Though it was her first day on the job, the chime of the bell that signaled a new customer had already meant nothing to her. The chime was soft, subtle enough that it would not distract the other patrons, and because it had been chiming non-stop since they opened, it had become so familiar that she had been able to ignore it and continue working. Sure, it wouldn't win her any employee of the month awards, but it didn't really matter when, not only is this her first day, but it would also be the only day she’d be a barista. After all, instead of making people’s day with great lattes and pastries, Son Seungwan was much better at making people’s day with her music as Wendy from Red Velvet. 

 

Wendy wakes up before dawn, sleepily greeting Sunny, her ever-reliable-manager, a ‘good morning’ before she’s shuttled to the salon for hair and make-up. As soon as she’s finished, she’s back in the van and into the cafe she’s rented for the day, ready to help set it up. 

A muffled “Wendy unnie!” is the first thing she hears as she opens the employee entrance, though the first thing she sees is a giant tarpaulin full of her pictures and with the words ‘WENDY’S BIRTHDAY’ plastered on it. 

 

“Seeun, did the tarp really need seven of my pictures? I’m already decorating the place with my own! I even printed at least a hundred of them!” Wendy groans, a slight embarrassment creeping up due to seeing so much of her own face up close. 

 

The young woman appears from behind the tarp, her face serious. “Wendy unnie, do you know how much Luvies love your Birthday teasers? It would be a crime not to put them here! I was checking on Twitter and these are the ones they really like the most, the ones with Yeri-unnie and Seulgi-unnie are good too but since this is your birthday I figured it needed more of y-” Seeun eyes bulge out as she realizes that she’s been talking for too long, “Anyway, I- uh- let me get your photos so we can film your intro!” 

 

Wendy simply shakes her head as she watches the young manager scamper away, and instead helps set up the tables in front of her. She makes sure the tower of cupsleeves are secure, the cookies and stickers are ready and when Seeun arranges the photos, she stands behind the table to film her intro.

 

There are really no words to explain how grateful Wendy is everytime her birthday rolls around. Her fans are always so kind and supportive, but even more so during her birthday. They’ve always held birthday cafes to celebrate her birthday, and this time, she thought it would be a good idea to host one of her own. As she films, she makes sure to let the ReVeluvs know how grateful she is. She puts every ounce of her love as she packs her gifts and decorates the cafe, and when time comes to open, there is nothing but happiness in her heart as she welcomes each and every one of her fans. 

 

She’s able to ignore the chime of the bell as each fan enters, focusing only on those that are already inside. She’s singing along to the music, talking to the fans and even holding their hands as they speak. The fans are happy, Wendy is happy, and from the corner of her eye, she can see that Sunny is proud that the sudden event is a success. She notes Seeun at the back of the cafe looking nervous, but seeing as that is her normal state, she’d say everything is going well.

 

Suddenly, however, the bell chimes again and for some reason unknown to even herself, Wendy can’t help but pull away to check who her next guest is. She blinks quickly, her brain reminding her to focus on the fan in front of her. As she gets the fan’s drink from the counter behind her, she manages a subtle glance at the newcomer, who despite the bucket hat and mask, is clearly looking straight at her. She thanks the fan and makes sure to look in their eyes, and as the fan returns to their seat, Wendy’s eyes lock on to another pair.

 

The newcomer’s. 

 

Her heart skips a beat. Her stomach does a flip. Wendy tries not to burst out in an even bigger smile. 

 

Because she’d recognize those eyes anywhere. 

 

---

 

“Do you want to get out of here?” 

 

Wendy looks up from her drink to meet beautiful piercing eyes and a beautiful yet teasing smile. The woman towers over her, leaning against the doorframe, a glass of wine in her hand. She looks oddly familiar, is Wendy’s first thought. (Wendy lies. Her first thought is that this woman is absolutely breathtaking.) Maybe it’s the way the flashing lights inside bounce off the woman’s face or the fact that she’s not in full make-up that makes it hard for her to figure out who it is she’s speaking to. Wendy is sure though that she’s a celebrity. After all, almost every person here is. 

