Day 2

It was already 8:47 am when Tiffany woke up. She went scurrying to the bathroom the moment she opened her eyes and hurled out all of the alcohol in her system in the nearest toilet bowl while Sunny was pulling back her hair. Bestest friend ever.

/ Tiffany /

“God, how much have I drank last night?” I asked Sunny. I splashed my face with cold water in the sink, hoping to wash off everything I had to endure last night. I remember the last thing I saw before passing out, it was Taeyeon. I was crying in her arms, probably with snot drooping from my nose, and then bam darkness clouded my vision and I was gone out cold. It was her all this time, I don’t know how to thank her. I must’ve been so embarrassing.

“A lot, I didn’t keep track.” she said, she was texting someone on the phone.

“Is Taeyeon still here?” I looked at her through the mirror and winced, feeling my head throb from the hangover. “…damn headache.” I muttered.

“She’s outside in the recliner, probably asleep still.” she replied.

“I can’t believe you made her wait,” I said half-annoyed. I can’t believe they let Taeyeon sleep on the recliner, that thing must’ve been uncomfortable. Couldn’t they have just sent her home with Hyoyeon last night? She probably couldn’t sleep that well too.

Sunny passed me an aspirin as we walked out of the bathroom, I took it and mouthed her a quick ‘thanks’ before swallowing it into my mouth.

“Hey, she insisted.” she said shrugging.

Taeyeon insisted? My eyes searched for her grayish-blonde hair in the room, and indeed she lay asleep on the recliner. She was wearing a different shirt now from last night as I remembered. Her arms were raised up to her eyes as if to block the sunlight coming in from the window, she looked so adorable I wanted to go over there to pinch her cheeks.

I closed the blinds and looked back at her. I noticed that she was tossing over uncomfortably, seconds from falling down face first on the floor but I rushed in just in time and held her still by the shoulder, saving her from a possible broken nose. That was close, I breathed a sigh of relief.

And then she woke up to that, humming silently as she slowly opened her eyes, seeing my face first thing in the morning.

“Hi,” I couldn’t hold back my giggle.

“Hey,” Taeyeon sat up on the recliner. She smiled at me then I saw her bite her lower lip. Her eyes went elsewhere for a moment as if she hesitated on saying something, “Feeling better love?” she asked me while she was stretching her arms and legs as she got up from the leather recliner. What was that she wanted to say?

I honestly didn’t know how to answer that. “I guess,” I just replied weakly, gently biting my tongue, trying to ignore the creeping chest pain that went with a recollection of memories from last night and from a long time ago. As if that could help. I tried to not think of it but the more I do, the more I remember. “…are you going?” I asked as I noticed her fixing her things inside her bag.

Taeyeon smiled at that and looked behind me, was she looking at Sunny?

“Yeah I have to go,” she said, “but Sunny has my number if you want to contact me.” I noticed her glancing at Sunny for a moment who was clearing off the table.

“Stay a little bit more for breakfast, I just had Sooyoung to get us some food.” Sunny interjected.

“Good day to all of us!” I heard Yuri’s voice out of nowhere, I looked to my left and saw her standing by the door, a wide smile spreading across her face with her hands placed on her hips. She had this certain aura on her. “…did someone say food?”

“Didn’t you get enough…” Sunny paused, coughing. ”…last night, Kwon Yuri?”

“Pffft..” Taeyeon covered trying to suppress her laugh, her face was starting to turn very red, “sorry, I’m sorry, I can’t—” she was half-coughing and half-laughing now. I had to raise my eyebrow at that.

“Yah!” Yuri’s face went red until the tip of her ears, hands tightly clenched.

Oh, so something happened last night when I was out cold huh.

“Hey guys! What’s this all about?” I looked at the three of them one by one, trying to probe for some answers, “I honestly don’t get it.”

Sooyoung entered the door with the food and walked in on us surrounded by such a weird atmosphere. I thought she was going to comment about something as she was looking at all of us but she just brushed it off and went for the table.

I went to her side and whispered, “Sooyoung.. can you tell me what Yuri ate when I was out last night?”

“Oh? She ate tacos with Hyoyeon, they were really in a hurry though,” Sooyoung said in a normal conversational voice while she was placing the food boxes on the table.

Honestly, what was so funny about that?

- - -

“Wow, I’m so full!” Taeyeon tied up her grayish-blonde hair and stretched her hands to the side, placing her hands on the wooden railing of the veranda.

