Italic = inner thoughts

 

***

 

The BookClub Office. Fifth floor.

 

It had been two days since her last encounter with Seulgi, and Wendy felt miserable each day. There was no more late-night chatting, no more stories about Yerim, and no more teasing about her having an improper dream about Irene. In short, she missed her friend dearly.

 

With plain bread hanging on her lips and visible dark circles under her eyes, Wendy slowly made her way to her cubicle.

 

"Morning, Sunkyu unnie."

 

Sunkyu raised her cup, "Morning, Superstar! Oh, you look bad today. Did Yujin torture you yesterday?"

 

The older woman never held herself, especially when she complained about their leader, Yujin, who had become so unbearable these days. Well, everyone was under stress due to the approaching deadlines.

 

Wendy let out a small smile. She had to thank Yujin and all these stressful deadlines because they gave her a solid excuse for her bad complexion. She was an experienced novelist, so deadlines were no longer her biggest nightmare. Her readers' high expectations and her fussy editor were the ones that always put her on her nerves back in her real world..

 

"Let's do our best today, Sunkyu unnie. We don't want to get on Yujin's bad side."

 

*Sigh* "You too, Wendy. Fighting!"

 

Wendy nodded and continued walking to her cubicle. The last one on the corner, before Eunbi's. After unlocking her cubicle, she put her bag on her seat and picked up a small mirror from her 1st drawer. She stared at her reflection and couldn't help but acknowledge how bad she looked today. Her lips were slightly chapped, and her complexion was pale, with two unpleasant dark circles under her eyes. She didn't even remember the last time she washed her hair.

 

She hadn't met Irene and Lily yet this week. If they saw her condition, they would be so surprised. Thinking about Irene's last message, she pulled a concealer from her bag and attempted to put them under her eyes. Hoping it would reduce her dark circles a little.

 

Knock.

 

Knock.

 

"Come in."

 

Wendy knew two people who usually dropped by at this time in the morning. Yujin or Eunbi. She hoped the latter because she would combust if Yujin came to her with another work.

 

"Concealer to the rescue? … Ah, right. You have to meet Sunbae today."

 

Eunbi asked and answered her own question while leaning on the door with her arms crossed. "That brand you use doesn't give full coverage. I will text you a link to buy my favorite brand, so you can use the right product next time."

 

"Really? I just bought this. What a waste." Wendy sighed and turned around to see Eunbi smiling at her while pointing at her table.

 

"Jasmine tea with a quarter spoon of sugar. Your usual order."

 

"Thanks. I need it." Wendy took a sip and instantly felt a lot better.

 

Both of them were no longer awkward with each other because a few days after she indirectly rejected Eunbi's feelings, the woman asked to have a heart-to-heart talk with her. They discussed a lot of things that day and agreed to put everything in the past to start a new friendship. Eunbi even swore that she would never try to do anything funny now that she realized Wendy's strong feelings toward Irene. She simply stepped back to save her heart from another heartbreak.

 

"You don't look any better. Is your favorite concealer failing you too?" Wendy asked the woman.

 

"I didn't use any today. I had no time to put some powder on my face because I woke up super late." Eunbi rolled her eyes before cursing under her breath. "I swear, why does the company suddenly wants to push forward the release date of those 3 books into this month?!"

 

"I don't know either. Ask the management." Wendy yawned tiredly behind the warm cup of tea.

 

"I've asked them. I'll forward their unsatisfactory answer to you later. , I'm going crazy!" Eunbi whined while stomping her feet angrily. Complaining about Yujin and the company had become her morning ritual nowadays.

 

Wendy was about to say something, but her eyes cough a glimpse of Yujin behind Eunbi, so she sealed her lips tightly. She tried to give a signal to Eunbi with her eyes but failed. The woman kept complaining about her work.

 

"Kwon Eunbi, you still have time to chat around? Send me the drafts now." Yujin was so keen on torturing them

 

"You …" Eunbi faced their leader. "You've become a tyrant, Ahn Yujin. You told me to send them before lunch!"

 

"Director Hwang wants them now. So chop, chop, do your work!"

 

“Just you wait, Ahn Yujin. I'll get back to you after this!"

 

With angry steps, Eunbi returned to her cubicle. Cursing Yujin, not so secretly.

 

"There, I help you chase her away. Now you can start working." Yujin raised her thumbs up before continuing her morning patrol to the next cubicles. Whenever deadlines were approaching, Yujin would transform into an unbearable devil who liked to torture her team members. Wendy didn't know this side of the young woman until she got her first deadline. But Wendy had to be Yujin's favorite because the young woman never attacked her.

 

A shout was suddenly heard from the cubicle next to her. "YAH, Choi Arin. Why did you throw rice at my face?!

 

"Oh, Sunkyu unnie said that rice could chase away bad spirits."

 

"LEE SUNKYU!!!" a series of angry steps filled the small corridor, followed by a frightened squeal.

 

The young novelist shook her head. "What a crazy week."

