[Sun, Mar 5, 2:47PM]

Taeyeon-ah congrats.  The album is beautiful.

Taeyeon stares long at the screen.

“Taeyeon-ssi, standby in ten minutes.”

She quickly shoves her phone into her purse.  She takes one sip from her water bottle as she mentally washes any lingering grief away and channels her emotions into the four-minute performance ahead of her.

She walks out her room, poises her trained smile as hoobaes bow and exude thrill at the legend walking the halls of the backstage of this music program.  At the end of the hall, inside the dimly lit nook of the stage, she closes her eyes, shuts the outside world of noise, and mentally steadies herself.

This is my stage.

I own this stage.

I’m made for this stage…

2 years.  5 months.  3 days.

With eyes still shut, a subtle mocking grin forms and is followed by a justified scoff.

2 years, 5 months, 3 days Jessica.

--

Four days later, Taeyeon comes home after a long night of festivities celebrated with a small group of close friends and members.  She drank a lot but not nearly enough, or so she thinks.  Upon reaching her own bedroom, she closes the door and tosses her things, her jacket, her purse, her phone at random spaces and corners of her room.

Next, she sluggishly plops her body on her bed flat on her back, slinging her arm across her forehead covering her eyes.  At 3:37am in the morning, with the help