudge to catch her attention. They lock eyes for a moment before her teammates tell her they’re heading out. So, when Irene finally reaches her, they’re alone.

“Hi,” Irene starts first, hands clasped behind her back.

“Hi,” Wendy replies a bit fatigued, eyes still on her bag as she packs her things.

“Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?”

The Ravenclaw pauses as if debating whether she wanted to continue the conversation or not. It soon comes across Irene's mind that maybe she should avoid questions where only a yes or no would suffice.

“No, just-uh, just tired from practicing,” Wendy continues to keep her answers short. She zips up her bag and slings it over her shoulders, eyes finally rising to look at Irene. Irene’s heart pangs as the usual warmth in Wendy's eyes continues to feel absent, “Bye.”

Wendy walks past Irene with ease, leaving the Slytherin stumped. Taken aback, Irene can't keep shut and turns towards Wendy's direction, “That’s it?”

Wendy stops walking and turns around too, “Uh… yeah?”

“Seriously? You’re not even curious as to why I’m here? No accusing me of spying?” Irene stands bewildered.

“No…?” Wendy shrugs.

Irene huffs, “So you have nothing to say?”

“I mean, what do you expect me to say?”

“Oh I don’t know! Maybe I expected you to say ‘What are you doing here, Bae? Spying 'cause cared ya scared you're gonna lose?’ and then I reply back with 'In your dreams!’” Irene acts out and Wendy puts her hands on her hips, momentarily dropping her head.

Immediately, Irene turns somber at the sight and her pained thoughts escape her lips, “The Wendy I know wouldn’t have wasted a second to ask me something like that.”

The transfer meets her eyes.

“Maybe it would've been that way in the past, Irene." There's no malice in her voice. More melancholic, really.

Still, when Wendy walks off the field, it feels like she just dumped a bucket of ice cold water all over Irene. But as annoyed as Irene wanted to be with how quickly the girl had left once again, she knew that Wendy had a point. Their relationship–or at least what's left of it–will never return to how it used to be given everything that has happened. So honestly, it felt more gut-wrenching than anything else.

Yet, Irene does her best to stay positive because maybe the fact that it won’t be the same is a good thing. Their relationship before began as a lie–where feelings became messy, unsure and complicated primarily due to that one aspect. Now, she has the chance to make their relationship have a much more authentic start and thus have more reassurance if the messy and complicated come up again.

And so, this interaction surprisingly ends with a small smile on the Slytherin’s face not only for that, but also because if it’s any consolation: At least she's calling me Irene again.

----- Some Days Later -----

“Rene, you can’t be serious,” Jennie rubs her temples after Irene recounts her talk with Wendy at the pitch a few days ago. “I said start a conversation, not a fight.”

“It’s not like I meant to start one,” Irene sighs. “And it wasn’t a fight… just another misunderstanding. But don't worry, I’ve seen where I went wrong now. I’ve been stupidly hanging onto my old perception of her back when we were together and I just need to loosen it.”

“Exactly! You just have to find a new angle and see what sticks,” Joy says. “Now, you know that quidditch doesn’t seem to do the trick, so what else do you got?”

Irene blinks a few times, “... Nothing.”

“Seriously?” Jennie asks.

“Well, I mean, a lot of the stuff that I know she’s interested in has some connection to our relationship. Playing guitar, ice-skating, board games… I don't think it would play out well. And I feel like the only general thing I could bring up without it being remotely awkward is school work and that can only go so far,” Irene slumps against her headboard.

“That’s why you need to just start bringing up other things that she might be interested in, even if it’s like the randomest thing. Hell, the randomness might even intrigue her,” Joy suggests.

“Damn, when did you start getting so smart about getting into relationships?” Jennie says impressed.

"Well, if it worked on Seulgi, I can only assume it would work with others, right?" Joy shrugs with a smirk. "But yeah, maybe talking about new stuff might help?"

"Then, it's settled," Irene sits back up with her sense of determination revitalized. "Time for another round!"

For her own sake, Irene decides that the best time for her to catch Wendy without having to search for her was after dinner. Wendy was never one to skip such a meal, so she thinks it'll save her time.

As she suspected, Wendy was sitting with some fellow Ravenclaws and eating as she chatted along with them. Irene does her best to not look like a complete creep, trying to only glance rather than stare in that direction just in case Wendy leaves earlier than she expected. 

Irene is in the middle of taking a bite when she catches Wendy already walking and waving goodbye to her friends. 

"Oh shi-," Irene nearly chokes on her food. She drops her fork down and her friends hold in their laughter as they watch Irene try to frantically swallow her food while getting out of the bench without bringing any attention to herself. But of course, Irene seemed to have forgotten that she was the Irene Bae, so she definitely caught some eyes during this–but thankfully not Wendy's. 

She sends a parting wave to Joy and Jennie, then does her best to unsuspiciously follow her Ravenclaw by keeping a long enough distance to not to be noticeable yet still be able to keep Wendy in her sights. Considering that it was still dinner time, Irene was grateful that there weren't a lot of students in the hallway at the moment because of it. She's sure Wendy would have realized that she was behind her since students would usually give way for the Slytherin in advance. 