 

…

…

 

When the clock hit 1 PM, Wendy walked to Lily's school to pick her up. She didn't have time for lunch outside, so she bought takeaway food and brought her daughter to eat together in her cubicle.

 

Two bowls of fried rice, a plate of braised duck meat, and a bunch of side dishes were presented on the table. Wendy wanted to make sure that Lily's stomach would be filled up today.

 

"Let's eat, Mommy. The food will be sad if you ignore them, and then you'll get sick."

 

Lily was such a caring kid. When she saw Wendy's eyes glued to her monitor, she reminded her mother to eat her meal first.

 

"Aww, is Lily taking care of Mommy?"

 

Lily nodded. "Mommy Irene said that lunch is very important. It will help Lily grow stronger and healthier. So, I always finish my meal before I play or study."

 

With a small smile on her face, Wendy saved her work in a folder. "Your Mommy Irene is right. I will eat my lunch now."

 

"Good Mommy!"

 

…

…

 

Downstairs. 5 PM.

 

A smile blossomed on her face when Wendy saw Irene walking to them. But she gulped when the older woman stopped before her and stared at her face intently. Good thing she had reapplied her concealer. Otherwise …

 

"Did you put some concealer under your eyes?" Irene squinted her eyes, and Wendy felt her heart jump a little.

 

How did she know??

 

"You don't look good. Are you sick?"

 

Even a concealer couldn't fool Irene's sharp eyes! Wendy cried inside. "No. I'm just sleep-deprived. Work has been demanding lately."

 

"Let me pick up Lily for the rest of the week, then. You should go home after work and take some rest before continuing your work. The weather is not good lately. Don't get sick like Seulgi. She-"

 

"Wait, wait. What did you say? Seulgi is sick??"

 

"You didn't know?" Irene thought it strange that Wendy didn't know her friend hadn't been working for two days. "I had lunch at the Jang's today and didn't see Seulgi there, so I asked one of the staff. They told me that Seulgi hadn't shown up for work for two days. She's taking sick leaves."

 

Wendy bit her lips. Is she really sick? Is it because of my confession??

 

"I was too occupied with work. Thank you for letting me know, Irene. I'll visit her later."

 

The older woman nodded and didn't think much about the weirdness in Wendy's tone. "Where should I pick you up for our counseling this Thursday?"

 

Oh right. I almost forgot about it, Wendy thought.

 

"No. I will pick you up," Wendy told the older woman. "We'll send Lily together to daycare before going to the counseling office. What do you say?"

 

"Perfect." Irene gave her a toothy smile. "We'll go home now, then."

 

"Okay. Drive safely."

 

Irene nodded and turned to walk away with Lily beside her, but she halted her steps to face Wendy again.

 

"You applied the concealer unevenly." Irene touched the dark circle under Wendy's eyes with her finger. "And even if you use a super high cover one, it won't help you much. All you need is a good rest, Wendy. I'm serious. Take a rest for a couple of hours before you start working again."

 

Wendy nodded absentmindedly just to please Irene. But the woman knew her better than she thought.

 

"I will call you tonight to remind you when to stop working." Irene patted Wendy's left cheek softly before turning around to walk away.

 

The young novelist who was left behind held her left cheek. It was just a simple pat, but it seeped into her heart. Irene never failed to show her care lately, and it made Wendy both happy and guilty at the same time.

 

Before the car's window completely closed, Irene threw another smile at her, and Lily shouted from the backseat, "Bye, Mommy!"

 

"Bye, Lily!"

 

Wendy waved her hand until the car disappeared in the corner. She would definitely miss this warm moment they had. Lily's energetic goodbye and Irene's soft smile on this fine afternoon, just before the sun disappeared behind its orange hue, would forever be ingrained in her mind.

 

…

…

 

Wendy decided to visit Jang's restaurant before going back to her apartment. She wanted to inquire more about Seulgi's condition since the young woman didn't reply to any of her messages.

 

As soon as she stepped into the restaurant, she was greeted by the owner, Mrs. Jang. "Wendy, Welcome back!"

 

"Hello, Mrs. Jang." Wendy smiled, masking her anxiousness. "You look prettier every day."

 

"Haha, you and your sweet tongue." Mrs. Jang laughed. "It's weird to see you come alone."

 

"Yeah. It's really weird, isn't it?" Wendy laughed before letting her eyes wander around. "I didn't see Seulgi in her booth. Where is she?"

 

"You didn't know? She has been taking sick leaves since yesterday. Her voice sounded so hoarse over the phone, and it didn't help that her sister was away for the rest of the week. Poor Seulgi. I'm planning to visit her tomorrow to make sure that she's okay."

 

Wendy frowned and couldn't help but feel even more worried about her friend's condition. "I will drop by later tonight."

 

"Bring some food with you then," Mrs. Jang told her. "And you too. You should eat more. Why do you look thinner now?"

 

"Ah, it must be because of the stress. I have a lot of work to finish this month." Wendy smiled innocently. Even Mrs. Jang noticed her condition, so she must've looked horrible.

 

"Don't overwork yourself. Remember, you still have a family who depends on you."