“I can’t believe we were just strangers a day ago, and now we just ate breakfast together with my friends.” I approached her, crossing my arms to hug myself as I was only wearing a tank top and short shorts.

“Why? What’s wrong with that?” Taeyeon had this nonchalant look on her face. “Aren’t you glad that you’ve met me?” she asked.

“Well thanks to you my phone is broken now.” I said with a sarcastic tone.

“Hey don’t blame me, you should blame that person you were chasing last night.” Taeyeon retorted, stifling a laugh. “Was it worth the broken phone love?”

Damn, okay that stung a bit. I can’t blame her though, she didn’t know it was him I was chasing. But was it worth it? What could’ve happened if I caught up to him last night? Was that even him? Tiffany stop! You’re thinking about it again!

I went beside Taeyeon, taking a few slow steps forward until finally reaching my place. It took a moment before I responded, “I guess you were right Taeyeon,” I sighed.

“Right about what Tiffany?” Taeyeon turned her head to my side, looking at my face curiously.

“About last night being a long night.” I faced my body to Taeyeon as I leaned on the railing.

~ ~

// Music: Medicine – Daughter //

A few people were already outside the area, chatting amongst themselves. It was an open party after all. The DJ played a slow track and it was blurred from where the two of us were staying.

/ n /

Tiffany stared off to nowhere, biting her lower lips. Her face was shining in yellow orange with the light from the sun, and it made her brown eyes appear lighter. Her long black hair was flowing freely in the wind, swaying along with the palm trees at a distance.

Taeyeon and Tiffany shared this certain silence between them. It was comforting, nobody said anything. It was just them, the gust of wind and the sound of their slow and steady breathing. Taeyeon placed her right hand over Tiffany’s hand, squeezing it as if to tell her that she’s there for her.

They stared at each other’s eyes for a while and Taeyeon’s face softened, feeling her walls slowly crumbling down each second. She’s starting to break. Tiffany admired her face, slowly etching it into her brain, tracing each curve with her eyes.

Tiffany was smiling but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, there was a certain glint on it which Taeyeon found so intriguing and so familiar, and it took her a lot to break that eye contact first.

“You know,” Taeyeon cleared , still holding Tiffany’s hand, “I had this point in my life where everything was falling apart.” she looked down and stared at her shoes, doing little kicks on the gap of the railings.

Tiffany listened attentively, tucking her hair to her ears and looking at the face of the woman in front of her.

“I was 19, stupid, and alone,” she clenched her other hand on the railing. “I was in my apartment in London when I got a call from one of my relatives in Seoul, it was rare that they’d call me and I got really nervous. I already thought it was bad news the moment I picked it up,”

Taeyeon breathed in and then she scoffed, eyes unfocused staring off to nowhere.

“And then it was that, I was right. My uncle said that my mom had passed away that night. It was just so sudden you know, I didn’t have the time to react. I haven’t got the slightest idea that she was ill and suffering,” she almost choked on her words, but her face stayed firm. “…and it was during the time when I was struggling in the University too. I had my exams coming up at that time.”

Tiffany placed her other hand to cover Taeyeon’s hand that was holding hers, smoothing the joints on her fingers with her own very gently.

“I had my choice, I could’ve chosen to stay in Korea to spend her last moments with her but,” Taeyeon paused, looking at Tiffany’s hand. “I passed my college entrance exam in London and she saw how happy I was…she told me that she wanted the best for me, and she would be really proud of me if I went to the University because it was something that I could carry for the rest of my life. I should’ve known that it was going to turn out that way.” she looked at the side, biting her trembling lower lips.

Tiffany squeezed on Taeyeon’s hands now, trying her best to comfort the girl.

Taeyeon composed herself and took deep breaths before starting again, “My family wasn’t exactly perfect, my childhood was definitely the bloody toughest. My mom had me as a teen and she was forced to marry my dad at age 18, my dad was 25 back then and my grandparents didn’t really get along that well with each other so I stayed mostly with my mom,” she paused, as if trying to gather her thoughts. “My dad, my dad he…he knew about it all along. He knew about my mother’s condition before I even graduated high school. They were planning it all ahead and they left me out of it. And he provided for everything prior to London, my plane ticket, my apartment, my college fees, down to my mother’s funeral and all, it was only a matter of time.”

