A/N: I’m adding the tags as I go. Not proof-read ‘cause I unfortunately didn’t have time.

 

**********

 

As a child, Wendy never really liked being inside hospitals.

 

It's a bit ironic, she knows, what with her father and older sister being doctors and all. But she's never liked the strong stench of bleach and antiseptic every time she steps foot inside the establishment, the sight of sickness and death more often than not making her sick to her stomach.

 

The fact hasn't changed even now that she's past her mid-twenties. A shudder runs down her spine as she steps inside the familiar lobby of Seoul General Hospital, heading straight to the information desk to inquire about the person she's looking for.

 

She asks for directions to the operating room, and the nurse attending to her answers her question with a bright smile that has Wendy stunned for a moment.

 

'She's so pretty' is the first thought that comes into her mind as she stares, her habit of spacing out and staring when faced with very attractive people still haunting her until now.

 

She must have looked weird then, just standing there and staring, but the smile never left the nurse's lips, though there's now a glint of mischief shining in her eyes.

 

Wendy is saved from inevitable embarrassment when she hears someone calling her name. Tearing her gaze from the pretty nurse – who's now looking towards the person who called her – she turns around and sees Eunji walking towards her with a smile.

 

Discreetly letting out a sigh of relief, Wendy musters up a smile of her own as she walks away from the information desk to meet her friend halfway.

 

"Hey, what's up? What are you doing here?" Eunji asks once they're standing before each other.

 

Wendy reaches inside her bag and pulls out a small pouch containing Eunji's packed lunch.

 

"Naeun asked me to bring this to you. Said you forgot this when you left your place earlier. She also says she's sorry for not being able to bring this here personally, but she has a shoot to attend to, so . . ." Wendy explained with a shrug as she handed the pouch to her best friend.

 

The corners of Eunji's lips curl up into a fond smile as she takes the pouch from Wendy with a soft thanks. The sight, in turn, makes the latter smile as well.

 

A smitten Eunji is always cute and funny to see. Once the other girl breaks from her little daze, she asks Wendy if she wants to grab some coffee or a quick snack from the cafeteria.

 

Wendy promptly refuses, citing that she herself must get to work soon. Eunji accepts with a smile and a nod.

 

"Alright, then. Let me walk you to the exit, at least," Eunji offers, to which she does agree.

 

They're about to head to the exit when Wendy notices that Eunji has paused from walking. Confused, she wonders if there's something wrong, so she turns towards her friend who she sees is gazing fixedly at the information desk where the pretty nurse from earlier is now gone.

 

"I don't know what kind of charms you possess that you got Jennie – our resident non-romantic who never showed any interest in anyone – to stare at you intently the whole time we were talking," Eunji pondered, amusement and a hint of teasing lacing her voice.

 

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Wendy asks, brows furrowing in confusion.

 

Eunji's smile turns into a teasing smirk, one that Wendy usually finds quite amusing but is now irritating since it's directed at her.

 

"The nurse at the information desk just a while ago. She's a good friend of mine, y'know," Eunji responds.

 

There's a knowing look in her eyes that makes Wendy feel flustered even though it shouldn't. Her cheeks turn a hot pink when she remembers staring dumbly at the pretty nurse earlier.

 

"Shut up. Let's just go."

 

The sound of Eunji's amused laughter is enough to make her cheeks flush a brighter pink. With a huff, Wendy storms off towards the exit, a still-chuckling Eunji trailing not far behind.

 

**********

 

It's raining when Joy tells Wendy that she's finally moving on from her heartbreak.

 

They're inside their apartment, enjoying mugs of hot chocolate and semi-burnt cookies they baked themselves while binge-watching the final season of Friends. Wendy's too focused on the TV and laughing at one funny scene when Joy decides to bring it up.

 

"I think I'm starting to forget how it feels like to be in love with Sungjae," Joy says softly, making Wendy's chuckle stop abruptly as the older girl turns to her friend with furrowed brows.

 

"Huh?" Wendy couldn't help but ask dumbly.

 

She can't be blamed though, because Joy just dropped that on her out of the blue.

 

Sighing, Joy places her mug on top of the coffee table before facing Wendy, taking the latter's mug from her hands and placing it on the table as well.

 

She then huddles closer to the older girl and snuggles against her side. Wendy's heart rate spikes up at that, and she tries so hard to remain calm even though she feels like her heart just might explode.

 

A few moments pass in silence, until Joy groans in frustration and grabs Wendy's hand, pulling it and wrapping it around her own shoulder. A shiver runs down the latter’s spine at their proximity, but she does her best to not let it show.

 

"I think – no, I know I'm finally moving on. It doesn't hurt as much anymore, when I think of him or of the memories that I made with him. There's just this dull ache in my chest whenever I see something that reminds me of him, but it doesn't make me want to lock myself up in my room and isolate myself from the world anymore”, Joy says with a wistful smile.

 

The lights from the TV cast a blue light against her, but Wendy feels her heart skid to a stop for a moment, breathless and awestruck at her sheer beauty. How unfair the world is, she can’t help but think. Still, she can’t bring herself to mind.

 

It’s Sooyoung. And Sooyoung is the most beautiful sight in Son Seungwan’s eyes.

 

“It's been rough, but I'm starting to get back on my feet again, and I owe a lot of it to you. Thank you so much Wannie, for always being there for me whenever I need you.”

 

Joy squeezes Wendy's waist in a tight hug, prompting the latter to fully wrap the younger girl in her arms to reciprocate the embrace.

 

Wendy then leans down to place a soft kiss on top of Joy's head before resting her cheek against it. Pinning her gaze on the TV, she speaks while still holding the other girl in her arms.