 

Wendy sits up straight, and she hates how her voice shakes as she says, “Uh- but it’s my birthday party.” 

 

The woman’s smile turns into a smirk as she takes a seat beside Wendy despite the lack of an offer. “Oh, I know. It’s just, it didn’t seem like you were having fun.” 

 

“Oh!” Wendy’s voice squeaks, and she wishes the ground would swallow her up or that the music around them was enough to hide it. “I’m- I’m fine. Really. I’m Wendy, by the way.” 

 

“Park Sooyoung.” The woman clinks her glass with Wendy’s. “And are you sure you don’t want to get out of here?” 

 

“Oh! You’re one of Yeri’s actress friends!” When Sooyoung nods, Wendy continues, “And, yes, I’m sure. I don’t want to be rude, Yeri did go out of her way to throw this part for me and Seulgi after all.” 

 

“The party doesn’t seem like your style though… no offense.” 

 

Wendy shrugs. Sooyoung’s right. There’s too many people, the music is too loud and though she knows most of the people here, it feels too much, too overwhelming, even for someone like her that loves being around people. “It’s not. But Yeri can be persuasive when she wants to be.” 

 

Sooyoung raises an eyebrow, “Oh? Do tell.” 

 

“Promise not to tell, okay?” Wendy offers her pinky and thankfully, Sooyoung plays along and locks pinkies with her. “Seulgi really didn’t want a party either. We were just planning a small dinner with just the three of us. But Yeri promised to invite the actress Seulgi’s got a crush on, so she agreed. And just like that, I was outnumbered.” 

 

At that, Sooyoung laughs, and Wendy would be lying if she didn’t find the sound incredibly beautiful. “Let me guess, she’s got a crush on Bae Joohyun?”

 

“Yeah! You, Joohyun-ssi and Yeri played sisters in that drama right?” 

 

“God, no wonder Yeri was bugging us non-stop to go to the party. She kept going, “Sooyoung unnie, please! I swear it’ll be fun!”, “Sooyoung unnie, you have to go so Joohyun unnie will go too!” It all makes sense now.”

 

“Seeing that you’re here, then I’m sure that Yeri is most probably doing everything in her power to get those two together. Sorry, Sooyoung, it seems like you’re stuck with me.” 

 

Sooyoung simply downs the rest of her wine before flashing Wendy another one of her beautiful smiles. “Well, don’t forget that I found you first. And now it’s up to me to make sure you have a good party.” She stands up and offers her hand, which Wendy reluctantly takes. “Are you ready for the best birthday ever, with yours truly, Wendy?” 

 

---

 

Each fan that comes up to her is sweet. They tell her their birthday greetings, their wishes for the future and Wendy thanks them with all the sincerity in her heart. 

 

She sings a bit as she works, and she interacts with them while she prepares the drinks and the cookies. “Did you see all the pictures I put up? All of them have never been released! I realized I don’t take pictures a lot so it was a bit hard to find. I had to go all the way back to our debut!”

 

“The Beautiful Christmas photo is so cute, Wendy-ssi!” a fan shouts out and Wendy replies with her thanks and even adds a little story. Another fan comments on another picture, and Wendy tells another story. 

 

“Oh, do you like the tarp?” Wendy asks, and the corresponding cheers are enough confirmation. “Our new manager made it! She told me that you guys loved the Birthday teasers so she made sure to use them! Let’s give her our thanks!” 

 

Wendy can’t help but laugh as Seeun practically tries to hide behind the video crew as the fans clap for her. She gives her thanks to the rest of the crew, to Sunny, and of course, to the staff of the cafe. 

 

As she returns to filling the drinks orders, she hears a fan ask, “Have you eaten yet, Wendy-ssi?” 

 

“Oh me? I ate braised kimchi!” Wendy replies as she places the drinks on the counter. She then looks at the crowd, but makes sure she once again locks eyes with Sooyoung. “There’s something about it that makes me want to eat it for my birthday.” 

 

---

 

“You know what you need?” Sooyoung asks, as she and Wendy stand in the middle of the penthouse, people drinking and partying around them. 

 

“More alcohol?” 

 

“No. Food. Have you eaten at all?” 

 

“I mean there’s plenty of food out, Yeri even hired a caterer for all those-” 

 

“Fancy cheese and meat? They’re great and all but not what I had in mind. Come on.” Sooyoung shakes her head, and grabs Wendy by the hand, “Come on, I’ve got the perfect place in mind.” 

 

“B-but, I can’t leave! It’s my party!” 

 

Sooyung gestures to the crowd, all in their own little bubbles, “They won’t mind! Besides, we don’t even know where the rest of your members are. For all we know, they escaped too! Also, the sooner we leave the sooner we can get back so come on!” 

 

Wendy lets herself be dragged, following Sooyoung to the car parked in the basement. The actress tosses her a cap and scarf, “Here, put this on. Joohyun and I always have extra for when we just want to go out.” She does as she’s told and the next thing Wendy knows, they’re sitting in a small restaurant a couple of blocks away, the rest of the patrons seemingly completely unaware of their presence. 

 

“Joohyun unnie and I love this place,” Sooyoung says after she orders for them. “Food is great and most people don’t give a who you are. We took Yeri here too after filming wrapped!”

 

Wendy smiles, “I’m really glad that Yeri met the two of you, she really did have a great time filming and from someone who never missed an episode of your drama, the chemistry you three had was off the charts.” 

 

“Oh? Really? Which sister is your favorite? And don’t say Yeri just because she’s your maknae.” 

 

“Sorry, Sooyoung, but if you want me to be completely honest then it’s Joohyun’s Hyunji.”

 

Sooyoung folds her arms and pouts, “Did my rebellious side not win you over? Was I a bit too mean? Too sloppy?” 

 

“N-no! It’s not that! I loved your Mido and Yeri’s Harin too!” 

 

Sooyoung then begins to laugh, “No, it’s understandable. Hyunji is a strong character who had to go through many hardships to take care of the family, had to deal with Mido being brilliant but rebellious and Harin growing up. I get wanting to root for her. Could you relate to her though? The responsible older sister?”

 

Wendy shakes her head, “I’m the youngest. And… I was actually a handful growing up. An absolute menace. Probably closer to Harin’s character than anything else.” 

 

“But I hear you’re such an angel now! You’ve got to tell me more.” Sooyoung says, her elbow propped up on the table, her chin resting on her hand.

 

Wendy’s first instinct is to take it back or tell her maybe another time. Sure, she has told her stories on her radio show countless times, but it’s not something she shares with people she’s just met. Seulgi had brought it up before when they were still new, that Wendy took on a lot but didn’t open up until after a while. She constantly tries to improve on that but still, she can’t help her body’s natural reaction to hide. And yet, there’s something about Sooyoung that makes her want to tell her everything. Is it because Sooyoung dragged her out here? Or the way Sooyoung smiles? Or the way it’s clear she’s interested in what she has to say? 

 

Whatever the reason is, Wendy tells Sooyoung everything. She tells her her story. The way she stole her sister’s sunglasses, ate deodorant, broke her mom’s jewelry and shaved her tongue with a razor. Sooyoung laughs so hard it looks like she’s about to cry, and when their braised kimchi arrives, Wendy listens as Sooyoung tells her about her own childhood with her younger sisters. As she listens, Wendy can’t help but think how comfortable she is with the young actress. She thinks how she hasn’t been this comfortable with anyone since Seulgi and Yeri. And she thinks how she wouldn’t mind just talking to Sooyoung for hours, letting the world pass them by as she listens to her speak. 

 

As they walk back to the party, they’re still talking about anything under the sun and Wendy is midway into sharing one of her pre-debut stories when Sooyoung stops her abruptly. The actress then turns to face Wendy, and pulls her hat down and tightens her scarf. Their faces are so close that Wendy can see the subtle glitter in Sooyoung’s eyeshadow. “Sorry, hold that thought. Wait here.” 

 

Sooyoung rushes into the store that looks like it’s about to close, and when Wendy checks the time, she realizes that it’s almost 11pm. She checks her phone while waiting, the lack of messages means that her members should be fine. She responds to a message from her mom confirming her birthday dinner with them, she checks her social media to see stories of her friends from her birthday party but honestly, the only thing that’s playing in her head is how close Sooyoung’s face was to hers. As the moment plays over and over again, she doesn’t notice it right away when the actress appears in front of her with a small opened take-out box, with a cake and a lit candle.

 

“It’s a confetti cake! That way we get cake and decorations! Plus, I didn’t want you to be overwhelmed if everyone sings for you later... I’d sing but you might be blown away with how great I am.” Sooyoung chuckles, “So, happy birthday, Wendy. Make a wish.” 

 

The gesture seems so small and so simple, and yet Wendy’s heart is hammering in her chest and her smile is so wide she’s sure her cheeks are going to hurt. She closes her eyes and makes a quick wish before pulling down her mask to blow out the candles. When she opens her eyes, Sooyoung is looking at her with the softest smile, and Wendy’s stomach does a flip or two. 

 

Sooyoung quickly pulls off the candle, closes the lid of the cake and stuffs it in the paper bag. She offers her hand once more, “Come on, let’s go back and eat the cake on the balcony.” 

 

This time, Wendy doesn’t hesitate as she holds Sooyoung’s hand. 

 

---

 

“I’m sorry my hands are cold! The heat pack doesn’t seem like it’s enough!” Wendy apologizes as another fan ends their turn. For once, she’s grateful for the cold weather and the cold drinks because she easily uses it as an excuse as to why her hands are cold and shaking. The truth though, is that she is hyper aware of Sooyoung in the cafe. 

 

The actress manages to blend in, her seat is way in the back after all, and all the fans are none the wiser. It goes on like this for a while. Wendy interacts with a fan, tries her best not to look in Sooyoung’s direction and then does it all over. There’s a part of Wendy that hopes she wasn’t staring too much at Sooyoung that another fan would think she’s genuinely flirting but well, Sunny can deal with it if it becomes an issue. 

 

Eventually though, it’s time for the last fan. Wendy watches as Seeun bows a little too formally at Sooyoung, and she wonders if the young manager knows who she’s speaking to. Then again, Sooyoung is a little bit distracted by the photos Wendy had posted on the walls, so it could just be the manager trying to get her attention. After a small apology, Sooyoung stands and makes her way to the counter. 

 

Wendy, for the life of her, cannot keep her eyes off Sooyoung. Despite the mask, Wendy is sure that Sooyoung’s bright smile is hiding beneath it and just the thought of that makes her own smile even bigger as well. 

 

“Happy birthday, Wendy-ssi. I’m so glad I was able to come here and greet you in person.” Sooyoung says, and her voice is soft, as if she doesn’t want anyone else around them to hear. 

 

“I’m glad you were able to come too! I know it was a little last minute!” Wendy says, acting the part. 

 

“I’ll always support you, Wendy!” Sooyoung says, this time with a little pump of her fists. (Wendy thinks it’s absolutely adorable.)

 

“Thank you! I will always root for you too!” When Wendy reaches for Sooyoung’s hand and looks into her eyes like she did all the others, it takes every part of Wendy to not climb over the counter and kiss the woman in front of her. 

 

---

 

“What are you staring at?” 

 

Wendy shakes her head, “I’m just really glad you came to my party, Sooyoung.” 

 

“Me too.” Sooyoung then pokes her side, “Wait, can you say that to the camera again. Want that memory too.” 

 

Wendy rolls her eyes, but does as she’s told. Apparently, Yeri had rented a couple of video cameras for guests to use throughout the night, and Sooyoung had swiped one as soon as they returned, aiming to make sure the rest of Wendy’s night was unforgettable. 

 

Sooyoung brings it with them to the balcony, taking a video of Wendy eating the confetti cake, and even turns it to herself when she takes a bite. She takes a video of the night sky, and when Sooyoung drags her back inside to finally socialize, she takes a video of that too. 

 

The best part of the night, though, in Wendy’s humble opinion, is when the party begins to wind down. When the only ones left are a handful of their friends. She finally meets Joohyun, who apparently ended up drinking in the giant bathtub with Seulgi and Yeri. (As soon as they meet, Wendy thinks that she’s beautiful and that she’s exactly Seulgi’s type.) 

 

Wendy pretends she doesn’t see the smirk on Yeri’s face when she spots Sooyoung’s hand around Wendy’s waist as she leads her to the makeshift dance floor and somehow, Seulgi’s eyes manage to peel away from Joohyun long enough for her to notice it too. At one point, Joohyun even grabs the video camera from Sooyoung and takes a video of the two of them as they dance. She tries to ignore the way Joohyun teases Sooyoung afterward, asking her questions non-stop such as, “Where have you been?” “Are you two having fun?” “Since when were you and Wendy so close?” or “Didn’t you say you had a thing for cute women with amazing voices?”

 

When more guests leave, Yeri insists they play card games together, and in their tipsy minds, they all agree. Wendy doesn’t understand why Sooyoung instantly wants Joohyun to be her partner and pouts when Yeri doesn’t allow it. But when Joohyun somehow crushes them all through sheer luck (and maybe a bit of cheating), suddenly she’s clamoring to be Joohyun’s partner too. Yeri even brings out the karaoke mic, and when Joohyun pushes Sooyoung to sing, that is when Wendy falls a little bit in love with how sweet the actress’ voice sounds. They sing a duet together, and Wendy has a vague idea that all their friends are cheering but all she really notices is how close Sooyoung’s face is to hers. 

 

Then, when it’s just the five of them left, Seulgi suddenly remembers the cake and both Yeri and Joohyun bring one out for each of them. When Joohyun, Yeri and Sooyoung sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to them, Seulgi and Wendy exchange a look of happiness. In that look, Wendy is sure that Seulgi is feeling the same way. Happy, content, and loved. And somehow, also feeling that this will be a group they’ll spend more birthdays together with. 

 

“Ugh, I don’t think I’m sober enough to cut a cake.” Seulgi groans after they blow out the candles.

 

“Well, since we’re all friends now-” Yeri grabs a fistful of cake, Joohyun tries to swat her hand away, but it’s too late, the cake that was once in Yeri’s hand was now win the air and lands squarely on Sooyoung’s chest. 

 

“YAH! KIM YERIM!” Sooyoung shouts, grabbing her own in retaliation. 

 

Then, war begins. Well, for a while at least. Sooyoung throws cake back at Yeri but it hits Seulgi, who joins in and hits Wendy, who hits Seulgi back, and Yeri decides to smear cake on to Joohyun’s face so she won’t be left out, who is angry for a second before she also hits Seulgi and Wendy, who ducks at the last second to hit Sooyoung squarely on the chest again. (At one point, Wendy is sure she hears Yeri cackle, “That’s what you get for being too tall!”) And they only snap out of it when Wendy realizes that they’d have to clean up this mess on their own.

 

“I was wrong,” Wendy says, “Yeri knows how to throw a party.” 

 

Sooyoung scrunches her nose, “Had I known there would be cake throwing involved I would’ve worn something that wasn’t dry clean only.” 

 

“Well, you still look beautiful, even if you’re covered in icing.” 

 

“I do, do I?” Sooyoung uses her hand to get icing off her shirt and smothers it on Wendy’s face, “Well, guess what, now you do too!” 

 

“Hey!” 

 

“Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. You looked too cute.” Sooyoung pulls Wendy close, “Let me make it up to you, birthday girl. What’s your birthday wish?” 

 

If anyone asks, Wendy will say it was a moment of bravery. Deep down, Wendy knows it was bravery caused by the copious amounts of alcohol she’s had throughout the night. “My wish is that you’d go on a date with me. Dinner? Or coffee? I just really want to see you again.” 

 

For the first time in the entire night, Sooyoung is speechless, and Wendy is ready to take it back when they’re interrupted. “Sooyoung-ah, time to go! Happy birthday again, Wendy! I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.” Joohyun says, waving at Wendy before she disappears out into the hallway. 

 

“Well, that’s my cue.” Sooyoung pushes herself off the kitchen counter and grabs the video camera one more time. “Happy birthday, Wendy! Happy birthday, Son Seungwan! I’d love to go on a date with you. Coffee sounds great.” 

 

Wendy can feel the blood rush up to her head, and she feels her face get even warmer as Sooyoung leaves a soft kiss on her cheek and says, “Good bye, Wendy. I’ll see you soon.”

 

---

 

As Wendy says goodbye to her fans, she tries her best to remember each and everyone of them and to capture the gratefulness she’s feeling. She waves and bows in thanks one last time before she moves to the back of the cafe, a huge smile on her face despite her exhaustion. She quickly slumps onto the closest available chair and as she takes a sip of her own water, trying to catch her breath. She squeezes her calves that have gotten stiff after having to stand for a couple of hours. 

 

Sunny returns a few minutes later, a proud smile on her face, “Okay, and we’re done! All the fans have left and we’ve closed the cafe. All the footage seems okay too, though, I will need to edit that part where you stared at the last fan a little too long-” 

 

Wendy jumps out of her seat, “Wait! Where’s Sooyoung?” 

 

“Sooyoung? Why would she be here?” Sunny asks. 

 

Wendy groans in frustration. Sooyoung was too good of an actress, she played the role of a fan so easily. She was cheering the entire time,  taking pictures and videos, and simply blending in with the crowd until the very end. And so good, apparently, that her manager didn’t even realize it was her. What if though, just as she got out, the fans realized it was her? It would spell disaster wouldn’t it? What if they mob her? She didn’t want Sooyoung to be in- 

 

“Missed me?” 

 

“Sooyoung!” Wendy exclaims as she runs to hug the taller woman. As they pull away, Wendy can already feel the stress rolling off her older manager. 

 

“How? I didn’t even tell your other members about the event! I was afraid one of them would show up unannounced!” Sunny says, closing her eyes as she massages her temples in frustration. Then, she opens her eyes, and points right at Sooyoung, “You.” 

 

“Me?” 

 

“No. Not you,” Sunny flicks her hand and both she and Wendy step aside to reveal Seeun who was hiding behind them. “You.” 

 

“Hehe. Hi, Sunny unnie.” Seeun waves.

 

“How did you manage this?” 

 

“Well, Yeri unnie asked me what Wendy unnie’s plans were for her birthday video-” 

 

“It was a secret, remember!”

 

“But she asked before you told me not to tell them! And so when I told her she instructed me to help Sooyoung unnie get into the cafe so Yeri unnie gave me Sooyoung unnie’s number and-” 

 

“I told you not to do everything Yeri wants!” 

 

“But Yeri unnie was asking so nicely-” 

 

“What? Did she say, ‘please our pretty little manager’?” 

 

“Woah, yeah! How’d you know?” Seeun, bless her heart, continues, “But anyway, she said she wanted to do something nice for Wendy unnie cause last year she said she helped Seulgi unnie with Joohyun unnie and-” 

 

“Don’t get me started on the stress that Seulgi and Joohyun give me-” 

 

Wendy watches as her two managers bicker, and she wonders when the appropriate time is to jump in and save Seeun. But, she then feels a kiss to the top of her head. She looks up and sees Sooyoung’s bright eyes and her signature playful smile, “Do you want to get out of here?”  

 

And this time, Wendy can’t help but stand on her tiptoes to give Sooyoung a quick kiss. “I thought you’d never ask.”