“You’re going out?”

 

Wendy pauses tying her shoelaces to look up at Joy who’s standing a few feet away from her.

 

The other girl's brows are furrowed, and the corner of her lips are about to curl down into a frown, but Seungwan finds her gaze darting towards her hands which are clenching and unclenching by her sides.

 

“Uh, yeah. I just kinda, y’know, promised a friend I’d accompany her to meet her mother who’s visiting today,” she answers hesitantly, confused as to why Joy is asking her about her plans now, when she’s never said anything to her the past couple of weeks.

 

In fact, they haven’t really talked much since that day Joy stood up Wendy again.

 

Everything has been awkward between the two of them since, and it’s not without Joy trying to reach out and apologize. Again.

 

But Seungwan had been doing her best to evade the younger girl. She had spent time mulling over Jennie's words, and she had come to the conclusion that the other girl was right.

 

If she really wanted to move on from Sooyoung, then she needed to limit the time she spent with the other girl.

 

Ever since then, Wendy mostly spent her free time with Jennie, only seeing Joy during their friend group gatherings. She’d sometimes even choose to hang out with Jennie instead of her friends just to avoid seeing Joy and Hyoseob be all sweet and love-y with each other.

 

She’s even gone out of her way to leave an hour earlier than she usually does just so they won’t run into each other in the mornings.

 

Then, in the evenings, she would have dinner with Jennie and stay at the latter’s place until she’s sure that Joy has gone to bed.

 

It’s a ty thing, what she’s doing to her best friend, but she’s doing this for both of their sake.

 

It’s obvious that Joy’s relationship with Hyoseob is getting more serious with each day that passes, so Seungwan needs to get rid of her feelings soon if she still wants to keep the younger girl in her life.

 

“Hey, are you still even listening to me?”

 

Wendy shakes her head to clear her thoughts and looks at Joy’s disappointed face. The other girl’s brows are furrowed, and her lips are pursed, clear signs that she’s genuinely upset.

 

Wendy stands up and faces the younger girl, trying her hardest to rack her brain for any way to diffuse the situation. She’s never liked it when Joy gets really upset.

 

“I’m sorry, I got distracted for a moment. What were you saying again?” she tries to prompt gently, keeping her voice calm and soothing to not irk the other girl even more.

 

It seems to have worked, because Joy’s tensed shoulders relax in the next moment as she lets out a soft sigh. She brings her arms up and wraps them around herself as she keeps her gaze pinned to the ground, refusing to meet Seungwan's probing gaze.

 

Worried, Wendy walks towards the younger girl and gently takes hold of her shoulders, coaxing Joy into meeting her gaze yet the girl remains stubborn.

 

Sighing, she gives up and just turns to gently massage the other girl’s shoulders instead.

 

“Hey, Sooyoung. What’s wrong? Do you want to talk about it?” Wendy asks imploringly, trying once again to meet the other girl’s eyes yet still ending up unsuccessful.

 

Joy does mumble something under her breath though, which Wendy unfortunately wasn’t able to pick up.

 

“What did you say? C’mon Park Sooyoung, speak a little more clearly.”

 

“I said, it’s the nineteenth today.”

 

“Huh? I know it’s the nineteenth. What’s the deal?”

 

"You really don't remember, huh?" Joy asks a little wistfully.

 

Her voice comes out in a breathy whisper, so soft, so quiet that Wendy would have missed had she not attuned her senses to the other girl.

 

It was laced with so much unbridled hurt that to Wendy, it doesn't feel far from having Joy shouting those words instead.

 

Ten years.

 

They've been friends for a whole decade, yet this is the first time Wendy's heard this intensity of pain from the other girl.

 

Hell, Joy wasn't even this hurt when her father left some years ago.

 

Wendy is dumbfounded by Joy’s reaction, so she’s left standing there, gawking at the younger girl. The latter’s teeth are sinking so deep against her lower lip that she’s kinda afraid the girl would break through the skin.

 

Joy refuses to meet Wendy's gaze, and through the curtain of hair over her face, the older girl could see her cheeks starting to flush, and her eyes b with unshed tears as her lips quivered.

 

Wendy tries her hardest to remember why today is such a big deal, and when she finally does, it feels as though a whole tub of ice-cold water has just been poured over her head.

