Goodbye.

It was a word, simple as any other word in the vast vocabulary of any language. Every language and culture had a form of goodbye, whether it meant a literal parting of ways, to a promise of meeting again, to a prayer for the rest of their journey.

As much as Wendy had said the word in many languages and in various circumstances, there were more ways to say goodbye than she could express.

When she thought of the word, it seemed easy enough. Every hello would be accompanied by a goodbye, no matter how far away in the future it was. There would always be a last goodbye. However, between the first hello and last goodbye, there was everything else.

In Korean, “annyeong” could mean both hello and goodbye depending on the context. Hence, it gave her some amount of peace to know that she could say one word and at any time, mean both.

It was rather poetic, she thought, to be reminded that every time she said goodbye, she was closing one chapter and opening another chance to say hello.

In some sense, even graduation was a form of goodbye. To some, it was a farewell to their school life and to others, it was a welcome to the next chapter of their lives. As she watched Irene gracefully walk up the stage in her gown, Wendy wondered which side of the spectrum she fell into.

She normally didn’t bother attending graduation ceremonies, unless they were her own. It was usually a whole day affair and they were always seated so far away from the podium that without binoculars it was near impossible to see anyone on stage clearly. However, she found herself donning a semi-formal outfit and allowing Yeri to drag her to the uncomfortable seats to where Sooyoung and Seulgi were already seated. Their heads were bowed together, probably in a world of their own.

Ever since she submitted her acceptance officially, she had decided to make the most of her time left. To her, that meant introducing Yeri and Sooyoung officially to her best friend.

Her shared love for food and games, along with her caring and innocent personality, earned her an invitation to join the girls whenever she was free.

However, she didn’t expect for Yeri and her entrance to go completely unnoticed. It was only when the youngest girl let out an exaggerated cough that Sooyoung turned around, armed with a snarky comment on her tongue. Before either side could start a war, Wendy swapped positions and placed herself in between the two girls.

Her best friend gave her the brightest grin and wave over Sooyoung’s shoulder, and Wendy couldn’t find it in her to be upset anymore.

The valedictorian delivered a moving and encouraging speech about embracing the future and appreciating the past, while grasping onto every moment of the present. The resounding applause was music to Wendy’s ears and looking at the smiling faces around her, she felt a measure of pride at how true the sentiment was.

She should know, she practically wrote the entire thing.

Yeri even nudged her pointedly to remind her that mouthing the words was probably too obvious if she wanted to be discreet about her services.

Any further conversation was halted when Irene’s name was called.

The dark haired girl seemed to float across the stage towards the podium. Even with an oversized gown, she was flawless, leaving anyone watching with no doubt that the stage and everyone’s hearts belonged to her.

She excused herself to the washroom when the rest of the girls went to congratulate Irene, not wanting to make things awkward.

Sooyoung gave her a side glance of disapproval when she returned after Irene and Yeri had gone off to find their other family members, but the younger girl understood her well enough to not make a scene. The tiny pinch in her side when the taller girl moved to walk alongside her was as much as she was going to say on the topic.

Wendy shot her a pleading look, throwing a glance towards Seulgi who was standing on her other side and chirping away about how Wendy should have taken the pictures with them. Sooyoung’s lips remained in a taut line, as though to say that they were not close to being done with this topic, but she released a small sigh, after which she linked her arm through Wendy’s, and the conversation shifted to lunch.

~~

“I just realised I never apologised.”

There was a loud slurp of air as Seulgi finished the last bit of her milk tea.

She swallowed her drink before replying.

“For what?” She asked, chewing on a pearl.

“For developing feelings for your girlfriend.”

“Oh,” she tilted her head. “Well, if you put it that way, then I need to apologise too.”

“What?” Wendy furrowed her brow in confusion. “Why?”

Seulgi giggled. “I’m sorry for going out with your girlfriend.”

“Yah!” Flabbergasted, Wendy slapped the other girl on the arm before glancing around. “What are you even saying?!”

“After we broke up, I started thinking, and I wondered why the breakup didn’t really hurt as much as I thought it would.”

