Author's Note: It turns out my author's note from the last chapter was a lie, since I remembered I had this side story with Way in my head. And who knows what else will happen. I also made an adjustment to the very last line of the last chapter that sort of changes things a bit. Sorry! And, for some odd reason, I made another name mistake. Chrome's CEO is named Hwang Hyun Chang, so I fixed his name to Captain Hwang. 

Also, Way being a recovering alcoholic makes me uncomfortable too, but I think it makes The Comet Project more real.

Enjoy!

Chapter 18

            It was nearly midnight when Way returned to headquarters that Thursday night after looking after Taeyeon, Sunny, and Tiffany.  She bit her lip as she warily headed towards Earman Kim’s office.  Taking off her heavy helmet didn’t ease the anxiety she felt, and her heart beat faster and faster as she came closer to meeting the mission manager.

            She peeked her head into the office, expecting to find only Earman Kim.  But three men, two being Captain Hwang and Ah Ba, caught her by surprise.

            “Captain!” she cried, running up to him and giving him a big hug.  “You’re back from Japan!”

            “Yes,” he laughed, patting her on the head gently.  “Ah Ba and I just got back tonight.”

            “Ah Ba,” Way smiled, giving her dance teacher a hug as well.  “I was wondering when you would return.”

            “Someone needs to get you girls in shape for your comeback,” Ah Ba insisted, forcing a smug smirk on his shy face.  “It’s going to take the world by storm.”

            “Hopefully,” Earman Kim remarked, looking through his phone.  “Lee Sooman supposedly has a short North American tour planned for the summer.  We need an opportunity to get us there so we can supervise them.”

            Uninterested in Kim’s serious demeanor, Way turned back to the Captain.  “Captain, did you find anything in Japan?”

            He shook his head sadly.  “The terrorists are definitely not from Japan.  Taking out Girls’ Generation just wouldn’t be helpful to them at all.  And I couldn’t find any independent groups trying to organize such a mission.”

            “Way-ah,” Ah Ba interrupted.  “Didn’t your sleep schedule just start?  Why don’t you go and get some rest?”

            “Please do,” Kim requested, looking up at Way.  “Gummi has been skipping out on her sleep schedules recently, and it’s taken a huge toll on her.  I think she’s finally come to her senses, but I don’t need the rest of you to become utterly exhausted.”

            “Yes, Way-ah,” the Captain grinned.  “You should get some sleep.”

            “I will, Captain,” Way replied cheerfully.  Her smile slowly turned into an anxious frown.  “But I have something to tell Earman Kim.”

            “Hmm?” Kim said suddenly.  “What is it?  Is it urgent?”

            “I just…”  She took a deep breath.  “I wanted to tell you that Sunny is planning to go out to dinner with Hyomin and Taecyeon tomorrow.”

            “Oh, thank you very much.”  He typed something into his phone and gave a thumbs-up.  “I’m glad you were able to find out.  Let’s see…I think Ellin might be available to take that mission.”

            “Actually…”  Her heart gave a heavy pound, and she was sure everyone in the room could hear it.  “I was wondering if…I could take that mission.”

            “You?”  Kim gave a nervous chuckle.  “Um, Way-ah, you know that Ellin and Gummi usually take missions that require…human interaction.  Surely you can understand why I’m reluctant to send you and Choa out.  It was a very difficult decision to let Choa go to Seohyun’s musical last week.”

            “Well…the main reason I ask is…Sunny invited me to join them.”

            Earman Kim, Ah Ba, and the Captain stared at her in amazement.  With his mouth hanging wide open, Kim began to stutter and shook his head.

            “Invited you out?” he asked quickly.  “How could she have possibly done that?”

            “She just…asked me tonight.”

            The Captain’s mouth curved into an amused smirk.  “Is that so?”

            “You’re not supposed to interact with them!” Kim cried.  “Wasn’t I clear enough about this with Gummi?  And why would she ask you to go out with her and her friends?”

            Way sighed shakily and avoided Kim’s angry eyes.  “We’re friends.”

            “Friends?  How could you have become friends?  This is madness!”

            “Kim,” Hwang whispered, tapping his friend on the shoulder.  “Let’s give Way a chance to explain.  Way-ah, you and Sunny are friends?”

            “Captain, it wasn’t on purpose.  You know that Hyoyeon and Sunny both know that we’re watching them, right?”

            “I’m aware of this,” he said calmly.  “Gummi mentioned something to Hyoyeon, and Sunny found out when Hyoyeon confronted the five of you.”

