Wheein is speed dating.

And she's sleepy.

Wait. Let's backtrack.

It all started yesterday morning when she was coming on time to the laboratory as usual, putting on the lab coat and is about to tend to the tissue culture that she hasn't taken care of before a hand tapped on her shoulder.

"I just got a seat at this new event that I've been dying to get into." Hyejin, her fellow coworker, rubbed the back of her hand on her temple in such a dramatic fashion. "But it turns out I still have another culture to tend to before tomorrow!"

Wheein is not the type to listen to others when they are talking about something so trivial, so a huge part of the conversation is amiss because one minute after that an envelope passed into her palm and she had to reject it with several clicks of her tongue. An attempt of dispelling that didn't work at all. "Hyejin-ah, I still have to incubate this and wait for the whole night here so I can fish for the best result."

"It's fine! It's fine!"

Of course. Wheein is resigned to her fate at this point. "Is it a live concert or what?"

"Hm. Something like that! You can just take a bath in the office and be there at the assigned time!" Wheein spy the opening time written on the envelope with a grunt. What is she plotting this time? "What are you plotting at this time?" Hyejin scoffed with feigned disbelief. Nope. She fell for that before. It's not going to be the same this time. "That ticket is pricey! I am the one who was supposed to attend it if the culture weren't this much!"

Because you keep pandering around instead of finishing your tasks bit by bit, but Wheein just lets that sentence hang on the tip of her tongue. Hyejin will just call her a workaholic germ that rarely goes out on weekends anyway.

Well. She does go out on weekends. After her work is done, of course. But again, getting work calls on weekends is apparently also part of the job desks in this line of work. Not that she's complaining.

It only becomes certain that nothing could have prepared her for this… whatever this is. Frilly napkins, frilly tapestry, frilly everything, and by everything she meant even to the chandeliers, lamps on the desks where her or her opposite Bachelor slashes Bachelorette switching seats at the assigned time.

In case it's not clear enough, this is a speedy dating event organized by whatever romance agency something something. The decoration of this place almost makes Wheein pray they will go out of business after this one event. "First eye contact! First talk! The cue cards for conversation starters on your right, and the dare cards on your left! Feel that flutter in your soul and get that destiny!" Yup, she's stoned. Either from the horrendous choice of words in that sentence or whatever existential popping up in her head to being here in the first place.

Her mind is already cracking knuckles. Now that you're somehow here, let's just get this done and over with, Jung Wheein.

--

Fifteen minutes for the first meeting, small talk and saying goodbyes with no promise of reconnecting any further. Fifteen minutes is still too long. Wheein is already going through four candidates and her eyelids are getting droopier at every second of the conversation she's having with each. The drowsiness hasn't gone away even after 5 glasses of Americano. Blame her for not taking stronger shots.

"You're a biotech-what? Wow, do you work with viruses? Like Left 4 Dead stuff?"

"Hm. You have a nice figure. Your mom should be proud."

A series of vapid questions later and the other one fish out a murky-colored bottle and spray the content into his mouth a little too excessive Wheein is sure some sprayed to her face as well--Yeah, she will have to poke Hyejin in the eyes for this--

"Whoops."

Now that is a deep voice. Deep but with light, boyish quality and softness into it, the kind that rouses Wheein's into a more conscious state of mind. The first thing she sees is a hand covering the tip of the glass in her hand, keeping the thing still.

"You almost dropped the glass."

Wheein trails her sight from that hand to a pair of lips that open and close. Oh, she's speaking. "Sorry." Wheein muttered, letting go of the glass while the woman that sat across her put the clear glass of water into a safer corner of the desk. "I thought you're going to fall on your face right on this table."

Wheein shook her head, gaining a semblance of consciousness. "I'm so sorry about that." The woman waves a hand, gesturing to her that it's okay. It's not something so grave it deserves an apology, anyway. "Pulling late at night yesterday." She said while massaging her eyebrows, keeping herself awake longer.

"Work thing?"

Wheein nodded. After counting inside her head for two or more sets just in case, she lifts her head and looks to the front.

...Okay.

Long, black locks, features around that scrunch every time she smiles, Wheein is able to spy red, white and blue stripes coloring her sleeve, a sign of a brand she might have known about. This woman has a relaxed air around her, almost to the point of refined. The black vest and brown loafers under the table are not unnoticeable at all. She's the classiest candidate Wheein has ever encountered at this speed dating event.