Soon enough, she observes Wendy enter a classroom that is usually kept open as a study space for students. When the door closes, Irene approaches it steadily and just before she grabs the door handle, she pauses. 

She didn't think of what random topic to talk to Wendy about. But then on top of that, how the hell was she going to explain why she went to the study room?

Why am I overthinking this?! It's a study room, Irene. The reason being there is obvious, dummy. But a topic? Random, random… uh- stocks! Stocks?! Aw it!

Irene didn't want to waste another second waiting to talk to Wendy again and just barges into the room. 

When Irene looks back on this moment in the future, she thinks that maybe she should have waited after all because with only two steps, she felt the air escape her lungs and the world crashing down on her already heavy heart. 

Her presence hits the others in the room and despite everything that has happened so far, Irene thinks she finally understands what people mean when they say they could feel their heart split into two. The sting of the crack widening after having to see Sejeong’s lips against Wendy's cheek.

As far as Irene saw, the action only lasted for a mere second since Wendy seemingly pulled away after it dawned on her that Irene was there. But still, the damage was done. 

Irene's ears began to buzz as if it were a safety mechanism. Blankly staring at Wendy's moving lips–unable, or unwilling, to hear what the Ravenclaw was trying to say to her. The buzz turns into a form of comfort and soon enough, she finds herself far from the room as she seeks any other place that would provide such a quiet escape. It isn't until she lands on a wooden chair that is surrounded by high shelves of books to hide behind for the loud sound of reality to finally reach her.

The quiet serenity of denial fades as notes of sadness, fear, heartache and anger begin to inevitably swallow her whole. Her tongue, now too, stings with the bitter taste of irony as the image of Wendy walking in on her and Bona all that time ago cruelly flashes through her mind.

So what consumes her above all else is the gnawing feeling of indescribable pain that karma claims as ‘What she deserves.’

She finds herself clutching the edge of the table tightly, knuckles turning pale. After realizing what she was doing, her grip is released and opts to bury her head into her crossed arms atop the creaky, aged table.

Some time passes and the Slytherin expects her sleeves to dampen with tears, but it never comes. Of all scenarios, surely this was one of the more qualified moments that should make her bawl her eyes out. And yet, she has this urge to squeeze her feelings out not through tears nor through this table, but rather through another outlet. Because crying won't win Wendy back and you best believe that one mere kiss on the cheek isn't going to make Irene's stubbornness vanish. Not when her feelings are so strong.

And so, she sits up and pats her cheeks a few times as a way of telling herself to get a grip. She knows she can't dwell on what just happened, so instead she takes the time to reassess the situation as a new layer of complexity has appeared.

To start, she recalls what Bona had told her a while back: that if Wendy and Sejeong were dating, the whole school would have known by now. So it pleases Irene to know that her continued pursuit still won't be smeared with the label of a homewrecker.

Then, she comes to the conclusion that she needs to stop taking small steps and start making bigger moves. Because sure, talking about stocks or any other random topic could be a stepping stone in her whole operation, but Irene can't play the much safer long game when there's another woman trying to steal Wendy away from her at the same time.

The Slytherin rolls her eyes as she stands from her seat. She flattens her robes with her palms, ensuring that she doesn't look like a completely wrinkled (and emotional) wreck and then makes her way out of the library. In the midst, she scoffs, muttering to herself, "Of all the freaking people, it just had to be Sejeong. Wendy knows I don't like her."

As she weaves through the bookshelves and tables she had passed earlier, her eyes unintentionally land on one table that was occupied by a particular student. And maybe it was because she was in a moment where some vulnerability still lingered, but Irene thinks that maybe this was fated as Joy's words came to the forefront of her mind.

"Well, if it worked on Seulgi, I can only assume it would work with others, right?"

Irene knows this is working on her, so surely, it must work on Wendy too. Maybe it didn't work before, but now there's a whole new element added to the mix. And just like that, Irene believes that she has finally come up with the perfect plan. 

However, she must admit that as she headed towards the occupied table, each step felt both heavy and apprehensive. Because to be quite honest, there is no doubt that there is a very, very big part of her that wants to turn around oh so badly as she eyes the student a few feet away from her now. But, Irene was desperately in need of a power move and given the circumstances, she thought she was left with no other choice.

Within the last few steps she took, the other student finally took notice of her. The grin that appears is irritatingly smug and Irene's temptation to turn around becomes increasingly appealing. But instead, she grits her teeth as her determination of the end result outweighs the possible consequences of this interaction.

"Well, well, well, to whom do I owe this pleasure?"

Irene's hands are clasped tight behind her back as she puts on her best smile, making the Ravenclaw's expression grow wider.

"Hello to you too, Suho." 

Candidate 3: Suho Kim-

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Irene whines when she's suddenly tugged by the ear and away from where she just was. She does her best to look at who the culprit was while still being dragged out of the library, "Joy?! Let me go! That hurts!"