 

"You're important to me, y'know," Wendy starts, faltering a little when Joy lets go of her waist in favor of holding her hand.

 

Her heart quivers when the girl intertwines their fingers and holds on tight. With a shaky breath, she tries her best to compose herself before speaking again.

 

“And I'm sure you also know how much I hate seeing you crying and hurting, what with how much I've said it to you over the past couple of years.”

 

Joy chuckles at this, snuggling even further against Wendy's side.

 

“That hasn't changed even now, Sooyoung. I still hate seeing you sad or heartbroken, so whenever you're feeling so, just tell me, okay? Tell me, so I can do my best to help you. I love you, and I never want to see you crying ‘cause of sadness again.”

 

Wendy loosens her hold on Joy and pulls back a little so she could look at her friend. The other girl does the same, looking up at her with wide, tear-filled eyes.

 

The sight is enough to make Wendy worry, until Joy lunges forward and buries her face against her neck.

 

"Joy? What's wrong?" Wendy asks worriedly, panic dripping from her voice.

 

Joy just shakes her head against Wendy's neck before pulling back to look her in the eyes.

 

"Nothing. It's just . . . I'm so, so lucky to have you in my life, Wan. You don't know how thankful I am that you're my best friend. I'm . . . I love you too, you know,” she smiles, wide and adoring. But for some reason, Wendy feels dreadful.

 

“And it may sound selfish of me, but please never leave me, okay? You're not only my best friend, you're also like a precious sister to me. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

 

Those words are enough to break Wendy's heart all over again.

 

With incredible strength she didn’t think she had, Wendy tries her hardest to smile and nod her head in response. Joy's expression brightens as a few more tears slip from her eyes.

 

With a fond sigh, Wendy cups Joy's cheeks and wipes at her tears with the pads of her thumbs. Leaning forward, she closes her eyes and presses her lips gently against the younger’s forehead.

 

It doesn't matter how many times Joy breaks her heart, Wendy's stubborn and persistent enough to pick up the pieces and put them back together anyway.

 

With a sigh, she gathers her emotional friend in her arms again. Then, closing her eyes, she hums Joy's favorite song as she wonders when the two of them would finally stop hurting.

 

**********

 

Six months after the breakup, Joy's thankfully mostly back to her old self.

 

Wendy's glad, because she really didn't like seeing the mope-y, sad, and heartbroken version of her best friend. It's a good thing too, since Joy's begun going out again in favor of locking herself up in her room.

 

Though it saddens her a bit because they don't hang out at their place on their own as much anymore, she's happy because Joy's starting to be happy again.

 

"A penny for your thoughts?"

 

Wendy shakes herself from her thoughts at that, turning to look at the person lying beside her. They're inside her room, lying side by side on her bed and doing nothing but stare at the ceiling.

 

There's a frown on the other girl's lips, prompting Wendy to sigh and smile apologetically before reaching over to poke one of her puffy cheeks.

 

"I'm sorry, Seul," Wendy says, tracing along the bridge of her nose with the tip of her finger. "There's just a lot going on in my mind right now."

 

"Talk to me?" Seulgi prompts, turning on her side so she could get a better look at Wendy.

 

Seulgi uses one arm to prop herself up while the other reaches forward to cup the other girl's cheek gently. Wendy leans into the touch, closing her eyes and savoring the feeling of comfort that the other girl’s warmth brings.

 

When Wendy fails to respond, a soft sigh falls from Seulgi's lips as she stares at her knowingly, before an unreadable look takes over her gaze.

 

She's staring intently, like she's committing every detail of Wendy's face into memory, and her stare shakes the latter to her core.

 

In all their years of friendship, Wendy has never seen Seulgi look at her this intently, and it gives her this foreboding feeling that something she's not gonna like is going to happen.

 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Wendy asks, not even bothering to hide the tremble in her voice.

 

She doesn't like the heavy feeling in her chest as she looks at Seulgi's eyes, as she sees sadness slowly take over that unreadable look.

 

The way Seulgi's lips curve into the saddest smile she's ever seen on her friend's face doesn't help curb the gnawing worry and anxiety she feels in her heart.

 

"I’m leaving soon," Seulgi says in a breathy whisper.

 

Her voice is so soft, so vulnerable, one that Wendy has never heard her use before, and it makes her heart tremble in her chest.

 

“There’s this huge opportunity waiting for me in the U.S. They’re offering me a permanent position in one of the biggest architecture firms in the world. You know it’s always been my dream, right?” Seulgi says almost desperately, her voice heavy with emotions as tears begin pooling in her eyes.

 

"I'm leaving in two weeks if I say yes, Wan. And should I accept, I don't know when I’ll be able to go back here. I wanted to say no, because I know you still need me here,” Seulgi adds with a shaky chuckle, and Wendy feels her heart breaking inside her chest.

 

Wendy starts shaking her head, because she does know that it’s been Seulgi’s dream to be able to work for some of the best global architecture firms since high school. And she won’t let her friend turn down an offer just for her sake.

 

Because Seulgi deserves to be happy too. She deserves to be able to do whatever she wants to do and prioritize herself first. She’s about to voice all these out when Seulgi shushes her with a slight shake of the head.

 

“I know. See, I knew you were gonna act negatively if I told you I turned down the offer. But I didn’t, Wan. I want to give it a try. I want to see how I fare amongst some of the best architects in the world. But know that even though I’ll be thousands of miles away, you can still talk to me about your troubles okay? the timezones, you’re more important.”

 

The two of them share watery chuckles at that, Wendy’s tears rolling down her cheeks at the same time that Seulgi’s does. It would've been a funny sight, if it didn't hurt as much as it did.