 

The young novelist nodded still with the same smile on her face. She didn't want to cause any worries to people around her. "I understand, Mrs. Jang."

 

"Now, what do you want to eat? Everything will be in the house!"

 

…

…

 

Seulgi's apartment

 

Wendy rang the doorbell with a bag of food in her hand. She was really nervous and afraid that Seulgi would not want to see her face. But she was distraught after hearing that Yerim was away for a week. Seulgi was alone in the apartment. Nobody knows her latest condition.

 

But after 10 minutes, Seulgi still had yet to show up. Is she really that adamant about not wanting to see me?

 

Wendy decided to just knock on the door with her bare hands. Seulgi might want to avoid her and hoped she would go away soon, but she wouldn't do it. She thought to just accept her wrath later. Right now, she would annoy Seulgi until the latter opened the door for her because she needed to know her friend's condition.

 

Bang! Bang!

 

"Seulgi, open the door."

 

Bang! Bang!

 

"Seulgi, let's go to a clinic."

 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

 

"Kang Seulgi, I know you're inside!"

 

Her effort was finally fruitful. Not long after her last knock, a haggard-looking Seulgi who was wrapped in a thick quilt greeted her coldly.

 

"You're disturbing me and my neighbors, not-Wendy. What do you want?"

 

Wendy sighed at Seulgi's unusual cold treatment toward her, but really, compared to Irene's, this was harmless. Maybe Wendy was just that type of woman who was only afraid of her wife.

 

"I brought some food from Mrs. Jang. She told me that you're sick, so I'm here to check on you. Can I go inside?"

 

"No."

 

"Fine. Just take the food and come with me to a clinic then."

 

"No."

 

"Seulgi, it's not the time to be stubborn! Yerim is not here, and you look so awful. You have to check yourself and get better sooner."

 

"Speak for yourself, not-Wendy. You don't look any better."

 

Wendy gave up. If Seulgi still had enough energy to be snarky at her, then the woman must've recovered a little now. She thought to ask Mrs. Jang to bring Seulgi to a clinic tomorrow.

 

"If you don't want to go to the clinic, just take the food. It's from Mrs. Jang. You don't want to waste her kindness." Wendy stretched her hand.

 

Seulgi stared blankly at Wendy's hand and didn't take the food. The young woman blinked once, and then suddenly, her body lost its strength, scaring Wendy. Good thing the young novelist was quick to support her friend's body.

 

"Seulgi? Seulgi!"

 

Her friend had fainted in her arms, and she had never felt this panicked in her life before.

 

…

…

 

Clinic. 11 PM.

 

With an IV attached to her arm, Seulgi breathed heavily before slowly opening her eyes. She was unconscious for 2 hours, and Wendy always stayed by her side.

 

Seulgi was diagnosed with a severe cold and low blood sugar. So, Wendy was told that her friend must stay in the clinic for the rest of the night, and she intended to accompany her friend since Yerim was still out of the city.

 

"You can leave," Seulgi told her in a hoarse voice. Even in bad condition, the woman was still stubborn.

 

"I'm staying," Wendy replied before notifying a nurse to check on her friend.

 

"I won't talk to you."

 

"Then what are you doing right now? Serenading me??"

 

"..."

 

Wendy added, "Kang Seulgi, don't be stubborn. Yerim is still away. Whether you like it or not, I'm the only one who is available to take care of you." She wanted to say more, but she saw a nurse coming, so she moved away to the end of the bed.

 

"Miss Kang, you have to stay here for a night. If you feel better tomorrow, we'll let you go home. Here, take your medicine first before resting," said the nurse.

 

After the nurse was sure Seulgi had taken her medicine, she left the room. Leaving Wendy and Seulgi alone once again.

 

"I will sleep there." Wendy pointed to the long couch in the corner. "Wake me up if you need anything." The young novelist thought that Seulgi wouldn't want to talk with her, so she opted to get some rest. But to her surprise, the woman who said that she didn't want to talk to her now initiated the talk.

 

"Does Yerim know I'm here?"

 

"Not yet. It's already late. I will let her know tomorrow."

 

Seulgi said nothing, so Wendy shrugged and walked to the old couch. The couch was not the most comfortable, but she had slept on the floor before, so it only mattered a little to her. As she was about to close her eyes, she heard Seulgi ask another question in a whisper, "Are you really not-Wendy?"

 

It seemed like Seulgi still had a hard time accepting the truth. It even took a toll on her health.

 

Wendy forced herself to sit even though her body badly wanted to shut off. She hadn't had any proper sleep for two days as well.

 

"I'm not Wendy, your old friend."

 

"Is she really dead?" Seulgi asked weakly. Her tone was full of doubt. Understandable since the young novelist's story about her friend was something unusual and logically unacceptable.

 

Wendy nodded and witnessed a tear falling from the corner of Seulgi's eyes. She might not have many friends in her real world, but she knew how it felt to lose someone. She let Seulgi pour her sadness for a long time. After all, she could do nothing but listen to the young woman.