            A sick feeling filled Way’s stomach as she remembered Gummi’s protective lie.  “Y-Yes.  They both found out.  And, one night, Sunny saw me on the fire escape of her apartment, and since Taeyeon and Tiffany were out, she invited me inside.  She insisted I come in because it was so cold.  And she gave me cookies.”

            “You compromised our entire mission for warmth and…cookies?” Kim exclaimed in astonishment. 

            “What have you told her?” the Captain asked.

            “We’ve never discussed missions or the prophecy,” Way explained hastily.  “She’s only asked about our personalities and how the five of us are.  And now we talk about silly things.  She tells me about her life in Girls’ Generation.  We just…chat.  You know?”

            Earman Kim’s worried face was completely red with frustration.  Ah Ba appeared somewhat confused by the entire situation.  The Captain just smiled merrily.

            “I’m glad you made a friend,” he assured gladly.  “Have fun tomorrow night.”

            “Captain!”  Kim stared at Hwang frantically.  “How can you allow this?  Isn’t this compromising everything?”

            “If Way wasn’t Sunny’s friend, how else would we have learned about her outing tomorrow night?” he replied.  “And I think, if Sunny knows of our presence, it’s better that she’s at ease with us.  I’m sure Way has reduced her anxieties about five random girls keeping an eye on her.”

            Way nodded her head excitedly.  “Yes!  Captain, do you really mean it?  You’re not mad at me?”

            “Of course not,” he laughed bashfully.  “I knew you’d add a special element to this team, Way.  You never seem to follow the rules.”

            “Ah, Captain,” she sighed, lightly punching him in the arm.  “Then you’re serious about tomorrow night as well?”

            “Yes,” he confirmed confidently.  “Have fun.  But know that you’re still observing her.  Be wary.  Kim, assign a K-Much member tomorrow as well.”

            “Certainly, Captain,” Kim responded halfheartedly.  “I’ll…I’ll get right on it.”

            “Way-ah,” the Captain started suddenly.  “Would you say thank you to Hyomin for me?  Without T-ara, I really wouldn’t have known how to manage a girl group.”

            “Of course, Captain!”

            With a bright smile on her face, Way skipped away towards the rest room.  Tomorrow she would finally get to wear something besides this orange tracksuit.  And she would be able to talk with her friend without fear of being found out.  In fact, she would never feel that fear again.

*          *          *

            That Friday night, Sunny led Way from her apartment to her favorite Korean BBQ restaurant.  Though Way was excited for this experience, she felt somewhat awkward in her leather jacket and jeans.  Beneath her clothes, she wore a thin bulletproof armor that the Chrome scientists had recently developed, but she felt so exposed and…normal.  Wasn’t being normal a good thing?

            “Why are you looking around so anxiously, Way-ah,” Sunny asked.  “Are you still on duty or something?”

            “I still have to look after you,” Way replied with a smile.  She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she so casually walked through the streets of Seoul.  Even when she saw a crowd of civilians, she looked at them from a stage.  Now she was one of them.  She was one of these clueless individuals who were unaware of everything around them.

            Sunny adjusted her snapback and large sunglasses.  “If anyone is out to get me, do you think they could even recognize me?  I am the master of disguise.  Try to relax, Way-ah.”

            “Yes, unnie.”

            They arrived at the restaurant and quickly rushed in.  Sunny spoke a few quiet words to the waiter, and he swiftly led them into a room that included a few small tables and a private bar.  Even in the crowd of incredibly ritzy guests in the room, Way quickly spotted Taecyeon and Hyomin.

            Before Way could point them out to her, Sunny let out a happy squeal and ran over to the two of them.  Way frantically followed her and watched as she wrapped her arms around Hyomin first.

            “My Folding Screen!” Sunny cried.  “Hyomin-ah, I’ve missed you so much.”

            “Sunny-ah,” Hyomin smiled, squeezing Sunny in her arms.  “How long has it been?”

            “I think…a few weeks,” Sunny laughed, hitting Hyomin on her back.  “Let go of me, Hyomin-ah!  You’ve had your camera time.  It’s time for us to go our separate ways.”

            “Never!”  Hyomin reluctantly let go of her friend and stole her sunglasses from her face.  “I almost didn’t recognize you, Sunny-ah.  Why do you wear such big sunglasses?”

            Giving a small smirk, Sunny turned to Way.  “I told you, Way-ah.  I’m the master of disguise.”