“He said that it was my mother’s last wish to him, that phone conversation was the longest talk that we ever had in my 19 years of existence. I never really got to spend much time with him while I was in London because he was always busy with his work and the fact that he also had another family to take care of…” she trailed off, looking at the sky for a brief moment. “…so I went back alone in Seoul to see my mother for the last time.”

“My relatives were there but it was still lonely, their words sounded empty to my ears that time. I never had any siblings or friends to talk to so I often kept to myself and thinking about it then, it was really only my mother that I could talk to,” she looked at two birds near them skipping on the rock ledges, they were chirping. She followed it with her eyes for a moment, and then they finally flew away.

“I had to catch a flight back immediately because I couldn’t stay much longer as I had my exams coming up. The time I spent flying was much longer than I stayed in Korea for my mom’s funeral, could you imagine?” she shook her head, sighing sadly. “I cried in the plane, I just let everything consume me at once that I thought all of my tears would run out.” she tilted her head upward, looking at the plane that had just passed over them in the sky. It left a long trail of smoke in the clouds.

“…then I saw this girl, she was sitting beside me in business class. I haven’t paid attention to my surroundings before my breakdown but then I felt a slow breathing on my side and saw her sleeping on my shoulders. I didn’t really notice.” a crowd from outside were laughing about something and Taeyeon waited for them to quiet down before speaking again.

- - -

“So you have finally decided to calm down,” the girl beside her was looking at her with piqued eyebrows.

“Wha.. I-I’m sorry I woke you up,” Taeyeon looked down on her hands as she stuttered.

The girl suddenly giggled, it was a shrill sounding giggle. “Come on now love, I was just fooling you! You’re quite cute,” the girl said as she was removing her earphones. “I’m Jessica, what’s your name?” she adjusted herself in her seat.

“T-Taeyeon..” she sunk deeper into her seat, fixing her scarf and beanie to hide her face. Her eyes were still swollen from all the crying.

“Okay then T-Taeyeon, nice to meet you,” she teased, trying to mimic the stuttering girl.

“Nice to meet you too,” Taeyeon said managing to let out a weak smile, it was the first one that day.

“Ugh, you’re so awkward its killing me.” Jessica half-whined.

“Sorry,” Taeyeon whispered.

“Your shoulders were cozy, by the way,” the girl randomly commented.

Taeyeon didn’t say anything, she just looked outside the window finding the clouds interesting as she was trying to avoid facing the girl. Her cheeks were red, she was blushing. After a while she calmed down, regulating her breathing as she closed her eyes.

“Say, do you like music Taeyeon?” Jessica was scrolling through her music playlist in her iPod shuffle.

“Yes,” Taeyeon suddenly turned her head to that question, biting the inside of her cheek. “I play the piano,” she said, trying to peek at what the woman beside her was doing. “…and I write my own stuff sometimes too.” for some reason she wanted to let her know.

- - -

“It felt like the longest flight that I ever had. It might sound dense to other people but… I forgot about all of my worries that time even if we just sat there listening to music.” Taeyeon had this smile plastered on her face.

“That girl… she’s the one who called you right?” Tiffany asked, staring off at a distance, the wind blew on her face and she tucked her hair to the side using her right hand.

“Yeah,” Taeyeon nodded her head once followed by a shake of her head and a sigh, “…she’s quite a handful that girl.”

“So… did you like her, that way?” Tiffany said, removing herself gently from Taeyeon as she did so.

Taeyeon had to raise her eyebrows at that. She pocketed her hands, playing with the cotton rubbles inside. “I did back in the day but it has reduced to something platonic now. We did date each other for a while though, but she said it was so awkward she’s like dating her younger sister and I kinda agreed.” she chuckled at the memory. “…and then we stayed as friends. I consider her as my closest friend now, we’re playing in the same band after all.” her phone vibrated and she looked at the caller ID.

‘Cor, talk about the devil.’ she whispered as she let her phone ring out and placed it back on her back pocket.

“Aren’t you talking that call?”

“Nah, she’d just nag at me.”

“You should probably head back to your place now, you didn’t get enough sleep and the recliner looked really uncomfortable,” Tiffany faced away from Taeyeon, she was looking at the palm trees on her side, absentmindedly counting its leaves, “…and besides, you have that performance on Day 3.”

“Wait, how did you find out? Did Hyoyeon mention it to you?” Taeyeon craned her neck to that, her small eyes slightly widening.

“Sunny told me,” Tiffany said, propping her arms on the wood and placing her chin under her palms. “I think she did a little research on you.”

