Chapter Text
Park Sooyoung was a girl with a dilemma and a dead girl trailing behind her. You may ask yourself, what made Sooyoung so different from others? Well, the answer was simple. Sooyoung had murdered her former best friend and left her for dead. Of course, before introducing any more information within this investigation, let's see what kind of person Sooyoung was.
Park Sooyoung, a popular girl with no worries that made her frown or a single crisis, caused her to evaluate herself. Head of the track and field, she was at the top of everything the school had to offer. A smile that no one could deny, a pure heart, friends she knew had her back, and not to mention the richest family in the city. The Park family was known to be prestigious to each generation, and hers was no exception. Sooyoung had everyone and everything, except one person. In an instant, she knew she could have anyone with her, but one person seemed to be disinterested in her. That girl just so happened to be Son Seungwan, also known as Wendy, the smart student who entered the school with a scholarship. Wendy was a friendly person who got along with all the students and faculty, except she never approached Sooyoung. Not once in the past three years had the girl tried to speak with her. What was wrong with Sooyoung that made her so unapproachable?
The dilemma in her head seemed silly. She knew it was dumb to envy the attention others had from Wendy. So after nearly three years of waiting, that opportunity was finally brought to her by some miracle from the sky.
"Park Sooyoung and Son Seungwan," Her teacher called out, catching the immediate attention of Sooyoung. Her eyes widened as her heart skipped a beat. This was her chance to befriend Seungwan finally. Perhaps to prove to her that she was, in fact, one of the best people to meet. Sooyoung leaned against her seat as she peeked over to watch Seungwan gather her items. The expression on Seungwan wasn't what she quite expected. There wasn't a smile nor anything else that implied she was against or with the idea. Who exactly was Sooyoung to Seungwan?
"Park Sooyoung?" Seungwan called out, looking right into her brown, beady eyes. There was something about this stare that felt so odd to her. Sooyoung was unknown to Seungwan as if she had never really heard of her over the past three years.
"Yes, that's me. Y-You can call me Joy." She finally spoke, remaining her eyes on Seungwan, who finally seemed to smile shyly.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Son Seun-"
"Seungwan. I'm aware of who you are." Sooyoung interrupted with her gaze on the girl. It wasn't anything intimidating to say, more like a curious stare.
"Well, nice to meet you. Do you want to schedule a time to meet up for the project?" Seungwan asked as she pulled the seat next to the girl. Sooyoung, still in a dream-like state, smiled and nodded her head. Seungwan continuously organized when they'd meet and everything they'd need for their project. Perhaps the conversation was a lot faster than Sooyoung remembered.
"So we'll meet at your place?" Seungwan asked, catching the girl's attention.
"Yeah, my place should be fine." She shyly smiled, "Would you like to exchange numbers to texting you the address?" Sooyoung pushed her phone towards Seungwan to type in her information, but all she seemed to do was stare at her brand new mobile.
"Sorry, I currently don't have a phone on me." She gently pushed the girl's hand away as she began to pull out her agenda for Sooyoung to write in.
"Oh, of course." Sooyoung grabbed the girl's pen as she began to write, stealing glances to catch Seungwan staring at her too.
Wendy smiled as she looked over at the girl who looked equally amazed by her, "See you around, Sooyoung."
Sooyoung waved goodbye, watching Wendy disappear behind the door. Perhaps it was too early to feel anything, but that never stopped the butterflies in her stomach to continuously flutter around whilst her heart practically pleaded to jump out of her chest. Placing her hands over her mouth, she quietly reminded herself to remain calm. After all, she as a reputation to keep while she remained in school. Joy was somewhat of an intimidating girl in school; of course, she was a girl with an immense honorable reputation among her other friends, which consisted of Kang Seulgi, Kim Yeri, and lastly Bae Joohyun. Each girl had their specialty within their families that made their wealth unimaginable.
"Sooyoung? You seem too happy today," Spoke Seulgi waving her hand in front of the girl. Sooyoung snapped back into reality as she looked over at Seulgi's innocent stare.
"I hit the jackpot, Seul!" She grabbed Seulgi by the shoulders as they made their way over to their lunchroom, "You know what's even better, she's coming over to my house!"
Seulgi, who remained unbelievably confused, asked, "Who's coming over?"
"Son Seungwan, that's who. This is my chance to prove I am someone worthy of being acknowledged." Joy happily smiled as she had arrived at her destination. Upon opening the door, they walked over to the remaining group of friends who sat at their table, gossiping about any news they insisted on sharing.
"Well, well, it was about time we saw you with such a wide smile. Who asked you out?" Yeri asked as Joy scooted over to the girl with a toothy grin.
"It's not like that, but I did finally speak to Son Seungwan."
Joohyun and Yeri looked over at the girl with their brows raised, "Who?" They asked in unison.
"The full scholarship student," Seulgi answered for the daydreaming girl.
"I don't think I ever really paid attention to her. Well, as the french say, don't know, and I don't care." Yeri sassed, causing the older girl to burst out laughing.
