On such a chilly night, the old ways feel enchanting and magical. Ji-Eun had piled up the fire wood and lit up a bonfire in the middle of the yard. Yard chairs surround the fire and a wooden table with a spread of food. An assortment of meats fill the table with a central grill and bubbling stew. Ji-Eun had also set up a layer of wind block to keep the breeze out. Delicious smells whiff all over the area like a healing touch over the girls but somehow, the girls are just awkwardly fidgeting on their seats. Jennie and Irene join them and the girls somehow become even more self aware with eyes shifting all over.


IRENE
Hey, what’s going on?

EVERYONE ELSE
…

JENNIE
Aww, did you guys wait for us? You should have started without us.

JOY
We didn’t start but you guys definitely finished.

IRENE
What?

JOY
What?


Joy, Yeri and Lisa start snickering amongst themselves. Normally Irene would have been irritated but she’s feeling good tonight.


IRENE
Here you go. Have some fruit, Jen.

JENNIE
Thanks!

YERI
Yeah! Give her the fruit. She definitely likes the fruity stuff.

JENNIE
What?

YERI
What?


Rose couldn’t control herself and burst into a little chuckle. She joins the trio in holding back their laughter.


IRENE
What’s going on?

JENNIE
Why are you guys holding back your voices?

JISOO
Well, someone has to. We try not to be too loud.

 

Jisoo and Wendy join the girls and all of them burst into huge laughs. Irene slams down on the table and the girls turn quiet.

 

IRENE
What do you mean?

YOONA
Hey, bang your girl, not the table!


Suddenly, everyone roars into laughter again and Jennie turns bright red. Seulgi and Jisoo go into a two man skit suddenly.


JISOO (Imitating Irene)
I want to hurt you more…

SEULGI (Imitating Jennie)
What are you, some kind of narcissist?

IRENE
Stop.

YERI (imitating Irene)
The most beautiful kind.

LISA (imitating Jennie)
I’ll find someone more beautiful than you!

JENNIE
Stop!

YOONA
Young love is so beautiful.


Irene shows the girls her clenched fist and they piped down. Jennie turns into a tomato and tries to cover Lisa’s mouth when she keeps trying to make noises. Wendy tries to cover Chaeyoung’s ears when the jokes are too mature.


JENNIE
How much did you guys hear?

ROSE
The better question is how much we didn’t hear.

JOY
Oh my god, you guys were so loud.

WENDY
Sorry, Irene unnie. We got worried that you guys looked so hurried so we followed…

LISA
I swear to god we can hear you guys anyway even if we are sitting downstairs.

JOY (imitating Irene)
Moan, moan as loud as you can~

ROSE (imitating Jennie)
Ugh-mmm

LISA
It was so gross.

YERI
Yeah! Like listening to both our parents getting it on.

JENNIE
It’s not like that! It was… It was…

 

Irene grabs Jennie and kisses her in front of all the girls. Everyone except IU and Yoona squeals loudly. Yoona is just appreciating the nice visuals of two pretty girls kissing and IU lets off an angry growl.


IU
No couples allowed in my property!

IRENE
Anyway, this is what it is now. We’re together.

JENNIE
We are?

IRENE
I don’t want to hear anymore jokes coming from you guys.

LISA/YERI
Aww.

JOY
What abou-

JENNIE
Especially you. Shut up.

WENDY
Let’s celebrate with a toast!


With that, the conversation ended. Normally, you would describe a certain melancholic and sentimental prose towards such a lovely night but it felt normal. It was just a night of friends and love. They invited IU to join them and there was warmth to be had, laughter to dance to and wine to dream of. The only thing that can complete this perfect night was music and the hostess brings out a guitar to accompany the cheering group.


JOY
Anything but Wonderwall, IU.

IU
Do I look so basic?

LISA
Kinda.

IU
Why? Am I dressed basic? Is my face basic? Oh no, do I look basic?

ROSE
Uh… it was just a joke.

IU
OH! oh. Yeah, I got it. Yeah. Definitely

WENDY
What can you play on it?

IU
Everything. I’m a god with this thing.

JENNIE
Wow, someone’s modest.

IU
Thanks! I am so modest if I ever say so myself.

JENNIE
…

SEULGI
Hey, I have a thought!

YERI
Really? That never happened before! Seulgi thinks?

LISA
You’re so mean, Yeri.

CHAEYOUNG
So mean, Yeri-nim.

YERI
Then why are you guys laughing?


Seulgi makes a sulky face and Wendy pats her back to encourage to speak.


SEULGI
I was thinking we each could take turns to sing.

YERI
Boo, what a boring idea.

JOY
Boo!

JISOO
I like it.

With that, the girls draw lots out of a small box to decide who would go first. Irene gets the first lot and everyone starts cheering while she thinks about what to sing. After a while, she whispers something to IU and the sound of the guitar starts playing.


Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
Dream a little dream of me


Irene stares at Jennie while she sings and Jennie blushes at the unwavering adoration. It felt like the moment she was waiting for. There was no hot and cold or pull and push behavior anymore. It was just them. Them against the world.


Stars fading but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear
Just saying this

Joy, Lisa and Yeri want to tease them but they couldn’t for some reason. They just kept quiet and smiled at the new couple.


Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams, whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me


The performance ended and everyone clapped at the poignant scene. Yeri and Lisa were cheering. Irene sat beside Jennie and they both smiled at each other. It felt good for once to go through a moment with each other without any pretense.


JOY
That was kinda cheesy.

WENDY
Soyoung-ah!

JENNIE
It’s okay. I like cheesy.

 

Joy pretends to make a gagging sound and Irene knocks the top of the head gently before the girl stops teasing them (temporarily). IU went next with a song she composed and surprisingly, it wasn’t weird or bad. In fact, it's very good. Professional even. The girls cheer at the great performance and she makes an exaggerated bow at her audience. IU explains that her main job is actually a composer. Little Hill is just a side project she does with a friend who will come by tomorrow. Every few months, she would retreat to this bed and breakfast in the countryside to quieten down and write songs. In the meantime, she could also host marvelous guests like the girls, she explained. Yoona changed her mind on the hostess and forcefully made IU sit beside her to listen to all her stories. She made googly eyes at IU and IU blushed at the attention. Joy got jealous at the side and scowled.


JOY
Who’s next?

JISOO
I guess I’m going next.


Jisoo shakes off her nervous energy and she looks to Seulgi for support but the girl is just munching on snacks. She looks to Wendy but Wendy is still slightly mad at her for deceiving her like everyone else. Wendy makes a small pout at her then whispers, ‘fighting’. Jisoo smiles finally and begins. It’s an acoustic version of ‘Maybe This Time’.


Maybe this time, I'll be lucky
Maybe this time, she'll stay
Maybe this time, for the first time
Love won't hurry away


Jisoo didn’t particularly pick this song. It was just based on instinct without deeper purpose. But somehow, she felt a sting inside of her as she looked at Seulgi while she sang. Seulgi who was looking deeply at Wendy. She felt her self esteem plunged a hundred miles as she sang the lyrics.


He will hold me fast
I'll be home at last
Not a loser anymore
Like the last time And the time before


As she sang, she looked at Wendy. Perfect Wendy. Lady Peaceful. Lady Happy. Why couldn’t she be Wendy for a day. If she could take everything good in her life and trade it away for another moment with Seulgi, she would do it.


Everybody loves a winner
So nobody loved me 'Lady Peaceful', 'Lady Happy'
That's what I long to be

 

She met Wendy’s eyes and it felt like a mixture of unexplainable emotions. Was it pity or was it love? She didn’t know and she didn’t want to know. The tears gather at her eyes and she felt so stupid. Going through the dates with Seulgi and then with Wendy. What has she been doing all this time?


Well, all the odds are, they are in my favor
Something's bound to begin It's gotta happen, happen sometime
Maybe this time
Maybe this time…


She wanted to sing the last sentence but she couldn’t for some reason. The tears start falling down uncontrollably.


WENDY
Jisoo, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?

LISA
Sit down quickly, don’t sing anymore.

ROSE
Do you want to go rest in your room now?


The girls fussed over her and she just kept looking down without meeting any of their eyes. She sobbed for a while and looked up at a familiar face touching her shoulder.


SEULGI
Are you okay?


Jisoo feels her last strain of resolve breaks and she pushes Seulgi. Seulgi was surprised at the push and she fell flat on her back. They both looked at each other shocked, and Jisoo was surprised at her own actions. The girls became quiet at the development. Seulgi tries to shrug it off and say she’s fine but Jisoo runs off into the woods by herself.


WENDY
Jisoo, stop! Where are you going? It’s dangerous!

IU
Come back!

SEULGI
It’s too dark, you’ll get yourself hurt!


But she didn’t listen. She just kept running further and further from everyone else. She didn’t want to but she felt like she had to. IU quickly brings out torches from the storage and hands them out to everyone. Yeri and Lisa tried to text Jisoo but she had abandoned her phone too around the camp. Seulgi had already run off with her phone with the flashlight function on to look for the girl. Since there weren't enough torches, the girls pair up for the search party. Yeri grabs Wendy and they head off.


It didn’t take long before Jisoo stopped to rest. She felt sweat clinging to her and the chilly breeze swiping against her. She felt so dumb for not grabbing her jacket before running away. She sighs and looks around. The area looks completely remote and there’s no sign of any roads or directions. Jisoo feels her back packet and her phone wasn’t there either. She started grabbing her hair at how careless she was. Everyone must be so worried for her. Suddenly, a branch snaps behind her and she looks back. It was Seulgi.


On the other side of the moonlight, another duo is jogging through the woods trying to find Jisoo. Yeri is grabbing Wendy by the hands. She felt the clammy palm sweat with their fingers intertwined but she didn’t let go. Wendy didn’t either. Yeri kept making jokes along the way but Wendy didn’t respond.


YERI
Jeez, why is she being all melodramatic?

WENDY
…

YERI
I hope someone finds her soon. Maybe Seulgi-unnie.

WENDY
…

YERI
They should get together again. Jisoo won’t have to be so sad all the time.

WENDY
…

YERI
They fit well together, don’t they?

WENDY
…

YERI
Wendy?

WENDY
Yes?

YERI
Why are you being so quiet?

WENDY
I know it was you, Yeri.

YERI
What?

WENDY
I know it was you who called Garam to my date with Seulgi.