A sight that is not bad at all. Wheein can feel her head cleared up a bit. "Wheein." She reached out a hand and the lady shook it lightly. "Nice meeting you." Maybe after going through three failed candidates she starts to loosen up. "Byulyi. Pleasure meeting you as well." She said politely before taking the biodata form on the table. "It says here that you're a biotechnologist?"

"Yes." Wheein said as a-matter-of-factly. "I work in a research facility near this building."

"That's cool." Indeed, the rising smirk engages Wheein more in this conversation. She can feel herself sobered up. "And you? What did you do?"

There's a beat hanging in the air and Wheein has to lean forward because the woman is talking in whispers. "I'm an ."

The woman proceeded to put her chin on her palm, waiting for Wheein's reaction.

"Oh." Byulyi smiled back at her. This woman is really fond of smiling, isn't she? "That's interesting."

"Why?"

"Huh?" Wheein did not expect a follow-up to her comment that was supposed to just pass by. "Well, it's my first time talking to someone that is one, so…" Byulyi went hm but not in a bad way. This even manages to loosen her up as well. "Sorry, getting a little bit catty there, am I? That guy," she pointed a finger at someone behind Wheein. "Just ask if there's a discount if he were to ask for my service and that one," Another girl not far from them. "Had this bleargh look at her as soon as she found out about my profession." Wheein nodded several times, empathizing with the lady's story. "But enough about me. What about you?" Byulyi leaned forward and Wheein flinched at the sudden closeness. "Tell me more about what it's like to be a biotech--"

"Fifteen minutes is up! Switch the seats now!"

It's almost a pity for Wheein when Byulyi switches the seat to the table next to her, and right in front of Wheein is a generic-looking woman-- No, she might be a good talker and they can work this out. Maybe the course of the next conversation is enough to keep her mind alert. What's your job? Wow, that's interesting? Well you see, I don't think I can vibe with minimalist ideas, even the aesthetics are such a cringe in itself! Oh no, at the rate of where this conversation is going, Wheein can feel herself disattach from consciousness and her brain is about to shutdown--

SPLASH.

Exactly the sound of the glass finally knocked over and Wheein's other hand, even for the reason that is beyond her, clutching on Byulyi's sleeve like her life depends on it. She did not expect this, nor the three pairs of eyes staring at her bewildered, saving all but one pair of curious ones. Her tongue was tied and for a good minute Wheein was lost for words before she asked. "Um…" The androgynous lady tilted her head to one side, a gesture that is almost count as cute. 'Almost' being the real point here. What she did now is so random and a little freaky, and contestants from desks around them are already looking in their direction, interested to know what just happened, but the researcher really feels like she's going to pass out any moment, and there's one thing she needs to do. The one that needs a companion to get her safely to that place.

Still not a good enough reason to just latch onto the stranger, no matter how polite, now accommodating or how good her scent is. Wait, did she mention scent? She really should be let go now, but that is before another hand is placed upon hers, and a soft, melodious tone next. "Yes, Miss Jung?"

Perhaps that's why she felt less hesitant after that. "Um, can you accompany me to the bathroom? I need to refresh for a bit." Yes, yes, she could have just asked one of the organizers to accompany her, but they all look so busy scurrying to the candidates' needs here and there, and yes, she is aware that this sounds like an excuse. It's only the dizziness that's almost unbearable at this point. What she didn't expect is an even softer tone as she looks forward only to find that the 's expression is a giddy one, the same vibe as a student who gets to skip one boring class or two. Wheein knew at that moment that she's not the only one who can't wait to get out of this surreal situation.

The put Wheein's hand into hers and effortlessly intertwined their fingers, pulling Wheein to a stand. "Of course. Follow me."

--

Nothing like a splash or two under the running water as Wheein faced down the sink, rousing her brain awake with three more splashes to the face. Not that it is anywhere enough, but it will have to be done. Wheein inhaled a short breath and scanned herself in the mirror, a figure with strawberry-blonde hair, cat-like eyes and smudged mascara looking at her back. It really looks like someone is breaking her heart but she gives up in the middle after finding out that it's waterproof mascara. Well, Miss Universe material is right there.