"I don't expect girls such as yourself to understand the excitement. Not all of us can have a perfect life," Sooyoung replied.
"What makes this girl so special anyway?" Irene asked, interrupting the two as Joy's eyes lit up with excitement, "Well, I never thought I'd ever say this, but she has no clue who I am. And as you all know, there's not a single soul who doesn't know who I am. I mean, come on, I'm a pretty great person."
"Depends on the days," Seulgi added jokingly.
"Monday through Thursday is debatable, but Fridays to Sunday, I must agree," Yeri smirked mischievously as she and Seulgi giggled.
Joy sighed as she sat down next to Irene, placing her head on her shoulder, "I just want to make a good impression. I mean, not everyone who meets me can have a one on one chat with me. I'd like to think of myself as a busy girl." Joy raised her head again, raising her fist in victory with a wide smile, "Just you wait, Son Seungwan will be excited to befriend a girl such as myself."
Or at least that was what she told herself because, for the next two days, Joy had grown bitter due to Seungwan's sudden disappearance. The girl had been gone for nearly two days, and today was the day for their meet-up. Was the exchange of address all for nothing? If only Seungwan knew the damage, this was to Joy's reputation and heart.
"Why the gloomy look?" Irene asked suddenly, catching her friend in and out of reality.
"She's been gone for two days. I have no form of contacting her." Joy responded as she laid her head on the desk.
"You didn't exchange numbers?"
"I tried to, but she doesn't have a phone. I mean, who doesn't have a phone when it's the 21st century! Even little kids who drool have phones!" The taller girl protested as Irene raised her brow.
"I suppose that's a bit sketchy, or it just could be that she can't afford one at the moment. I mean, she's only here because of a scholarship-"
"That's right! Joohyun, you genius! I'll just buy her a phone if that's the case. Phones nowadays are far too cheap now."
The shorter girl tilted her head, shaking her head furiously, "That's not at all what I was implying. Sooyoung, you barely know the girl. What are you doing?"
Her taller friend simply shook her head, "I'll do anything to be acknowledged by someone like Seungwan." And with that, Sooyoung had rushed through the school building without a single logical thought in her head. Perhaps Joy's obsession with knowing Seungwan on a personal level would be fine, though a part of her couldn't help but feel as if she was only heading towards disaster.
As soon as the school day had ended, Joy stormed off to her car in a rush to her home. Practically kicking her front door down, she quickly greeted her maids before running off to her room. Without hesitation, she rummaged through her belongings, looking for a particular phone given to her but never used. Finally, she spotted the gift in its original box. She grabbed the item, placing it on her desk as she paced her room to plot her plan. Sure, giving Seungwan a new phone she never used could go wrong. She can imagine all the bad outcomes within that scenario that involve the smaller girl cussing out Joy and storming off. Sooyoung needs a plan that could slowly win over the girl enough to give her the phone without a huge commotion. But what if she didn't have enough time to win over Seungwan? No matter what, she needs to befriend this girl.
Joy sighed, dropping her body on her bed, continuously wondering about her. What does she do when she had spare time, or even what caused the girl's heart to flutter. Seungwan was a complete mystery at this point, and it pained Joy to gamble her chances with Seungwan. What could go wrong? It's not like it'd accidentally end up in murder. Of course not.
There was a knock on the door calling out her name, "Ms. Park?"
"Yes?"
"You have a visitor."
Joy jumped from her bed, opening the door in such a hurry. "Where? Did they say their names?"
"Well, she said-"
"Never mind that, where is she?" She hurried the older maid quickly until they had reached the front door. Her eyes couldn't believe the sight, and it was Seungwan in casual clothing instead of their school uniform. Seungwan shyly smiled, bowing towards Joy, finally facing Seungwan. She begins to notice the small patch on Seungwan's cheek that covers up the left side of her face.
"Are you free to work on the project today?" She asked as Joy could only smile as she leaned against the door frame, completely unaware that her maid was watching her sly, cheesy moment.
"Always for my partner."
"Great," She smiled widely, watching the taller girl remain in her spot, "May I come in?"
The question had almost startled Sooyoung more than it should. Son Seungwan was going to be with her for hours working on a project together. What fanfiction is this? Joy moved out of the way as she excused her workers before shutting the door when the smaller girl had entered. They headed towards Sooyoung's room, setting her bag on the bed and pulling out their project items. The two began to speak of the project for some time, but one thing kept bothering Sooyoung. That thing just happened to be needing to know Seungwan, especially with the patch on her face.
"Were you sick for the last two days?" Sooyoung asked suddenly, causing Seungwan to stop her writing process.
"No, I had graveyard shifts at work. I decided to sleep in instead," She explained, looking over at Joy who's grin seemed to grow every second. "I'm surprised you noticed I was gone. Most of the partners I've had just tend to talk to me to know when I'll be done." Joy raised a brow, looking utterly confused a what she meant. "I'm quite surprised you'd want to do the project together. Most people tend to leave all the work to me."
"Why would I do that? I mean, it's my grade too, silly." She joked, nudging Seungwan's shoulder, receiving a small smile in response.