 

Oh. Today is that day.

 

On the nineteenth day of every month, Wendy and Joy free up their schedules as much as they can and allocate time to spend with each other. It’s their Wendy-and-Joy day, a day where everything’s just about the two of them.

 

They’ve been doing it for years, but Joy has missed the last three months and Wendy ended up thinking that that little tradition of theirs has also come to an end.

 

Sighing, she grabs Joy’s wrists gently and pulls the other girl to her, catching her in a tight hug.

 

“I’m not playing dumb, Sooyoung. And I’m also not making excuses, but since you missed out on the last three months, I just thought that we weren’t going to continue with that little tradition anymore. I’m sorry for making you think that I intentionally forgot just to spite you. You know I’d never do that to you, right?”

 

At this, Joy finally bursts into tears as she buries her face against Wendy’s neck, clutching at the back of the older girl’s shirt firmly as she sobs loudly against her neck.

 

She's muttering apology after apology that gets muffled against the older girl's skin, her body shaking with every sob that the latter is afraid she might pass out if this continues.

 

What is she sorry for?

 

Could it be that she's apologizing for the the days that she missed, and all the cancelled plans and stood up meals?

 

Wendy’s surprised, confused, and panicked, but she manages to pull herself together to get the girl to calm from what she thinks is a supposed breakdown.

 

It takes a while, but Joy’s cries eventually taper off to silent whimpers as Wendy caresses her back soothingly.

 

When she finally stops crying, she steps back from the older girl’s embrace and refuses to meet the latter’s gaze again.

 

Seungwan could only sigh as she watched Joy try her hardest to wipe all the remaining traces of tears from her face.

 

She looks so adorable with her flushed and puffy cheeks, and her pouty lips, that Wendy gets this urge to squish them together.

 

But the girl looks genuinely sad and upset that she can’t bring herself to do it. Sighing, Wendy stuffs her hands into her jean pockets as she tries to contemplate on what to do.

 

She almost considers cancelling on her plans with Jennie, because she just becomes this weak-willed whenever upset Joy is involved.

 

But then she also remembers everything that Jennie has done for her ever since they became friends and it makes her pause.

 

Jennie had been her pillar of support the past few months, providing warmth and comfort to her broken heart.

 

Jennie was the one who picked up the pieces of her broken heart and melded it back together when Joy hurt her time and time again.

 

And despite everything that she’s done for Seungwan, Jennie never complained or asked for anything in return.

 

This lunch date had been the first time the younger girl asked her for something, and when Wendy recalls how uncharacteristically nervous she had been that day, she smiles despite herself.

 

Seungwan’s brows furrowed in confusion as she stared at the girl sitting in front of her.

 

Jennie is uncharacteristically jittery today, and she’s been avoiding Wendy’s gaze ever since she arrived some half an hour ago.

 

What’s more concerning is that the younger girl’s food remains untouched in front of her.

 

Usually, whenever the two of them go out to eat, Jennie digs into her food as soon as it’s placed in front of her. But it’s been almost half an hour now and Jennie has yet to touch her utensils.

 

“Jen,” Wendy calls out softly, when it looks like the younger girl is getting lost in her own head again.

 

Shaking her head a bit, Jennie lifts her gaze to meet Wendy’s, and her lips curl into a wry smile when she notices the worried look in the older girl’s smile.

 

“Hmmm?” Jennie hums out in response, finally picking up her fork to prod at her plate of pasta. Wendy’s brows furrow in concern.

 

“Is there something wrong? You’re being . . . uncharacteristically reserved today,” the older girl answers, reaching across the table to take the fork from her companion.

 

With a sigh, Wendy takes a hold of Jennie's hand and intertwines their fingers together.

 

This makes the younger girl look up again, and when their gazes meet a second time, Wendy flashes Jennie a reassuring smile.

 

It’s Jennie's turn to sigh this time, as she squeezes Wendy’s hand once, twice, and the latter starts to get worried when she feels the hand in her hold begin to shake.

 

But Wendy keeps shut, letting the younger girl gather her thoughts. In an attempt to help calm the other, she begins rubbing soothing circles against her skin.