“That’s because you were considering doing it yourself.” Wendy pointed out.

She shook her head. “That’s not all. It started way before that.”

“What do you mean?”

“In a way, you were the one who forged the connection with her. From the letters and all the way through the text messages. I was just the one who showed up.” She gave her a sombre smile. “The one that Irene-unnie liked has always been you.”

Wendy scoffed, dismissing the remark with a light shake of her head. “That’s not true.”

Seulgi had been spending too much time with the younger ones. She was beginning to sound as meddling as them.

The dancer shrugged and stole a chip directly from her plate when she thought Wendy wasn’t looking.

~~

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Seulgi looked at her phone as they exited the cafe. “I’ll send you a text in the morning before I make my way over.”

“Oh?” Wendy was surprised. It was her last day in town and although she and Seulgi had spent some part of nearly every day together, she wasn’t expecting her best friend to have plans on her last night. She couldn’t deny the slight disappointment she felt at the thought that her best friend might have gotten sick of her. “Aren’t we having dinner together? Do you have plans or something?”

“Not exactly...” The taller girl dragged out the last syllable with a hesitant smile. “But you do.”

“I do? Since when?” Wendy had promised to spend her last day with her best friend. She didn’t remember making any other plans.

Seulgi glanced down at her phone screen. “Right about... now?”

Wendy blinked. “Now?”

There was a loud honk from the street before them, causing them to turn around.

The dancer gave her a quick hug before she knew what was happening.

Sooyoung pulling up in a sleek car would have been surprising if not for Yeri rolling the window down and yelling out her name.

“Get in!” Yeri beckoned her towards the vehicle. The door was pushed open by Sooyoung in the driver’s seat.

“Wendy-unnie, care to spend the last afternoon with your favorite dongsaengs?”

The taller girl pushed down her sunglasses to meet Wendy’s eyes. She then turned to Seulgi, who was standing patiently next to her. “Thanks for your help Seulgi-unnie.”

Seulgi’s eyes shone with happiness and unmistakable fondness. It had been a while since Wendy saw her friend smile like that. Seulgi’s arm latched over her shoulder protectively.

“Take care of Seungwannie tonight! I need her well-slept and ready tomorrow when we go to the train station.” Wendy felt a gentle nudge as Seulgi gave her a signal with her eyes, telling her to go.

Wendy hesitated but decided to humour them. After all, these were the girls who gave her life at school meaning and promise. Without them, she would have been a completely different person.

She took a moment to bask in the easy happiness around her, before she slid into the passenger seat as elegantly as she could.

“So... what do you guys have planned?” She asked once they pulled away from the curb.

“We’re kidnapping you!” Yeri called out from the backseat.

“I came willingly.” Wendy chuckled. “I don’t think that’s counted.”

“Ugh, it’s your last day in town unnie. Do you know how many cans of Pringles it took to bribe Seulgi-unnie to give up her last dinner with you?” Yeri revealed.

“Five. Can you believe it? Five cans of Pringles.” She muttered before Wendy could guess.

Sooyoung nodded in agreement, confirming Yeri’s statement. “Yeri agreed to pay for the Pringles on the condition that I drive us around today.”

It wasn't as though Yeri was stingy with money, but Wendy always paid for her meals whenever they met. Hence, the unexpected gesture warmed her heart.

“So, after that, the least you can do is have fun with us before you go to college and forget all about us.” The youngest of them had a frown that visible from the rear view mirror. Despite the snarky reactions, it didn’t take a genius to see that there was some sincerity to her mood.

Wendy shook her head rapidly to dispel the allegation. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Of course it will.” Yeri muttered petulantly. “There’s tons of coin karaoke booths and arcades in the city, not to mention cafes and theme parks. You’ll make a ton of new friends too...”

“Even if I make friends and explore the city with them, I’ll always remember the people who introduced these places to me first. Plus, how could I forget my favourite students?” She teased.

Turning to the smirking girl who was driving them to their destination, Wendy felt her mood lift. “You two can always come visit me in future, and I’m just a phone call away whenever you need me.”