"You know, you're a lot more different than I thought you'd be," Seungwan confessed, looking over at Joy.
"What kind of person did you assume I was?" Joy asked, aching to know.
"Well, not that all rich people have the same attitude, but the partners I've had tend to be a lot more wild and reckless."
"Who says I'm not, Seungwan?" She joked, causing Seungwan to giggle. Maybe it was the excitement of their first encounter or the sound of her giggle that made Joy feel so accomplished. What would they be if they knew each other better?
"You can call me Wendy, you know? If that's better for you."
Joy smiled, looking over at their papers scattered around her bed, "Wendy, huh?" Sooyoung asked while receiving a nod from the girl. Wendy looked towards her old watch on her wrist, noticing the late hour. She began to gather her papers into her folder in a rush, causing the patch on her cheek to fall. Joy slightly gasped at the sight of scratches on her cheek. Wendy felt the patch slid off, causing her to grab the loose bandage quickly.
"Sorry," She muttered, covering her cheek. She began to grab her bag quickly as her heart pounded loudly in such a panic.
"I'm guessing cats aren't the friendliest with you." Joy joked, catching Wendy's attention. "Wait here."
"Wait, you don't have to-" Before she could finish her sentence, she watched Joy disappear into the hallway. She didn't think much of the scratches on her cheek, but she knew walking around with them might lead to misunderstandings at school. If only she were more careful about feeding stray cats that were so afraid of people.
"I'm back," The taller girl reentered her room, pulling Seungwan down to her bed again. "Stay still," She said, pulling out a wipe from its packet, slowly rubbing on Wendy's cheek.
"Ow!" Wendy jumped, scaring Joy as well.
"Wendy!" Joy smacked the girl's arm, surprising Wendy too. She grabbed her shoulder, pretending to be in pain. They laughed at each other's silly behavior. It was odd for Wendy to feel this free to be herself and have someone who laughs with her. It wasn't only strange for Wendy, but Joy too. Even if Seungwan barely knew it, it felt like she knew Wendy long enough. Joy placed a new, proper bandage over her cheek. "There, good as new."
Wendy looked down at her feet with a smile on her face before she looked over at Sooyoung, "Thanks." She muttered as the two began to walk out until they had reached the house's front gates.
"Well, doctor's orders are to attend school tomorrow morning and to not fight with cats." Sooyoung joked as Wendy chuckled lightly, saluting at the girl.
"Aye aye, Captain." She began to wave goodbye as she walked away from Sooyoung's million-dollar home that feels like a dream to walk by.
Sooyoung watched as the girl's small figure disappear into the distance. A small smile forming on her face as she headed back inside. Son Seungwan was going to be the death of her.
Within the day, Joy couldn't contain herself from smiling at the thought of Wendy finally realizing how amazing she is. Of course, it'd take time to win a girl over. She couldn't buy Wendy, nor did she desire to buy her trust. There was something about Seungwan's personality that seemed fresh. Practically skipping through the school's hallways, Joy spotted Seungwan putting her items away in a nearby locker. Without much thought, Sooyoung rushed to her, but before approaching any further, she paused to check her breath, fix her hair, and straighten out her uniform. Finally, she walked over as she cooly leaned her hand on the metal lockers.
"Ms. Son," She greeted as Wendy yelped a bit in surprise, "I'm glad you're following the doctor's orders."
Seungwan laughed, looking down at her feet shyly before looking over to Sooyoung, who towered over her. "Well, I am good at following directions after all."
"I can see that. You couldn't have imagined how lonely I felt when you were gone in class. Biology never felt so lonely before," Sooyoung dramatically placed her fingers in the bridge of her nose as if she were hiding her tears. "I nearly died from heartbreak."
Wendy laughed as she closed her locker, walking away from Joy's dramatic behavior, causing the older girl to follow behind her, "Not much of a talker in school, huh? Never thought Ms. Son would ignore such a sweetheart that cleaned her cuts."
"I would never ignore a sweetheart such as yourself. I'm merely protecting your image from being shattered. Wouldn't want Park Sooyoung to be at the bottom of the food chain." Seungwan spoke, looking forward, completely disregarding Joy. The sudden denial of public interaction had struck in her heart. Sure, Joy was popular, but she couldn't possibly care about others' opinions. She took this as her chance. She walked along Wendy's side, making sure people had a clear view of her actions.
Joy stopped Wendy before going into class, hoping to chat more. "I can assure you, and no one can ruin my image. I think about it more, and perhaps having you beside me might even convince people I can rule the world? Maybe I can hire you as my vice president. That's how it works, right?"
Wendy chuckled, shaking her head, "I'm not an easy woman to convince Ms. Park. You'll need to step up your game to have me at such levels."
Joy smiled, containing her excitement from bursting any further. "Well, I'll be happy to convince you anytime, though, for now, I have to let you go into class." She leaned against the door frame as Seungwan bit her lower lip, holding back her smile. "See you later, Seungwan."
