𝐈𝐅 𝐖𝐄 • 𝓦𝓮𝓷𝓭𝔂

TWELVE

Playlist: Wine by Taeyeon

"WENDY!," shouted joy. 

Wendy was on a daydreaming state when suddenly she was startled by joy's voice. 

"Huh?" she managed to say. 

They were in Joy's boutique shop office room were joy is having a lunchtime with Wendy.

"What happened to you? you're not you lately,"

"What do you mean I'm not me lately?"

"Do you even hear what i just said?"

"No"

"See, figure"

Wendy let out a short cough and pull straight her pink cotton sleeve down to her wrist. Joy is right, she wasn't herself before. Lately, She lost her interest in doing things she likes, like painting, baking, or even take a brief walk outside.

"Are you having trouble or something?"

"No,"

"Then why the long face?"

"I'm just tired that is,"

"is that the reason there is to your tired? is there any agenda you're hiding from me, Wendy Son?"

"No, they are none.

Truthfully, It's been a week she hadn't heard from Taeyong. She doesn't have the will to discuss it with Joy not because she doesn't want too just it wasn't that enjoying topic to even begin with. She might have lost Jaehyun because of unknown reasons, but she will try her best to take care of her relationship better than last time. 

Wendy and Taeyong had their last conversation via texting when he said he'll be a bit longer and he might lose connection now and then because of the people there fixing the signal cable.

"How you've been doing?" Joy asked, with a concerned face. Wendy stares at joy for a couple of minutes and went back to fix her sleeve.

"Stop. fixing. that. damn. sleeve" Joy said, with a stern voice.

"I'm okay, Joy, really there's nothing wrong with me,"

"Wendy, we've been friend for 7 years, i know you're in a lot of thoughts or problems just by seeing you looking like this,"

"I'm fine, Joy," says wendy. 

Joy let out a long sigh finally gave up and straighten her red blazer. She fixes her long black hair away from her shoulder. She hands over her homemade foods out from her paper bag and hand one to Wendy.

"I don't know you still cook,"

"I've been so busy with the project I'm doing and hardly have any time to have me time,"

Wendy tears away the plastic wrap around the bowl and her face lits up.

"Bibimbap?"

"I also brought gimbap and some snacks," Joy chime when she says it.

"This is why i love you so much,"

"Eat up, don't leave anything behind,"

Wendy smile and nodded. The food tastes the same as she remembers, the significant Joy's bibimbap. It's enough for her to cheer up.

_______________________________

{ Two weeks ago, after wendy had sent taeyong off }

Taeyong's POV

He put his backpack aside and took off his white cap and put it on the table. He rest up his arms on the table and checks his surroundings. He caught a kid is staring at him and he smiles at her. She quickly hid as if he frighten her. The kid then again took a glance at him and smile. A cute kid he thought.

He then looks outside the train. The sun shone through his window and yeah it must be blittering hot outside now. A message chime through his phone and he check it. It's from her mom.

•Mom:
Tell me if you reach here

•Taeyong:

I will don't worry mom.

Sent: 2:17 pm
Seen: 2:18 pm

________________________

He closes the phone screen after he finishes texting. It's gonna be a long train ride to reach his hometown. He wanted to get a nap when someone tap him on his shoulder. A guy with fair skin wearing a black cap is staring at him while holding a pocket watch.

"I think you dropped this,"

Taeyong was confused and he shakes his head.

"I didn't drop anything, you must have been mistaken,"

"Aren't you Taeyong?," The guy said.

"How do you know my name?"

The guy didn't answer but smiled at him. He handed the pocket watch to him.

"Take good care of this," he says. He then bows and walks away from Taeyong.

Taeyong knitted his eyebrows and examine the pocket watch. It was pretty silver and small. It looks like a girl necklace but any gender can wear it. He doesn't even remember he bought a pocket watch before let alone own it. No name written on it except for some initial. 'T.L.T.T' it reads in cursive letters. He tries to think of a word that suits the initials but all of them came weird. The thinking makes him tired so he decided to take a nap after he put the pocket watch in his bag pocket.

___________________________

{ Two weeks, after she had sent taeyong off }

Wendy's POV

It's been a long day since she had finished her work at the "Fresh vegetables & fruits" shop. Her family owns it and somehow the constant working has been keeping her mind busy from all the worries she's been having. About Taeyong, the dreams, the mystery guy and even Jaehyun.

"Hey sis, I'll be coming back late since I'm having a study meeting at 8 pm today,"

"Really? is this a real study meeting or just an excuse to play more basketball,"

"Jinjja, cross my heart," He makes a tiny cross on his heart.

Wendy locks the last lock pad of the shop and went over her pants pocket. He hands over some money to Haechan and told him to spend it wisely. He then makes his way to his study meeting way while Wendy makes her way back home.

She took the last two buses back home, and surprisingly there's not a lot of people inside. Normally there's like 8 to 10 people at this hour. She finds her seat beside the window and sit down. Her phone rang and she quickly checks it. Oh, it was Yeri. 

She was hoping it was Taeyong.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Are you coming?" she says

"To where?"

"Oh my gosh, don't tell me you forgot,"

Wendy tried her best to remember what today was. Today is the day she needs to sort out her laundry, clean the sink, reply a letter to her aunt in which its been weeks she hadn't reply it, and nope there's no important event for today.

"Nope hadn't had any slightest idea,"

"You're serious,"

"What's the fuss about?"

"Today is your birthday!"

Then it hits her. Her birthday? Today?

"What?!"