 

Wendy’s heart breaks even further when Seulgi starts actually sobbing and it prompts her to finally act, sitting up on the bed and pulling the other girl up with her.

 

With trembling hands, she wraps Seulgi in a tight embrace, and the latter just lets her. She feels her own tears falling as she holds her friend close, not willing to let go even though she’s trying to pull away from the hug.

 

All that's running inside Wendy's head is how her time with Seulgi is numbered now.

 

Ah. This is gonna be such a huge shift in their lives. For the past decade, the two of them, and even their other friends, have been so used to having Seulgi around that Wendy is sure that they’re all gonna have a hard time adjusting when she leaves.

 

Wendy herself isn’t sure how to feel about this. One the one hand, she’s happy because her best friend is going to be able to fulfill a lifelong dream. But on the other, she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken at the prospect of getting left behind.

 

Seulgi has always been there to help pick up the pieces every time Joy broke her heart. She was there to help Wendy heal every single time. And now she's leaving?

 

There’s also a part of Wendy that couldn’t help but think that this is Seulgi’s way of running away from her. It’s not like she isn’t aware that the other girl harbors more than platonic feelings for her. And she also knows that Seulgi knows that she knows.

 

But the two of them opted to stay mum about the matter, because they both know that it’s Sooyoung who Seungwan loves. And acknowledging Seulgi’s feelings for her will just end up hurting them both.

 

Still, not for the first time, Wendy had thought that Seulgi would be better off staying away and moving on from her. Maybe Seulgi had gotten tired of always hurting because of her, so now she’s decided to just get away.

 

Wendy feels the crushing guilt at her thoughts, because that’s just too ing selfish of her. She hugs Seulgi against her tighter, muttering apologies again and again in her mind.

 

They stay like that for a while, crying in each other's arms until they've both run out of tears to cry. With puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Seulgi breaks away from the hug to look Wendy in the eyes.

 

The sad smile is back on her lips as she cups Wendy's cheeks, her touch so soft and gentle, as if the girl is made of glass and she's afraid of breaking her.

 

“Please don't cry. Who knows. Maybe life there isn’t for me, so I’d end up coming back here sooner. Ah, but in case that doesn’t happen, always remember that I’m here for you, yeah? I’ll always be here for you, Seungwan. Just call me anytime.”

 

Seulgi chuckles lightly as Wendy's face scrunches up, fresh tears spilling from her eyes. With a fond smile, the former wipes her tears away.

 

"I was happy that I got to spend the past couple of years by your side as your friend. I was happy that you let me be there for you and take care of you when you needed. I was happy to be with you. I don't regret all the time that I spent with you, okay?”

 

Seulgi pauses for a moment to wipe at her own tears, chuckling when she sees Wendy’s scrunched up face and tear-streaked cheeks. Reaching up, she gently wipes at the other girl’s tears with the pads of her fingers.

 

“We'll be fine, alright? I’ll do my best to keep our communication constant, and you’ll do the same. So, there’s no need to cry. We’ll be alright.”

 

Wendy shakes her head as tears continue to spill from her eyes. Her heart feels like it's being crushed and stabbed repeatedly at the same time.

 

It hurts because Wendy knows that she's hurt Seulgi countless times over the course of their friendship, but the other girl has never failed to comfort her every single time. Even though she herself is in more need of comforting.

 

Shakily, Wendy brings her hands up and places them over Seulgi's which are still cupping her cheeks. She then turns her head to the side to place a gentle kiss against the other girl’s palm.

 

"Okay. Yeah, okay. We’ll be fine. Thank you, Seul. You've been nothing but a great friend to me, and I know I don't deserve you. But still, thank you. I love you.”

 

Wendy’s desperate gaze meets Seulgi’s pained eyes, her lips quivering as she begs the other girl to know how sorry she is. Because she knows that those three words might be painful for the other girl even though she intended for them to be otherwise.

 

Seulgi just smiles, sad yet adoring and understanding – always, always adoring and understanding – as she boops her nose.

 

More tears roll down Wendy’s cheeks as she continues.

 

Wendy does love Seulgi. God knows how much she loves her best friend.

 

Maybe if she hadn't met Joy.

 

Maybe if she had met Seulgi first.

 

Maybe in another universe, or in another lifetime, it's Seulgi that Wendy fell in love with.

 

Unfortunately for them, in this universe and in this lifetime, it’s Sooyoung who owns Seungwan’s heart. So she and Seulgi could only content themselves with their what if’s and maybe’s.

 

From the look in Seulgi’s eyes, Wendy knows she understands.

 

And there, even without words being spoken, she knows she broke the other girl’s heart again.

 

Wendy's back to sobbing at this point, and Seulgi couldn't help but chuckle again, though there are fresh tears rolling down her cheeks too.

 

Reaching inside her pockets, Seulgi pulls out her handkerchief and uses it to gently wipe at Wendy's tears. Just her fingers won’t be enough by now. And just as always, she patiently waits for the other girl’s sobs to subside.

 

When Wendy's calmed down enough, Seulgi reaches forward to brush the stray hairs from her face.

 

The corners of her lips are curled up in a small smile and in her eyes, Wendy sees a hint of sadness, heartbreak, and a little something akin to love and affection.

 

The sight is enough to break Wendy's heart even further, but before she can cry some more, Seulgi is quick to seize her cheeks, playfully squishing them in her hands.

 

The other girl's lips are now quirked in an amused smirk as she shakes her head at Wendy.

 

"No more crying please. I've done enough crying to last me a decade. Ah, which reminds me. I want to be selfish, one more time, and ask something for myself. You can always say no, alright? But it would really make me happy if we could bond more in the coming days before I have to leave.”