Throughout the day, Joy couldn't help feel as if she were melting inside. Being around Seungwan felt different compared to her world. Sure, the girl didn't have a phone and hadn't shared any information about herself, but maybe that's what made her so addicting? It was as if most classes or any other subject didn't matter to Joy. Her mind was set on impressing Wendy and befriending her. It might be a bit selfish, but aren't we all? Her day had gone by quicker than she could count, and soon enough, Wendy was standing in front of her door.
"Ready?"
"Always."
It was as if both were gentle souls who were already familiar with each other as if it were destined. Of course, before getting any further with Joy's plan, she had her other friends who were curious about their relationship. Joy had never specified her intentions, neither did it clear to Wendy that she had officially befriended the most popular girl in school. Until the day Sooyoung had dragged Wendy out of her classroom and into the lunchroom. She stood in front of her friends, who eyed her arm linked with Seungwan.
"Ladies, I'd like to present to you, Son Seungwan. The school's smartest girl." She separated herself from Wendy, pushing her to the front for her friends to see.
"So you're the famous Seungwan, huh?" Yeri asked, tilting her head, pretending to intimidate the girl, earning a slap from Seulgi.
"Don't mind her, and she's nicer than she acts." Seulgi added with a wide smile on her face as she stood up from her seat to pull Wendy next to her, "It's nice to meet you finally. Sooyoung practically speaks about you 24/7."
Wendy raised a brow as she looked over at Joy, who looked bashful from the sudden "extra" information.
"Yeah, yeah, that's because Wendy is so cool. Who wouldn't speak about her so much?" She added, saving herself from the embarrassment. "Well, you met Seulgi. This is Yeri. She's quite the sarcastic child so ignore her. And lastly, we have Irene-"
"Joohyun. Call me Joohyun." She smiled, looking at Wendy with a certain look that seemed to be unwanted. Of course, it may be her natural intimidating face.
"Seungwan, but you guys can call me Wendy." She finally introduced herself as Joy happily clung to her. Perhaps personal space didn't exist when it came to her. Of course, it's not like she minded it.
"So Seungwan, how did you befriend Joy?" Seulgi asked, looking at the shy girl.
"Uh, well, we are partners in class." She answered honestly, looking over at the group who either seemed interested or staring into her soul.
"First time officially meeting Sooyoung, right?" Irene asked, looking over at Wendy, who raised her brow, the sudden feeling that she shouldn't be there, returning. Joy smiled at Wendy to reassure her.
"Uh yeah. Truth be told, I don't really speak to people outside of class."
"Well, luckily, we can talk to you now. Let's get along, Seungwan," Seulgi interrupted happily, taking Seungwan's hand in hers.
Yeri remained quiet, watching her two older friends practically staring at each other. "Well, happy to have you here, Wendy." She interrupted, causing Irene to turn her head to the girl with her brows raised. Letting Joy smile in victory, everyone seemed to like Wendy. What could go wrong?
Over the next few weeks of working together and eventually getting a perfect score on their assignment, Joy had happily remained with Seungwan. It was shocking to see Joy consistently coming to her before or after school, to Wendy's surprise. Even offering her to hang out with her group outside of school. Sure, she felt a bit out of place with the group's consistent need to shop at clothing stores worth more than herself. Joy had always managed to pull her back into her world as if there wasn't any barrier between the two, even to the point where Joy had offered to buy her clothing that looked too expensive to even look at. But even with the most beautiful clothing pieces in front of her, she refused to accept such an expensive gift.
With their Spring break practically a few minutes away, Joy anxiously felt the need to give Wendy the phone. How would she survive without bugging Seugnwan to come over to her house? Her hands sweated as she held the present tightly. As the bell rang for everyone to go home and enjoy their break, she waited for Seungwan, who was a bit too slow for Joy's taste. Finally, she stepped out, putting her items into her bag.
"Wendy!" She called out, waving her hand for the smaller girl to notice.
"Joy? What are you doing here?" Seungwan asked, causing Joy's nerves to skyrocket.
"I have a present for you?"
Wendy raised her brow, tilting her head, "Is it a statement or a question? Joy if its another piece of clothing that's worth more than me, I can't accept it-"
"Worth more than you? There isn't anything worth more than my precious Seungwan." She pinched Wendy's cheek as she slapped her arm to stop.
"What is it then? Park Sooyoung, I hope you know I'm not your charity case to make you look better."
Joy laughed, looking down at her feet and back to Seungwan, "If you were my charity case, I'd show the entire world what I've done to you and how much it's changed my heart. But enough about that," she held the wrapped gift, pushing it towards Wendy. "I know you always say you can't accept my gifts, but I don't want to miss any contact with you over the break. I'll miss you too much," She pouted as she looked at Seungwan's widened eyes.
"Joy, I-"
"Before you have any comments about the model, I'll have you know, that phone hasn't even been released in public yet, but because of the Kang family loving me so much, I was one of the first people to receive the phone." She bragged as she pushed her hair back cockily but internally panicking about Wendy's unknown reaction.
"Wow, I don't even know what to say. You do realize our break will only be a week, right?"