She really shouldn't have gone straight after pulling a late-night shift.

Bracing herself to exit the restroom, her look casted on the figure sitting on a bench nearby.

Looking at her from this distance gives Wheein a better observation point: the long hair that flows almost to the waist, a set of suits that Wheein remembers now belongs to the Tom Browne brand, and all Wheein sees is the vein lines contracting in her hand as she fiddles with her phone, making the other woman wonder whether she's taking too long. Wheein inhales a breath and strides at the woman who accompanies her, pretending not to notice the pairs of eyes following them (the , to be exact). "Hey. Thank you for waiting."

The classy woman looked up from her phone, sporting the same giddy look that went dimmer. "It's okay-- Oh, your--"

"It's fine." Wheein know the woman is talking about the remaining smudges of mascara near her eyes that she failed to erase. "I can just leave and buy a remover after this--" Her sentence cuts in the middle when the lady takes out a clear bottle from inside her suit. "I have a makeup remover. If you don't mind…"

There's a beat of silence, consisting of the lady's eyes searching hers for consent, and Wheein's conflicted look before resigning with a sigh. "Please do." Cue lightened expression. The pulls out a packet of cotton swabs and proceeds to drop the contents of the bottle onto one. All Wheein can say is "Wow. Do you carry that everywhere?"

The lady smiled. "I have encountered similar situations several times. Ah, excuse me."

Wheein closes her eyes and another silence ensues, letting the lady clean her face thoroughly. Something in her ministrations that makes Wheein, unfortunately, revert back to the dreaded drowsiness. She opened her eyes with a glare and met with the lady's shocked ones, obviously surprised at the sudden movement. "Sorry, am I too rough? It's almost done though." The thought of this lady feeling bad takes the back seat of her mind and she shakes her head quickly to avoid any misunderstandings. Smile eased back into her feature and Wheein wondered if she ever encountered anything just as bubbly.

"Andd we're done." The lady crumpled the cotton remains while witnessing Wheein taking another trinket out of her pocket after a thorough search. "What is this?" The researcher's eyebrows lined upwards before she started putting her thumb on the cube.

"It's a fidget cube." Something to distract her whenever her state of mind was overwhelmed with any kind of emotions. Wheein felt like a magician when she demonstrated the tools attached at six-sided of the cube: a switch, gears, a rolling ball, a joystick, a spinning disk, a worry stone, and five buttons. The leaned in for a closer look, and the moment her side of the body almost stuck to Wheein's as her eyes went brighter with pure enthusiasm was not lost on Wheein. Only she chose not to think anything about it. The eyes are still bright as Wheein rolls the pad of her thumb over the ball and clicks at the buttons simultaneously. "Maybe this will help me to overcome the sleepiness." Wheein speaks to herself. The turned from the cube to Wheein, morphed into a concern upon seeing Wheein getting droopy again, literally. Oh no, this is not working. "I should just go home." Wheein mumbled, defeated. " I will tell the organizers first and then--"

The same hand cupped hers for the third time when she was about to stuff the cube back in her pocket.

"I'm not sure you can even manage to reach the bus station in the state you're in." The lady stated, and deep down Wheein knows she is stating the fact. "The best thing you can do if you're sleepy is to just sleep here. A power nap, if you will."

"Here?" Wheein scoffed. "But where should I…"

She raised an eyebrow when the patted her right shoulder, giving it something like free real estate. Here. "Here. You can sleep for at least fifteen minutes. I will wake you up on time." She raises both hands. "I swear I'm not going to do anything weird!"

Which is the last thing on Wheein's mind. "Um. What's your name again?"

"Byulyi. Moon Byulyi." The classy lady smiled again, unoffended on how Wheein forgot her name the first time. "Ah. Here." She gave a black name card with her name engraved on it in silver letters. "That's my calling card."

"Oh." Wheein feels like she should give hers as well even though she doesn't have one. "Jung Wheein. You can call me Wheein."

The woman she can finally put a name on gives her a grin. "I know." The answer that makes Wheein's guilty feeling doubled. Is she poking at the fact that she forgot her name? Welp, no overthinking. By that time, Byulyi had already taken off her suit, giving a good pat on her shoulder that was covered by a blue collared shirt (One of few fashion choices that Wheein could tolerate), encouraging Wheein to lean her head onto it.