 

This time, when Seulgi pauses, her smile is bright again despite her red-rimmed eyes and reddened nose. Tears pool in Wendy’s eyes again, but she manages to hold them in as she chuckles at her best friend’s cuteness.

 

Seulgi just tilts her head and smiles – complete with the eye smile that makes her eyes disappear behind the prettiest crescents – and Wendy feels her heart constrict as she runs out of breath.

 

Pretty.

 

Seulgi is so, so pretty despite the heartbreak in her gaze and the sadness on her lips. And Wendy is undeserving of her so.

 

Still, Seulgi smiles some more, and Wendy finds herself unable to look away.

 

“Please help me create memories with you that I can bring with me, ones which I can fondly look back on days when I’m missing you too much. I want to spend my last few days here making memories with you, Seungwan. Will you let me?"

 

Seulgi's looking at her so earnestly, so expectantly, that Wendy couldn't bring herself to say no. Not that she was even planning on saying no in the first place.

 

So, with a watery smile, Wendy nods her head. The bright, happy smile that overtakes Seulgi's features is enough to lift a small weight off her chest.

 

**********

 

For the next two weeks, Wendy and Joy don't see much of each other at all.

 

Wendy's been busy hanging out with Seulgi after work while Joy, too, has been heading out every other night, staying out almost always into the wee hours of the night.

 

It actually bothers Wendy, but she doesn't do anything except telling Joy to always take care when heading out. She hasn't seen the younger girl this happy in months, so she lets it go and lets her do whatever she wants.

 

It's two days before Seulgi officially leaves the country, and she’s finally told all their other friends about the news. Of course, there was a bit of an uproar, the other girls upset that she hadn't told them sooner.

 

As per Byulyi's and Bomi's demand, Seulgi was coaxed into throwing a slumber party at her place in order to make it up to them.

 

Seulgi could only sigh in defeat as she agreed reluctantly, turning to look at Wendy in exasperation when the two loudmouths began to get lost in a conversation of their own.

 

Wendy merely chuckled at that, as she shrugged her shoulders as if telling Seulgi to just accept her fate. It's kind of been a golden rule in their group by now, that what Bomi wants, Bomi always gets.

 

Taking pity on her friend though, Wendy offered to help Seulgi prepare for their party that evening. Yongsun and Joohyun, bless their kind souls, also volunteered to help while the others headed back to their respective homes to get ready.

 

There wasn't really much to prepare, so the four of them finished their jobs in no time. With hours left to spare, Seulgi and Wendy had Joohyun and Yongsun go home to get some rest before getting ready for the party in the evening.

 

"Are you not going home too?" Seulgi asks once it's just the two of them.

 

She heads to the couch where Wendy is seated and plops down unceremoniously, resting her head on the other girl’s lap.

 

The latter's hand automatically goes to Seulgi's head, gently sifting her fingers through the other’s hair. Seulgi literally purrs at the contact.

 

"Nah. I'm just gonna get ready here. I still have some of my stuff in your room, right?" Seulgi, half-asleep, nods her head gingerly.

 

"I'm gonna take a shower and get ready later. For now, let's just get some rest, yeah?"

 

Seulgi just nods her head again in response, attempting to open her eyes yet her lids all of a sudden feel heavy.

 

A fond smile forms on Wendy's lips as she looks down at Seulgi who's trying so hard to fight off sleep. With a light chuckle, she leans down and places a lingering kiss on the girl’s forehead.

 

She continues her ministrations with Seulgi's hair, and it doesn't take that much longer for the latter to finally drift off to sleep.

 

**********

 

It's half past two in the morning when Wendy decides that there's no use tossing and turning on the bed and gives up on trying to fall asleep. She's in Seulgi's room, the said girl lying on the bed beside her completely wasted and out.

 

The party had been fun. A little melancholic at first, given the reason why it was thrown in the first place. But thankfully, Hayoung, Bomi, and Sooyoung were there to brighten up the atmosphere.

 

After drinking and partying the night away, everyone except for Wendy – who had opted to not drink too much – is currently wasted and passed out.

 

Wendy and Seulgi are staying in the latter’s room while the others are sleeping in the living room, where Wendy distributed mattresses to their drunk asses earlier.

 

Letting out a soft sigh, Wendy gets off the bed and makes sure Seulgi is tucked under the blankets properly before heading out the room. She makes her way to the balcony as quickly and as quietly as possible to make sure none of her friends get woken up.

 

Once outside, she breathes in the cold, early morning air, a smile gracing her lips when she sees the dark skies littered with stars. She leans her arms against the railings, letting the sight lull her mind into a calm and peaceful state.

 

Closing her eyes, she tries her best to clear her mind of negative thoughts, pushing the thought of Seulgi leaving in less than forty-eight hours, and the growing distance between her and Joy, to the backburner of her mind.

 

It hasn't even been ten minutes since Wendy occupied the balcony when she felt another presence joining her there. She doesn't bother with opening her eyes, the other person's familiar scent of strawberries and vanilla being a huge giveaway to their identity.

 

After all, Joy's the only one out of their friend group who likes to rave about the scent of strawberries and vanilla being mixed together in perfumes.

 

Despite knowing her companion's identity though, Wendy doesn't speak. Joy doesn't either, so a comfortable silence envelopes the two of them. It's the younger girl who breaks the silence after a couple of minutes though.

 

"What are you doing out here at this time? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

 

Wendy smiles softly at that, pulling back from the railings to finally look at Joy. With the moon as their only source of light, the other girl looks ethereal under its silvery glow.

