EDM blasted from the speakers of the exclusive club, shaking the floor and the walls, making the tipsy Krystal’s head pound. A cigarette was passed onto her and she happily accepted it, grinning at the short-haired woman in front of her. She took a drag from it, watching its orange tip as she consume half of the cigarette before slowly exhaling the smoke, forgetting her surrounding for a moment.

“So,” Taeyeon said as they sat on the bar stools.

“Holy ,” Krystal blurted out as she took a look over Taeyeon. “When did you cut your hair?”

Taeyeon laughed, her head tilting back a little. “Just yesterday,” she said. “Your sister thought I’d look cute in short hair,” Taeyeon added shyly.

Krystal rolled her eyes. “The things Jessica do to you,” she said chuckling. “You look like a mushroom.”

“Well, you won’t want to hear the things I do to Jessica,” Taeyeon said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Krystal cringe at this. No matter how open she and her sister was, she would never want to know what they do behind closed doors. “Ew,” she said, making face at her sister. Sometimes Krystal could not believe that Taeyeon’s five years older than her.

“Anyway,” Krystal said, changing the subject. “I’m actually surprised Jess let you party tonight.”

Taeyeon shrugged her shoulders before taking a sip a her drink. “Kyungsoo has a new tutor, so I have more time to myself.”

Krystal tilts her head to the side. “Shouldn’t you be happy your son has new tutor and you get to party like you used to?”

“Well,” Taeyeon said, turning her body slightly towards Krystal. “It also means less boding time with the little guy.”

Krystal click her tongue. “You’re so clingy towards Kyungsoo. You beat Jessica at this.”

Taeyeon laughed. “I know, it’s crazy.”

**

“Crazy night?” Jessica asked, eyes travelling from Taeyeon to Krystal at the table, both wearing pained expressions as they massaged their temple.

“Not really,” Taeyeon smiled, pulling Jessica by the hand to sit on her lap. “Missed you.”

Krystal faked gagging, making her sister laugh. “Someday you’ll be one of the gross couples, too, so quit acting like we’re so gross for being so into each other,” Jessica said, standing up from Taeyeon’s lap to prepare their breakfast.

“Ew,” Krystal said weakly. “Never.”

Taeyeon’s weak voice echoed in the small dining room. “I don’t think I could fetch Kyungsoo from school today,” she said, hand still massaging her temple.

Jessica appeared from the kitchen with an apron. She eyed Taeyeon before sighing. “Baby,” she said. “I told you not to drink too much. I have a meeting later, I don’t think I could fetch Kyungsoo, too.”

Taeyeon’s left hand went to rub the back of her neck, shooting Krystal her puppy-dog eyes.

“Seriously?” Krystal said. “You can’t do that, Tae!” She stomped her foot lightly on the floor before sighing. “Well,” she said. “I don’t think I have a choice.”

Jessica smiled as she turned to get back to the kitchen. “Thanks, Soojung,” Taeyeon grinned as Jessica disappeared from the dining room.

“You’re a fraud!” Krystal whined. “I should have known!”

Taeyeon chuckled, taking out her phone from her pocket. “I didn’t drink much,” she said. “But I have stuff to do later, so thank you so much.”

“Tae, my head feels like they’re constructing a road in there right now. Really, it’s that bad.”

Taeyeon passed a morphine and a glass of water to Krystal. “That’ll help,” she said. “I told you not to drink too much last night.”

Krystal took the morphine and ate it. “I wanted to celebrate, you know,” she said after swallowing the medicine. “I’m finally free from art school.”

“Yeah, but still loveless. What a pity,” Taeyeon teased.

Krystal snorted out, crossing her arms. “I have had relationships in the past,” she boasted. “Especially in art school. A lot.”

“Yeah, sure,” Taeyeon said, smirking at the younger woman. “As if they were more than one night stands.”

“Hey,” Krystal said disapprovingly. “I really did love that Sulli, you know.”

Taeyeon nodded her head. “And let her go coz apparently you can’t take long distance relationships.”

“I wonder how she is, though?” Krystal said wistfully. Sulli was her first love, or at least she thinks that’s what she felt for the girl before. But eventually they grew apart, with Krystal needing to fly to New York for her studies. She knew she was never good at long distance relationships. Not that she ever had one before, but she just knew it wouldn’t last. Especially that they were both immature at that time. So to save them both from heartbreaks in the future, she decided to end the relationship once and for all. Leaving Seoul with a broken heart and a smudged mascara.

“You still like her? It’s been four years.”

Krystal shook her head. “Nope,” she said. “I was just wondering how she is. I haven’t heard about her in ages.”

“Sure,” Taeyeon teased again. “She’s getting married on the twenty-second, by the way. To that guy who helped her when you left her.”

Krystal put a hand over her chest, as if she was hurt. “You hurt me, Tae,” she said. “You make it sound like I’m a player.”

Taeyeon laughed, reaching to flick Krystal’s forehead with her finger. “We miss having you here,” she admit. “How long are you staying?”

“Depends on Jessica,” Krystal grinned, blushing. “Depends on when she decides to kick me out.”

Taeyeon chuckled. “She’ll kick you out any time soon. Especially if you continue coming home late,” Taeyeon said. “Drunk.”

“I haven’t partied for like, four years, yah know?” Krystal countered. “She’ll understand her baby sister.”

“Spoiled baby sister, may I add.”

Just then, Jessica appeared from the kitchen, signalling for Taeyeon to help her with the food. Both Krystal and Taeyeon rose from their seats.

**

“Still the best omelette in the city,” Taeyeon grinned at her girlfriend, who blushed at the comment.

“You guys,” Krystal said, clearing . “We’re in the table and we’re eating. Stop that.”

Jessica and Taeyeon laughed at the younger woman.

“So, you’re picking Kyungsoo up at three, okay?” Jessica said, looking at her sister before looking at her son. “Sweetie, you must eat you vegetables,” she said in a cooing tone.

“Oh, you’ll get to meet Joohyun,” Taeyeon said with a grin.

“Who?” Krystal asked.

“Joohyun is Kyungsoo’s teacher and tutor,” Jessica said. “She’s a sweetheart. Tell her we said hi, okay?”

Krystal just hummed in response, finishing the rest of her breakfast.

Jessica noticed the smile that was still in Taeyeon’s face. And from the look of it, she could tell that Taeyeon’s onto something. “Stop playing cupid,” she whispered. “Joohyun has a boyfriend, okay?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “I wasn’t planning on anything,” she lied.

“Sure, Taengoo. Sure.”