"A week without my Seungwan is too long to handle. Besides, I always wondered how it'd be texting you outside of school."
"I have no words. I mean, are you sure you want to give me something like this?"
"Of course, I think of you as someone special to me. If we look at this on the bright side, I can finally keep you awake while you have a graveyard shift at work." She shyly dragged her feet across the floor as Wendy continued to look at her phone.
"Thank you, Joy. I'll try to get the phone connected as soon as I get my paycheck-"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I've practically done everything. All you have to do is text me tonight."
Wendy smiled as she unwrapped her phone, powering it on. Once the screen was clear, she scrolled through her contacts to find Sooyoung's number in there already. Joy snatched the phone from her hands, pulling Seungwan close to her. "Here, let's take a photo for your background." Her arms wrapping around the short girl as she smiled along with Joy in the photo. Once the photo was set, she gave the phone back as Wendy smiled widely. Unable to contain her happiness, she pulled the taller girl into a hug, burying her face in her neck. Mumbling a quick yet sincere thank you. Once they had let go, Seungwan had walked away, disappearing from Joy's sight.
Later that night, Joy, despite having Wendy on her mind, was busy meeting with her track meet. Running and scheduling future practices over the break, her thoughts were interrupted with the slight buzz of her phone in her pocket. She recognized the number immediately, opening the message of a small animal waving at her. She excused herself from her team as she left for her car, dialing the new number texting her. It didn't take long for Wendy to pick up, mumbling a shy greeting.
"Welcome to the 21st century, Seungwan. How does it feel to have a phone?"
"Weird, but I think I can get used to it." She responded, "Especially if my only friend will constantly be asking me to speak with her."
Joy laughed at her sarcasm yet smiled at the mention of being friends. "So, I finally managed to convince Son Seungwan to befriend me, huh? Was it because I spoil you?"
Wendy laughed on the other end, "Oh please, I denied all your bribery until now. Don't make me take it back."
"Fine, fine. Can I call you later? I mean, once I get home from practice. Perhaps we can finally have our first endless chats on the phone?"
"Hmm, well, I suppose I could try. I can't guarantee I won't fall asleep."
Joy smiled as she looked down at her feet, "Talk to you later, Seungwan." Sooyoung held her phone against her chest, feeling somehow even more successful. Wendy was all she ever wanted, and now she was finally there.
As days had passed by, Joy's heart melted every time she was near Seungwan. Wendy never failed to make her feel warm inside. She felt at home. Wendy was her safe place. But did Wendy ever feel the same? Because within the months that lead to their summer break, Wendy had become quieter, distant, who knew where her mind was. No matter what Joy did, whether it was hanging out alone or with others, Wendy's smile always faded. What was wrong with Wendy? It was an issue that didn't go unnoticed by her friends. Joy's friends adored Wendy as well, but they too were confused by her sudden coldness, all but Irene. There was a question that always came around, that being, "What did I do?" or "Do you think I'm not doing enough for her?"
But it wasn't until one night. Joy decided to bring everyone to her house to celebrate their summer vacation. It had started the same with Wendy refusing to talk much, keeping away from others as she looked out Sooyoung's balcony with a glass cup wrapped around tightly in her hand. Her eyes searching the distant city lights as if something would give her an answer to her dilemma. She can hear the nearby girls giggling to themselves. Why did she even come to hang out if she wasn't going to speak to anyone? Well, you could say guilt ate at her every time Sooyoung's smile faltered when she would decline her invitation. But the questions remained, what was wrong with Wendy that made her so cold? It was something about the party that had sent Wendy into hysteria because while Joy was with Seulgi and Yeri, Irene had left to talk to Seungwan on the balcony until she returned, shouting for Sooyoung to get her a medkit for Seungwan. The taller girl had rushed over, seeing Seungwan's hand ooze an alarming amount of blood.
"Oh my god, what happened?!" Joy shouted as she knelt to hold Wendy's hand as Seulgi returned with the kit. "Seungwan, what did you do?"
Seungwan, who seemed far too distant even to understand the question, stared at Sooyoung, applying gauzes on her hand that kept oozing. "I...I accidentally stabbed myself with the glass that fell. I tried to pick it up..." Sooyoung looked to meet the girl's eyes, who lacked so much emotion. The taller girl pulled Wendy up, telling the other girls to wait while she took Wendy to the hospital. Sooyoung didn't understand the girl's silence or actions as if her hand wasn't looking like a dead person. She didn't waste any time rushing the girl inside the building, shouting at employees for help as Wendy acted as if it were no big deal. The nurses sat Seungwan down, unwrapping the number of gauzes on her hand. As soon as one of the doctors arrived, they began to clear out the dry blood and pull out shards of glass deep in Wendy's skin but stop midway because of Wendy.
"Sooyoung, can you wait for me outside?" She asked, suddenly catching Sooyoung's undivided attention. Was she being kicked out for her own sake or Seungwan's?
