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“Oppss..sorry. I get too excited with this new me, I almost forgot you were here”, she shows her dimple smile. “Look at my hair. Haaaaa..it smooth and silky and, hmmmmm..Smells like roses too. Do you want to touch and smell it? I know your hair is much better than me but touch it. Touch it pleaseeee”, Taeyeon continued. Mesmerized by everything around her. She literally was begging a stranger to touch her hair. She acts like a child who went to Disneyland for a first time.

“You should be in shampoo commercial ad, Taeyeon-ah.  You sure know how to lure people of trying something.”  She approached Taeyeon to feel the smoothness of her hair that her new friend so intrigued about. She put her hand on Taeyeon’s hair and it.

Taeyeon was wrong. She was wrong about her hair. Taeyeon’s hair is much much better than hers. So much better even she couldn’t withdraw her hand from Taeyeon’s hair. She wanted to caress her hair forever. “wow..”

“Yes. WOW isn’t it. I’m in love with this place..hehehehe. Everything is possible.”

“not everything Taeyeon-ah”

“So do you live here alone or you live with your family?” Taeyeon curious about her. Taeyeon somehow more confident than ever, which is good.

“Neither”

“What do you mean?”

“Sometimes I live with one or two people at a time. Sometimes even more. My family isn’t here. Just me.”

“I see. So where are they? Other people I mean. I don’t see anybody since I got here except you.”

“A boy just left half an hour before you came. A very cute little boy. He was 5 years old named Minguk. He stayed with me for almost a month. A bus came to fetch him. Haaa..I miss him. He was very cheeky boy. He does whatever he wants. He danced. He sings. He loves dinosaurs. He taught me a lot about dinosaurs”.

“All left except you?”

“Mmm..hmm. Sometime a bus came to take them. Sometime a helicopter or a phoenix.  None of them ever come to take me.” Somehow Taeyeon sense pain and sadness through her voice. Taeyeon didn’t want to ask further question although everything still hazy.

“You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m here. You can be my second best friend”

“Who’s first?”

“Tiffany. My childhood friend.”

“Really?!. Second is good enough. Come with me, I’ll show you around.” Jessica looks happier. Genuinely happy.

*****

“That is my house. I built it with a man long time ago. He was a carpenter. He likes a father to me until a phoenix came and took him too.” Jessica pointed at a house that was on top of a tree. A tree house. Obviously.  The tree is huge. The trunk itself has size of a medium-sized house. That reminds her of The Tree of Life, the home of that shaman baboon in The Lion King movie. What was he called? Aa..yeah, Rafiki. “Do you want to take a look?

“Are you okay with that?”

“Of course!”

“Do you always invite a stranger to your house? Its dangerous you know. I don’t want something bad happen to you.”

“I appreciate your concerns Taeyeon but I can ensure you only a pure-hearted person can come to this place. Including you. You are wasting our precious time. Every minute counts. Let’s go.” She took Taeyeon’s hand and leads her to the winding stair case. Beautifully carved stairs. It leads to the front door of the house. From there she can see the entire scenery. Breath taking scenery she must say. No wonder the carpenter chose this tree.

“Welcome to my house. Make yourself at home. From now on, this is your house too.” Jessica said cheerfully.  “My old friend which happen to be interior designer, design this place. She and the carpenter together brainstorming days and nights to come out with these idea”

“What exactly you did during that time then?” asked Taeyeon.

“Nothing much. Just little bit of this and little bit of that. They won’t allow me to participate. They said I’m their princess. Princess should play, eat and sleep only. I knew it was an excused.” She sat on a wooden stool near dining table. “owh..I did not ask you yet. What do you do for living, Taeyeon?”

“I’m a high school student. I’m a senior.”

“Huh..I thought you were in middle school judging from your appearance.”

“As saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover”

“So we’re at same age I think. That is why we clicked instantly.”

“I think so.”

“Too bad you are not a singer. I never met a singer.”

*****

“Hello Sunny-unnie, Tiffany here. Sorry for bothering you. I just want to ask you about Taeyeon condition. How is it?” Tiffany called Sunny fo