 

Her hair flows past her shoulders in a dark curtain, the light from the moon getting reflected off it and making it seem like it's glowing. Her eyes are a bit brighter than usual, and Wendy can now finally see that happy glint in them again, the one she hasn't seen in months.

 

Her lips are still painted a glossy red, in perfect contrast to her fair complexion, and Wendy finds it very difficult to tear her gaze away.

 

It isn't until Joy tilts her head and waves her hand in front of her face that Wendy is broken from her daze. She stares dumbly for a moment, until she remembers that she's been asked questions that she needs to answer.

 

"Oh. Uh . . . I can't sleep, been having a lot of things on my mind lately. I figured going out for a breath of fresh air can help me clear my head," Wendy answers, immediately averting her eyes when their gazes meet.

 

A moment of silence passes over them again, but this time, it is briefer compared to the previous. Joy doesn't ask what's bothering Wendy, she doesn't pry.

 

And Wendy's thankful to her for it. Joy knows that she would tell her about her troubles if she's ready. So, she changes the topic of conversation instead.

 

"It feels like it's been forever since we talked just the two of us, don't you think so?"

 

Wendy can only nod her head in response.

 

"Yeah. It's been a while. I'm sorry I haven't been able to spend time with you the past two weeks. I've just been busy helping Seulgi with preparations before she leaves."

 

Joy waves off Wendy's apology with a smile, shaking her head and scooting closer so that their shoulders are brushing.

 

"You don't have to apologize for that, Seungwan. Seulgi's your friend too, and she's just as deserving of spending time with you as I am. Speaking of, can I be honest with you?"

 

Wendy turns her head to the side to look at Joy, brows furrowed in confusion. The latter just smiles at her, reaching up and poking at her cheek with her finger.

 

Wendy scrunches her nose but otherwise does nothing to swat Joy's fingers away.

 

“There was a time when I kind of got jealous of Seulgi. Remember that time some years back? When you became cold and distant to everyone? It was obvious that you were having some problems back then and we all tried to get you to accept our help, but you avoided all of us and refused every single one of us.”

 

Of course, Wendy remembers that time. It was a little over two years ago, when Joy began dating Sungjae. After crushing on and pining over the guy since high school, Joy's feelings have finally been acknowledged by him at his birthday party.

 

The two of them went out on dates until they finally began officially dating after about four months. Since she thought none of her friends knew of her feelings at that time, Wendy kept everything to herself and she hadn't realized that she had begun to distance herself from them.

 

That was, until Seulgi paid her a visit.

 

"But you let Seulgi get close to you back then. You opened up to her and let her help you with your problems. I got a bit jealous because I'm your best friend. Why didn't you let me help you? Why didn't you open up to me? Why her?”

 

Joy chuckles a bit shyly at her little outburst. She then lets out a slight huff of breath before continuing.

 

“But it's all okay now, since Seulgi was able to help you out in the end. And it kind of made me feel relieved – secured, in a way – to know that you have someone else who will be there for you when I won't be able to.”

 

Wendy's momentarily at a loss for words after Joy's confession, unable to say anything. How could she, when it was the girl herself who had been the reason for her heartbreak back then?

 

Wendy doesn't exactly know what to say or how to feel, and it seems like Joy had read her mind because the younger girl suddenly bursts into a light chuckle as she bumps shoulders with her.

 

"Cat got your tongue, huh, Seungwan? Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I know that Seulgi has grown to become one of your closest friends, and I get that you're affected by her departure. But remember that I'm here too, yeah? You can always go to me whenever."

 

That makes Wendy smile, nodding her head in response before leaning against Joy's shoulder. Another moment of comfortable silence washes over them, until she remembers something.

 

"Hey, Joy?"

 

"Hmmm?"

 

"I'm glad to see you happy again. It's been a rough couple of months, and I'm proud that you got over that slump and bounced back. You're such a strong person, and I'm so proud of you."

 

Another moment of silence, this one lasting a bit longer than the last, before Wendy hears Joy let out a soft – sort of dreamy – sigh.

 

"It's mostly thanks to you that I was able to bounce back, Seungwan. Thank you for being there for me and helping me pick myself back up. Thank you for your patience and perseverance to help me heal. You're really the best best friend a person could ask for."

 

"It's kind of cheesy, but you know I'd do anything for you, Sooyoung," Wendy says with a slight cringe, making Joy crack into a laugh.

 

"Thanks, Wan. You're the best. Oh, and while we're at it, I have one more thing to say."

 

Joy pauses then, taking a deep breath before letting it out in a soft sigh. She then pulls away from Wendy, turning so that they're face to face.

 

Her cheeks are glowing under the moon's soft light, and there's that twinkle in her eyes that Wendy has only ever seen whenever Joy was with Sungjae, whenever Joy is in love.

 

The last thought makes Wendy's heart drop to her stomach and her blood run ice cold.

 

"I'm seeing someone, Wendy."

 

**********

 

Wendy meets Hyoseob on the eve of Joy's twenty-sixth birthday.

 

It's a small party where just their close friends are invited. Wendy and Joy opted to just spend the party at their place for a more peaceful and comfortable atmosphere.

 

But aside from their usual group of friends, Joy told them that she also invited Hyoseob – to finally let them meet the person who's been making her happy lately.

 

The guy is quite the charmer, as Wendy comes to find out.

 

Shin Hyoseob is a music teacher who just recently started teaching at the school next to the daycare where Joy works at. He's about four years older than Joy, is extremely cool and preppy, and could charm the pants off everyone inside a room as soon as he walks in.

 

A perfect prince charming, so they say.

 

There's no denying that he makes Joy happy, as Wendy had witnessed earlier that evening as soon as the guy arrived at her and Joy's shared apartment.