“Promise?” She nodded. Wendy had been making a lot of promises lately. One more wouldn’t hurt.

The youngest girl’s frown instantly turned into a wide grin. “Okay. Now, let’s go sing until our throats hurt!”

They left the coin karaoke booth a couple of hours later, with slightly sore throats but still humming and harmonising to their favorite parts as they ventured down the street. Sooyoung had arranged for dinner as part of their itinerary, and Wendy was more than happy to go along with it.

They got side tracked by arcades and photobooths along the way and nearly missed their café reservations. Yeri and her had sprinted across the parking lot to save their table while Sooyoung desperately tried to find a parking spot. It was chaotic from the beginning to the end but Wendy couldn’t have spent her evening in a better way.

~~

It was six minutes past her curfew when Sooyoung dropped Yeri off at her house.

Wendy waved at her from the car, expecting Yeri to go straight into the house. However, the younger girl stopped midway up the path and raced back to the car.

Wendy quickly checked the backseat, just in case Yeri forgot something in her hurry to leave the car.

Before she could ask her what was wrong, she found the door opening and Yeri was giving her a tight hug.

Wendy could feel a slight dampness against her shoulder but she didn’t comment on it.

“Don’t do stupid things at school and get in trouble.” The words were muffled and spoken against her shirt, but Wendy understood.

She let out a bark of laughter as she squeezed the younger girl tightly. “I should be telling you the same thing.”

Yeri pulled away with a discreet sniff. “You better keep your promise.”

“You can’t forget us.” She continued sternly. In moments like these, Wendy saw the resemblance between her and her cousin. “If you do, we’ll kidnap you and drag you home.”

Wendy chuckled again. It was as much of a declaration of affection as she was going to get. In a way, it was perfect for Yeri. Her eyes darted to the other girl watching them. Sooyoung’s eyes were glimmering but all she did was shrug in response.

“Alright, I won’t.” She promised. “Now go inside before you get grounded again.”

This time, when Yeri ran towards the house, she didn’t look back until she reached the porch.

Sooyoung waited for the door to shut before driving off.

“So,” She began. “Where to next?”

“Home, I guess?” Wendy scratched the side of her head. “I still need to make last minute preparations for my trip.”

Her response was met with a low hum.

“Have you... said goodbye to everyone yet?”

One name appeared in Wendy’s head. She remembered a night sky, their bodies close enough to share warmth, yet barely touching.

They hadn’t spoken much after that. Their time together served to more or less patch things up between them; she didn’t feel the need to reach out again and disturb the peace.

“Unnie, you’re spacing out.” A finger poked and trailed down the length of her arm before it stopped abruptly. “Thinking about going to see Irene-unnie?”

“We haven’t spoken since the recital. I think we’ve said all there is to be said.”

The younger girl frowned at her response.

“You sure you won’t regret saying goodbye?”

Of course she would. However, Wendy knew that seeing her again would likely complicate matters. Despite her resolve to leave, she knew where her heart stood with the senior.

“I know I would.” Sooyoung said quietly. “Have regrets, I mean.”

Wendy noted the plural tense of the word. “What kind of regrets?”

“One of them involves not confessing to someone I liked when I had the chance.” There was a note of vulnerability in her voice which seized Wendy’s throat.

“Do you still like them?”

The look Sooyoung gave her was almost pitiful.

“The moment... whatever it was, has already passed.” The younger girl sighed as she turned back to the road. Thankfully the streets were mostly empty at this time. Sooyoung waited for the car to pull up at a traffic light before speaking again.

“You know unnie,” Sooyoung’s hand was gripping the steering wheel. “You don’t know this about me unnie, but before we met, I had a string of crushes that ended badly. Finally, after my last one, I promised myself that the next time I like someone, I would do things differently. So, I decided that even if my feelings aren’t returned, I’ll support them no matter what and be the best friend they could possibly have.”

Her words struck Wendy in a way that was different. was taut, her lips stretched in a firm line. It was almost as though she was saying goodbye.

The air between them was filled with unspoken emotions, even after the light turned green and Sooyoung drove on. Wendy knew, wi