"Yeah, I'll go." Joy excused herself, waiting in the hallway as she leaned her head back into the wall, staring at the infinite white abyss of the ceiling. She wondered if there was something she had done that turned Wendy against her. Was it because she felt out of place with the others? Or maybe there was something else troubling her? Though the question remained, who or what was bothering Wendy wouldn't be revealed unless they spoke. Her thoughts were silenced at the sound of the door opening, seeing the doctor from before excuse himself. She took this as a sign to reenter the room, seeing Seungwan lay down on the bed with her hand completely wrapped.
"Feeling any better?" She asked, catching Seungwan's attention, who just shrugged her shoulders. She knew her hand was currently unavailable, but she could at least use her words. Sooyoung sat next to her, crossing her arms as she texted her group that Seungwan was fine.
"Sooyoung," Seungwan rasped, looking at Joy, "Why are we still friends?" Sooyoung blinked a few times before actually comprehending Seungwan's words. She reached over for Wendy's unharmed hand but was rejected by Seungwan, moving it away. Sooyoung cleared her throat as if that'd help her heart from pouring out.
"We're friends because I enjoy your company," She whispered, looking over at Seungwan, who stared at the ceiling, "D-Did I do something wrong? What can I do to fix-"
"Don't start with that," She said as she pushed herself up to face Sooyoung, "Frankly, this is probably the worst place to break it to you, but we have nothing in common, Sooyoung. And I didn't ever think I'd have to spell it out for you, but I hate being with you."
"That's...harsh, don't you think?" Sooyoung whispered, pushing back her tears threatening to drop.
"I just hate it, but don't get me wrong, I loved you, and a part of me always will, but every time we hang out, it's like some part of my love just drops dead at the sight of rich girls constantly going on about their expenses, and better yet, inviting the poor girl who can barely afford to go to their school, to hear all about it. I must have looked like quite the fool, huh?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you felt this way..." She whispered, looking away from Seungwan, who stared down at her. "If I had known, I would have-"
"Have what? Made sure to make me feel better? Joy, you never bothered to ask how I felt about anything because everything was always about you. I was never asked for my opinions on things, my feelings on any day, you don't even know anything about me, but you knew that, didn't you?" Seungwan sighed, laying back on her bed, placing her arm over her eyes. "I think it's time you left, Sooyoung. You have guests to attend to."
"Wendy, I'm so sorry-"
"Joy, please just go. I don't want to hear it."
Sooyoung stood up from her seat, looking at Seungwan, who was covering most of her face one last time before she left. The taller girl wobbled her way to her car, with her chest constantly caving in to breathe in anything that could save her from her mind spiraling around. She opened her car door, gripping the steering wheel. Lifting her fist high before pushing it down to hit her armrest. No matter what she did, she couldn't live with this feeling. To say she felt betrayed would make her feel selfish. Seungwan, who seemed to have been interested in becoming friends but ended up hating Joy's presence, had every right to feel the way she did. After all, the reason behind their friendship had started as a selfish attempt to be known by everyone.
For the remainder of Summer, Sooyoung spent her days rereading her messages with Seungwan, back when things felt genuine. The start of their friendship. Reading all the texts may just be mentally screwing her up more, but it felt so nice to imagine that Wendy was still her friend, not someone who despised her. Though, her friends said otherwise. Something about how unhealthy it was to mourn over a poor girl who did Sooyoung wrong. However, Joohyun encouraged her to turn against her feelings and despise Seungwan for underappreciating what Sooyoung had done for the girl. Seulgi remained quiet for most of the time, perhaps because she felt Seungwan had the right reasons to call off their relationship and because she genuinely liked Seungwan. Maybe their friendship was more real than Sooyoung's.
"Sooyoung, for christ's sake, get ready right now so we can go to this stupid party. We aren't spending summer locked in your room because of one girl. There is plenty of fish in the sea!" Joohyun pushed Sooyoung out of bed as Seulgi handed her clothing, and Yeri guided her to the bathroom to shower and change.
Sooyoung sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. Bags under her eyes, looking lifeless, she missed Seungwan so much it hurt to live. She shook her head, putting the thought of Wendy away. She was certain Seungwan didn't ever think of her now that she was free. She couldn't care less for Joy. The tall girl slapped her cheeks, staring at herself in the mirror in an attempt to cheer herself on, "Come on, Sooyoung, you're the greatest person ever. Even great people, who might be in despair, deserve some fun."
She began to turn the water on, drowning out the sound of her thoughts as she hummed. This was the day she was going to prove that though her heart may be torn, she could still party. By the time she was finished, she had stepped out, wiping the fog out of her mirror to face herself again. Today was the day of greatness. Sooyoung began to change into her clothing, fixing her hair and makeup. Truth be told, she felt like a soldier heading off to war. Her only enemy today was her emotions if she let them get to her, but of course, that wasn't going to happen. Once she stepped out, her friends stared at her as if she were a new person.
"Well, let's go party!" She shouted as her friends clapped in victory.
The girls rushed through Sooyoung's house to get to her car as they cruised through the city with their music blaring until they had arrived at their destination. They hopped out of the car, checking themselves out before entering. It took Sooyoung a while to register that she was not dreaming. With the music pumping and bodies swaying as she saw schoolmates chugging down the substance from their cup.