            “Maybe I should leave,” Taecyeon sighed, sadly looking up at the ceiling.  “It already seems as if I’m not here.”

            “Hyomin-ah,” Sunny began inquisitively.  “Did you just hear a fly buzzing around?  How annoying.”

            “Sunny-ah!”   

            “Ah, oppa, calm down!”  Sunny aggressively patted his cheeks.  “I hear your annoying voice, don’t worry.”

            “Aish…”

            “Who is this?” Hyomin asked, looking at Way with a pleasant smile.  “You look awfully familiar.”

            “This is my friend Way,” Sunny introduced gleefully.  “She’s from Crayon Pop.”

            “Jumping!” Taecyeon grinned, putting his hands together and raising them up and down.  “Wow, Sunny-ah.  You’re in the same social circle as Crayon Pop?  Don’t you think they’re out of your league?”

            “Shut up, oppa,” Sunny glared.  “Perhaps you should be asking yourself the same question.”

            Hyomin ignored Taecyeon’s playful snickering and held out her hand to Way.  “It’s so nice to meet you!  The five of you are so adorable.  I’m happy to see you in person!”

            “Thank you, sunbaenim,” Way replied shyly, shaking Hyomin’s hand.  “It’s an honor to meet you.”

            “Come on, Way-ssi,” Hyomin requested, gesturing to their table.  “Let’s eat!”

            Hyomin sat across from Sunny, while Way sat across from Taecyeon.  She tried not to look into his dark, piercing eyes.  As often as she could, though, she stole glances of the charming dimples on his handsome face.  He finally noticed her staring after a few minutes, and she desperately clung on to Sunny’s arm as her cheeks burned red.

            “I haven’t had a drink in a long time,” Hyomin sighed after looking over the drink menu.  “Oppa, here’s the menu.”

            “I already know what I’m ordering,” he told simply.

            “Ah.”  Hyomin smiled and held the menu out to Way.  “Here, Way-ssi.”

            Way stared at the menu helplessly.  It had been such a long time since she drank anything with alcohol.  There had been a time when it was the only thing that could drown out the memories of The Comet Project.  To drink anything intoxicating tonight would compromise Way's alertness and Sunny's safety, but that fact didn't make the drink menu seem any less intriguing.

            As Way battled against her will, Sunny suddenly took the menu from Hyomin.  “I think I’ll have something.” 

Skimming over the menu, Sunny casually reached over and gently tapped Way’s hand.  A few nights ago, Way had absentminded mentioned to Sunny about her life before Crayon Pop; that became the night she sobbed uncontrollably in Sunny’s arms.

            Way grinned gratefully at Hyomin.  “Thank you, Hyomin-ssi.  I’ll just have water.”

            When the drinks had arrived and the food had begun to cook at their table, conversation flowed more easily.  Sunny truly was a variety queen, on television and in life.  No situation could remain awkward in her presence.  As she carefully cooked the fresh Korean beef, she laughed and chatted with all three of them so effortlessly. 

            “Oppa,” she called.  “How’s that little punk, Wooyoung?  Isn’t he filming We Got Married right now?”

            Taecyeon let out a mischievous laugh.  “I don’t understand how anyone can be so awkward.  I try to give him tips, but he keeps coming back to us with this scared look on his face like he completely ruined the show.”

            “Oh, that punk,” Sunny sighed disappointedly.  “That’s just shameful.”

            “I’ll tell him you said that,” Taecyeon smirked.  “Maybe it’ll inspire him to step up his game.”  He peered at his watch.  “Ah, I need to make a phone call.  I’ll be right back.”

            Way felt pressure lift from her as Taecyeon left.  She leaned back in her seat and let out a long sigh.

            “Are you tired, Way-ssi?” Hyomin asked.

            “Um, no,” Way assured.  “It’s just…It’s hard to relax.”

            “Is it because of Taecyeon oppa?” Sunny laughed.  “Way-ah, he’s a little punk.  Don’t feel nervous around him.”

            “Sunny is right,” Hyomin grinned.  “Don’t be concerned with him.  He’s actually very kind and casual.  Don’t let his ugly face scare you.”

            Way snickered at Hyomin’s playful comment.  “Thank you, Hyomin-ssi.  Um, Hyomin-ssi, my CEO wanted me to say something to you.”

            “Really?  What is it?”

            “He wanted me to thank you,” Way smiled happily.  “T-ara was the inspiration for our concept, and he learned a lot about managing from watching your activities.”