 

Joy's eyes literally lit up the moment they landed on him, her lips curling into the brightest smile Wendy had ever seen.

 

And with the way that beautiful blush bloomed on her cheeks when he greeted her a happy birthday, accompanied by a kiss on the cheek, Wendy knew that Joy was in deep despite them only knowing each other for a little over four months.

 

Even their friends got charmed just minutes into a conversation with the dude, and Wendy completely understands why when she finally gets her turn to talk to him.

 

Hyoseob is as kind as he is cool, and he has a speaking voice that's just so soothing to the ears. Had they been under different circumstances, Wendy would have been easily charmed by the guy herself.

 

Unfortunately, this is their circumstance. The one where Wendy's hopelessly been in love with Joy since day one, while Joy's now falling for the charming prince with the charming smile.

 

And seeing Joy be all heart-eyes all over Hyoseob had not been good to Seungwan's poor, old, battered heart. So with the excuse of having drunk a little too much than what she can handle, Wendy politely excused herself from the party and escaped to her room.

 

She's only partially lying anyway, since she really has had a little too much to drink and her vision's already starting to blur.

 

It's been a month since Seulgi left the country, and even though they call each other on Skype every day, it's just not the same. With the other girl now all the way at the other side of the globe, Wendy has no one to turn to whenever she's sad and hurting.

 

It doesn't help that Joy's began to be more open about the guy she's seeing to all their friends after that night she talked with Wendy at Seulgi's balcony.

 

With a heavy sigh, Wendy dives right into her bed, grabbing her phone on top of the nightstand to chat Seulgi, saying that she won't be able to video chat that evening because she's way too drunk.

 

Placing her phone back on the nightstand and not waiting for a reply, Wendy covers her eyes with her arm and tries to relax herself.

 

Within just minutes, she's already drifting off to dreamland, the party, and Joy and Hyoseob forgotten for the rest of the evening.

 

**********

 

It's a vicious, painful, heartbreaking cycle.

 

Wendy wonders when it would stop hurting, seeing Joy be happy and in love with someone else.

 

Well, that's actually a pain she's gotten quite used to after experiencing Joy with Sungjae. What she's not able to stand though, is the pain of being neglected and cast to the side.

 

It has happened before with Sungjae, and unfortunately for Wendy, it's now happening again with Hyoseob.

 

It's been months since Joy's birthday where she introduced the guy to everyone, and it's been a month since the two of them started exclusively dating.

 

The first few months, Wendy didn't mind the friendly dates that Joy had to cancel or reschedule after forgetting about them. She also didn't mind her staying over at Hyoseob’s place every few nights.

 

Who was she to complain anyway? She's just a friend, and he’s the one Joy's dating.

 

But as soon as the two started officially dating, the number of rescheduled and cancelled friendly dates became too many that Wendy had gotten tired of keeping count.

 

Joy rarely even stays at their apartment anymore, only going back to do her laundry and get some more spare clothes once or twice a week.

 

Wendy misses her too much, misses her so bad, but she can't do anything but watch and stay mum because this is the happiest that she's seen Joy in their ten years of friendship.

 

Perhaps it's one of Joy's flaws, tending to cast aside everything else around her when she's in love, because the person she's dating is the only one she sees.

 

A loud sigh falls from Wendy's lips as she looks at the clock strapped to her wrist for the umpteenth time. It's been two hours and there's still no sign of Joy at all.

 

Wendy had tried to call and text her multiple times throughout those two hours, but she has yet to get a reply. She can only let out another sigh when she sees the waiter approaching her table again.

 

Feeling embarrassed for making him wait too long, she’s finally forced to order when she figures that Joy's not going to be arriving anytime soon. When the waiter finally walks away, Wendy slumps against the backrest of her booth, a deep-set frown overtaking her features.

 

Ever since they became friends, it has become a tradition for Wendy and Joy to celebrate each other's birthdays a day before the actual date at this diner near their old university.

 

For years, they have never missed a single birthday, but it looks like tonight's going to be a first for them. Wendy's beyond frustrated at this point, because it's her birthday tomorrow and Joy seems to have forgotten about their little tradition.

 

She feels like crying when, even after her food had been served, there was still no sign of Joy arriving. So, she was forced to half-heartedly eat her meal, which she just couldn't get to finish no matter how hard she tried to push herself to.

 

Fifteen minutes after her food arrived, and with most of her plate remaining untouched, Wendy paid for her meal and left the diner with another broken heart.

 

Having been stood up one too many times, Wendy feels like she's so, so close to having enough. Yet she can't bring herself to hate Joy otherwise, so she's left with this heavy, uncomfortable feeling of sadness and resentment in her chest.

 

Not wanting to head back to a cold and empty apartment just yet, Wendy walks to a nearby convenience store and purchases a six-pack beer and some ice cream along the way.

 

Taking her purchases with her, she heads to her favorite park that's just a walking distance from where she's at. Sparing another glance at her wristwatch, she sees that it's just a couple of minutes before midnight.

 

It's a good thing, since there won't be many people there by now.

 

Once she's at the park, she heads straight to her bench off to a secluded part. At this point, she only sees a handful of other people loitering about the place.

 

As soon as she's sat down, she grabs one can from the pack and finishes it in three huge gulps. Another can gets finished the same way before Wendy opens her ice cream and digs into it like there's no tomorrow.

 

She's on her fourth can when someone takes a seat beside her on the bench, making her yelp and jump on her seat in surprise.

 

But the tinkling sound of a melodic laughter instantly calms the racing of her heart, only for it to go back into overdrive when she turns and finally sees the person who dared trespass her space and had the audacity to sit beside her.