"Sooyoung! The queen of partying finally came out of her shell. I was starting to think I was going to replace you," A girl called out from the stairs as she came down to greet her friends.
"Sunmi?" Sooyoung asked, genuinely surprised to see her senior hang out with wasted teens. "What're you doing here? I thought you'd be partying at universities, not highschool parties."
"Well, I'm not partying. I'm pretty much just supervising everything." She answered, wrapping her arms around Sooyoung, "But because my party girl is here, I have to celebrate now!" She walked them over to the table, grabbing a cup filled with what she called a mystery flavor. Joy grabbed the cup, staring down at the drink. If this were the only night, she'd want to forget, and this was the night she'd set herself free. Sooyoung began to desperately chug down the substance, feeling the burning sensation flowing right through her.
As the two girls guided through the crowd to dance, Joy could have sworn that the drink had some magic potion in it because the more she began to dance, anyone who stood in front of her somehow began to resemble Wendy. Maybe it was the lighting, though not like she minds the hallucination because it felt so real to her. Whether it was real or not, she felt her partner's body sway up against her, holding the back of Sooyoung's neck to keep her in place as the crowd watched and cheered on. Once the song was over, her partner began to peel away, revealing her true face, pulling Joy back into the reality she was in. Sooyoung excused herself to get some fresh air, noticing her friends too far gone to comprehend how late it was getting.
Seeing how her friends were, she decided to sober up the best she could to drive them back to her house. How did Joy know she was sober? Well, there was an easy answer. She knew she felt herself missing Seungwan. No mattered how much she partied or how much she drank, Seungwan was like a scar on her body engraved into her skin. How could she be so sad over a one-sided friendship? More importantly, why did it hurt more than a breakup? Joy shook her head, parting herself from the thought of her former friend. To keep herself occupied, she began to go inside to get her friends back into her car, one by one. Once they were inside, drunkenly complaining about how hungry they were as she drove off.
Sooyoung nodded her head as she heard their food demands but completely ignored their request to stop anywhere. The car ride suddenly became silent as the soft snores of the girls were heard. She began to drive around, noticing that none of the streets she was heading towards were familiar to her. Stopping at a stoplight, she pulled out her phone to insert her address to get home. As soon as she sees lights turn, she is guided through empty streets by her GPS, switching her view from the street to the dim screen. When she had switched her view back to the street, pushing the gas pedal to speed up, suddenly, her phone buzzed, causing her to look over, unaware of someone running in front of the street, knocking them behind the car as Joy slammed her breaks, hitting her head against the steering wheel. Slowly, raising her head, she looks up to see the dent on the front of the hood of the car. Her breath was shaky as she turns to look at Irene, who's fully awake and unaware of what just happened. The girls in the back groaned at the sudden halt, kicking Joy's seat for scaring them like that.
"Stay here," she whispered to Irene, who watched her grab her phone. As Joy stepped down, she looked at the car's front, noticing the dent was a lot bigger in person. She cursed under her breath as she looked inside the car to see Joohyun staring at her. Joy turned on her light as she began to walk towards the distant body that was forced to the back of the car. She noticed the blood pooling around the girl's head, and she looked nearly the same age. Sooyoung crouched next to the body, slowly noticing her bones popping out of place as her legs practically face a whole other direction. Sooyoung was going to be sick, feeling the food from before coming up as she ran off to the other side of the road to throw up on a nearby bush.
Irene watched as Joy had runoff. She grabbed her phone, turning on the flash to see the body. Soon after, the other girl's followed too. Joy went back to the body as she covered her face in complete frustration. Once she let go, she turned her flash on to get a glimpse of the girl's face. Overwhelmed with her own emotions, she reached over with her hands to move the strands of hair on her face but was pulled back by Joohyun.
"Are you crazy?! Do you have some type of death wish?!" She scolded as Joy shrugged her shoulders in defeat.
"What am I supposed to do then?! I just ran over some poor girl. I-I have to call the cops, and they'll take me away. I deserve this. I am a horrible human being. I-"
"Shut up, Sooyoung. Listen to yourself. You'll go to prison for manslaughter, and then what? You can barely handle being in crowded commoner areas. What makes you think you can handle so much? You're barely sober, Sooyoung. If you call the police, we'll all be in trouble for drinking underage and for manslaughter! All of our lives are ruined if you call anyone!" Joohyun yelled as Joy looked at her with tears in her eyes.
Sooyoung walked to the side of the road, grabbing a stick to at least see the victim's face. She crouched close to the body, ignoring Joohyun's complaints. Seulgi and Yeri, despite barely being sober enough to comprehend, stood behind Sooyoung as they illuminated the victim's body. Joy moved the strands from her face, suddenly feeling even more disgusted with herself.
"T-That's-" Yeri stuttered, pointing at the body as Seulgi stood there completely frozen. "We fucking hit Seungwan!" Yeri exclaimed loudly enough for Joohyun to walk over and look at the body. Joy stood in place, suddenly inching closer to hold Wendy's lifeless body, but was pulled away by Irene and Yeri.