“Now I feel pressured! I wasn’t supposed to let anyone know,” Taeyeon scratched her head, laughing nervously.

“I should go there and hold out a Taeyeon signboard in the front row shouting like a hardcore fan,” she giggled.

“Oh no you wouldn’t dare love,” Taeyeon crossed her arms as she shook her head.

“Watch me Taeyeon, I’ll drag the others’ with me too. My friends are really good at being embarrassing you know,” Tiffany grinned, trying to sound domineering. She stared down on the slightly smaller girl and Taeyeon took a step back.

“Okay then princess I give up, you can do whatever the bloody hell you want,” Taeyeon laughed. “Our band is going to need some audience anyways.”

Tiffany suddenly turned silent, looking away from Taeyeon as she clenched her jaws.

“Oh bollocks,” Taeyeon approached the girl carefully, noticing the change on her face. “…did I say something wrong?”

Tiffany shook her head. ”It’s what he used to call me, so…” she trailed off. “…and my dad used to call me that too,” there was a hint of pain in her voice.

Taeyeon sighed, “Sorry, I-..” she ran her hand through her hair frustratingly, muttering a curse under her breath, ‘What the bloody hell Taeyeon’

“It’s okay,” Tiffany had this weak smile on her face. ”I’ll get over it soon.” she sounded as if she’s trying to convince herself, not Taeyeon.

Taeyeon observed the girl for a moment before replying, “You have great friends who has your back and I know they’ll help you get through this.” she said, smiling lightly. “…you deserve the best Tiffany, you should never forget that.”

Tiffany put her arms around Taeyeon, hugging the girl. She placed her chin on her shoulders whispering, “Thank you for being here with me today Taeyeon, and for last night. Gosh, that was embarrassing of me,” she laughed a little. “I’m so glad I literally bumped into you and wrecked my phone and all, it was definitely worth it,”

“Thank you for listening to me too,” Taeyeon patted her back lightly. “…and you should probably do something about your phone so you can contact me directly when you need a shoulder to cry on, it’s my best asset,” she laughed.

“I will.”

Tiffany was just about to break the hug but Taeyeon whispered, “…wait, let’s stay like this for a bit more,” she said tightening her hug just a little, earning her a playful slap on the arm from Tiffany as she broke the hug.

Tiffany was flustered, her cheeks were tainted with her favorite color, pink. Taeyeon just groaned and rubbed her arms jokingly, not saying anything although she saw the now fainting blush on Tiffany’s cheek.

“So what’s the deal with you and Yuri last night huh,” Tiffany teased, trying to forget that she blushed earlier. “…everything happened so fast I forgot to interrogate you,”

“Me and Yuri? What are you on about?” Taeyeon said. “…it should be her and my cousin that needs interrogating, not me,”

“Huh! What’s it supposed to do with Hyoyeon?” Tiffany raised her eyebrows, trying to make sense of what Taeyeon said.

“I’m not in the position to say it but I think you’ll know soon enough.” Taeyeon grinned mischievously.

“I’m getting sooo tired of your inside jokes,” Tiffany whined as she crossed her arms, pouting like a child.

“And they say I am the childish one!” Taeyeon clapped her hands once as she laughed.

“At least I don’t get mistaken for a high schooler,” Tiffany kept whining and tapped her foot.

“No offense taken, but are you even hearing yourself love?” Taeyeon teased, trying to mimic the girl’s whining.

“Piss off Taeyeon,” Tiffany said in a British accent.

Taeyeon’s phone suddenly beeped loudly, she muttered a quick curse as she set it down to silent mode. It was her manager calling her, and to top that it was already 10:43am. ‘e, I totally forgot.’ she whispered.

“What was that?” Tiffany asked curiously.

“It means that I’m in trouble and I really need to go,” Taeyeon got her bag and slipped on her shoes, ready to walk out, “…but before that I need to say something,” she stopped and faced Tiffany.

“What about?” Tiffany replied.

“We’re having this dinner party tonight with a few people and...” Taeyeon started to bite her lower lips, feeling awkward. “I already asked Sunny and she agreed to tell you guys later. I understand if you couldn’t come,” she rubbed her shoulders, “…but I’d love it if you were there though. I just thought that you should hear it from me personally before I head back to my impending doom.” she said, grinning sheepishly.

“Okay Taeyeon, go on now you.” Tiffany smiled. “I’ll think about it.”