 

It's the very pretty nurse from the hospital where Eunji works at, and she has a huge, pretty grin adorning her lips as she looks at Wendy.

 

Pretty nurse chuckles at Wendy's spooked expression, before her gaze wanders to the cans of beer and the wrapper of the ice cream cone from earlier.

 

Her grin turns to a subtle smile as an understanding look settles in her eyes, sobering Wendy up in an instant. There's nothing more that she hates than being pitied. Not even by this pretty nurse.

 

Especially by this very pretty nurse.

 

Without a word, the pretty nurse reaches for one of the two cans left, pops it open, and hands it to Wendy with a cute nose scrunch.

 

She then reaches inside her pocket and pulls out her phone, tinkering with it a little until a moment later, cool, soothing jazz music permeates through the otherwise tranquil evening.

 

Wendy finds herself relaxing as she finally takes a sip off her can of beer, sitting properly on the bench and letting her gaze wander to the night sky.

 

A small smile makes its way to her lips when she sees that there is not a single cloud in the sky to obscure the view of the countless twinkling stars.

 

Getting an idea, Wendy places her can of beer beside her on the bench and reaches for the last full can. She then opens it, and with a more genuine smile this time, she hands it to the pretty nurse beside her.

 

Pretty nurse takes it with an amused glint in her eyes, muttering out a soft ‘thank you’ before turning her gaze towards the sky once more.

 

Wendy does the same, reaching for her own can and taking small, steady sips every now and then.

 

She doesn't know why, but sitting there and drinking beer as she's stargazing, with the pretty nurse sitting not that far from her, made her forget another heartbreak caused by Sooyoung.

 

**********

 

The sun is already shining brightly outside when Wendy wakes up the next morning.

 

Hungover and disoriented, she sits up on her bed and tries to slowly open her eyes. There's an annoying, persistent throbbing against her temples as she sits up, trying her best not to move around too much because the slightest jostle is enough to make her feel nauseous.

 

She's just successfully got up into a sitting position, with her back resting against the headboard, when a familiar and very much unexpected chuckle makes her open her eyes instantly.

 

And almost immediately, a groan falls from her lips as she clutches at her head, her vision spinning and her stomach dangerously grumbling in protest.

 

"Did I surprise you? Sorry," a soft voice says as Wendy hears footsteps approaching the bed.

 

When she's feeling a bit better, Wendy slowly opens her eyes again, and she feels her heart doing somersaults when she sees the pretty nurse from last night sitting in front of her.

 

She opens to ask questions, but the girl raises her hands and offers her some medicine instead.

 

Wendy takes them gratefully, bowing her head slightly when she also gets handed a glass of water. Gingerly, she pops the pills in and washes them down with the water, cringing at the acrid aftertaste of the beer left in .

 

The pretty nurse's melodic laughter makes Wendy look towards her again, feeling her cheeks warm when the other girl winks at her.

 

"Where am I?" Wendy finally asks after gathering enough courage.

 

She's been wondering ever since she noticed that she's in an unfamiliar room some minutes ago.

 

"We're at my place right now, and we're inside my room. I'm sorry I brought you back here, but I didn't exactly know where to take you home last night. You got pretty drunk after your last can and you passed out the moment we arrived here."

 

Feeling utterly humiliated, Wendy lets out a loud groan as she bumps her head against the headboard. Which she discovers is a very wrong move the next moment because it causes a sharp pain to her temples, making her groan even louder.

 

Pretty nurse snorts in amusement, and Wendy secretly wishes for the ground to open up and swallow her whole with how much she's embarrassed herself in front of the other girl in less than twenty-four hours.

 

Wendy finds herself freezing up though, almost choking on her own saliva, when she feels soft, warm fingers pressing firmly yet gently against her temples.

 

When she opens her eyes again, her breath gets caught in when she sees the other girl's proximity to her as she massages her temples.

 

"Relax," the nurse tells her softly.

 

"This'll help alleviate the pain. By the way, I think your friends and family are worried about you. Your phone kept vibrating earlier before it died off. I didn't want to invade your privacy, so I didn't touch it, don't worry. Ah, but I did plug it in for you. It's there beside the vanity."

 

Wendy looks up at the nurse and flashes her a grateful smile. At least that's what she was aiming for. But her head's still being a , so the smile turned out to be more of a grimace, but pretty nurse nonetheless smiles back while still massaging her temples.

 

Around five minutes later, the other girl finally stops and pulls back, Wendy finding the throbbing in her head a bit more bearable after.

 

"If you're not in that much of a hurry, I cooked some breakfast – err, brunch. You can go eat after you wash up. The bathroom's down the hallway, last door to your right. I've put a towel and some clothes you can change into in there as well, if you feel like taking a shower. I'll just be in the kitchen."

 

With that, the pretty nurse gets up from the bed and heads out of her bedroom without waiting for Wendy's reply.

 

With a sigh, Wendy gets off the bed on shaky legs, stretching a little to loosen her joints before heading out the room herself. She follows the other girl's directions towards the bathroom, and as she begins freshening herself up, she can't help but sigh again.

 

She has a feeling that it's gonna be quite a long day ahead.

 

**********

 

Wendy offered to wash the dishes after their late brunch, but the nurse – Jennie – waves her off and just shoos her back into her room.

 

They've talked a bit over their meal, mostly getting to know each other better, and Wendy finds it weird that she already feels comfortable around the younger girl despite only knowing her the night before.

 

When Jennie refuses to budge, Wendy can only reluctantly drag herself back into the bedroom, heading straight for her phone and unplugging it when she sees that it's already fully charged.