            “Oh, wow,” Hyomin replied bashfully.  “Well, he shouldn’t be thanking me.  It was our CEO who created our concept.”

            “Didn’t you design your outfit for the Roly Poly video?  That’s what inspired him most.”

            “Really?”  Hyomin examined her own outfit carefully and chuckled shyly.  “My style inspired him?  Wow…Wait, my style inspired your Bar Bar Bar concept?  How did it do that?”

            Way tried to calmly disregard Hyomin’s unawareness.  “Actually, Bar Bar Bar wasn’t our first concept.  When we were promoting Saturday Night, he was inspired by Roly Poly for its concept.”

            “Saturday Night?” Hyomin questioned.  “Hmm, I’ll have to check it out!  Wow.”

            “Aish!”

            Sunny dropped her chopsticks onto the grill as she clutched her right hand tightly.  Way reached for her pockets, wondering if the enemy had shot another tranquilizer.  Had she really not seen it coming? 

            “What’s wrong, Sunny-ah?” Hyomin asked quickly, reaching for Sunny’s hand.

            “I accidentally burned my finger,” Sunny informed through gritted teeth.  “Ah, it’s stinging.”

            “I’ll get some ice water,” Hyomin insisted, rising from her seat.  “Stay here, Sunny-ah.”

            As Hyomin walked towards the bar, Way helplessly reached for Sunny’s hand.  “Are you okay, unnie?”

            “It’s just a little burn,” Sunny grinned weakly.  “Surely it’s barely a first degree burn.”

            “I have some medicine that might help-”

            Way was interrupted by a loud yell.  Both she and Sunny looked over to find a tall, fuming man confronting Hyomin at the bar.  Hyomin stared at him in confusion as he glared at her with pure rage.

            “What’s going on?” Sunny asked, slowly getting up from her seat.  “Is he yelling at Hyomin-ah?”

            "Sir, I don't understand what you're saying-"

            "You know exactly what I'm saying!"  Hyomin's fearful voice was broken by her antagonist's slurred roar.  "You're a bully!"

            Sunny's eyes narrowed into a callous glare as she slowly rose from her seat.  "Is he talking that way to my Folding Screen?"

            Before Way could stop her, Sunny was rushing over to Hyomin and the angry man.  The bold little woman stepped between Hyomin and the man and pointed her burned finger at his face.

            “What are you yelling about?” she questioned heatedly.  Way moved beside her and eyed the man cautiously.

            “Isn’t that Hyomin from T-ara?” he suggested, his gaze incredibly intimidating.  “She’s one of those horrible bullies that forced Hwayoung out of the group?”

            “Sunny-ah,” Hyomin whispered timidly.  “Let’s get out of here.”

            “Hold on a minute,” Sunny demanded.  “Don’t you dare make accusations like that!  You don’t even know the situation!”

            “And you’re Sunny from Girls’ Generation,” he noted with his slurred voice.  “Ah, your aegyo is unbearable.  I could just punch you.”

            Swiftly, Way stepped between Sunny and the furious man.  His hands were already fists, and his eyes were filled with drunken anger.   She tried to push Sunny and Hyomin away, but Sunny stood firm just behind her.

            “My aegyo calls for a punch?” Sunny glowered.  “Well, that’s just fine.  You can punch me all you want.”

            “Maybe I will!”  He began to move forward, but Way pushed him back, attempting to look as innocent and incapable as she possibly could.

            “Go ahead!”  Even Sunny shuffled restlessly behind Way, trying to go towards the man.  “Just don’t yell at my friends!”

            “I wouldn’t have to if your friends weren’t talentless witches!” he cried.

            “Aish!”

            Way tried unsuccessfully to hold Sunny back, and she had soon pushed past her towards the man.  She watched in horror as the man took hold of Sunny and threw her to the ground.  Sunny’s hat fell off as she hit her head on a nearby chair.

            “Sunny-ah!” Hyomin screamed, rushing over to help Sunny.

            Ending her hopeless charade, Way ruthlessly grasped the man’s arm and slammed his face onto the bar top.  As she held both his arms behind him, he vainly attempted to fight her control.  But she remained furious, and she aggressively pressed him harder upon the bar top.  The people in the room gasped at her astonishing force, but she couldn’t help but reveal her strength.

            “Sunny?”  As Taecyeon reentered the room, his eyes filled with shock

            “Taecyeon-ssi!” Way called, forcing her voice to sound scared and feeble.  “Help me!”

