Note:

I decided to write today Taeyeon's POV and back story then would probably write the last chapter next update. How would you like this to end? But, let's get started first! And oh, I just realized. I still have a pending shot to finish. Hmmm, any suggestion how to end What Lies Beyond the Unknown? I no longer have the same sad feelings when I wrote that before and as today so maybe I need to go out and have some breathers to look for ideas. 

Regards,
nerd

 

Chapter II
 

The Twenty Something You!

 

Taeyeon at the age of five.

“Baby Irene! Can I hold her hand Mama?" A child screamed in delight as she saw her newly born sister.

“Irene is the name you want for your sister?" Her mom helped young Taeyeon to see her baby sister well, “There you go, you girls look lovely together!”

“Yes, Mama. My teacher said Irene means calm.  Baby Irene would keep you calm!" The child gave her mother a kiss.

Her mother smiled and pat her head "That's so nice of you to think of that, thank you Taeyeon."

Baby Irene became young Taeyeon's favorite person in the world. She always played with the baby around, and she even loved taking pictures of the baby. Her mother saw the photographs which she had taken with their old camera and smiled, “Taeyeon, that looks nice! You have a talent in photography."

From then on, young Taeyeon would always take a picture of Baby Irene and show it to her Mom to make her mom smile.

But then, the time came when her mom stopped smiling.
 

Taeyeon at the age of ten.

Taeyeon's mom suffered from frequent panic disorder and severe anxiety, causing her mother to lose herself and fall into depression that took away her own life. Taeyeon and Irene were left on the custody of their father.

It was sad for Taeyeon not to see her mother's smile anymore, at the young age of ten, Taeyeon learned the feeling of sadness. So, Taeyeon tried her best to help her father to make him happy.

But he was too wrecked to be happy.

Echoes of Irene's cries could be heard in the entire house. Taeyeon's father tried to cover his ears and yelled "Keep quiet!"

Her father was drinking on their kitchen. Taeyeon decided to approach the man. As a young heart and naughty she was, she showed Irene's pictures with her father but her father just ignored it.

"Will you stop it?" he snapped.

Taeyeon hugged her father because she thought it would make him feel better but
her father pushed her and said "Go away, this is all your fault and that babys why your mother died!"

Irene cried harder and her father thrown a bottle of liquor on the young girl's direction.

"Shut up!"

Taeyeon saw blood on Irene's head.

"What have you done?!" Taeyeon asked her father angrily carried the unconscious Irene with her.

"I-I... Wait!"

She developed a fear for her father and immediately rushed on her grandmother's house to seek for help. She frantically knocked on their door.

"Pops! Grandma! Help us! Irene is bleeding!" Taeyeon cried in distressed, the door was opened and her grandparents were shocked,

"Oh, no! What happened?"

"Papa, he hurt Irene!"

"Let's take her to the hospital!"

On their way to the hospital, Taeyeon saw Irene's pained expression "Hang on Irene, we're almost there."

"Thank you, unnie." Irene smiled a little.

Since then, Taeyeon promised herself that she would do anything for Irene to keep on smiling.

Taeyeon and her sister was left on the custody of her grandparents since her father was incapable of taking care of them.

 

Taeyeon at the age of eighteen.

At the time Taeyeon reached her teenage years, she understood that she has to be matured. The feeling of responsibility to help her grandparents and to take care of her little sister. She never heard about her father since the accident happened. She's actually glad they never cross paths again, for he would just hurt Irene again and Taeyeon wouldn't like that.

Taeyeon would always see her grandparents and Irene on the living room laughing as they watched the television. She snapped a photo of them and smiled. The sight of them would make her feel happy. The only family that's left for her.

'I'd do anything for them.' she thought.

So, she would spend her whole day at school library to work as a student assistant and went home late.

She saw a girl at the library.

The girl was quiet and always alone. The girl was cold and her aura was intimidating. Taeyeon thinks she's interesting.

'Why do I feel like she's watching me?' she thought.

Taeyeon noticed the girl was drawing, she thought that the girl was too focused on what she's doing. She watched the girl draw until she heard the school bell rang as the sign that everyone should vacate the school premises.

Taeyeon approached the girl to notify her that the library was closing, but then she saw the girl's sketch.

It was her on a pretty dress.

Her thoughts were filled with the thought of 'Why on Earth would this girl draw someone like her?' the thought of that made her smile not until she saw the girl about to crumple the paper. She frowned and finally decided to speak up. “That drawing looks nice, Is that me?" 

The girl looked towards her, and she started to feel anxious "I-I can explain..."

"Are you going to throw it?"

"I-I'm sorry."

“Well, Can I have that sketch instead? I think that dress looks lovely on me.”

"Uhm, sure."

"Thanks, your drawing is good. You can be a fashion designer in the future." Taeyeon said sincerely and kept the sketch.

And the girl gave her a big smile.

From then on,  Taeyeon would always wait for the girl to come at the library. They would exchange glances and smile at each other. It turns out that the girl is three years younger than her. Judging from the color of her ribbon.

She decided to secretly snap a photo of the girl.

'Just for keepsakes, maybe I should ask for her name next time.' she thought.

A day turns out to days to weeks and months. She never saw the girl again. Because Taeyeon had to stop attending school.

Her grandparents got into an accident and died. Leaving her and Irene behind .

A distant relative took custody of Irene since Irene was only a minor, she needed a proper guardian to take care of her and Taeyeon, they thought she's still incapable since she's still young, and still attending school. Taeyeon didn't like the idea because they would take Irene away from her.

"Unnie!"

"Irene!"

"Come on, Irene. It's time to go."

"Unnie!"

"No!"

"Taeyeon, let go!"

"No, please hear me out!"

"This is no longer about you, it's for the sake of your sister's future!"

"Wait! I can take care of Irene! I'll look for a job to support us!" Taeyeon argued.

"Irene should stay with us, We will take her with us to the states and study. We can give her a better future." Their distant relative said.

"But I am her older sister! I have all the rights to be with my sister and take care of her!"

"Of course you have, but are you capable enough to do that?"

"I'd do anything for her.. Anything!"

"Then, prove to us. Go back to school and be successful. If you are worthy, we'll let you take back Irene."

Taeyeon thought about it "Deal." she finally said.

"Unnie, are you giving me away to them?"

"Of course not! I will come back to get you and protect you and we will never be apart again."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Let's go, Irene."

"Unnie, I'm counting on you!"

Taeyeon did all her best. She went back to school, a different school this time. She worked hard to earn money.

Taeyeon called her sister Irene to know how was she, then she heard sobs from the other line.

"Unnie, how long must I wait for you?"

"I'm trying my best."

"Liar."

"We will be together again, I promise to protect you and no one will ever harm you again."

"Better act quick, time is not on our side."

But despite her efforts, it's still not enough. Her distant relative still took Irene away from her and sent her to states to study.

Taeyeon ran towards Irene's bus that would take her younger sister to the airport. Before the bus moved, she was able to knock on Irene's window and grasped her hand.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter