The change from Spring to Summer came faster than Wendy expected. Or perhaps it was the fact that her perception of time changed entirely when it concerned Irene. The chance meeting in the lift felt like a blink of an eye. Days leading up to Joy’s recital was a minute. The walk with Irene to the recital venue was five minutes. Joy’s hour long piano recital was fifteen minutes. Intermission included!

It was slightly frustrating, for Wendy could barely remember what Joy had played during the recital, or when she handed in her final theory papers or the practical examinations that followed. All she could remember was Irene, whose beauty was rapturing and just as enchanting. She truly is a goddess…!

On the day of their first date…Could she even call it a date? On the day of Joy’s piano recital, Seulgi and Yeri had prepped her on what to do and say, and for a greenhorn, Wendy very much welcomed the dos and don’ts. However, the moment Irene stepped through the building’s sliding doors and said hello when they met at the library’s level one lift lobby, everything that she diligently took notes on and practiced was thrown out of the window.

The courage she had mustered up had depleted immediately and her greeting was stiff and formal. The walk to the recital hall was awkwardly silent, getting ushered to their seats was tense and sitting together through the music was nerve-wracking. Wendy was surprised that she even got a message from Irene after that night.

‘Back safely, thank you for walking with me. Hope you’ve gotten home safely too. A blushing smiley emoji.

I truly enjoyed the music. Thank you for inviting me.

Good night Wendy. See you soon.

A cute sleeping cartoon bunny sticker.’

Wendy didn’t know how she managed to fall asleep that night. How? Did she even sleep? She guessed that whatever came out of and whatever she did that night was impressionable enough…to say the very least, for the university’s Goddess of Beauty to want to meet up again.

‘See you soon.’

However with the Spring semester then coming to a close, Wendy barely saw Irene after that night as the graduates were rushing to submit their proposals for their final thesis.

Ah, yes… She had her own submissions as well!

It was only by chance, again, during finals week that she managed to eat a meal with Irene at the campus cafeteria. Well…Joy and Seulgi included. Even with the added company…support, Wendy could barely recall what she ate and what she had said over the food that was hardly worth describing. Then again, was she even able to say anything with a beauty sitting right before her? Those clarent brown eyes always sent her heart beating wildly and her mind blank. Thinking back, asking Irene out to the recital took the wind out of her and Wendy was surprised she did not collapse when the lift doors closed after their goodbyes.

The lunch conversation was light and the only thing that Wendy could remember was that Irene had mentioned something about a special exhibition at the National museum, which Seulgi had excitedly continued the conversation to the end. She would have turned into a spluttering mess if she were to handle that conversation alone.

Thank the gods for Seulgi, again.

Then again, with that being said, Wendy was now questioning how that one lunch conversation led her to the situation she was now in…

Pressed up against Irene.

Trapped in a lift.

Wendy guessed lifts and their lobbies were destined places for the two of them. And well… she wasn’t exactly pressed up tightly against the girl, lady, woman of her dreams. That was over simplifying the situation.

She had unintentionally pinned Irene into one of the corners of the lift, a slightly frantic tourist group pushed against her back. Her body had moved on its own when the museum’s lift suddenly jerked to a sudden stop in the midst of its ascent. The lift’s lights had dimmed instantly, gasps simultaneously filling up the small space.

Wendy’s arm had reached out instinctively, the other wrapping around Irene’s shoulder. It was only a second later that she realised the position she was in when a hot breath brushed against her face, brown eyes staring right at her. So close! Way too close! 

The lift’s emergency bell buzzed.

‘Sorry Irene sun- Unnie. A-are you okay?’

‘Hmm.’ Another breath ghosted against her neck. Wendy curled her fingers against the lift wall into a fist, trying to hold back a shiver. The older girl’s voice lifted slightly, ‘You?’

Irene’s gaze shifted over Wendy’s shoulder to the group behind them, now talking in hushed whispers amongst themselves, trying to figure out why the lift had stopped. Wendy gave a hum in reply and turned her head to follow those brown eyes. The number on the lift’s floor indicator flashing. Wendy whispered guiltily,

‘I’m sorry… We should have taken the stairs…’

‘Surely the lift will move along soon.’ Another tickling breath, ‘Don’t apologise.’

‘Ah, okay…’

Wendy didn’t know whether she should just keep her head turned or move her head back. With just a breath’s length away from Irene’s face, she didn’t know where to look without blushing madly. Those eyes, nose, lips, cheeks. She could already feel the heat travelling up her neck to her face. It was exactly how she felt an hour ago while waiting for Seulgi in front of the museum, just to be greeted by Irene instead. Long wavy hair falling over her shoulders, in a casual attire, white t-shirt and blue jeans, a small satchel bag in her grasp.

Wendy didn’t know if her jaw had dropped, from both the surprise and Irene’s natural beauty. It probably did, judging from the chuckle she received from Irene, who was apologising on behalf of Seulgi for her extremely late change of plans.

Seulgi! Where was the much needed heads-up?!

Seulgi had given Wendy a ticket to the museum’s special exhibit before the campus closed for summer break, having happily arranged a ‘best friend’ day out together… Only now for a museum date to happen!

Was this all planned?!

That aside, the main concern at hand was that Wendy knew she was hardly prepared to face Irene alone. This was entirely different from the day of the piano recital. She already found it a miracle that she made it through an hour with Irene in the special exhibit without blurting out her feelings… It was difficult to keep a calm and composed conversation with someone she was interested in without sounding like an utter complete love fool. Shouldn’t be thanking the gods so much now eh? 

The lift jerked suddenly and a loud crackle came through the lift’s intercom, startling everyone. A voice followed quickly, apologising for the situation before reassuring everyone that the lift’s services will return momentarily. In that short moment, Wendy stiffened at the cold hand that reached out to latch onto the belt loop of her pants, fingers brushing slightly against skin exposed by her cropped tee. Irene’s other hand had clutched tightly onto the lapel of her ove