 

A couple more minutes passed, yet Wendy remained patient. When Jennie lets out a slight groan as she slumps against her seat’s backrest, the older girl couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

 

It’s weird, how lately, she couldn’t help but find the other girl and her antics adorable.

 

“It’s my mom,” Jennie says with a grumble. The corners of her lips curl down into a frown as she glares at the food in front of her. “She’s visiting two weeks from now.”

 

Wendy’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion at that. If her mother is visiting her soon, then why does Jennie not look too happy about it?

 

Whenever the two of them talked about their families, Jennie would always talk about her mother fondly.

 

She’d get this cute twinkle in her eyes everytime she tells stories of her mother, so Wendy’s quite not sure what to make of her reaction now.

 

“Err . . . isn’t that like a good thing? I mean, you said that you haven’t seen her in a while and that you’ve been missing her. Shouldn’t you be a bit more . . . I dunno, excited about this?”

 

Jennie sighs as she massages her temple with her free hand, and it’s only then that Wendy realizes that their hands are still entwined.

 

A blush blooms across her cheeks when she becomes aware of the softness and the warmth of the hand in her hold, and she could only pray that Jennie wouldn’t notice.

 

“I’d absolutely love to see my mother, don’t get me wrong,” Jennie starts as she sits up properly on her seat.

 

She spares a glance towards their linked hands, and it makes Wendy hold her breath.

 

But she finds herself relaxing when she sees the younger girl’s lips turn up into a small, fond smile. It’s so beautiful, the way she smiles a bit lopsidedly as her gaze turns mellow, and Wendy finds herself stunned for a moment as her heart skips a beat.

 

“But, do you remember that time we ran into my stupid cousin when we went out for sushi?”

 

When Wendy nods her head in assent, Jennie grimaces as her hold on the older girl’s hand tightens. With a sigh, she proceeds with her story.

 

“Apparently, that good-for-nothing oaf had the gall to tell my mother that we’re dating and that you’re my girlfriend.”

 

The younger girl’s words don't register immediately in Wendy’s mind, and while she stayed quiet trying to absorb what the heck Jennie meant, the latter took it as a sign of her taking offense.

 

So she shoots off into a small tirade of apologies as she begs the older girl to say something.

 

“I’m so, so sorry Seungwan. I was about to refute my stupid cousin’s claims, but I saw the way my mom’s eyes lit up, and how she broke out into the happiest smile I’ve seen on her face, when she found out that I apparently have a girlfriend.”

 

Jennie stays mum after that, as she lets Wendy grasp the situation properly.

 

The latter is shocked, to say the least, but she’s pretty much pieced all the information together and she’s kind of figured out now why her friend had been stressed the entire time.

 

After a couple of minutes, Wendy clears , garnering the attention of the girl sitting beside her.

 

Scratching the back of her neck awkwardly, she smiles at Jennie hesitantly as she grapples for the right words to say.

 

“Um . . . Err . . . So your mom thinks we’re dating?”

 

“Yeah. I’m sorry but I didn’t have the heart to spoil her happiness because it was proven that my heart’s not made of stone. And that I’m capable of falling in love. She’s been bugging me to date for years, because she’s worried I might end up being a grumpy old dog lady in the future.”

 

Wendy finds herself smiling in amusement when Jennie rolls her eyes playfully.

 

This is one of the things she loves about the other girl so much, how the mood is always light and easy with her no matter how awkward the topics of conversation may be.

 

“Erm . . . Just to get things straight. Your mom thinks you’re dating, and that I’m your girlfriend. So the reason you’ve not been yourself today is because you’re probably gonna ask me to accompany you to that lunch date with your mom. As your girlfriend.”

 

Wendy’s sure she’s spot on when the younger girl remains mum beside her. With an amused chuckle, she squeezes the hand in her hold as she sends Jennie a warm smile.

 

She sees the latter’s shoulders relax visibly. Deciding to be a bit playful, she pokes the girl’s cheek with her free hand.

 

“So?”

 

“So what?”

 

“Aren’t you gonna ask me if I want to accompany you on that lunch date?”

 

“Huh? Do I really have to? I mean, you’ve basically said yes already.”

 

“Hmmm . . . Can I reconsider then? I think –”

 

Before Wendy can finish her sentence, Jennie hits her on the arm as she speaks out before her.

