September 29th 2015

Jaehyun and Jessica were both standing in front of the door, doing nothing. They stayed there for so long that Krystal had to go check what was going on.

"What are you doing? Who was it?" She asked her siblings.

Jessica snapped out of her reverie and looked at Krystal.

"Noona, I'm going to open the door. Are you ready?" Jaehyun asked.

Jessica, who was still looking at Krystal, faintly nodded her head before drawing a long breathe.

"Who is it?" Krystal repeated.

Jaehyun put a hand on the doorknob and pulled the door open. Krystal looked over Jessica's shoulder, and her face fell as soon as she saw who it was.

Jessica turned back around and smiled.

"Hi." Seohyun said.

She looked like she had cried a bit, and she was dressed for a party. She looked overall uncomfortable, standing there, in front of the three siblings.

"Hi, Seohyun. What brings you here this late?" Jessica asked, trying to sound as nice as possible.

"Huh... I- I wanted to talk to you. Can I come in for a minute, please?" She asked.

"Ah, yes sure! Come in." Jessica replied.

Krystal and Jaehyun were watching the scene in utter uneasiness. Neither of them knew how to react.

They see her every now and then at the company and their interactions are short, therefore there is not much awkwardness when they meet. But seeing her here, at their home, considering the situation, got them speechless.

"Hi, Jaehyun! Hi, Soojung!" Seohyun said, as she walked in.

The siblings nodded their heads and slightly bowed, greeting her quickly.

"Jaehyun, could you bring her something to drink, please?" Jessica said. She turned to Seohyun before continuing. "Ice blueberry tea is still your favorite, right?"

Seohyun was taken aback and could not hide it. She slightly smiled and quickly nodded her head.

"There's some left in the top right shelf, in the kitchen." She told Jaehyun.

"I'll help you!" Krystal interjected.

She was looking for an occasion to leave too, and she could tell that this was her last chance to do so. Jessica slightly smirked, catching on her siblings' discomfort.

"Let's go to the living room." She then told Seohyun.

Seohyun followed in silence and they both sat down at opposite ends of the couch. The awkwardness was real. Anyone could feel it.

"So, what's up?" Jessica casually asked.

Seohyun looked everywhere but at Jessica.

"Well... First of all, I'm sorry for coming unannounced and so late. I stopped at your apartment first, but you weren't there, so I figured you'd be here." She started. "How have you been?" She continued.

Jessica did not know how to take the question. Of course she would like to say that she had been great all this while, and rub her new found happiness in the woman's face, but that would not be the entire truth.

"I'm good, now! Everything's good, thank God." She simply replied.

"Ha. That's good to hear... It's been a while."

Jessica did not say anything. She waited for Seohyun to get to the point.

"Truthfully, I was on my way to a gathering with the other girls. That's why I'm dressed up so weirdly." She added.

And as if someone was punching her in the face for the hundredth time, Jessica felt a way too familiar pang in her heart. They were probably all gathering together to celebrate the one year anniversary of her, leaving, she thought.

"It's not what you think. It was planned a while ago, without any ill thinking, I promise." Seohyun said.

"You don't have to justify anything, Seohyun. You girls can do whatever you want to, just like I get to do, now. There's nothing wrong in you guys gathering!" Jessica spoke.

Saying one thing and actually meaning it are two different matters. Jessica was hurt, not by the fact that they were meeting to celebrate anything, but by the fact that it had to be tonight.

"Anyway, I was on my way there and it just did not feel right. How could I have sat there on this day and have fun, knowing that you'd probably be feeling upset tonight. I just couldn't."

"Seohyun, you really didn't have to come over just for this. I was not even thinking about it!"

Another lie.

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I would have called instead, but you've changed your number... Eonnie. For the past year, there's not one day that has passed without me wanting to call to apologize."

"But you didn't." Jessica replied, dryly.

"I know... and I'm so sorry for hurting you the way we did." Seohyun continued.

Jessica drew a long sigh. She was not in the mood to console anyone that night, and even less one of the very people who let her down once. She was getting impatient, but she quickly calmed down, remembering all the progress she had made. It was not worth it to get all worked up about this.

She looked back at Seohyun.

"Seohyun, if I am being honest, I have forgiven you girls. At first I thought that what happened was a curse, and that I would never get to do what I love again, which is to perform. But everything turned out well, so I can't complain."

"I'm so sorry, Eonnie. I hate that we lost you. Not as a colleague, but as a friend. As family." Seohyun added.

"We're way over the family talk, Seohyun. I'm not trying to be mean here, but I feel like you're only here to make amends for the sake of your own conscience." Jessica replied.

"I won't deny that I did feel guilty for a very long time, and that coming here to get this out of my chest will definitely put some of it to rest... but I merely wanted you to realize that it's not because we've moved on, on the professional side, that we don't miss you the same. I'm not going to be speaking on the behalf of anyone else, but I sure do miss you." Jessica listened attentively. " And I don't expect you to just be part of my life again as if nothing happened, but I just want you to know that I am here. Even though I failed you once. It would be so great if we could forget about all of this."

"I might have forgiven you, but this is not something I can forget."

"Eonnie, we all had our parts in it. You and us." Seohyun replied.

"Well, I was alone against eight, Seohyun. Where were you when everyone was bashing me and calling me a traitor? One comment! None of you made a single, little comment about it! Is it easier to act like I was never there? Is this what you call a family? If so, then I'm much better without it!" Jessica reacted.

"Here is your tea!" Krystal exclaimed.

She walked in, holding a tray with two cups of tea on it. Jaehyun followed her, and brought the sugar that she had forgotten.

The two of them did not hear the conversation but they could tell by the girls' faces that it was not the a pleasant one.

"Sorry it took so long. Jaehyun is not really an expert at making tea. Or anything else, for that matter." She added.

"Noona!" Jaehyun exclaimed. "After Hyung, I am definitely the best cook of the siblings, and you know that!"

"Yeah, right! And where do I stand in there, then?" Jessica asked.

"I'm not really sure, but probably somewhere before commander and Jung Noona!"

"Yah!" Krystal reacted.

The three siblings started having a sweet banter, and Seohyun silently took a sip of her tea as she watched them with a light heart. Jessica caught her smiling at their interaction, and silently grabbed her cup of tea too.

"Well, I'm going to go to bed now. Goodnight Noonas!" Jaehyun said after a little while.

He gave Jessica and Krystal both goodnight kisses and bowed at Seohyun, before disappearing through his bedroom door.

"I'm going to let the two of you finish your conversation." Krystal started saying.

"Oh, we're done... Seohyun has to go to a