            Scraping his anxious eyes away from a dazed Sunny on the ground, he dashed over to Way and held down the man with her.

            "Bartender, get security," Way requested urgently, releasing the man to Taecyeon's powerful grip.  "And call an ambulance."

            "Way-ah."

            Quickly responding to Sunny's weak voice, Way kneeled down beside her and gently held her head in her hand.  "Unnie, it's okay.  We're calling an ambulance right now."

            "I don't need an ambulance," Sunny insisted, sitting up against the chair she fell upon.  "I'm fine.  It was just a little bump."

            Way carefully examined the back of Sunny's head, feeling for any wetness, looking for any signs of redness.  Her heart beat relentlessly as the feeling of failure crept into her mind.  Had she really compromised Sunny's wellbeing so easily?  She stood between Sunny and the angry man, and she still let this happen.  Was Earman Kim right?

            "Ahjussi!" Sunny called loudly, attempting to use Way and Hyomin as means to climb up from the floor.  "Don't call that ambulance!  I'm fine."

            "Sunny-ah, you shouldn't get up so quickly," Hyomin suggested frantically.  "You could have a concussion."

            "I've suffered more in the practice room," Sunny insisted, finally making it to her feet.  She leaned on Hyomin's shoulder and smiled.  "No one talks to my Folding Screen like that."

            A tear fell from Hyomin's frightened eyes, and she swiftly wrapped her shaking arms around her friend.  Guards from the front of the restaurant arrived to arrest the drunk man, and Taecyeon quickly joined the three of them to check on Sunny.

            "Sunny, are you okay?" he asked.

            "I'm completely fine," she assured with a grin.

            "Sunny-ah, you really shouldn't have done that," Hyomin whimpered.  "I didn't want you to get hurt for my sake.  This is just something I have to deal with now."

            "It shouldn't be like that," Sunny sighed, shaking her head.  "Well, seeing as we're all alive and well, shall we finally eat our meal?  The meat might be burned!  Let's hurry!"

            Hyomin held Sunny still as she tried to run back to the table.  "Sunny-ah, maybe we should take you home.  If you don't want to go to the hospital, you should at least rest at home."

            "Nonsense!"

            "Sunny-ah," Taecyeon interrupted quietly.  "Please.  I'll take you home.  It would make us feel better if you were resting."

            "Yeah, unnie," Way whispered reluctantly.

            "Aish."  Sunny rubbed the back of her head and frowned at her friends.  "If you really insist, I'll go back.  You're a bunch of babies."

            "Oppa, drive Sunny and Way home," Hyomin instructed Taecyeon.  "I'll take care of the bill.  Just go ahead."

            "Hyomin, no!" Sunny cried.  "I ruined our night.  Let me pay for everything."

            Giving her friend a warm hug, Hyomin shook her head.  "It's okay, Sunny-ah.  I just want you to be safe.  Please, go on."

            “Thank you, Hyomin-ssi,” Way grinned, taking Sunny’s hand.  “Come on, unnie.  Let’s go.”

            “Hyomin-ah!  Aigoo!”

            Sunny resisted Way and Taecyeon as they led her to the car.  When they finally reached the car in the parking lot, Sunny’s wild and unpredictable demeanor suddenly shifted into an expression of worry.

            “Hyomin-ah looked really upset,” she sighed, slowly climbing into the back seat with Way.  “I hope it wasn’t because of my recklessness.”

            “So you admit you were reckless?” Taecyeon chuckled as he started the car.  His joking smile soon turned into a gloomy grimace.  “Look, Sunny-ah.  The bullying scandal is still very heavy in Hyomin’s heart.  It was bad enough for that guy to be confronting her in that way.  And now you’ve been physically hurt because of it.  Certainly you can imagine how she must feel.”

            Way’s heart broke as she watched Sunny lose her optimism.  The aegyo queen never anticipated the deeper meaning in these situations; she only acted to help whoever she possibly could.  Sinking into her seat, she appeared miserable and confused.

            “Unnie,” Way began softly.  “After I walk you in tonight, I’ll check on Hyomin.  I’m sure she’s okay.”

            Giving a broken smile, Sunny nodded her head.  “Thank you, Way-ah.”

            When they arrived in front of Sunny’s apartment, Taecyeon called after Way as she exited the car with Sunny.

            “Way-ssi, I can give you a ride home as well.”