 

“Fine! Can you please act as my girlfriend and accompany me to the lunch date with my mom? And every time she’ll be in our presence during the one week she’ll be staying here.”

 

“Pretty please,” she adds as an afterthought after seeing the mischievous glint in the older girl's eyes.

 

Grinning widely, Wendy reaches up and pinches Jennie's cheeks. The latter glares at her but otherwise says nothing and doesn’t slap her hand away.

 

“Sure. I’d love to.”

 

A heavy sigh falls from Wendy’s lips as she grits her teeth. With a heavy heart, she reaches for Joy’s hands and holds them firmly.

 

She looks Joy in the eyes sadly as she flashes a half-hearted smile. And her heart almost breaks when she sees the other girl’s shoulders drop in defeat.

 

It totally does, however, when Sooyoung sends her a heartbroken yet understanding smile.

 

Something has shifted between the two of them, and Wendy's starting to realize it now.

 

Ever since the last time she got stood up, and since she started hanging out with Jennie more, Joy would obviously mind at times. Especially when she decided to stay overnight at Jennie's place.

 

But unlike before, when the younger girl would make a fuss, Joy would now only send a wry smile her way all while refusing to meet her gaze.

 

“I’m so, so sorry Sooyoung,” Wendy says in an almost whisper, her voice much too soft as she feels her heart straining against the heavy feeling of guilt and regret creeping in.

 

“It’s just that this lunch date is kind of really important, and I absolutely can’t bail on Jennie at the last minute. I promise to come back as soon as I can, though. I reckon we won’t take more than three hours with that lunch. Well, maybe four hours tops, but I promise I’d go home as soon as we’re done.”

 

Sighing yet again, she lets go of the younger girl’s hands and leans forward, planting a soft kiss against Joy’s forehead.

 

With a sad smile on her lips, and with her heart beating quite painfully inside her chest, Wendy heads for the front door.

 

**********

 

A loud, boisterous laugh falls from Wendy’s lips as she listens to Jennie's mother recount tales of the girl’s mischief and adventures from childhood.

 

Beside her, Jennie is sitting with furrowed brows, a deep frown on her lips, and arms crossed over her chest. But there’s that amused, fond glitter in her eyes as she looks at her mother and Seungwan interact.

 

Wendy and Jennie's mother have hit it off as soon as they met, and the two have been ganging up on teasing Jennie since lunch started.

 

And even though Jennie finds it kind of annoying that she’s the object of their teasing, she can’t bring herself to be a mind that much.

 

Because this is the first time since they’ve met that she’s seen Wendy this happy. There’s a twinkle in the older girl’s eyes that wasn’t there before, and her smile is so wide, so happy, that it’s actually contagious.

 

Jennie finds herself wanting to protect that smile, that happiness she sees in the older girl’s eyes. Because if there’s one thing she knows and is sure of, it’s that Wendy is a person who’s much deserving of happiness in life.

 

Her companions’ laughter breaks Jennie from her thoughts, and she looks up just in time to see Wendy laughing carefreely, happily.

 

The older girl’s eyes have disappeared behind the prettiest crescents, her nose scrunched a bit, as her lips are pulled back in the most beautiful smile Jennie has ever seen.

 

She doesn’t know why, doesn’t particularly understand, but there’s this warmth in her heart as she sees the happiness exuding from the older girl.

 

Wendy, whose laughter has finally died down into soft chuckles, reaches a hand up to wipe the stray tears from her eyes.

 

Spending time with Jennie's mother had been real fun so far, and she can’t remember the last time she’d been this happy.

 

The older woman is such a joy to be with, and she treats Wendy with much fondness and adoration as if they’ve known each other for a long time.

 

It’s refreshing too, in a sense. Because she hasn’t been this comfortable and glad in the presence of her friends’ parents during their first meeting since she met Joy’s mother.

 

Mrs. Kim had greeted her with a wide smile and a very tight and warm hug, and she instantly felt at ease.

 

All throughout their meal, and even after they changed locations to a nearby café for some coffee, Jennie's mom had been sharing with her stories of Jennie's childhood, and in turn, Wendy recounted some of hers.