Joy shushes, "We're in the library!"

When the two are finally out in the empty hallway, Joy lets go of Irene's ear much to her relief.

"Sorry about that, Rene," Seulgi, who was standing next to Joy, slips in once the other two are in place. "I tried to convince her not to do that when she said she was going to get you."

Seulgi gives a light slap in Joy's arm and the latter fakes pain before looking at Irene, "Please tell me you were not doing what I think you were doing?"

Irene avoids her friend's eyes. 

“You know I must say, watching you try to win back Wendy is like peeling back an onion…,” Joy starts. “One bad idea after another.”

"But if you think about it, it means I'm getting closer to the center goal!" Irene attempts to reason.

"Still, even if you peel back a layer towards your ‘goal,’ you're bound to leave tears on the way."

"Wow, you guys are keeping up this onion theme very well," Seulgi pipes up in amusement, only to quickly apologize for interrupting the solemn mood.

"No need to say sorry and thank you, baby," Joy replies happily only to turn serious again with Irene. Her genuine concern is evident as she asks, "What were you thinking?"

"I-," Irene gives herself a moment, then sighs. "I don't know. I saw something that I probably shouldn't have and my mind turned cloudy. Then, I saw Suho and a stupid idea popped into my head. Before I knew it, I was talking to him, or about to."

"You saw something? Wait- first off why were you even in the library? I thought you left to go talk to Wendy?" Joy realizes. "Did you even talk to her?"

Irene looks down as she tries to forget what happened and shakes her head.

"Well, if you ended up here so soon, that means whatever you saw must have involved Wendy in some way, right?" Joy tries to piece together. "But why would that make you want to talk to Suho of all people? You never approached him before. You never wanted to approach him actually. I mean, what? Did you see Wendy with-"

Joy cuts herself off when she feels Seulgi place a cautious hand on her arm. The tall Slytherin looks at her confused, but then Seulgi silently nods towards Irene–face wincing as if in pain at Joy's words.

"Rene…" Joy trails remorsefully and a part of Irene hates it despite knowing it's out of care. She doesn't want to be pitied right now.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Irene tries to reassure, "Just… thanks for getting my head out the gutter. Although, maybe don't do it by the ear next time?" She jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Joy and Seulgi still look worried.

"Guys, c'mon! I'm moving past it, okay?"

And as if her life was a sit-com at her own expense, Wendy suddenly appears around the corner of the hallway–slightly panting as if she was in a rush. Their gazes connect and just how it has been every time since their eyes first met during the Sorting Hat ceremony, it sends tingles throughout Irene’s body that she doesn't think she'll ever get used to.

Irene's eyes soon shift away at the sound of a door closing behind her.

"Irene! I thought I was gonna miss ya! Guess I didn't need to pack my stuff away so quickly."

There's a recognizable chuckle behind her and Irene doesn't even want to turn around and acknowledge that this was, in fact, really happening. The world must be having a good laugh right now.

"Sorry, Suho, but we were actually just leaving," Joy breaks the unexpected tension in the near-empty hallway and Seulgi nods enthusiastically as if to make Joy's lie seem more truthful. Although, Irene thinks her friend might have been serious at this point considering who was standing a few feet away from the four of them.

"Oh really?" Irene doesn't miss the disappointed tone in Suho's voice.

"Yeah, it's kinda urgent," Joy and Seulgi lock arms with Irene on each side. 

"Sorry, again," Irene adds on to hopefully ease the situation and the trio start walking in the direction away from where the Ravenclaws are.

Before they got too far, however, Suho tells their retreating backs, "It's all good, we can just continue our talk after our quidditch game this Saturday!"

Oh crap.

Irene scolds herself. How could she forget? It’s the biggest game of the season as it will break the unbearable 1-1 tie between the two houses and it’s the match to see, for one last time, the highly renowned 7th year prospects go head-to-head: Slytherin's Irene Bae versus Ravenclaw's Wendy Son… 

and Suho Kim.

A/N: Happy New Year!!

To celebrate, I thought what better way then to give you all an update :) And boy oh boy did stuff happen this chap, hm? I apologize if this chap is a bit all over the place as I had severe writer's block (as I'm sure for those who've waited already guessed) for a while, but I became extremely motivated by wanting to get this out today. I know it may not be New Year's Day for everyone by the time this is out, but I hope you don't mind the lil delay on it.

The end of 2022 marks the end of my 2nd year as a reveluv and as expected, they absolutely killed it this past year! Truly 'no-skip' album legends. Anyways, for 2023, I'm sure our 5 cake girls will be back stronger than ever, just as my fictional Irene and Wendy's relationship will be!... Right? At this rate, our witches are still in an odd limbo with one another with no real sign of what direction they're heading. But hey! Maybe the quidditch match might help? 

Lemme know your thoughts about the chapter and maybe even your favorite wenrene/RV 2022 moments! Infinite thank yous for reading, sticking with me into the new year and for your kind patience with my updates. I raise a toast for an even better year for all of us <3

- S

(rv_twice 5 on twitter)