            “Thank you, Taecyeon-ssi,” she replied gratefully.  “But I’m going to walk Sunny up.  And then I’ll take a cab home.”

            “I’ll wait here for you,” he assured politely.

            “Oppa, you heard the girl,” Sunny smirked.  “Perhaps she’d rather leap across rooftops to get home than ride another minute with you.”

            “Unnie!” Way cried helplessly.

            Taecyeon laughed and playfully glared at Way.  “Is this true, Way-ssi?”

            “What?  Not at all, sunbaenim!”

            “I understand,” he sighed dejectedly.  “Isn’t this my lot in life?”

            “Oppa,” Sunny called tenderly, reaching for him through the passenger window.  “Don’t be sad.  Goodbye, oppa.  I’ll see you soon, okay?”

            “Goodbye, Sunny-ah,” he smiled before slowly driving away.

            Way stared after Taecyeon in utter shock, wondering if he now despised her.  She could feel her cheeks burning red as Sunny turned back to face her.

            “Unnie!  Why did you tell him that?”

            “Way-ah, don’t be so serious,” Sunny snickered, taking her hand and leading her into the apartment building.  “We joke around a lot.  I only said that so it wouldn’t be so obvious how flustered you were with him.  Aish.”

            “Well…Thank you.”

            As they entered the elevator for the apartment building, Way played the entire night back in her mind.  She searched for anything she could have done differently to protect Sunny more efficiently.  With every mistake she remembered, she winced in disappointment.

            “You look sort of sad, Way-ah,” Sunny noted gently.  “Are you okay?”

            “Tonight…Sunny-ssi, why did you jump in front of me like that?”

            “What?”  Sunny stared at her curiously.  “Well, I suppose I got a little too angry.  I wanted to protect Hyomin.”

            “You know I’m here to protect you, Sunny-ssi,” Way replied angrily.  “I can handle you and all your friends.  No one was going to get hurt.”

            “Why are you calling me Sunny-ssi, Way-ah?”

            “You don’t have to jump into trouble like that,” Way continued, her frustration becoming overwhelming.  “I can deal with these things.  I was trained for this.”

            “Well, just because you were trained for fighting doesn’t mean you should take all the punches.”

            The elevator fell silent as Way digested Sunny’s words.  Every memory of The Comet Project seemed fuzzy and distant as she looked into Sunny’s caring eyes.  This international pop star had so nonchalantly said the most endearing thing Way had ever heard.

            “Look, Way-ah,” Sunny began soothingly.  “I don’t know how you were trained to protect me.  You never gave me the details.  All I know is that you were standing in front of me and taking the man’s fury for me.  I didn’t want to see you suffering for me any longer.  Why wouldn’t I jump in front of you?”

            At the sound of Sunny’s words, Way could tears well up in .  “Unnie…”

            “Way-ah, I understand that you have this responsibility for some reason,” Sunny continued.  “But you must know that I’m your friend.  I won’t let anything happen to you, even if it means I have to get hurt.  You’ll never fail to protect me.  But, sometimes, I may not let you take the fall.”

            “You can’t do that, unnie,” Way whispered shakily.  “I have to protect you.  You don’t understand how important you are.”

            “Maybe you don’t understand how important you are,” Sunny suggested with a smile.  “Way-ah, you can protect me however you want.  But please do me a favor.  Don’t ever blame yourself when something bad happens.  Sometimes things are out of our control.”

            “Unnie…”

            “Just promise me.”

            “…Yes, unnie.”

            Sunny reached over and wiped the tears from Way’s face.  She patted her red cheeks gently and grinned.  “Good girl.  Unnie will take care of you.  Don’t be sad.  Come in for some cookies.”

            “Soyul will be on your fire escape, unnie,” Way informed.  “Besides, I have to check on Hyomin.”

            “Oh, right.”  Sunny appeared conflicted as she stared at Way.  “Please be careful, Way-ah.  Let me know how my Folding Screen is.”

            “Okay, unnie,” Way laughed quietly, ushering Sunny out of the elevator.  “Go on, unnie.  I’ll be fine.”

            Sunny gave Way one last hug before she walked out of the elevator.  “Goodbye, Way-ah.  I’ll see you soon.”

            The elevator doors closed again, and Way tried to keep from crying again.  She leaned against the elevator wall and took a deep breath.

            “Sunny unnie,” she whispered unsteadily.  “I’m an experiment.  I shouldn’t be your friend…But thank you for being mine.”