 

It’s been so fun, and she actually likes the older woman. But there were times when she felt ill at ease, when Mrs. Kim would suddenly pause and look at her with that glint in her eyes.

 

Wendy couldn’t explain it, but there’s just something with the way Mrs. Kim looked at her like that, which made her feel like she should be remembering something. For a moment, she zones out, trying to rack her brain for anything, but she unfortunately comes up with nothing.

 

“Seungwan.”

 

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Wendy turns to look towards Jennie, who’s already looking at her quite worriedly.

 

Tilting her head to the side a bit, she asks the younger girl what’s the matter. The latter just sighs and shakes her head, before reaching under the table to take a hold of her hand.

 

Looking around, she notices that Mrs. Kim is not at the table with them anymore. Brows furrowing in confusion, she turns towards Jennie for answers.

 

The other girl just smiles lopsidedly, shaking her head a little as she squeezes her hand.

 

“CR break,” Jennie answers briefly.

 

“By the way, she asked if you wanted to go for ice cream. There’s a nearby shop here that sells the best strawberry cheesecake flavor and we want to try it.”

 

Wendy enjoyed her time with the Kims a little too much, and she’s not sure she’s ready to part ways with them just yet. So, with a huge smile on her lips, she agrees to Jennie’s offer of ice cream.

 

The three of them leave the café as soon as Mrs. Kim returns to their table, the mother-and-daughter pair engaged in conversation as Wendy trails behind them with a fond smile on her lips.

 

Though, as they take their time walking to the ice cream parlor that Jennie mentioned, she can’t shake the feeling that she’s forgotten something.

 

**********

 

What was supposed to be an hour or two spent eating ice cream with the Kims got extended to almost four, because Jennie’s mother had dragged her and Jennie towards the mall for some impromptu shopping.

 

Mrs. Kim even wanted to still go on a little stroll at the nearby park to watch the sunset, seeing as the sun was already halfway down the horizon. And Wendy was about to take her up on her offer, but she remembered her promise to Sooyoung earlier that day.

 

So, she takes a quick, discreet look towards her wrist watch and almost groans when she sees that it’s almost six in the evening.

 

She’s honestly enjoying her time with Jennie and the Kim matriarch, and she wants to join them on that stroll. But she also made a promise to Sooyoung, one that she intends on keeping.

 

A bit stupid, according to Jennie Rubyjane herself, seeing as Sooyoung has broken one too many promises made with her. But Wendy's not the type to go back on her words, so she's going to keep her promise this time too.

 

With a regretful sigh, she meets Jennie's gaze and flashes a sad smile. The other girl responds with an understanding one, squeezing her hand as a way of telling her that she understands. Wendy’s smile turns grateful as she brings their linked hands up to her lips, kissing the back of the younger girl’s.

 

When she looks back up again, she sees Jennie looking at her with a fond twinkle in her eyes, and a soft smile playing at her lips.

 

They spend a couple of moments just sitting there, silently conversing through their gazes, until Mrs. Kim walks back towards them after depositing hers and Jennie's shopping bags in their car.

 

“So, are you girls ready to go?” Mrs. Kim asks as she hooks her arms with Jennie's. Wendy takes a deep breath, feeling sad already at the thought of refusing the invite.

 

“Err . . . About that, Mrs Kim–”

 

“Sweetie, I thought I told you to drop the formalities. Auntie is fine. Mom is even better.”

 

“Mom!” Jennie interjects, a bit flustered. And when Wendy turns to look at her, she sees the faint blush blooming across the younger girl’s cheeks.

 

“Too much?” The older woman laughs, loud and happy. Wendy smiles despite herself. “Auntie it is, then. Don’t worry dearie, you’ll get used to calling me mom eventually.”

 

“Mother!”

 

Mrs. Kim laughs again, this time joined by Seungwan. This prompts Jennie to turn towards the latter with a glare, effectively shutting the older girl up.

 

“Mom, Seungwan’s unfortunately not gonna be able to join us for that stroll,” Jennie says once her mother’s laughter dies down. At this, the older woman’s smile drops a little.

 

“Hmmm? But why?” she asks, with her mellowed down smile. Wendy feels her heart drop.

 

“Err–” Wendy tries to answer, but Jennie immediately interjects.

 

“She has to take care of some important matters so she has to go.”