"Let go! She needs help. She needs to be taken to a hospital. I said, let go! Please, she's gonna die if we leave her here," Sooyoung pleaded as she tried to pull away only to feel Joohyun let go and slap her.
"Get it together. Look at her. Do you think someone is going to survive with that much damage?! Huh?! We need to leave now, or we'll all be screwed." She sternly spoke, trying to pull everyone back into the car that barely worked until Seungwan's phone buzzed, causing Joy to pull back towards the body. She saw the same phone she had given Wendy and the same lock screen she had taken with her that day. Wendy did care about her too, and maybe she, too, was in pain from being away. But seeing as things are now. Sooyoung had killed Seungwan.
Joohyun pulled Sooyoung into the car's back with Seulgi and Yeri as she took the driver's seat. Without uttering a single word, they remained quiet until reaching Sooyoung's house. Once they were inside, the girls rested on the bed while Sooyoung sat beside it. Irene, who had always been a natural leader, took this as her time to take control. She stood up as the girls' watched her.
"Guys, we can't let anyone know about this. Alright? This secret will stay with us until the day we die." She began as she walked back and forth, "In fact, we didn't even hit anyone. There was a wild animal that got in the way and dented Sooyoung's car. It was an animal, right?" Seulgi and Yeri stared at each other as they slowly nodded, leaving Sooyoung quiet. "I said it was an animal, Sooyoung. Do you agree?"
Sooyoung's baggy eyes looked towards Joohyun as she nodded in agreement. It wasn't that she was dehumanizing Seungwan. It was just the only way to keep Irene quiet. She stood up as she began to pick out her pajamas before showering. The other girls just waited for Joy to finish as they watched her grab spare blankets and pillows for them. It was obvious none of them wanted to leave when the night had ended with murder. Joy laid herself on the ground, unable to get the mental image of Wendy on the street. It was weird for her to feel so numb. Was her heart even beating? Was she alive? What if Seungwan was still alive and slowly dying on a lonely road in the middle of the night?
Oh, Son Seungwan.
Within the next morning, the girls remained quiet as they ate breakfast with Sooyoung's parents. Both parents eyed the girls as they barely picked their food. "Is everything alright, girls?" Sooyoung's mom asked.
"Yeah, just a wild night," Seulgi answered, smiling despite the very few hours of sleep they got due to shock, trauma, and Sooyoung's sobs.
"Must have been one hell of a sleepover," Her father replied as he drank his coffee, reading the headlines in the newspaper.
Sooyoung stood up and excused herself as all the girls' eyed her nervously. They excused themselves as well as they followed behind. They watched as she laid herself on the floor again, hugging her pillow, scrolling the same text messages on repeat. The three looked at each other, aware of how the remainder of their summer would be until the day they enter school in a few weeks. After that day, Sooyoung had become much quieter. Her life of the party personality had completely shut down. Not even her parents understood what happened, but they never got an answer no matter how much they asked. Though on the bright side, there wasn't ever any news about a hit and run. There was a chance that maybe someone with a braver heart took in Wendy and rushed her off to the hospital. Or someone found her, and her family was mourning their loss. Not that both options made Sooyoung feel anything.
Her guilt consumed her soul until the very first day of school. So many things have changed since the incident. Joy had refused to ever drive her car after telling her parents an animal had been hit and preferred to be driven by her chauffeur. She quit her club activities as soon as school started. All she had was a new schedule but no Seungwan to make her feel complete. She doesn't quite remember how she got to class, but it didn't matter. Joy sat in the back of the class, completely zoned out by her thoughts and memories of Seungwan with her. The tall girl had completely forgotten about attendance that would tear her heart apart even more.
"Son Seungwan?" Her teacher called out, looking around the room. "Is Son Seungwan here?" As students looked around the room causing her stomach to turn into knots every time. Suddenly the door opened, causing everyone but Joy to look over.
"I'm here, and I'm so sorry." The familiar voice called out, causing Joy to whip her head to the side to see the impossible.
"Ms. Son Seungwan?" The teacher asked.
"That's me." She replied as she smiled widely, looking over at the class until her eyes landed on Joy. She leaned her head to the side, curiously staring at Sooyoung.
"You may sit next to Ms. Park." Her teacher informed as Sooyoung looked at the desk beside her. She watched as Wendy made her way over so graciously. She was anew, glowing, beautifully walking over full of life. The sight of her alive overwhelms Joy, but she doesn't know how she should feel or act. Should she ask how she managed to survive? Does she get on her knees to apologize and tell her everything she felt? Or should she just remain quiet and let this new Wendy live her life the way it should have been. There were so many questions running through her mind, and she completely forgot she was staring at Wendy for so long, realizing her hair was no longer brunette but blonde. No scar on her face, no bandages, no trace at all.
Seungwan slowly turned to Joy, who looked like she'd burst into tears at any moment now. She smiled at Joy, causing the girl to gasp and look away. "Hope we can get along, Sooyoung."