 

Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she finally turns the device on and groans when she feels the continuous vibrations and hears the continuous pings as messages come in one after another.

 

It's mostly her friends and family greeting her a happy birthday, and some of Eunji and Bomi asking her where she is. There's even a video message from Seulgi wishing her a happy birthday, which successfully makes her smile.

 

She replies to the messages one by one, thanking everyone who sent greetings and skipping over the ones from Eunji and Bomi asking where she is.

 

Her good mood doesn't last long though, when she notices that there's not a single message from Sooyoung.

 

Sighing – she seems to be doing that a lot lately – Wendy throws her phone to the side and lets her body ungracefully plop down on the bed.

 

She must have fallen asleep, because she feels herself getting shaken awake a while later. When she opens her eyes, she finds Jennie hovering over her and she almost yelps in surprise.

 

Thankfully, Jennie straightens up as soon as Wendy opens her eyes, so the latter is able to let out a breath of relief.

 

"I prepared some tea to help with your hangover. Help yourself while I go and take a quick shower. Wait for me okay? I'm gonna drive you home."

 

Wendy wants to refuse, already feeling embarrassed for having troubled the other girl so much. But one look from Jennie is enough to make her keep shut.

 

As Wendy finds herself heading towards the kitchen, she can't help but wonder, just what is it with Jennie that Wendy finds it so hard to say no to her?

 

**********

 

When Wendy gets back to her apartment, she finds it weird that the place is plunged in darkness. Despite it being the early afternoon, all their curtains are drawn so there's no light spilling through the windows.

 

She doesn't remember drawing all the curtains back the previous night, but she shrugs it off nevertheless and feels along the walls beside the door for the light switch.

 

As soon as she switches the lights on, a loud shout of 'Happy birthday, Seungwan!!!' greets her along with poppers popping. Her friends are in her living room, surrounding a table laid out with all of her favorite food and a cake from her favorite bakery downtown.

 

From behind, Wendy feels Jennie pushing her inside gently. Turning her head, she sees the other girl smiling at her brightly as she coaxes her inside.

 

Wendy lets herself get pushed, trailing her gaze over her friends' smiling faces and feeling her lips curling up into a smile of her own.

 

Her heart clenches when she realizes that Sooyoung isn't there, but she keeps the smile plastered on her lips for the sake of her friends.

 

They've all gone through the trouble of organizing this surprise party for her, so Wendy owes it to them to have fun and forget about Sooyoung and her heartbreak until this is over.

 

A loud cheer erupts from her friends as soon as she blows on the candles of the cake after they sing her a happy birthday. Beside her, she sees Jennie smiling widely and cheering along with everybody else.

 

Wendy couldn't help but smile gratefully at the girl when their gazes met.

 

When Wendy asks Jennie about how she found out about the party while everyone's eating, the girl just shrugs her shoulders nonchalantly, continuing to stuff her face with food.

 

It's kind of adorable, Wendy muses, as she steals a piece of mandu from Jennie's plate which garners her a cutting glare from the other girl. She raises her hands in mock surrender, reaching forward to pinch the other’s nose.

 

"Okay! Okay!" Jennie exclaims as she tries to swat Wendy's hand away.

 

Grumbling under her breath, Jennie takes a bite out of her sandwich first before answering Wendy's question.

 

"Eunji told me. There! Happy now?"

 

"How did she find out I was with you?"

 

"I told her before you woke up earlier. She was panicking and flooding my phone with messages worrying over you because you didn't come home last night. You got more questions, or can I finally eat in peace?"

 

When Wendy shakes her head with a playful smile plastered on her lips, Jennie in turn grumbles under her breath.

 

Wendy chuckles at the younger girl's adorableness, and she finds herself smiling unconsciously as her stare lingers on Jennie Kim.

 

Maybe this party won't be so bad after all.

 

**********

 

Joy gets home later that evening as Wendy is finishing cleaning up after the party.

 

She's panting, her skin flushed and covered in a thin sheen of sweat. There's a worried look in her eyes when her gaze zeroes in on Wendy, and the latter feels her heart stop as soon as their gazes meet.

 

For a while they just stood there, frozen in their places, gazes locked on each other. Until Joy takes a tentative step forward which nudges Wendy from her stupor.

 

Clenching her jaws, Wendy walks towards the sink and places the plate in her hands on the rack. She then unties her apron hastily and storms off from the kitchen towards her room, hearing Joy's footsteps just right behind her.

 

"Seungwan, wait! I'm sorry!"

 

Joy tries to hold onto Wendy's arm, but the older girl pries her hand away. She then turns to her with a glare, which successfully stuns the other girl, before turning on her heels and storming off to her room once more.

 

She's about to twist the doorknob when Joy pulls the back of her shirt and she crashes straight into the younger girl's arms.

 

Wendy tries to struggle free from Joy's embrace at first, but she finds her resolve wavering as I'm sorry's, one after another, fall from Joy's lips.

 

She finds it so unfair how Joy can make her cave with just her words alone, and she hates that she's ready to forgive Joy, even before the girl asks for forgiveness, no matter how much she hurt her.

 

Wendy hates feeling this weak, this vulnerable, to her own feelings. She wants to stop hurting, but how can she do so when she lets Joy break her over and over like this.

 

Overwhelmed by her own feelings, Wendy finally breaks into a loud sob. Her knees give out under her, and she would've fallen to the ground had it not been for Joy holding her.

 

Slowly, the two of them slid down to the floor, Wendy still sobbing uncontrollably as Joy also ended up in tears.

 

The younger girl gathers Wendy in her arms and holds her close, holds her tight, as if the embrace could bring back together the pieces of her broken heart.

 

It doesn't.