 

Mrs. Kim pauses for a bit, as if contemplating. And when she lifts her gaze again, she flashes an understanding smile towards Seungwan. She then reaches towards the latter to pat Wendy gently on the cheek.

 

“That’s okay, dearie. I still have a few more days of stay here anyway, so we’ll have plenty more opportunities to bond. Go do that thing you have to,” Mrs. Kim says, and Wendy feels her heart warm at the kindness being shown towards her.

 

Feeling a bit better at the reassurance, and with promises of spending time together again soon, Wendy parts ways with Jennie and her mother.

 

**********

 

It’s a quarter after seven in the evening when Wendy makes it back to her shared apartment with Joy.

 

The drive back shouldn’t have taken more than forty minutes, but she made a quick stop at her best friend’s favorite restaurant to buy the girl's favorite meals to make it up to her when she gets home.

 

She even had to turn around halfway through the drive, after she thought of purchasing Sooyoung’s favorite cake from her favorite Pâtisserie on the other side of the city.

 

The lights inside their apartment are off, so Wendy assumes that Sooyoung’s taken a nap inside her room. After depositing her shoes by the door, and leaving her keys on the table near the entrance, Wendy heads straight for the kitchen to prepare their food.

 

Passing by the living room, she pauses in her step when she notices that the couch is occupied. Her heart throbs a little painfully in her chest when she sees Sooyoung lying asleep on the couch, cocooned in that thick quilt that Wendy gifted her for Chuseok just last year.

 

Sooyoung's only ever like this when she's really sad or upset, and Wendy recalls memories of younger Joy, sweet and kind and loving Park Sooyoung, crying herself to sleep almost every night in the months leading to, and the months after her parents' divorce.

 

It was actually Wendy who taught her this trick, of cocooning herself in blankets whenever the younger girl is feeling sad or upset and she's not there to hold her to sleep.

 

She hasn't seen cocoon Joy in so long – not even after the breakup with Sungjae – that the sight rattles her for a moment.

 

Taking slow, careful steps, she walks towards the couch and deposits the bags in her hold on the coffee table before squatting by Joy's head.

 

The younger girl looks so painfully beautiful even like this – with her face the only visible part of her body in the sea of fabric – that it makes Wendy's heart ache.

 

Reaching forward, she uses the tip of her index finger to trace along the bridge of Joy's nose. The touch, although feather-light, still manages to wake the girl.

 

Opening her bleary eyes, Joy's hazy gaze flits about the room for a minute, as if trying to get her sight into focus, before landing on Wendy's face.

 

With a small, fond smile, Wendy tells her in an equally fond, tender tone:

 

"I'm sorry I'm late. I brought dinner, let's go eat?"

 

**********

 

"The stars look really pretty tonight."

 

Seungwan looks away from watching the city lights from their living room balcony to look at Joy. The other girl has her stomach pressed against the railing, her hands clutching the metal on either side of her.

 

There's a slight wind billowing past, causing the tendrils of Joy's hair to sway gently with it.

 

She looks so beautiful drenched in the moonlight like this, and for a moment, Wendy forgets everything as she drinks in the sight of the other girl.

 

"They do," she answers mindlessly, voice a breathy whisper as she continues to stare at the younger girl's side profile.

 

Joy turns sideways to face her, her eyes shining as if they hold galaxies within them. Wendy finds herself breathless as she meets her gaze.

 

They stay like that for a while, engaged in a stare off with no party daring to make a move to speak up first. That is, until Wendy finds Joy's gaze too intense that she has to look away.

 

Facing forward, Wendy lets out a little sigh as she closes her eyes and breathes in the chilly night air.

 

"I'm sorry again, for forgetting about the time earlier," Wendy says a little wistfully, opening her eyes and tilting her head a little so she could look at her companion.

 

Joy just shakes her head, wry smile on her lips as she too, faces towards the railings again.

 

"It's fine, Wan. If anything, I should be the one apologetic here. Y'know, since I am the ty friend in this relationship."

 

Joy tries to be playful with her tone as she says this, but Wendy could make out the sincerity and self-resentment in her voice.

 

“But Joy–” Wendy tries to argue otherwise, but Joy is quick to shush her with a finger pressed gently against her lips.

 

“You and I, and maybe all our other friends know that what I said is true. And I really am sorry. But enough about that for now. Tell me about how your day went.”

 

Wendy wanted to argue against that, even though deep inside she knows that it’s true. But what can she do? She’s been a fool for the other girl for years, and old habits are hard to change. But there’s a desperate look in Joy’s eyes that made her back down reluctantly.

 

So, she starts telling the other girl about her day, a bit hesitant. Joy just listens with a wistful smile on her lips the entire time, and Wendy doesn’t understand, but something felt off with the other girl at that moment so she quickly wraps up her recap.

 

Wendy’s voice trails off after, with Joy just staring at her with that wistful smile and that unreadable look in her eyes. After a moment’s silence, the other girl’s smile widens the tiniest bit before she turns to face the stars again.

 

“Are you happy?” Joy asks softly, her voice getting carried away by the wind and sending a chill down Wendy’s spine.

 

“Huh?” the older girl mutters in confusion, making Joy chuckle a bit breathlessly.

 

“Are you happy right now? After today?” Joy asks again, her gaze remaining on the stars shining brightly overhead.

 

Wendy’s still confused at the sudden question, but she answers in the affirmative anyway as she doesn’t make a move to look away from the other girl.

 

At this, Joy’s smile turns a bit mellow – a bit sad, if Wendy dares to think – and it completely tugs at her heartstrings. But the mellow smile is gone in the next instant, replaced by a brighter one as Joy turns to face her again.

 

“Then I’m glad.”

 

**********

 

It's another hectic day at work, and Wendy heads home feeling the exhaustion seeping in her bones.

 

Letting out a heavy sigh, she leans against the metal walls of the elevator as she waits for it to take her to her floor.

 

All she wants to do is take a long, long soak in a warm bath and sleep the rest of the evening away. That's just how tired she is.

 

The elevator dings, and Wendy walks out once the doors completely open. With lethargic steps, she heads for their corridor with nothing but rest in her mind.

 

Once she rounds the corner at the end of the hallway, she finds herself freezing on the spot when she spots two figures standing outside their door.

 

There stood Joy and Hyeosob locked in a tight embrace. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, while she had hers wrapped around his waist as she buried her face against the crook of his neck.

 

It hurts, seeing how perfect they look with each other like this. How they seem to be a perfect fit. Because for the longest time, Wendy wished – and maybe still does – to be the one in his place, in his shoes.

 

But Sooyoung has never viewed her as anything more than a sister and best friend.

 

And she probably never will. This is a fact that Seungwan has to accept and deal with, no matter how much it ing hurts.

 

Wendy doesn’t know how many more heartbreaks she can endure. All she knows is that she’s ing tired of this ty feeling, and she’s now even more than determined to do literally anything to stop hurting like this. She knows she’s already resolved to move on from Sooyoung, but it’s way easier said than done.

 

And she’s honestly afraid, because no matter how much she fixes her heart with every heartbreak, it still feels like she loses a part of herself every time. No matter how much she does her best to patch up the broken pieces of her heart, a small fragment will always go missing.

 

She reckons that it wouldn’t take much longer until there would be nothing left of her heart to fix.

 

Gritting her teeth to stop herself from letting out a noise, she traces her steps back to the elevators and presses the button for the ground floor a little too forcefully.

 

All thoughts of resting and relaxing in her room fly out the window as she shakes in her haste. Letting out a deep sigh, she closes her eyes and leans against the elevator walls again.

 

Having no specific destination in mind after leaving in a hurry, she meandered about the streets for a while.

 

Too lost in her own thoughts, Wendy wasn’t even aware of her surroundings as she walked around aimlessly.

 

It didn’t matter how far she’d walked from her apartment. It didn’t matter how much time had passed since she left. All that mattered to her was to get as far away from Joy as possible.

 

Still hung up on the pain, she mindlessly enters a pub she chances upon on her walk. The quaint little place has a homey feel to it, and the smell of cooked food mixing with the pungent aroma of beer invades Wendy’s senses as soon as she walks in.

 

There’s a small number of patrons inside, and most of them are having a meal, so the bar is customer-free. Wendy heads straight towards it and orders two mugs of their most potent beer even before she takes a seat.

 

The bartender, although a bit surprised, just flashes her a warm smile before setting off to work on her order.

 

A heavy sigh falls from Wendy’s lips as she waits. Hopefully, the alcohol can help distract her from the fires of misery and frustration lapping up at her heart.

 

**********

 

Some hours later, Wendy’s upper body is slumped on top of the bar counter as she asks for the barkeep for another round.

 

He’s a kind person, the bartender. Despite his intimidatingly huge build, the smile on his face is genuine and kind. It’s why Wendy felt comfortable enough to tell him about her troubles when he asked.

 

Or maybe it’s just the alcohol that loosened her tongue, and the immense heavy feeling in her chest that she was desperate to get rid of.

 

Either way, he asked, she relayed her story, and he listened.

 

In a way, it felt relieving for Seungwan. But as she was drinking while telling her story, she kind of got maybe a bit drunk on the beer.

 

Okay, that’s a lie.

 

She’s hella drunk already, but her heart is still hurting, and her head is still full of thoughts about Sooyoung, so she’s determined to drink herself into oblivion.

 

Unfortunately, it seems that Mr. Bartender thinks she’s had enough, as he asks her for her phone to ring up one of her friends to pick her up.

 

Seungwan, of course, refused at first and insisted on ordering more drinks. But after countless refusals from Mr. Bartender, and his multiple attempts at getting her to comply with calling her friends, Wendy finally gives in.

 

She slumps against the bar counter top as she lets him make a call with her phone.

 

It seems that Wendy had fallen asleep for a while because the next time she comes to, someone’s slowly shaking her by the shoulders.

 

Opening her eyes slowly, she carefully sits up on her stool as she turns towards the person who woke her up.

 

Her vision is a bit blurry, and everything around her is spinning, so she can’t really recognize the other person. Despite that though, she can at least tell that they’re female due to their hair length and body build.

 

“Hey,” Wendy slurs out, as she sways on her seat.

 

The other girl is quick to steady her by the shoulder.

 

“Hello, Seungwan,” the other person says, voice cool and so pretty it sends a shiver down her spine.

 

“Jen?” she asks, squinting her eyes in the hopes of seeing the girl a bit clearer. The latter merely chuckles with a shake of her head.

 

“C’mon you big baby. Let’s get you home.”

 

“But I don’t wanna go home . . .”

 

“Hmm? Why is that?”

 

“Because I don’t want to get heartbroken again. She’s with her boyfriend and I’m extremely jealous. But I don’t have the right to feel this way because I’m just her friend.”

 

The other girl stays silent after that, but she lets out a rather loud sigh as she steps forward and helps Wendy get on her feet. The latter registers the girl saying thanks to Mr. Bartender before they start walking towards the door.

 

Seungwan’s memory is hazy at best, and all that’s registering in her mind is that they’re finally out of the building, the cool night air making her skin break out in goosebumps.

 

They get into the back of a white car, which Wendy assumes is a cab, and they drive off once they’re settled in their seats.

 

A couple of minutes into the drive, Seungwan feels drowsy and sleepy again. Letting out a yawn, she settles her head against her companion’s shoulder, snuggling into the other’s side as she seeks warmth and comfort.

 

She hears another sigh from the other girl again, before something soft and warm presses against the top of her head. A small, content smile makes its way to her lips as she closes her eyes.

 

Before she completely drifts off into dreamland though, she hears the other girl mutter out softly. And had she been sober enough, she would’ve realized the weight of the other girl’s words. And what their implications could mean for their relationship.

 

“I wish you’d realize that there are other people around you worthy of your love and worthy of loving you, Seungwan. Am I a bad person if I say that sometimes I wish you’d forget about Joy, and notice my feelings for you instead?”

 

**********

 

A/N: Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. How’s the story so far? I hope y’all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’ll be quite busy in the next few days so the next chapter might take a while. I apologize for that in advance.

 

Also, I’ve been told that I at replying hahaha I am so sorry for that. It’s just that most of the time I dunno what to reply or I just tend to forget. Please know that I appreciate all your comments on the story. If I don’t reply, just think that I dunno what to say ‘cause I’m most likely gonna drop spoilers if I do end up commenting hehehe

 

Anyway, that’s all for now. Til the next update guys~